NOVPUBMu Huanqing's emotions were incredibly complex. In truth, she didn't want to ponder over so many things; she simply wished to do her utmost to fight for the protection of Earth.
She dreamed of creating a home with Fang Ren, where she and their children could live in a time of peace.
Had this horrific account of the Indra Sky's inhumane actions come from a source other than Fang Ren, she would have never so readily believed it.
But Fang Ren was different. Even if he spoke such words, even if he accused the Grandpa Bai she had admired since childhood of being a villain of extreme cruelty, she would only wrestle with the idea briefly before choosing to believe him.
Because during the time she had lost the ability to cultivate and came to live as an ordinary person in Yangming City, it was Fang Ren who had taught her much about the principles and realities of life. She had come to see that some humans were unworthy of her protection, with hearts inclined towards evil, even going so far as to backstab and devour each other.
Her recognition of the evil in some human hearts had largely come from what Fang Ren had shown her.
"The practitioners who were experimented on... did they all die?" Mu Huanqing asked.
Seeing her suddenly somber demeanor, Fang Ren knew she had chosen to believe his words. She always had such faith in him, just as when he had told her that the Space Ring was merely a gift from a street-scavenging old man and she, like a fool, had believed him without question.
"Most of them died, and others turned into grotesque beings controlled by the members of Indra Sky. Their bodies are still alive, but they no longer have their own thoughts," Fang Ren explained.
"And from the sound of it, this experiment may not succeed," Mu Huanqing said.
"That's right, but they are still determined to proceed, continually capturing mid-level practitioners as well as diseased and disabled warriors who have retired from the battlefield," Fang Ren said. "According to the current laws, shouldn't those soldiers be treated with great respect after serving on the battlefield? Why has Indra Sky deprived them even of the right to enjoy their old age?"
These things were all told to him by Jian Qi'er, and the Nightfall Organization had already provided evidence that made him believe Jian Qi'er's words.
Mu Huanqing's mood grew increasingly heavy; it was unbelievable to her that Grandpa Bai from the Bai Family could have done such things...Truth be told, if these words hadn't come from Fang Ren, she truly could not have accepted them.
"Why did he choose Xiao Xi as the final test subject?" Mu Huanqing asked. "If they required the most powerful practitioner of our time, they should have chosen me as the final subject."
Fang Ren replied, "In their eyes, Bai Qi's talent is already confirmed to surpass yours. It's very likely that in the next five years she will be on par with you, and within a decade, surpass you. They believe using Bai Qi as the final experiment will allow their research to achieve its utmost potential."
"Then what exactly is going on between you and Xiao Xi? Is it because of the Spiritual Root?" Mu Huanqing asked.
"Yes, because my Spiritual Root resides within her. Whenever I come into excessive contact with her, the Spiritual Root within her fiercely absorbs energy, ultimately benefiting her realm greatly. I have no idea how Old Master Bai found out about this, but the arranged marriage is impossible to cancel no matter what. Simply put, he wants to use me as Bai Qi's cultivation Furnace.
Furthermore, even if I now lack any cultivation level and can't help Bai Qi advance, Old Master Bai still won't allow the engagement to be broken off because he believes that a child born of Bai Qi and me could perfectly inherit the Dual Spiritual Roots. In any case, no matter what, it's all aimed at me," Fang Ren said.
Mu Huanqing's hands slowly clenched into fists; she had never imagined that not only had the Central Area restricted her marriage, but it had also clamped down on Fang Ren's matrimony.
"Before the Void shatters, do we really have to become enemies with our own people...?" Mu Huanqing said in agony.
Fang Ren, seeing her like this, couldn't help but feel distressed. He sat back on the bed and tenderly embraced the fragile Mu Huanqing into his arms, saying, "I didn't want to tell you so soon, I thought I could resolve many issues by growing stronger. But with the child about to be born, the matter came too suddenly.
I need you to be aware of these things, and we might even need to draw on your strength."
Mu Huanqing's cheek pressed tightly against his chest, her sad expression easing somewhat in the warmth of his embrace, giving her the courage to brave on.
"It's okay. If Grandpa Bai truly forces you and Xiao Xi together one day, I'll fight him without hesitation to be with you," Mu Huanqing said.
"But by that day, you'll be captured by the combined forces of all the Central Area's experts. If I'm still not strong enough then, even risking my life, I won't be able to withstand a single breath from the opposition," Fang Ren said.
"Then... I'll just have to defeat them all," Mu Huanqing declared.
"But with just Tianjiang alone already harboring hundreds of Xuan Yang Realm experts, let alone the Central Area, it's almost impossible with your current strength."
"I can't bear to see you and Xiao Xi forced together like that," she said.
Fang Ren, listening to her words, felt his heart sink. His cultivation level was improving far too slowly. Even now, with a cultivation speed far surpassing Mu Huanqing's, it was still too slow!
Then suddenly, Fang Ren thought of something, and urgently summoned Qianye from within him.
"Qianye!" Fang Ren shouted.
"Heh-ha?"
Qianye looked at him, completely baffled, upon coming out.
"The Fruit of the Dao!" Fang Ren said with excitement. "My Fruit of the Dao can also be consumed by others, right? And the higher my cultivation level, the stronger the fruit! Isn't it!"
Qianye, still puzzled by his excitement, nodded. Meanwhile, Mu Huanqing didn't understand what Fang Ren was planning.
"I haven't picked the fruit from my breakthrough in the Xianyun Realm!" Fang Ren immediately said. "Quick! Take me to pick the fruit!"
"Heh-ha?"
Qianye remained clueless but still prepared to activate the halo atop Fang Ren's head, ready to transport him.
"What's going on all of a sudden?" Mu Huanqing asked.
Fang Ren looked at her excitedly and said, "Since I'm not yet capable of defying the rules they set, I'll hand over all my potential to you, to make you strong enough to crush everyone!"
"Ah Ran, I still don't quite understand..."
Before Mu Huanqing could finish, Qianye above Fang Ren's head enveloped him in an oval-shaped gray barrier.
Consequently, Fang Ren's consciousness drifted from the halo into the Chaos Space.
