Despite Guardian Uryll's calm tone, his words carried an undeniable authority that brooked no opposition. Simultaneously, the peculiar light emanating from his lone eye dissipated the moment he spoke. It was clear that Uryll had just intervened to prevent Dream Jia and Heinrich from engaging in a private duel.

While Uryll's intervention seemed trivial with his minor spells, the ease with which he altered Dream Jia's divine structure spoke volumes about his formidable power. Hence, Haoyun and Dao Lao quickly stepped in to dissuade Dream Jia and Heinrich from violence, also checking on their conditions. Both were reminded incessantly that while Uryll, the reputed Guardian of the Dark Link plane, wouldn't harm them, they should still maintain a healthy respect to avoid his severe punishment.

"Don't worry, don't worry! You're all my guests, and I would never harm you! I just feel that since we've met, it must be fate! So, even if there are disagreements, we can resolve them through rational debate. We are all civilized people; why resort to violence so readily?" Uryll seemed to sense their apprehension and explained in an amicable tone.

With a snap of his thumb and forefinger, Uryll reverted Dream Jia and Heinrich, who were still bouncing around on the ground, back to their original forms in an instant. They both sprawled on the ground, one in disarray of dry bones.

Uryll's intervention effectively prevented a potentially disastrous conflict between Dream Jia and Heinrich. The tense atmosphere diffused into peace once more. Though Dream Jia was still red-faced with anger, she dared not speak out against Uryll's manipulation, feeling his immense power firsthand. Challenging such a formidable being would be unwise.

Heinrich, in contrast, visibly calmed down. He no longer shouted wildly but quietly sorted through his bones, piecing together his upper torso with a melancholic air.

Watching Heinrich silently retrieve bones from the pile, Haoyun couldn't help but console, "Hey, Heinrich! Don't be too upset! After all, the dead can't come back to life! But look at it positively—you're still alive! Now that you realize your mistake, you should find a way to avenge and honor your daughter, right?"

Heinrich waved a bizarrely shaped rib bone in irritation at Haoyun. "Oh, come on! Stop with the gloomy talk! Did your ears even hear me say Tonali is dead? My outburst earlier was solely due to concerns for my daughter's safety and the deliberate insult against her!"

Dao Lao gave an understanding nod and quickly apologized, "Oh? We thought you were crying so sadly earlier because we thought your daughter was gone. Oh no! We misunderstood, Lord Heinrich's meaning! If there was any offense, please forgive us, Lord Heinrich!"

Dao Lao knew well how to mediate. Coupled with his consistent adherence to good official conduct and courtesy toward outsiders, he greatly impressed Heinrich. Thus, Heinrich gracefully accepted Dao Lao's gesture and, taking the opportunity, declared the misunderstanding settled. Under Dao Lao's mediation, the storm sparked by Heinrich's daughter finally subsided.

Although the conflict between the two sides was resolved, since the topic had turned to Heinrich's daughter, Haoyun decided to ask for more details. He cautiously inquired, "Heinrich, where is your daughter now? Is there anything we can assist with?"

Haoyun's question was meant to show concern for Heinrich's daughter. As for whether they could actually help—come on, Haoyun didn't even know how to escape the Dark Link plane, let alone how to genuinely help Heinrich's daughter.

Heinrich, of course, understood that Haoyun's words were just polite gestures, but he appreciated Haoyun's concern nonetheless. Thus, Heinrich didn't directly answer Haoyun's inquiry but instead began reminiscing about his daughter.

According to Heinrich, from the moment he saw Tonali, every inch of his heart was occupied by her adorable presence. Especially the first time he held his newborn daughter through the fusion body, an unprecedented warmth and sense of belonging spread through his entire being. It condensed all the world's beauty into the infant in his arms. Now, with a beaming smile on his face, Heinrich had no idea how else to react. At this moment, holding his daughter, Heinrich finally understood what true happiness and joy meant.

For a long time after Tonali's birth, Heinrich was enthralled by her world. Whenever he had time, he would use the fusion body to visit her world and accompany her as she grew up. It was Tonali's presence that significantly enhanced the efficiency of the Purifiers in her world. Heinrich was eager to activate Tonali's promotion privileges and guide his beloved daughter to the realm of the spirits, where he could accompany her in his true form and watch her grow up.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

As Heinrich reminisced about his daughter, his face lit up with happiness. Suddenly, Haoyun blurted out without thinking, "But aren't all the children you and Elsie have going to be... well, you know? So, by sending Tonali to the Upper Realm, aren't you just accelerating her... process?"

The moment Haoyun spoke, he inwardly cursed his lack of tact. Dao Lao and Dream Jia shot him disdainful glares in unison. They knew Haoyun's thoughtless words would surely reignite the tense atmosphere that had just begun to ease between them.

