The Third in the World: White on the Outsider, Black on the Inside

Lin Yueyao looked at Xue Youyou with a complicated expression and said, "It's you, Xue Youyou!"

"Me?!" Xue Youyou pointed to herself, stunned.

At this moment, Xue Youyou looked somewhat flattered; she hadn't expected Lin Yueyao to award her the third little red flower.

However, after a little thought, Xue Youyou quickly understood Lin Yueyao's meaning.

Lin Yueyao is saying that she has the potential to become one of the three giants of Yuelan in the future.

Xue Youyou clasped her hands slightly and said with a smile, "I am honored that you think so highly of me, but I don't like being pampered by others."

"The path of evolution is full of unknowns, anything is possible, a temporary lead does not mean a permanent lead, and no one can predict the future."

However, Xue Youyou's words of rebellion were cut off by Lin Yueyao.

Lin Yueyao, never one to back down, declared: "It's not that I'm nursing you, it's the Moon Mother's decree! Xue Youyou, you are now the third best in the land of Yue Lanzhou!"

Boom—!

Just then, a flash of lightning streaked across the window, its roar masking the shaking of the bed.

Xue Youyou's smile froze, then she revealed a cryptic smile.

Only those who know Xue Youyou very well would know that her expression at this moment is not one of surprise, confusion, or happiness.

It was humiliation, it was anger that came from the bottom of one's heart.

For Xue Youyou, it was an utter disgrace that a beast tamer in this world dared to openly boast that he was inferior to her.

There are only three people in total. Saying she's the third oldest is no different from directly insulting her as a noob!

Xue Youyou unconsciously clenched her fist beneath her bathrobe, and smiled slightly, "Did she really say that?"

Lin Yueyao assumed Xue Youyou didn't believe her, so she immediately swore, "I swear in the name of Beast Tamer that what I just said is absolutely true. This is a decree that the Holy Maiden of the New Moon heard with her own ears!"

"Sister, you don't need to be surprised. The Sect Leader is all-knowing and has long seen through the fates of the mortal world. There is nothing in the entire Yue Lan Prefecture that she doesn't know. Although the assertion that you are the third-beast tamer in Yue Lan is indeed unbelievable, it was said by the Sect Leader herself, so there must be a reason for it!"

"Perhaps you have a special constitution, little sister, and can unleash incredible power when you're extremely angry!"

Xue Youyou could tell that Lin Yueyao's worship of the legendary leader of the Moon Worship Cult had reached the point of devotion. Even though she found it hard to accept that Xue Youyou, a fully-fledged Beast Tamer, possessed the power to rival an Ultimate Beast Tamer, she still imagined all sorts of possible reasons for the leader's words.

They have been completely brainwashed by the Moon Worship Cult from the inside out.

"Hmm," Xue Youyou replied indifferently.

Seeing this, Lin Yueyao felt a little unsure, sensing that Xue Youyou's reaction was not quite what she had expected.

This is an appreciation from someone who is suspected to be the strongest beast tamer in Yuelan!

Shouldn't you be excited and thrilled? Why have you suddenly become so calm?

In this situation, it's not easy for her to continue developing the story.

At this moment, Lin Yueyao's mind was racing.

After thinking for a few seconds, Lin Yueyao decided to abandon her original plan to continue warming up the atmosphere and went straight to the point: "Sister will not beat around the bush. The reason I came to talk to you is because I received the highest order to persuade you to join the Moon Worship Cult."

"The Moon Goddess said that as long as you, my sister, are willing to join the Moon Worship Cult, she will take you as her personal disciple and appoint you as the vice leader, second only to her in the cult."

"At that time, you will be second only to the emperor, above all others. Including the Four Holy Maidens, the million followers of the Moon Worship Cult in Yue Lan Prefecture will all obey your commands!"

Boom—!

Another flash of lightning streaked past the window.

Upon hearing this, Xue Youyou lowered her eyes, clasped her hands together, placed them on her raised thighs, and swayed her body back and forth slightly.

