Who Would Choose The Serious Heroine? Aren't The Supporting Characters Good Enough? - Chapter 90:

Chapter 90: Ling Ye’s Sudden Reluctance

In the original novel, the Great Imperial Empire was the central focus of the plot. Almost every major event and conflict took place within or around the empire.

Gu Shengyan, as one of the heroines, existed primarily as a stepping stone for Ling Ye, giving him opportunities to shine and dominate his opponents. The original novel barely described the world beyond the Great Imperial Empire, except for a few major characters.

Even at the climax of the novel, the strongest character introduced was Leng Youyun, who had reached the peak of the Divine Soul Realm, just half a step away from the Divine Emperor Realm.

The Divine Soul Realm was incredibly rare in the original work.

From the beginning to the very end, there were no more than five Soul Realm powerhouses introduced in the novel.

But now… another one had appeared right in front of him.

Ling Ye couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

Had the original novel changed significantly?

“The power of the void?”

Leng Youyun suddenly spoke, her blood-red eyes narrowing. “How can there be void power in the body of someone who has just entered the Divine Soul Realm?”

Ling Ye’s gaze sharpened as well.

She was right.

The masked woman in black was radiating void energy, just like Bai Ling!

So… was this really her own power?

Or was there a Void Demonic Beast in the Soul Realm residing inside her body?

Could it be that she obtained it from one of the five locations marked on that ancient map?

If that was the case, then this all made sense!

“She’s from Ghost Spring!”

Leng Youyun continued, her tone serious. “I never thought that faction would produce a Soul Realm expert.”

Her words carried weight.

At this moment, there were only five Soul Realm cultivators in the entire world.

Ling Ye, Leng Youyun, Bai Luo, Bai Ling, and now… this woman!

That meant another faction had risen to power, placing them on the same level as the Demon Clan and the Great Imperial Empire.

In the past, only the Great Imperial Empire could stand as an equal to the Demon Clan.

But now, Ghost Spring had entered the picture.

Ling Ye smirked. “Do you know who the leader of Ghost Spring is?”

Leng Youyun’s cold eyes locked onto the masked woman. “Is it her?”

“That’s right!”

Ling Ye nodded and then added, “She has a unique ability—she can split her body into multiple clones, and each clone has its own consciousness.”

“But there’s a trade-off. The more clones she creates, the weaker each one becomes.”

The leader of Ghost Spring was Xia Zhiying.

She had appeared in the original novel, but only briefly.

Back then, she had only been a Divine King Realm cultivator.

But now… she had already entered the Soul Realm.

Clearly, the original novelhad changed drastically!

“So what?” Leng Youyun asked, turning to Ling Ye.

“She usually leaves her clones behind to handle things for her,” Ling Ye explained. “She only reabsorbs them when she has no choice.”

“That means whatever she’s doing here… it’s extremely important.”

“You seem to know a lot about her,” Leng Youyun muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly.

She wasn’t happy.

Ling Ye knowing so much about another woman made her uncomfortable.

“It’s not hard to figure out,” Ling Ye replied casually.

But at the same time, his gaze remained locked onto Xia Zhiying.

She had actually reabsorbed all of her clones before coming here.

That meant she was desperate.

Whatever she was after—it was critical.

“Doesn’t concern me.”

Leng Youyun turned away. “And it doesn’t concern you either.”

“Really? You’re not curious why she has void power?” Ling Ye asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or what exactly she’s looking for on this island?”

“Why should I care?” Leng Youyun scoffed. “You seem very interested in her. Why don’t you go ask her instead?”

After saying that, she turned around and walked away, continuing her search for the Heavenly Soul Fruit.

Ling Ye sighed.

What was with her sudden mood swing?

Up in the sky, Xia Zhiying had just finished forcing her way through the Thunder Barrier.

The residual lightning energy still crackled around her body, leaving her clothes torn in several places.

Beneath the fabric, her fair skin had several burns and cracks from enduring the Heavenly Thunder.

The Thunder Barrier was no joke.

Even someone in the early Soul Realm would suffer severe damage forcing their way through.

Raising a pale hand, void energy flowed out from her body, slowly healing her wounds.

Then, she gestured to her subordinates.

Immediately, her forces scattered across the island, spreading out in every direction.

As for Xia Zhiying herself—she flew straight toward the deep pool at the center of the island.

Then, without hesitation, she dove into the water and disappeared.

