"He was... abandoned by his own people... right? That's why Di Tian and the others could only watch..."
Su Ling's throat tightened, and his chest ached with a heavy pressure. He couldn't say a word.
"You... are... a god!" Di Tian said, each word deliberate. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, yet he stubbornly refused to move aside.
He had some knowledge of the Law of Destruction, but compared with the aura of destruction emanating from the man before him, his own was like a firefly beside the bright moon.
Only one who had reached such a level could be... a true god!
"Enough, Di Tian. Don't make a scene."
A graceful woman in a green dress stepped out of thin air. She hurriedly pulled Di Tian aside, then bowed apologetically to Su Ling. "My lord, Di Tian has a short temper. Please forgive him."
Su Ling didn't answer. He merely gave them both a cold look and started to leave.
"Wait! What did you give her?"
Unable to put his worries about Gu Yuena aside, Di Tian couldn't help asking again.
Without turning around, Su Ling casually tossed something to Di Tian. "A Soul Enlightenment Pill. It can restore the soul's source and improve cultivation aptitude. If you don't believe me, try it yourself."
Di Tian caught the pill, and an exceptionally pure energy washed over him.
After a brief examination, he was certain it had a powerful restorative effect on the soul's source.
But what he really wanted to know was why his Lord treated this man so differently.
Yet with the aura of destruction around Su Ling growing ever more dangerous, he ultimately didn't dare press the matter.
Meanwhile, inside the auction hall, Gu Yuena had been locked back in the iron cage.
When that destructive power appeared, her vacant, numb purple eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.
That power... she knew it all too well.
In her Previous Life, that boy had used it to pierce her Heart Meridian with a single sword strike, shattering her divine core and ending her life.
"Heh... So you obtained the inheritance of Destruction so early..."
"Was getting close to me... also for some so-called God Trial?"
Gu Yuena curled up in the corner of the cage, her silver hair veiling her pale face as tears slipped silently down her cheeks.
"Get that little bitch out of there! She's high-end merchandise now, so make sure she's dressed up properly. We can't afford a single mistake at the auction in a few days!"
Tang Yuehua pointed directly at Gu Yuena, already picturing the crowd bidding against one another.
She waved her hand, and several maids immediately opened the cage and roughly dragged Gu Yuena out.
"Of course, if you don't want to be sold, you can tell me about that man's background."
Tang Yuehua bent down and whispered in Gu Yuena's ear. Her fingertip flirtatiously brushed the girl's chin. "For instance, where he got that miraculous pill... or perhaps... his true identity..."
Even though her memories had been erased, Tang Yuehua still remembered how shocked she'd been when she first saw Su Ling's face.
She clearly knew him, and he was extraordinarily young.
Besides, though Su Ling had tried hard to conceal it, she could still tell he cared about this little girl, yet for some reason hadn't been able to acknowledge her.
If he really did acknowledge her, Tang Yuehua would probably die without a burial place... The thought made her shudder.
Steadying herself, she continued in a honeyed voice, trying to entice the girl. "Just cooperate, and I'll not only help you leave your life as a slave behind, but also make you a member of Moon Xuan Pavilion, where you'll enjoy the best treatment."
Gu Yuena slowly raised her head. Her eyes suddenly turned vicious.
She lunged and bit down on Tang Yuehua's ear, unleashing all the anger and humiliation she'd bottled up over the past few days. With every ounce of her strength, she tore at it!
"Ah—!" A piercing scream rang out. Tang Yuehua struggled desperately to push Gu Yuena away, but the girl's teeth were like blades, sunk deep into her flesh.
Blood streamed from her earlobe, staining Gu Yuena's pale lips red.
"Bitch! Let go!" Tang Yuehua's face twisted with pain as she raised her hand to slap Gu Yuena.
Just then, a maid nearby let out a terrified scream!
Black flames suddenly burst from inside her body, piercing her skin and pouring from her every orifice!
The extreme heat instantly vaporized her blood, turning it into foul-smelling black smoke.
"Ah! No! Pavilion Master, save me!"
The maid writhed on the ground in agony. Everything she touched turned to ash.
Anyone else who came into contact with the flames was instantly reduced to charred remains.
But the maid herself was left to suffer in the black flames, enduring unbearable pain as she slowly approached death—the flames seemed to be toying with their prey.
Tang Yuehua's hand froze in midair. She recognized the maid as the one who had slapped Gu Yuena in front of Su Ling earlier.
But the agony in her ear immediately brought her back to reality.
"Let go! You little beast! Or I'll make you wish you were dead!"
Her voice trembled as she threatened Gu Yuena, fighting through the pain.
She could feel her ear cartilage crushed. It seemed that one more tug would tear her ear right off.
After all, beauty mattered more to her than life itself.
Becoming a one-eared freak would be even more unbearable than being killed.
Gu Yuena let go.
She stared blankly at the black flames as they slowly faded, tears blurring her vision once more.
Even though the flames' color had been disguised, she knew all too well that faint trace of life within the destruction.
"Shengyan... is that you?" she murmured, her voice barely audible.
Clutching her bloodied ear, Tang Yuehua staggered backward, her eyes filled with hatred and fear.
She pointed at Gu Yuena, trembling. "Lock her in the Dungeon! Don't give her a drop of water or a grain of rice!"
As Gu Yuena was dragged away, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
Because she knew that no matter what happened, that man had ultimately stepped in.
Even though he'd pretended to be cold, even though they'd never met in this life—he still couldn't bring himself to ignore her.
After leaving, Su Ling had ultimately been unable to bear it. He turned back and tortured the maid who had abused Gu Yuena to death with black flames.
It was the most he could do for now.
He couldn't directly rescue Gu Yuena, or the secret of his rebirth might be exposed.
Even now, as he recalled Gu Yuena's final smile, a chill still crept through him.
Su Ling found a secluded corner. Only after confirming that Di Tian and Bi Ji hadn't followed him did he remove his disguise.
His strength seemed to drain away in an instant. He staggered and caught himself against the wall, barely managing to stay upright.
The price of forcibly activating the Destruction God Armor was now surging back like a tide.
Although his Mental Power had perfectly retained its strength from his Previous Life after his rebirth, his body was far too weak.
Forcibly channeling the power of the Destruction God Armor had torn several of his Meridians, and a fierce burning sensation spread through his internal organs.
Su Ling swallowed the Soul Enlightenment Pill. Its gentle medicinal power unfurled through his body, easing the burning pain just enough for him to catch his breath.
By the time he dragged his exhausted body home, dusk had already fallen.
The moment he opened the door, the warm light and lively chatter inside abruptly fell silent.
In the living room, Ye Wanqing, Yu Xiaogang, and Flender seemed to have been getting along quite well.
When she saw him return, the smile on Ye Wanqing's face froze, then gave way to sheer disbelief and terror.
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