The stone man moved fast, just as quick as Xiao Jin and the others, maybe even more agile.
Every time they landed a blow, it reassembled itself again, making all their attacks hit nothing but air.
For a while, neither side could gain the upper hand.
Song Wanníng's fists and kicks slammed into the stone man's leg over and over, but every hit sent a heavy shockwave back through her bones, making them ache from the impact.
This kind of stone was definitely top-tier forging material.
She couldn't help grumbling inwardly. "Who'd have thought a stone man would be this damn annoying to deal with?"
The demonic aura around them grew thicker and thicker until she could barely make out the stone man's expression.
She didn't dare stop for even a second. Something about this situation felt seriously wrong.
In the darkness, she could almost feel a pair of eyes watching her. That cold, invisible stare made the hair on her neck stand on end. No matter how she moved, that gaze followed her everywhere, impossible to shake off.
Before long, the stone man landed a kick that sent her stumbling backward in pain.
Xiao Jin's temper flared the instant he saw it. He and the others went wild, launching themselves at the stone man with everything they had. They even used the group combat formation they'd been experimenting with.
Under that high-speed barrage, the stone man's movements finally started to slow down.
Seeing an opening, Song Wanníng rushed in again. At that moment, the Yi'er suddenly appeared, lifting her upward in a swirl of crimson light.
Her balance wavered for a second as she rose, but she quickly steadied herself and followed the flame higher, then drove her fist straight toward the stone man's head.
"Boom!"
Her punch struck true, and half the stone man's head exploded on the spot.
A spray of blood and thick fluid splattered across the ground, and its body stiffened for a split second.
Song Wanníng didn't hesitate. She charged straight back in, throwing another punch at the remaining half of its head.
"Boom!"
Another thunderous impact. The rest of its skull shattered completely.
The body that had been moving so fluidly suddenly froze in place. Then, in the blink of an eye, it crumbled apart, collapsing into a heap of useless rubble.
The area fell silent.
That creepy, watching sensation vanished too.
But Song Wanníng didn't relax at all. Her expression stayed tense.
"Sister, you're really smart! I can't believe I didn't think to lift you up earlier!" Xiao Jin said, his voice filled with guilt. He'd never run into this kind of restriction before, so he hadn't reacted in time.
"I didn't think of it either."
She coughed lightly, feeling a little embarrassed. Honestly, she'd been so focused on the fact that she couldn't use immortal qi that the thought never even crossed her mind.
Now that she thought about it, that kind of habit really could get her killed one day. She had to start relying on these little ones more. Maybe they'd surprise her.
She reached out and patted Yi'er "Good job, little one."
The flame glowed bright red with delight and brushed against her palm affectionately.
Everyone finally let out a breath of relief.
"Come on, let's head deeper in."
That ominous gaze earlier had come from further inside. If she wanted to uncover whoever was behind this, that was where the answers lay.
With Yi'er lighting the way, Song Wanníng led the little ones forward. Since they couldn't see far ahead, she moved slowly and carefully, step by step. But before long, another stone man blocked their path.
She stopped instantly. She'd already guessed this would happen. "Alright, little ones, with me!"
Her voice was low but firm. In an instant, everyone sprang into action. With practiced coordination, Yi'er lifted her again, and together they launched a full-on assault against the new stone man.
Now that she could move freely in the air, the earlier disadvantage was gone. Her attacks came faster and sharper, her rhythm perfect.
Yi'er matched her every move without hesitation. Their coordination was flawless, and the stone man was quickly beaten back in disarray.
"Roar!"
The stone man bellowed furiously, swinging its massive arms in wild, desperate strikes. It looked like it wanted to drag her down with it.
But Song Wanníng didn't flinch. She ignored the pain from her own hits and kept attacking relentlessly, focusing on its head again and again.
As long as the head shattered, the body would crumble.
Before long, surrounded and overpowered, the stone man finally collapsed, falling apart into another pile of stones. She crouched to inspect the rubble. Without the head, the stones were just ordinary rocks—completely useless.
Whoever made these must be terrifyingly skilled. Just using a single head as a core could grant ordinary stone such power. That level of craftsmanship was beyond impressive.
She frowned, staring into the darkness ahead, her eyes narrowing with determination. She wanted to see for herself who was hiding behind all this.
"Let's move."
She kicked aside the pile of broken stone and pressed on with the little ones close behind.
This time, her pace was faster.
Now that she understood the enemy's tricks, she knew exactly what to expect. And sure enough, before long, a third stone man appeared.
She didn't waste any words and dove straight into battle.
…
At the same time, strange phenomena began erupting all over the Spirit Realm.
Mountains trembled, seas surged, trees grew uncontrollably, and beasts went mad. Even countless cultivators felt their hearts pounding with an inexplicable sense of dread.
"What's going on lately?"
"Ever since last night, my heart's been racing nonstop! I can't calm down at all!"
"You too? Same here!"
"What in the world's happening?"
Groups of cultivators gathered, all with the same symptoms, and the tension in their eyes grew heavier by the minute.
Nothing like this had ever happened before. It was downright bizarre. Similar conversations spread across every corner of the Spirit Realm. Everyone could feel that something was seriously off.
The leaders of countless factions came together, desperate to uncover the source of this disturbance. Even when the monsters first appeared, none of them had felt this kind of danger. This time, though, it was unmistakably different.
The Mahayana cultivators were especially unsettled. They could faintly sense the Heavenly Dao's rules trembling, as if warning them.
Something huge was about to happen.
They left seclusion one after another, summoning their disciples and holding emergency meetings. Panic swept through the entire Spirit Realm, throwing everyone into a state of confusion and unease.
In the Guhan Sect, Luo Hantian felt the same anxiety tightening in his chest. Almost instinctively, his thoughts turned to Song Wanníng, and he quickly sent her a communication talisman.
Song Wanníng had long since become the Guhan Sect's pillar of stability, stronger even than their Ancestors.
Luo Hantian had grown reliant on her advice. Whenever something happened, she was the first person he thought to ask. But this time, no matter how many talismans he sent, there was no reply. They just vanished into nothing.
"What's going on? Why can't I reach her? Could something have happened to Junior Sister Song?"