Her face, as pale as snow, was instantly streaked with tears.
For these three bone demons were none other than her parents and her younger sister!
This was impossible?!
Luo Ningshuang's emotions spiraled out of control. Tears streaming down her face, she walked forward without any defense, her voice choked with sobs, "Father, Mother, Wei'er, it's me, I am Luo Ningshuang!"
However, the Luo family trio, now completely reduced to the weapons of the Underworld God, had lost all emotion. They were merely killing machines, programmed to execute the commands of the Underworld God.
Especially Luo Ningshuang's sister, Luo Ningwei. Transformed into a bone demon monster, she remained unmoved upon hearing her elder sister's words.
Her hands morphed into bone spears, which she ruthlessly thrust into Luo Ningshuang's shoulder.
*Hiss!*
A deep, bone-exposing wound appeared on Luo Ningshuang's body, her blood staining her clothes crimson.
But more than the physical pain, the heartache within Luo Ningshuang was what truly shattered her.
She could not comprehend how her own family had become the very monsters of the Underworld God she abhorred, nor could she imagine her sister attacking her.
Luo Ningshuang coughed out several mouthfuls of blood, her crystalline tears dripping onto the ground, her heart feeling as though it were being torn apart by a thousand sharp blades.
Just as the bone demon Luo Ningwei was about to deliver a fatal blow to her sister, Mo Qian arrived from behind and unleashed a fierce sword strike.
Luo Ningwei swiftly dodged, then let out an enraged roar at Mo Qian like a ferocious beast. The other two bone demons did the same.
Though the Moon Demon Ghost within the soul bead was on its last breath from torture, it still mustered its final strength to order the three bone demons to return and report to Lord Yuan Qing.
He was to send other Underworld race members to rescue it.
These three bone demons, having received the command, did not engage Mo Qian. Instead, they immediately bolted out of Qingyu City.
Mo Qian would not let them escape so easily.
As he gripped his Mo Ye Sword and was about to give chase, he found himself tightly held by the injured Luo Ningshuang. Her tear-filled eyes stared at him, pleading with him not to act.
"Don't... you can't kill them..."
"Let go of me!"
A flicker of displeasure crossed Mo Qian's brow. This strange woman who had suddenly appeared was inexplicably preventing him from killing these three bone demons.
He tried to shake Luo Ningshuang off forcefully, but she held on relentlessly.
Mo Qian’s heart hardened, and he intended to use his true essence to blast her away. However, Luo Ningshuang was at the peak of the Heavenly Venerate realm, not someone easily repelled.
By then, the three bone demons had already vanished, leaving no trace.
Luo Ningshuang's unreasonable obstruction, which allowed the bone demons he wished to obliterate to escape, ignited a surge of anger within Mo Qian.
Mo Qian dropped the Mo Ye Sword, used his remaining hand to grasp Luo Ningshuang's fair neck, and pressed her down to the ground.
Luo Ningshuang found herself struggling to breathe, yet she gritted her teeth and held on, tightly gripping Mo Qian's clothes.
Mo Qian was truly perplexed as to why this woman was so tenacious.
However, he would show no mercy. After all, the three bone demons Luo Ningshuang had allowed to escape were responsible for the destruction of the Moyuan Empire.
Thus, Mo Qian gradually increased the pressure on her neck. Luo Ningshuang, finding it difficult to breathe, began to lose consciousness.
Just as Luo Ningshuang was about to faint, a voice from behind Mo Qian called out, stopping him.
"Mo Qian, stop!"
Mo Qian felt a hint of confusion. Turning his head, he saw Mu Qingqing appear behind him.
"It's you! The woman from the Heaven's Pit secret realm!" Mo Qian exclaimed in surprise.
Mu Qingqing, and Xin Ci within the consciousness space, were equally astonished upon seeing Mo Qian.
They too had not expected to encounter Mo Qian here.
Shouldn't this fellow be in the Moyuan Empire of Dongzhou?
Mo Qian was unaware that Mu Qingqing was Xin Ci's second personality. He merely looked at the woman with a grave expression.
For he knew that the elder before him possessed immense power, reaching the Saint Emperor level.
Judging by her demeanor, she seemed to know the woman he was currently choking. Mo Qian released his grip.
Luo Ningshuang finally gasped for air and was saved, her body going limp and collapsing to the ground.
Mu Qingqing quickly went to support Luo Ningshuang and fed her a healing pill.
After taking the healing pill, Luo Ningshuang's complexion improved slightly, and her injuries began to mend.
Seeing that Luo Ningshuang was safe, Mu Qingqing turned to Mo Qian and asked, "Mo Qian, didn't you return to the Moyuan Empire? Why are you in Zhongzhou, and why are you here?"
"Senior, how do you know my name, and how did you know I went to the Moyuan Empire after leaving the Four-Star Academy?"
Mo Qian's gaze was sharp as he stared at Mu Qingqing, his expression solemn.
Because back at the Four-Star Academy, this woman had only appeared once in the Heaven's Pit secret realm. How could she possibly know his name and his whereabouts?
This made Mo Qian wary and cautious in his dealings with Mu Qingqing.
"Well... I am Xin Ci's master, so naturally I know about you."
Mu Qingqing gave an awkward smile, fabricating a hasty excuse.
Xin Ci, within the consciousness space, twitched his lips upon hearing this reason and transmitted to her, "Qingqing, since when did you become Old Han?"
"Don't worry about all that. It's more important to deal with Mo Qian first."
Having grown up in the imperial palace of the Moyuan Empire, Mo Qian had long mastered the art of reading people.
He could see through such an obvious and clumsy excuse from Mu Qingqing at a glance.
However, he did not expose her immediately. Instead, he pretended to believe Mu Qingqing's words.
Because Mo Qian was certain that even if this woman was not Xin Ci's master, her relationship with Xin Ci was by no means ordinary.
Otherwise, this woman would not have intervened to save Xin Ci in the Heaven's Pit secret realm.
Thus, Mo Qian suppressed the suspicion in his eyes and composed himself. "So you are Xin Ci's master. Greetings, Senior. I haven't yet thanked you for saving my life in the Heaven's Pit secret realm. It is an honor to meet you again, and I express my gratitude here."
"That's not necessary. However, Mo Qian, what happened to you over the years? Why have your arm and eye become like this?"
At this, Mo Qian covered his empty left shoulder with his remaining right arm, his gaze chillingly fixed in the direction the three bone demons had fled, and said with hatred, "This is all thanks to those Underworld demons!"
"You mean..."
"When I returned to the Moyuan Empire, all the people in the entire empire were slaughtered by those four bone demons. The entire Moyuan Empire was reduced to ruins!"
"My strength was insufficient then. These bone demons blinded one of my eyes and bit off one of my arms. If I hadn't used the power of the Moyuan Dragon totem, I would have likely been unable to escape their encirclement."
"However, it was also thanks to that battle that the Moyuan Dragon totem power within me was further stimulated, and I awakened the Moyuan Dragon bloodline, allowing my strength to break through to Four-Star Heavenly Venerate in just a few years."