Xiao Man was concentrating on breaking the seal. When the third iron chain loosened, the Demon Lord felt a lot lighter, but still couldn't break free from the restraints. However, he could sense that although the chains and seals imprisoned him, they did not harm his primordial spirit. Was she telling the truth? Xuan Xin didn't really want to destroy him by sealing him, but to protect him?
"Xiao Man, are you alright?" Wu Huan noticed that Xiao Man's face was pale and bloodless. He was worried that Xiao Man wouldn't be able to hold on to break the seals on all nine chains.
Xiao Man took out a bottle of pills and poured them all into her mouth: "I'm fine, just a bit short on spiritual energy. But I was prepared."
"You're called Xiao Man now?" Yu Ju asked softly. "Have you ever considered that even if you let me out, I might not be an opponent to the person behind all this?"
"It's better than us fighting alone," Xiao Man said unhurriedly. Even though every second counted, she dared not rush. If she made a mistake, not only Yu Ju, but she herself would be in danger. If she survived this ordeal, she would have to quickly help those around her improve their cultivation to deal with future uncertainties.
"You're so optimistic," Yu Ju chuckled. "Just like before, no matter how bad the situation gets, you never despair."
"At worst, it's just death. I've already died once. As for anything else, I can only do my best," Xiao Man replied while continuing to break the seal. "Can you tell me who Yu Tian is?"
"Yu Tian was the former God of War," Yu Ju said slowly. "He was the Great Protector of the celestial deity Xuan Xin. Xuan Xin is the spiritual pillar of the Cang Xuan Continent, and he was Xuan Xin's sharp sword, but this sword was a double-edged one, capable of both protection and destruction."
"So, Yu Tian betrayed Xuan Xin and seized the dominion of the Cang Xuan Continent?" Xiao Man asked in confusion.
Yu Ju frowned and pondered for a moment: "I didn't witness it myself, so I can't tell you for sure. But the one capable of causing Xuan Xin to split her soul, in this vast Cang Xuan, I can think of no one but Yu Tian."
"Were Yu Tian and Xuan Xin just in a master-servant relationship?" Xiao Man always felt there might be a secret she didn't know about.
"To Xuan Xin, they were master and servant. To Yu Tian, that might not be the case."
"According to you, Yu Tian always stayed by Xuan Xin's side, loyal to her. After years of companionship, their relationship must have been more than just master and servant, right?"
"Do you know why she's called Xuan Xin?" Yu Ju looked at Xiao Man and asked with great interest.
Xiao Man shook her head: "I don't know."
"Because although she has a Nine Orifice Exquisite Heart, she is a heartless person," Yu Ju's expression was hard to decipher, whether it was pity or sorrow. "She is the supreme deity, but she lacks the seven emotions and six desires that ordinary people possess."
"If a person has no seven emotions and six desires, then that person must have no weakness. How did they end up in such a state?"
"This is why Yu Tian wanted to kill me."
"What does this have to do with you?" Xiao Man was puzzled. One was a supreme deity, the other the king of the demon realm. They should be mortal enemies, so how could they be connected?
"Because I have an indestructible demon heart," Yu Ju stared at Xiao Man and said meaningfully. "A heartless person who wants to have normal human emotions and desires must possess a heart. But Xuan Xin, as a celestial deity, ordinary hearts cannot withstand the immense power within her. Only a demon heart can allow her to experience normal human emotions without being destroyed by her chaotic power."
"Then you're really unlucky," Xiao Man unfastened the fourth iron chain. "Innocent people often fall victim to their possessions. When the strong arbitrarily plunder others' treasures with their power, the world loses the restraint of rules. The strong possess everything, and the weak are trampled into the mud. When the weak find an opportunity to resist, their power is immeasurable."
"Are you saying you agree with me destroying the world?"
"No, I'm just lamenting," Xiao Man gasped for breath. "What happened next? Was your demon heart stolen?"
"Yu Tian fought me for three months and left, heavily wounded," Yu Ju's expression was distant, as if recalling pleasant past moments. "Although Xuan Xin had no heart, she was extremely protective. When Yu Tian was injured, she came looking for trouble."
"Were you beaten badly?" Xiao Man teased.
"I suppose so," Yu Ju chuckled. "She always remembered the first time I saw her. She descended like a goddess from the heavens, her voice as clear and melodious as a mountain spring. I was mesmerized by her beautiful voice, but she, without a word, beat me into a pulp." Su Dan Novel Network
"Without asking why?"
"I asked, but only after she finished beating me."
Xiao Man's lips curved, she didn't dare to laugh out loud: "Then you fought and became friends?"
"Yes."
"Then did she want your demon heart?"
"She didn't even have seven emotions and six desires, so how could she want my demon heart?" Yu Ju sighed. "It's precisely because she lacked seven emotions and six desires that, in her eyes, demons, gods, and humans were all the same. No one had any special privileges, which is why I could be her friend."
"If you were friends, why did you turn against each other?" Xiao Man was confused.
"Because I wanted to know what she would be like if she had seven emotions and six desires," Yu Ju's eyes held a faint joy, not hidden deeply enough to be missed.
"So, you willingly gave her your demon heart?"
"You are indeed clever," Yu Ju murmured, looking at Xiao Man. "She already had nine orifices and was exquisite. With my demon heart, her mind became even more perceptive, but she became prone to weaknesses."
Xiao Man remained noncommittal. In her opinion, emotions were not weaknesses; they could make a person stronger. Weaknesses weren't necessarily weaknesses; they could also be a dragon's inverse scale!
"What are her weaknesses?"
As the fifth iron chain was unlocked, Yu Ju's hand could already move. He reached out towards Xiao Man, his hand brushing over Xiao Man's head: "What do you think your weakness is?"
"Being sentimental."
"Yes, being sentimental." Yu Ju's hand traced over the stone on Xiao Man's chest. The stone seemed to be stimulated and began to heat up. Xiao Man instantly pushed Yu Ju's hand away. "Don't cause trouble here."
Yu Ju withdrew his hand, sat on the ground, and quietly watched Xiao Man. "I can feel all her emotions: joy, sadness, pain, sorrow, even a flutter of the heart."
Xiao Man instantly seized on the wording: "She has someone she likes, and that person is not Yu Tian!"
Yu Ju cupped his cheek with one hand and nodded at Xiao Man.
"And that person she likes is not you either!" Xiao Man teased.
The Demon Lord's expression flickered slightly but quickly returned to normal: "I'm starting to dislike your cleverness."