Chapter 951: Scaring You a Little, So What

With that slap, the Dragon Girl immediately felt much more at ease.

The four aquatic creatures who had entered the hall with the Dragon Girl were slightly surprised by Miss Ying's reaction, yet they understood. After all, the person had first committed a great disrespect by impersonating Mr. Ji's companion, and then essentially played a game of hide-and-seek, causing them to waste considerable time—a critical period for the Dragon Clan's wilderness expansion.

Everything unfolded so quickly that many in the hall hadn't even had time to react before Lian Ping'er was struck, sent flying, and crashed into a corner, her fate unknown.

Bei Mu wasn't particularly far from Lian Ping'er, but when the Dragon Girl appeared, her aura was so overwhelming that it caused him to hesitate for a crucial moment, making it too late to intervene.

The four Dragon Clan members slowly positioned themselves on either side behind the Dragon Girl, facing the two sections of the hall and looking at its occupants with disdain.

"Miss Ying has arrived! Why do the aquatic creatures in this hall not kneel and pay respects?"

Faced with this sudden turn of events, everyone in the hall was stunned, and for a moment, no one uttered a sound. The Dragon Girl then turned to face the entire assembly, her imposing aura even overshadowing Bei Mu, the host.

Nevertheless, the aquatic creatures present in the hall certainly couldn't just prostrate themselves. However, the true dragon's might they perceived was far more intense, making them instinctively hesitant to directly confront Ying Ruoli.

The Dragon Girl's attention first landed on A'ze, then on Bei Mu, who intuitively felt like the greatest threat. However, she was slightly surprised to see so many immortal cultivators in the hall, even if most seemed to be rogue cultivators.

"Aunt Ning—"

A'ze was the first to cry out in alarm, but before he could rush towards the fractured wall corner, the Dragon Girl extended her other hand, holding her fan horizontally to block him.

"You?"

The Dragon Girl ignored all other gazes in the hall, appearing to disregard even Bei Mu, as she calmly looked at A'ze with eyes clearer than crystal.

"A'ze, that Ning Xin is not Uncle Ji's companion. Do you truly believe he would associate with such unscrupulous individuals? She brought you here with ulterior motives; if given the chance, these people would likely be eager to see the demise of Mr. Ji, whom you revere."

Although A'ze was initially furious that Aunt Ning had been struck, facing the Dragon Girl's gaze, he subtly sensed Mr. Ji's aura emanating from her. He looked down at the folding fan clasped in her pale fingers, particularly at the fan itself.

"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Ying. Old Niu respects you as a true dragon, but who are you calling unscrupulous?"

While everyone in the hall was suppressed by Ying Ruoli's powerful aura and dragon might, and even before Bei Mu had spoken, it was the drunken Niu Batian who was the first to step forward.

The Dragon Girl drew A'ze closer with her fan, and before he could speak, the fan lightly touched him. A'ze immediately felt a wave of weakness, slowly slumping into the gentle embrace of the female jiaolong beside the Dragon Girl. He wasn't unconscious, merely restrained to prevent him from moving erratically.

"This is not the time for explanations; I will clarify everything for you later."

The Dragon Girl offered A'ze her first smile of the day, a breathtaking sight like plum blossoms blooming beneath a blanket of white snow.

However, the Dragon Girl's smile was fleeting. The moment she turned, her expression became serene as she faced Niu Batian, emanating terrifying dragon might, her long hair gently swaying around her.

Old Niu had just felt a sacred, almost reverent sensation well up within him at the Dragon Girl's smile. But in the next instant, he perceived not a beautiful woman, but a terrifying true dragon, its fearsome fangs bared and its massive body coiled like a mountain, as if ready to devour him at any moment.

Old Niu's eyes were bloodshot, appearing crimson, and veins bulged on his forehead and body, yet he refused to retreat a single step. Beside him, Lu Shanjun also slowly rose, standing in solidarity with Old Niu.

"Though unruly, their courage is truly remarkable!"

The Dragon Girl allowed a faint smile to appear, offering a mild commendation. In her heart, she recognized the two figures before her as Niu Batian and Lu Shanjun, indeed worthy of Uncle Ji's high regard.

"Miss Ying, we have always maintained our distance. Is it not rather excessive for you to come here and assert your authority in such a manner?"

Bei Mu finally spoke. A dense surge of demonic energy instantly imbued the entire space with darkness, subtly contending with the dragon qi. This immediately alleviated the immense pressure on most people in the hall, who had felt as if they were being choked, allowing them to exhale in relief.

"Fellow Daoists, as uninvited guests have arrived, let this gathering conclude!"

Bei Mu's demonic energy surged around him as he fixed his gaze on Ying Ruoli. He believed he had inherited eighty to ninety percent of his "father's" power. While perhaps not at his "father's" peak, his current cultivation was formidable. Ying Ruoli, having only transformed into a dragon a few years prior, did not intimidate him in a direct confrontation; in fact, he felt a subtle thrill.

"Fellow Daoist Bei, it would be wise to exercise caution. I hear Miss Ying has sparred with Mr. Ji, and that particular combat was quite impressive."

"I am certainly aware, but Miss Ying cannot simply dominate everything."

In truth, Bei Mu inwardly believed that Ying Ruoli's sparring with Ji Yuan was merely an instance of him going easy on her due to his care, not because she genuinely possessed the strength to match him blow for blow.

"In that case, it is inconvenient for me to remain here, so I shall take my leave first! Fellow Daoist Bei, and Miss Ying!"

The immortal cultivator who had spoken smiled and bowed to Bei Mu, and surprisingly, also bowed to Ying Ruoli before leaving his seat and heading for the door. The other immortal cultivators present likewise rose and bowed. With Ying Ruoli's appearance, it was no longer appropriate for them to remain, and with Lian Ping'er's fate unknown, the assembly simply could not continue.

