Luo Qiu's beautiful eyes were ablaze with fury.
She said bluntly, "Sister, don't waste your breath on him. Those mired in the swamp will never realize their mistakes."
"Mo Yan, you deceived me and made me work for you for hundreds of years. Now, I'm going to settle all the scores with you."
Before Zhao Shuning could stop her,
Luo Qiu shot towards Mo Yan like a drawn sword.
A sneer curled on Mo Yan's cold and aloof face.
While easily defending himself,
he snorted, "Luo Qiu, I gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it.
If you insist on staying here instead of leaving, I don't mind using your spiritual power to nourish the countless souls in this scimitar."
Mo Yan's words were arrogant.
Based on Luo Qiu's previous understanding of him, although he was powerful, he would never be able to crush her.
But...
The situation seemed to have changed.
She guessed right.
Mo Yan had been hiding his true strength all these years.
After dodging several fierce attacks from Luo Qiu,
Zhao Shuning quickly stepped in and stopped her.
"You go first."
"Sister?"
"It's too late to leave now."
Mo Yan's smile turned cruel.
He leaped back several meters.
He planted the scimitar into the ground.
A dazzling light spread from beneath the ground and quickly enclosed Zhao Shuning and Luo Qiu completely.
Was this a formation within a formation?
Was the previous formation in the palace just a precursor?
The Eastern Continent palace Mo Yan had chosen was truly a place of perfect timing and geography.
Such an excellent formation...
No matter how well-prepared Zhao Shuning was, she couldn't withstand this natural formation within a formation.
At this moment,
from all directions,
from above and below,
countless rays of light wove into a huge net, enveloping Zhao Shuning, Luo Qiu, and even the phoenix.
The ground was also under a spell.
They were now trapped in an airtight prison.
Moreover,
the net woven by countless souls was so powerful that no matter how strong Zhao Shuning and Luo Qiu's spiritual power was, they couldn't break free.
Mo Yan stood up and sheathed the scimitar behind his back.
He stood upright, exuding a desolate air.
Zhao Shuning was shocked.
How could he use these countless souls so skillfully? These souls should have resented Mo Yan. Why would they be willing to serve him?
Could it be...
"What else did you do to Mo Bai besides the spell?"
Mo Yan's face remained expressionless.
Mo Bai...
He had once regarded Mo Bai as his hope and had regretted the spell he had cast on Mo Bai since his birth.
But...
Just now,
Mo Bai had ignored his warnings and stubbornly stood by Zhao Shuning's side.
He was even willing to sacrifice his life for her.
At that moment, Mo Yan didn't regret it anymore.
Such a rebellious son was not worth keeping.
His act just now was to make the rebellious son believe that he still cared about him and to make his soul willingly suppress the resentment of the countless souls.
Now it seemed that he had succeeded.
Mo Bai had given up all his spiritual power and done one last thing for Mo Yan.
"Mo Yan, you're so cruel. He's your own child."
"Own child? He's just a lowly person born to a slut. If I hadn't been bewitched by the portrait in the study back then, that woman would never have been able to get into my bed."
Zhao Shuning's mind trembled violently.
Finally, it returned to calm.
She looked at Mo Yan in disbelief.
She knew Mo Yan was cruel, but she never thought he would be so ruthless to his own child.
When facing Mo Bai,
how could he feign the appearance of a kind father and deceive Mo Bai so easily?
Remembering the despair in Mo Bai's eyes before he vanished into thin air,
he should have known.
At the last moment,
he should have realized that in his father's eyes, he was just a tool.
That's why he had begged Zhao Shuning to take him away.
Mo Bai was so pitiful.
Until his death,
besides Zhao Shuning, who had truly treated him well, everyone else he had met, including his own father, had only used him.
Everything was fake.
His life was so tragic.
At this moment,
Zhao Shuning finally understood where the madness and bloodthirstiness in Mo Bai's bones had come from, apart from the influence of the ancient fierce beast.
In such a false world, if he had remained kind, he would have been devoured by these people in the ghost domain.
"Yan'er, I never thought I'd meet you here. I really didn't."
Zhao Shuning didn't reply. She just turned her back.
Mo Yan's words sounded so fake to her.
Poor Mo Bai.
"Ningning."
A familiar voice suddenly rang out.
Zhao Shuning was stunned. She looked around.
Seeing that no one else reacted, she realized that only she could hear the voice.
Was this Mo Bai's voice?
Zhao Shuning tried to communicate with Mo Bai using her spiritual power.
"Mo Bai?"
"It's me."
"How are you...?"
"Do you remember what I gave you before? Although I took it back, it had already formed a connection with your body. So after I vanished, I was able to leave my last wisp of spiritual power in your body."
It was the "stone" engraved with Mo Bai's name.
Zhao Shuning knew it was a spiritual object, but she never thought it had such a function.
"Can you... come back to life?"
A sigh echoed in her mind.
"No." It was impossible.
But for Mo Bai, this was the best ending.
He didn't want to be reincarnated.
He didn't want to be reborn as a human.
He didn't want to forget Zhao Shuning, the only person who had ever brought warmth into his life.
At the last moment,
when he learned what his father had done to him, Mo Bai was heartbroken. But at the same time, he felt a sense of relief.
At least,
in the end,
he had made the right choice.
"Mo Bai, I'll find a way to make you reincarnate as a human."
"Ningning, it's impossible. I've destroyed my own body. This wisp of my spiritual power has merged with yours and can't be separated."
"You..."
"With me around, maybe I can figure out my father's weakness. Maybe I can still help you."
Zhao Shuning looked solemn.
She felt sorry for Mo Bai's past and was touched by his sacrifice.
"Don't feel sorry for me."
"This is my... best ending..."
His voice gradually weakened.
Mo Bai had one more thing he wanted to say to Zhao Shuning, but he was afraid it would only trouble her.
Don't feel sorry for me. I should thank you for suddenly appearing in my dim and hopeless life, bringing me light, teaching me to smile, and showing me what true feelings and letting go are.
At least,
in the last moment of my life,
I saw worry and anxiety in your eyes.
That's enough.
"I'll protect you and those you love..."
Mo Bai's voice faded away. His remaining spiritual power must be tired and had fallen into a temporary slumber.
At this moment, no one knew that
there was an extra wisp of spiritual power in Zhao Shuning's body.
And this wisp of spiritual power would play a crucial role in her future.