Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Outside the tavern, the lingering smoke from the gunpowder explosion had not yet dissipated, and rubble was scattered all over the ground.

The pirates, covered in dust and grime from the explosion, grumbled as they crawled out of the ruins. One of them was missing half an ear, blood streaming down his face. He didn't wipe it away, but instead pulled a flask from his waist, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp. Then he grinned, revealing a mouthful of rotten teeth stained brown with rum.

"Damn, this rum is really strong."

He handed the wine jug to his companion, and the group stood in the ruins, taking turns drinking, as if they weren't the ones who had almost been killed in the explosion.

After finishing their drinks, they walked arm in arm toward another tavern, their steps unsteady, but their laughter was loud enough to be heard throughout the town.

Lin Yi understood what was happening as he watched this scene.

In places like this, fighting and killing are indeed commonplace.

The explosion just now was a signal, telling everyone on the entire Ring Ridge Island: another fight has broken out here. As for who did it and why, no one will ask, and no one cares.

The pirates finished their drinks and left, as if nothing had happened.

That's how it is here.

Pirates were a group of people who didn't know where their next meal would come from; they might go to sea today and not return tomorrow.

Expecting these guys to obey the law is a joke.

For them, the best ending would be to be able to drink and eat heartily while alive, and to be wrapped in a plank and thrown into the sea after death.

As for rules and laws, those are things for the gentlemen on land to worry about.

The entire Ring Ridge Island was infested with pirates like these.

So this place is extremely chaotic, so chaotic that outsiders might think they've entered a mental hospital the first time they come.

But strangely enough, beneath this chaos lies its own set of order.

Lin Yi had seen far too many similar places.

The more chaotic a place is, the more likely it is to have its own set of unspoken rules.

As long as you follow those default rules, nobody cares what you do.

But if you break the default order, you will be met with a thunderous blow. All the pirates will instantly put aside their grudges and join forces to throw the rule-breaker into the sea to feed the fish.

The order on the ring-ridge island is simple—just don't disturb the normal lives of the people here.

What constitutes a normal life?

Drinking, eating meat, gambling, finding women, fighting, bragging, repairing the boat, and preparing for the next voyage.

As long as you don't interfere with others doing these things, even if you cause a huge upheaval, no one will care.

The pirates who were just blown up are the best example.

The guy who bombed them might be drinking in that pub next door, but they don't care.

If you get bombed, just get up, have a drink, and find another place to continue drinking.

Revenge? That's for tomorrow. Let's finish our drinks first.

Lin Yi withdrew his gaze and prepared to bypass this area and continue forward.

A familiar shout of cursing suddenly came from ahead.

The voice was rough and loud, with an overbearing air, penetrating the noise of the street where the tavern was located, as clear as if it were right next to your ear.

"You spellcaster, stop right there! What did you mean by glaring at me in the tavern just now?!"

Lin Yi stopped in his tracks.

Su Xiao also stopped in her tracks.

The two looked at each other and saw the same thing in each other's eyes—what was Mondl doing here?

They both looked up and forward at the same time.

At the tavern entrance, a white-haired figure wearing a simple leather vest stood there, his fists clenched, his muscles bulging, and demonic flames flickering beneath his skin.

Standing opposite him was a man dressed in a black and gold robe.

The man was wearing a hood, was tall, and had a casual demeanor as if he had just gotten out of bed.

A few strands of short, slightly wavy black hair hung down from the edge of the hood, half of his face was hidden in shadow.

Without even needing to sense it, Su Xiao could tell that this was a spellcaster.

Moreover, they are spellcasters from the Arcane Eternal Star.

That rich, almost tangible elemental aura, that stubbornness and pride that even the most languid appearance couldn't conceal—only spellcasters trained by the Arcane Eternal Star possessed that.

Looking at the fiery demon in front of him, Hugh felt a throbbing pain in his head.

