To figure out what was happening as fast as possible, Li Qingya started stirring up the beast cultivators outside.
Rumors spread quickly that a priceless treasure had appeared within the Hua Clan's territory. Whoever could get their hands on it might change their fate forever.
The temptation of treasure was irresistible. And a treasure capable of drawing down the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder? That had to be something extraordinary.
So before long, the crowd was boiling with impatience. The treasure was right before their eyes, yet they could only wait. That kind of frustration could drive anyone insane.
With Li Qingya's subtle instigation, several people soon started trying to break through the Hua Clan's boundary formation. Once she'd achieved her goal, she quietly slipped into the crowd, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Inside, Patriarch Hua was the first to sense the disturbance while enduring the thunder tribulation. Their face instantly darkened, and a wave of killing intent spread uncontrollably from deep within.
But right now, they were completely vulnerable. They couldn't do anything except hope that the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder would finish soon and break the Cao Mu Clan's curse.
"What's going on? Someone's breaking the barrier?"
"What do we do now?"
The flower spirits of the Hua Clan had all grown up within their territory, sheltered from danger their entire lives. Truthfully speaking, none of them had ever accumulated any karmic sins.
So when danger appeared, panic set in immediately.
They were utterly lost.
Song Wanníng frowned as she glanced at the panicking flower spirits. If the curse was lifted, these people would eventually have to face the cruelty of the outside world. And if they couldn't even handle this, the Hua Clan would only keep declining in the long run.
But that wasn't something she could worry about right now. Her expression hardened as she summoned Xiao Jin, the golden little sword, and sent it to check the situation outside.
Xiao Jin shot forward and peered through the barrier.
The beast cultivators were going wild, attacking frantically for the sake of the so-called treasure. None of them were willing to just stand by and watch.
Through Xiao Jin's sight, Song Wanníng spotted Li Qingya among the crowd and instantly understood.
That woman just wouldn't quit. She'd planned to deal with her later, but Li Qingya had the nerve to walk right into her hands again.
Trying to come in?
Song Wanníng let out a quiet, cold laugh, her eyes glinting with malice. Fine then. She'd let them in if they wanted to come so badly. But once inside, leaving would only be a dream.
Her fingers moved slightly, and another bolt of divine thunder fell from the sky.
By now, Patriarch Hua could barely hold on, yet the curse still hadn't been lifted. Song Wanníng couldn't stop now.
Boom!
The thunder crashed down again, striking Patriarch Hua squarely. Below, the members of the Cao Mu Clan looked up anxiously.
"Ugh!"
They spat blood again and again, their body falling from the sky like a broken kite.
Bang!
They hit the ground, leaving a huge crater, the thunder still raging down after them.
Even in the midst of falling, Patriarch Hua had twisted their body to avoid crushing any of the Cao Mu Clan below.
The sight made Song Wanníng's chest tighten. To protect their people to this extent... that took incredible selflessness. She clasped her hands together in silent prayer, hoping Patriarch Hua would survive.
Time crawled by.
All of their petals had fallen away, their aura plummeted to almost nothing, and their true form—a small purple flower—lay in the pit, bare and lifeless. The blossom had long scattered with the thunder, leaving only a trembling stem and two fragile leaves.
Their cultivation had regressed so badly that even if they survived, it would take at least a hundred years to recover.
Yet Patriarch Hua still refused to give up. Even if they could never rise again, they wouldn't stop fighting. They lifted a trembling spiritual hand toward Song Wanníng, signaling for her to summon another thunder.
She pressed her lips together tightly, then flicked her fingers once more.
Boom!
Another bolt of divine thunder roared down, heavier and far more destructive than before.
"Ugh!"
Patriarch Hua's body convulsed violently as the lightning tore through them, nearly shattering their spirit completely.
The pain was unbearable, and a hoarse cry escaped their throat. The sound made every flower spirit's heart twist with grief.
"Patriarch, please stop!"
"Patriarch, we just want you to live!"
"Patriarch, we're scared! Don't push yourself anymore! We've already separated from the Cao Mu Clan, so forget their curse!"
The Hua Clan spirits couldn't help but plead one after another. The Cao Mu Clan's curse had nothing to do with them now. They only cared about their patriarch's life.
Hearing their cries, Patriarch Hua managed a faint, fragile smile. They loved their people just as much as their people loved them. But to lift this curse... that had been the shared dream of both clans for ten thousand years.
They couldn't let it end here. Besides, even if they stopped now, what difference would it make?
Their cultivation was already crippled. They might as well risk it all. Maybe, just maybe, the next bolt would be the one that finally worked. With that thought, they faced the next strike of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder head-on.
This time, when the thunder hit, their aura vanished almost instantly.
Song Wanníng's heart dropped, and she rushed forward.
Inside the pit, only a single bare stem remained, all leaves gone, no trace of vitality left. The aura was so faint it was almost nonexistent.
Her chest tightened painfully. For the first time, she truly thought about stopping. She was terrified that Patriarch Hua might die and the curse would still remain. That price would be far too cruel.
"Bodhi Tree Spirit, are you sure this'll break the curse?" she asked again, voice trembling with doubt.
The Bodhi Tree Spirit looked toward Patriarch Hua, filled with regret and unease.
"My inherited memories say this should work, but... I can't be certain what exactly counts as breaking it."
It was already starting to panic. What if its suggestion turned out to be wrong?
Song Wanníng's frown deepened. She crouched beside Patriarch Hua, her tone softening.
"Do you still want to keep going?"
If Patriarch Hua chose to stop now, she wouldn't blame them.
But even now, they refused to give up. They couldn't even speak clearly anymore, yet their spirit hand still reached out, weakly clutching at the hem of her robe. Their eyes burned with unwavering resolve. Even at death's door, they still wanted to continue.
Song Wanníng froze for a moment, then her gaze grew bright with determination.
She clasped Patriarch Hua's trembling hand tightly, her voice firm and clear.
"Believe me, you'll make it!"
"Heaven's watching everything you've done, and it'll never ignore your sacrifice!
You will succeed!
You will!"
At her words, tears welled in Patriarch Hua's spiritual eyes and fell, hot and heavy, onto Song Wanníng's hand. The searing pain shot through her heart, and her eyes reddened.
Humans were selfish by nature. But there would always be those who chose to give anyway.
Just like the Demon God, or the Golden Dragon Clan...
Song Wanníng rose to her feet, stepped out of the pit, and without a moment's hesitation, summoned another bolt of divine thunder.