Recruit demons to become heroes, hunt demons to become gods

Chapter 268 Two Expressions of Motherly Love

Before Luo Daling took Dou Eqing away, Dou Eqing only had time to instruct Zhou Yutong, Ye Xieshun and others to keep an eye on Shi Hao and deal with him when he returned. They were not to let Shi Hao leave in advance and not to alert the Demon Hunter Sect.

Dou Eqing's telepathic message was naturally heard by Shi Hao.

Although Shi Hao didn't understand what Dou Eqing was saying in his telepathic message, he knew it must be related to him, and a sense of unease suddenly arose in his heart! His intuition told him—this matter must be related to him!
In a flash, he tried to tear through space to escape, but Zhou Yutong's Purple Thunder Axe crashed down, and with a thunderous roar, it forcefully cut off his path!
"Want to leave?"

Zhou Yutong's eyes flashed with a cold light, and the axe blade, crackling with purple lightning, aimed straight at Shi Hao's face.

The others swarmed around them like wolves and tigers, and their spiritual energy surged, forming a net within a radius of ten feet!
Shi Hao was so startled by the scene that he took half a step back, his face clearly showing his innocence.
"What do you all mean by this?"

"We'd like to know your true intentions!"

With a flick of her wrist, Zhou Yutong's axe flashed with blinding lightning three inches from Shi Hao's nose, instantly filling the air with a scorching atmosphere.

"My nephew Dou's life hangs by a thread; how can I, Shi Hao, stand idly by!"

He suddenly straightened his back, and his true energy surged like a raging torrent, causing the spiritual bricks beneath his feet to crack inch by inch.

This loud shout caused Guo Jia, who was standing to the side, to feel his blood surging and his face turning pale!
After all, Guo Jia was only at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, a whole realm lower than Shi Hao.

"Hmph! Then why didn't you stop him before? You'd better come back with us and wait for him to return, or don't blame me for being blind!"

Zhou Yutong completely disregarded Shi Hao as the patriarch of the Demon Hunter Sect and directly threatened him.

After she finished speaking, she telepathically told the others what Dou Eqing had said when he left.

Fu Renying originally wanted to return to the Demon Hunter Sect camp to find Luo Kui, but after hearing Dou Eqing's explanation, she temporarily gave up the idea of ​​using the Demon Hunter Sect to rescue Dou Eqing.

At the time, the battle between the Minotaur and the Minotaur was the most intense. Only Dou Eqing, who was observing the whole situation from the side, had the energy to investigate Fu Renying. He found that her face was as pale as paper, there were traces of blood on her lips, and her body was swaying like a leaf in the wind. Her body seemed to have suffered a serious injury.

Therefore, while others were busy with the great battle, he could focus on dealing with Ren Ying without worry.

He later learned that Fu Renying had damaged her soul by self-destructing her clone, so he immediately took out a fifth-grade top-quality Spirit Nourishing Pill and dripped a drop of fifth-grade Heavenly Origin Liquid into it, making the pill's efficacy no weaker than that of a sixth-grade pill.

He had acquired this Spirit Nourishing Pill at a considerable cost, making it extremely precious. He specifically intended it for himself to deal with unexpected situations, as it contained immense power to repair the soul.

The fifth-order Heavenly Origin Liquid is even rarer and more precious, extremely scarce in the outside world. It can greatly enhance the effects of fifth-order pills, ensuring that Ren Ying's soul is restored to the greatest extent.

Because of the addition of fifth-order Heavenly Origin Liquid, Fu Renying not only refined the Rhyme God Pill faster, taking only one-third of the normal time, but her soul injury was also immediately repaired.

Moreover, the pure and mysterious energy contained in the fifth-order Heavenly Origin Liquid greatly nourished her soul, as if she had turned misfortune into blessing, significantly strengthening her soul.

This enhancement not only boosted her mental strength but also improved her perception and reaction abilities in battle, making her more adept at dealing with powerful enemies.

At that time, Dou Eqing poured the Spirit Nourishing Pill out of the bottle and told her to refine it to heal her injuries as soon as possible. As soon as Fu Renying got her hands on the Spirit Nourishing Pill, she felt the pill's energy and thought to herself that it must be a sixth-grade spiritual pill.

Seeing the medicine's miraculous effects, he became even more certain of his guess—this pill must be a sixth-grade treasure without a doubt.