Seeing Xue Youyou deep in thought, Lin Yueyao didn't dare to disturb her. Her fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of her uniform skirt, and she sat up straight, nervously awaiting Xue Youyou's reply.

Xue Youyou is deep in thought.

Of course, she wasn't interested in the position of vice leader of the Moon Worship Cult.

He was just considering whether to pretend to agree first, take the opportunity to infiltrate the Moon Worship Cult, and then conduct a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of things.

is this necessary?

After pondering for a while, Xue Youyou opened her eyes and said in a conflicted tone, "I've thought about it carefully, so maybe I should just give up. To be honest, the Pet Beast Alliance has already offered me very good terms, so I don't really want to go to this Moon Worship Cult that I've never even heard of."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yueyao hurriedly said, "Sister, you are mistaken. Although the Pet Beast Alliance seems to have all the advantages on the surface, it has three fatal flaws—arrogance, disdain for talent, and lack of ambition. Its internal structure is already rotten to the core. In terms of strength, it is actually not as powerful as the Moon Worship Sect."

"Moreover, and more importantly, the Moon Worship Cult can give you sacred artifacts that the Pet Alliance can never provide."

"A sacred object?" Xue Youyou asked with great interest.

"That's right."

As Lin Yueyao spoke, she reluctantly took out a fist-sized crystal bottle from her bosom, which contained a black liquid that emitted dreamlike light.

Xue Youyou was naturally very familiar with the liquid inside.

The essence of the divine beast Taiyin!

Even the container holding the essence of the divine beast was exactly the same as the one that was taken from Meng Yanqing's house.

We caught a big fish!

The moment the crystal bottle appeared, Guanghan Zhan in the pet space immediately started barking like a dog: "Quickly say yes, Youyou, I really need it!"

Ignoring Guanghan Zhan, Xue Youyou suppressed a laugh and feigned surprise, covering her mouth as she exclaimed, "This is... the essence of a divine beast?!"

If she doesn't cover her mouth soon, she won't be able to hold it in.

"My sister is really amazing; she can recognize it as the essence of a divine beast at a glance."

Lin Yueyao gazed adoringly at the crystalline liquid in the crystal bottle, murmuring, "Not only that, it's also the essence of the moon-type divine beast Taiyin. Consuming it will allow moon-type pets to experience a qualitative leap in strength."

"This is a precious relic that only the leader, the saintess, and those who have made significant contributions to the Moon Worship Cult are entitled to enjoy."

"However, as long as you agree to join the Moon Worship Cult, this bottle of divine beast essence is yours."

The reason she, an elite member who wasn't even a cadre, was able to hold this bottle of divine beast essence in her own hands today was entirely due to a chance encounter with the mission of persuading Xue Youyou to join the Moon Worship Cult.

This bottle of divine beast essence was the final bargaining chip the organization gave her to persuade Xue Youyou.

If Xue Youyou had simply nodded in agreement from the beginning, she could have kept the saved divine beast essence for herself.

That's why she spent so much time trying to persuade Xue Youyou to join the Moon Worship Cult, but in the end she still couldn't convince Xue Youyou to join with just words, and had no choice but to resort to her last resort.

Lin Yueyao believed that no beast tamer with a moon-type pet could refuse such a generous gift.

Just as she had expected, Xue Youyou couldn't resist the temptation and quickly accepted the bottle of divine beast essence.

OK, mission accomplished!

Although it wasn't the most ideal situation, she was still successfully promoted to a cadre position.

Thinking of this, Lin Yueyao was in a very good mood. With a bright smile, she extended her hand and said, "Then, congratulations on joining the Moon Worship Cult, little sister. From now on, we'll be colleagues!"

However, Xue Youyou showed no intention of shaking hands with her.

As Xue Youyou played with the crystal bottle in her hand, she blinked innocently and said, "Huh? Did I say I wanted to join?"