Chapter - 3441

"Have you gathered practically all the Demonic Lotus' petals and even the roots?" Zeke asked.

"That's right, Zeke." With a smirk, Vesper looked as captivating as a demonic flower in full bloom. "Do you want to hold it in your hands and admire it for a bit?"

Zeke furrowed his brow. "Forget it, Lord Vesper, I-"

"What did you call me?"

"Lord Vesper!" Zeke's tone turned icy. "Is there something wrong?"

At that moment, he adhered strictly to Vesper's instructions. His tone was still assertive, appearing unlike a prisoner but a handsome demonic cultivator.

"Just call me Vesper," said Vesper as she covered her mouth, lightly chuckling.

The allure in her eyes made Zeke feel utterly uncomfortable. Thank goodness Lacey isn't here. I'd be in trouble if she is.

Zeke sighed and couldn't help but speak up upon seeing her like that. "Vesper, release me. I don't want to stay by your side anymore."

"Why?" Vesper's countenance stiffened.

"Good and evil have never coexisted since ancient times," Zeke said helplessly. "Even though I'm currently your prisoner and following your orders, I find it too difficult. Even though you haven't forced me, nor truly intend to kill me, I still wish to return to being myself."

Zeke didn't want to pretend to be a demonic cultivator. It was just too exhausting.

"All right then," said Vesper after a moment of contemplation, nodding slightly. "You can be yourself again, but while you're with me, you must treat others in the way of a demonic cultivator. We're bound to encounter numerous forces soon. If you disappoint me when that time comes, I won't hesitate to be ruthless."

"All right." Zeke nodded in agreement.

Subsequently, he looked at her with a puzzled expression, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Vesper, do you... I mean, is there something you're finding hard to talk about? Or perhaps an old matter? Could you tell me about it?"

His question prompted her to put on an icy expression again. "This question is not something you can ask."

"All right then." Zeke shrugged indifferently. "I don't really care about much. I only want to know if there's someone in your past who resembles me. Someone familiar enough to stir up nostalgia."

Zeke was far from foolish. Based on the expressions and conversations of the other demonic cultivators earlier, as well as Vesper's reaction, he noticed a number of anomalies.

After piecing things together, he came to that conclusion.

Vesper was taken aback, her body trembling subtly. It was clear that she hadn't processed Zeke's question yet.

Subsequently, she let out a soft chuckle. "You're smart. Yes, you do have a certain resemblance to someone in terms of temperament, but that's all to it. Your appearance is only vaguely similar to his. Anyone can tell the difference upon closer inspection."

Temperament? That's getting a bit mystical, isn't it? Unable to hold back, Zeke asked, "Is it because I'm too handsome? So much so that I resemble your dream lover?"

As soon as Vesper heard that, her demeanor and tone turned icy. "Your description is somewhat inappropriate, Zeke. What do you mean by dream lover?"

"How about... idol?" Zeke replied hesitantly.

"F*ck off!" Vesper couldn't help but curse out loud. Then, she conjured up a black mist, dragging Zeke along to continue the search for the black temple within the Dark Swamp, collecting petals of the Demonic Lotus.

Zeke was also quite helpless. I was going to snatch the Demonic Lotus for myself, but looking back now, that seems like wishful thinking. This group of demonic cultivators has already gathered almost half of the Demonic Lotus. They're clearly well-prepared. Meanwhile, I knew nothing until now. I hope someone will come to my rescue.

However, a day passed, and surprisingly, the group didn't encounter anyone else. The demonic cultivators spent all their time searching for the black temple and gathering petals of the Demonic Lotus.

By nightfall, Zeke was ushered into Vesper's camp.

It was atop a mountain peak. Within the mountain, a dark formation shrouded the area, effectively concealing it from outsiders.

After arriving there, Vesper distributed all the heaven's energy to her subordinates. Then, she led Zeke into a small room.