Luo Hantian quickly gathered his disciples and showed them a portrait of Song Wanníng.
"Notify everyone. Search for this person with all your strength. Once found, respectfully bring her back to the Sect immediately. No slackening, understood?"
He did not want any misunderstanding among his disciples due to unclear instructions.
If they offended the wrong person, there would be nowhere to cry later.
"Disciples obey!"
The disciples of Guhan Sect looked at the portrait with surprise and curiosity.
For the Sect Master to care this much, this person's identity must be extraordinary.
...
Half a month later, Song Wanníng finally flew out of the desert.
First thing, she cast a Water Sphere technique on herself, washing off the dust and grime from head to toe.
After half a month buffeted by endless yellow sand, even with a protective shield, she still felt grimy all over.
After the quick cleansing, she sped forward, finally sensing the dense spiritual energy of the Spirit Realm, even richer than that at the very center of the Song family's Dragon Vein.
She closed her eyes to take it in. Every pore seemed to rejoice, greedily absorbing the energy.
Soon, she saw a small town, not very large. After paying the entrance fee, she swaggered inside.
Song Wanníng first bought a map and some records, then ordered food at an inn before settling down in the main hall.
Everything in the Spirit Realm was new and strange.
Long Ling and Xiao Jin chattered excitedly in her sea of consciousness.
Since she had a speaking Long Ling, Xiao Jin had grown even more talkative.
If only Shenyou Mystic Flame could talk too, the sea of consciousness would be even livelier.
Song Wanníng smiled faintly and, while waiting for her meal, carefully studied the map and notes.
Through this, she learned the general situation of the Spirit Realm.
First, the cultivation levels were still divided as Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Divine Transformation.
But above Divine Transformation, there were Void Refinement, Out of Body, Divine Soul, Unity, and Mahayana.
Song Wanníng's current cultivation was early Void Refinement.
So even here in the Spirit Realm, she counted as mid-level and would not be looked down upon too much.
However...
Cultivators who ascended from the lower realm had no power or status. Many had become loose cultivators. Even with decent cultivation, their standing was low.
Those big families and sects did not regard ascended cultivators highly.
Reading this, Song Wanníng frowned.
She wondered how her Master and Martial Uncle were doing.
She sent a communication talisman but never received a reply. Perhaps the talisman became useless after changing worlds.
For now, she could only gather information slowly.
Next, she learned about the distribution of powers.
The Spirit Realm was vast and rich, incomparable to the lower realm, divided into five major regions: east, south, west, north, and the central domain.
The east and south were human territories, the west was beast territory, the north was controlled by demons.
The central domain was a revered cultivation sanctuary where only talent mattered regardless of race.
Legend said the central domain was untouched in the ancient war, making its spiritual legacy and energy far superior to other places. Its status had remained unshaken for millions of years.
Its powers were deeply entrenched and unmovable.
Song Wanníng was now in the Eastern Region's Sha Huang Valley, known for vast lands with sparse population—tens of thousands of kilometers without a single city.
She twitched at the thought. This was clearly banishment to the frontier.
"Your food is here, please enjoy," the waiter said as he placed the dishes on her table. He glanced at her face, then turned with a smirk.
Back at the counter, he gave the innkeeper a knowing look.
The innkeeper returned a lingering glance at Song Wanníng, then buried himself in his accounts.
Song Wanníng put away the notes and started eating seriously.
The food was nothing special.
She thought about her future while eating.
She would return the Guhan Sect's tower at the right moment, but the position of true disciple at Guhan Sect...
She needed to think carefully and first investigate the sect's background.
Also, she wanted to continue following her Master closely. If her Master joined another sect, she would naturally not choose Guhan Sect.
That was one thing.
Secondly, while cultivating, she needed to gather news on the intruder.
After all, the Three Lives Mirror had fallen asleep. Without its warnings, she had to judge on her own.
Third, if possible, she wanted to make some talented friends. If someone helped her, achieving her goals would be much easier.
Song Wanníng fell silent for a moment. For now, these were her priorities. The rest she would plan later.
She finished eating simply, then went upstairs and dropped into a deep sleep, leaving an array disk behind.
The pressure from the tribulation had exhausted her.
As Song Wanníng left, murmurs started in the inn.
"Hiss, if I'm not mistaken, that's an ascended cultivator?"
"Yes, you're right. The aura is different from ours. Definitely an ascended one."
"Tsk tsk, it's been a long time since we saw one. And this time it's a beauty. Haha!"
"Yeah, unlucky for the beauty though, getting sent here. This is going to be interesting..."
"Psst, are you talking about that one?"
"Hehe..."
The inn fell quiet again.
Everyone shared a knowing look and soon changed the subject.
At night, the entire town sank into an eerie silence.
No one was on the streets. Every house had its lights out. No candle flames flickered. Only cold moonlight poured down.
Song Wanníng breathed steadily, her sleep peaceful.
Until suddenly, the array gave an alarm.
She snapped upright, sword already in hand the next moment.
Seeing something drifting inside, she immediately blocked her sense of smell and activated her protective shield to isolate herself.
Just to be safe, Song Wanníng carefully drew the scent into her inner world.
This function was something she discovered recently. With a thought, her inner world could receive many things—but living matter could not enter.
While she was thinking, a shadow sneaked in at the door. Her brows furrowed, and she scanned the figure with her divine sense. It was a cultivator she had seen at the inn earlier today.
This man had an average face, but a red mole behind his ear made him stand out. Behind him quickly came another person, the waiter who served food earlier.
Song Wanníng smiled bitterly.
So she had just ascended and immediately ran into a black market scam, huh?
She narrowed her eyes and smiled coldly.
Since they dared to make a move on her, they would regret it.
Song Wanníng folded away her array disk and sat on the bed with a faint, mysterious smile, calmly watching them make their move.
"Here's the key!" The waiter handed the key to the average-faced man named Old Wu. "I listened at the door earlier. No sounds. She's definitely asleep!"
Anyone coming out of the desert had to be exhausted!