The sight of Xuan Xue standing suspended over the lake surface caused both Ye Jingyu and Liang Xiaoke to frown simultaneously; they both sensed an unspeakable danger brewing within the waters below...

"I don't care who you are, but since you've arrived here, don't even think about leaving alive!" At this moment, the look of panic on Xuan Xue's face had vanished entirely, replaced by an expression of smug satisfaction...

As his voice faded, the previously calm lake surface began to ripple, then churn violently as if boiling water, and Xuan Xue's figure rapidly ascended...

A colossal shadow surged upward from the lakebed. Titanic waves crashed forward, yet Ye Jingyu and Liang Xiaoke remained motionless, an invisible barrier of energy forming before them, deflecting the spray...

As the immense dark form gradually revealed its full scale, both men gasped sharply at what they saw...

It was a monster, a creature unlike any they had ever witnessed. Its body was round and bulbous, like a giant water cask, easily ten zhang wide. Covered in scales, three heads sprouted from its mass. The head on the left resembled a wolf, its eyes glowing with a blood-red light...

The head on the right was serpentine, adorned with a single horn upon its brow. The central head, however, was entirely that of a giant human, albeit with a slightly pointed crown...

Furthermore, the beast possessed seven or eight arms; some ended in razor-sharp claws, while others resembled human hands. Beneath it seemed to trail a massive serpent's tail. Overall, it was horrifyingly grotesque—at least, Ye Jingyu and Liang Xiaoke had never encountered such an ugly animal...

Even the Gluttonous Beast (Taotie), which had charged in with Ye Jingyu, shook its head in disapproval. How could something be this ugly?

"Hahahaha, my little darling, look at the feast I've brought for you! Enjoy your dinner to the fullest!" As he spoke, Xuan Xue settled onto the monster’s shoulder, his entire body now about the size of the creature's head...

The monster paid no heed to Xuan Xue’s words; the gaze of all three heads fixed upon Ye Jingyu, scrutinizing him intensely...

The face resembling the human head gradually shifted into an expression...

"He is so beautiful, Bao'er likes him, Bao'er wants him..." After a long pause, a single phrase escaped the monster’s mouth. The voice was hoarse, like that of a seventy or eighty-year-old man, yet the tone was incredibly childish, reminiscent of a three-year-old...

Hearing this sudden outburst, Xuan Xue’s expression faltered...

Ye Jingyu immediately developed a deep vein throbbing on his forehead. What kind of nonsense is this? I may be handsome, yes, but that doesn't warrant commentary from a monster...

As for Liang Xiaoke, he had already collapsed onto the ground, shaking uncontrollably with laughter, his limbs flailing...

"Hahahaha... Ah Yu, Big Brother, I truly never imagined your charisma was so potent! Even a monster is utterly infatuated with you. Why don't you just... yield to him? Hahahaha..." Liang Xiaoke was laughing so hard that tears streamed from his eyes; he could not believe that this creature, so utterly hideous, had taken a liking to his brother...

"Grandpa Xue, why is that person so ugly? His face is pale, and he's skinny as a monkey. How can such an ugly person exist in this world?" Just as Ye Jingyu was about to unleash a torrent of curses upon Liang Xiaoke, the monster from the lake spoke again...

Liang Xiaoke's laughter abruptly ceased, replaced by a blazing fire of indignation in his eyes. What did you just say? I am dashing, suave, and have captivated countless women! And you dare call me ugly?

"Hahahaha..." As Liang Xiaoke's laughter died, Ye Jingyu's own booming laughter echoed out...

"Big Brother, didn't you always boast about being handsome? Now you've been scorned by a freakishly ugly monster! Hahahaha... Let's see you dare claim you're handsome in front of me again... Hahahaha..." Ye Jingyu laughed with increasing delight...

"Get lost! I swear I'll tear this thing apart today!" Liang Xiaoke roared in anger, his body launching into the air as he charged directly toward the monster. When had he ever endured such mockery?

"Bao'er, hurry! Kill this hideous thing! Only by slaying him can you have the pretty one!" Seeing Liang Xiaoke plummeting toward the center of the lake, Xuan Xue suddenly shrieked...

"You damned—" The mid-flight Liang Xiaoke cursed loudly upon hearing Xuan Xue’s words. It was one thing for an intellectually stunted monster to speak nonsense, but for Xuan Xue to join in? Today, if he didn't skin Xuan Xue alive, he wasn't Liang Xiaoke!

His speed intensified, generating powerful drafts of wind around him. Upon hearing Xuan Xue’s command, the monster’s eyes lit up. It glanced at Ye Jingyu, its look akin to that of a wolf starved of female companionship for decades, as if the thought of gaining his beloved by destroying the ugly brute charging at him made its eyes glow brighter and brighter...

Suddenly, its wolf-head snapped open, spewing forth a jet of crimson flame that illuminated the entire stone cavern. The massive blaze surged toward Liang Xiaoke...

"The Earth Core Blazing Fire..." Liang Xiaoke, already airborne, cried out in alarm. His strength was formidable, yes, but he was a Zombie. What did Zombies fear most? Pure Yang energy! Faced with such potent Earth Core Blazing Fire, Liang Xiaoke was terrified. He instantly retreated backward from his forward momentum, unwilling to become the first roasted zombie...

Meanwhile, as the monster unleashed its flames, Ye Jingyu soared into the air, his right fist clenched, a brilliant white light coalescing around it.

"Star Burst..." Ye Jingyu roared, unleashing a punch across the void. A white beam of light shot out, aimed directly at the monster's central head...

Seeing the white light approaching, the giant human face broke into a look of joyful anticipation and actually opened its massive jaws. The white light, formed of Star Power, was swallowed whole...

"Hahahaha! My treasure, Bao'er, is a super-soldier I cultivated for decades—it can devour any energy attack! Your little trick is just giving him a supplement!" Xuan Xue burst into laughter upon watching his creation effortlessly consume Ye Jingyu's beam punch, but the laugh froze halfway across his face...

(Eighth chapter update; one more to follow)