"Queen Bee" Vess cast a displeased glance at Grisha.
"Grisha, being beaten so badly by a little girl is truly disgraceful!"
"Excuse me, are you..."
Sora's voice trembled. He sensed an extremely terrifying aura from the young woman in yellow!
Vess glanced at Sora, then averted her gaze with undisguised contempt.
"You lowly village woman, you have no right to speak to me!"
The Queen Bee's gaze fell on Ella.
"Are you Grisha's bastard?"
"You have good talent, but unfortunately you chose the wrong sect."
"Listen, I'm giving you a chance to change your fate."
"First, kill your worthless mother with your own hands. Then, kneel before me and become my disciple. Your future will be limitless."
"Otherwise, regrettably, your life will end here."
"Little girl, even someone as compassionate and magnanimous as me has a limit to my tolerance."
"Do you want to live or die? Give me your answer within ten seconds."
"Grisha, start the countdown!"
"Yes, I do!"
Grisha struggled to his feet and began the countdown.
Sora couldn't help but tremble, his hands and feet cold...
"Where did you get this crazy woman? You're talking nonsense!"
Ella glared at the Queen Bee, raised her hands, and her fighting spirit transformed into a net!
Ves scoffed, her face etched with disdain.
"It seems you're not going to live."
"Little girl, do you know who I am?"
"When I was playing with Dou Qi Thread, you were still nursing."
"Don't show off that kind of trick in front of me!"
"That moonlight-based martial art you used when you defeated Grisha just now was quite interesting."
"I'll give you a chance. Use that on me."
"If you can injure me, even just a scratch, I lose."
"Turn around and leave immediately. No nonsense!"
"But if you can't hurt me, hehe... then you can't blame me for killing you."
"Do you really... want me to use 'Moon Shadow Bullet'?" Ella asked doubtfully.
"Of course!" Ves nodded proudly.
Ella gritted her teeth and channeled her magic with all her might.
A ball of cool moonlight emerged from her palm.
The queen bee spoke with arrogance, but her actions showed no sign of underestimation.
With a flick of her robe sleeve, she instantly activated the fifth-level Atavism!
Bang!
The yellow robe ripped apart!
The fluttering rags transformed into a swarm of red-eyed hornets, gathering in the air.
Like a floating screen, they obscured the queen bee's body.
In an instant, the beautiful young woman transformed into a demonic Rakshasa.
With a human body and a bee's head, her hands were turned, palms facing outward.
The skin transformed into a smooth, hard exoskeleton, striped with yellow and black.
The tail vertebrae extended backward, forming a thick stinger.
Two pairs of transparent, membranous wings vibrated at a high frequency, shielding them from the rain.
The most astonishing thing was…
Behind the atavistic Weiss, the Rakshasa Blood Wheel suddenly appeared!
Snap!
The umbrella slipped from Sora's hand.
It hit the ground, splashing mud and water.
Her face was as pale as paper.
The terrifying aura radiating from the Rakshasa Blood Wheel was like an invisible hand piercing her chest, strangling her heart.
She felt short of breath, her legs weakened, and her mind was filled with the thought of escaping immediately!
Mother-daughter affection triumphed over her fear.
Sora withstood the pressure of the fearful aura and persevered, remaining on the sidelines to watch the fight.
Ella was also oppressed by the Rakshasa Blood Wheel, trembling with fear.
Thankfully, her Level 5 Soul-Calming Meditation, which she had practiced, provided special protection against mental attacks.
She took a deep breath, focused on meditation, and her complexion returned to normal. Atavistic Weiss noticed the change in the girl's expression.
A subtle hint of surprise flashed across her golden compound eyes.
This girl was no ordinary being, able to resist her fear aura!
Atavistic Weiss snorted coldly and slowly raised her right hand.
The swarm of bees dancing around her split in two at her mistress's command.
One half of the swarm attached itself to Atavistic Weiss's body, forming a wriggling robe.
Yellow and black speckled with red dots, it resembled a meticulously embroidered pattern.
The remaining half of the swarm gathered in Atavistic Weiss's hand.
Thousands of red-eyed hornets, linked head to tail, clung to one another, forming a long, floating whip.
Atavistic Weiss flicked her wrist, and the swarm's long whip expanded and contracted, a truly bizarre sight!
"Little girl, you can attack now."
The Queen Bee hooked her finger at Ella, her expression haughty.
"Remember, you only have one chance. Show me your strongest move!"
Ella suppressed her uneasiness, gritted her teeth, pointed at the hovering Queen Bee, and blasted out a shaping "Moon Shadow Bullet"!
"Anar!"
The Queen Bee calmly chanted a spell symbolizing "Glory." With a downward thrust of her left hand, she suddenly unfolded the "Moonlight Veil"!
The 4th-tier martial art "Moon Shadow Bullet" and the 5th-tier spell "Moonlight Veil," both belonging to the Moonlight element, bore considerable similarities.
