"That stone man kept shouting about the Spirit Realm collapsing, saying Wuyang City would be the only place spared. He then charged right in without a care, and of course, the guards couldn't just let some freak like him through.
Besides, the city lord's already ordered everyone not to spread random rumors to avoid unnecessary panic!"
The cultivator who spoke laughed.
"The city lord's overthinking it. Who'd believe such nonsense? The Spirit Realm collapsing? I'd say his brain's the one that's collapsing!"
Everyone around burst out laughing. The rumor was too absurd to take seriously, and no one could figure out why the stone man would spout such nonsense.
While laughter rippled through the crowd, Song Wanníng's expression grew darker.
"The Spirit Realm will collapse?"
What did that mean?
Could he know something?
Her figure flickered, and she sped toward the city gate.
At that moment, the stone man was already fighting fiercely against the guards. Several of them were injured, yet the stone man himself was completely unharmed.
Song Wanníng landed atop the city wall, locking eyes with him from afar.
Up close, she finally realized just how massive he was, almost as tall as the wall itself. His presence was overbearing, even majestic—if not for that strange, lumpy head of his.
"Daoyou, what are you doing up here? Get down quick, you'll get hurt!"
A guard spotted her and panicked, rushing to shield her behind him.
More guards were arriving by the moment.
Song Wanníng chuckled softly and leapt straight toward the stone man.
She wanted to see just how tough he really was.
But before she could even make a move, the stone man suddenly froze, sensing danger. In the blink of an eye, his body shattered into chunks and shot away like arrows. He moved so fast the guards didn't even have time to pull back their attacks, nearly injuring themselves.
In seconds, the stone man was gone without a trace.
Song Wanníng's lips curved slightly. "So he can sense danger, huh?" The moment he felt threatened, he bolted.
Still...
Her eyes narrowed, and the next instant she vanished, reappearing several kilometers away, chasing after him.
Behind her, the guards stood frozen in awe.
"She's... she's a Unity-stage expert..."
"Sister, it's over there!"
Long Ling shouted excitedly while chasing after the fleeing stone man. After fighting alongside Song Wanníng several times, she'd completely fallen in love with the thrill of battle.
Seeing the stone man now, she'd begged to join the fight just to stretch her claws a bit.
Song Wanníng smiled faintly and patted Long Ling's head, amused.
This little one was starting to remind her of Xiao Jin.
Her divine sense stayed locked on the stone man's trail, while her body moved at a leisurely pace. She wanted to know where he'd gotten that information.
"The Spirit Realm will collapse?"
If she merged the two realms, would that count as "collapse"?
Or was it something else entirely?
A sharp gleam flickered across her calm eyes, then quickly disappeared.
Up ahead, the stone man kept glancing back nervously. He couldn't see her, but dread gnawed at him. That feeling of being hunted made it impossible to stop running.
After a long time without spotting Song Wanníng, he finally slowed down, doubting his instincts.
"Maybe I was just imagining it..."
Relaxing bit by bit, he eventually convinced himself he'd lost her and headed toward his lair. Despite his massive frame, he moved surprisingly nimbly. His body could shatter and reform at will, letting him slip through any terrain with ease.
Before long, he returned to his cave.
"Phew, damn it, I actually ran into a powerhouse this time."
He flopped down on the ground, leaning against a huge stone tablet that supported the entire cavern. But just as he was about to catch his breath, a figure appeared at the entrance.
She looked small, but her presence alone made the air grow heavy.
"You—you followed me here?"
The stone man shot up in shock, eyes wide with fear. He instinctively tried to flee again, but Long Ling and Xiao Jin darted forward, blocking the exit in an instant.
There was nowhere left to run.
His face went pale, and with a loud thud, he dropped to his knees. He moved so fast that even Long Ling and Xiao Jin were stunned. They'd been ready for a fight... only for the stone man to surrender immediately.
"Senior, please, have mercy! I didn't do anything wrong! I was just hiding, that's all!"
The stone man trembled, staring at Song Wanníng with sheer terror.
"Really, I swear! I only go out to look around sometimes, I've never killed anyone! Please, give me a chance, I won't go near the city again!"
He clearly thought she'd come after him for attacking Wuyang City, desperately promising he'd never do it again.
Song Wanníng walked toward him unhurriedly. To avoid craning her neck up, she rose into the air and hovered before his face.
From there, she noticed the towering stone tablet behind him. It stood silently, ordinary at first glance, yet something about it felt out of place. A stele inside a mountain cave—strange indeed.
She turned back to him and stopped his frantic kowtowing.
"Enough. I'm not here to kill you. I just want to ask you something."
"Huh?"
The stone man froze mid-bow, blinking in confusion.
"Ask... me?" he said dumbly. "Senior, do you mean about my dad's inheritance? I swear I don't know where he hid it..."
He shook his head furiously, looking utterly innocent.
Song Wanníng: "..."
"Do I look like I'm short on money?"
"That's not what I mean. I heard you said the Spirit Realm would collapse, and Wuyang City would be the only safe place. What did you mean by that? And where did you hear it?"
Her calm yet firm questioning made the stone man's face grow tense.
He hesitated for a long while, then sighed. "To tell you the truth, Senior, you're the first person who's ever believed me. When I went back to Wuyang City before, everyone laughed at me and called me an idiot!"
He huffed angrily, voice trembling. "But I swear, I'm telling the truth! When the Spirit Realm really collapses, they'll regret mocking me!"
He'd tried to warn them out of kindness, but instead they'd chased him away.
Song Wanníng frowned slightly. "Stop dodging my question. Don't try to talk in circles."