Ling Ye’s eyes followed her closely.

“She’s after the Void Demonic Beasts in that pool,” he muttered.

Did she… already know about them?

Did she also find that ancient map?

But what she didn’t know was—the Void Demonic Beast that was here was already gone!

“So, this actually is relevant to me,” Ling Ye smirked.

“Then go talk to her.”

Leng Youyun, still ahead of him, suddenly turned and glared at him coldly.

She had been enjoying their walk just fine.

But the moment another woman appeared, Ling Ye’s focus shifted completely.

And that made her angry.

Seeing Leng Youyun’s obvious irritation, Ling Ye felt helpless.

Why was she suddenly mad?

After a moment, he simply shook his head and continued walking.

They still needed to find the Heavenly Soul Fruit.

This island was the only place in the world where it grew.

But even then, there was no guarantee they would actually find one.

Until—

They found it.

Ling Ye and Leng Youyun spotted a glowing fruit growing from a dark, twisted tree.

It was the Heavenly Soul Fruit.

But the problem was—

Someone else had found it first.

The Ghost Spring forces had already taken the fruit.

Ling Ye smiled. “Look at that, we found exactly what you were looking for.”

Leng Youyun nodded but didn’t make a move.

Ling Ye frowned. “Why aren’t you doing anything?”

Normally, she would have just stolen it.

Wasn’t that more her style?

“If I fight them, will you help me?” Leng Youyun asked, looking at him expectantly.

She wanted him to fight with her.

If he helped… then she would be satisfied.

Ling Ye sighed. “You’re really making me work for this, huh?”

Then, he turned toward the Ghost Spring members.

The moment he looked at them—they looked back at him.

A brief silent exchange passed between them.

And then—

They ignored him.

They didn’t react at all.

On this island, everyone was here for the same reason—to find rare elixirs and herbs.

Nobody wanted to start a pointless fight.

And that was the problem.

If Ling Ye wanted the Heavenly Soul Fruit, he might have to take it himself.

“Everyone, would you be willing to hand over the Heavenly Soul Fruit?”

Ling Ye’s voice broke the silence.

The group holding the fruit exchanged glances. Their expressions hardened. They hadn’t planned on causing trouble, but some things couldn’t be avoided.

“Apologies, but this is an unclaimed treasure. First come, first served,” one of them replied firmly. “There should be other Heavenly Soul Fruits on this island. We ask His Majesty, the Emperor, to find another one elsewhere.”

They recognized Ling Ye. They knew he was the monarch of the Great Imperial Empire.

If this had been in the past, they wouldn’t have dared to refuse him.

But things were different now.

Their leader had told them that there was no longer anyone in this world to fear.

Because their leader had already stepped into the Divine Soul Realm!

“If you’re willing, I’d be open to an equitable exchange,” Ling Ye continued.

Of course, he could take it by force.

But he was also a reasonable man.

A mighty emperor couldn’t just bully others at every opportunity, could he?

“Fine.”

Before anyone else could speak, a calm, detached voice rang out.

Xia Zhiying had returned from the deep pool, empty-handed.

She landed in front of her subordinates, her sharp, fox-like eyes glancing at Ling Ye.

“Leader!” The group immediately bowed slightly in respect.

Without hesitation, one of them handed her the Heavenly Soul Fruit.

Xia Zhiying took the fruit in her hand, tossing it into the air playfully before catching it again.

Then, her piercing golden-red eyes locked onto Ling Ye.

“I’ll give it to you,” she said slowly, “on one condition.”

Ling Ye placed his hands behind his back. “Let’s hear it.”

“Kill… her.”

Xia Zhiying’s eyes narrowed as she turned to Leng Youyun.

The air around them instantly grew colder.

Leng Youyun’s blood-red eyes flashed with sharpness.

Before, Ghost Spring had captured two of her people, but the Demon Clan had snatched them back.

That was a humiliation she never forgot.

Now that she had the strength, she wanted revenge.

In the past, Ghost Spring would have never dared to offend the Demon Clan.

But now…

Things had changed.

Hearing Xia Zhiying’s bold demand, Leng Youyun’s expression turned icy.

Did this woman just ask Ling Ye to kill her?

“Seems like you’re feeling a little too confident after gaining some unknown power,” Leng Youyun sneered.

It was almost laughable.

In this entire world, besides Ling Ye, who else would dare to kill her?

