By the time they arrived, it was already broad daylight.
The inn in the city, damaged by the lightning strike, looked even more conspicuous in the daylight. The innkeeper wore a grim expression as he cleaned up the mess.
He had used good materials to build it, so seeing it destroyed made him furious.
But no one suspected the divine lightning had anything to do with Song Wanníng—they could only blame their bad luck.
At this moment, Song Wanníng disguised herself as a weary-looking man. Since her clone's aura could be changed, she had concealed the ascended aura on her body.
She wandered through the city, but no one paid much attention to her.
After a brief stroll, she walked into another inn.
Since the previous inn was destroyed, the remaining inns shared the burden and saw many more visitors.
Everyone in the main hall was excitedly discussing the divine lightning event from the previous night.
"Did you see that divine lightning last night? If you didn't know better, you'd think those two idiots had done something so outrageous the Heavenly Dao was punishing them!"
"Right? I heard someone saw it happen. A single bolt turned them to ashes."
"Too bad the beauty who just ascended recently also got struck down."
"Good riddance. If she fell into the hands of the Heavenly Demon, it would have been even worse than death."
At the mention of the Heavenly Demon, a flicker of fear flashed in everyone's eyes.
Soon, some showed relieved smiles.
"Don't worry. The Heavenly Demon only targets women. We're safe!"
"True enough."
The group quickly changed the subject, though deep down they were still wary.
Song Wanníng sat quietly, sipping spirit wine, her eyes dimming slightly.
What was the Heavenly Demon?
Just the name sounded ominous.
As someone new here, her expression darkened. Once she reached a larger city, she had to understand the Spirit Realm better, or she would be at a loss wherever she went.
Her gaze scanned those around her, finally settling on a lone cultivator drinking nearby.
Holding her cup of spirit wine, Song Wanníng approached.
"Daoyou, do you know who the Heavenly Demon they keep mentioning is? I just arrived and have heard the name several times. I'm very curious."
She put on a look of innocent curiosity. When the man did not chase her away, she casually sat down.
"Heh, you've come to the right person. I just asked about this yesterday."
The cultivator seemed eager to gossip, grabbing Song Wanníng's sleeve and lowering his voice.
"They say the Heavenly Demon is actually a demon cultivator who named himself Heavenly Demon… claiming he wants to compete with the Heavens. Not only is he powerful, but he's also a freak. His favorite thing is skinning women..."
He winked deliberately and asked, "Do you know why he skins them?"
Song Wanníng quickly shook her head, feigning admiration.
The cultivator looked even more satisfied and whispered, "He skins them to wear their faces.
And the prettier the woman, the better. Yesterday, a beauty came through. If she hadn't been struck down by divine lightning, she'd probably have been taken by him!"
The cultivator spoke with a mixture of fear and relief that he was a man, or else he'd be doomed.
"That poor beauty was unlucky. No women dare come here anymore, but she ascended nearby. Talk about bad luck."
No kidding...
Song Wanníng felt a pang of sympathy. This ascension spot was truly dangerous.
She wondered if she would be cheated again in the end.
Her expression darkened. She tested the waters: "Is the Heavenly Demon really that powerful? Can't you just avoid him?"
"Hiss, avoiding him won't work."
The cultivator shook his head urgently.
"They say the Heavenly Demon has a Qi-seeing technique that lets him observe people's aura. He can even penetrate underground and bypass restrictions. Those women were all targeted because of this Qi-seeing technique."
Most Qi-seeing techniques are used to observe Luck, but his was used to track women's aura.
What a pervert.
The cultivator was full of disgust and disbelief. Song Wanníng, however, could not show her reaction.
Because her main body had just sensed the message, she instinctively felt something was wrong.
Her clone also sensed the danger, quickly making an excuse and fleeing.
"Tsk, why did she leave so suddenly?"
The cultivator looked disappointed, still enjoying the worship.
...
"Stay alert!"
Song Wanníng stood within the formation, her long sword vibrating with energy. Her expression was dark. She had hoped to hide, but now she knew the enemy had a Qi-seeing technique.
"Still not coming out?"
She shouted sharply. The surrounding aura suddenly changed, and the once clear air filled with demonic energy.
A figure stepped forward.
When Song Wanníng saw the figure, her eyes froze in surprise.
The figure was tall and slender, with flowing long hair. Without looking at his face, he looked like a handsome man.
But...
His nose and mouth were wrapped in a piece of skin, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed, which glowed with a strange light.
On the skin were remnants of lipstick and perfume.
"So you are the Heavenly Demon?"
Song Wanníng sized him up and secretly breathed easier.
Thankfully, the Heavenly Demon was only late Void Refinement stage, not the Unity or Mahayana powerhouse she had feared. If he had been one of those big shots, she would be doomed for eight generations.
She observed carefully, thinking through her battle strategy. At worst, she could escape.
"Hehe, how did you find me?"
The Heavenly Demon was surprised to be discovered, staring at Song Wanníng. His eyes fixated on her stunning face, full of lust and jealousy. If he could bring back this human skin, it would be very beautiful.
"..."
Song Wanníng felt the raw malice and nausea rising.
Since he cared so much about his face, then she...
"Of course. You're so ugly it's impossible not to notice you.
I have a trait: whenever an ugly person gets close, I feel disgusted."
Every word hit the Heavenly Demon's face harder. This lifetime, he hated being called ugly the most!
"This face is so beautiful. How can it be ugly?"
He scowled and touched the skin as if it were a treasure.
Song Wanníng was relentless.
"This face is indeed nice, but since it's on you, it's ugly."
Pft—
In her sea of consciousness, Xiao Jin and Long Ling burst out laughing.
Their master's words were so sharp, stabbing straight into the enemy's heart.
"You—"
The Heavenly Demon, not expecting such humiliation, instantly flew into a rage.
He shouted and whipped his black whip at Song Wanníng.