Despite thinking through all of this, Ri kept her heartbeat steady and her features expressionless. She had cultivated a trust in Dyon for the more than 20 years they had been together. In the mortal world, this was already enough for a husband and wife to be considered inseparable. Considering their souls were also linked, this was doubly so for Ri and Dyon. Ri simply didn't believe that Dyon was rash.
Almost as though she was expecting to detect something, even after hearing Dyon's words, Jasmine's divine sense trained on Ri. But who would have expected for it to not even be capable of entering the ten-meter radius of the youthful couple?
Jasmine's eyes narrowed further. She could tell that if she tried to force her way in, she would suffer a severe backlash.
Since Dyon's Presence had fused with every aspect of his being, that of course included his own divine sense. As of now, his divine sense was almost like a living creature and had its own tangible aura. How could a dao expert who specialized in the energy path like Jasmine be even remotely a match for Dyon?
Despite Jasmine's probing, Dyon's heart was at peace. He noticed how calm Ri remained and that made him appreciate just how amazing it was to have such capable women by his side. In fact, wasn't this entire affair Ri's idea to begin with? It was her that gave them a path to success.
His wife had already done her part, it was now Dyon's turn to grasp the opportunity.
"How interesting. My instincts tell me that you definitely aren't a dao expert despite my not being able to sense your cultivation. Yet, your divine sense is contradictorily far more powerful than mine. I'm afraid in a battle of souls, even a hundred of me wouldn't be worthy of you, hm?" Jasmine's smile didn't fade.
Dyon shrugged. "All that means is that you can't hope to lock down this area with your domain. If I want to leave, even you can't stop me."
Jasmine giggled. "You're a bit too naïve, Little… Jaws, was it? Aren't you underestimating us dao experts a bit too much?"
"Maybe I'm underestimating dao experts as a whole. But, I'm definitely not underestimating you. It's a shame that a talent like you is bound to never leave this floating island."
When Jasmine heard these words, her expression truly changed for the first time. This didn't happen when she was promised great rewards, nor when she was handed the opportunity to become a Higher Existence, nor when Dyon accused her of wearing a mask. But, when she heard these words, her soul was shaken to the core.
In that moment, her expression twisted. The bright and lively Jasmine's features suddenly became disgustingly dark. She was just as beautiful as before, but she had a menacing and dark aura that made her completely unapproachable.
Her irises grew in size as they darkened, enveloping her eyes in a profound, deep black. Looking at her now was akin to staring into an infinite black hole. She looked no different than a pale, vengeful ghost.
Although Jasmine realized her mistake in the next moment, it was already too late to fix anything. The true face of the Water Mist Sect's Palace Master was revealed before Ri and Dyon.
That sinister light, that evil aura, even if the Heavens themselves descended in some humanoid form to tell Dyon that this woman didn't practice any evil techniques, he would never believe it.
Ri frowned. Did she make a mistake? How could they ally themselves with such an evil individual? From the looks of it, Jasmine most definitely practiced numerous evil techniques. These weren't the same as demonic or devil techniques, they fell into a category of cruelty and murder those former techniques never touched upon.
Dyon smiled lightly. "It seems you've finally decided to show yourself. Well. I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I didn't keep my word, now would I?"
Dyon faintly touched his silver-gold mask. In the next moment, it began to slowly disappear into his face.
Ri's heart couldn't help but seize slightly seeing Dyon's actions. But, luckily, the barrier of divine sense Dyon had up didn't allow Jasmine to notice.
It was at that moment that something absolutely stunning happened.
As the mask's stealth abilities slowly faded away, a form of Dyon Ri had never seen before appeared.
His short, brownish red-gold hair grew outward, becoming replaced by a delicate ocean blue that reached down to the small of his back. His features grew sharper and more angled, his already well outlined jawline seemingly cutting the air it existed in. This same change occurred to his nose as well. Before, Dyon's nose could have been described as well proportioned with soft, round edges. But now, it too became sharp – the bridge of it becoming a steep mountain slope.
Dyon's eyes had changed as well. From their new golden-emerald color, they became a beautiful flickering blue. They were akin to two glass globes that held the might of the sky. In the end, his skin paled from its flawless almost rose-bronze color, to a soft, matchless jade.
Still, even with all of this, there was not a single doubt that his most pronounced feature were his new, sharp ears. They were far longer than Ri's who could only be considered a half elf. Dyon now looked no different than a true blood Royal Elf.
In this sort of state, handsome seemed like far too inadequate a descriptor. Ri, who had yet to see Dyon's changed form after he passed his celestial tribulation, felt her heart skip a beat. She could tell that this wasn't Dyon's actual appearance, but she also faintly understood that Dyon was no less appealing in his true form.
Even the Banshee-like Jasmine couldn't help but pause in surprise. It should be impossible for one to have such a flawless appearance until they had at least become a dao expert. And even then, it was incredibly rare.
