A flash of sword light cut through the air, and the loudest of the beast cultivators was instantly reduced to ash.
The battlefield fell silent.
Then, outrage exploded among the rest. The treasure was right in front of them—whoever stood in their way had to die. In the next instant, a swarm of beast cultivators charged straight at Song Wanníng.
"Heh."
She hid the fury burning in her eyes and released the Blood Lotus from her internal world. Several flames burst into existence in midair. The blood mist gathered again, rushing toward the attackers like a crimson storm.
"Ahhh—!"
The beast cultivators screamed as the blood mist corroded their bodies, scrambling to dodge in panic.
But they didn't have time to catch their breath before the strange flames descended upon them, burning their flesh and spirit alike.
Their wails echoed through the field.
But it still wasn't enough to quench her anger. With killing intent surging through her veins, Song Wanníng lifted her sword and struck without hesitation.
Her sword flashed again and again.
Within moments, more than a dozen beast cultivators were reduced to dust, leaving not even bones behind. A thick cloud of blood fog hung over the field, blending with the blood mist until everything looked eerily crimson.
The remaining beast cultivators, who'd been blinded by greed, finally snapped back to their senses. When they looked up again, the power of Unity Realm was blazing from her body, sharp and undeniable.
The sight alone made their scalps tingle and their hearts pound. Almost instantly, no one cared about the so-called treasure anymore. They turned tail and ran. Her strength was far beyond what they'd imagined. Staying any longer was nothing but suicide.
Within seconds, more than half the mob had fled in terror.
Li Qingya watched it all, eyes glinting with malice. She pulled out a small pouch of powder and scattered it toward Song Wanníng.
She knew her cultivation couldn't compare, but when it came to poison, almost no one could rival her. Her expression turned cold and resolute. She didn't realize that Song Wanníng was a master of alchemy and poison as well.
The moment Song Wanníng sensed the toxin, her expression shifted slightly. She popped a pill into her mouth without hesitation.
It was an antidote, and she had plenty. The potency of her medicine was no joke either.
After all, anyone capable of refining top-grade pills wasn't going to be felled by just any poison.
So, while Li Qingya stared in confusion, Song Wanníng smiled faintly.
"You know alchemy?"
Why hadn't Gong Ye mentioned that?
Li Qingya's expression turned grim, a hint of frustration flickering in her eyes. She'd planned to poison Song Wanníng first, then strike when the poison took effect. She never thought it'd fail so easily. Her poison wasn't something ordinary cultivators could resist.
"What's wrong? You didn't even bother to find out before coming to avenge your master?"
This time, Song Wanníng was the one who looked amused. So this woman hadn't even done her homework. That's some real confidence.
Li Qingya's face twitched slightly at the mockery. It was true, she didn't know much about Song Wanníng. Most of what she'd learned came from Gong Ye.
When her master died, she hadn't planned to seek revenge. All she'd wanted was to hide. But Gong Ye was right—Song Wanníng would never let her go. If she didn't strike first, she'd eventually die anyway.
Behind them, the deep pit began to change.
The massive net that had once covered it had sunk to the bottom, tightly shielding Patriarch Hua. The divine thunder lingered above, slowly breaking through the curse. If one looked closely, faint ripples of strange energy shimmered in the air.
From afar, Song Wanníng watched as the divine thunder gradually dispersed. It faded with a sound like a sigh echoing across the world.
When the last spark vanished, waves of wood energy surged upward.
The power of the Cao Mu Clan rose rapidly, climbing at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even Song Wanníng's heart skipped a beat at the sight.
Li Qingya was even more shocked, staring blankly at the scene with no idea what was happening.
The net unraveled into countless tree spirits that returned to their original bodies. When they merged, the surrounding air filled with the gentle, healing power of nature. A vortex of green wind swept through the area, dissolving blood and corpses alike.
Grass sprouted wildly across the ground.
Every flower bloomed at once.
Everything before them was transforming at an incredible pace.
At the center stood Song Wanníng, surrounded by an overwhelming surge of wood energy. It poured into her body, drawn from the essence of the Cao Mu Clan.
And not just her—Patriarch Hua in the pit received the same blessing.
The Cao Mu Clan willingly gave their strength, offering it as both gratitude and recognition.
Even though Song Wanníng wasn't one of them, she was still acknowledged at the highest level.
A wave of pure, healing energy spread through every part of her body, and she let out a low sigh of relief as her cultivation began to climb once more.
Li Qingya was stunned.
She hadn't seen a single trace of any treasure, yet Song Wanníng's cultivation was rising right before her eyes.
What kind of insane scene was this?
Something was wrong. The timing today wasn't right. She'd planned to use some unconventional tricks to deal with Song Wanníng, but now?
Now that her cultivation was increasing again, those tricks would be useless. The only one who could fight her now was Gong Ye!
The moment she realized that, Li Qingya decided to retreat.
But Song Wanníng caught every subtle movement, her sharp gaze narrowing. Something about Li Qingya's behavior felt off. She decided to test her.
"What's this? Planning to run already? When you go back, how are you gonna explain this to him?"
Though they were enemies, something about Li Qingya's actions didn't add up. She risked her life to kill her, but there wasn't much hatred in her aura—only envy.
It was strange.
Yet that one casual taunt struck a nerve.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Li Qingya's face darkened, and she snapped, "You betrayed your sect! One day, you'll pay for everything you've done!"
Someone who'd even killed their own master couldn't possibly be a good person.
She was nothing but a selfish, heartless woman.
After that, Li Qingya threw out a strange-looking object. It ignited immediately, releasing a cloud of white smoke.
From within it, swarms of monsters emerged, rushing straight toward Song Wanníng.
This was Li Qingya's trump card. Whenever she wanted, she could summon these creatures. Even Song Wanníng couldn't easily stop her.
The monsters roared as they charged, their savage faces making the nearby flower spirits flinch in fear.
"Hmph!"
Song Wanníng snorted coldly. Her guess was right—Li Qingya really could control these monsters.