Patriarch Hua leaned forward slightly, the arrogance and calmness from before completely gone when facing Song Wanníng.
"To be honest with you, Song Daoyou, the reason I asked you to stay is because I saw your ability to remain untouched by the blood fiend's corruption!"
They knew now wasn't the time to be mysterious, so they quickly set up a barrier to ensure no one could eavesdrop, then carefully stood and opened a hidden passage behind the bookshelf.
"I'll explain everything in detail, Song Daoyou. Please, come with me!"
They made a courteous gesture, hope flickering in their eyes. After waiting for so many years, they'd finally met the one fate had promised. How could they not be excited?
"What's this place?"
Song Wanníng arched a brow and stood.
A faint light shimmered from the passageway ahead, and the moment she saw it, her heart began to race.
Something was calling out to her. What's going on?
Her brows furrowed tighter as confusion rose in her chest. She didn't sense any danger though, so her tension eased slightly.
"Song Daoyou, I swear to the Heavens, if I have any intent to harm you, may I be struck by thunder and die a miserable death!"
To dispel her last trace of doubt, Patriarch Hua swore a heart demon oath right then and there. That was enough to prove their sincerity.
Sure enough, Song Wanníng's expression softened a little.
"Alright, let's go see what's inside. If I can help Patriarch Hua, I'll do everything I can. But if I can't do anything about it, I hope you won't take offense."
She smiled lightly, then stepped into the passage.
The light guided her forward, and the deeper she went, the brighter it grew.
She didn't know how long she'd been walking, but after turning a bend, the scenery ahead suddenly burst into brilliance.
In that instant, she froze in shock.
For a moment, she thought she'd stepped into some hidden paradise. Towering trees covered the land, and colorful flowers and grasses blanketed the ground. Streams of clear water trickled down from above, and the birds and beasts nearby stirred in a quiet uproar. It looked like a perfect painting—too beautiful to be real.
Song Wanníng's eyes dimmed slightly. She'd already seen several sentient plants and trees within the Hua Clan's domain. Were the rumors from the outside world true?
What exactly was happening here?
Beside her, Patriarch Hua stared at the scene with eyes faintly wet.
They led her forward, and the moment she stepped out of the passage, a rush of wood-element spiritual energy enveloped her completely.
Song Wanníng closed her eyes for a second, feeling the overwhelming vitality pulsing around her, her heart trembling in awe. It was as if she could hear the cries of a world made of plants and trees.
They were shouting their resentment, pleading for her help.
Those struggling trees and flowers reached out in despair, as if clinging to her as their last hope. Her expression softened into quiet shock. She slowly opened her eyes and turned toward Patriarch Hua.
They smiled, eyes still slightly red.
"What you saw isn't an illusion. The Cao Mu Clan is indeed calling out to you for help."
"What's going on exactly?" Her brows were drawn tight.
"Sigh, it's a long story." Patriarch Hua let out a soft sigh, then gestured for her to sit on the grass before beginning to speak of the ancient past between the Hua Clan and the Cao Mu Clan.
"Tens of thousands of years ago, the Cao Mu Clan was thriving. More and more of our kind awakened spiritual intelligence with each generation.
You probably know that for the Cao Mu Clan, ascending to the heavens is incredibly difficult. But back then, every few centuries, one of us actually succeeded!"
Their expression brightened with pride at the memory, but soon darkened again.
"But one day, a demonic creature from beyond appeared among us. It wanted to devour the Cao Mu Clan to grow stronger. How could our ancestors ever allow that?
So the Cao Mu Clan rose up and fought it. The battle was apocalyptic. But that creature was too powerful.
In the end, the Cao Mu Clan was nearly wiped out. Our forebears sacrificed themselves to destroy it, trading their lives for a sliver of hope. But the war was too devastating. Since that day, every descendant of the Cao Mu Clan has been cursed, unable to take human form.
The Hua Clan's former Patriarch, in order to preserve what little hope remained, was forced to break away from the Cao Mu Clan, swearing an oath to Heaven to survive. Only then did we slowly grow strong again.
And now you've seen it with your own eyes. No matter how hard they try, the descendants of the Cao Mu Clan can't take form. They're trapped within their original bodies, powerless. When their physical bodies reach the end of their lifespan, their intelligence fades with them, leaving only despair.
Only by breaking free from their original forms and cultivating further can they continue to evolve, extend their lives, and maybe—just maybe—ascend one day!"
Tears shimmered in Patriarch Hua's eyes. Every time they came here, they could feel the cries and pleas of the Cao Mu Clan's trapped spirits. But they couldn't do anything. They could only watch helplessly, waiting for the destined one to appear.
Pressing their lips together, they looked straight at Song Wanníng.
"Song Daoyou, the blood fiend is the Heavenly Dao's punishment upon the Cao Mu Clan. But you're different. The blood fiend couldn't harm you.
So maybe, you have a way to save the Cao Mu Clan. As long as you're willing to try, no matter the outcome, you'll forever be the benefactor of both the Cao Mu Clan and the Hua Clan."
Back then, when the Cao Mu Clan was destroyed, only the previous Hua Clan Patriarch survived.
At that time, Patriarch Hua had only been a tiny flower, completely powerless to shoulder any of the burden. They'd had no choice but to betray the Cao Mu Clan to ensure its survival.
Now, if the Hua Clan could return to the fold of the Cao Mu Clan, even their former Patriarch's spirit in Heaven would surely find peace. They looked at Song Wanníng with eyes full of hope, waiting for her answer.
But she only frowned in silence.
"Have you ever seen what that demonic creature looks like?"
Her sudden question left Patriarch Hua momentarily confused.
"What do you mean, Song Daoyou? I've seen its image in the records left by our former Patriarch."
That ancient battle had been catastrophic, but because of how tragic it was, they rarely mentioned it.
"Was its aura anything like this?"
With a wave of her hand, an image appeared in the air—the same monstrous shadow that had once appeared when she fought Song Jue.
Though Song Jue was dead, she'd always found that demonic creature's appearance strange.
Song Jue hadn't fallen to demonic cultivation himself, yet he'd been possessed by that thing, and its influence had driven him to madness. Even after it vanished with him, she'd never let it go.
Now, hearing the word "demonic creature" again, it was only natural her mind drew the connection.
She hadn't expected much by asking, but she needed to be sure.