What on earth is going on in this guy's head?
Just now in the tavern, he only glanced around subconsciously when he entered, his gaze sweeping over Mond without even lingering, and yet this guy immediately slammed his hand on the table and questioned him about why he glared at him.

He explained that he hadn't glared at him.

Mond said, "Then why were you looking at me just now?"

He said, "I just glanced at it when I came in."

Mond said, "Then why did you look at me instead of others when you could just glance at anything else?"

He said, "I saw other people, but you're not important so you didn't notice."

Mond said, "What do you mean by that? Are you insulting me?"

Then a fight broke out.

Looking back now, Hugh feels that the whole conversation was as absurd as a dream.

He had lived for so many years and had seen all sorts of opponents—cunning, treacherous, and tyrannical—but he had never seen anything like this—a madman who would attack someone simply because they "looked at him."

Does this guy not even have the concept of "restraint" in his head?

Hugh raised his hand and rubbed his temples. Although Mond's punch had been blocked by the automatic defense spell, the impact still gave him a headache.

He secretly rejoiced that he had chosen to learn this spell, otherwise he might have been smashed to pieces by this madman by now.

He looked up, about to say something to calm the madman down, his gaze casually sweeping across the street.

Then he saw Lin Yi and Su Xiao a dozen meters away.

Hugh's eyes lit up instantly.

The light came so suddenly and so intensely that Su Xiao instinctively placed his hand on the hilt of the Dragon Slayer Blade.

But Hugh didn't even look at him.

Hugh's gaze was fixed on Lin Yi, and for the first time, gratitude appeared on his usually languid face as if he had seen a savior.

Lin Yi met that gaze and instantly understood what Hugh meant.

This guy wants me to help appease Mond.

Hugh's thinking was clear: he couldn't reason with Mond now, and the more he talked, the more they would fight; if they really fought, given Mond's crazy fighting style, even if he could win, he would have to pay a heavy price; moreover, this was the third round of the battle for supremacy, and no one wanted to expend too much energy in such a place.

Mond might not listen to what others say, but he will definitely listen to what Lin Yi says.

Lin Yi looked at Hugh's "come save me" eyes and his lips twitched slightly.

Mond was in a state of extreme excitement at this moment.

His eyes were wide open, as if magma was burning in his pupils, and demonic flames surged across his body, distorting the surrounding air.

He stared intently at Hugh, leaning slightly forward, ready to pounce again at any moment.

Just as he was about to strike, a hand reached out from behind and gently pressed on his shoulder.

In that instant, Mond's body reacted instinctively—he turned around abruptly, clenched his right fist, and, enveloped in demonic flames, slammed it down hard on the person behind him!

He used 60% of his strength in that punch.

In his simplistic understanding, anyone who patted him on the shoulder at this moment was either trying to break up a fight or planning a sneak attack.

Regardless of the type, throw a punch first, and apologize later if you've hit the wrong person.

But just as his fist was about to touch the target's face, he saw that face clearly.

Lin Yi.

Mondl's pupils instantly contracted to the size of pinpoints.

His fist, which was about to be thrown, stopped abruptly in mid-air, less than ten centimeters from Lin Yi's nose.

The demonic flames wrapped around his fist trembled violently as he suddenly released his strength, nearly burning his own arm.

Mond froze on the spot, his mouth open but unable to utter a sound.

Because he thought of something.

If this punch really lands on Lin Yi's face, what will await him after the battle of the strongest warriors ends?

It wasn't his father's fist.

Although his father beat him severely, he was still his biological father, and once the beating was over, that was the end of it.

What awaited him were the elders of the demon race who had long been looking for an opportunity to beat him up.

Among the demon race, from the elders to the ordinary members, there are countless people who want to beat him up.

The story of how he was brutally beaten for four hours by the old winged clan member by his horns and hair is his own dark history, but it is also a source of amusement for the entire demon race.

Every time the elders saw him, they would look at him with a "you've finally met your match" kind of gaze, making him feel very uncomfortable.