Did Xia Zhiying actually think she had the qualifications to give such an order?

“Heh, Lord Devil Venerable,” Xia Zhiying chuckled, her voice laced with mockery. “The Demon Clan has run rampant for long enough. Have you really gotten used to bullying others without consequence?”

Ling Ye stood in silence, a small, amused smile playing at the corner of his lips.

It seemed Leng Youyun had finally met an opponent.

For so long, no one in the world had dared to provoke her.

Aside from him, of course.

But now…

There was someone who did.

“You should know very well who deserves to die.”

Leng Youyun’s sharp gaze flicked to Ling Ye.

If Xia Zhiying wanted him to kill her, then obviously, she should demand the opposite—for him to kill Xia Zhiying instead!

But Ling Ye only smiled.

He wasn’t planning on killing anyone.

Instead, he pulled out a small pill bottle and said, “A sixth-rank pill—I’ll exchange it for the Heavenly Soul Fruit. How about that?”

His gaze remained steady as he looked at Xia Zhiying.

A sixth-rank pill was far more valuable than a single Heavenly Soul Fruit.

This was his offer.

And his only condition.

But Xia Zhiying simply laughed softly.

“If I recall correctly, His Majesty and the Demon Clan have quite a history, don’t you?”

Her golden-red eyes sparkled with intrigue.

“This is the perfect chance,” she continued smoothly. “Doesn’t His Majesty want to finally rid the world of the Demon Clan?”

“Even if you alone are not her match, surely the two of us together can eliminate a demon leader.”

Of course, she had heard plenty about the grievances between Ling Ye and Leng Youyun.

Not long ago, he had trapped and attacked her at Purple Moon Immortal Sect.

Later, they clashed again in the Northern Nether Empire.

By all logic, they were supposed to be enemies.

So why… did Ling Ye seem so unwilling to get rid of her now?

Ling Ye’s smile deepened.

Then, he turned to look at Leng Youyun.

His gaze swept over her breathtaking features, her icy expression, her blood-red eyes.

And then, he spoke.

“I… can’t bear to.”

Silence.

Leng Youyun’s brows furrowed slightly.

Her red eyes locked onto him, filled with an unreadable emotion.

She hadn’t expected those words.

He couldn’t bear to?

Ling Ye was reluctant to kill her?

Or… was he reluctant to even hurt her?

The words had come so suddenly, she couldn’t fully process them.

All she could do was stare at Ling Ye, as if trying to find the answer in his expression.

Her heart… skipped a beat.

She didn’t even notice it herself.

On the other side, Xia Zhiying’s face darkened.

She caught the Heavenly Soul Fruit as it fell into her hand.

“Heh.”

A soft scoff escaped her lips.

“So the two of you have gone from mortal enemies to… something else?”

“What a lovely ‘kill-or-love’ relationship,” she sneered.

“Since His Majesty refuses to harm his sweetheart, I won’t waste my time here.”

She turned around sharply, ready to leave with her subordinates.

If Ling Ye wouldn’t fight Leng Youyun, then she wouldn’t either.

Because in a one-on-one fight, she wasn’t completely confident she could win.

And now that Ling Ye had spoken those words…

If the two of them joined forces, no one in the world could stand against them.

That was not a risk worth taking.

SWISH!

But just as Xia Zhiying turned, Ling Ye flashed forward, blocking her path.

“I… actually have moments when I don’t like to negotiate.”

His tone was calm, yet unshakable.

Then, he extended his hand, offering her the pill bottle.

The meaning was clear.

Either she accepts the trade—

Or he takes it by force.

Xia Zhiying’s golden-red pupils flickered coldly.

She knew Ling Ye meant it.

If she refused, he really would take it.

She might have entered the Soul Realm, but so had Leng Youyun and Ling Ye.

Alone, she wasn’t confident against them both.

After a long silence, she finally reached forward.

But instead of taking the pill, she grabbed Ling Ye’s hand—and pressed it back.

She refused the pill.

“Since His Majesty wants it so much, there’s no need for a trade.”

She smiled sweetly, eyes filled with provocation.

“Take it as a… gift from me to you.”

And she placed the Heavenly Soul Fruit directly in his hand.

But she didn’t let go.

Both her hands now clasped Ling Ye’s palm.

Of course, this was all on purpose—so Leng Youyun could see it.

Leng Youyun’s expression darkened instantly.