It should be known that the elixirs for treating damage to the spirit and soul are a hundred times more precious than ordinary elixirs.

The sixth-tier Soul Healing Pill is an extremely rare treasure with no market value whatsoever.

Let alone ordinary cultivators, even Void Refinement Elders or Body Integration Ancestors would be tempted upon seeing it.

Unfortunately, the person who gifted the pill turned out to be a Nascent Soul cultivator, which made the Spirit Nourishing Pill seem even more valuable to Fu Renying.

As her injuries gradually healed, Fu Renying couldn't help but recall Dou Eqing's concerned expression.

The tender care and concern, coupled with the gift of such precious medicine, stirred a strange feeling within her.

Could it be that this kid has feelings for me?
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt a slight heat rising to her ears. She quickly suppressed her thoughts, but couldn't stop the inexplicable flutter in her heart.

Once she made this connection, things became complicated, especially since emotions often cannot be restrained by reason and arise involuntarily.

It should be noted that Shi Liyuqiu, who was by Dou Eqing's side, was exactly the second Fu Renying, making it too easy for her to identify with him.

Fu Renying knew perfectly well that Shi Liyuqiu was clearly a woman who was like Dou Eqing's Daoist partner.

Thinking about it this way, things become even more complicated. The word "emotion" is the most tormenting; how can reason restrain a wild horse? Unconsciously, it can make people lose their composure.

It's not that she harbored any romantic feelings for Dou Eqing; it's just that she received a favor from him for no reason and always thought of "returning the favor."

Therefore, she wanted to find Luo Kui and use the power of the Demon Hunter Sect to rescue Dou Eqing.

If there were no emotional factors involved, after returning to the Demon Hunter Sect camp, she would at most inform her daughter, Dou Eqing, that something had happened and ask her to report Dou Eqing's situation to the sect.

The differences may seem minor, but they have a significant impact.

Fu Shaoyun's status in the Demon Hunter Sect cannot be compared with that of Fu Renying. She cannot see Luo Kui immediately to inform him of Dou Eqing's arrest, and the things she reports will not be taken seriously.

If the Shi family cultivators were to cause trouble, it would take who knows how long for the news to reach Luo Kui.

On the other hand, if Fu Renying had gone directly to Luo Kui, not only would Luo Kui have learned about the matter immediately, but Fu Renying would have also made Luo Kui take rescuing Dou Eqing even more seriously.

At this time, Fu Renying heard that Dou Eqing wanted to keep Shi Hao, since Shi Hao had already framed her. So, she also joined the operation against Shi Hao.

"You'd better know your place, or we'll have to settle some scores!"

She threatened Shi Hao with a cold expression.

Shi Hao wanted to explain but found himself at a loss for words.

Fu Renying gripped the sword hilt tightly with her five fingers, and the sword tassel moved automatically without any wind.

She took two steps closer with a cold laugh, the sword humming softly in its sheath, her eyebrows arched like blades, and her eyes were filled with frost.

“Junior Brother Shi would better be sensible, otherwise—” The sword sheath slammed heavily against the bluestone slab, making the copper bells on the eaves ring wildly, “Your involvement in the pursuit of me with the Bull Demon King is something I’ll have to settle with Junior Brother Shi.”

Shi Hao staggered back half a step, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

He gazed at the other man's eyes, reddened with anger, his palms damp with a thin layer of sweat. The words swirled on his tongue, finally settling into a long sigh:
"Senior Sister Fu, everything between us is a misunderstanding, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse of a three-inch sword light condensing at Fu Renying's fingertips. He had no choice but to swallow his explanation, his black robe sweeping across the scattered crabapple petals on the ground.

Seeing that Shi Hao had given up his idea of ​​resistance after Fu Renying, Zhou Zhixiu, who was in the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, placed a spirit-suppressing seal on Shi Hao, preventing him from mobilizing the spiritual power in his body for the time being.

Finally, they escorted Shi Hao back to the Baishan Sect's headquarters in the Ten Thousand Demon Cave, while Zhou Zhixiu left alone with Luo Qian.

Fu Renying originally intended to stay and monitor Shi Hao for a while, waiting for news from Dou Eqing. However, after seeing Zhou Zhixiu and her daughter leave, she remembered that she needed to report the mission of hunting the Minotaur, so she also took her leave.

The reward for hunting minotaurs isn't just for killing them; there are also rewards for invading their territory and wreaking havoc.

