Jiang Cen had seized his daughter's body and personally buried his daughter's future. Such hatred could not be appeased by a simple killing. So he would torment Jiang Cen, make her die bit by bit in agony, so that the hatred in his heart could settle.
"Ah, Father, save me." Jiang Cen had never felt such pain. It stabbed straight into the Primordial Soul, rolling her soul over and over until she howled without end. As time dragged on, even she began to believe she really was Jiang Wentian's daughter.
Jiang Wentian's expression was calm, but the storm in his eyes raged. A single hard look from him drew another scream from Jiang Cen, and the pain doubled until she could no longer form words.
He then walked to his daughter's body and carefully set it beneath a nearby tree. "Daughter, do not worry. I will make her regret ever coming into this world.
Watch closely. I will avenge you."
He sat down beside her, letting his daughter's body rest against him. Jiang Cen's screams wove together like a grim accompaniment, repeating in his ears.
Song Wanníng frowned slightly. She understood Jiang Wentian's choice completely. If it had been her, she might have gone even further. She found a place to sit as well and watched Jiang Cen's suffering in silence.
At first, Jiang Cen's soul could still roll and writhe under the pain. After a while, only shuddering spasms remained. Her eyes were bloodshot and wide, filled with torment and pleading. The wild look on her face showed how unbearable the pain had become.
Later, her voice went completely hoarse. Not even a whisper of begging could escape her lips. There was only helpless collapse. But the pain had no end. Jiang Cen could not even grow numb. She was forced to meet wave after wave of agony, each surge worse than the last.
…
The torture lasted a full ten days.
Jiang Wentian watched coldly the whole time. At last, he gently propped his daughter's body against the trunk and stood. He withdrew the flame. Jiang Cen's soul dropped at once.
By now she was entirely broken, head shaking and limbs twitching. When Jiang Wentian approached, she flinched hard, shrinking in instinctive fear. Seeing how pain had driven her to dull madness, Jiang Wentian's gaze finally wavered. So this was the one who had harmed his daughter. It was absurd to the extreme.
In that moment, everything felt tasteless. Jiang Wentian lifted his great palm and struck down.
"Ah."
Jiang Cen's hoarse cry sounded thin and pale. Her pupils dilated. Only despair remained. The next second, a heavenly tribulation descended from the sky, abrupt and deadly, lashing toward Jiang Wentian.
Startled, Jiang Wentian fought back at once. He still could not evade in time and was struck by the tribulation thunder.
Song Wanníng did not move from her seat. If she intruded now, Jiang Wentian might take offense.
Let him try first.
The tribulation dissipated quickly, revealing Jiang Wentian's slightly disheveled figure. His hair was scorched loose, wounds marked his body, and thunder still crackled around him. His eyes held rage, disbelief, and the faintest hint of confusion. He could not understand why a tribulation would suddenly fall.
Jiang Cen was scared witless. She did not dare move a muscle. Even so, the Heavenly Dao of the Mùsù star system seemed unwilling to give up, doing everything it could to protect the intruder.
Jiang Wentian shot Jiang Cen a glare, sharper than before. He refused to accept this.
This thunder must have been an accident.
With that thought, Jiang Wentian struck at Jiang Cen's soul again. If his palm landed, Jiang Cen would be scattered into nothing.
The next instant, thunder fell as predicted, even fiercer than before. Jiang Wentian jerked his head up and was wrapped in the tribulation once more. When it cleared again, baleful qi wrapped him completely.
"On what grounds? On what grounds would you protect her?
You think if you shield her, she will not die? I will kill her." He roared to the sky, fury choking his chest.
He lunged for Jiang Cen once more. As expected, tribulation descended again.
Jiang Wentian was swallowed by thunder yet again.
…
After being battered again and again, Jiang Wentian was ready to explode.
There was too much rage in his heart with nowhere to go. His temples throbbed, and madness crept into his gaze. His robes were torn to rags. He looked utterly bedraggled, hair blasted in all directions.
An outsider would have taken him for a raving lunatic. He muttered over and over, "Why… why…"
Why could he not kill this wretch Jiang Cen?
Why?
Seeing Jiang Wentian on the verge of forming a heart demon, Song Wanníng sighed and finally rose to her feet.
"Jiang Cen is an invader from another world, protected by the Heavenly Dao of that world. You cannot kill her. If you need help, I can cut her down."
Jiang Wentian was the Supreme Elder of Guhan Sect. She did not want this to leave him with a heart demon he could not purge.
Her words pulled him back to himself. He remembered what Song Wanníng had said at the inn, and he had to accept reality. He clenched his fists and nodded to Song Wanníng.
"As long as she dies. Kill her." He could not accept Jiang Cen living on. His daughter would never rest.
"Good." Song Wanníng inclined her head and turned to Jiang Cen's soul.
The dazed, broken soul trembled violently the instant it met Song Wanníng's eyes. It was fear from the depths of the soul.
Song Wanníng's gaze was ice. Killing intent surged.
Intruders all deserve death.
Her sword flashed. Sword light fell directly upon the soul.
"Ah."
A hoarse scream split the sky, laden with bottomless fear, and faded into the distance.
No tribulation fell. No accident intervened.
Jiang Cen's soul shattered with a roar, turned to ash, and scattered into the air.
Jiang Wentian stared blankly. Only when the soul was completely gone did life return to his eyes. He looked deeply at Song Wanníng. He had sensed it at last, the difference about her. He had been struck over and over by tribulation, yet Song Wanníng had cut the soul down with ease.
It was plain enough. Song Wanníng was favored by the Heavenly Dao. No one could overstep her.
He glanced at his daughter's body under the tree. The familiar aura was gone. His daughter had left him for good.
Jiang Wentian closed his eyes and accepted the truth. He bowed deeply to Song Wanníng, then soared forward, gathered his daughter's body into his arms, and departed.
Song Wanníng did not pursue.
Jiang Cen's death had long been decided. She still had more important matters to handle now.