Eternal Temptation: Awakening Sinful Desires

William furrowed his brows and turned toward the man standing next to him. "Elder Darius, can you examine his soul?"

Darius nodded and walked towards the bed where Rick was lying, using his spiritual sense to probe his soul.

However, the expression on his face changed from grim to grimmer after he examined his soul, and he shook his head, sighing with helplessness. "I'm sorry, Elder William. It's beyond my abilities to heal such a severe injury. There are too many cracks in his soul, and each one has a different grade of severity.

Unless we find some treasure capable of healing souls or someone skilled in soul arts, we can only keep him stable. But I'm afraid that there is no hope for his full recovery, which will halt his cultivation progress."

His words caused Ava to clench her fists in anger and tremble in frustration as she shouted, "Are you saying that we should give up on him!? Is that all you can do as the Spirit Healer of the Twilight Mist sect!?"

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However, William put his hand on Ava's shoulder, stopping her from yelling any further. "Calm down, Ava. Getting angry won't help anything. Besides, Elder Darius already told us all that he could do."

Ava glared at her husband, and she shouted, "How can I stay calm when our son lies here half-dead? Do you expect me to just accept it and move on? I don't care who did this to him. I'll make them pay for it with their lives!"

William looked at her with a solemn expression and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, I won't let this matter slide. Whoever is responsible for injuring our son will suffer the consequences. I promise you that." Then he looked at Elder Darius and said, "Elder Darius, please try your best to heal my son. I'll be forever grateful for your efforts.

If there's anything you require to help him recover, just ask, and it shall be yours."

"As you wish, Elder William." Darius bowed slightly before focusing on his task, using his skills to treat Rick's wounds.

After several hours of intense concentration, Darius sighed in relief as he managed to stabilize the worst of Rick's injuries and prevent them from worsening any further.

"Phew! That's the best I can do for now. He is no longer in danger of dying or becoming muddled-brained, but his cultivation progress will remain stagnant." The elder informed them with a tired voice before walking out of the room, leaving them alone with their thoughts.

Ava sat beside Rick's bed while William stood near the window, looking outside with a somber expression on his face.

He felt frustrated, and his anger towards whoever hurt his son grew stronger. However, without any clues about the culprit behind the attack, he had no idea who to blame or how to handle the situation.

Just as William was considering various possibilities, a groan escaped from the lips of Rick, who seemed to have regained consciousness.

Ava gasped in surprise and grabbed her son's hand, staring at him with wide eyes and an anxious expression on her face. "Rick! Are you alright? How are you feeling? Tell me what happened to you! Who attacked you, and where are they?" She bombarded him with questions, desperate to find out more details regarding the incident.

William also approached his bedside and inquired, "Son, can you speak? If you can't, don't force yourself."

Rick took in his surrounding environment for a moment before he started remembering the events leading to his current predicament.

When he recalled the consequences of his failed plan against Scarlet, he shuddered in fright and shook his head, refusing to say anything to them.

"Speak, goddammit! I have to know the truth! Tell me, who did this to you!?" Ava insisted on an answer. She grabbed his shoulders with both hands and squeezed tight, making him flinch in pain.

William frowned at his behavior and ordered him with a firm tone, "Stop messing around. This isn't a game! Tell us now! What happened, and who did this to you!?"

Looking at his father's harsh gaze, Rick realized that there was no escape from this interrogation. He gave in and was about to admit his scheme against Scarlet, but at that moment, he thought of a better idea.

"Please forgive me, father. The ones who ambushed me were Scarlet and Cecil, along with that outsider! When I was in the Black Forest, I caught her and Cecil having intimate moments together with that outsider! They did this to me to prevent me from revealing their secret, as I believe that outsider is a spy who seduced the two ladies to harm the sect!"

After he finished spouting bullshit, Rick lowered his head and pretended to be ashamed of being defeated by the duo and their accomplice.

However, Ava and William didn't notice this change in his demeanor. They were furious upon hearing his report.

"How dare those two sluts do such a horrible thing to my poor boy!! How can they be so ruthless to the one who has loved them with all his heart!? And how can that bastard use such despicable means to harm my beloved son!?" Ava was enraged, and her face flushed with anger as she cursed at Scarlet and Cecil.

Meanwhile, William's expression became darker by the second as he heard what Rick said. However, unlike Ava, he remained silent and contemplative, pondering over how to deal with this new development, as he was certain that this matter was not as simple as it seemed.

On one hand, he wanted to take revenge for his son. However, on the other hand, he understood that he had to handle this matter cautiously.

After all, the other party involved was Scarlet, who was the daughter of Rias Claymore, and he knew that Rias wasn't someone to mess with.

At that moment, a loud roar echoed throughout the sect, interrupting their conversation.

"W-what is that!?" Rick stammered.

"It's coming from outside!" William exclaimed, heading towards the window and gazing outward. However, when he was about to peek over the edge, he froze in shock after listening to a familiar voice booming throughout the entire sect.

"BASTARD CUTLERS, WHERE DID YOU GET THE NERVE TO HURT MY DAUGHTERS!????"