Star Dou Great Forest, Life Lake.
Di Tian stood on the lake's surface, gazing at the miserable sight of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King on the Sky Screen. He remained silent for a long time.
His situation was all too similar to the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's.
His lover had betrayed him, and his cultivation had been crippled... He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.
Damn you, Brother Cao!
He gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.
Behind him, Zi JI leaned against an ancient tree, her alluring face full of appreciation.
She watched the Demon Empress's graceful figure on the Sky Screen, a smile curling at her lips.
"This Demon Empress is nice. She's just my type," she said lazily and casually. "She'll definitely make a good sister someday."
Bi Ji stood to one side. At this, she nodded. "That's right. We Soul Beasts really should stick together, whether in Star Dou Great Forest or by Brother Cao's side."
Di Tian's face darkened like the bottom of a pot.
Good sisters? Stick together? You're saying all this right in front of me—did you even consider my feelings?
Zi JI glanced at him, her smile growing broader.
Got a problem? Want to fight?
Di Tian drew a deep breath, forcing down the anger in his heart.
Fight?
He really couldn't beat Zi JI right now. That reality was crueler than any words.
Xiong Jun stood nearby, mouth opening and closing as he struggled to think of something to say.
Break up the fight? He wouldn't dare.
Add fuel to the fire? He'd dare even less.
Wasn't it better to sit back and enjoy the show?
Gu Yuena's figure appeared and disappeared, but she didn't reveal herself.
She merely watched the scene in silence and sighed.
Was Brother Cao planning to recruit every beauty under the sun?
Ye Family Fortress.
Ye Lingling sat in a pavilion, watching the Demon Empress and the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's dramatic marital fallout on the Sky Screen. The corner of her mouth twitched.
"Husband, you're quite persuasive, aren't you?" Her voice was soft, yet carried a chill that sent shivers down the spine. "You sure know how to steal someone else's sweetheart—smooth as silk. Impressive! Impressive!"
Cao Xiyu set down his teacup and gave an awkward laugh. "Ahem. I told you long ago, darling, that I'm an expert at breaking up homes."
Ye Lingling rolled her eyes, too lazy to respond.
An expert at breaking up homes? He was breaking up other people's homes, all right.
Xiao Wu shamelessly chimed in. "Exactly! Brother Cao persuaded me, too. From Star Dou Great Forest to Shrek, then from Shrek to Ye Family Fortress. Brother Cao's powers of persuasion have been proven in practice!"
Ye Lingling's mouth twitched.
Were you persuaded? You were bedded into submission!
Zhu Zhuyun sat to one side, watching the women on the Combat Power Ranking on the Sky Screen as she quietly calculated.
Dou Empress, Star Luo Empress, Yuehua, Ah Yin, Liu Erlong, Shui Qing'er, Bi Ji, Zi JI, the Demon Empress... Each one was more formidable and alluring than the last.
She had to work harder. Otherwise, sooner or later, someone would shove her out of the harem.
She glanced at her younger sister, who was still daydreaming beside her, and sighed inwardly.
That silly girl—besides being pretty, what else did she have?
She wasn't bright, wasn't quick with words, and even slacked off when cultivating in her dreams.
She needed to find a few more allies!
Her gaze swept across the courtyard.
Xiao Wu? No. That girl looked innocent, but she had plenty of tricks up her sleeve. If Zhu Zhuyun allied with her, she might get sold off and still help count the money.
Liu Erlong? Too domineering. Difficult to get along with.
Ah Yin? Too gentle, with no mind of her own.
Tang Yuehua? Too aloof, hard to approach.
Her gaze finally settled on Ye Lingling.
The wife in name and in truth, powerful, and closest to Brother Cao. If Zhu Zhuyun could ally with her...
Zhu Zhuyun picked up a teacup, walked over to Ye Lingling, and smiled seductively. "Sister, have some tea."
Ye Lingling glanced at her and took the cup without saying a word.
What was that girl plotting now?
Spirit Hall, Pope Palace.
