Tu Longjian looked infatuated, but his eyes secretly swept across the room, lingering for a moment on what appeared to be a storage bag on Tu Longjian's body.

[Hey, don't look around.] Mingying blushed slightly and shouted, [Let me out! I know my own body best.]

"Alright, don't make any rash moves after you come out." Tu Longjian released Mingying from the contract space.

The two, one big and one small, stared at the face of Demon Lord Mingying, noticing his tightly pursed lips and his struggling and painful expression, as if he were in a nightmare.

The Demon Lord Mingying was currently trapped in a nightmare that had plagued him for a long time. Countless creatures that had died at his hands were now grotesque and taunting him, while he was powerless to do anything but let those evil spirits tear him apart.

The Shadow groped all over his body, then leaned in and listened intently to his chest, finally coming to a conclusion: "He has no heart."

"Although I am the Demon Lord, I am not particularly cruel and heartless, and I have little interest in conquering the cultivation world."

"He committed too many sins, and the inner demons had nowhere to go but to lurk within him, waiting for an opportunity to erupt and tear him apart."

Looking at the two shadow figures who resembled each other but were different ages, Tu Longjian voiced his guess.

"Perhaps, you are his heart?"

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. "The Demon Lord Mingying dug out his own heart and banished it. Without his last remaining kindness, he became an even more brutal person. Not only did he impersonate Mingze and transform into a fallen dragon to wreak havoc, but he has now launched a war between humans and demons, attempting to plunge the world into chaos and suffering."

Mingying spoke solemnly, "Perhaps you are right. There is a connection between him and me..."

"Then try to see if you can go back."

After trying for a while, Mingying said, "No, I don't know what he... or I did back then. I am now a new being and cannot return to his body."

After a moment's consideration, Tu Longjian asked a crucial question: "Will my contract with you work on him?"

"How could that be? You made a contract with me... Wait!"

Tu Longjian had already begun to act. She forced out a drop of her heart's blood and sent it into the mouth of the Demon Lord Mingying, then used an array to assist in the contract.

The contract halo lit up, indicating that the second contract had been successfully formed. Demon Lord Mingying abruptly called out "Master," before falling back into a nightmare.

"It seems to work, but only when he is troubled by his inner demons."

Mingying felt a bridge forming between himself and the Demon Lord Mingying lying on the bed, and many inner demons surged into him, causing him to groan and clutch his chest in annoyance:

"You're too hasty. Once Mingying has a heart, his inner demons will surge into my body, not only harming me, but also leaving him truly without any weaknesses."

"What you say is true, but the human cultivation world cannot afford such rampant warfare."

"But once you establish a connection, over time you can influence his thoughts and ideas in return."

"The heart governs the spirit and controls consciousness."

"The heart beats again, the parched body begins to stir again, and the immortal demon has a weakness."

“And this weakness—is in my hands.” Tu Longjian’s eyes gleamed with ambition, causing Ming Ying to take a step back and stare at her incredulously.

"When the inner demons have fully entered your body, your heart will return to its original position, and the Demon Lord Shadow will revert to his original form."

Tu Longjian tilted his head slightly and asked Mingying, "Don't you want to go back?"

As if pulled out of icy water, the chill that had seeped into his limbs and bones was overwhelmed by the rising heat, and a burning desire ignited in his chest: "I want to go back."

He carefully concealed the fear and suspicion in his eyes, but Tu Longjian noticed it.

She smiled and gently ruffled the fine strands of hair on the young man Mingying's head: "I learned that you would die mysteriously soon."

She was referring to the original storyline, where after Gan Xiuming became the most powerful man in the world, his legendary pet died mysteriously. However, being a powerful man at the time, he quickly found a new pet, and the hydra demon was forgotten in the long river of history.

At the time, she thought it was all a mystery, but now she knows the root of the matter.

"How can a heart separated from its body die a peaceful death?"

If the Demon Lord Mingying, who has lost his kindness, can find a substitute to put in his chest, he can become a terrifying god of death and wreak havoc on the world.

If she could combine the kindness of the Shadow with her body, she could cut off the source of the trouble. Furthermore, through the power of the contract, she could even control the Demon Lord, who terrified both realms, adding to her strength in her fight against the Heavenly Dao.

"You are my beloved, one of my own. How could I bear to see you die?"

Tu Longjian smiled and explained her reasons, unaware of the enormous waves her casual words stirred in the young man's heart.

The young man, Mingying, trembled violently, his eyes slightly reddening.

The Dragon Queen disliked him, but the Serpent Father let him do as he pleased.

Mingying was born into this world. Despite having powerful parents, they never protected him. He seemed to have been abandoned by the world, like a young snake struggling alone in the mud, even being attacked and beaten by his parents' enemies.

He survived with great difficulty and even grew into a towering demon lord, but because of his painful experiences, he always retained a sense of pity for those creatures struggling on the brink of life and death.

This is also why he didn't want to start a war between humans and demons.

He had once secretly read books written by humans, and the numerous upheavals all demonstrated one truth—in times of chaos, the people at the bottom of society suffer the most.

Whether it was the demon race or the human race, under the crushing weight of the grand war, those at the bottom died insignificantly, miserably, and ridiculously.

Thus, after taking office, Demon Lord Mingying became the first Demon Lord to refrain from waging war, a rare occurrence.

Because of this, Shadow was secretly ridiculed by countless demons who insulted him behind his back, calling him a coward who only submitted to his powerful strength.

Shadow always knew that no one wanted him to live, not even the peacemakers who supported him at the time. No one cared about his life; they just wanted him to withstand the pressure.

Whenever there was unrest in the tribe, after he had finished purging the rebels, he would curl up in his cold, dark lair and lick his wounds alone, always looking towards the entrance of the lair.

Snakes are afraid of light and prefer shade, but Mingying is an anomaly. Whenever he is injured, he longs for a sliver of sunlight to shine into the cave entrance. Although it cannot warm his body, it seems to ease his heart, as if he is cared for.

Mingying looked at Tu Longjian, her mind blank, her gaze greedily seeking warmth, and stammered, "Could you say that again?"

"I can't bear to see you die," Tu Longjian said obediently, as if satisfying a child who couldn't get candy.

Mingying covered his face, squatted down, and tears streamed down his face. His voice was choked with sobs and anger, and he cried out, "Don't look."

Tu Longjian raised an eyebrow, pretending not to see, and turned to open the window to look at the moon. The bloodshot color seemed to have faded. She stared at it steadily and said, "The moonlight is nice."