The suffocating feeling was like a giant hand gripping tightly around her neck.
Soon, Xie Qinglan's eyes widened uncontrollably. No matter how she struggled, she could not break free from the great net.
Just when she was about to lose control from suffocation, suddenly a black substance surged up from the swamp, transforming into shadows that attacked her.
What was that?
Xie Qinglan was horrified, her instincts screaming that something was terribly wrong.
The black shadows began to coil around her like thin threads, quickly burrowing into her body.
"Ah—"
Xie Qinglan screamed in agony. Those threads slipped unhindered into her meridians. As they moved inside her, unbearable pain flared throughout every corner of her body. Her once beautiful face twisted in torment, looking frightful.
Those black threads writhed like worms beneath her skin. If an ordinary person saw this, they would probably faint on the spot.
"Ah—"
Xie Qinglan crouched down, curling her body to protect herself, but even that did nothing to ease the pain. She felt as if those threads were piercing her through and through. The pain was relentless.
Time dragged on. Her cries grew weaker. She collapsed helplessly, groaning on the ground. The huge net blocked all her escape routes, trapping her in this confined space to endure endless agony.
In that moment, Xie Qinglan wished her pain could numb her senses, but every pang was vivid and impossible to ignore. In all her years, she had never suffered like this. She would rather face a deadly battle than endure such passive torment.
But this was exactly Xiao Heyun's plan.
Xie Qinglan carried a shred of her master's Primordial Soul. If she were truly in life-or-death danger, that soul would immediately sense it.
So he dared not truly endanger her life. Instead, he devised this cruel trick. Letting Xie Qinglan suffer endless pain until he could appear like a divine savior, rescuing her from peril…
At that moment, her heart would be completely conquered.
Xiao Heyun had calculated every step perfectly, except for one thing—being chased by the beast. He was currently fleeing for his life somewhere unknown and could not come to save her.
Xie Qinglan's body twitched uncontrollably in pain as her moans continued.
Time seemed unbearably slow, endless.
Was she really going to die here, writhing in agony?
She refused!
...
Meanwhile, under Long Ling's guidance, Song Wanníng found several precious spirit herbs. After battling beasts, she safely stored them inside her internal world.
Internal world was far more convenient than storage rings—not only safer but preserving freshness without any loss of medicinal potency.
She calculated the time. The senior had said it would take about half a month. Only seven days had passed, so it was better to hide here a bit longer.
"Sister, over there, over there…"
Long Ling suddenly spoke, pointing in another direction.
"Alright, let's check it out!"
Song Wanníng smiled. Long Ling's nose for treasure was even better than Ye Chuxue's treasure-hunting rat.
Xiao Jin and Shenyou Mystic Flame now completely respected Long Ling. Though for status, Xiao Jin still acted arrogant and made Long Ling call him 'big brother' every day.
Watching these little ones joke around made Song Wanníng's mood lighter, giving her a rare sense of peaceful days.
Soon, guided by Long Ling, she arrived at a cave.
"A cave! There must be crystal marrow inside!"
Xiao Jin's eyes sparkled. Crystal marrow was a supreme tonic, sure to boost her sister's cultivation tremendously.
"There's a formation here."
Song Wanníng's expression grew serious.
"This formation was set up by someone."
Natural formations had different energy signatures. This one clearly showed signs of having been placed by a person. Perhaps someone was inside now.
"Little one, is there still dense spiritual energy inside?"
Song Wanníng asked.
If the herbs were still here, they'd compete fairly to seize them.
If someone else had taken them, there was no point in forcing a fight.
"Still here, lots of it, Sister!"
Long Ling nodded excitedly.
"Good. Then let's go in and see."
Song Wanníng was cautious. Who knew the cultivation level of whoever was inside? She did not want to risk her life. Carefully, she placed several concealment talismans on herself before taking out a jade hairpin to enter the formation.
Inside the cave, multicolored crystal marrow glittered. Even Song Wanníng was surprised at how much had condensed here. Who knew how many years had passed? She scanned the surroundings, realizing no one else was present. Her eyes showed astonishment.
"It seems the outer formation protects these marrow crystals, but why not just take them away?"
Suspicion flickered in her gaze. This didn't feel simple. Anyone seeing so much crystal marrow would not leave it behind. They would have taken it all. But this person only set a formation and vanished.
Well, that worked out in her favor.
Song Wanníng smirked and leapt up, rapidly collecting the crystals. The multicolored marrow radiated an alluring glow. Just touching them made her internal spiritual energy tremble. A comfortable sensation filled her entire body.
She took a deep breath of spiritual energy, feeling every pore rejoice. With these marrow crystals, reaching Void Refinement's mid-stage would be much easier. After gathering all the crystal marrow, she swept the entire cave clean within minutes. She wondered if the owner would be furious upon returning.
Song Wanníng felt no moral burden. Unclaimed treasures belonged to whoever took them first—no matter who came first or last. After finishing, she glanced toward the swamp below and saw nothing unusual. Just as she prepared to leave—
A black bubble suddenly rose from the swamp. A thin black smoke followed, drifting upward. Song Wanníng halted, sensing the stench of demon energy.
The swamp beneath hid demon energy?
And what was this smoke filled with demon aura?
The demon energy within her stirred, seemingly excited.
Her eyes shifted slightly. Maybe for others, demonic creatures were only a threat. But for her, they could be a valuable resource.
So she didn't hurry to leave. Instead, she prepared to descend into the swamp to investigate. If there were treasures inside, she'd take them all.
After donning protection, Song Wanníng cautiously sank into the swamp.
Meanwhile, in the swamp, Xie Qinglan was on the verge of madness from pain.
Yet she refused to give up, stubbornly enduring.