At the sight before them, Madam Helian and Helian Shaoze were so terrified their souls nearly left their bodies, and for a moment neither knew what to do.

Mother and son, without any prior agreement, let out their summoning cries at exactly the same time.

“Ke ke!”

“Ke ke…!”

At once, all around the entire Jinjiao Palace, movement stirred on every side — no one knew what might emerge.

Facing Jun Beiyue and Baili Weisheng advancing step by step, Madam Helian and Helian Shaoze retreated together, their silver robes gradually turning outward into reverse scales, one after another, layer upon layer — within moments, mother and son had become like hedgehogs, their bodies covered densely in reverse scales, a sight repulsive to behold.

Not only that, but the surrounding Silver Jiao guards began closing in one after another as well. Though their scales weren’t as dense or as sharp as those of the Helian mother and son, there were still plenty of them.

But none of this amounted to anything in the eyes of Baili Weisheng and Jun Beiyue.

Jun Beiyue snorted coldly. “Baili Weisheng, is there really such a disgusting breed within the jiaoren race?”

Baili Weisheng’s face darkened instantly. “Jun Beiyue, you can insult the Silver Jiao all you like, but don’t insult the jiaoren race!”

Breed? That word wasn’t meant to be used like that at all!

Madam Jinjiao, imprisoned nearby, had just been holding her breath in worry for Jun Beiyue’s group — now that the outcome seemed settled, she finally let out a sigh of relief, and once again her attention drifted, unbidden, back to Baili Weisheng.

This child was standing up for the jiaoren race — who exactly was he?

Madam Jinjiao couldn’t sense any trace of jiaoren energy from him, and so assumed he wasn’t of the jiaoren race at all.

She didn’t even notice the smile lingering at the corners of her own lips as her gaze followed Baili Weisheng — she found herself inexplicably fond of this child, with his handsome, refined features, his clean and untainted bearing. When quiet, he was as lovely as a blooming lotus; the moment he opened his mouth, though, he sounded like a rascal!

Jun Beiyue ignored Baili Weisheng’s correction, asking coldly in that voice pitched only for their ears, “Where is the Silver Jiao’s weakness?”

As a Jinjiao himself, though Baili Weisheng had lost most of his former pride, when it came to the Silver Jiao, he was certain to know.

Hearing this, a cold light flickered in Baili Weisheng’s clear eyes, and a smile curved at the corners of his mouth — yet he said not a word, instead drawing his sword and launching himself into the air ahead of Jun Beiyue, bearing down straight at Madam Helian!

Who said that losing his Golden Scale Armor meant he’d lost his pride?

Without the Golden Scale Armor, the blood flowing through his body was still the blood of the Jinjiao — he was still proud, still noble!

A mere Silver Jiao daring to act so insolently in front of him!

As his long sword bore down, Madam Helian and Helian Shaoze retreated at once, and at the same moment, all the Silver Jiao guards closed in together, bending low and stacking one atop another, forming a wall of reverse scales!

And behind that wall of reverse scales, Madam Helian and Helian Shaoze, though rattled, did not flee.

Sea beasts couldn’t hurt this group — but mother and son weren’t afraid either. Theirs was the noblest bloodline among all the Silver Jiao, and the reverse scales covering their bodies were the sharpest, densest silver scales any Silver Jiao possessed — so densely packed there was barely a single opening.

In this entire world, apart from Madam Jinjiao, there were no Jinjiao left — their scale armor was without question the finest in the world!

They — had nothing to fear!

Mother and son stood behind the wall of reverse scales, ready, poised to strike at Baili Weisheng and Jun Beiyue at any moment.

Looking at the wall of reverse scales, blades standing upright like knives, gleaming with silver light, a flicker of amused interest crossed Jun Beiyue’s eyes — he found this rather entertaining. But Baili Weisheng said in a low voice pitched only for their ears, “My own kind — I’ll deal with them myself.”

Jun Beiyue shrugged; he was happy enough to just watch the show.

