"Why aren't you running anymore?"
Wu Qingfeng studied the face before him, exactly the same as the one in the wanted portrait, and sneered inwardly. This woman had a bit of wit, he admitted, but before absolute strength, wit was nothing but dust.
"Surrounded by a pack of dogs, of course I can't run anymore."
Song Wanníng's lips curved with a cold edge, her tone utterly devoid of courtesy.
They were mortal enemies—there was no need for pleasant words.
The transmission talisman in her hand trembled rapidly. No doubt Liu Xingzhi had replied by now. Judging by the timing, he should be arriving soon. She only needed to find a way to stall for time.
Once her reinforcements arrived, these people would have a far harder time laying a hand on her. Luo Hantian had told her before—Liu Xingzhi alone could hold back an army. No one here would dare provoke him.
But she had never dared place her fate entirely in someone else's hands. She would still find a way to keep control over her own life. In that brief moment of thought, Song Wanníng already had a plan.
"Heh, quite the sharp tongue you've got there."
Wu Qingfeng found her arrogance amusing, though he didn't take her seriously. He simply reached out, intending to seize her and drag her straight back to Medicine King Sect, to finish her in front of the Ancestor himself.
But before he could act, a woman's voice called from behind.
"Senior Wu, please show mercy. She is my benefactor, and my friend."
Xie Qinglan flew over in haste, worry etched across her face.
Xiao Heyun was forced to follow, his expression stiff.
After all, he was the one who had told Wu Qingfeng about Song Wanníng… It was hard not to feel guilty facing her now.
Yet with Xie Qinglan determined to meddle, he had no choice but to come along—otherwise, her favorability toward him would drop again.
The thought made him want to cough up blood.
This was the first time he'd ever seen a drop in favorability, and the unease gnawed at him.
"Junior Xie, this woman is our Medicine King Sect's sworn enemy. Even if your own father were here, this sovereign would not let her go."
Wu Qingfeng barely spared Xie Qinglan a glance.
Qingyun Sect relied heavily on Medicine King Sect for pills. They had no standing to interfere. If they angered him enough to cut off the supply, Qingyun Sect would be the one knocking on their door in supplication.
The other great sects might bicker among themselves, but with Medicine King Sect, they all kept relations smooth.
That was the source of Medicine King Sect's arrogance.
"Senior Wu, Wanníng just ascended. There must be some misunderstanding. She saved my life…"
Xie Qinglan's face flushed, her gaze stubborn yet anxious as she looked toward Song Wanníng.
"Senior Brother, can't you think of a way to help her? I can't just stand by and watch her die…"
But she knew her own limits—she couldn't save Song Wanníng herself. Her Senior Brother was different. He was capable. He might have a way. Her eyes turned toward Xiao Heyun, full of hope.
At the same time, Wu Qingfeng's gaze slid toward him, cold and unfriendly.
Xiao Heyun cursed Xie Qinglan's foolishness inwardly, but kept his face impassive.
"This is their private matter. I'm just a small cultivator—how could I possibly oppose Medicine King Sect?"
Every word was true. Anyone else in his place would be just as reluctant to interfere.
But the moment the words left his mouth, he saw the light in Xie Qinglan's eyes dim.
The system's voice chimed in his mind: "Target Xie Qinglan's favorability -2. Current favorability: 88."
The perfect, all-capable image she held of her Senior Brother cracked a little.
Song Wanníng had no idea.
She was, however, surprised that Xie Qinglan had stepped forward for her. It had been a long time since she'd seen such an earnest and straightforward girl. Even if it did nothing to change the situation, she would remember this kindness. Once she escaped, she would find a way to free Xie Qinglan from Xiao Heyun's grasp.
Wu Qingfeng, meanwhile, was very pleased with Xiao Heyun's tact.
Backing off earlier had already been a courtesy to Qingyun Sect. Now, he would show no more restraint. His hand swept out, transforming into a massive palm of spiritual force that reached for Song Wanníng.
Yet to his surprise, Song Wanníng didn't dodge or flinch. She simply crossed her arms over her chest and waited, as if daring him to try.
The sight made the wary Wu Qingfeng's heart tighten. His eyes narrowed. He might not respect her cultivation, but he wasn't so careless as to dismiss her entirely.
Just as the massive hand was about to close around her, a bolt of Nine Heavens Divine Thunder crashed down from the sky.
A suffocating killing intent locked onto him, and he stumbled back in alarm.
The disciples nearby were also startled. A powerful current spread outward in all directions, making their bodies tingle and go numb.
Wu Qingfeng suffered the worst. One leg was struck directly, his top-grade robe instantly destroyed, the skin beneath charred black with the stench of burnt flesh.
His expression darkened, and for a moment, fear flickered in his eyes.
The stronger one's cultivation, the deeper one's understanding of the Heavenly Dao—and the greater the awe toward divine thunder.
And just now… was that truly Nine Heavens Divine Thunder?
Wu Qingfeng's gaze trembled as he looked at Song Wanníng in disbelief.
"What trick did you just use?"
He had never heard of anyone being able to seize a seed of divine thunder. The thought didn't even cross his mind.
"Didn't you see for yourself whether I used a trick or not?"
Song Wanníng's lips curved into a wild, defiant smile.
Used well, Nine Heavens Divine Thunder was more than enough to bluff someone like Wu Qingfeng.
The idea had come from Ye Chuxue.
"Do you know why I was able to offend so many people, yet still ascend successfully?"
Her challenge was plain for all to see, and it made Wu Qingfeng's expression grow darker.
Only he understood the true meaning behind those words. And now, he hesitated. His eyes showed a flicker of caution.
"Of course it's because I have the Heavenly Dao's protection… Anyone who tries to harm me will be struck down by divine thunder, leaving nothing behind. If you don't believe me, feel free to try."
Her smile deepened, the wind catching her robes and lending her an air of unfathomable mystery.
Wu Qingfeng sneered.
"You think I'd believe that? Do I look that stupid to you?"
He truly thought she was insane.
In all his years of cultivation, he had never heard of the Heavenly Dao punishing someone on behalf of another.
"Don't believe me? Then why not try again and see?"
Song Wanníng's arms remained folded, her expression relaxed.
Despite her low cultivation, she now looked down on him with the arrogance of one above.
Even the disciples of Medicine King Sect felt a shiver.
If she were bluffing, would she dare be this bold?
On one side, Xie Qinglan's eyes were shining.
"She's amazing!"
Even more amazing than her Senior Brother.
To stand so boldly before a Divine Soul stage cultivator—it was dazzling.
Xiao Heyun: "…"
He was infuriated.
Was this woman his nemesis? She'd just slapped him across the face in front of everyone.
"System, system, what does she mean by that?"