No, not even a Tier Eight Demon Emperor, or a Tier Nine Demon Emperor, could possibly hide their flaws so completely that I couldn’t see through them.

Ye Xuan’s aura was particularly perplexing. It was incredibly faint, equivalent only to a Tier Five Profound Beast, which made Jin Lin all the more suspicious and uncertain.

Its eyes glinted as it spoke in a cold voice, "You were the one who plundered my subordinates. Have you already forgotten?"

"Your subordinates? When I came to the Floating Light Secret Realm, I decided I needed a few underlings. That I took a liking to yours is your good fortune. You’re just a lowly Demon King. Not only are you not honored, but you dare disturb my cultivation? Aren’t you afraid I’ll suppress you?"

Ye Xuan proclaimed arrogantly, his gaze aloof, radiating an air of utter dominance.

’This guy really did come from outside the Floating Light Secret Realm.’

Jin Lin was utterly shocked.

Moreover, Ye Xuan’s words implied that he was no mere Demon King.

’Could an ordinary Demon King break the Soul Thought I left inside the Armored Dragons?’ Jin Lin had already found that hard to believe. Now, hearing Ye Xuan’s words, it grew even more suspicious and wary.

Jin Lin had charged over in a fury, intent on teaching Ye Xuan a harsh lesson, but now it found itself hesitant to make a move.

"Hmph. You think I am *just* a Demon King?" Jin Lin snorted. As it spoke, a terrifying pressure bore down viciously on Ye Xuan.

Though it didn’t know Ye Xuan’s origins, it was clearly not going to back down so easily.

The immense pressure from its Soul Thought was like a mountain crushing Ye Xuan. Inside him, the flow of his Tier Four Triple Peak Profound Power immediately slowed to a crawl. His Profound Power became suppressed, and his body began to groan, as if it might shatter at any moment.

’Such powerful Soul Thought pressure! And based on what Jin Lin just said, is it possible it’s not just a Demon King?’

Ye Xuan’s heart clenched. He was inwardly terrified, but his expression remained a perfect mask of calm.

He knew he couldn’t show the slightest hint of panic. If he revealed even a single flaw, it would all be over.

Pushing his Divine Spirit Gaze to its limit, Ye Xuan coldly sized up Jin Lin. At the same time, he secretly activated his devouring technique, silently consuming a sliver of the Soul Thought pressure weighing him down to ease the burden on his body.

Jin Lin instantly sensed it. A portion of the Soul Thought it was using to suppress the man below had just vanished without a trace.

It was shocked. ’What’s going on? A piece of my Soul Thought just disappeared into thin air. How did this guy do that?’

Furthermore, that bizarre Divine Spirit Gaze made Jin Lin feel as if its entire being was being exposed, leaving it deeply unsettled and utterly astonished.

Jin Lin had no idea that, as shocked as it was, Ye Xuan was even more astonished. Under the gaze of his Divine Spirit Gaze, he had finally discovered that something was wrong—Jin Lin’s body was riddled with strange Restrictions.

These Restrictions were extremely complex, belonging to the same school as the ones sealing the Endless Molten Flame and the teleportation platform outside. They were densely packed, sealing every corner of Jin Lin’s body and restricting the vast majority of its power.

In other words, the strength Jin Lin was displaying now was merely what was left over after being sealed.

’No wonder this Jin Lin is so arrogant. This thing is definitely more than just a Demon King. Before it was sealed, it must have been at least a Tier Eight Demon Emperor, and that’s a conservative estimate.’

’Who could have sealed it?’

A sealed Celestial Fire, a mysterious Demon King, and a mysterious Soul Beast... The whole of the Floating Light Secret Realm felt shrouded in mystery to Ye Xuan.

Despite his inner shock, Ye Xuan’s face was a mask of indifference. He sneered, "So, it turns out you’re just a little sealed creature. Hmm, bloodline sealed, Divine Abilities sealed... and most pitifully, the very source of your Soul Thought is sealed within your mind. No wonder you look so pathetic. Tsk, tsk. It’s a good seal, though. With a temper like yours, you’re lucky you weren’t killed outright."

"How do you know where I’m sealed?"

Jin Lin’s expression changed in shock. Everything Ye Xuan said about the locations of its seals was perfectly accurate, sending colossal waves of shock through its mind.

"Heh, what’s so difficult about knowing the location of your seals? If I wanted to, releasing them would be a trivial matter," Ye Xuan said, putting on a mysterious air.

"Are you kidding? You think you can undo *my* seals?"

Jin Lin’s eyes were filled with doubt. Its seals had been placed by that heaven-defying expert back then. Even if Ye Xuan were truly a Tier Nine Demon Emperor, it would be impossible for him to break them.

Unless...

"Believe it or not, it’s up to you. There was another little fellow that was also sealed. I applied a simple trick and freed it. Now, it serves me," Ye Xuan stated with arrogance.

"Are you talking about the Endless Molten Flame?" Jin Lin blurted out.

"Oh? You know about that one too?" Seeing Jin Lin’s expression, Ye Xuan knew it had taken the bait. He extended his right hand, and the Endless Molten Flame bloomed silently in his palm, releasing a dense fiery aura.

"It really is the Endless Molten Flame... You actually unsealed it," Jin Lin murmured.

As a powerhouse in the Floating Light Secret Realm, how could it not know of the Endless Molten Flame’s existence? It too had been sealed by Restrictions in an underground altar. And now, this person had subdued it. ’Could it be that he really can undo the Restrictions on my body?’

