In each house, Fang Xue found innocent villagers who had been held captive by the bandits. She freed them from their restraints and ensured they were now safe.

Some cried tears of relief and gratitude as they were liberated from this hellish captivity, while others remained impassive, showing little to no emotion. These women, their spirits shattered and hearts in ruins.

Some even pleaded with Fang Xue to end their lives, as being alive would only bring painful memories when they looked at the marks and scars on their bodies.

Fang Xue didn't immediately respond to these requests but instructed all the freed captives to gather at the center of the camp, where she would give a speech.

Upon arriving in front of the most luxurious and imposing mansion, Fang Xue didn't need to think much to know that it belonged to the Ming brothers.

Upon entering the mansion, Li Qiang, who had remained in Fang Xue's arms all the time, taking comfort in the warmth of the person she loved, sensed a peculiar smell in the air and twitched her nose.

"This journey has truly been rewarding," Li Qiang said, her voice filled with anticipation and joy, thinking that if her intuition was correct, Fang Xue would profit greatly.

"What do you mean?" Fang Xue asked, a little confused, not understanding the reason behind Li Qiang's excitement.

"Do you see that staircase leading to the second floor? Look on the ground behind it. If I'm right, we might gain even more from this journey." Li Qiang was so immersed in her anticipation and joy that she jumped out of Fang Xue's arms and ran alone to the indicated spot.

Fang Xue followed her immediately, feeling a slight anxiety after hearing Li Qiang's words. After all, something capable of making an ancient and powerful Goddess anxious certainly wasn't a common item.

Arriving behind the staircase on the second floor, Fang Xue searched for a while and saw a trapdoor on the ground, leading somewhere underground in the mansion. Seeing this, the anxiety and anticipation of both increased.

With a slight creak, the trapdoor opened, revealing a staircase leading downward. The path was completely dark and somewhat narrow, forcing Fang Xue to stoop and squeeze through.

After descending about 20 meters, a reddish light appeared in the middle of the dark path.

As Fang Xue approached the light, she saw that the reddish glow came from the gaps in a wooden door that was pitch-black and old, as if a touch would turn it to dust.

Without much thought, Fang Xue tried to open the door, but to her surprise, it didn't budge at all.

"This door is special. It's not rare, but definitely not common either. When you find the type of wood this door is made of, you need to drip your blood on it and form a bond with the wood. After that, anything you do can only be manipulated by you.

"Of course, if someone much stronger than the owner comes along, this doesn't make sense. But for now, the door will only open for Ming Yun or Ming Bai. However, since they are dead, with a little effort, you can easily break this door." Li Qiang explained the peculiarity of the door to Fang Xue, who sighed lightly at her lack of worldly knowledge.

Exerting her strength, Fang Xue pushed harder, effortlessly opening the door. When the door yielded to her efforts, a chamber emerged, bathed in a captivating crimson glow. Inside the room, adorned with minimalist elegance, a single red lily stood as the centerpiece, exuding an air of mystique and fascination.

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In a pitch-black place with occasional flickering lights, a young man with long hair of every color existing in the universe and eyes of the same color sat in a lotus position.

The young man was incredibly handsome, exuding a unique and immensely powerful aura that showcased his arrogance and unrivaled might.

However, amidst his beautiful appearance, something strange could be noticed: a heart-shaped hole in his chest, where his heart should have been, leaving a complete void.

Suddenly, an immensely powerful aura was felt by the young man, who quickly opened his eyes, fear clearly visible in his gaze.

If anyone else were there witnessing the current expression on the young man's face, they would find it hard to believe that anything in this universe could evoke fear in him. The person responsible must be truly terrifying.

After all, the young man was none other than Heaven itself, once known as the Celestial Dao, Ma Qing.

"He's returned?" Ma Qing couldn't help but mutter, anxiety evident in his voice.

The image of a young man dressed in white, with long black hair merging with the void, eyes shining in a crimson hue, a nine-petal lotus mark between his brows, and a playful smile on his face, appeared in Ma Qing's mind.

"It's impossible. He can no longer interfere in this universe." Ma Qing tried to console himself and began carefully sensing the aura, eventually concluding that this aura didn't belong to that person but was connected to someone related to them.

The location where Ma Qing was writhed, and a completely white and androgynous figure appeared beside him.

"Help me find the whereabouts of the owner of this aura." The figure's voice was completely devoid of emotion, revealing no gender but carrying a coercion several times greater than Ma Qing, indicating that the figure was stronger than Heaven itself.

Without hesitation, Ma Qing used his power and authority as the "regent" of the universe to assist the figure in calculating the position of the aura's owner. After all, the sooner this person died, the better.

After a few seconds, the white figure and Ma Qing spat out a mouthful of blood and heard a powerful, cold voice filled with murderous intent echoing deep within their souls.

"How do you want to die?"

These words made both of their hearts freeze, and an indescribable fear engulfed them. Even though they knew the question wasn't directed at them, they felt as if Death itself was asking them how they wanted to die.

Then, after a few more seconds of pure silence and tension, the aura vanished as if it had never existed, as if it were a trick played by their minds. However, the blood staining the surrounding emptiness showed that it was all real.

"I couldn't find anything, but I could predict that this person is in some mortal world." The white figure spoke, their voice returning to its emotionless tone. Yet deep in their heart, that question still echoed, and fear consumed them.

"I will mobilize all my forces to search for this person." Ma Qing said, his voice filled with immense killing intent, for he knew that the owner of the aura had something to do with the person who had ripped out his heart.

Nodding their head, the white figure vanished, leaving Ma Qing alone once again.

"Mo Ling, I will have my revenge, I swear." Ma Qing murmured softly, clenching his fists and feeling the void in his chest where his heart should be.

yuuhL

Does anyone have any idea who the mysterious figure is?
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