If he really hits Lin Yi this time—who is Lin Yi? He's the Abyss Healer.

If the relationship between the demon race and the abyss healers is damaged because of his punch, the elders will definitely tie him up and beat him up in turns for three days and three nights.

As Mond thought about this, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

He slowly withdrew his fist, his movements stiff as if in slow motion.

The demonic flames faded from his body, and his boiling killing intent and fighting spirit receded rapidly like the receding tide.

He stood there in front of Lin Yi, head bowed, like a big dog that had done something wrong, waiting to be scolded by its master.

"Doctor. What are you doing here?"

Seeing his appearance, Lin Yi didn't scold him: "I just came from over there, looking for a place to ask for information. What's going on with you?"

Mond opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but the words caught in his throat.

He looked at Hugh, then at Lin Yi, and finally managed to stammer, "He...he glared at me in the tavern just now."

Hugh's eyes twitched slightly upon hearing this. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stopped beside Lin Yi.

“I didn’t glare at him.” Hugh’s voice was still languid, but there was a hint of helplessness in his tone. “I just glanced around when I came in, my eyes just passing over him. Just that one glance, and he slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and demanded to know why I glared at him.”

He looked at Lin Yi, his eyes saying, "You be the judge."

Lin Yi remained silent for a second.

He was all too familiar with this scene.

Mondl is definitely the kind of guy who's capable of doing something like this.

He patted Mond on the shoulder: "He didn't glare at you, you're overthinking it."

Upon hearing this, Mond raised his head, his rugged face full of defiance.

"But I really felt that the way he looked at me was strange..."

"Alright, leave the rest to me."

Mond opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found that he couldn't refute it at all.

He scratched his head, the resentment on his face gradually turning into confusion, and then from confusion to bewilderment.

"It seems...it seems to make some sense."

Hearing this, Hugh breathed a long sigh of relief.

He looked at Lin Yi, his eyes filled with gratitude.

Just as I was about to say something, a familiar voice suddenly came from inside the tavern.

"Huh, what's wrong with you...?"

The voice was sharp and piercing, carrying undisguised hostility and aggression.

Lin Yi turned his head to look.

Dillian was standing at the entrance of the tavern.

She was still wearing that dark red robe, and her neat short silver hair reflected a cold light in the sunlight.

The various styles of metal earrings on her ears swayed gently as she turned her head, reflecting tiny glimmers of light.

Her gaze first fell on Hugh, then followed Hugh's line of sight to Su Xiao, who was a dozen meters away.

In that instant, Dillian's pupils contracted sharply.

The expression on her face quickly changed from confusion to coldness, and then from coldness to undisguised murderous intent.

"stop."

Her voice was sharper than before, filled with gritted teeth and hatred.

"Join forces and eliminate him."

As soon as she finished speaking, golden ripples appeared behind her.

The ripples behind her converged into a complex magic circle pattern, layer upon layer, densely packed, radiating a scorching and violent aura.

The surrounding air instantly became scorching hot, and the gravel on the ground crackled slightly under the intense heat.

The pirates who were originally loitering on the street saw this scene and turned to run away without saying a word.

They may enjoy fighting, but that doesn't mean they enjoy courting death.

Energy fluctuations of this level are simply beyond their ability to interfere with.

The street was instantly half empty.

Hugh looked at Dillian, then at Su Xiao, and finally turned his gaze back to Dillian.

He yawned.

That yawn was very long, very slow, and very exaggerated.

After yawning, he raised his hand to rub his eyes, then tucked his hands into his sleeves, looking as casual as if he were about to go back to sleep.

"I refuse."

His voice remained languid, his tone as flat as if he were saying the weather was nice today.

When Dillian heard those three words, she was completely stunned.

The golden magic circle behind her paused for a moment, and the violent elemental fluctuations became noticeably disordered.

"Why?" Her voice rose several octaves, sharp with disbelief. "What's wrong with you again?!"

