After Giving Birth, All My Beast Ex-Husbands Suddenly Want Me Back

Chapter 181: There’s nothing more important than you

"You’re quite capable, little female," Yosan said, his voice low and eerie as he drew closer. "Not only did you cleanse the poison yourself—you even awakened an ability."

Step by step, he closed the distance between them.

"Was it you who poisoned me?" Nina asked, her voice steady.

Yosan shook his head with a faint, mocking smile. "No, no. I wouldn’t bother poisoning a little female. Someone else did that."

There was no benefit in it for him—why would he waste the effort?

Nina’s gaze darkened.

Then who was it? And why?

But there was no time to dwell on it.

Quietly, she gathered her strength.

This old monster had restrained even Odian and the others—his power was undeniably terrifying. If she wanted to survive...

She would need to end this in a single strike.

Around her, Odian and the others burned with urgency, forcing their power outward, trying desperately to break free.

Ming frowned, confusion flickering in his eyes.

How did this creature know Nina?

Nearby, Taru and the others were equally unsettled.

Just who... was Nina, to have drawn the attention of such a being?

But more than anything, they were afraid—

Afraid that, unable to move, they would watch helplessly as she and the children were taken.

Yosan’s gaze shifted to the little ones in her arms.

"These children aren’t bad either," he murmured. "I’ll take them along as well."

He had no intention of killing Ming or Odian.

Core members of such powerful clans always possessed hidden means of survival. Even if he could suppress them briefly, killing them outright would be troublesome—and retaliation from their clans would be far worse.

The ritual array wouldn’t last long. He needed to achieve his goal quickly.

Nina’s eyes turned icy.

He dares...To touch her children...

He deserved to die.

Yosan stepped right up to her and reached out.

At that very moment, a chill ran down his spine.

"Master Shaman, watch out!" Ino shouted.

Yosan reacted instantly, twisting aside—a massive spike tore through the air, barely missing his heart before slamming into his shoulder.

Blood splattered.

Before he could recover, countless vines surged toward him, lashing like whips.

Yosan’s expression twisted in shock.

"You—how are you not restrained?!"

The array suppressed everything—how could she be unaffected?

Unless... His gaze flickered, dark and calculating.

The Spirit Pearl.

That surge of power just now... it had been far too strong. For someone her age, even with exceptional talent, it was impossible to break through his defenses like that on her own.

It had to be the Spirit Pearl.

And if she could wield that much of its power so effortlessly...

A terrifying thought surfaced—

It acknowledged her.

"No... impossible," he muttered, unwilling to accept it. "How could it choose a female...?"

Clutching his wounded shoulder, his eyes turned cold and vicious.

With a sweep of his hand, he unleashed his shamanic power and the vines were severed instantly.

Then, like a living tide, thick black mist surged forward, rushing straight toward Nina.

The black mist looked light and drifting, but it carried a terrifying, suffocating darkness.

Nina reacted instantly, clutching the little ones tightly as she dodged with Kith at her side. Even as she evaded, her attacks never stopped—vines lashing out relentlessly.

A flicker of regret crossed her mind.

He actually dodged that...

With Odian and the others unable to move, she deliberately shifted her position—retreating toward the densest cluster of black-winged beastmen and mutated creatures.

The black mist swept through them indiscriminately.

Screams erupted.

In an instant, several enemies were consumed.

She was borrowing his own power against him.

Yosan’s eyes darkened.

"You really are clever," he said coldly. "Using my strength to your advantage... but I don’t have time to play with you anymore."

Maintaining the array was draining him.

He had no time left to waste.

Originally, he had expected an easy victory—but with the Spirit Pearl amplifying her strength, she had become far more troublesome than anticipated.

Nina understood that as well.

Even with the Spirit Pearl, she could only barely hold him at bay.

So yes, she had been stalling.

If she could just break whatever was suppressing Odian and the others... the tide would turn instantly.

Yosan suddenly produced a black stone, pouring his shamanic power into it. The stone was immediately swallowed by swirling dark mist.

At that exact moment, Nina’s mind exploded with pain.

A sharp, piercing agony tore through her consciousness.