Seeing the Henggong fish handling the sea beasts with ease, and with Ziqing standing guard nearby, Jun Beiyue stepped back, leaning against a stone pillar, arms crossed over his chest, watching the fight with an air of complete leisure.

Madam Jinjiao, however, grew anxious, unable to stop herself from demanding, “Boy, go help him! The Silver Jiao’s reverse scales are only granted power against Jinjiao scale armor — your companion will be in danger!”

“Hey, boy, go! Hurry up and go!”

“The weakness of the Silver Jiao’s reverse scales is the navel — the scales over the navel are nothing but a facade! Hurry, go help — attack their navels!”

…

Madam Jinjiao shouted with all her might, pounding desperately against the barrier, but it was no use — Jun Beiyue couldn’t hear a single word.

And just then, Baili Weisheng had already closed in on the wall of Silver Jiao reverse scales, thrusting his sword straight forward. At the same moment, the wall of reverse scales, as if it were truly a solid wall, suddenly toppled forward toward him.

“No!” Madam Jinjiao screamed.

But at that very moment, a miracle happened — Baili Weisheng’s sword flashed, a blade of sword energy sweeping across in a wide arc, and instantly, the wall of reverse scales that had been about to crash down scattered apart all at once!

Most of the Silver Jiao guards collapsed as if crippled, sprawled on the ground, their reverse scales instantly retracting, as though they’d taken a fatal blow, barely clinging to life, while the uninjured Silver Jiao guards scattered in terrified flight.

Who was this scholar?

Why did he know the Silver Jiao’s weakness, and with such flawless precision land a single decisive strike — one sword stroke alone, and he had shattered the hardest wall of men in the world!

But it wasn’t only the Silver Jiao guards who were stunned — Madam Jinjiao herself froze in shock. She had been shouting the entire time, trying to tell them the Silver Jiao’s weakness, yet she knew perfectly well they couldn’t hear her.

How could this be?

Who on earth was this child? What was his background?

He clearly wasn’t of the jiaoren race, so why was he so intimately familiar with the Silver Jiao?

This was the Silver Jiao’s most fatal secret — in the entire world, only the Silver Jiao themselves and the Jinjiao knew of it!

And yet he knew — and had struck true on the very first try!

Who — who exactly was he?

The wall of reverse scales had collapsed so suddenly that it left even Madam Helian and Helian Shaoze, poised and ready to attack, utterly stunned.

Baili Weisheng gave them no chance at all. His long sword swept straight out, bearing down directly on Helian Shaoze.

That old woman, Madam Helian, had dared to endanger Ziqing’s precious son — very well, he’d kill her son first, right before her eyes.

Baili Weisheng truly wasn’t a good man — to put it precisely, he was, without question, a ruthless, viciously cruel one.

His eyes narrowed with a sinister glint, his body moving as one with his blade, aimed straight at Helian Shaoze’s navel!

But at that very moment, Madam Helian finally understood, and she shoved Helian Shaoze away with all her strength, crying out in alarm, “He knows our weakness!”

That shove sent Baili Weisheng’s blade missing Helian Shaoze’s weak point — and instead of a cold snort curling at his lips as he redirected his sword toward Helian Shaoze, he unexpectedly channeled his full strength and thrust straight at Madam Helian instead!

One strike — it plunged straight in!

“Hah—” Madam Helian let out a muffled groan, and immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, her entire face instantly turning deathly pale, her whole body going slack with shock.

This strike wasn’t like the sword energy from before.

This strike was a real, true blade.

It plunged directly into her navel, piercing straight into her abdomen!

“No… Mother!” Helian Shaoze screamed, lunging madly at Baili Weisheng like a man possessed. Only then did Baili Weisheng withdraw his sword, dodging Helian Shaoze’s hedgehog-like, spike-covered body.

Madam Helian clutched her lower abdomen, unable to speak from sheer disbelief. “You… you… you are…!”