Hugh looked at her, his eyes full of helplessness.

“Dilraba, answer two questions for me and I’ll join forces with you.”

Dillian narrowed her eyes: "Speak."

“Question one.” Hughes held up a finger and pointed at Su Xiao. “What is his name? Don’t tell me you only know him as the Destroyer of Laws. Destroyer of Laws is just a general term, not his real name.”

Dillian opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.

she does not know.

All she knew was that the man in the black trench coat with a long sword at his waist came from the Paradise of Reincarnation, was a destroyer of magic, and was the natural enemy of spellcasters.

But she never asked what his name was, and no one ever told her.

Hughes watched her reaction and raised his second finger.

Question two. Do I have a grudge against him?

This problem is simpler.

Dillian opened her mouth, but still couldn't say a word.

There is no enmity.

There was no grudge between Hugh and Su Xiao.

They had never even met before, had no connection whatsoever, and had no history of conflict.

If there has to be any connection, it's that Hugh comes from Arcane Eternity and Su Xiao is a Spellbreaker, nothing more.

But the hatred between the Spellbreakers and the Arcane Eternal Star dates back thousands of years.

When Hugh was born, the era of the destruction of the law had long ended. Those blood debts and grudges were just written records on yellowed papers in the archives to him.

Without experiencing it firsthand, one cannot truly understand the pain.

Hugh shook his head gently as he looked at Dilling's speechless expression.

He tucked his hands into his sleeves, turned, and walked into the tavern.

As he reached the door, he stopped and turned to look at Dillian.

"Dilraba, why do you hate him?"

His voice remained languid, but the question pierced Dillian's heart like a sharp sword.

"Is it because he is a destroyer of the Dharma, or because he stands against you? Or is it..."

He paused.

"Is it because you actually hate Lady Serphia, but you don't dare to hate her, so you transfer that hatred to other targets?"

Dillian's body suddenly stiffened.

All the expressions on that face froze instantly, leaving only a fleeting glimpse deep in his pupils—was it shock, anger, fear, or the embarrassment and rage of having his secret exposed?
Hugh didn't wait for her reply.

He withdrew his gaze, walked into the tavern, and disappeared into the shadows behind the door.

Only Lin Yi, Su Xiao, Shang Yue, Mond, and Di Lin remained on the street.

Dillian stood there, motionless, frozen in place like a sculpture.

Lin Yi watched her retreating figure with a calm gaze.

He heard Hugh's words clearly.

"What you actually hate is Lady Serphia, but you don't dare to hate her, so you transfer that hatred to other targets."

These words struck a chord with more than just Dillian.

Sage Mage Serphia.

Su Xiao had mentioned this name to Lin Yi before; it belonged to one of the top spellcasters on Arcane Eternal Star and was also Dillin's mentor.

Judging from Dillian's usual behavior, her feelings for Serphia are extremely complicated.

On the one hand, Serphia was the one who raised her and taught her knowledge.

The kindness of giving birth to and raising children, and the affection of teaching and guiding them—these are all real and tangible.

On the other hand, judging from the way Dylan spoke of Serphia with gritted teeth, her childhood was definitely not a pleasant memory.

She may have grown up under harsh training, been raised as a tool, or endured far more than she should have.

She hated it, but she couldn't hate it.

Because once you admit that you hate the person who raised you, it's equivalent to denying the meaning of your own existence.

Therefore, she could only transfer this hatred to other targets.

For example, those who destroy the law.

For example, Su Xiao.

Su Xiao stood beside Lin Yi, her hand still resting on the hilt of the Dragon Slayer Blade.

His gaze swept over Dillian without lingering.

He had long noticed Dillian's hostility towards him.

But he never had any interest in delving into what lay behind that hostility.

In this world, everyone has their own story, their own pain, and their own unavoidable circumstances.

But that's not something he needs to consider.

Dilling's hatred was just one of many threats to him. (End of Chapter)