The Minotaur was severely injured on this mission, and the rewards obtained were much more generous, at least comparable to the rewards for an early-stage Tier 6 mission, which was 5.6 points of Tier 6 merit.

If calculated in terms of spirit stones, one could obtain ten thousand top-grade spirit stones, which would be a considerable fortune for those Void Refinement cultivators who are not wealthy.

Top-grade spirit stones are the currency for trading sixth-tier treasures. One top-grade spirit stone is worth more than ten thousand times that of a high-grade spirit stone, making it an important currency for high-level cultivators to trade and exchange.

In the cultivation world, top-grade spirit stones are extremely precious resources, providing powerful energy support for various purposes such as cultivation, alchemy, array formation, and high-level puppetry.

For cultivators at the Void Refinement stage, these ten thousand top-grade spirit stones can not only accelerate their cultivation process but also enhance their combat power, giving them a greater advantage when facing powerful enemies.

In addition, these spirit stones can be used to exchange for rare materials or secret techniques to further enhance one's strength.

Therefore, obtaining such a large number of top-grade spirit stones is undoubtedly a rare opportunity and of great significance to Ren Ying's cultivation path.

Fu Renying arrived at the mission hall and had just received her mission reward when Zhou Zhixiu took Luo Qian back to her residence, the elegant garden.

At the end of the bluestone path, two ebony doors were half-closed in the twilight.

Zhou Zhixiu brushed aside the stray hairs that fell across her forehead, her fingertips still bearing the faint tremor from Luo Qian's wrist.

The moment she pushed open the door, the bronze wind chimes under the eaves tinkled, startling several emerald-feathered sparrows perched on the wisteria trellis.

The courtyard is filled with the fragrant aroma of blooming peaches, and a few petals fall on the railings of the winding corridor, creating an elegant atmosphere in this space.

Luo Qian's boots crunched over a fallen peach petal, the dark red sap spreading on the blue bricks, much like the bloodstains on her sleeves after the fierce battle with the Minotaur.

A seven-heart begonia came into view, and Luo Qian suddenly stopped.

The glass lamps hanging from the eaves cast dappled light and shadow on her pale face, illuminating the cluster of exquisitely beautiful flowers in full bloom—each petal swirling with golden patterns like runes, and tiny vortexes of spiritual energy swirling within the stamens.

Zhou Zhixiu's wide sleeves swept across the stone table, scattering the peach blossoms that had fallen on it.

She noticed that Luo Qian was staring at the Phoenix Crying Zither under the west window, with a hideous crack still visible at the head of the zither.

Suddenly, a mountain breeze swept through the hall, making the unclosed scroll of "The Demon Lord's Journey" beside the zither rustle loudly.

The mist rising from the spring in the back garden drifted over the bamboo curtain and condensed into tiny water droplets on Luo Qian's eyelashes.

Zhou Zhixiu made a hand seal to summon a jade lotus lamp, the warm light illuminating the two characters "Enlightenment" on the large stone by the spring. The strokes of the calligraphy revealed her state of mind when she first entered this courtyard more than a hundred years ago.

After a moment of silence, the mother and daughter suddenly said to each other in unison:
"What did that kid do to you?"

"Let's go see him."

Because Luo Qian had the demon slave mark of Dou Eqing on her body, she vaguely sensed that Dou Eqing was stationed in the Blazing Flame Cave, not far from here.

Therefore, he couldn't wait for his mother to take him to rescue Dou Eqing.

Although Dou Eqing's demonic slave mark on Luo Qianzhong has not yet fully taken effect, the instinctive feeling that her fate is closely linked to Dou Eqing compels her to save him.

Zhou Zhixiu asked this question because Luo Qian's behavior made her suspect that Dou Eqing had placed a restriction on Luo Qian or used some other means of control.

"He planted a strange soul imprint in my soul. I don't know what it is, and he hasn't told me yet. This soul imprint seems to have a mysterious power that makes me feel uneasy."

As Luo Qian explored her own soul, she described her findings.

Her description aroused Zhou Zhixiu's suspicions, and she hurriedly said to Luo Qian:

"It might be the legendary Demon Slave Seal. Open your mind and I'll take a look for you myself."

When Zhou Zhixiu's soul consciousness arrived at Luo Qian's soul sea, the first thing she saw was a character "slave" constructed of runes, like a plaque hanging above the lintel of Luo Qian's soul palace.

