"Yes, that's her!"
"Tsk, tsk. This girl really is bold…"
The crowd's eyes were full of admiration. She was clearly set on offending Medicine King Sect beyond reconciliation.
By the looks of it, this girl was about to meet her end.
"So her name is Song Wanníng…"
Wu Qingfeng suddenly smiled.
Only, that smile was laced with frost. It was not enough for her to tear down Medicine King Sect's ancestral memorial, now she was stealing from them as well.
What a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road.
"Where is she now?"
His gaze swept coldly toward Xiao Heyun, though he no longer pressed him.
"Not sure. Most likely still in Cannibal Valley."
Xiao Heyun's expression was icy. His body ached from his injuries, but he endured it.
"Just now, the palace vanished along with her."
Which meant the palace was probably in Song Wanníng's possession.
"Heh…"
Wu Qingfeng's laugh was more of a snarl.
"In that case, I will simply wait for her to come out. Let us see if she can hide for a lifetime."
He flicked his sleeve and turned toward the shade of a tree, then summoned Medicine King Sect disciples to rush in and completely surround Cannibal Valley.
He refused to believe Song Wanníng could hide forever.
Today, not even a fly would be able to escape.
Some cultivators tried to leave, but they were all turned away. Who could say if they were involved? They would have to wait until Song Wanníng showed herself.
While Wu Qingfeng's people tightened their siege, Song Wanníng was inside learning how to control the Immortal Furnace.
At the same time, Dao Qing was teaching her countless alchemy techniques, each revelation making her eyes light up.
If not for time running short, the two would not have stopped at all.
"What a pity. With the help of this palace's portal, I can only remain for this long… Otherwise, I would pass down every skill I have to you."
Dao Qing's gaze was filled with regret. This girl's talent surpassed that of all his disciples.
"Many thanks, Senior. I will study the Dao of alchemy with all my heart from now on and never let you down."
Song Wanníng's heart was full of gratitude. Though she could not formally call him Master, one who guides and answers is as a teacher. In her heart, she regarded Dao Qing as her master.
"Good, good. This teacher looks forward to the day you ascend to the Immortal Realm."
Dao Qing's eyes shone with relief. At last, he cast her one lingering look before his illusory figure faded away.
Only when he was gone did Song Wanníng lower her gaze. Following his instructions, she claimed ownership of the palace. From now on, this would be her own mobile alchemy house, far more convenient for refining pills.
In her sea of consciousness, a pill book floated silently. It was Dao Qing's legacy.
It was a compilation he had painstakingly written. Even in the Immortal Realm, it was a treasure people would fight to the death for.
Song Wanníng's lips curved in satisfaction. It seemed that people like Mu Zixu, blind to right and wrong, were the minority.
After tidying up, she prepared to leave the palace.
But she did not rush out recklessly. Instead, she used the palace's vision to observe the outside.
"Why are there so many people?"
Her brows knitted tightly. Not only were they still here after all this time, they were surrounding the place as if waiting for someone.
Were they… waiting for her?
Her heart sank. She watched carefully and soon spotted Xiao Heyun standing silent, with Xie Qinglan beside him looking sullen.
Her gaze shifted farther. One figure caught her attention.
The man wore a long robe of deep blue and leaned against a tree with eyes closed, his presence vast as the sea, his aura so overwhelming no one dared look directly at him.
One glance was enough to know he was a heavyweight.
Sweeping her eyes around again, she saw several cultivators wearing Medicine King Sect robes. The respectful way they treated that man confirmed her suspicion.
Medicine King Sect was here.
A flicker of killing intent flashed in her eyes, gone in an instant.
To send such a powerful cultivator after her… Mu Zixu truly was despicable.
"Big Sister, what do we do now? That one won't be easy to deal with," Xiao Jin's anxious voice rang in her mind, sensing her thoughts.
"Do not rush."
Her expression stayed calm. Though she felt uneasy, panic would be useless.
She tried sending a transmission talisman to Liu Xingzhi to warn him, but Cannibal Valley blocked transmissions.
She pressed her lips into a thin line. She had almost forgotten—Xie Qinglan had already failed to contact Xiao Heyun earlier.
She had to stay steady. No panic.
Taking a slow breath, she decided she had to find a way to fight her way out. At the very least, she needed to escape Cannibal Valley. Without knowing her exact location, the elders of Guhan Sect could not come to her aid.
She began searching for a chance, but the palace could only move with her.
She could not go out recklessly yet.
There was no choice. She decided to use the Divine Thunder again.
From her lower-realm treasures, Song Wanníng picked one and found the right angle before hurling it outward.
At the same time, a bolt of Nine Heavens Divine Thunder crashed down, serving as her cover.
"Look! What's that?"
"A treasure!"
All they saw under the Divine Thunder was something glowing, shooting away at speed.
They forgot all about Wu Qingfeng and rushed toward it.
Wu Qingfeng also noticed. He sprang to his feet. Without his spiritual sense, he could not confirm if it was a treasure.
But the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder was real.
His eyes narrowed as he shot toward that direction.
Now.
A cold light flashed in Song Wanníng's eyes. She seized the opening, flying out of the palace and streaking toward the valley's edge.
She pushed her speed to the limit, not daring to waste a breath.
Yet no matter how fast she flew, the gap in cultivation was there. Wu Qingfeng soon spotted her.
"Stop her!"
His roar made every Medicine King Sect disciple nearby surge after her.
Her eyes sharpened. She turned midflight, slashing her longsword down.
The terrifying sword domain condensed into a ring of light, tangling her pursuers' steps.
"Hmph. Still trying to run? Let us see how far you can go."
Wu Qingfeng's cold snort rang out as he chased after her.
His speed was far beyond ordinary cultivators. In a blink, he was right behind her.
A mocking smile tugged at his lips as he reached out to grab her.
But before he could touch her, another bolt of Nine Heavens Divine Thunder slammed down, forcing him to retreat over ten meters.
Before he could process what had happened, Song Wanníng was already at the edge of Cannibal Valley.
But the valley's outer rim was already encircled by Medicine King Sect disciples. More than a dozen were in Void Refinement, with even stronger cultivators among them.
Her gaze darkened. Without hesitation, she slashed at the nearest Divine Soul stage cultivator.
At the same time, she sent a transmission talisman to Liu Xingzhi.
Without the valley's restrictions, the talisman shot away immediately.
Unfortunately, Wu Qingfeng had already followed her out.
In moments, dozens of cultivators had surrounded Song Wanníng, sealing off every escape.