"Ahem, Your Highness... about earlier... I was quite rude. Please, Your Highness, don’t take it to heart."

Its golden eyes rolled a couple of times. The previously furious, domineering, and arrogant Jin Lin suddenly landed in front of Ye Xuan and spoke with a fawning expression.

The way it rubbed its hooves together, its sycophantic expression... it was the very picture of groveling.

Ye Xuan was startled at first, but seeing Jin Lin’s appearance, he knew exactly what it was thinking. He deliberately said lightly, "A trivial matter. I naturally won’t take it to heart. You may go. Don’t disturb my cultivation any further."

"Ahem, of course, of course," Jin Lin said with a fawning smile. "How could this little one dare disturb Your Highness’s cultivation? It’s just that Your Highness is new here and probably isn’t very familiar with the place. Why not let Xiaojin act as your guide? It would make it more convenient for Your Highness to get around, wouldn’t it?"

At this moment, Jin Lin had none of the air of a Demon King. It was the spitting image of a bootlicker.

Its eyes darted around, but inside it was ecstatic. It had been unintentionally sealed in this Floating Light Secret Realm by that mighty expert all those years ago. Countless years had passed in a flash. Now, it had finally found someone who could release its seals. It couldn’t even begin to describe how excited it was.

’Xiaojin?’

Hearing how Jin Lin referred to itself, Ye Xuan almost burst out laughing. But he was also a little nervous inside. He had been planning to just let Jin Lin leave, but seeing its fervent expression, an idea struck him.

He knew that if he just let Jin Lin go, the creature would definitely not give up. That being the case, it was better to keep it by his side.

"Hmm, if that’s the case, then I’ll have to trouble you," Ye Xuan said nonchalantly.

"Not at all! It is Xiaojin’s honor to be of service to Your Highness," Jin Lin said with a fawning smile.

"Ye Xuan!" Just then, the distant shouts of Yun Aoxue and Xia Qixi could be faintly heard.

The aura from Jin Lin’s earlier rampage had made Yun Aoxue and Xia Qixi extremely worried, and they had followed it here.

"Your Highness, it seems some humans are approaching. Shall I take care of them for you?" Jin Lin offered, trying to suck up.

"Those are my friends." Ye Xuan frowned and glared at Jin Lin, scaring it into silence. "From now on, you are not to kill anyone without my order. Understand?"

"Yes, yes!" Although Jin Lin didn’t know why Ye Xuan would give such an order, it nodded repeatedly.

Ye Xuan glanced at Jin Lin. If Yun Aoxue and the others saw it in its current form, it would likely cause trouble. After a moment of thought, Ye Xuan said, "Jin Lin, your current appearance is inconvenient for me. How about this: you take on a human form. And from now on, don’t call me ’Your Highness.’ Call me ’Young Master Xuan’."

"Right away, Young Master Xuan!"

Jin Lin was now completely obedient to Ye Xuan. Its body squirmed rapidly, and within a few breaths, the several-meter-tall Demon King had transformed into a young man about 1.8 meters tall. He wore a golden robe and had a majestic, powerful aura. He looked as flashy as one could possibly be.

Ye Xuan frowned. The pressure emanating from Jin Lin was too strong; anyone would be able to tell something was off at a glance. He ordered, "Reign in your power. Don’t reveal so much of it."

Hearing this, Jin Lin immediately reined in some of its power, but it was still at the level of a Tier Six.

Ye Xuan slapped his forehead. "Still too high."

"Still too high? Then I’ll rein it in some more."

Finally, when Jin Lin had suppressed its power to around Tier Four First Layer, Ye Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Constantly suppressing its power left Jin Lin sweating profusely. ’No wonder His Highness’s aura is so weak,’ it thought. ’He must be deliberately reining in his power. Sigh, being human is exhausting.’

’I really don’t understand what His Highness is trying to accomplish by doing this.’

"Ye Xuan, we finally found you! Are you okay?" At that moment, Yun Aoxue and Xia Qixi finally reached Ye Xuan. They let out a long sigh of relief, a great weight lifting from their hearts.

"I’m fine. I was just meeting an old friend."

"He is..."

Only then did Yun Aoxue and Xia Qixi notice Jin Lin standing to the side.

"Ahem, this king... uh, I am Jin Lin. I’m His High... no... no, I’m Young Master Xuan’s friend. A pleasure to meet you both."

Jin Lin stammered and stuttered, taking a long time to finish a single sentence. ’Human language is so troublesome,’ it thought.

"He’s a friend of mine. Don’t worry about it," Ye Xuan explained.

Yun Aoxue and Xia Qixi gave Jin Lin a suspicious look. They had exceptional memories and had never seen a disciple from any kingdom in the Thirteen Nations Alliance who looked like him.

Moreover, this blond young man was definitely not among the twenty-one people who had entered the sealed-off area. ’So how did he get in?’

"Let’s go."

With Jin Lin around, Ye Xuan could no longer act as casually as before. He spoke with an air of indifference.

Both Yun Aoxue and Xia Qixi couldn’t help but glance at Ye Xuan, then at Jin Lin. Their sharp feminine intuition told them that Ye Xuan’s cold demeanor seemed to be because of this blond young man. ’Just what is his background?’

But since Ye Xuan didn’t elaborate, they didn’t ask.