As the saying goes, like attracts like. The former, being one tier lower than the latter, was immediately suppressed by its source.
The Moon Shadow Bullet vanished in a flash.
The Moonlight Veil's power lingered.
Suddenly, it swept over, illuminating Ella.
Instantly, Ella felt a chill from head to toe.
Reverting to her animal form, she was sealed by the "Moonlight Veil."
The cat-eared bee girl was forced to transform back into a human girl.
Her delicate face couldn't conceal her panic!
"What a lousy 'Moon Shadow Bullet'! It's nothing more than that!"
"In my eyes, it's garbage!"
From the air, the Queen Bee's sneer of contempt echoed.
Ella's face flushed crimson!
Of course, she knew she was no match for the Queen Bee.
The Queen Bee could look down on her, but she couldn't belittle Senior Brother Allen's unique technique!
Filled with resentment, Ella stretched out her arms, casting a dense web of Dou Qi threads into the sky.
Dou Qi transformed into a net!
"I told you this trick won't work on me, why don't you believe me!"
Atavistic Weiss sneered and swung her bee whip.
With two swishes, she shattered the Dou Qi net into pieces.
The whip unfurled, sweeping straight towards Ella.
Ella hurriedly used "Swift Wind Step" and retreated ten meters away.
But it was still a beat too late.
A red-eyed hornet, freed from the whip, fluttered its wings, and landed on her shoulder, burrowing into the flesh.
Ella cried out in surprise!
Hurriedly, she drew her dagger, attempting to rip the insect out of her shoulder.
The tip of the blade touched the red, swollen skin, and she stopped, trembling.
Clang!
The dagger fell to the ground.
Ella trembled all over, her skin flushed red, as if she were running a high fever.
Sora hurried to her daughter's side and cast a spell to heal her.
But it was no use.
"Hehe... don't waste your energy."
The queen bee's cold laughter echoed from the air.
"The little girl has been parasitized by the Yellow Spring Bee from Hell. Her life and death are completely in my hands."
"I told her to go west, but she didn't dare go east. She's more obedient than a pet dog."
"What? You don't believe me?"
"Hehe! It's rare that I'm in a good mood. I'll demonstrate it to you."
The queen bee raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
Snap!
As if receiving a signal, Ella suddenly looked up.
She stared blankly at the queen bee with her eyes vacant. "Little girl, kneel down!"
The Queen Bee glared at Ella and gave a command in a haughty tone.
Ella's body trembled.
Her face was filled with pain and struggle!
Her will was battling for control of her body with the parasitic Yellow Spring Bee.
After a few seconds of stalemate, her trembling knees finally thumped down onto the muddy and water-soaked floor...
Queen Bee Weiss, hands behind her back, laughed heartily, her demeanor utterly wild!
At the same time, tears of humiliation streamed down the girl's cheeks.
…
Above the stormy courtyard, a small, transparent ball of condensed magic energy hovered.
Like an eye, it quietly surveyed the scene within.
Next to the courtyard, in the outer room of the pharmacy.
Spenza sat by the window, her eyes slightly closed, maintaining her focus on casting the "Eagle Eye" spell.
She had already shifted her vision to the "Eagle Eye Observation Point" above the courtyard, observing the conflict between the Queen Bee and Ella.
"Spenza! What's going on next door? Tell me!"
Spena couldn't help but ask her sister.
Spenza opened her eyes and said to her sister, "If you respectfully call me 'Sister,' I'll tell you."
"Tsk! You're trying to blackmail me with this! You're so clever!"
Spena was immediately furious!
"I don't know the 'Eagle Eye' spell, but don't I have legs yet?"
"It's right next door, why don't you just go and see for yourself!"
Before she finished her words, she stormed out the door in a huff.
Spenza watched her sister disappear through the window into the misty rain, her brow furrowed slightly.
She couldn't understand why her sister was so rebellious.
She spoke so naturally about "my sister" in front of others.
Why, face to face, wouldn't she call her "sister"?
Is she, as a sister, incompetent?
Spenza reflected on herself, but couldn't figure out what she had done wrong to cause such tension between the sisters.
The two sisters argued whenever they met, and their arguments always ended on bad terms.
Sighing, Spenza gathered her thoughts and stood up, knocking on the door of the adjoining alchemy room.
Queen Bee Vess, this is going too far.
Spenza worried that this wouldn't end well.
It was time to ask their mother to intervene and put a stop to this farce.
Pushing the door open, Spenza briefly recounted the conflict in the courtyard to her mother and Ellen.
Caroline, however, remained composed.
Observing the sample Ellen had prepared, she nodded gently, appearing quite satisfied.
As for the conflict just across the wall, she seemed indifferent.
"The fourth sample is just a little bit away from success."
"Ellen, you truly have a knack for refining medicine!"
"Mother, please allow me to interrupt!"
Spenza lost her composure.
"If we don't intervene, Aunt Weiss might end up dead! That's going to be a disaster!"
