Her sword flashed, each swing slicing clean through the monsters that lunged at her.
Li Qingya was already thinking of retreating.
But Song Wanníng didn't want her to leave.
There was no way Li Qingya was acting alone. Someone had to be backing her, and the odds pointed straight at Gong Ye. If she let Li Qingya escape now, things would only get messier later.
Song Wanníng's mind raced, then she suddenly shouted, "Li Qingya, how about we make a bet?
If you lose, you'll take me to Gong Ye!"
Li Qingya froze, her tone sharp and cold. "And if you lose?"
"If I lose, do whatever you want with me."
Song Wanníng smiled. As long as Li Qingya agreed, it was enough.
"Then tell me the terms," Li Qingya said, her eyes gleaming with calculation.
At her command, the monsters around her fell silent and withdrew, forming a tight wall of protection. Her gaze swept over Song Wanníng, watching for any sign of deceit.
But Song Wanníng's face was calm, her aura still rising steadily. Behind her, Patriarch Hua was recovering as well. With the burden lifted from her heart, she could now focus all her attention on Li Qingya.
Song Wanníng's lips curved slightly, a chill glint flashing in her eyes.
"Our bet is simple. Let's see if you can kill me."
"What?"
Li Qingya blinked, certain she'd misheard.
"You heard me. We'll bet on whether you can kill me or not."
Song Wanníng took a slow step forward, her eyes fixed on Li Qingya with quiet intensity.
"I know you're targeting me because someone pushed you into it. Otherwise, you'd be hiding quietly somewhere instead of confronting me. So I'm giving you this chance."
As she spoke, she sheathed her sword and descended from the air, walking straight toward Li Qingya—completely unguarded.
"I'm giving you a chance, a chance to kill me."
Step by step, she approached until she was right in front of Li Qingya.
Li Qingya stared at her like she'd lost her mind.
"Are you insane? Or are you playing some kind of trick?"
She didn't believe for a second that Song Wanníng would just hand herself over to die. There had to be a scheme behind it!
But Song Wanníng only shrugged. "I just want you to see the truth."
"Follow Gong Ye, and you'll only end up dead. If you don't believe me, go ahead, try it."
She leaned forward slightly, baring her slender neck right in front of Li Qingya. One strike was all it would take to split it in two.
Li Qingya's fingers twitched, doubt flickering in her eyes. But an opportunity like this wouldn't come twice. If she backed down now, she'd never forgive herself.
Her gaze hardened with killing intent. "You said it yourself! Let's see where you get the nerve to spew such big words!"
With a sharp snort, Li Qingya drew her sword in a flash and slashed at Song Wanníng's neck. She was ready to flee the instant something went wrong.
But Song Wanníng didn't move. She just smiled at her, eyes calm and fathomless.
That look made Li Qingya's heart waver, but her sword didn't stop.
This strike would be fatal.
Yet just as the blade was about to touch Song Wanníng's neck, a deafening boom split the sky. A bolt of heavenly thunder crashed down, striking Li Qingya squarely and blasting her backward.
The thunder carried Heaven's wrath, pouring all its fury into her body.
"Pfft—!"
Blood sprayed as her organs shattered. She hit the ground hard, half-dead in an instant.
For a long moment, she couldn't even think.
Then a pair of feet appeared in her blurred vision.
Li Qingya lifted her head weakly, staring at Song Wanníng's serene, almost radiant smile. Her mind cleared at once, but what filled her heart wasn't anger—it was helpless despair.
She knew exactly what that thunder meant.
"You lost," Song Wanníng said softly, her voice gentle but chilling as a curse.
Something inside Li Qingya broke. How could the Heavenly Dao strike her down for trying to kill another mortal?
Why was Song Wanníng favored by Heaven itself?
It made no sense.
No wonder she'd been so confident, so arrogant.
"Heh… hehehe…"
Li Qingya lay there and started laughing—bitter, hollow laughter.
Gong Ye was still scheming to destroy Song Wanníng, but he had no idea how impossible that was. All her plans, all her preparations… ridiculous. She was the joke. A complete, pathetic joke.
"Hahahahaha…"
…
Song Wanníng's cultivation kept rising, her expression calm as ever.
When the Cao Mu Clan's gift finally ended, her cultivation stabilized at the peak of the Unity stage, skipping several minor realms in one leap.
Patriarch Hua had also recovered, even showing faint signs of ascension. Confused but elated, they climbed out of the crater.
"The curse… it's broken?" Patriarch Hua murmured in disbelief. They'd been sure death was certain.
Yet not only had they survived, their power had grown stronger.
It felt like waking from a dream.
Song Wanníng smiled and walked over. "Congratulations. Your wish came true."
She explained everything that had happened, and when Patriarch Hua heard how the Cao Mu Clan had sacrificed themselves to protect him at the last moment, their eyes reddened.
They hadn't cried when death loomed near, but now they couldn't hold it back. Taking a deep breath, Patriarch Hua bowed deeply.
"Song Daoyou, the Hua Clan owes you a great debt. If you ever need our help, we'll answer without hesitation!"
Without Song Wanníng, the curse would've never been lifted. The Cao Mu Clan would've been trapped here forever.
Song Wanníng accepted the bow without pretense, a faint trace of admiration flickering in her eyes.
"You're too polite. Without the Cao Mu Clan's devotion, the curse couldn't have been broken."
The real key wasn't the number of divine thunders that struck—it was the final act of selfless courage, when the Cao Mu Clan rushed out to shield Patriarch Hua, exposing themselves to the divine lightning.
That was what truly shattered the curse.
Neither she, the Bodhi Tree Spirit, nor Patriarch Hua had understood that before. If the Cao Mu Clan hadn't had such hearts, the ritual would've failed and Patriarch Hua would've perished.
Hearing this, Patriarch Hua shuddered at the thought but soon smiled, joy overtaking fear.
They turned and walked toward the Cao Mu Clan.
One by one, tree and grass spirits emerged from their bodies, their sorrow and despair finally gone.