Chapter Sixty-Five: Are We Considered Friends Now?

Watching the swiftly approaching tornado against the golden light barrier, the Lioness’s expression shifted slightly. Her cherry lips parted, and a bright, crimson essence was spat forth, shooting toward the fist-sized blood-red skull on her finger.

The phantom-like skull instantly became solid, and two ghostly blue flames suddenly flickered to life, drifting within the skull’s eye sockets, glowing with eerie prominence. At that moment, the entire blood-red skull seemed to come alive, its ghost fires pulsing rhythmically.

A wailing wind swept across the sky, tearing at the golden light barrier. Inside, the Lioness’s face turned pale. Suddenly, a faint cracking sound reached her ears, but she showed no sign of panic. She watched as the blood-red skull before her mouth began to open slowly, a faint smile curling at her lips as she collapsed unconscious.

Seeing the Lioness swept into the storm, the Lion King’s eyes turned blood-red. He let out a low roar and instantly became a majestic golden lion, preparing to rush in for a rescue.

In that instant, a shrill, piercing cry swept through the storm, echoing in the Lion King’s soul. His movements froze, blood spurted from his mouth, and his spirit dimmed noticeably.

The old man ruining his drinks and the black-clad youth, upon hearing the piercing scream, both looked toward the storm and exchanged glances, each seeing shock reflected in the other’s eyes.

The spectators surrounding them all wore faces of shock, their expressions dramatically changed, eyes fixed tightly upon the raging tornado after hearing the sudden soul-piercing scream.

Compared to the others, the one who bore the brunt of the assault, Kennedy, turned pale instantly, his body trembling uncontrollably. He plummeted from midair, only saved from freefall by the nearby Dragon Knight.

———Dividing Line———

“Kaiser, what have you done to them?”

As she saw her former brothers, one after another, charge at her expressionless and reckless, Larica did her best to knock them out safely while shouting angrily at Kaiser, who stood not far away holding a cluster of black flames.

“Larica, if you obediently surrender your soul flame, I’ll spare this bunch of trash!”

Watching Larica, who was willing to add yet another wound to herself just to subdue her own brothers, Kaiser spoke with a ghostly calm, inwardly commanding his puppets to move faster.

“You’re not Kaiser. Who are you?”

Hearing Kaiser’s words, Larica’s face changed, shouting again in anger. Though Kaiser was often at odds with her, he had always treated their brothers well and would never stoop to insult them.

Suddenly, Larica recalled an encounter not long ago in a ruined cavern, where they had found a skeletal frame. A cluster of black flames had shot out from it, flying straight into Kaiser’s body.

At the time, Kaiser had shown no abnormalities and hadn’t let her intervene. Now, seeing his behavior and remembering an ancient book she once read, Larica broke out in a cold sweat, four words flashing through her mind as she cried out in terror.

“Soul possession!”

At Larica’s shout, the swirling black flames in Kaiser’s hand halted, his body shuddered, his face twisted as if enduring tremendous agony, and he began to call out desperately, stammering between gasps.

“…Larica…help me…help…ah—”

“Kaiser!”

As Kaiser rolled on the ground, clutching his head and howling with inhuman cries, Larica called out in anguish. Suddenly, she noticed her brothers stopped attacking, standing dazed in place.

Larica paused only for a moment before reacting, leaping to Kaiser’s side, ready to lift him up. At that moment, Kaiser abruptly stopped trembling, and the swirling black flames in his hand shot straight at Larica’s forehead.

Larica felt sudden pain in her head and lost consciousness. In her blurred vision, she saw the cold, sinister smile on Kaiser’s lips, followed by two mighty roars—one black, one red—as two figures charged toward them.

———Dividing Line———

“Who are you?”

Amanda eyed the black-clad figure who had suddenly appeared in the courtyard, wary and alert. Beside her, Kysinde said nothing, merely tightening his grip on a black dagger.

“What is your relationship with Wang Luo?”

The black-clad man’s question startled both of them. They exchanged glances before Amanda replied in confusion, “You know the young master?”

“Young master?”

The man echoed softly, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. Sensing the blood soul mark’s pulse within Amanda and Kysinde, his bitterness deepened.

Sighing quietly in his heart, Baiji reflected that it had been roughly a year since he met Wang Luo in the magical beast forest. In that time, he had tried every possible method to remove the blood soul mark from his mind, but the results had left him in utter despair.

Whenever he even entertained the thought of breaking the blood soul mark, his body and soul would be wracked with excruciating pain. Now, his only option was to do his utmost to slow the mark’s gradual integration with his soul, but it continued to seep in, bit by bit.

Baiji knew that if he didn’t find a solution soon, he would become like the two children before him, the blood soul mark fully fused with his soul, forever unable to expel it, eternally bound to Wang Luo.

“I refuse to accept this—”

Baiji growled inwardly, but the sudden onset of pain in his body and soul immediately forced him to abandon the thought, resorting to self-hypnosis until the pain slowly receded.

“The young master has told me about you. From now on, you’ll follow me, and I will instruct you in cultivation!”

These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Looking at the two youths before him, Baiji spoke, releasing his restraint on the blood soul mark so they could sense its presence.

“You’re Baiji?”

Sensing the pulse of the blood soul mark within Baiji, Amanda and Kysinde were both stunned. Amanda, recalling what Wang Luo had told them about Baiji, asked in confusion.

“Yes, I am Baiji. Come forward, let me examine your constitutions, and then I’ll decide how best to teach you cultivation!”

Amanda’s eyes sparkled at Baiji’s words, and she lifted her foot to step forward, but Kysinde was faster, arriving before Baiji first.

Amanda paused, a smile of quiet satisfaction spreading across her lips. Though Baiji’s body carried the young master’s blood soul mark, she hadn’t forgotten the warning: Baiji could not be fully trusted. She had planned to test him herself, but was pleased to see Kysinde take the initiative.

“Does this mean we’re friends now? Not just following the young master’s orders?...”

As this thought flickered through Amanda’s mind, her smile deepened.

Otherworldly Azure Dragon 65—Chapter Sixty-Five: Are We Friends Now? Complete.