The character "奴" (slave) is composed of countless tiny runes, each emitting a faint light, as if reciting some ancient incantation.

The runes intertwined, forming a mysterious power field that made the entire Soul Palace appear exceptionally enigmatic.

Zhou Zhixiu felt an invisible pressure emanating from the word "slave," causing her to involuntarily hold her breath.

She knew that this was not just a simple symbol, but a mark containing a powerful divine soul, symbolizing Luo Qian's control over the soul.

Soul consciousness and divine consciousness are similar in function, but soul consciousness is formed by the condensation of soul thoughts and has unique characteristics.

Soul consciousness can not only explore the soul sea in depth, but is also more sensitive in perceiving and analyzing soul power fluctuations.

Since soul consciousness originates directly from soul thought, it can more accurately capture subtle changes in the sea of ​​soul, thus providing cultivators with more detailed information.

Furthermore, when facing certain special soul power barriers, soul consciousness often exhibits a stronger penetrating ability than divine consciousness, making the exploration process smoother.

Zhou Zhixiu could see the Soul Imprint appear as runes, while Luo Qian could only sense the existence of the Slave Imprint within her Soul Sea.

This is a characteristic of the Demon Slave Seal.

If the Demon Slave Seal takes full effect, the "Slave" soul talisman will fall into Luo Qian's soul body, that is, the little soul person, and merge with it.

This is why the Demon Slave Mark remains on the soul of someone who has been implanted with it after reincarnation.

The Demon Slave Mark will not completely disappear unless the person who planted it is completely destroyed.

According to Zhou Zhixiu's understanding from the ancient texts, Luo Qian's current state indicates that the Demon Slave Seal has not fully affected her daughter's soul.

Luo Qian is already a Void Refining Realm expert, capable of not only possessing a primordial spirit but also possessing a divine soul.

Given her current condition, she can break free of the Demon Slave Mark through soul possession.

However, she will have to abandon her Soul Palace, which will result in great damage to her soul.

However, one can use the evil method of refining the soul to refine one's own soul palace into nutrients to repair the soul and prevent irreversible damage to the soul.

The Soul Refining Secret Technique is an ancient and dangerous evil art that requires extremely high mental strength and precise operation; the slightest carelessness will backfire on the user.

However, this was one of Luo Qian's few options under these circumstances.

Through the secret method of refining the soul, her soul palace will be broken down into the purest divine soul energy, which is of the same origin as her divine soul.

This energy can quickly repair damaged souls and restore them to their optimal state.

Although the process is painful and risky, it will ensure that Rosie is completely freed from the control of the Demon Slave Mark and regains her freedom.

The thought of Luo Xi's head being crushed by the Minotaur made Zhou Zhixiu feel terrified of the demonic slave mark in Luo Qian's soul sea, fearing the loss of her daughter.

However, Luo Qian possesses such outstanding talent for cultivation that if she were to possess another body, everything would be uncertain, and it might even ruin her cultivation path in this lifetime.

This matter put Zhou Zhixiu in an even more difficult position than having the Demon Slave Mark implanted on her body.

Possession not only means giving up one's existing physical cultivation, but also may involve facing new physical adaptation issues and potential spiritual energy conflicts.

In addition, the identity crisis after being possessed is also an issue that cannot be ignored, as it will seriously affect her mindset and progress in spiritual practice.

In contrast, while the Demon Slave Mark made her Dou Eqing's demon slave, it was painful, but at least she retained her original cultivation foundation and memories. As long as she was strong enough and valuable to Dou Eqing, she would not be abandoned, nor would her life be in danger.

Zhou Zhixiu's soul consciousness wanted to carefully examine the "slave" talisman, but she found that the demon slave seal seemed to be spreading towards her.

This sent a chill down her spine, as if an invisible force was eroding her consciousness.

She knew all too well how terrifying the Demon Slave Mark was; once it was completely invaded, she would not only lose her freedom, but might even become a tool to be manipulated by others forever.

This strengthened her resolve to find a way to rescue her daughter.

This gave Zhou Zhixiu another idea to save her daughter: to take Luo Qian's place.

Although this decision was fraught with risk, amounting to making herself Dou Eqing's slave, she was willing to give everything for her daughter.

She knew that Luo Qian still had a bright future ahead of her and shouldn't have to suffer such a fate.

