Bai Ye's face was filled with helplessness; he was actually quite protective of women.
But if they didn't give him the chance to be protective, what could he do?
Clang!
Bai Ye raised his Frost Sword horizontally, blocking Ziyuan's saber strike again.
Ziyuan appeared ferocious. After her strike was blocked, she didn't hesitate to raise her saber again, slashing down continuously.
Clang, clang, clang!
Crisp metallic clangs echoed one after another, but all were blocked by Bai Ye. Moreover, Bai Ye could clearly feel Ziyuan's strength diminishing. She had likely gone from a healthy state to an injured one, affecting her physical attributes.
"Beauty, stop fighting!" Bai Ye spoke up again, trying to persuade her. "You're no match for me!"
Ziyuan gritted her teeth and said, "Shut up!"
"Damn it, I'm giving you good advice," Bai Ye said. "It's just a couple of extra glances. You can't even button your own clothes, and you blame me for looking?"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up..."
Ziyuan was enraged, her saber dancing even faster. However, perhaps due to her anger, she lost her composure and swung her saber more erratically.
"If talking doesn't work, then don't blame me!" Bai Ye sighed and said, "Phoenix Flame!"
Bai Ye suddenly raised his Frost Sword and swung it.
Accompanied by a gust of sword wind, flames ignited on the blade of the Frost Sword. It struck Ziyuan's broad saber, forcing her back.
Immediately after...
Bai Ye took out the Ghost’s beast-taming sphere and threw it forward!
With a flash of white light, Ghost appeared from the sphere, looking ferocious.
"Ghost!" Bai Ye commanded. "Shadow Ball!"
Receiving Bai Ye's order, Ghost immediately leaped up, clasping its short arms at its waist.
A black orb of light was quickly condensed by Ghost. Before Ziyuan could recover, Ghost raised the Shadow Ball high and hurled it towards Ziyuan.
Boom!
The Shadow Ball landed in front of Ziyuan, followed by another thunderous roar.
The ground was pulverized again, and layers of airwaves pushed outwards, sweeping Ziyuan away once more. She slid several meters through the air before crashing to the ground.
Bai Ye walked forward, but suddenly felt something was wrong and quickly turned around.
Under the sunlight, Bai Ye saw something flash, and then...
Squeak!
Extremely fine threads appeared in the air, wrapping around the Frost Sword and rubbing against it, making a squeaking sound.
"Cang Ying, stop!"
A young voice suddenly rang out, and then a figure flew down from the treetop, landing in front of Bai Ye.
Dark robes, bronze skin, and a white horn on the forehead.
Without needing to scan, Bai Ye knew the other party was likely on Ziyuan's side; they were both of the Oni race.
Then...
Another shadow dropped from the sky, but this time it wasn't humanoid. It was a ball, bouncing twice like jelly. Seen from the front, one could discern its eyes and mouth.
"What is this..." Bai Ye said. "A slime?"
Ziyuan knelt on one knee, her face filled with apology. "Lord Rimuru, I'm sorry for disgracing you."
The slime bounced twice on the ground, then exploded with a burst of white smoke. Soon, a young boy emerged from the smoke, wearing a dark blue trench coat, a white scarf, waist-length light blue hair, and a short sword hanging from his back.
The previous slime?
Bai Ye hesitated, then whispered, "Scan."
Rimuru Tempest (Slime) (Healthy) (Evolving): A slime with the potential of a Demon Lord, King of the monsters in the Jura Tempest Forest.
Strength: 218
Speed: ??
Stamina: 322
Spirit: 258
Intelligence: ??
Weakness Search: ??
Inventory: ??
Magic: Elemental Magic
Skills: ??
Resistances: Pain Nullification, Electricity Resistance, Corrosion Nullification, Paralysis Resistance, Temperature Fluctuation Nullification
Bai Ye gasped. Strength over two hundred, stamina over three hundred, and spirit over two hundred...
With these stats, Bai Ye wanted to turn and run.
What the hell was he going to fight?
Fighting would mean no chance of survival; he'd be asking for a beating.
Bai Ye felt he had been impulsive. This area seemed not to be for casual exploration; it harbored such formidable figures.
However, as Bai Ye was about to turn and leave, Rimuru seemed to have no intention of attacking. Instead, he asked, "Are you from the Human Empire?"
Can communicate?
More importantly, willing to communicate?
Bai Ye's eyes lit up. As long as they could communicate, things would be manageable, meaning he might not have to get beaten up.
Bai Ye spread his palms. "I think my appearance says it all."
Ziyuan gritted her teeth. "Lord Rimuru, he's a scoundrel. He, he, he, look at me..."
As Ziyuan spoke, she crossed her arms over her chest. With that gesture, her chest became even larger!
Bai Ye immediately licked his lips and swallowed, but what felt strange was that he seemed to hear a gulping sound from the other side too?
Bai Ye glanced at Rimuru and found his cheeks flushed.
Good heavens, a fellow traveler!
Rimuru seemed to notice Bai Ye looking at him and quickly coughed. "Ziyuan, his strength is superior to yours, but you are still alive, which means he harbors no ill will."
"Impressive!"
Bai Ye gave Rimuru a thumbs-up, then threw out Goodra. In the next second, Bai Ye was instantly hugged by Goodra, his entire body becoming drenched.
Ghost, standing beside them, was not to be outdone. It grinned widely and bit down on half of Bai Ye's head, starting to spit saliva at him.
Bai Ye felt like crying. While both his Beast Companions were useful, their hobbies were a bit twisted – making their Beast Master wet!
Bai Ye wiped the slime from his face with a helpless sigh, then said, "See, if I wanted to kill her, I really could."
Let alone Bai Ye, Goodra's strength already surpassed Ziyuan's. If Bai Ye had truly intended to kill, Ziyuan wouldn't have survived!
Rimuru nodded. "I understand. Allow me to introduce myself, I am the ruler of the Tempest Kingdom. However, humans probably prefer to call us a Monster Kingdom, and I am Rimuru Tempest, the master of monsters you speak of. May I know your name, sir?"
"Bai Ye..." Bai Ye thought for a moment, then added his race. "Human!"
Rimuru said, "Although humans occasionally enter the Jura Tempest Forest, it's rare for them to come alone. May I ask your purpose for visiting here?"
"You might not believe me if I told you," Bai Ye said, spreading his hands helplessly. "I'm just passing by. I have no intentions whatsoever. But that lady misunderstood me, probably thinking I was up to no good."