Song Wanníng was not worried for herself, but for her Martial Uncle. Gong Ye carried not only immense Luck but also stood at the pinnacle of cultivation. Liu Lanyi could not possibly withstand him.
"Martial Uncle, with Gong Ye's temperament, the moment I start removing the bone nails, he will surely sense it.
If danger comes, you must run first. I have ways to escape…" Song Wanníng knew her Martial Uncle well. There was no way Liu Lanyi would leave her behind.
As expected, Liu Lanyi's face hardened. "No. Either you leave or we go together. I will never abandon you to save myself!"
How could she call herself a person if she did that? Liu Lanyi still hadn't fully accepted the shift in their relationship.
Song Wanníng gave a helpless smile and said something cruel but effective. "If you stay, you'll only hold me back."
The prison cell fell silent.
She hadn't wanted to say it, but between her and her Martial Uncle, there was no room for sugarcoating or unnecessary pleasantries.
Liu Lanyi froze for a moment, then after a pause, finally accepted the truth. She chuckled softly and cursed, "So I'm the one slowing you down now, huh?"
"How would I dare? Once you're free, you'll probably advance faster than me!" Song Wanníng replied with a laugh, knowing that her Martial Uncle had agreed.
This was their unspoken understanding.
"Then tell me where I should wait for you. And how can I ensure your safety?" Liu Lanyi's smile faded. Worry still filled her eyes.
"When the time comes, go to this place… Mei Huan will go with you. When the chance comes…" Song Wanníng passed her the location she had prepared beforehand and handed her a talisman.
"If danger comes, activate this talisman the moment I retaliate. It will take you both somewhere safe.
Stay there and wait for me. I'll come as soon as I can!" She had prepared all of this long ago. She just hadn't expected the person she was rescuing to be her Martial Uncle.
Now she was glad she had made those preparations.
Liu Lanyi held the talisman in silence for a long time before finally nodding. She clenched it tightly, emotions surging within her…
Once everything was ready, Song Wanníng began to focus on the bone nails.
She had initially thought of using beast energy, but she didn't have much of it. It could only serve as camouflage, not a true solution.
So she turned to immortal energy instead.
Immortal energy was superior to beast energy. It would surely work on the nails.
Without hesitation, Song Wanníng channeled immortal energy from her body. A powerful aura filled the water prison, drawing the attention of others in nearby cells. They all turned their heads toward her.
Unfazed, she wrapped the bone nails with immortal energy. The energy transformed into a forceful pair of pliers, gripping the nails tightly and pulling.
At that exact moment, far away in the snake clan's domain, Gong Ye's expression shifted sharply.
Someone was tampering with the bone nails?!
His aura instantly grew dangerous. Narrowing his eyes, he let out a cold chuckle.
That woman again. Still dreaming of breaking free?
How naïve.
Those nails were sealed with his personal power. Without strength far greater than his own, no one could remove them.
In the current Spirit Realm, he was already unmatched. There was no need to fear anyone. Whoever tried was merely a foolish insect shaking a tree. His killing intent faded slightly as he returned to bargaining with the snake clan, weaving a plan to trap them instead.
Yet the snake clan remained oblivious, greedily plotting to gain the upper hand.
Gong Ye smirked coldly, his mind turning over more schemes.
Meanwhile, Song Wanníng's clone observed his reaction from afar, finally exhaling in relief.
She returned her full attention to the nails.
They were as tough as expected, pinning Liu Lanyi's hands to the wall like iron shackles. But as immortal energy poured in, the demonic power sealing the nails began to falter, even retreating. Against immortal energy, it crumbled quickly.
Liu Lanyi stared at the unmoving nails, her heart sinking. These nails had been sealed by Gong Ye himself. Song Wanníng couldn't possibly…
Before she could finish the thought, the first nail loosened and popped free.
The nails that had bound her for nearly a decade fell away, one by one, slipping out of her bones. For a moment, both she and Song Wanníng met each other's eyes and smiled with pure joy.
At that exact moment, far away, Gong Ye's face twisted in fury.
With a flick of his sleeve, a long chain appeared in his hand. In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished from the serpent clan's hall, leaving them stunned.
Back in the water prison, Song Wanníng's heart lurched. She shoved a pill into Liu Lanyi's mouth.
"He knows. We have to go, now!"
The words had barely left her lips when a figure materialized in front of them.
Mei Huan's face went pale as paper, terror flooding her features. She scrambled behind Song Wanníng.
This was bad.
Liu Lanyi instinctively stepped forward, shielding Song Wanníng, her sharp gaze locking on Gong Ye.
It was already too late to escape.
Gong Ye stared at the three of them, fury simmering like a volcano beneath his calm expression.
"So it's you. I underestimated you."
His fists clenched with an audible crack, murderous intent pouring from his eyes.
"No wonder they summoned me back here. It was all to create an opening for you."
But how had the snake clan learned of Liu Lanyi's existence?
A traitor?
His face grew darker by the second.
Seeing his misunderstanding, Song Wanníng didn't bother to explain. She sent a voice transmission to Liu Lanyi, instructing her to activate the talisman amidst the chaos. Everything else would be left to her.
"Gong Ye, enough talk. You've seen the snake clan's strength. Even ten like you wouldn't be enough to challenge us!
You'd better submit yourself to the snake clan. Otherwise, just as they abandoned you once, we will abandon you again!" Her taunting words struck right at Gong Ye's heart, infuriating him completely.
"Good. Very good." Gong Ye let out a chilling laugh.
"A mere Out-of-Body cultivator dares to speak so arrogantly? Let me see just how mighty the serpent clan thinks it is!"
He raised his palm, sending a devastating strike toward Song Wanníng and Liu Lanyi.