Bibi Dong lounged against the papal throne, watching one peerless beauty after another make the list on the Sky Screen. Her heart remained unruffled.
She had two allies by her side already: her daughter, Qian Renxue, and her disciple, Hu Liena.
She wasn't worried in the slightest.
"Xue'er." She turned to Qian Renxue beside her, her voice gentle. "You'll always stay with your mother, won't you?"
Qian Renxue nodded, her smile obedient. "Of course."
Bibi Dong felt relieved.
Then Qian Renxue changed course, a hint of slyness flashing in her golden eyes. "But Mother, one day I'll go to Brother Cao's side. Are you sure you want to come with me?"
Bibi Dong's smile stiffened slightly.
Qian Renxue continued, her voice carrying a hint of teasing. "Everyone knows Brother Cao is a demon when it comes to women, and he especially likes exquisite, mature beauties. Aren't you worried, Mother?"
Bibi Dong: "..."
What was going on with Xue'er? She'd never said such shameless things before!
Seeing her mother's cheeks flush faintly, Qian Renxue grew even more certain.
She'd suspected it for a long time. The way her mother looked when she reminisced about Brother Cao was exactly the same as the way she looked herself.
Now, after testing her, she was certain.
Her mother was on the list, too!
She leaned closer and whispered in Bibi Dong's ear, "Mother, you can stop pretending. I've known about your cultivation of the Yin-Yang Reincarnation Technique for ages."
Bibi Dong's pupils contracted slightly.
Qian Renxue stepped back, her smile radiant. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. When we're both by Brother Cao's side, we'll have to look out for each other."
Bibi Dong drew a deep breath, forcing down her shock and panic.
When had her daughter become so sharp?
Seeing her mother trying so hard to appear calm, Qian Renxue chuckled to herself.
Mother, oh, Mother. Keep pretending.
Sooner or later, you'll be on the list.
Let's see how you pretend then.
Bibi Dong hurriedly turned and looked out the window at the Sky Screen.
That was true. She'd end up on the list eventually anyway. What did she need dignity for?
Peerless Dragon-Snake Family, council hall.
Dragon Duke Meng Shu sat in the seat of honor, his face aged and his cloudy eyes full of worry.
He looked at the names still scrolling across the Sky Screen and let out a long sigh.
"Our Yiran may have made the Genius Ranking and gone to that Brother Cao. But there are simply too many people on the list, and Yiran's strength is nearly at the bottom. She doesn't have any allies, either. I'm afraid she'll be bullied."
Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang sat beside him, her face just as troubled.
She stroked her white hair and nodded. "That's right. Though we're known as the Peerless Dragon-Snake, and our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, 'Dragon-Snake Combined Strike,' can stand against a Titled Douluo, we're still too few to help Yiran much."
She paused, a glimmer appearing in her eyes. "If only I were on the Combat Power Ranking, too!"
Meng Shu was lifting his teacup to drink. At her words, he nearly spat out his tea.
He put the cup down and stared at his old wife with eyes as wide as if he'd seen a ghost. "What are you thinking, you old woman? Don't you know everyone on the list belongs to Brother Cao's harem? What are you trying to do—cheat on me?"
Chao Tianxiang rolled her eyes. "You jealous old goat! Even if I wanted to make the list, Brother Cao wouldn't be interested in an old woman like me."
She touched her wrinkled face, her eyes full of nostalgia.
"If I were fifty years younger, maybe I'd have a chance. Back in the day, I was a beauty famed for miles around! The line of men chasing me stretched from one end of the village to the other!"
Meng Shu's mouth twitched slightly.
Chao Tianxiang suddenly sighed. "If only I could be a few decades younger. Then I could make the list, too, and serve Brother Cao alongside Yiran. A mother and daughter... No, a grandmother and granddaughter together. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Meng Shu's face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot. "You old woman! What are you saying?"
Chao Tianxiang hurriedly waved her hands. "I'm joking, I'm joking! I'm just saying, that's all!"