Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Is he bewitched?
On the screen, Ethan cracked a smile as he clicked on the avatars of Christopher and Charles, pulling up their history.
[Blackwood 92 Years: Christopher and Charles, devoted to their spiritual practices, were sent by their family to the Thunderfire Demon Cave.]
[Their unchangeable faith led them to focus on spirituality, unconcerned with worldly matters. The demon lord Fang Linglong, intrigued by the brothers, challenged them. He left a demonic thought in the Psychic Sanctuary; if they could resist it, they could return to their temple. If not, it proved they were unworthy of their faith.]
[Blackwood 93 Years: Unable to resist the demonic thought, Charles absorbed it to prevent his twin sister Christopher from falling into darkness.]
[Seeing his brother's sacrifice, Christopher couldn't bear to see him succumb and used his spiritual power to preserve his brother's sanity.]
[Years of battling between demonic and spiritual energies within them led to an increase and blending of both forces. They gradually understood that spirituality and demonism could coexist and also realized the importance of family. They gained a unique trait—]
[Buddha-Demon Mind!]
[Neither spirituality nor demonism could bind their beliefs anymore. Their nature remained unaffected, yet they could cultivate psychic powers, mastering both demonic and spiritual techniques. In their spiritual state, their psychic power cultivation speed increased by 30%, countering all evil magic. In their demonic state, their combat power increased by 40%, unaffected by righteous laws.]
"Sending them to the demon cave back then was the right call, thanks to the demon lord."
Ethan laughed.
Now, these two were truly the most uniquely gifted descendants of the fifth generation of the Blackwoods. Although they were no longer bound by spiritual precepts, they developed a preference for tranquility, enjoying their quiet cultivation.
The only impact was their aloofness towards others, except for each other, though they were somewhat more courteous to Blackwood relatives.
Ethan had even overheard their private conversations; their greatest dream was to become accomplished enough to defeat the demon lord who had challenged them.
Now, aside from cultivating psychic powers, they kept to themselves, hardly bothering with the outside world.
No wonder Julian once said these kids were almost wasted.
Pondering whether to have Olivia intervene to make these two emotionally detached descendants more compliant, the screen suddenly showed Daniel appearing behind the three children. By now, they seemed used to Grandpa Daniel's sudden appearances and turned to look at him.
But it wasn't just Grandpa Daniel there; there was also a middle-aged woman in a wheelchair. Stray white hairs peeked through her dark hair, and despite the wrinkles on her face, one could still see the beauty of her youth.
Dressed in a white robe, she exuded an aura of intellect. Her presence was so kind and amiable, she seemed like one of those rare good souls in the world.
Her voice was soft and gentle, like a breeze in February, "Winter is coming."
The children realized she must be the great-grandmother of the family, the very kind Miss Olivia from Gratitude Village that the elders spoke so highly of. She even remembered the names of all the villagers back when Gratitude Village was just a small village.
Whenever a household encountered trouble, she was the first to resolve it. Any bad reputation she had outside must surely be just rumors...
Just as they were about to speak to her, the phrase "Winter is coming" echoed, and in Thunderfire Demon Cave, three faces filled with anticipation froze, still in the midst of moving forward to respectfully greet Olivia, their expressions a mix of restraint and affection.
"Aunt Olivia, shall we visit Uncle Three and Aunt Two?" Daniel wasn't surprised by Aunt Olivia's actions; he admired her greatly.
After all, tormenting these three children to hasten their growth was something he learned from her.
Olivia shook her head, "Never mind, my sister and brother are in the midst of breakthroughs. I'll take these three kids away; it's time they learn how we Blackwoods handle things."
"Yes, Aunt Olivia," Daniel replied, not daring to say more, but he knew Aunt Olivia didn't want to see Uncle Three's madness or Aunt Two's aged appearance.
Just like in the past, when he was learning by Aunt Olivia's side, he saw her sigh for the first time during the great clan war because of Uncle Three's relentless forging. And when Aunt Two came to Thunderfire Demon Cave, it was the first time he saw Aunt Olivia nearly in tears.
"Daniel, you've managed well in Thunderfire Demon Cave over the years, showing true leadership. I'll let your elder brother know; he'll be proud of you too," Olivia complimented before leaving.
Hearing this, Daniel smiled faintly, "Thank you, Aunt Olivia, it's my duty."
Watching Aunt Olivia maneuver her wheelchair away with the three frozen figures, Daniel felt calm inside. After years of controlling power from behind the scenes, he had developed the demeanor of a leader, accustomed to flattery and high regard.
Such praise was trivial; even if his clan called him a prodigy, he would just smile it off.
Excitement over such things was childish.
Not long after, a demon-possessed psychic bowed to Daniel.
Daniel patted the psychic's shoulder, saying lightly, "Yes, good, my Aunt Olivia just praised me."
"Uh... what?" Daniel walked away, leaving the psychic staring dumbfounded at the back of this saintly apostle who dominated the demon cave, a figure who used to be so imposing and frightening, always seeming to harbor sinister schemes. Now...
"Why is he hopping away so cheerfully? Is he bewitched?"
Soon, in Thunderfire Demon Cave, Daniel, dressed in a purple robe with a goatee and graying hair, walked around. Although he tried to maintain a stern expression, his steps became increasingly light.
To everyone he met, he said, "My Aunt Olivia praised me."
Then he knocked on Julian and Amelia's Psychic Sanctuary, shouting loudly.
"Uncle Three, Aunt Olivia praised me!"
"Aunt Two, Aunt Two! Aunt Olivia said I have the talent to lead!"
"Man, Daniel's totally lost it today," Ethan said, rolling his eyes as he sped up the video feed. Olivia was already leading her three kids toward Cloudview County. She seemed younger now.
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