Caroline picked up her teacup, sipping gracefully. She said calmly, "It's Alan's mentor and his junior sister who are in trouble. Alan isn't worried, so why are you?"
Alan sighed and looked up at Caroline with an earnest look.
"Actually, I'm worried too, but I don't want things to get out of hand for your sake."
"If you intervene now, there's still time to prevent the situation from getting worse."
Caroline smiled but said nothing.
Spencer, sensing her mother's thoughts, immediately took over.
"Alan! I'm a straight talker. I don't want to beat around the bush!"
"Give us all the details on how to make the second-level anti-aging potion, plus the formula for Panthes Holy Water, and we'll come and help you resolve the Case family's troubles!"
Alan shook his head slightly, his voice icy.
"This isn't a fair deal, it's a naked extortion."
"Spencer, you claim to be upright, but tell me, bullying an orphan and a widow, using them to blackmail me—is that something a decent person could do?"
"Witnessing such banditry, and instead of stopping it, colluding with them, don't you feel guilty?"
"You talk righteously, but your actions are cunning, vicious, and unscrupulous. Isn't that hypocrisy?"
Alan's accusations were heartbreaking!
Spencer was speechless, her cheeks flushed.
Alan stood up and bowed slightly to Caroline, offering a small apology.
"Auntie, I'm sorry, I have to excuse myself for a moment."
Caroline watched him disappear into a cloud of silver mist.
Putting down her teacup, she stood up.
"Spencer, let's go over and take a look."
"Mother..." Spencer hesitated.
"The cold wind and rain are an ominous sign..."
The Spider Queen murmured to herself, gazing out the window at the steady drizzle.
"Today's incident was indeed a bit excessive."
"That Alan brat... ah, I'm afraid he's really angry."
"I hope the situation won't escalate to the point of a complete break."
A faint trace of regret lingered in her sigh.
...
In the courtyard.
"Queen Bee" Vess hovered in mid-air.
The Rakshasa Blood Wheel cast a barrier, isolating the wind and rain.
Looking down at the drenched girl kneeling in the puddle, Vess's gaze flickered.
Had it not been for Grisha's incompetence, unable to even handle a bastard, Vess would not have wanted to take action herself.
She hadn't come here specifically to humiliate Sora and Ella.
These two were unworthy!
Vess's true purpose was to use Ella as bait to lure Eren out.
According to the pre-planned plan, after Grisha captured Ella, Eren would be forced to confront Grisha.
Judging from the strength he had demonstrated in the battle at the mushroom garden, Grisha was no match for him.
But it didn't matter.
Even if Eren defeated Grisha, his complacency wouldn't last long.
Ves, observing from the shadows, will use drastic measures to capture Alan and bring him back to Red Moon Island.
Using a variety of tortures that will leave him wanting neither life nor death, she will pry open his mouth and force him to reveal the detailed formula for Panthes' Holy Water.
Vess is thinking long-term.
Obtaining the formula isn't enough; she will also use the Yellow Spring Bee to parasitize Alan.
Turn this recently renowned young master alchemist into a servile puppet.
Alan will be chained and kept in the pharmacy,
For the rest of his life, he will serve as a drug slave, constantly refining potions for her until all their value is extracted.
And so, all because of that incompetent Grisha!
A single misstep disrupts the entire strategy, forcing the Queen Bee to reveal herself prematurely.
Vess could easily imagine that Allen must be terrified upon learning of her presence. How could he dare to step forward and rescue Keith and his daughter?!
The more Vess thought about it, the more irritated she became. She vented her anger on Grisha.
"Grisha, tell me, what should we do with this little girl?"
The Queen Bee was clearly simmering with rage, yet she wore a smile and spoke in a gentle voice, as if seeking her lover's advice.
Grisha had served her for years; how could he not know the Queen Bee's hidden daggers?
Seeing her smile so kindly, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
If he couldn't come up with a solution to the situation, he was afraid he would suffer greatly before he could deal with Ella!
"Lord Vess! That brat Allen is hiding in hiding. If we search for him on our own, it would be troublesome and might scare him away!"
"That little bastard Ella is Allen's lover!"
"If you torture Ella mercilessly, Allen will eventually reveal himself!"
"Good idea, but the details are sloppy."
Ves said calmly.
"You're her biological father. You should personally discipline her. That's the proper course."
"Lady Ves is wise!"
After all, she's just an insignificant illegitimate daughter. He's ignored her for eighteen years. How can there be any father-daughter affection?
Grisha, without a moment's hesitation, decided to sacrifice Ella, his illegitimate daughter, to please his mistress.
"This little bastard, with the bloodlines of both Bee Girl and Cat Girl, has quite a talent."
"She's been corrupted by Sora anyway. She's led astray and beyond redemption!"
"Why not recycle her? Extract her blood essence and use it to strengthen your Bee Girl bloodline."
"Perhaps it can help you advance even further and ascend to the Sixth-Rank Rakshasa soon!" "