The meeting lasted 30 minutes. Xiao Lei asked the leaders some questions to ensure they weren't hiding Xiao Meiying from him. The leaders also asked questions to make sure Xiao Lei and his group weren't hiding Xiao Meiying from them.
After the meeting ended, the leaders left, saying, "The holy daughter will join our sect sooner or later. We suggest you join us too, so you can go to the holy paradise with your daughter."
Both Xiao Lei and Lin Xiao sat silently, thinking about everything the leaders had said. Suddenly, Lin Xiao spoke up and asked Xiao Lei, "Do you think this prophecy is true?"
"I don't know," Xiao Lei replied, "but whatever it is, I do know it helped three people reach the legendary celestial realm."
"What should we do now?" Lin Xiao asked. Xiao Lei sighed and replied, "Let's keep the investigation going and try to find both our daughters as soon as possible."
Lin Xiao agreed, and then they both left the hotel.
...
4 Months Later
Zytheria Country
Zytheria Country, located to the south of Veridiania, the terrain is dominated by numerous volcanoes, earning it the title "the country of volcanoes." The most famous of these is the Ashen Volcano, a towering peak renowned for its perpetual plume of smoke and sporadic eruptions of molten lava.
At the heart of Ashen Volcano, deep within a cavern illuminated by the fiery glow of magma, sits Feng Lou. He is immersed in deep meditation, working to reach the second level of the Witch Body Cultivation. The searing heat and the raw, fire-element spiritual energy of the volcano provide the perfect environment for his intense training.
After nearly two weeks of searching, Feng Lou finally discovered the ideal location for his cultivation within the depths of Ashen Volcano. Now, almost four months have passed since he began cultivating in this volcano.
Even though he's busy training, Feng Lou sometimes leaves the volcano to get food for Xiao Meiying. She stays in a little house made by him on the edge of the volcano. Feng Lou goes to the nearest city to get supplies. He does this carefully to make sure she has enough to eat while she stays hidden.
One random day, Feng Lou was cultivating in the volcano, and suddenly his body started to glow and a profound transformation began to take place. After months of rigorous cultivation, he finally achieved a breakthrough, ascending to the second level of Witch Body Cultivation, and becoming a Witch Adept.
As he reached this milestone, a surge of power coursed through Feng Lou's body, illuminating the cavern with an ethereal glow. In that moment of enlightenment, the death qi that once lingered in his eyes dissipated, replaced by a newfound clarity.
As Feng Lou achieved his breakthrough, a flood of memories surged through his mind like a relentless tide. He was taken aback by the vivid recollections of his past actions—moments of recklessness and cruelty that he could no longer deny.
The memory of hurting Lin Xiaohong, once buried deep within his subconscious and influenced by death qi, now surfaced with painful clarity. The image of her wounded expression and screams were now haunting him, and that stirred a sense of remorse within his heart.
And then there was the memory of kidnapping Xiao Meiying, an act again caused by the death qi making him reckless. As he replayed the events in his mind, Feng Lou was overcome by guilt and shame. Even with the influence of the death qi, How could he have stooped to such depths?
Feng Lou felt lost and turned to the Chaos Bell in his mind, asking, "Chaos Bell, why do I have this death qi in me? I never even absorbed the death qi in this world, what's happening?"
After a brief moment, the Chaos Bell responded with a message, explaining, "It was the fragments of the death law that caused you to unintentionally absorb death qi from the air. These law fragments are connected to your soul."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Feng Lou lamented. To which the Chaos Bell replied, "You never asked."
Feng Lou was speechless, and then said, "You could've just helped me remove the death qi,"
"Why should I do that? As long as it's not lethal to you, I won't interfere in your life, even though you're my owner," Chaos Bell said.
Once more, Feng Lou found himself at a loss for words. He murmured to himself, "Now, how can I protect Xiao Meiying? She probably hates me."
"All I can do now is probably protect her in secret," Feng Lou thought to himself once more
Setting aside his concerns for the moment, Feng Lou began to explore his new powers. He experimented with his abilities, discovering that he could manipulate the elements. Among them, the power over fire proved to be the most poweful. Additionally, to his amazement, he realized that he could fly again.
Feng Lou started flying around a little excited, Feng Lou soared through the air for a while, loving the freedom of movement. However, as his excitement died down, he redirected his flight towards the makeshift house he had built for Xiao Meiying.
in just a second, Feng Lou arrived at the front of the house. Without hesitation, he hurried inside. Upon entering, he found Xiao Meiying lying on the bed. However, she appeared markedly different from the ethereal girl he had encountered four months ago. Instead, she resembled a homeless woman who had gone without care for months, covered in dirt and grime.