Zhou Zhixiu's idea was very simple: one "slave" talisman could only control one person. By transferring the "slave" talisman to Zhou Zhixiu's soul, Luo Qian would naturally be saved.

In her eagerness to save her daughter, Zhou Zhixiu did not have time to ponder the profound mystery of this method, nor did she explain it to her daughter in detail. She hurriedly urged her soul to leave her body, transforming into a phantom and rushing straight towards Luo Qian's soul sea.

If she thought about it for a moment, she would realize that this "slave" talisman might be able to transfer to another person's body. Even if it would be difficult to do with other cultivators, Luo Qian's biological father, Luo Dayou, might as well give it a try.

It should be known that Narodha's path in this life has been severed. If he can bear this calamity for his daughter, it can be considered as fulfilling the bond between father and daughter.

The "slave conversion" talisman that Zhou Zhixiu had come up with actually worked, but it was very slow and could not be stopped once it was started.

She discovered that this spell required a high degree of concentration and patience, and every step had to be taken with utmost care, otherwise all her efforts would be wasted.

To ensure success, she had to keep trying day and night, almost exhausting all her energy.

Because Zhou Zhixiu felt that her soul was stuck to the lintel of Luo Qian's soul palace, she was temporarily unable to leave.

She tried various methods to break free, but all to no avail.

Zhou Zhixiu could only wait for the demon slave Ying to transfer into her soul, then Luo Qian would be saved, and her soul could return to her body.

A kilometer away from Zhou Zhixiu's elegant courtyard is Luo Daling's villa. At this moment, Dou Eqing is using his silver tongue to persuade Luo Daling to join his own camp.

A kilometer away, the glazed tiles of Zhou Zhixiu's elegant courtyard were still shimmering in the twilight, but Luo Daling's villa was already filled with murderous intent!
Dou Eqing, that scoundrel, was a silver-tongued devil; his silver tongue stirred up Luo Daling's emotions, and every word he uttered carried a bewitching magic.

His gaze was sharp as lightning, and his sleeves fluttered with a commanding presence, determined to bring this great figure, Luo Daling, into his camp!

It's really audacious of him. Luo Daling was initially trying to deal with him, but instead, he invited "the pursuer" to become one of his own.

Although the two did not make a move, their verbal exchange was as sharp as the clash of swords. The fallen leaves around them moved without wind, as if even heaven and earth were waiting for the outcome of this battle without gunpowder—if they succeeded, heroes would rise; if they failed, they would be doomed!

Regardless of the circumstances, Dou Eqing indirectly caused Luo Xi's death, and no amount of sophistry can change that fact.

Dou Eqing successfully kept Luo Daling in check, preventing anyone from being beaten up first, thanks to his first words upon arriving at Luo Daling's villa—a vivid and lifelike performance.

"Dou Lang, please take good care of Mother for me!"

The voice was melodious and sorrowful, just like Luo Qian's tone when she was alive.

Upon hearing this, Luo Daling trembled, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

Her fingers unconsciously clenched, and her knuckles made a soft "crackling" sound.

The imitation was so lifelike, even capturing the slight sob in the last syllable perfectly, touching the softest spot in her heart.

This gave him the opportunity to continue his performance.

Dou Eqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, at least he didn't let Luo Daling make the first move.

The cryptic words he uttered as he stepped into the villa served as a stage for his upcoming "performance," much like the beating of drums on a stage.

At this moment, he had a slight smile on his lips, but his eyes were filled with seven parts vigilance, like a fox dancing on the edge of a knife.

"I wonder if Fairy Luo has ever heard of the Soul Refining Evil Armor?"

“Sisi gave her life for you. As her mother, I should be your mother-in-law. Is it appropriate for you to call her ‘Fairy Luo’?”

Upon hearing this, Luo Daling frowned, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Although the "Soul Refining Evil Armor" mentioned by Dou Eqing was a rare item, she didn't care at all. However, the title "Fairy Luo" pierced her heart.

Although Dou Eqing never held a dual cultivation ceremony with his daughter Luo Xi, it is clear that Xi'er gave him her pure and innocent body, and even died for him.

Moreover, Luo Daling felt that her daughter was noble, just like a princess from an imperial family in the mortal world.

Therefore, she believed that Dou Eqing was not good enough for her daughter, rather than that Dou Eqing was not worthy of giving Rosie a proper title.

