The Curse of the Nine Heart Begonia, Golden Crocodile Douluo's Assault

That night.

Han Yu dined with the newly joined Ye Lingling, taking the opportunity to introduce her to Dugu Bo and Qin Ming.

Ye Lingling was reserved at the dinner table, projecting an air of "strangers keep away." She sat silently beside Han Yu, lifted her veil, and ate in small, delicate bites.

Listening to the laughter and chatter of the others, she merely nodded quietly, her curious gaze lingering on Han Yu from time to time.

Before she arrived, her grandmother had warned her that there was only one person in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect worth dedicating her full support to: the Sect Saint Son beside her, the heaven-gifted prodigy of the future.

However, she remained deeply puzzled. As an auxiliary-type Spirit Master like herself, how could Han Yu possess offensive means capable of easily defeating those of his own rank?

"Haha, the drinking is quite spirited tonight! Let us congratulate the sect on gaining another genius." Dugu Bo, his face flushed, raised his glass toward Ye Lingling and shouted.

He had seen Ye Lingling many times before; she was a close friend of his granddaughter, Dugu Yan. Knowing her introverted and kind nature, he no longer worried about Dugu Yan being lonely in the sect.

Han Yu and the others smiled and raised their glasses, looking over in unison.

Ye Lingling stood up, raised a hand to tuck back her hair, covering the tips of her ears which had turned a faint shade of pink. Shyly, she picked up her teacup and bowed in return.

Han Yu drained his wine in one gulp and asked, "Head of the Ye Family, I have long heard of the Nine Heart Begonia but have yet to see it with my own eyes. I wonder if you might let me witness it?"

Ye Lingling blinked, pursed her lips, and nodded gently, slowly spreading her hands before her.

A wondrous flower with nine purple petals and a transparent yellow center bloomed in her palms.

She plucked a petal and tossed it lightly into the air. It shimmered with white light, drifting slowly down until it merged into Han Yu's body.

Han Yu straightened slightly. The lethargy caused by overusing his brain in recent days vanished, and as he took a light breath, a look of comfort spread across his face.

He clapped his hands and said with a smile, "What a powerful effect."

Hearing this, Ye Lingling raised her beautiful eyes from beneath her veil to glance at Han Yu, then immediately looked away and nodded softly.

Chen Xin took a sip of wine and remarked, "The Nine Heart Begonia, an auxiliary-type tool spirit, is ranked alongside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda as one of the two supreme auxiliary spirits."

"It follows a path diametrically opposed to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, focusing on only one thing: extreme healing. Regardless of the number of spirit rings, it possesses only one spirit skill, which is comprehensive healing."

"Unfortunately, it has a fatal flaw; otherwise, the title of the number one auxiliary spirit would belong to it without question."

Ye Lingling's eyes flickered, and her fingers tightened together.

Chen Xin glanced at Ye Lingling and sighed, "There can only be two Nine Heart Begonia Spirit Masters in the world at any given time. Only upon the death of one will the next generation awaken the Nine Heart Begonia spirit."

In this light, the head of the Ye Family had been quite generous to allow a Nine Heart Begonia Spirit Master to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ye Lingling lowered her head, staring at the tabletop in silence.

Han Yu raised an eyebrow at Chen Xin, laughed it off, and said, "It's fine, it's fine. Perhaps there will be a way to solve it in the future."

A trace of self-mockery flickered behind Ye Lingling's veil. She took a light breath and returned to her previous indifferent expression.

She assumed Han Yu was merely comforting her; after all, her family had been tormented by this curse for years—how could such good fortune ever befall her?

After the meal, they each returned to their rooms.

Ye Lingling's room was diagonally across from Han Yu's—neither too far nor too close, the most comfortable distance for her.

Upon returning to his room, Han Yu headed straight for the bathroom to wash away the scent of alcohol, then lounged in the tub, preparing to close his eyes and rest.

Just then, a strange sight in the tub made him look down in curiosity.

Ripples were appearing on the surface of the water, growing increasingly frequent.

Han Yu's pupils dilated instantly. He wrapped himself in a bath towel and prepared to stand up.

BOOM—

An invisible pressure descended from thin air. The ceiling instantly crumbled into powder, and Han Yu was exposed to the moonlight, pinned firmly into the tub, unable to move a muscle.

His face was etched with horror, his throat bobbing uncontrollably.

No matter what methods he tried to employ, he remained plastered against the tub. This was the most terrifying power he had ever endured.

"Han Yu!" Chen Xin's figure appeared before Han Yu in an instant, his eyes cold and his aura surging. "Ninth Spirit Skill! God-Demon Dual Slash!"

The Seven Kill Sword flew straight into the sky, transforming into a giant phantom blade that descended.

Spirit power shockwaves erupted, and the entire Crown Prince Tutor Mansion crumbled into ruins.

A tall, robust figure appeared in the sky.

"Hahaha, not bad. You have a bit of your grandfather's shadow in you." Golden Crocodile Douluo crossed his arms, his eyes filled with appreciation as he laughed.

His entire body was covered in a layer of fine golden scales, his hands had transformed into sharp claws, and a massive tail covered in scales and spikes trailed behind him. Nine spirit rings rotated slowly beneath his feet.

Two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red.

"A hundred-thousand-year spirit ring!? Are you the Second Elder of Spirit Hall, Golden Crocodile Douluo?" Chen Xin was shocked, his hand gripping the Seven Kill Sword trembling slightly, his tone filled with disbelief.

His grandfather had said before he died that it was a pity he never got to settle the score with his famous rival. His family had investigated that rival—it was the Golden Crocodile Douluo, who had once shaken the continent before stepping back from Spirit Hall affairs to cultivate in the Elder Hall.

His mood sank, his eyes filled with worry as he stared fixedly at Golden Crocodile Douluo in the sky.

He had long since come to view Han Yu as a junior; he would never allow him to die here, even if it cost him his own life.

Chen Xin's gaze sharpened. He raised the Seven Kill Sword, carving patterns into the air as he spoke in a deep voice.

"The cassia tree is youthful across a hundred miles of territory; the partridge cries in the rain, echoing through the cool shade of noon."

The peaks above Yanping Ferry are sharp as if carved, the sword departs, the river empties, and the water flows on forever.

"Sword Dao! Chen Xin!"

A blue light flashed in his eyes as a massive Seven Kill Sword, solidified from countless strands of sword intent, rose before him and slashed straight toward the sky.

Bang—!

Chen Xin pushed his soul power to its limit, twisting his body with all his might to fling Han Yu, who was behind him, away.

Han Yu suddenly felt the pressure vanish. He looked back in mid-air at Chen Xin, who was smiling at him, and gritted his teeth. The Wind-Thunder Wings soul bone on his back instantly unfurled, and he vanished like a phantom.

"Senior, I was the one who killed those two Title Douluos; it has nothing to do with anyone else." Chen Xin flicked the Seven Kill Sword in his hand and soared upward, blocking Golden Crocodile Douluo's line of sight.

"Hmph, just two pieces of trash. Their skills were lacking, and I couldn't be bothered to avenge them." Golden Crocodile Douluo glanced in the direction where Han Yu had disappeared and let out a cold snort, his tone filled with indifference.

His purpose in coming here was merely to vent some frustration for Qian Renxue. With Qian Daoliu's orders in place, he would not strike at the people of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect again.

"You are quite similar to your grandfather. Let this old man test your skills for him." A strange look flickered in Golden Crocodile Douluo's eyes as he spoke with keen interest.

Hearing this, Chen Xin breathed a sigh of relief. He cupped his hands in a salute, pointed his long sword forward, and said, "Please, enlighten me."