39: Having fallen into demonic ways, Luo Jinghong takes on another disciple!

"Lord of Heart Demons?"

Hearing this name, Ye Wushuang thought of the secret technique Gu Qingchen had used on him, and a surge of monstrous rage instantly rose in his heart.

But at the same time, he couldn't muster the slightest thought of revenge.

The shadow of the Heart Demon followed him like a ghost.

The fear Gu Qingchen had brought him was already deeply etched into his Soul.

"I smell the scent of fear on you, and the scent of pain."

The Lord of Blood's tone became urgent, as if he had caught the scent of prey, and echoes drifted throughout the Demon Suppression Cave.

Countless streams of pitch-black blood emerged from the ground, forming a mass of a monster that was neither human nor beast.

He emitted a foul stench, his massive figure completely enveloping Ye Wushuang as he let out a series of frantic laughs: "Haha! Fear, the fear that shrouds the mind; pain, the pain of being abandoned—what a supreme delicacy!

They are the sweetest seasonings for blood!"

After the madness, the Lord of Blood's tone suddenly returned to normal.

With a hint of seduction in his voice, he said, "Boy, become my Blood Slave, and I will give you great power!"

"Blood Slave?"

Ye Wushuang couldn't help but feel some resistance in his heart.

He was a Ye Family Prodigy and a Reserve Holy Son of the Xuantian Holy Land; how could he become the Blood Slave of this creature that was neither human nor ghost?

"Are you still wallowing in those small past achievements and refusing to face reality?"

The Lord of Blood mocked him as if he could see through Ye Wushuang's heart: "You are already a cripple, and everyone has abandoned you. Otherwise, why would you be here in the Demon Suppression Cave?"

Hearing these words, waves of pain, resentment, torment, and other negative emotions from the depths of his heart welled up in Ye Wushuang.

He thought back to the memories of the miserable life he led after losing his power within the Heart Demon Illusion.

"Power! Only true power is the foundation of everything; everything else is an illusion!"

The Lord of Blood roared: "And true power will never belong to those creatures who are Innate-ly blessed; it only belongs to those who will achieve their goals at any cost!

Boy! Embrace me, embrace true power!

Become a demon's Incarnation, and become the Incarnation of their fear!"

Under the Lord of Blood's seduction, a paranoid madness welled up in Ye Wushuang's eyes.

He stood up and spread his arms.

In the next moment, the endless black pus-like blood roared and surged into Ye Wushuang's body, and a series of strange and terrifying shrieks echoed through the Demon Suppression Cave.

"Gu... Gu Qingchen, Luo Jinghong... Die, die, die, die! All of you, die!"

Gu Qingchen, who was still at the Gu Family home, was unaware of these developments.

Currently, he and Luo Jinghong had arrived beneath the Gu Family's Star River Waterfall.

The endless, dazzling power of the Star River crashed down from millions of miles above, a magnificent sight that was truly breathtaking.

Luo Jinghong walked slowly ahead.

She had taken off her shoes and socks, and a pair of small feet as translucent as fine jade peeked out from her long dress, stepping onto the sea of stars formed by the power of the Star River; with each light tap, ripples of brilliance spread out.

"Qingchen."

Luo Jinghong suddenly spoke: "Do you hold a grudge against me?"

"Hmm?"

Gu Qingchen raised an eyebrow in surprise upon hearing this: "Elder Luo, you brought me into the Xuantian Holy Land and saved my life. Why would I hold a grudge against you, Elder?"

"Because I rejected your requests to become my Disciple several times."

Luo Jinghong didn't mince words but stated it plainly.

Hearing this, Gu Qingchen gave a soft smile.

"Perhaps at the beginning."

A hint of reminiscence flashed in his eyes: "I thought that after you brought me back to the Holy Land, I would be taken in as a Disciple, but you just left me in the Holy Land's Outer Sect and ignored me.

For months on end, there was no news at all."

"..."

Luo Jinghong fell silent.

At that time, she was focused entirely on her Cultivation and hadn't thought much of it.

The reason she brought Gu Qingchen back to the Holy Land was simply that she felt they shared a small connection, and Gu Qingchen's talent was excellent.

Even better than her own!

Additionally, the Gu Family wanted her to take a child to join the Xuantian Holy Land, so she thought, let it be him.

"Elder, do you know?"

Gu Qingchen stopped and looked into Luo Jinghong's cold, almost emotionless eyes.

"Because I was personally brought back to the Holy Land by you, the entire Outer Sect put me on a pedestal at first. Both Elders and Disciples were extremely respectful to me; everywhere I went, I met only 'good people'."

Hearing this, Luo Jinghong's eyes flickered.

She had a faint, strange feeling in her heart, but she couldn't quite grasp it.

Gu Qingchen continued: "But as time passed and there was no news from you, their attitude toward me changed.

Especially when I finally couldn't help but visit you several times to ask to be your Disciple, only to be rejected; everyone began to mock me."

"I'm sorry."

Luo Jinghong's expression finally changed slightly: "I didn't know about those things."

"Haha."

Gu Qingchen laughed nonchalantly: "There's no need to apologize, Elder. In fact, that experience was a very valuable asset to me.

From then on, I realized a truth: status and power are temporary and illusory; only one's own strength is the eternal truth."

Since coming to this world, Gu Qingchen had a distinguished family background and outstanding talent.

When he was with the Gu Family, everyone flattered and praised him.

Only that experience when he first entered the Holy Land allowed him to see the reality of the world.

A look of determination flashed in Gu Qingchen's eyes: "When you are strong, everyone you meet is a good person. If someone is unkind to you, it's because you aren't strong enough—at least, not much stronger than they are.

Therefore, so that the flowers of beauty and harmony may always bloom around me, I will be the strongest person!"

This was the first time Gu Qingchen had spoken his true feelings.

Since twelve years ago, when he was only eight, his goal had been to become the strongest!

At this moment, Luo Jinghong was slightly dazed.

She looked at the grown young man before her, and for a moment, he seemed to overlap with the phantom of the child who had been chasing after her twelve years ago.

After a long while, she sighed: "Qingchen, you are even more outstanding than I imagined."

As she got to know Gu Qingchen during this time, she found that whether it was talent, Comprehension Ability, or Opportunity, he was already powerful to the extreme.

The entire Xuantian Holy Land had countless Prodigies, each one having emerged through layers of selection and endless trials from Ancient Life Stars and Boundless Worlds.

But not a single one could compare to him.

And now, she realized that Gu Qingchen's Heart-Nature might be the most precious thing about him!

If she were to take a Disciple, she wouldn't consider any choice other than Gu Qingchen.

"Qingchen, do you want to take me as your master?"

Luo Jinghong spoke again.

"Don't be in a hurry to refuse." Her expression was very serious.

"Talent, Comprehension Ability, Heart-Nature—you lack none of them; you only lack resources. Although you will receive a certain influx of resources after becoming a Saint, it will be far from enough.

In the path of Cultivation, external factors like wealth, companions, techniques, and environment are also very important.

After becoming my Disciple, whether it's Spirit Stones, Divine Weapons, Great Emperor Cultivation Techniques, or Sacred Cultivation Grounds, I can provide them all to you."

Looking at Luo Jinghong's serious, earnest, and largely expressionless face, Gu Qingchen's heart suddenly stirred: "You've provided wealth, techniques, and the environment, but what about the companion?"

...