Ryan Ling had only been bothered by that weird smell at first, but the moment Serena Yan pressed down on him and touched him like that, he suddenly felt it too. Right now, he wanted to flip her over and take charge, but he never expected that when she got serious, she was stronger than a tiger—he couldn’t even turn her over.
"You’re wild!" Ryan’s hand suddenly reached for Serena Yan’s butt.
"Brat, you’re the one who started it!" Serena Yan gave a seductive smile. This rich lady was just oozing with charm—she totally outshone Rose Ye. Rose was also that type, but compared to Serena right now, she was lacking in both presence and allure.
Just as Ryan was about to lose control and get things started, Martin Ma’s voice suddenly rang out: "Cult Master Yintian, I’ve already captured them. You didn’t have to bring the Four Great Elders yourself—this was way more trouble than necessary!"
"Old Ma, you don’t even know—you’ve pulled off something huge! I ought to thank you. With a contribution like this, I should make you the Shadow-Soul Cult’s Vice Cult Master!" Cult Master Yintian laughed heartily, clearly elated.
Martin Ma obviously had no clue what was going on—his face was all question marks.
Seeing his dumb look, Cult Master Yintian kept laughing: "Do you even know who you just caught?"
"Serena Yan and some brat—they’ve both been captured. The Yan Family of Jinling is ours now!" Martin Ma blurted out.
"Wrong. The Yan Family doesn’t matter—it’s not worth as much as any one of the Ten Great Clans these days. The real prize is that brat you mentioned!" Cult Master Yintian finished, leaving Martin even more confused.
"Even if I told you, you’d never understand!" Cult Master Yintian smiled faintly, his eyes already locked on the Dragon-Trap Golden Bowl.
Outside, Yintian was almost shaking with excitement, thrilled he’d brought all four Great Elders along. He suddenly barked, "Shadow-Soul Cult, listen up! Fire up the Dragon-Trap Golden Bowl! Refine everyone inside—especially Ryan Ling! Leave no survivors! And if anyone finds a Ghost-King Robe, bring it to me for a huge reward! Understood?"
"Understood!" the cultists shouted back, eager to please.
Ryan finally understood—Yintian’s eyes were sharp. He’d figured out the Ghost-King Robe was worth way more than the Fifth-Rank Spirit Officer seat. Even if the robe was on Ryan, Yintian was hell-bent on getting it.
In a flash, Ryan felt the temperature inside the Golden Bowl spike. The whole thing started shrinking fast. They weren’t just trying to suffocate him—they wanted to refine him alive.
Golden flames flickered around the Bowl, ghostly and menacing.
"Ryan, that’s Soul-Melting Flames! They’ll burn your body and wipe your soul clean! Yintian’s too cruel—he wants us completely erased!" Serena shouted, panic in her voice.
"Don’t panic. Get in my arms—we’re busting out soon!" Ryan gritted his teeth. He knew those flames were deadly, but with the Heavenwood Spirit Root spread outside, the Bowl was leaking air. Once it started leaking, it wasn’t airtight anymore—Ryan could totally break out.
"O-okay!" Serena blushed, ducked her head, and dove into Ryan’s arms. For months, she’d been the Yan Family’s backbone, handling everything alone. No shoulders to lean on, no man’s arms to hide in. Now, snuggled up to Ryan, she felt safe for the first time in ages.
"Hold on tight—I’m about to blow us out!" Ryan reminded her urgently.
Serena nodded hard and threw her arms around Ryan, her hand—almost on autopilot—sliding back to his butt.
"Hey, could you maybe not keep grabbing there?" Ryan said, sounding exasperated.
"I-I just like that spot! And yours feels amazing!" Serena was way bolder now, her words getting a little wild.
"Yours feels pretty great too! I heard you were Jinling’s Number One Butt back in the day!" Ryan couldn’t resist tossing out a dirty joke.
"You think I lost my title?" Serena snorted, then blurted, "Next time, I’ll let you have your fill!"
With that, Serena buried her face in Ryan’s chest, mortified.
Ryan was totally drunk on this seductive woman’s words.
By now, the Heavenwood roots had built up enough power, and everything was set inside and out. Ryan suddenly roared, "Break!"
That shout was so loud, everyone outside—Yintian, Martin Ma, and the rest—heard it.
"Cult Master Yintian, that kid’s still alive! Must’ve heard you want to refine him—he’s losing it, ha ha ha!" Martin Ma laughed uproariously.
Yintian just sneered, "Even if he tries his hardest, there’s no way he’s escaping the Dragon-Trap Golden Bowl. He’s getting refined, end of story!"
But before Martin could finish, a thunderous boom erupted from inside the Golden Bowl! The artifact that was supposed to trap even dragons shattered into pieces.
Martin Ma, the weakest, was sent flying headfirst into the dirt, while a dozen Shadow-Soul Cultists were knocked flat. Only Yintian barely managed to stay standing, his face pale as a ghost.
"How is this possible?" Yintian gasped, terror written all over his face.
Ryan stepped out of the wreckage, Heavenwood roots writhing around him like ghostly claws. He glared at Yintian and the cultists, voice icy: "If you’ve got a grudge, settle it now. No one here is leaving alive—die!" As soon as he spoke, Heavenwood roots burst from the ground like soul-reaping ghost hands...
(The Heavenwood roots surged up, countless tendrils lashing out, ready to harvest every soul in sight.)
Screams erupted as the roots pierced through cultists and retainers alike, draining their life force in seconds.
Yintian tried to resist, unleashing his yin-yang sorcery, but the Heavenwood roots overwhelmed him, wrapping around his limbs and dragging him toward Ryan.
Martin Ma screamed, scrambling to escape, but a root snagged his ankle and yanked him back into the carnage.
Serena clung to Ryan, heart pounding, as the massacre unfolded around them.
Ryan’s killing intent radiated across the battlefield, his eyes cold and merciless.
The Primeval Heavenwood roots moved like living things, grabbing and draining every enemy in reach.
Within moments, the cultists and traitors lay motionless, their bodies shriveled and lifeless.
Only Ryan and Serena remained standing, surrounded by writhing Heavenwood roots and the ruins of battle.
Ryan looked down at Serena and said quietly, "From now on, no one messes with us."