Feng Lou was shocked by how cruel he got under the influence of the death qi. He realized with dismay that he hadn't even provided basic amenities like a toilet or washroom for Xiao Meiying to clean herself.
Feng Lou approached Xiao Meiying's bedside with a heavy heart. Gently, he shook her shoulder to rouse her from her slumber.
"Xiao Meiying," he called softly, his voice tinged with remorse.
Startled, Xiao Meiying slowly opened her eyes, blinking in the dim light of the makeshift house. Confusion clouded her expression as she looked up at Feng Lou.
"Feng Lou?... Are you here to bring more food?" Xiao Meiying began, her voice trembling. "Please, could you also get more water? Just five small bottles isn't enough. I really need to bathe. I can't keep living like this," she pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Xiao Meiying, I am sorry," Feng Lou said, his voice thick with remorse.
Xiao Meiying was taken aback by Feng Lou's sudden apology. "Why are you saying sorry? Are you not letting me go?" she asked, her mind racing with worry. Her thoughts spiraled, her mental state almost on the brink of collapse. The only thing keeping her sane was the hope of escaping after enduring five long months of captivity.
Feng Lou felt a twinge of sadness as he saw the surprise and confusion in Xiao Meiying's eyes. He quickly shook his head, trying to reassure her.
"No, no, Xiao Meiying, that's not it at all," he hurriedly explained. "I am letting you go. I'm truly sorry for everything I've put you through. I was... influenced by something, I don't know what but It clouded my judgment, made me do things I never wanted to do"
Xiao Meiying was taken aback by Feng Lou's words, but one thing stood out to her: he was letting her go. Overwhelmed with disbelief and hope, she asked, "You're really letting me go?" Tears of joy welled up in her eyes, her heart racing with the possibility of freedom.
Feng Lou nodded, his own eyes filled with a mixture of regret and relief. "Yes, Xiao Meiying, I'm serious," he affirmed, his voice gentle yet earnest. "You're free to go. I'll drop you anywhere you want me to"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Meiying's eyes filled with tears of joy, and she cried out, "Please, please send me back home. I want to see my mom, please."
"I'll take you home, Xiao Meiying," Feng Lou promised softly. Then, he gently said, "Climb on my back, I'll take you home."
Feeling Xiao Meiying climb onto his back, Feng Lou braced himself before they took off into the air. As they soared above the ground, Xiao Meiying was taken by surprise, her tears of joy turning into tears of confusion and despair.
"I thought it was real that you were letting me go, turns out it's just a dream," she sobbed, her voice heavy with disappointment and disbelief.
Feng Lou was speechless for a moment, then he gently said, "It's not a dream, Xiao Meiying. I really am letting you go."
Still crying, Xiao Meiying said, "Then why are we flying? Flying is impossible. I must be dreaming,"
Feng Lou gently pinched her thigh. Xiao Meiying's body jerked in response. "Do you still think you're dreaming?" he asked softly.
Xiao Meiying was surprised and then asked, "How?"
Feng Lou replied simply, "I became stronger."
Right as they were talking, the witch heart in Feng Lou's body suddenly started beating rapidly. Clutching his chest in pain, Feng Lou quickly descended to the ground, landing as gently as he could despite the urgency.
Xiao Meiying worriedly said, "What's wrong? Why did you stop flying?"
Feng Lou didn't answer her, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at the moon. Seeing his reaction, Xiao Meiying followed his gaze to the sky. Soon, she too was shocked out of her mind by what she saw.
As they looked up, their eyes went wide with shock. A giant, worm-like creature, bigger than the Earth, appeared in the sky. It had four huge arms, each one covered in rough, scaly skin. The creature's eyes glowed a menacing red as it moved with terrifying speed. In one swift move, it bit into the moon, swallowing it whole.
Xiao Meiying and Feng Lou stood frozen, unable to believe what they were seeing. The moon, a constant presence in the night sky, was gone in an instant. The creature's jaw snapped shut, echoing like thunder across the landscape.
Before they could react, the giant creature let out a deafening roar and disappeared into a swirling blue portal, leaving the sky empty and dark where the moon had been moments before. The night felt colder and more ominous without the moon's light as if the world had suddenly changed forever.