Inside, there was an abundance of infatuation, fervor, and a kind of pathological attachment.
From her bare arms, countless blood streaks could be seen – marks from self-inflicted scratches.
Apart from this, her dainty nose and mouth stood out prominently on her charming face. Her hair tied up in a ponytail added a touch of delicacy.
The graceful appearance, the entranced gaze, the scars on her arms – all of these combined to create an incredibly unique presence.
Yanyan.
She leaped up and was about to collide with the magic warship's barrier. Xu Qing's magic warship possessed the power of a Golden Core; considering Yanyan's cultivation at the perfected Foundation Building realm, she would definitely suffer a severe backlash.
But she didn't care at all.
Xu Qing understood Yanyan's mentality. Hence, he dispersed the protective barrier and allowed Yanyan to enter.
The moment she stepped on the deck, Yanyan's expression revealed a hint of regret. She seemed to be prepared to be heavily injured and was also filled with anticipation, so she felt a little uncomfortable when she came out unscathed.
However, at the thought of what was to come next, she trembled with excitement once again. She swiftly entered the cabin, slamming the clay jar down beside her. With a wave of her hand, an entire set of restraints appeared with a clattering sound.
There were needles, knives, pincers, saws…
It was even more comprehensive than two years ago. In fact, many of them even were stained black with old blood.
This set of torture tools had clearly been used many times. It was tainted with vengeful spirits and baleful aura that filled the entire cabin.
"Brother Xu Qing, let's… let's begin."
Yanyan's nostrils flared, her breathing quickened. She raised her hand and slapped the clay jar.
As the jar shattered, wisps of smoke rose from it. They were the Smoke Race.
Although the humans had punished the Smoke Race after the calamity brought by the Deputy Governor, there were still some who sensed it in advance and escaped, or they were out and didn't return.
There were experts and ordinary people among them.
The ones who appeared from the jar were the latter. Although there were quite a lot of them, most of them emitted the fluctuations of Foundation Building cultivators. There were some Golden Cores, but they were in an extremely weakened state.
"Brother Xu Qing, my grandmother brought me to catch them. It's a pity that we didn't find the big ones. There are only these fish and prawns but they're enough for us to play with."
"After you were gone, it was boring for me to play alone."
Yanyan's eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation. She raised her hand and grabbed. Immediately, a figure of the Smoke Race was hooked over by her and floated in her palm while struggling. A large number of knives flew over from the side and circled the surroundings at high speed, forming a mini vortex of knives.
Other than the smoke being torn apart, no screams rang out.
This was because no matter how much the Smoke Race members were torn, they would instantly fuse together again. This way, the pain of tearing wouldn't last and it would be very difficult for them to cry out in pain.
Although that was the case, Yanyan was still mesmerized by the sight of the Smoke Race's body being torn apart. As her body trembled increasingly, she couldn't help but look at Xu Qing.
Just as she was about to speak, she discovered that Xu Qing's expression seemed to be indifferent. This caused her to involuntarily be stunned for a moment before she hesitantly spoke.
"Brother Xu Qing, don't you like this anymore?"
As she spoke, Yanyan's eyes revealed trepidation. Even the aura on her body began to dissipate and become chaotic. Her expression was nervous and contained despair.
She cared a lot about Xu Qing's answer and this answer could also affect her inner world.
Xu Qing fell into deep thought. He could tell that something was wrong with Yanyan.
Two years ago, although the other party was abnormal, she was far from being as crazy as she was now. The scratches on her arms were filled with new and old injuries. One could imagine that her entire body was filled with injuries.
The suffocation in the depths of her eyes was like the instinctive cry for help of a drowning person before they died.
Her illness had become even more serious.
Whether it was torturing others or torturing herself, only in the pinnacle of pain and distortion could she breathe freely, finding a sense of enjoyment.
A deep glint appeared in Xu Qing's eyes when an aged voice that outsiders couldn't hear rang out in his ears.
'Xu Qing, please help this old woman's only granddaughter… Due to her body having no anomalous substances, she has been plagued by inner demons since childhood, and her personality has grown increasingly cruel and violent. Though I often purify her, the malevolent thoughts entwined with her nature are impossible to eradicate.'
'Especially after her failed attempt to advance to the Golden Core stage, her mental state was on the brink of collapse. While I am able to protect her physical body, the turmoil within her heart has reached its limit. If it's not torturing others, it's torturing herself, and she has become even more reclusive. I can do nothing else; she only acknowledges you.'
It was the voice of Yanyan's grandmother, Esteemed Master Dongyou, filled with a bitter tone.
Xu Qing fell silent, gazing at Yanyan. He also noticed the despair in her eyes and the weakening of her aura. It seemed as though her mind was riddled with wounds, shrouded in a heavy buildup of suppressed emotions.
"Childish!" Xu Qing suddenly spoke.
Yanyan lifted her head and looked at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing was expressionless. He lifted his right hand and grabbed. Immediately, a wisp of smoke from the Smoke Race flew over. The moment it appeared in Xu Qing's palm, cold air spread out from Xu Qing's body and gathered over. In an instant, under cracking sounds, an ice block was formed, freezing the smoke inside.
Xu Qing waved his hand and the needles in the torture set instantly flew over. Under the enhancement of Xu Qing's cultivation, they pierced through the ice and into the body of the Smoke Race member who was frozen and couldn't move.
Screams immediately rang out from the ice cube. As the knives arrived, they pierced into the ice block one by one, cutting through the sealed Smoke Race member.
Due to being frozen, the severed portions of the Smoke Race member couldn't reunite. Soon, the ice block split into dozens of fragments. Xu Qing placed each fragment on the ground, arranging them into '大' shape, with a gap between each one.
The torment of being able to perceive and see, yet unable to touch, restore, or reform—this agony encompassed not only the physical body but also the anguish of the spirit.