She staggered, clutching her head, her face paling.

What did he do to me—?!

"Nina!"

Odian and the others were thrown into panic at the sight of her suffering.

Yosan watched her calmly, almost amused.

"Did you really think I would show myself without preparation?"

The curse he had planted in her long ago had finally been activated.

He stepped toward her again.

Through the pain, Nina forced herself to retaliate, sending another wave of attacks—but this time, Yosan brushed them aside with ease.

Closer.

Closer.

"Don’t touch her!"

The shout came all at once—from Odian, Aviel, and the others.

Their voices were filled with fury—and fear.

Yosan glanced at them, amused.

"The Phoenix clan priest... the lord of Flying Dragon City... the ruler of Sea-Blue City..."

A faint smile curved his lips.

"How interesting. I didn’t expect all of you to gather in one place."

Aviel’s voice thundered with rage. "What did you do to her? Release her—now. Otherwise, my dragon clan will wipe out your Black Crow tribe."

"The Phoenix clan as well."

"The merfolk will not stand by either."

One after another, they declared their stance.

Yosan let out a low chuckle.

"So... you all care about this little female quite a lot."

He tilted his head slightly, eyes gleaming with calculation.

"You want me to let her go? Fine."

His gaze settled on Aviel.

"Dragon King... bring me your heart-protecting scale—and the key to your clan’s treasure vault."

"Trade those... for her."

The heart-protecting scale was a sacred treasure of the dragon clan.

It was both indestructible and razor-sharp.

Dragons were naturally powerful and nearly impossible to wound—but their own heart scale could pierce even their defenses. The higher their rank and the purer their bloodline, the stronger that scale became.

And yet, they would never remove it lightly.

It was bound to their life force, infused with their origin power. If taken or misused, the consequences could be catastrophic.

As for the dragon clan’s treasury—it was legendary.

A hoard coveted by every being in the world.

Yosan’s gaze shifted again, landing on Odian.

"You carry shamanic power... you must be the Phoenix clan’s high priest. The priest’s staff—that old relic must have passed it on to you, hasn’t it?"

A flicker of satisfaction crossed his face.

If Odian hadn’t resisted the array earlier, revealing traces of that power, Yosan might never have noticed.

His eyes moved again—to Lex and Dian.

"And which of you is willing to hand over your merman pearl?"

The priest’s staff was the Phoenix clan’s supreme treasure.

The merman pearl... was just as vital to the merfolk.

And unlike other treasures, a merman pearl could only be given willingly.

"Don’t give him anything," Nina said through clenched teeth, forcing back the waves of pain tearing through her mind. "He won’t let me go."

Inside, she called out urgently:

"Little Bun—can you suppress this pain? Help me recover my strength."

[Host, this is a shamanic curse. There’s an item in the system that can temporarily suppress it. Fully removing it will require further analysis.]

"Do it."

The suppression began.

The searing pain dulled—just enough.

At that moment, Yosan raised the black stone again, threatening to activate it once more.

"Stop!"

The reactions were immediate.

Aviel’s voice broke with urgency. "Don’t hurt her. I’ll give you what you want."

Odian’s gaze burned. "If you want the staff, leave her alone."

"My merman pearl is yours—just don’t hurt Nina."

"Take mine instead."

Lex and Dian spoke at the same time.

Yosan let out a low chuckle.

With a flick of his hand, he scattered drops of his blood into the air. The oppressive force around them loosened slightly—just enough for them to retrieve what he demanded.

"Don’t give it to him," Nina said again, her voice steadier now. "He can’t be trusted."

But Aviel only looked at her.

His eyes—deep, unwavering—were filled with something raw and unguarded.

"There’s nothing more important than you."

Even knowing the enemy’s treachery, he couldn’t stand by and watch her suffer.

Lex and the others felt the same.

"It’s just a merman pearl," they said quietly. "Compared to you... it’s nothing."

Nina’s heart trembled.

For a brief moment, everything else seemed to fade, leaving only their words.

Their resolve.

And something warm, fierce, and unshakable rising within her.

At the same time, her strength surged back, faster and faster.

The suppressed power... was returning.