Xiao Jin looked pale, his little golden face still full of lingering fear.
The past battles had been intense, sure, but at least there were moments to catch their breath. This time though, facing endless hordes of monsters, they didn't get even a heartbeat of rest. One slip, one moment of carelessness, and they'd be torn apart. If more monsters appeared, they had no idea when this nightmare would end.
Song Wanníng sighed softly at his words. Her gaze lingered on the corpses sprawled across the ground, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. Where the hell had these monsters been kept all this time, hidden right under everyone's noses?
But before the cleanup was even done, her transmission talisman flickered to life, and Luo Hantian's furious voice rang out. "Lanyuan disappeared overnight! Our plan might've been exposed!"
The Guhan Sect's investigation into Lanyuan had already drawn quiet attention from several major factions. It wasn't because they'd leaked the news on purpose, but because Guhan Sect hadn't found anything concrete and had been trying to pull information from other channels.
Who could've guessed Lanyuan would catch wind of it so quickly—and move out under the cover of night?
Just when they were finally getting somewhere, the trail went cold again. It was no wonder Luo Hantian sounded so frustrated.
"I think one of those big sects leaked the information!" he snapped. His angry voice echoed through the open field.
Liu Xingzhi froze mid-movement as he was dealing with a corpse, then appeared at Song Wanníng's side a second later, his expression grim.
"This matter's too important. I only told a few old friends, but…"
Luo Hantian grew angrier the more he thought about it. If he'd known this would happen, he wouldn't have told a single soul. He'd thought those people were reliable—trusted allies. Yet now, their actions had slapped him right across the face.
Song Wanníng listened quietly until he was done venting, then asked calmly, "Besides those sect masters, doesn't quite a few people in Guhan Sect also know about this?"
It wasn't that she doubted the sect itself, but she couldn't rule out any possibility.
Her words made the other side fall silent. Even Liu Xingzhi didn't speak. Her question was unpleasant, but it was also the truth. Now that the secret was out, anyone could be the leak. Anyone could be the spy.
Maybe because the tension was too heavy, Song Wanníng gave a faint smile and said reassuringly, "I was just thinking out loud. You don't need to overthink it, Sect Master. Just don't limit your investigation to one angle."
Then she added softly, "That's all I meant."
Luo Hantian let out a long sigh. "I understand. I really was too careless before. From now on, I'll think twice before sharing any part of our plan with them."
But before he could finish, Song Wanníng suddenly cut him off. "No, you should tell them everything."
Her eyes sharpened, a dangerous glint flashing through them. "Only by telling them every detail can we expose the traitor. Once we know who leaked the information, we might be able to trace who's pulling their strings. Lanyuan's trail's already gone cold. This is our best move."
At a time like this, having the leak might actually work in their favor. As long as they told each person a slightly different version of the plan, the mole would reveal themselves soon enough.
"But…"
Luo Hantian hesitated again. He'd considered this approach before, but Song Wanníng and Liu Xingzhi's safety came first. He couldn't bear to put them at risk.
"No buts."
Liu Xingzhi, who'd been silent all this time, finally spoke, his voice cold as steel. He quickly told Luo Hantian everything about how they'd just been ambushed by monsters.
Luo Hantian's heart clenched as he listened. "You're right. The sooner we find the culprit, the safer you'll be," he admitted. "Just… please be careful. If things turn dangerous, you run first. Don't try to fight head-on, understand?"
His voice softened at the end, full of worry.
At that moment, he regretted sending Liu Xingzhi to help her. Both of them were the kind of people who never backed down, no matter how bad things got. Unless they were on the brink of death, retreating simply wasn't an option for them.
"Got it. We'll be careful."
Song Wanníng smiled as she replied, then ended the transmission.
The moment Luo Hantian's voice faded, the smile disappeared from her face.
"Senior Brother Liu, things are about to get complicated."
If the secret was already out, then today's monster attack was probably just the opening act.
Liu Xingzhi spun his blade between his fingers, his gaze sharp and filled with killing intent.
"Let them come."
He didn't fear trouble—what he feared was the hidden eyes watching from the shadows.
"Exactly," she said quietly. "I don't believe these monsters can really destroy the Spirit Realm."
Determination burned in her eyes.
She'd find whoever was behind this and tear them out from the dark, no matter what it took.
…
The news of Lanyuan's disappearance spread fast. The few sects Luo Hantian had warned finally realized something was very wrong.
Once they saw the images Luo Hantian had sent, the sense of danger became undeniable. If someone was really breeding monsters behind the scenes, things were about to spiral out of control.
Soon, even ordinary cultivators began to sense that something wasn't right. Many sects had started conducting secret searches. Rumors spread like wildfire, and before long, the truth about the monsters exploded across the entire Cultivation Realm.
More and more cultivators stepped forward, claiming that their relatives and friends had mysteriously vanished, their life lamps extinguished without warning. No one could say for sure if the monsters were behind it, but the sheer number of disappearances sent a chill down everyone's spine.
So many had died, and no one had even noticed until now.
A cold shiver ran down countless backs, and fear spread like poison.
And then, a massive search for monsters began across the entire Spirit Realm.
…
In the beast territories, Song Wanníng's clone arrived at the marked location on the map. She already knew everything that was happening through her main body, but she had a more important task right now.
The Sheyin Flower was supposed to be here. Once she found it, she'd be ready to deal with Gong Ye. As for the Snake Clan's so-called patriarch's mission—well, she'd just treat it like She Jiu was already dead.
A hint of coldness flickered across her eyes as she carefully studied the scene ahead. Before her lay a strange-looking swamp, shrouded in a thick mist that carried an eerie, mysterious air. According to the map, the flower was deep within that swamp, hidden past the fog. But the moment her divine sense brushed against the mist, she felt an overwhelming wave of sorrow crash into her mind.
It came out of nowhere, but it struck right at her soul. Even with her powerful Primordial Soul, Song Wanníng couldn't suppress the crushing grief that welled up inside her. It felt as if the world had lost all meaning, leaving her adrift in confusion and despair.
Thankfully, the feeling only lasted a few breaths before she snapped out of it, a flicker of fear flashing in her eyes. This mist was strange—unnaturally strange. It could even affect her thoughts. She frowned deeply, staring into the fog as she began to think of a way in. Then she closed off her divine sense and slowly reached a hand into the mist.
Instantly, that same crushing sadness surged through her again.