"Why? Why did it turn out like this? We were each other's only one, so why did they have to intrude into our world? Why did you become like this?"

Xia Zihan's voice gradually became hoarse, but she still kept screaming, "I won't let go, Qin Luo. You are mine, you've always been mine, and no one can take you away from me, not a single one!"

At this moment, she had completely fallen into a state of yandere, losing all reason and only having a crazy possessive desire for Qin Luo in her heart.

Qin Luo sighed inwardly. After making his decision, he suddenly channeled spiritual energy into his body to prevent her from struggling too much, trapping Xia Zihan in his arms.

Seeing that she was restricted by an incomparable spiritual energy, Xia Zihan's body stiffened. She did not resist much, but simply raised her head and stared straight at Qin Luo with endless sorrow and indignation in her eyes.

Immediately afterward, she clenched her teeth, as if to vent all the pain and hatred in her heart, and with a sudden bite, her snow-white teeth dug deeply into Qin Luo's shoulder. Crimson blood meandered down from between her frost-like teeth, dripping between their embracing bodies, a particularly shocking sight.

"I hate you, I hate you so much... Waaah!"

Xia Zihan's voice was forced out through clenched teeth, thick with sobs and trembling, "Why, why do you have to be so fickle? Is it really so hard to be devoted to me? You know perfectly well that all I want is your one and only love..."

Qin Luo didn't move an inch, but simply hugged her even tighter:

"I know that perhaps in your eyes I am unforgivable right now."

"But it's okay... Once you've had enough of hating me, I'll slowly teach you to love me again. But before that, I have to make up for something for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Zihan was suddenly picked up and placed on the futon closest to the ancestral core by Qin Luo.

The dim and broken ancestral core emitted a faint halo, but it could not conceal its immense power.

Qin Luo slowly squatted down to look Xia Zihan in the eye. His eyes were like deep pools, reflecting Xia Zihan's tear-streaked face, which was mostly filled with guilt.

"I don't know if it was the confrontation between Liyue and you that made you feel uneasy, which led to your breakdown. But I know that it was because I failed to give you enough security that you fell into such a painful situation."

"You're right, it all started because of me. I lost my mind in this chaotic world and failed your deep affection."

"If you still harbor resentment towards me after your cultivation has greatly improved, I will have no complaints. This is the only thing I can do for you right now, and it is also the beginning of my efforts to make amends for my mistakes."

Upon hearing this, Xia Zihan suddenly realized something and was about to speak, but Qin Luo didn't give her any chance.

With a thought, Qin Luo caused the faint light in the ancestral core to intensify, and the remaining spiritual energy within surged continuously into Xia Zihan's body.

As pure spiritual energy entered her body, Xia Zihan felt a warm and gentle power flowing through her limbs and bones into her dantian. With the continuous influx of spiritual energy, her spiritual foundation began to increase rapidly at an astonishing speed.

The bottleneck that was already at the peak of the Spiritual Tribulation immediately showed signs of loosening.

The miniature purple divine soul within the Qi Sea seemed to have been infused with new vitality, becoming even more solid and substantial.

Before long, a tiny figure of purple divine soul, identical to Xia Zihan, appeared. This tiny figure radiated a noble purple light, and every wisp of spiritual luster spoke of the joy of an impending breakthrough.

At the same time, the sky suddenly changed color. The originally chaotic void was covered with dark clouds that appeared out of nowhere. Streaks of purple lightning, as winding as dragons, surged in the clouds, emitting deafening roars. The Soul Tribulation Heavenly Lightning had arrived.

Strangely, even when Xia Zihan's soul reached perfection, the spiritual energy surging from the ancestral core did not stop; instead, it became even more turbulent, continuously increasing the foundation of her soul.

Although the spiritual energy was faint, it was like an inexhaustible spring that continuously nourished Xia Zihan's soul, making it stronger and stronger.

Qin Luo had anticipated this.

The Ancestral Core is a divine object born when a continent was first created. It can not only help people break through cultivation bottlenecks, but more miraculously, as long as one can withstand it, it can nourish the cultivator's soul to its ultimate potential.

This is why, according to legend, the Ancestral Core could help him overcome the Supreme Tribulation.

Now it seems that this ancestral core is indeed incredibly miraculous. Even when facing the tribulation lightning, it still spares no effort to supply Xia Zihan with spiritual energy, in order to help her build an even stronger foundation for her soul during this tribulation.

At this moment, Xia Zihan was filled with mixed emotions. The increase in power brought by the warm spiritual energy entering her body did not bring her any joy. In this tense moment when the soul tribulation was about to occur, her thoughts were still focused on Qin Luo. She did not want Qin Luo to compensate her in this way at all. What she had asked for from beginning to end was nothing more than for Qin Luo to give her a guarantee, a promise, and a heart that belonged to her completely.

However, her body was imprisoned by Qin Luo's spiritual energy, and she could not move. She could only be forced to refine these surging spiritual energies.

Thinking of this, Xia Zihan sniffled, tears welling up in her eyes. At this moment, the rolling heavenly lightning of the soul tribulation had arrived, the booming thunder like a death warrant, leaving her with no way to avoid it, no choice but to undergo the tribulation.

But Xia Zihan looked at her still-imprisoned body, and then at the soul lightning about to strike. The next moment, her pupils contracted, and her tone was no longer stubborn, but carried a hint of panic and urgency:

"Qin Luo, are you crazy? Let me go! This is a Soul Thunder!"

She shouted hoarsely, her voice filled with worry for Qin Luo, completely forgetting that she was the one facing the soul tribulation.

As Qin Luo watched the impending soul lightning strike, he flashed and actually stood in front of Xia Zihan.

Gazing at the soul tribulation brewing high in the sky, Qin Luo's primordial energy was passively aroused, and layers of white mist carrying an ancient aura covered his body.

Seeing this, Qin Luo also became cautious, after all, trying to block someone else's soul tribulation was no joke. If it weren't for this ancestral core, he really wouldn't want to take such a risk.

Although this ancestral core is broken and incomplete, the spiritual energy contained within it is enough to allow no fewer than a dozen people to break through to the Saint Realm. This must be the great gift that Senior Yuanyu was talking about.

This was precisely the main reason he allowed Xia Zihan to join him.

One reason was to ensure a refund, and the other was to genuinely want to make amends for her, allowing her to fully refine the spiritual essence within the ancestral core. Ideally, they could also use the soul lightning to help Xia Zihan completely accept Murong Liyue and the others.

Unfortunately, Qin Luo underestimated the backlash of the Soul Tribulation on those who intervened...