Back when Zhao Shuning was still Luo Feiyan...
She had not never entered Moyan's spiritual world.
But at that time...
What Moyan showed her must have been a deliberately crafted illusion.
She always thought...
Moyan was just a talented young man who would one day become a powerful alchemist.
Now, having returned to Moyan's spiritual world once again...
The shock Zhao Shuning felt was indescribable.
"Mo Bai, are you here?"
On the stone soul, a figure slowly materialized.
He always favored black robes...
But every time he met Zhao Shuning...
Because he once heard her say that she liked him in white, he would always change into a white robe before their meetings.
For a man who had lived in the shadows all his life...
White was the last color he would choose.
But now, standing on the stone soul, Mo Bai was still dressed in white.
A pure and innocent smile graced his face.
"Ningning."
"You've been through so much."
Mo Bai shook his head.
Zhao Shuning said, "I'll take you out."
"I can't leave. The power of my soul has been split into countless fragments, devoured by the myriad souls within this stone soul. I'm trapped here, doomed to spend the rest of my existence within these walls."
Zhao Shuning frowned.
"So, this is the only place I can see you?"
Mo Bai nodded.
A bitter smile played on his lips.
"Mo Bai, what about your father?"
"Him?"
Mo Bai's smile turned even more helpless.
"Ningning, I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"I was the one who helped him reach this point. I thought I was free from all constraints, that despite his coldness, he was still my father, and he wouldn't be so heartless towards me."
"You're a victim too."
"None of this matters now. Ningning, you're trying to uncover his secrets, aren't you?"
Zhao Shuning nodded.
"I want to know why he deliberately provoked Buran and my brother. He's been planning this for years. It can't be just for the sake of a few empty words."
Mo Bai replied, "Maybe you should see for yourself."
Mo Bai's figure faded away.
In the center of the black boulder, a whirlpool slowly formed.
At the heart of the whirlpool, fragments of different scenes flashed by.
Throughout history...
Moyan was not the first powerful being to possess the stone soul.
Before him, many ancient humans had come into contact with it.
But the result was always the same...
They were all devoured by the stone soul.
The attacks of these powerful beings had no effect on the stone soul. Instead, they became nourishment for it.
As time passed, the stone soul grew stronger and larger.
"Absorbing others' attacks and converting them into its own power?"
This strange stone was even more terrifying than Moyan's greed.
After absorbing so many desires and ambitions, the stone soul had become a semi - demonic, semi - divine existence.
At that moment, a deep voice echoed through the void.
Zhao Shuning quickly took a few steps back.
"You're quite a remarkable woman."
The voice was hoarse, filled with intense interest.
Zhao Shuning lowered her eyes.
Who else could be here?
"You stand before me, yet you fail to recognize my voice. I am the one you mere mortals should look up to."
Zhao Shuning took a few more steps back.
Her voice was hesitant as she asked, "Are you the Millennium Stone Soul?"
"You're not completely stupid." No wonder so many powerful beings were willing to go to great lengths for her.
At first glance, this woman was indeed more beautiful than anyone he had ever encountered.
"How did you, a stone soul, develop your own consciousness?" This was the first time Zhao Shuning had ever witnessed such a strange and astonishing phenomenon.
Moreover, she hadn't even spoken, yet he could answer her thoughts directly.
The power of the Millennium Stone Soul had grown to such an extent.
It coalesced into a dark shadow, its features indistinguishable.
It stood directly in front of Zhao Shuning.
Under its gaze, Zhao Shuning felt completely exposed.
It could easily see through all her disguises.
It let out a strange laugh.
Zhao Shuning's fear had been captured by it.
It enjoyed the feeling of others being afraid of it.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Are you afraid of me?"
"Yes."
Zhao Shuning didn't try to hide her feelings.
She knew that the Millennium Stone Soul was too strange. Even if she didn't say anything, it could see through her thoughts.
"Quite honest."
"Why did you choose Moyan?"
Choose? This woman was truly extraordinary.
It was quite impressive that she could see through this.
"Your question is quite interesting."
"Your consciousness must have formed a long time ago. Instead of saying that Moyan chose you for your powerful energy, it's more likely that you chose him back then, isn't it?"
Otherwise, with the power of the Millennium Stone Soul back then, it would have been easy for it to absorb Moyan's abilities.
"You're quite intelligent."
"But that young man named Loulan was the most ambitious alchemist I've ever met in a thousand years. His cultivation talent was top - notch. It was much easier to use him to do my bidding than to go out and find powerful beings to devour one by one."
As expected, everyone thought they were in control.
In the end, they would realize that there was always someone more powerful lurking in the shadows.
There was always someone better, something greater.
What they thought they had was merely created by something even more powerful.
"Little one, you must be wondering why I'm telling you all this, right?"
Zhao Shuning's doubts couldn't be hidden from the powerful Millennium Stone Soul.
"You're not going to let me go?"
As soon as Zhao Shuning said this, the Millennium Stone Soul burst into laughter.
"I'm just curious. How could a mere mortal like you make the Human Realm's Honored One, the Beast Realm's Honored One, and even the pawn I control all fall for you? So, I wanted to come out and meet you. It seems their taste is quite good."
The voice was sometimes deep, sometimes sharp.
This time, its laughter seemed to pierce through the sky.
Zhao Shuning's eardrums throbbed in pain.
"Do you want to take over Moyan's body?"
"What do you want?"
Zhao Shuning fired off two questions in quick succession.
The Millennium Stone Soul stopped laughing.
A dark shadow circled around Zhao Shuning.
This woman clearly had desires and ambitions, but for some reason, every time the Millennium Stone Soul got close to her, it felt a strange heat.
There seemed to be something special about her.
"Have you heard of the Eternal Great Emperor?"
Zhao Shuning frowned.
Wasn't he the Heavenly Emperor, the father of the God Huang Yan?
Wasn't he also Buran's grandfather?
"He ruled over the Four Seas and Eight Deserts. All three realms were under his feet. I was the strange stone that came into being with the incarnation of the Eternal Great Emperor."