Now, Dou Eqing casually refers to Luo Xi as "Fairy Luo," seemingly completely unaware of his relationship with her, which is truly inappropriate.

Luo Daling clenched her fists tightly inside her sleeve, her nails digging into her palms.

How could she, as a mother, allow her daughter, who had just breathed her last, to suffer such injustice so soon after her death?

We must get to the bottom of this today, and we will not let Qian'er die without a name or status.

Dou Eqing simply called Luo's mother "Fairy Luo," which seemed innocuous to outsiders, but as a mother, she had to fight for her recently deceased daughter's right to a proper title and not let her chosen Daoist partner become a heartless man.

This time, she could no longer suppress the urge to attack Dou Eqing.

However, her actions were not intended to injure Dou Eqing; she was simply angry and wanted to teach him a lesson so that he would learn his lesson.

The void suddenly solidified.

Luo Daling shattered three zhang of green bricks with one foot, and a surging wave of energy rose around him. Twelve golden crow phantoms spun behind him like a sundial. With his five fingers spread wide, nine crimson chains burst forth, turning the entire courtyard into a chained cage.

Dou Eqing roared, trying to break the three chains. He swung the White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade, and the blade's energy, wrapped in blood-red light, crashed into the sky.

Luo Daling sneered and raised his palm. The stars in the sky appeared in the daylight, and the immense pressure crushed his knees with a loud crack.

The bluestone floor was cracked like a spider web, and each crack was steaming with pure Yang fire.

"You still dare to use the Demonic Blood Qi Secret Technique?"

The jade hairpin in Luo Daling's hair sparkled with moonlight, like a waterfall of light cascading down from the heavens like a celestial river.

The phantom image of the spirit behind Dou Eqing was washed away as soon as it appeared, and the blood beads seeping from his pores condensed into crimson ice crystals in mid-air.

He originally intended to merge his spiritual body with his main body as an avatar to enhance his strength, but Luo Daling easily saw through his plan, leaving him with no hope.

He roared and summoned the Xuanmo Holy Armor, adding the strongest defense to himself, preparing to face Luo Daling's beating.

Luo Daling hovered in mid-air, and a dragon claw emerged from the clouds to seize his neck.

"Today I will teach you the principles of hierarchy and respect between heaven and earth!"

The lightning transformed into three thousand talismans, which were imprinted on every inch of Dou Eqing's skin. The light of each talisman was enough to make even ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators tremble with fear.

Dou Eqing was subjected to three thousand blows at once, and the pain he endured was unimaginable; it was worse than death.

The lightning transformed into three thousand runes, imprinting themselves on every inch of Dou Eqing's skin. The mere sight of each rune could send shivers down the spines of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.

Dou Eqing endured the pain of three thousand talismans all at once; the degree of his suffering was unimaginable, and it was worse than death.

The talisman's light was like the scorching sun, burning every inch of skin, as if being gnawed by millions of ants, causing unbearable pain.

"Ah! Luo... I know I was wrong!"

It wasn't that Dou Eqing was weak or cowardly; he was simply being tortured to the point of screaming and begging for mercy.

Every nerve in his body was screaming, his consciousness was gradually fading, and the world before his eyes became distorted and terrifying.

Under Luo Daling's control, Dou Eqing's physical body, which had already reached the fifth level, would not be tortured or destroyed, but would instead be tempered.

If he persists for three to five hours every day for half a year, his physical body can be upgraded by one level.

Although she hated Dou Eqing for indirectly causing her daughter's death, she loved him because of her love for her daughter, regarding him as the embodiment of her daughter's hopes and as her own junior.

As she recalled the moments she shared with her daughter, those heartwarming memories offered her a small comfort amidst her grief.

She believes that her daughter in heaven would also want her to treat Dou Eqing kindly, because he was an important part of her daughter's life.

Despite the deep-seated anger within her, she chose to continue this love, hoping to make up for the regret of losing her daughter and to make amends for her past harsh treatment of her daughter.

She flipped her palm down, and the entire courtyard collapsed to the size of a mustard seed. Dou Eqing's bones cracked like thunder, but then Luo Daling's fingertip suddenly condensed a drop of sweet dew—it was a drop of water spirit essence condensed from the water spirit energy within a radius of a thousand meters.

The moment the dew fell to the ground, time and space reversed and returned to their original state.

