The expression on Tianji Zi's face was extremely grim, filled with anger and disbelief. His chest heaved rapidly as he looked at Luo Qingci, who was kneeling on the ground, screaming in pain. His eyes darkened with a cold, ruthless light.
"You are so stubborn and unyielding. I gave you the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of the path, free from attachments, yet you repeatedly seek your own destruction! Why must you stubbornly walk a path that even the Sword Saint could not traverse?" Tianji Zi's eyes grew more and more frenzied as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Who made you so obsessed, defying the heavens in such a way?"
Once the root of emotions is pulled out, it's almost impossible for it to grow back. Tianji Zi hadn't initially planned for this; it was only due to Luo Qingci's behavior exceeding all expectations, combined with his inherent suspicion, that he used Ruan Li to test her. When it turned out that Luo Qingci had feelings for that disciple, he resorted to this drastic measure, revealing a secret that should have remained buried.
Luo Qingci looked up at him, and the system had already blocked her pain after Tianji Zi's actions. She had calmed down considerably, but to avoid suspicion, she still maintained a face of agony and continued to scream.
"System, what's going on?" Luo Qingci asked, curled up on the ground.
"Your emotional root has started to grow back," the system's voice sounded distinctly different this time, even trembling slightly.
Luo Qingci's mind buzzed. "What?" Hadn't this just exposed her?
Though she didn't fully understand the significance of the emotional root, she knew it was the source of a person's emotions and desires. Losing it was like losing one's heart. She didn't want to lose it.
Now that it had finally grown back a bit, what would happen if Tianji Zi destroyed it again?
But Tianji Zi wasn't going to give Luo Qingci another chance.
Even though the pain was blocked, Luo Qingci could still clearly feel something being stripped away when Tianji Zi used his spiritual power to destroy the tiny root of emotions. Her heart felt suddenly empty.
Tianji Zi withdrew his hand and looked at Luo Qingci, who was sprawled on the ground, and said softly, "You will eventually understand that being heartless is better. This is the last chance I will give you. If you cannot sever your emotional root, I will personally cripple you."
Outside the stone door, Ruan Li was anxiously pounding on it. Even though it was through the stone door, she could hear Luo Qingci's cries of pain. She didn't know what Tianji Zi was doing to Luo Qingci, but judging by Luo Qingci's personality, the pain that could make her scream was likely worse than the previous cold poison and restrictions.
She struck the stone door forcefully, sparks flying from her spiritual power, leaving deep marks, but she couldn't move the door even slightly. In the end, she pounded on the door with her bare hands until they were bloodied and mangled.
A torrent of hatred and anger surged in her chest, making her eyes flash red intermittently.
Luo Qingci was her enemy who had killed her father and destroyed her clan. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to harm her. How could Tianji Zi do this to Luo Qingci?
She even thought that despite Luo Qingci's apparent coldness, she had once evaluated the Dragon Clan with clarity and rationality, showing no malice towards dragons. Perhaps her actions were forced by Tianji Zi.
The thought of Luo Qingci, who was so proud and self-reliant, being reduced to a mere puppet in front of Tianji Zi, devoid of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, made her seethe with anger.
YOU ARE READING
The Art of Subduing Dragons
FantasyDISCLAIMER: I do not claim ownership over this story. I only MTLed it. Original novel: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5287959 Although Luo Qingci knew that her name sounded like that of a heroine in a historical novel, she never expected...