With different goals in their hearts, the two of them fought harder and harder, their clash nearly overturning the entire water prison.
The captives grew more and more excited, struggling frantically to break free.
…
Elsewhere, Mei Huan and Liu Lanyi finally reached the rendezvous point prepared at the very beginning. It was a well hidden cave set into a ledge halfway up a cliff. It was hard to find, and formations covered the area all around.
As the talisman's runes finished burning away, Liu Lanyi noticed another talisman in the cave that had already been burnt.
She frowned. She had never heard that Song Wanníng studied talismans. A talisman this rare must have cost Song Wanníng a fortune.
All of it spent to rescue her.
What mattered more was that Song Wanníng was still facing that demon of a man, Gong Ye. Liu Lanyi had no idea how things were going.
Liu Lanyi paced back and forth in the cave, unable to calm down.
Mei Huan, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease. "You have to trust Song Wanníng. She is very capable."
She sat down on the ground, picked up a piece of fruit, and crunched into it. She did not look worried at all.
Liu Lanyi paused for a heartbeat, but still could not rest easy. No matter how time passed, Song Wanníng was still a child in Liu Lanyi's eyes. She could only pray that Song Wanníng would shake off Gong Ye quickly and arrive soon to meet up.
…
Time flew. In the water prison, Song Wanníng and Gong Ye were both wounded. They were past patience, trading straight punches with no regard for technique. Their faces were bruised, their bodies mottled blue and purple. They looked wretched.
Gong Ye spat a mouthful of clotted blood. His lips burned with pain.
This woman had no martial virtue at all, always aiming at his face, every strike viciously precise.
Yet as the fight dragged on, the killing intent in Gong Ye's heart slowly thinned, replaced by a growing appreciation for Song Wanníng. No reason other than that she was both beautiful and strong.
Since arriving in this world, he had focused only on cultivation. Women had been tools to vent desire, used and discarded, never once taken to heart. But in this moment, he suddenly thought that if he could take a Dao companion like Song Wanníng, it would be a great help to his path ahead.
At her age, with power like this, ascension to the Immortal Realm was all but certain. She would become a powerful aid in time. If he found someone better later, he could simply cast her aside.
A spark of calculation flashed through Gong Ye's eyes, and his expression shifted.
Song Wanníng noticed the change at once and felt her skin prickle. Especially when Gong Ye suddenly smiled at her. Paired with his bruised and swollen face, it was unbearable to look at. Did he think he looked handsome right now?
Song Wanníng's mouth twitched. She drove her fist at his face again.
This dog of a man was definitely plotting something against her.
Thud.
Gong Ye took the punch head on. His vision swam, and the smile froze on his face. He grabbed Song Wanníng's wrist, glaring at the ungrateful woman before him. Before he could speak, Song Wanníng's other fist came flying.
Gong Ye's heart jolted. He released her and leapt back.
"You—" He was angry. He had already shown goodwill, yet this woman refused to tell good from bad and still attacked him.
"You what? Do not look at me with those eyes. I would never fancy you. Look at yourself. Even a stray dog on the roadside is more likable."
Song Wanníng did not want to waste any more time. She had fought enough and vented her anger. If Gong Ye kept staring at her with that greasy gaze, she was afraid she would throw up her last meal.
She finished speaking and struck again. This time, she moved unexpectedly, coating her fist with Lian'er.
Gong Ye did not anticipate her trick. Unprepared, he was touched by Lian'er at once. The instant it made contact, a stabbing pain pierced Gong Ye's Primordial Soul. He staggered back in shock. That was only the beginning. A wave of heart drilling agony followed, unending and relentless.
Gong Ye had too many lives on his hands. His karmic burden far exceeded that of other Mahayana cultivators, so the pain was all the more savage. He struggled desperately to tear it off, but Red Lotus Karma Fire's power was not small. It clung to him like a brand.
To strip it away, his Primordial Soul would need to be strong enough to suppress it.
Song Wanníng did not waste the opening. She slashed at Gong Ye without hesitation. Power from the internal world surged forth and poured into that single sword strike.
Even so, Gong Ye shattered the sword light with ease, proving with strength that he was not like ordinary Mahayana cultivators.
The blow failed. Song Wanníng understood that Gong Ye's fate did not end here. She did not cling to the fight. She changed direction at once.
She did not know how long Lian'er could hold Gong Ye. Within the time she had, she would race against every breath. Right before Gong Ye's eyes, she dashed to the nearest prisoners and yanked out their bone nails one by one.
The enemy of the enemy was a friend for now.
And once Gong Ye had to chase captives all over the place, her pressure would lessen. With that thought, the water prison was soon almost completely emptied of its captives.
Seeing this, Gong Ye nearly exploded.
Shocked and enraged, he fought savagely to rip off the Red Lotus Karma Fire.
The beast cultivators panicked as well. They tried to seize the prisoners, but Xiao Jin and the others blocked them, leaving their faces flushed with anxiety. 1The captives slipped free, shouted their thanks to Song Wanníng, and sprinted toward the exit of the dungeon.
Song Wanníng did not waste a heartbeat. She bolted for the outside as well.
"Stop."
Gong Ye's roar shook the air, but he still could not shake off the Red Lotus Karma Fire. Fury rushed to his head and he spat a mouthful of blood.
By then, Song Wanníng had already cleared the dungeon.
She did not recall Lian'er right away. She wanted to open some distance first. As for Xiao Jin and the rest, they naturally knew to follow after.
Song Wanníng pushed her speed to the limit, streaking through Bai Yao Palace like a flash of light. By now the entire Bai Yao Palace knew something had happened. Crowds surged toward her from every direction.
They saw the fleeing captives and Song Wanníng, and rushed to capture them.
Song Wanníng did not hold back. She unleashed killing moves, cutting down anyone who barred her path.
Blood sprayed. She tore through the crowd and sped for the outer perimeter of Bai Yao Palace.
In moments, the entire Bai Yao Palace fell into chaos.
Chickens and dogs were thrown into uproar.
In the water prison, Gong Ye was about to burst from rage.
Driven by boundless fury, he finally tore free of the Red Lotus Karma Fire with a violent heave.
"Damn it."
He snarled the words, his figure flashing as he shot toward the outside world.