At last, Song Wanníng slowly raised her hand and summoned the final thread of immortal qi, sending it straight into the heart of the array.
The moment the immortal qi left her fingertips, her entire body fell from the sky.
King Yama was startled. He immediately rushed forward to catch her and poured out a bottle of pills, feeding every last one into Song Wanníng's mouth.
Above them, the barrier shuddered and suddenly shattered apart. With only a few flickers of light, it completely dissolved, vanishing into nothingness.
It seemed as though nothing had happened, yet everything had changed.
King Yama and the gathered ghost cultivators looked up in confusion, but then they all felt a surge of unfamiliar energy…
This was…
Spiritual qi!
King Yama's heart leapt with joy, and he could not suppress the smile spreading across his face.
"Little girl, you did it! You truly did it!"
The seal was gone. The Underworld had reconnected with the Spirit Realm, and from now on they could freely pass through once again. Of course, cultivators from above would surely attempt to descend as well, bringing trouble, but King Yama was nothing but delighted.
Hearing his words, Song Wanníng's lips curved into a faint smile. Her pale face gained a flush of color.
As the pill's power melted within her, her complexion began to recover. If not for the immortal qi she carried within her body, simply breaking this formation would have drained her dry.
She closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, all exhaustion was gone, leaving only vitality and a clarity edged with ambition.
Just as she steadied herself, King Yama received countless transmission talismans, all demanding an explanation for the great disturbance.
"The seal of the Underworld has been lifted," King Yama's voice boomed out, carried across the realm through every city's amplifying arrays. "From this day forth, our realm shall once again connect with the Spirit Realm!"
"And all of this is thanks to Song Wanníng Xiaoyou of the Spirit Realm! Without her risking her very life, we would have remained trapped for countless tens of thousands of years!
From now on, Song Wanníng is the benefactor of the Underworld, the benefactor of every ghost cultivator within it! If she ever faces danger, the Underworld will aid her with all its strength!"
His proclamation echoed far and wide, stirring the entire Underworld into frenzy.
Everywhere, ghost cultivators cheered, running through the streets, eager to rush into the Spirit Realm just to glimpse its true face.
But their curiosity about Song Wanníng was even greater. Who was this young woman, to become the savior of an entire realm?
"Senior…" Song Wanníng murmured with some embarrassment. King Yama's words were far too exaggerated.
She hadn't truly risked her life. She was no selfless saint.
"Ha! Girl, you've done us the greatest of favors!" King Yama's laughter was full of wrinkles, his face beaming so widely it seemed he might burst with joy.
He wanted to praise her until flowers bloomed from his tongue, but fearing he might overwhelm her, he instead warmly invited her back to the Underworld Palace, where he hosted a grand banquet of gratitude.
Nearly every ghost cultivator of the Underworld was summoned, and thus they all came to recognize their benefactor.
"Now that everyone has met her, remember this well: should you ever encounter our benefactor in need, you must aid her with all your strength! Do you all understand?!"
"We understand!"
The thunderous response shook the hall, their faces alight with joy. Whatever they might personally feel about Song Wanníng, at this moment, their gratitude for the lifting of the seal was genuine.
Song Wanníng remained calm under their stares, raising her cup of fine wine and drinking it in one go.
Seeing her bearing, King Yama's admiration deepened. Such composure was not something easily learned.
The next day, after the banquet, Song Wanníng accepted the many gifts King Yama offered her and prepared to leave the Underworld.
Though the seal had been undone, King Yama had not yet allowed the ghost cultivators to cross over.
The Spirit Realm was far more dangerous, and someone needed to investigate the situation first. Only then would the ghost cultivators gradually be allowed to venture out and see the world.
Not wishing his people to walk into death, he left the task to Song Wanníng alone. But she remained cautious. After some thought, she released a clone.
That Mahayana cultivator was still unaccounted for. Who knew if he might be lying in wait outside the tunnel?
In the past, Song Wanníng would have dismissed such worries, thinking great cultivators incapable of such petty, despicable acts. But after meeting Mu Zixu, her view had changed.
Even the loftiest experts could stoop to disgraceful methods.
The clone altered its features, becoming the image of a miserable wanderer, and slowly walked toward the tunnel exit.
Song Wanníng herself remained far back, but the matured Red Lotus Karma Fire danced at her side, trailing after the clone.
She had yet to truly test the might of the mature flame, but even its aura alone…
Her eyes glimmered with cold light. If someone was indeed lurking outside, she would let the flame taste its first victim.
Step by step, the clone approached the tunnel mouth.
The white-haired Mahayana cultivator outside instantly became alert.
"She's coming out!"
He dropped his chess piece at once, his eyes flashing toward the exit like lightning.
Huo Mian, with a flicker of movement, appeared directly at the tunnel's side.
The two men fixed their gazes on the opening, ready to capture Song Wanníng the moment she emerged.
But instead, a stranger stepped out.
Both men froze, their brows furrowing.
"Who are you?"
The white-haired cultivator rushed forward, eyes fierce as he glared at the clone. How could some unknown person emerge instead? It made them look like fools.
Huo Mian's expression also darkened. His gaze locked on the clone, and killing intent arose.
Caught between them, the clone feigned fear, though inside it marveled. One Mahayana wasn't enough, and now a second appeared…
But who exactly was this other man?
"I… I just stumbled across this path and grew curious. I only wanted to see where it led, I…"
The clone stammered pitifully, all the while plotting how to kill them both.
"Have you seen this woman?"
Huo Mian pulled out a portrait, Song Wanníng's likeness vividly painted upon it.
"I… I have. She's still in the Underworld Palace. I even saw her just a few days ago…"
The clone answered timidly, already guessing Huo Mian's identity.
So the Huo family still refused to give up. Truly, they intended to fight her to the death. But instead of fear, Song Wanníng felt excitement bubbling within her.
Having gotten his answer, Huo Mian swiftly rolled up the portrait and prepared to kill this uninvited intruder. He cared nothing for enmity. Simply because he was displeased, he would slaughter them here and now.
The white-haired cultivator stood by without a word, indifferent.
As Huo Mian's massive palm descended, a sudden burst of crimson flame surged forth.
Startled, Huo Mian twisted aside, but the attack was too sudden. He failed to avoid it completely.
The instant the Red Lotus Karma Fire brushed against him, his head seared with unbearable heat.
And then, like a blaze igniting the very depths of his soul, the scorching agony consumed him entirely.