Seeing Bai Ling's vigilant demeanor, Ao Yuan, who had initially intended to reveal the truth, changed his mind.
He glanced at Bai Ling and suddenly smiled, "Who do you think I am?"
"Get out of my way!"
"No! This is the Dragon Palace!" Bai Ling shifted her feet, blocking Ao Yuan.
"Oh? You intend to stop me?" Ao Yuan's lips curled up. "Do you know how powerful I am?"
"If I can move freely within the Dragon Palace, do you think you can stop me?"
"I..."
Bai Ling was taken aback for a moment, then a sense of fear welled up in her heart.
That's right.
Even though the person before her didn't exude the slightest aura, they could move freely within the Dragon Palace without being detected.
How powerful they were was self-evident.
"One last warning, move aside!"
"I..."
Bai Ling's pretty face turned pale. After a moment of hesitation, she didn't back down but mustered her courage and shouted, "Do you know whose personal disciple I am?"
"Whose?" Ao Yuan asked, genuinely curious.
"Hmph!"
Bai Ling tilted her head back, filled with pride. "Have you heard of Lord Dragon God?"
Ao Yuan looked at Bai Ling, a strange expression on his face. "You're not going to tell me you're his personal disciple, are you?"
"Yes!" Bai Ling huffed, her head held high with pride.
*Pfft!*
Ao Yuan chuckled inwardly. When did he ever take Bai Ling as a personal disciple?
He had no idea.
Oh, Bai Ling.
She really knew how to ride on someone's coattails, and the bigger the coattails, the better.
Ao Yuan couldn't help but shake his head. Still, he had to admit.
Just by looking at Bai Ling's expression, it was hard to tell if she was lying.
An ordinary person would have easily believed her preposterous claims.
"What? You don't believe me?" Bai Ling frowned.
Ao Yuan asked with amusement, "What if I believe you, and what if I don't?"
With that, Ao Yuan's voice turned cold. "I only know one thing: if you don't move aside, you'll be reporting to the netherworld!"
Hearing this, Bai Ling's voice abruptly stopped.
She shivered, her voice a mix of shock and anger. "You... aren't you afraid of Lord Dragon God finding out?"
"I'm telling you, if he finds out you treated his personal disciple like this, you're finished!"
By the end of her statement, Bai Ling's head was held high again, her beautiful eyes filled with a look of disdain.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought she was Ao Yuan.
"Is that so?"
Ao Yuan took a few steps forward. "Then what if I silence you forever, so Ao Yuan will never know?"
"You... you..." Seeing Ao Yuan approaching, Bai Ling completely panicked.
Although she didn't know how strong Ao Yuan was, he was undoubtedly stronger than her.
"You... don't come any closer!" Bai Ling retreated rapidly, as if terrified.
"Hmm?"
After only a few steps, a hint of surprise flickered across Ao Yuan's face.
He looked down and saw a faint, emerald green light emanating from under his feet, as if something was coiling around his ankles.
"Hahaha!"
"Fell for it, didn't you!"
Bai Ling let out a triumphant laugh. "This is the Spirit Binding Array. Once you're restrained, you won't be able to... 138 Reading Network."
Bai Ling's words cut off abruptly because she realized that Ao Yuan had walked out of the Spirit Binding Array with ease.
And...
She hadn't noticed it at all.
"How is this possible!"
Bai Ling's heart was filled with dread. By the time she managed to react, Ao Yuan was already upon her.
Startled, Bai Ling cried out, "Help... Help! Someone has trespassed into the Dragon Palace..."
Before she could finish, a golden light flashed, enveloping Bai Ling.
Immediately, she and Ao Yuan vanished from the Dragon Palace.
When they reappeared, they were in a vast, open area.
"I... I'm telling you, don't do anything to me, or I'll scream 'assault'!"
Bai Ling's face turned ashen as she looked at the empty surroundings and then at the person beside her, stammering.
"Go ahead and scream. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will hear you," Ao Yuan said with a smile.
"I... I..."
Looking around again, Bai Ling felt like she was about to cry.
She no longer doubted what might happen next.
If Ao Yuan made a move, she would truly have no one to turn to.
As for what Ao Yuan might do...
Anyone could imagine it, right?
After all...
I'm so beautiful!
Thinking of this, Bai Ling's face grew paler.
Without exaggeration, her mind had already conjured a tragic drama.
*Tap.*
Ao Yuan took a few steps towards her.
"You... Don't come any closer..."
Bai Ling trembled and retreated.
Ao Yuan ignored her, continuing to walk towards her.
"Don't... Don't come any closer!"
As Ao Yuan drew nearer, Bai Ling's body shook, her face ashen.
*Tap!*
When Ao Yuan reached her side, only a few dozen centimeters away, Bai Ling's body stiffened, her legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the ground.
Watching Ao Yuan approach, she couldn't help but close her eyes, fearing what terrible thing might happen next.
One second.
Two seconds.
...
For a full ten seconds.
The horrifying event Bai Ling had anticipated didn't happen. Instead, the sound of footsteps grew fainter.
Bai Ling, suppressing her fear, opened her eyes and found Ao Yuan already more than ten meters away.
"What is he doing?"
"Is it because I'm not beautiful enough and he's not interested?"
"That shouldn't be it. If he's not interested, why did he bring me here?"
Bai Ling tilted her head, puzzled.
Logically, shouldn't he have subdued her by now?
Why was the reality so different from her expectations?
Before she could ponder further, Ao Yuan suddenly turned around and looked at Bai Ling. "I say, my dear personal disciple."
"Haven't you realized who I am yet?"
Hearing this, Bai Ling froze and carefully scrutinized the person before her.
"Lord Dragon God?"
"No!"
"Lord Dragon God doesn't look like this. I'm sure I wouldn't forget."
"But... this... it really looks like Lord Dragon God..."
As she spoke, looking at Ao Yuan's half-smiling face, Bai Ling suddenly blinked.
The person before her and Ao Yuan's image gradually overlapped.
At the same time, a realization dawned on her.
No wonder this person could appear in the Dragon Palace so silently.
No wonder no one discovered him.
And no wonder he wasn't afraid of Ao Yuan.
If...
He was Ao Yuan himself, then everything made sense.
Once she understood, Bai Ling let out a sob. "Lord Dragon God, you... you really scared me to death just now."
The more she spoke, the more wronged Bai Ling felt, as if Ao Yuan were a scoundrel who abandoned her after use.
"Hmph."
Ao Yuan didn't give Bai Ling any pleasantries. "I say, Bai Ling, your act of riding on someone's coattails is getting bigger and bigger."
"Since when are you my personal disciple?"