The long whip was covered with barbs, each curve deeply bent. Once it dug into flesh, it would tear out a large chunk of bloodied meat.
As it whipped through the air, a strange scent drifted out.
At a faint sniff, it made one's head spin.
Poison?
Song Wanníng's eyes flickered. She swung her sword out, the overwhelming sword Dao Domain power pressing down like a towering mountain.
At the same time, an invisible cloud of powder surged toward the Heavenly Demon with the sword strike.
Since learning the poison-making methods from the inheritance, she had never gotten a chance to use them. After all, in the lower world, brute force was enough and poison rarely came into play.
Now was the perfect moment to test it. Poison cultivators were immune to their own poisons, so they usually didn't defend against it. This was a loophole to exploit.
Boom—
The whip's afterimage clashed fiercely with the sword's light. The next moment, a violent shockwave exploded, blowing the cave's walls away.
Both figures shot out of the cave. But halfway through, the Heavenly Demon instinctively sensed danger. His brows furrowed sharply, and he hurriedly swallowed an antidote pill.
In the next instant, he lunged forward, spitting out black blood. The human skin covering his face fell off at that moment. His face turned a deep shade of black with rage. He reached out to grab it, only for Song Wanníng's sword to cleave the skin into powder.
"Damn it!"
The Heavenly Demon was thoroughly enraged. Whirling his long whip, he struck again at Song Wanníng.
Yet he was also surprised. This woman had just ascended, but her strength did not match her cultivation level. If she were a typical early Void Refinement cultivator, he would have dealt with her already.
Song Wanníng did not flinch. She had a rough estimate of her opponent's strength. Clearly, he was not some exceptional prodigy, or he wouldn't be hiding here in desperation. So she fully unleashed herself, throwing herself into the battle with abandon.
Finally, she had an opponent she could fight with joy!!!
Her eyes gleamed brighter with every strike, as if the Heavenly Demon was her training dummy.
The more she fought, the angrier the Heavenly Demon grew. Soon he unleashed his secret technique. But Song Wanníng gave him no chance. Catching him off guard, she summoned a heavenly thunderbolt.
Boom—
The divine lightning was fast, precise, and brutal.
Before the Heavenly Demon could react, he was struck and blasted into a distant pit.
Song Wanníng surged forward, sword slashing across the air.
At that moment, a golden blade flashed across, but its target was not Song Wanníng—it aimed at the Heavenly Demon in the pit.
The sword strike was sharp, the blade's power formidable. Combined with the divine thunderbolt, the Heavenly Demon could only scream once before being smashed to powder.
Not a trace was left behind.
Song Wanníng's expression darkened. Her sword still hummed as she guarded against the sudden appearance of the blade.
Looking up, she saw a small spirit boat hovering in the sky, with two figures standing aboard.
One man and one woman, both strikingly handsome, exuding an extraordinary presence. They were clearly no ordinary people.
She tightened her grip on her sword, ready to act at a moment's notice.
"Daoyou, thank you for helping to deal with this Heavenly Demon!"
On the spirit boat, the woman's eyes shone brightly as she tugged the man's sleeve.
In the next moment, the spirit boat descended.
"Please forgive me, Daoyou. A while ago, I passed through here and was almost killed by that Heavenly Demon. Luckily, I escaped and found my Senior Brother to help avenge me.
I didn't expect Daoyou to be here as well. If my earlier actions offended you, please forgive me!"
Xie Qinglan smiled apologetically at Song Wanníng.
Her Senior Brother's actions had been rash; if he was mistaken for an enemy, it was understandable.
But he was only venting his anger for her.
Seeing no reaction from Song Wanníng, Xie Qinglan quickly introduced herself.
"My name is Xie Qinglan, a disciple of Qingyun Sect. This is my Senior Brother, Xiao Heyun. May I ask for your name, Daoyou?"
Xie Qinglan was lively, full of youthful energy.
Her large eyes sparkled clearly, making her quite likable.
Song Wanníng remained guarded but nodded.
"Song Wanníng."
She was an ascended cultivator. Revealing her real name was no problem—no one knew her here.
However...
Song Wanníng's gaze drifted to Xiao Heyun, who had not spoken yet.
He was at mid Void Refinement stage but clearly powerful, likely a prodigy.
However, he was cold and taciturn, giving off an icy aura that kept people at a distance.
This starkly contrasted with Xie Qinglan's lively nature.
While Song Wanníng was studying Xiao Heyun, he was quietly examining her as well.
"System, are you sure this person is not within the scope of my conquest?"
The woman before him was top-tier in figure, appearance, and strength, yet not a conquest target?
"Host, this person is an ascended cultivator, definitely outside the conquest range.
Your goal is to seduce powerful and influential beauties in the Spirit Realm, turning them into your stepping stones to unify the Spirit Realm!
But if you like her, you can take her. With your conditions, women throw themselves at you endlessly. Besides, with this system, handling a woman is a piece of cake."
The system's tone was full of disdain.
Women like Song Wanníng, with no power or status, were easier conquests—just a snap of the fingers and they came over.
"Hmm, she does look good."
Xiao Heyun remained expressionless but kept scrutinizing Song Wanníng.
In his past life, he was a fat, ugly otaku. Apart from watching anime and reading novels, he liked streaming and tipping. When out of money, he resorted to loans and credit cards. He died dodging debts, hit by a car.
He thought he was done, but somehow he transmigrated!
He ended up in this cultivation era, bound to a conquest system.
As long as he seduced these women, the system rewarded him. Reach enough points and he could unlock lotteries.
Thanks to the system, he rose to Void Refinement, gaining some achievement.
Now he was envied as a prodigy.
His persona was cold and heartless but occasionally showed tender care toward women.
Women instantly felt special and unique, falling helplessly in love with him.
While Xiao Heyun pondered, Xie Qinglan already invited Song Wanníng to join them.
"Alright."
Song Wanníng agreed after thinking it over.
She knew nothing here and could use the opportunity to gather information. When they parted ways, she would be free to go her own way.
===
If you have been reading my historical translations, you probably know I keep a private glossary of ancient China terms in Google Docs. I usually share the link in the chapter comments. I realized some of you read on the app, and copying links there can be a hassle (´･ᴗ･`).
So I am officially uploading the glossary here on Webnovel under The Imperial Handbook: A Practical Guide to Ancient Chinese Society. This will make it easier to access, and I can keep updating it whenever I meet a useful term, office, rank, or cultural note. Whether you are new to history novels or want deeper context, I hope it makes your reading smoother and more fun. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
If it helps, please add the handbook to your Library and give it a read. While you are there, feel free to add the rest of my handbook series as well:
• The Xianxia Handbook: A Guide to Cultivation and BeyondIn short: for all things Cultivation, Realms, and Daoist magic.
• The Imperial Handbook: A Practical Guide to Ancient Chinese SocietyIn short: for historical topics, courts, bureaucracy, and daily life in the past.
• The Webnovel Handbook: A Guide to Slang, Tropes, and Inside JokesIn short: for community slang, inside jokes, and fun tropes. The cover is ready, chapters will follow soon.
The Xianxia Handbook and the Imperial Handbook have passed vetting and are visible on my profile. Thank you for the support and happy reading!