After dinner, with his belly bulging, Pei Yan picked up the juice on the table and began to drink. While drinking, he asked Gu Shenghui, who was sitting opposite him, "Has anything unexpected happened these days?"

"It's been very calm, none of the parties have had much reaction, and neither the Magic Realm nor the Blood Fiends have had any friction with us." Gu Shenghui knew what Pei Yan was worried about and explained, "But our victory in this competition, besides drawing the attention of top forces from various planes, has also caused a bit of unease."

"Unease? Do you mean the Magic Realm?" Pei Yan threw the empty juice box into the trash can, then took a cigarette from the pack and casually asked.

"No, it's all the forces," Ye Ruozai interjected.

"All the forces? We haven't become enemies with the other three forces, what's the unease about?" Pei Yan was puzzled by this and stopped his hand with the lighter halfway in the air.

Gu Shenghui sighed helplessly, "The apparent outcome of this competition is that the Blood Fiends defeated the Spirit Monster Plane, and we defeated the Magic Realm. It seems unrelated, but in the eyes of some, it's become a watershed between the old and the new. As a new force, us defeating an old-established force has already made some people worry that they might be bargaining with the tiger by allying with us. Even if we repel the Blood Fiends, won't we just become the second Blood Fiends? As the saying goes, 'Drive the tiger from the front door only to let the wolf through the back door.'" As he spoke, Gu Shenghui gave a cold laugh, "I bet you can guess who's spreading these rumors without me needing to say, right?"

Pei Yan nodded. Other than the Blood Fiends, only the Magic Realm liked to pull off such underhanded tricks. Thinking of this, he inquired, "What's the attitude of the other planes?"

"There's some concern, but it's not a big problem. Having learned from past mistakes, they no longer buy into such theories. Plus, our relationships with major planes have greatly improved compared to before. The Demon Race is basically on the same side as us, we are in a honeymoon phase of restoring relations with the Immortal Palace, and although we've had friction with the Spirit Monster Plane, the overall feeling is more positive than negative. Therefore, some untimely remarks are only spread among second-rate forces on each plane, while top forces still hold a cooperative and friendly attitude." Gu Shenghui explained while pushing the ashtray on the table closer to Pei Yun.

"That's good." There being no external threat allowed Pei Yan to breathe a sigh of relief. At least he could now address the issue that truly concerned him. Sitting up straight, he flicked the ash into the ashtray and asked seriously, "How is she?"

"I knew you would ask about her. Are you asking about the soul within her body, Vlad II, or that little girl?" Even without Pei Yan mentioning a name, Gu Shenghui knew who he was referring to and questioned back.

"Huh?" Pei Yan uttered in confusion, "Has Vlad II awakened? I thought I had already sealed his soul."

"You're underestimating the Child of Origin. He hasn't fully awakened, but the frequency of his awakenings is increasing. These days he's been fighting that little girl for control of the body, Pei Yan..."

Gu Shenghui paused, looked at Pei Yan as if wanting to say more, but stopped. Seeing his demeanor, an ominous feeling surged within Pei Yan, who stared intently at him, only to hear Gu Shenghui sigh and say with regret, "That little girl's soul can't hold on much longer."

In the basement of Yirong Pavilion, locked to the ground in specially made iron shackles, Moira turned her head with difficulty upon hearing the door open. When she saw Pei Yan's figure appear in her sight, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes.

"How's the situation?" Pei Yan immediately rushed to the dungeon and asked Xia Yu, who was responsible for the guard.

"It's been tumultuous several times, but just calmed down." Xia Yu's expression was slightly fatigued. Pei Yan could see that this fatigue was not physical but mental. Liang Qian, who was guarding alongside her, was in a similar state. The two of them looked at Moira with a complex mix of pity and disgust.

"That Vlad II is truly inhuman. As soon as he awakens, he fights desperately to break free from your restriction, constantly bullying the little girl inside her. Old Ye and Elder Zuo have come several times to suppress him, which has made him somewhat restrained." Liang Qian stared at Moira with hatred.

Pei Yan could understand their feelings and was just about to speak when Moira, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly lifted her head, staring at Pei Yan with big, pitiful, watery eyes, pleading, "Big brother, let me go. I'm innocent, don't cage me anymore, please. This chain is so cold and painful."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yan looked at Moira on the ground, bent down, and a look of sympathy flashed through his eyes. Seeing this, Moira quickly raised her hands to show the chains in front of Pei Yan. Just when she thought he would release her chains, the sympathy in Pei Yan's eyes disappeared, replaced by utter disdain. He reached out and clutched Moira's throat, sneering, "Vlad II, stop pretending! Have you played the role of a woman for so long that you're actually in character? You know, no matter how you act, your heart remains filthy, and you will never show genuine innocence to anyone, just make me sick to my stomach."

"Ah~ Hahaha!" Moira, who was being choked by Pei Yan, suddenly lost all signs of innocence, and despite being pinned against the wall, she continued to provoke Pei Yan with a sinister laugh, "Come on, kill me! If you've got the guts, do it! If I die, the little girl dies too! Don't you want to be a hero? Try and see if you can save her from my hands."

"I'll save her, and eventually, I'll kill you too! We'll take it step by step. For now, let me teach you what kind of attitude a captive should have when facing their guard." With that said, Pei Yan tightened his grip, further suppressing Vlad II's soul. After a series of agonizing screams, Moira's curses at Pei Yan grew weaker, and her struggles gradually subsided until her body stopped moving and peace was restored. Only then did Pei Yan let go of his grip.

"Did you seal him again?" Moira leaned against the wall, weakly rubbing her reddened and bruised neck.

"Yes!" Pei Yan knew that Lei Youting had regained control of her body at the moment. He squatted beside her, placing his hand on her head, and softly said, "Don't struggle; let me check on the state of your soul."

Lei Youting, complying with Pei Yan's instructions, did not struggle as he let his origin energy flow into her body to inspect her soul. After a while, she looked at Pei Yan's increasingly grim face and chuckled, speaking with a tone of acceptance, "I'm dying, right?"

"It's not that severe! I'll find a solution." Pei Yan suppressed his inner anger and sympathy, forcing a smile and pretending to be relaxed.

"Okay, your acting isn't much better either. We've only met twice, but you're now the only person I can trust. So don't lie to me, let's be honest with each other, okay? I know my own body!" Lei Youting tilted her head against the wall, revealing a smile that was heartbreaking to everyone.