"Who permitted you to leave?"

The man's steps faltered at the Dragon Girl's calm voice, and he turned to face her.

"Even a true dragon must adhere to reason. We have committed no wrongdoing here. If someone present has a grievance with Your Ladyship, you are free to pursue them; we will certainly not interfere. Farewell!"

The man spoke with an air of nonchalance, yet it was clear he was not as relaxed as he pretended to be. The moment his words finished, he abruptly transformed into a streak of light and vanished from the hall at an astonishing speed, evidently having prepared a spell long in advance.

And it wasn't only that man who harbored such intentions within the hall. Almost simultaneously, numerous streaks of light shot out. The moment the Dragon Girl raised the hand holding her fan, Bei Mu, having reached his limit, immediately launched his attack.

"Ying Ruoli, stop being so arrogant!"

A pair of hands shrouded in black energy lunged towards Ying Ruoli, who simply tapped her fan.

"Bang..."

The moment Bei Mu's body made contact with the folding fan, it exploded, dissipating into countless black energy streams that swirled throughout the hall. In the next instant, these pervasive black demonic energies subtly coalesced into jiaolong, strikingly similar to the actual jiaolong brought by Ying Ruoli. Among them, a completely black Chi Dragon menacingly lashed out its claws.

"Ying Ruoli, let this venerable one witness your capabilities!"

"I heard that before Miss Ying achieved enlightenment, she was forcibly violated by a dragon prince from the South Sea using the Dragon Entanglement Art, losing her primal yin. Is that true?"

"Hahahahaha... I'd say it's highly likely to be true!"

"Hehehehe... Miss Ying's cultivation is exceptional; she is the pinnacle of the Dragon Clan. How could Gong Xiu have possibly succeeded in forcibly entangling her? However, given the inherently lustful nature of dragons, it might not have been coercion. Perhaps Miss Ying was half-willing, seeking to experience carnal pleasure!"

The Dragon Girl narrowed her eyes, observing the countless black dragon shadows within the hall. Even she had to devote her absolute attention when confronting a true demon, making it impossible to be distracted by the escape of some individuals. Furthermore, these vulgar remarks genuinely infuriated her.

"Demon, how dare you speak disrespectfully to Her Ladyship! Prepare to die! Ong—"

"Ong roar—"

Of the four jiaolong in the hall, excluding the female jiaolong supporting A'ze, the other three transformed into their dragon forms and surged into the air, engaging in combat with the dragon-like shadows formed from demonic energy.

Seizing the opportunity of this chaos, all the previously hesitant attendees in the hall now employed every skill they possessed to flee. Indeed, few were willing to remain and assist the Northern Demon.

However, upon using their escape arts to reach the exterior, these individuals discovered over a dozen colossal jiaolong already coiled in dragon forms around the underwater island reef. Terrifying dragon qi permeated the surrounding sea, and the shadows of the jiaolong moved swiftly.

"Fellow Daoists, today it's every person for themselves. There are only a dozen or so jiaolong; whoever is caught can only blame their own misfortune!"

With that declaration, dozens, if not hundreds, of streaks of escape light scattered in all directions. No one was willing to shield another from the jiaolong.

"Ong—" "Ong roar—" "All you wretched creatures, perish—"

The sounds of dragon roars and combat from outside permeated the hall. Inside, besides Bei Mu, only three attendees remained.

One was Lian Ping'er, whose fate remained unknown, and the other two were Lu Shanjun and Niu Batian, who had remained standing in the hall.

Ying Ruoli merely observed her subordinates engaging with Bei Mu's demonic shadows. A sly smile suddenly touched her lips. She could discern that her opponent was a true demon, and surprisingly, during the initial charge of the three ancient jiaolong, he seemed momentarily flustered.

Soon, however, the demonic flames grew rampant, making it difficult for the four jiaolong to break through. More and more demonic dragons, similar in appearance to the initial three, began to emerge, assailing them in various forms, embodying emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

Ying Ruoli slowly raised the hand clutching her folding fan. With a swish, the fan opened, a flash of lightning appeared on its surface, and she then gently fanned it towards the air.

"Sizzle, crackle..."

Endless lightning, appearing as an extension of the fan's surface and ribs, formed a vast net that swept through the air. This lightning merely caused the three jiaolong a slight numbness, but when it struck the demonic energy, it was like a hot iron melting snow, causing the demonic energy to instantly collapse upon contact.

The Dragon Girl's movements did not cease. After a single fan, her body rotated in the direction of the fanning, her sheer gown unfurling like a partially bloomed red flower. The moment her body completed its graceful turn, her other hand, forming a sword-finger, pointed a sword-like strike towards the true dragon shadow in the air.

A sensation both familiar and terrifying beyond measure surged through Bei Mu. This was not merely his own perception, but also a deeply ingrained, dreadful memory inherited from his "father," as if he could feel the pain and experience the despair. The moment the sword intent emerged and the sword light struck him, he let out a scream.

"You've learned Ji Yuan's swordsmanship—"

Most of the demonic shadows in the hall instantly dissipated under the force of this sword strike. Meanwhile, the Dragon Girl covered her face with her fan, her body trembling with laughter like a blossoming branch in the breeze.

"Hahahahahaha... What if I merely startled you?"

Bei Mu fell silent for a brief moment, then his voice erupted in a frantic roar.

"You're asking for death—"

"Rumble..."

Bei Mu was now genuinely furious and humiliated, abandoning all concern for others still in the cave. The demonic energy in the hall detonated, the entire cave began to collapse, and boundless demonic energy surged skyward, transforming into towering black demonic flames that roared towards the Dragon Girl.