Gong Ye's fury spiked the moment he saw Song Wanníng's fist slam toward him. He couldn't figure out where she'd tempered her body, but it was strong enough that even he couldn't suppress it. His face darkened, yet beneath the anger, a spark of excitement flared.
The two clashed head-on, their blows thundering as they traded strikes back and forth. Meanwhile, Liu Lanyi's hands flew nonstop, tossing spirit stones into precise spots as she quickly laid down a formation.
Not far away, Hua Kongque finally dragged herself to her feet, only to witness Song Wanníng's true strength. In that instant, her brother's warning echoed in her mind, regret flashing in her eyes. So he'd been right all along!
She clenched her teeth, all thoughts of proving herself gone. She'd only targeted Song Wanníng because the woman's cultivation looked lower. If she'd seen this strength from the start, she'd never have tailed them, and definitely not alone…
But maybe it wasn't too late.
A glimmer of hope crossed her face. After one last, lingering glance at Song Wanníng, she turned and bolted, fleeing as fast as she could. All she wanted now was to get away from this deadly mess.
But Song Wanníng wasn't about to let her. Hua Kongque had come for her life, without ever asking if she wanted that fight.
Now she wanted to back out?
Not a chance.
With a flick of her wrist, Song Wanníng sent Lian'er blazing straight at her.
Hua Kongque spotted the crimson flames and her pupils shrank in panic. She pushed her speed to the limit, but she was a heartbeat too slow. The fire clung to her in an instant, and once it touched her, there was no escape. The flames spread fast, engulfing her completely.
"Ahhh!"
Agonizing pain ripped through her Primordial Soul, dragging a scream from her throat as she plummeted from the sky. The fire roared around her body, burning even fiercer than it had on Gong Ye.
Song Wanníng's eyes flickered in surprise, and even Gong Ye couldn't hide his shock. He'd killed countless rivals to claw his way up and solidify his throne, but even his sins didn't weigh this heavily. How many people had Hua Kongque slaughtered for her karmic burden to be this terrifying?
Her shrieks echoed, raw and desperate. She wanted to calm down, but the soul-piercing torment made it impossible. Her last scrap of reason urged her to summon the Five-Colored Divine Light to absorb the flames. But reality was cruel. The pain was so blinding she couldn't even control her body, much less activate her bloodline power.
What kind of fire was this?!
As she writhed helplessly, Gong Ye shifted his focus, lunging for Liu Lanyi. He wasn't blind. His grasp of formations was solid, and he'd seen what she was attempting.
At first, he hadn't cared. With his skill, dismantling a formation was child's play. But as her layout neared completion, unease crept into him. This wasn't any formation he recognized. Someone's formation skills outstripped his?
Impossible!
Yet in just a month, his understanding of the world had been shaken again and again. Every time he thought he stood at the peak, these women proved him wrong. He had to interrupt her before it was too late. He surged forward, but the immortal furnace guarded Liu Lanyi like it had eyes, blocking every strike and refusing to let him through.
At that same moment, Song Wanníng appeared behind him, her fist driving straight for his skull. His heart lurched and he spun around, jaws splitting wide.
A gaping dragon's maw appeared, its suction so great it threatened to swallow her whole.
Song Wanníng didn't hesitate. A longsword flashed into her hand, stabbing straight into the beast's throat.
Roar!
Gong Ye's roar split the forest as his true body burst forth. His massive tail whipped toward her while his bloody jaws snapped shut. Wherever his tail swept, trees vanished into ash, the ground left in ruin.
She dodged as fast as she could, but she couldn't avoid everything. His tail slammed into her, sending her crashing back. Pain seared her arm. She glanced down to see it swollen red and throbbing with heat. Her eyes hardened, and she charged him again. Her job was simple—stall Gong Ye at any cost!
But he wasn't stupid. After hurling her away, he deliberately began edging farther from the battlefield. Still, he didn't dare leave completely. The Soul-Swapping Pearl was too important. If he let them slip away into beast territory, finding them again might be impossible. So he pulled back only about ten kilometers before clashing with her again.
Song Wanníng's expression stayed calm as she pressed him, trying to lure him closer to Liu Lanyi, but he refused to take the bait.
The air shook with deafening booms, smoke and dust choking the battlefield until everything vanished in the haze. Hidden within the chaos, Song Wanníng's lips curled ever so slightly before flattening again.
…
Time bled away.
Hua Kongque had long since lost her voice, curled up on the ground in a tight ball. Every sin she'd committed now cut into her soul like the sharpest of blades. She wanted to flee, but she couldn't. Despair flooded her, along with bitter regret. She finally understood who'd truly cared for her, and realized her second brother's whispers had only pushed her toward ruin.
Everything was clear now.
She just wanted the agony to end. The moment the fire faded, she'd run straight home.
Never again would she act so recklessly. Never again would she dare look down on others…
At the same time, Liu Lanyi's formation reached its final step. Her grip on the last spirit stone trembled, nerves warring with exhilaration. To inherit Senior Feng's unparalleled legacy was already a blessing. To actually put such a formation into practice filled her with awe.
Now was the test. There could be no mistakes.
Her eyes sharpened. With solemn focus, she flung the final stone.
The instant it landed, the array snapped into completion.
The tranquil forest shuddered as a visible barrier shot up, locking everything inside.
Gong Ye froze, shock flashing across his face.
There was another formation here?!