"Ranran, stay in the courtyard! Mother will be back soon!"
As Huan Yan took a step, a small hand grabbed her from behind. She turned to see Bai Ran holding a sword, her eyes resolute.
"Ranran wants to go with Mother!"
The situation was urgent, and Huan Yan did not want Bai Ran to be in danger. She had no choice but to knock her out and carry her inside.
Huan Yan ascended into the sky, her heart pounding like a drum. The immense spiritual energy fluctuations from the sea of flowers, could it be she had encountered someone from the Divine Realm?
But when she arrived, she discovered that the situation was far more serious than she had imagined...
"Huai'an! Ze'er!"
Bai Ze was being held hostage by the Fourth Elder, and Mo Huai'an was bound by spirit-locking chains.
Just as Huan Yan was about to approach, she heard Mo Huai'an's heart-wrenching cry, "Don't come closer!"
Huan Yan froze. Mo Huai'an gritted his teeth, hating his own powerlessness. "Ze'er is still in their hands..."
If he had detected the Fourth Elder hiding in the shadows, Ze'er wouldn't have been captured. It was all his fault, he was too useless...
Huan Yan looked at the unconscious Bai Ze, his neck severely swollen and bruised. Her heart felt as if it were being torn apart by a thousand knives.
Huan Yan was a general of the Demon Realm, already powerful enough to fight a thousand men. But she was also a mother, an extremely responsible one.
With her child held hostage, facing death at any moment, her formidable strength was of no use.
The Fourth Elder also understood the child's importance to the couple and tightened his grip on Bai Ze.
"You vixen, you seduced the Crown Prince, bringing chaos to the Divine Realm and causing the Divine Emperor and the Crown Prince to be like strangers."
"And you have the audacity to appear now! Do you know your sin!"
Facing the Fourth Elder's insults, Huan Yan clenched her fists, suppressing her anger and worry.
She understood that she could not provoke the Fourth Elder, as Ze'er was still in their hands.
The Third Elder sighed, looking at Huan Yan and shaking his head. "If you know your mistake, you can atone for it now."
"Clang—"
A long sword was thrown before Huan Yan. Atonement meant for Huan Yan to commit suicide.
"No!"
Mo Huai'an's heart skipped a beat. He struggled fiercely, and the Fourth Elder, seeing this, reached out and grabbed Bai Ze by the nape of his neck.
"Crown Prince, are you sure you want to defy the Divine Emperor's orders?"
Bai Ze's neck was tightly gripped, a feeling of suffocation overwhelming him. Bai Ze's expression was one of extreme pain, and then he slowly regained consciousness and opened his eyes.
"Father..."
His voice was intermittent, and he couldn't catch his breath. Hearing this, Mo Huai'an's heart ached, his eyes turning red. "Don't hurt Ze'er!"
At the same time, Huan Yan also broke down. She looked at Bai Ze struggling to breathe, her palms bleeding from the force of her grip.
She looked at the sword on the ground and finally, with trembling hands, squatted down and picked it up.
"Huan Yan..." Mo Huai'an's voice choked. "Stop..."
This situation forced Mo Huai'an to choose between his wife and his child, but any choice would be the wrong answer...
"Don't hurt Mother..."
The little child gritted his teeth.
The Fourth Elder nodded with satisfaction as he watched Huan Yan pick up the sword. But who knew that the child in his hands would suddenly have his spiritual energy surge.
"Ze'er! No!!!"
"Ze'er!!!"
Huan Yan and Mo Huai'an watched Bai Ze in panic, a great fear enveloping them.
The Fourth Elder looked at Bai Ze with a complex expression. Did this child intend to self-detonate his Dantian to protect his mother?
If he died, that vixen would have no reservations. He and the Third Elder would both die tragically.
The Divine Emperor's orders would not be fulfilled, and the Crown Prince could not be brought back.
Damn it...
"Let's go!" The Fourth Elder gritted his teeth, deciding to retreat.
The Fourth Elder held Bai Ze hostage, and the Third Elder held Mo Huai'an captive. They left the sea of flowers at extreme speed.
Mother is safe...
Bai Ze's spiritual energy instantly dissipated. He smiled at Huan Yan, his lips moving.
—Mother, don't cry.
Watching Bai Ze's lips move, Huan Yan collapsed to her knees.
Large tears flowed, watering the flowers.
"Ahhh—"
She watched helplessly as her husband and child were taken away, utterly powerless...
...
The fourth tombstone shattered, and the scene before Bai Ran's eyes changed. She suddenly opened her eyes.
"You're awake!" Xiao Zi wagged its tail, asking with concern, "How is it, kid? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"
Bai Ran placed her hand over her heart, recalling the memories in her mind.
The scene of Mo Huai'an and Bai Ze being taken away...
But, didn't Mo Huai'an not love Mother...
Was love also something that could be faked?
But if he truly didn't love her, why would he worry about Bai Ze and Mother's safety?
What happened after they returned to the Divine Realm?
Why did Bai Ze and Mo Huai'an's dispositions change so drastically, even betraying Mother?
Seeing Bai Ran lost in thought, Xiao Zi reached out and waved its paw in front of her. "Kid? Did you hear what I said?"
Bai Ran frowned and sighed, "I heard."
Long Jin Han reached out and helped Bai Ran to her feet. "Girl, are you alright?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine, I just have more questions."
"Someone— Is anyone going to help me—"
Bai Ran blinked and looked towards the source of the voice, her lips twitching. "Why are you here? And hanging from a tree..."
Dongfang Wuji was tied upside down to a tree, the way the ropes were tied was simply unbearable to look at.
"Let me down—"
Jing Feng leaned against the tree with his arms crossed, as if he would turn on anyone who tried to rescue Dongfang Wuji.
"What did you do to Jing Feng this time?" Bai Ran asked with a smile.
Dongfang Wuji pouted and guiltily averted his gaze. "He's too petty..."
Jing Feng, standing below the tree, narrowed his eyes and suddenly kicked the tree.
The branches shook, and Dongfang Wuji, who was hanging, became even more panicked. "Hey! Wrong, wrong! Jing Feng, please be magnanimous!"
Dongfang Wuji couldn't use his spiritual energy now. Falling from this height would be fatal or crippling.
Long Jin Han looked at Bai Ran, his tone grave. "Just now, when you broke the fourth seal, your brother came..."
Brother? Bai Ze?
Bai Ran frowned. "Bai Ze? Why would he come here?"
"It's not Bai Ze. The Divine Emperor changed his surname. He is now named Mo Ze," Xiao Zi said, stroking its tail and interjecting.
Long Jin Han shook his head. "It wasn't the real person, but a wisp of a clone. I don't know why he came, and he seemed hostile towards you."
Recalling Bai Ze, who used to call her "Sister" so sweetly in her memories, Bai Ran lowered her gaze.
Mo Ze, Bai Ze, they were like two completely different people...
Now, all Bai Ran wanted was to quickly improve her strength to uncover the truth of all these matters.
Upon returning to the city, Bai Ran went to Baili Xiao's courtyard and removed the barrier.
"Miss Bai! How is the situation? Is anyone injured?"