"Peh—"
Liu Lanyi calmly spat, a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva spraying across Gong Ye's face.
Gong Ye showed no sign of anger. Instead, a faint smile tugged at his lips. "It's been years, and you're still as stubborn as ever."
His gaze swept over Liu Lanyi, and he couldn't help but marvel at the woman's tenacity. Anyone else would have died long ago under such cruel torture. Yet she remained spirited, her body recovering with surprising speed.
"That thing… where exactly have you hidden it?"
He leaned in close, asking the question once again. He had already lost count of how many times he had posed this inquiry. All he knew was that this woman's mouth was sealed tight, never once betraying a hint.
Even her Primordial Soul was guarded by some mysterious defense. Forcibly prying into her memories was impossible, unless he was willing to risk both of their lives in a mutual destruction.
But Gong Ye dared not gamble so recklessly. Ascension was his ultimate goal, and he could not afford the risk. Instead, he had chosen slow torture, hoping to break her spirit. Yet this woman had endured it for years.
Even as his enemy, Gong Ye could not help but admire Liu Lanyi's unshakable will.
"I told you already, I don't know!"
Liu Lanyi's voice was steady, her gaze filled with unflinching disdain. Even with a vast gap in cultivation between them, she refused to lower her head.
That look in her eyes… it was an insult, a blade sharper than steel.
Fury sparked in Gong Ye's eyes. A cruel glint flashed as he grabbed the Soul-Seizing Spike and drove it ruthlessly into her.
In an instant, Liu Lanyi convulsed in agony, her face drained of color. Yet she gritted her teeth, refusing to scream, holding onto the last shred of dignity she possessed. Her defiance only deepened Gong Ye's rage. He snatched up various torture tools from the side, subjecting Liu Lanyi to another round of torment.
Already weak and frail, Liu Lanyi's aura dimmed even further. But she held on, breath shallow but unbroken. Even as consciousness faded, she never uttered another word.
The same scene repeated itself, igniting Gong Ye's anger. He lashed out in a storm of violence.
The other prisoners in the water dungeon suffered as well, their screams echoing endlessly, sending chills down the spine of anyone who heard them.
At last, Gong Ye restrained his fury, casting one last deep look at the unconscious Liu Lanyi.
He had time. His ascension was far in the future. He could afford to wait. He refused to believe this woman could withstand not just ten years, but a hundred… a thousand years?
Eventually, her spirit would shatter.
With that thought, Gong Ye departed.
Liu Lanyi hung limp against the wall, unmoving, like a corpse. It wasn't until the next morning that she stirred, her consciousness returning slowly.
The water dungeon was perpetually shrouded in darkness. Liu Lanyi lowered her eyes, a murderous glint flickering within. Back when she ascended, her teleportation point had been disastrous, landing her deep within beast territory.
By coincidence, she stumbled upon a rare opportunity and took a desperate gamble. But before she could reap its rewards, Gong Ye captured her and imprisoned her here.
For most of her years post-ascension, she had rotted away in this water dungeon, enduring relentless suffering. At first, she doubted she could endure. Yet fate had dealt her a surprising hand. That very bead her Martial Niece Song Wanníng had insisted she accept… turned out to be her salvation.
It had the ability to transform other forms of energy.
For instance, beast qi—normally impossible for her to absorb—was purified into spiritual qi by the bead, not only sustaining her but accelerating her cultivation.
Thus, while imprisoned, Liu Lanyi had secretly trained, disguising her true cultivation level under the bead's protection. She appeared to be at the early Void Refinement stage, newly ascended. Every time she reflected on this, Liu Lanyi felt profound gratitude toward Song Wanníng. Without her, she would likely have perished long ago.
"I wonder if that girl has ascended yet. If she has… I hope she doesn't share my cursed fate, captured before even seeing her Senior Sister. Sigh…"
A soft sigh echoed through the dungeon before silence reclaimed the darkness. Liu Lanyi closed her eyes and resumed her secret cultivation.
-
Months later, Song Wanníng finally arrived at the beast territory's border.
Crossing the boundary stone stele, she was met with an overwhelming surge of beast qi. Spiritual qi in the air grew thin, heavily suppressed.
Song Wanníng scanned her surroundings curiously. The towering ancient trees here seemed eternal, their towering silhouettes stretching high into the clouds. At the border, medicinal herbs were scarce, no doubt harvested long ago by human cultivators who dared venture this far.
In the Spirit Realm, beast society was structured around bloodlines, similar to the clan system of humans.
Most beasts, born of ordinary bloodlines, spent their entire lives striving to fully take on human form.
Only those fortunate enough to awaken a trace of divine beast blood had the chance to ascend. Even a mere spark of that bloodline was enough to carve out a boundless future.
Yet for all their potential, tribulations for beast cultivators were far more brutal. A single misstep meant annihilation, so many beasts preferred to reign supreme in the Spirit Realm rather than risk death attempting ascension.
Song Wanníng had long studied records of beast clans. She pulled out a map, scanning it carefully. She had promised a certain Senior in the Time-Space Fragment that she would search for his descendants.
Now, guided by faint traces, she sensed a weak but unmistakable signal.
Meanwhile, the Three Lives Mirror clearly marked the intruder's location. But Song Wanníng did not rush forward recklessly. She was not a beast, and openly searching would draw the attention of every beast clan nearby.
No matter how strong she was, she could not withstand an endless beast tide. This required a cautious plan. Finding a hidden cave, she settled down to rest and then focused inward, inspecting the swirling energies within her dantian.
Immortal qi, yin qi, demonic qi, and spiritual qi flowed together in harmony. Could she also absorb beast qi? If she succeeded, she could move freely in this realm, cloaked from hostile detection.
Song Wanníng immediately sat cross-legged, beginning her experiment.
At first, she thought it would be simple. Yet as she inhaled the dense beast qi, she realized it was far more difficult than expected. Her previous breakthroughs had all occurred under extraordinary circumstances, in environments saturated with energy. This cave paled in comparison.
Still, Song Wanníng refused to give up. If the concentration was low, she would simply take longer. The first step was always the hardest. Once she succeeded in absorbing even a trace of beast qi, the rest would come easily.
So she immersed herself in cultivation, carefully stripping away impurities from the beast qi and forcefully drawing it into her body.
Hours passed. Song Wanníng remained motionless within the cave.
Outside, however, footsteps approached.
"Ninth Brother, are you sure that treasure is here?"
A man dressed in lavish robes with a coiled snakeskin belt around his waist asked skeptically.
"That's the item said to awaken the bloodline of a flood dragon. How could it possibly be in this godforsaken place?"