Fortunately, Song Wanníng's breathing was steady, her pulse calm. She wasn't injured, just completely drained.
Everyone finally let out a breath of relief.
The most heavily injured, Qin Ming, carried her to a shaded area to rest, while the others began cleaning up the battlefield.
There were still piles of monsters scattered everywhere, and each one had to be dealt with.
Although her main body was exhausted, her clone still had plenty of energy left. It was tired too, but every technique and comprehension from the main body had already transferred over in that final moment.
So now, she used the time rune to freeze time again, and while the world stood still, she went on a killing spree.
Without Song Jue to command them, the monsters fell into chaos, unable to hold their ground.
They tried to flee, but no one gave them the chance. The cultivators swept through them like a storm, leaving nothing but ruin in their wake.
Under a tree nearby, Qin Ming sat blankly, his expression dazed. Song Wanníng leaned weakly against the trunk beside him, her aura slowly recovering.
When he saw the mound of mangled monster corpses in the distance, a flash of movement caught his eye—something buried under the remains. His mind went blank.
That was his master!
Without a second thought, he rushed forward and pulled Song Jue's corpse from the pile. He didn't linger. Carrying the body, he returned to the shade in silence.
The master he had once revered was now just a lifeless shell, unrecognizable and cold. For a long while, Qin Ming just sat there, lost and hollow. He had come here secretly, worried about Song Wanníng's safety, but never imagined he'd witness something this cruel. His eyes burned red. The pain and guilt in his heart were unbearable.
By the time night fell, the battle was finally over. Not a single monster was left standing. The scene before them couldn't even be described as merely "bloody." It was a river of blood, pure and unfiltered horror.
Song Wanníng slowly regained consciousness. Her body wasn't just drained of spiritual power, her mental energy had been completely wrung dry. She had fought Song Jue while simultaneously comprehending the laws of time. If her Primordial Soul hadn't been strong enough, she wouldn't have lasted as long as she did.
When she finally passed out, it was because she trusted the people around her. She knew she was safe, so she let go and allowed herself a moment to recover. Now, as she opened her eyes, her sea of consciousness still throbbed with pain. She took out a few pills and swallowed them before glancing at the others who were still cleaning the battlefield.
For a while, she didn't know what to say.
Originally, she'd wanted to interrogate Song Jue, to find the monsters' remaining hideouts. But someone like him couldn't be reasoned with. The only way to deal with him was with a clean, decisive cut.
She turned her gaze toward Martial Uncle Qin Ming.
He sat there, staring into the distance, clearly lost in thought, a dull emptiness clouding his eyes.
She understood how he felt and could only sigh softly before sitting down cross-legged to heal.
Once the battlefield was finally cleared, everyone gathered around again. Most of them were injured, their clothes torn and faces pale. They'd won, but not a single one of them could smile. Song Jue's betrayal had left a deep scar on everyone's hearts.
When Song Wanníng opened her eyes again, her clone naturally merged back into her body. At that moment, the pain in her mind eased, and her strength began to return.
Yun Yangzi walked up to her with concern written all over his face. "Girl, you okay? We really owe you for this one. If not for you, none of us would've made it out alive."
He sighed heavily. No one could've imagined Song Jue's cultivation had reached such a terrifying level, yet he'd hidden it all this time.
"Ancestor, it was everyone's effort that won this," she said quietly, shaking her head. Her face had gone even paler.
Leng Qingzhu and Liu Lanyi both came over and took her hands.
Song Wanníng smiled faintly, insisting several times that she was fine before everyone finally relaxed.
After a few more words of comfort, the group fell silent. All eyes turned toward the corpse on the ground, each gaze heavy with complicated emotions.
Then, Qin Ming suddenly dropped to his knees. "Ancestor, please allow me to bury my master's body!"
He knocked his head against the ground with loud, heavy thuds.
"I know he almost got everyone killed, but once a master, always a master. I just don't want to see him left to rot in the wilderness."
If Song Jue had still been alive and intent on harming them, he would've fought him to the death. But now that he was gone, Qin Ming just wanted to fulfill one last duty—to bury his master with dignity. After that, there'd be nothing left between them.
"Alright," Yun Yangzi said after a brief pause. He nodded, then turned away to give him space.
Qin Ming bowed again in gratitude, then got up and started digging despite his injuries.
Liu Lanyi and Leng Qingzhu soon joined him.
Together, they dug a simple grave and laid Song Jue to rest. They knelt before the mound in silence and bowed deeply.
Song Wanníng stood in front of the grave, then bent at the waist to offer her own farewell. It was her final gesture of thanks for how Song Jue had once cared for her master.
After a long silence, Qin Ming finally smiled, a faint trace of peace in his eyes. "Let's go."
His master was gone, but life had to move on.
"Yeah."
The group gave the nameless grave one last look, then turned and left together. This battle had left everyone badly wounded. They'd need time to recover. And the remaining monsters couldn't be dealt with by them alone.
The news spread fast.
Song Jue, the Grand Elder of the Guhan Sect, was dead, killed by the mastermind who'd been secretly breeding monsters. He died protecting the Spirit Realm.
That was the story passed among the humans.
When the two disciples, Feng Xue and the other two who had stayed behind in Guhan Sect, heard the news, they were devastated. With eyes red from crying, they rushed out, vowing to avenge their master.
Even if their cultivation wasn't enough, they couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
This version of the story was, of course, intentionally spread by Luo Hantian, a move to clear Guhan Sect's name.
Song Wanníng didn't see anything wrong with that. People naturally acted in their own best interests, and she was no exception. If anything, this narrative helped her too. At least now, no one would point fingers or condemn them.
Once everyone had mostly recovered, they went their separate ways.
Liu Xingzhi chose to stay with Song Wanníng to continue searching for the monsters' nest, while Yun Yangzi took the others back to their sect.
The Spirit Realm needed unity more than ever. They had to hunt down every remaining monster and wipe them out completely. Only then would true peace return.
But things were never that simple.
Sitting on her flying artifact, Song Wanníng suddenly thought of something. She immediately sent a message to her master.
"Master, has Martial Uncle returned yet?"
She'd never met Leng Qingzhu's senior sister, but now that Song Jue was dead, surely the woman would come back.
After a short pause, Leng Qingzhu replied, "There's still no word from Senior Sister. We can't reach her."
Normally, they'd be worried something had happened to her. But in times like this, a darker thought naturally crept into everyone's hearts.
"Let's hope we're overthinking it," Leng Qingzhu said after a long silence. "Maybe she's just been delayed by something."