Seeing Song Wanníng return, Mei Huan was overjoyed. She immediately dragged her over and started showing off her cultivation progress. It hadn't even been that long since they last met, yet Mei Huan had advanced two entire realms. Song Wanníng gave her a big thumbs up.
"Hehe, it's all thanks to Sister's pills. Without them, who knows how long it would've taken me to break through!" Her eyes were burning with admiration as she stared at Song Wanníng, her face brimming with smiles.
"From now on, I'm yours, Sister. If you tell me to head east, I'll never go west!" She'd figured it out. Song Wanníng was the strongest support she could ever rely on, even stronger than Gong Ye. Staying by her side meant she'd never starve for benefits. Mei Huan grinned so wide her teeth disappeared, all her little schemes written plain across her face.
Song Wanníng smiled helplessly, tapped her forehead, then turned her gaze toward Liu Lanyi.
Liu Lanyi slowly exhaled a deep breath. Most of her injuries had already healed. Back then, she'd been caught in the aftermath of several Mahayana cultivators' attacks and had suffered pretty badly. If Song Wanníng hadn't arrived in time, who knew where the Soul-Swapping Pearl would've ended up.
As Liu Lanyi looked at Song Wanníng, who was growing at an astonishing speed, pride and emotion surged in her heart. She was certain the Spirit Realm wouldn't be able to hold her much longer.
Geniuses like her were destined to ascend to the Immortal Realm early and experience a whole new life.
"Martial Uncle, why're you staring at me like that?"
Song Wanníng touched her own face, then walked over and sat down beside her. Just like the old days, she leaned her head lightly against Liu Lanyi's shoulder, full of warmth and attachment. In her childhood memories, it was her Master and Martial Uncle who filled most of her life. As for the late Gu Qingyuan, the more she thought about him, the blurrier those memories felt.
"Tired?"
Liu Lanyi patted her hand, her eyes filled with heartache.
This girl looked mentally exhausted.
She was always like this, cultivating without rest…
"Mm, a little."
Song Wanníng didn't deny it. Awakening her divine ability had drained her spiritual power nonstop, so she was indeed tired.
"Then rest for a while."
Just as Liu Lanyi's words fell, she realized Song Wanníng had already fallen asleep on her shoulder. Hearing her steady breathing, Liu Lanyi's heart softened. With a casual wave, she set up a barrier to keep Mei Huan's noisy voice from disturbing her.
So she just let Song Wanníng sleep against her shoulder while she focused on studying a formation manual.
Outside the barrier, Mei Huan watched the scene, her heart filling with envy.
…
Early the next morning, Song Wanníng woke from her deep sleep and realized she'd dozed off leaning on her Martial Uncle. Stretching with a satisfied yawn, a bright smile spread across her face.
"Martial Uncle, did your shoulder get sore?" She asked with a mischievous smile.
Liu Lanyi rolled her shoulder a little, then looked at her helplessly. "Even if you slept another half a month, I'd still be fine."
"Hahaha!"
Song Wanníng burst out laughing, her mood soaring with joy. With Liu Lanyi safe by her side, the worry buried deep in her heart had completely vanished. Right now, she felt better than ever.
"I didn't ask you yesterday. What about Gong Ye?"
Liu Lanyi's expression grew cold as she thought about him trying to snatch the Soul-Swapping Pearl.
"Don't worry. We seriously injured him. He's probably hiding somewhere to heal. After this, both clans will keep hunting him down, so he won't get another chance to take the pearl."
Song Wanníng spoke with a smile.
"Right now's the perfect time for us to leave. Master's waiting for us to return, we can't keep her waiting too long!"
She had no intention of staying in the Beast Realm any longer. They'd go back first, then deal with Gong Ye later.
"Good, I miss Senior Sister too!"
The moment Liu Lanyi heard her mention Leng Qingzhu, she lost all desire to linger. It had been far too long since she'd seen her Senior Sister, and she missed her dearly. Song Wanníng quickly tidied up, then prepared to head back to Guhan Sect with her.
Mei Huan, seeing them about to leave, instantly felt reluctant. "Sister, why don't you take me with you? I'll behave, I promise!"
She looked at Song Wanníng with pitiful eyes. Without her, she felt no sense of security. She was even willing to become her beast pet if it meant not being abandoned.
"Following me back won't be good for your cultivation. If you really want to follow me, then go find She Yi. From now on, you and She Yi will keep an eye on everything happening among the beasts and report to me anytime. Especially news about Gong Ye. You have to tell me the moment you hear anything, alright?"
Song Wanníng had grown fond of Mei Huan's straightforward nature. Since she wanted to follow her, it was better to attach her to her clone. After all, her clone still needed to remain hidden within the Snake Clan to keep track of Gong Ye's movements. Mei Huan would be perfect there.
"Mhm, I got it!!!"
Hearing that she wasn't being abandoned, Mei Huan broke into a happy smile.
Song Wanníng handed her two more bottles of pills, then finally left under her reluctant gaze.
Once aboard the flying artifact, she immediately sent a message to Luo Hantian, sect master of Guhan Sect, telling him about Liu Lanyi's condition.
Learning that another prodigy was about to join the sect, Luo Hantian was ecstatic. He immediately promised that once Liu Lanyi arrived, she'd enter the inner sect directly, and if any elder wanted her, she could even become a true disciple.
Either way, her treatment would be exceptional.
Relieved, Song Wanníng also sent a transmission to her Master, arranging to meet at the sect. Both sides then hurried toward Guhan Sect.
On the way, they found a safe place to face tribulation.
This one went incredibly smoothly. The lightning was mild, almost procedural, and quickly passed. With that, Song Wanníng finally stepped into the early stage of the Unity Realm. As they traveled again, Liu Lanyi took out the Soul-Swapping Pearl and handed it to her.
"I didn't bring it out yesterday with Mei Huan around. Keep this pearl. At a critical moment during tribulation, it might just give you another life."
As its name suggested, the Soul-Swapping Pearl could swap souls.
That was why Gong Ye had been so desperate to get his hands on it. He'd wanted to use it at the final stage of tribulation to steal someone else's soul, tricking his way past the most dangerous bolt of lightning.
If he succeeded, he'd have a chance to ascend to the Immortal Realm…
For the beast clans, who feared tribulations more than anything, this pearl was priceless.
"Keep it for yourself. I'm not worried about my tribulation."
Song Wanníng shoved it back into Liu Lanyi's hand. Now that she'd awakened a trace of the White Tiger bloodline, her Martial Uncle's tribulation would be difficult too.