Dou Eqing staggered and knelt down, the Xuanmo Saint Armor that had appeared on his chest had faded.

With a flick of his wide sleeves, Luo Daling caused the broken bricks and stones to fall back into place on their own, leaving only three crimson marks on his right arm that throbbed with pain.

"If you dare to disrespect my daughter again and betray her devoted heart, I will tear out all your bones and make you a spineless man forever!"

She left these words behind, instructing Dou Eqing to recuperate there, while she returned to the attic to mourn her daughter's passing alone.

Luo Daling raised her head and stared into the depths of the attic, her eyes unfocused, as if searching for lost memories.

She lowered her head in contemplation, her gaze hopeful, as if she were silently praying for something.

Suddenly, she raised her head, looked up at the sky and sighed, her voice clear and powerful, as if telling the heavens about her inner torment and self-blame.

With a long sigh, Luo Daling was immersed in deep sorrow. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, but then immediately became mournful.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, her voice hoarse and sobbing, as if she wanted to pour out all the sorrow in her heart.

She sobbed incessantly, like any ordinary mother, as if trying to express all her sorrow and self-reproach.

Luo Daling's voice was sometimes clear and loud, and sometimes low and soft, as if she were telling her daughter about the pain and regret deep in her heart.

Her breathing was irregular, her gasps mixed with sobs, revealing helplessness and heaviness, which was inconsistent with the image of the Void Refining Ancestor of the Blazing Flame Cave.

In the attic, Luo Daling's movements became more frequent; she swayed her upper body as if trying to break free from the heavy burden.

She lay on the ground, curled up, as if trying to shrink her inner pain into a ball.

She suddenly stood up again, crouched down, and slowly moved forward, each step heavy and painful.

Luo Daling's voice seemed to be a release of her soul, and her movements were an outward expression of her deepest emotions.

In the attic, she was immersed in self-blame and sorrow. Every movement and every breath conveyed the twisted emotions and torment in her heart.

This bizarre state lasted for three days and three nights before a demon suddenly attacked, attempting to seize her mind and take control of her body.

Her consciousness gradually blurred, as if she were in endless darkness, with evil whispers filling her ears, tempting her to give up resistance.

However, a sliver of clarity deep within her told her that she could not succumb to this dark force.

Luo Daling's breathing became erratic, fine sweat beaded on her forehead, and her slender fingers gripped the window frame tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She bit her lip until it bled, determined not to let the inner demons consume her mind.

She tried to concentrate and awaken the dormant power within her to fight a life-or-death battle against her inner demons.

Every breath became difficult, every inch of her skin trembled, but she still fought on resolutely, unwilling to let her inner demons prevail.

Downstairs, Dou Eqing heard the wooden planks of the attic creaking. Looking up, he saw the gauze curtains fluttering like the wings of a mad butterfly.

Dou Eqing noticed her situation in the attic and roughly guessed that she had encountered an accident during her cultivation.

Unfortunately, Dou Eqing felt that his knowledge was limited and his strength was too weak, so he wanted to help but was powerless to do so.

He had already witnessed Luo Daling's power.

She was conscious at the time, and although she tormented him to the point of unbearable pain, her life was not in danger.

After careful examination, Dou Eqing realized that Luo Daling was on the verge of going berserk. If he rushed forward, he might be killed by her with a single palm strike.

However, seeing Luo Daling being consumed by her inner demons and completely going astray, she couldn't bear it.

Whether one is a righteous cultivator or a demonic cultivator, both can be corrupted by inner demons, but the danger is far greater for demonic cultivators than for righteous cultivators when they are corrupted by inner demons.

Once one goes astray and becomes possessed, their mind will be completely devoured, and there is almost no chance of saving them. There is only a chance of rescue before they are completely eroded.

Although Rosie died, her soul still had a chance to survive within the Soul Refining Evil Armor, while if Luo Daling were completely corrupted by her inner demons, it would be as if she were truly dead.

If he were to stand by and do nothing at this moment, he would be indirectly responsible for Rosie's death. If Rosie were to be resurrected in the future, he would have a hard time explaining this to her.

Moreover, he also had another consideration in mind: to recruit Luo Daling to his side and lay the foundation for controlling the Blazing Cave in the future.

He could use his connection to the deceased Rosie as a pretext to bring Rosie into his camp by reviving her.

Therefore, Dou Eqing will definitely save Luo Daling.

(End of this chapter)