Haoyun wanted to say something to amend his mistake and clear Heinrich's misunderstanding. However, this time Heinrich waved his hand, indicating he wasn't angry. He sighed, "Ah, yes! According to our agreement, Tonali will indeed be cultivated to eventually serve as their meal. But Tonali is my precious daughter whom I obtained with great difficulty! She is the most valuable treasure in my life! How could I allow anyone to harm her?!"

Heinrich grew increasingly impassioned as he spoke, every bone in his body tensing, emitting a spine-chilling creak with each movement. Heinrich cherished his daughter dearly, steadfastly playing the role of a loving father throughout her upbringing. To help Tonali better understand her heritage and ensure a smooth departure in the future, Heinrich had subtly instilled theological knowledge in her from a young age through stories and lessons. Thus, Tonali grew up as a devout believer.

Heinrich often appeared to Tonali in the guise of a devout theologian using a fusion body, explaining that he was an Upper Realm spirit trapped in a mortal form in the Lower Realm. When the time was right, he would shed this mortal coil and return to the divine realm. He assured Tonali that when he returned, he would take her with him, allowing their family to live together happily ever after.

Under Heinrich's meticulous care, Tonali developed a strong bond with him. She willingly followed Heinrich's teachings and cultivated a mindset that surpassed the living beings of that world. Thus, when the world Heinrich inhabited approached its destruction through purification, Tonali smoothly qualified to ascend as a spirit and, as Heinrich wished, returned with him to the Upper Realm.

However, despite Heinrich's deep affection for his daughter, tensions between Heinrich and the group led by Xia Wa and Elsie reached their peak upon Tonali's official promotion to spirit status. In fact, rifts had emerged in Heinrich's relationship with Xia Wa's group shortly after Tonali's birth. Apart from regularly visiting his daughter in the Lower Realm under the pretext of purification missions using fusion bodies, Heinrich began distancing himself deliberately from Xia Wa's group. He no longer indulged in their temptations during his visits to the Lower Realm.

Each time Heinrich returned to the Lower Realm, he immersed himself fully in his tasks. After completing them, he would rush back to spend as much time as possible with Tonali. Eventually, Heinrich even refused to team up with either Xia Wa or Elsie for missions to the Lower Realm. His intent was twofold: to avoid Xia Wa's group's harassment upon his return and to completely extricate himself from the quagmire of carnal desires. Furthermore, Heinrich was keenly aware that Xia Wa's group viewed his precious daughter merely as a sacrificial lamb, which caused him, now completely enslaved by his daughter, to gradually develop antagonism toward their plans. He intentionally sought to keep Xia Wa's group away from his beloved daughter to prevent any harm to her.

Due to their long history of cooperation and Xia Wa's group having disclosed their escape plan to Heinrich without reservation, they naturally could not accept Heinrich's attempts to separate from their small faction and draw a clear line. Consequently, Xia Wa's group engaged Heinrich in negotiations multiple times. Xia Wa, in moments of rising anger, would disregard Heinrich's overall commanding role and vehemently accuse him of his various acts of betrayal.

As Xia Wa's group possessed all the evidence of their involvement in the plan to escape the Realm of the Spirits, Heinrich, though furious at Xia Wa's group's acts of disrespect toward him, could only swallow his pride. Nevertheless, Heinrich repeatedly asserted that he had no interest in reporting Xia Wa's group's desertion plan to the Realm of the Spirits. He only hoped that Xia Wa's group would exclude his daughter from the desertion plan and expedite its realization, so he could live a peaceful life with his daughter from then on.

Despite Heinrich demonstrating sufficient sincerity, Xia Wa's group dared not fully trust him, given Heinrich's past recantation. They suspected this double-faced individual might suddenly betray them to the Realm of the Spirits at any moment, jeopardizing their escape plan.

Thus, Xia Wa's group proposed that Heinrich continue to act as a bestower of spirits. However, Heinrich staunchly refused their demand, citing a change in mindset since his daughter's birth. He claimed that his entire focus had shifted to nurturing his daughter's happiness, realizing he should no longer live a dissolute life as he had in the past, but instead devote all his time outside work to caring for his daughter.

Naturally, Xia Wa's group disagreed with Heinrich's viewpoint. Therefore, Elsie, as Tonali's mother, proposed that Heinrich continue to complete missions with Xia Wa and Elisa, while she would take responsibility for quickly raising Tonali to adulthood so she could smoothly ascend to spirit status in the Upper Realm. Afterwards, they would use their internal connections to recommend Tonali for inclusion in the Hidden Layer system, training her as a purification envoy for Purification Team P1557. This way, Heinrich could continue living with Tonali without compromising their plans.