The two of them lingered over each other for a while before they finally dragged Song Wanníng forward.
The wide stretch of yellow earth was filled with countless stones placed in a seemingly random manner. She couldn't make sense of any of it, but both the Patriarch and the Elder knew exactly what they were looking at.
They pulled her along and guided her carefully between the stones.
Song Wanníng pretended to trip, and the Patriarch immediately exploded.
"Quit playing tricks with me. You're already in our hands, so don't even think about running. If you dare try anything again, I'll kill you on the spot!"
Her eyes were full of vicious impatience, clearly annoyed by Song Wanníng's behavior. Even now, she still hadn't given up on escaping. How troublesome.
Song Wanníng lifted her chin with a defiant look, but inside she was whispering to herself. "The stones weren't placed at random."
Every step they took followed a very specific pattern. That explained why they reacted so strongly when she almost fell earlier.
If she stepped wrong even once, something would probably happen.
She memorized each step in silence, not daring to overlook a single detail. Every position sank deeply into her sea of consciousness.
As they continued deeper, the scenery slowly changed.
The yellow earth darkened until it turned completely black. The stones became fewer, and only a few large ones could be seen scattered far apart. The sky dimmed from clear blue to a dull gray. It pressed down like a massive boulder, full of suffocating oppression.
A faint glimmer flashed in her eyes as she followed them farther inside.
When they reached the final stone, both of them stopped at the same moment, their expressions turning solemn.
"We're here, Lao San," the Patriarch whispered while exchanging a long look with the Elder.
In their eyes, Song Wanníng saw fear and a hint of something deeper, something like horror they tried to hide.
There was definitely danger here.
Her heart tightened and she braced herself.
She looked at the last stone but couldn't figure out what made it dangerous. Before she could think further, the Elder shoved the Patriarch behind her.
A moment later, both of them yanked Song Wanníng forward and pushed her right to the front.
Song Wanníng: "…"
She was forced to stand so close to the stone that she could almost touch it.
"What are you doing? Let go of me!"
She tried to back away while yelling.
The Patriarch stayed silent, but the Elder pushed her even farther ahead.
"Move back a little. You might get hurt."
She sounded like she was summoning all the courage she had as she stepped in front of her. Then she stabbed straight toward her chest.
Song Wanníng's expression sharpened and she blocked on instinct.
The blade sliced open her arm, and blood gushed from the fresh wound.
The Elder's face tightened. She grabbed her wrist with a harsh pull and dragged her toward the stone.
The Patriarch retreated even farther, watching them with full vigilance.
"Come here! Drip your blood onto it!"
The Elder threw her forward and dumped her right in front of the stone. Although she glared at her, her body leaned back. She was clearly preparing to run at any second.
Her heart sank even lower. What would happen once her blood touched that stone?
"No."
She refused loudly, looking like she absolutely wouldn't cooperate. The Elder's face flushed with rage.
She wanted to show off in front of the Patriarch, but she was also terrified of dying for real. So she could only glare at her with resentment, blaming her for not playing along.
The Patriarch stood in the distance, her expression twisting in disgust. "This Lao San was cowardly and stupid, yet she dared to dream about being with her. What a joke."
All that mattered now was using them to open the gate. They were nothing but sacrifices.
So she raised her voice and pretended to sound concerned. "Lao San, maybe I should do it. I'm not afraid of dying. As long as you can live well, I'll do anything."
Her eyes softened as if her feelings for her ran deep.
Song Wanníng felt all her hair stand on end.
Disgusting.
But the Elder's face turned red. She glanced at the Patriarch and said, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
With that, she really found the courage. She grabbed Song Wanníng again and dragged her toward the stone.
She squeezed the blood from her wounded arm, took a deep breath, and let it fall.
The blood hit the stone with a soft plop.
The moment it touched the surface, the Elder trembled, and she released her without thinking, darting backward at full speed. She pushed her speed to the limit, but she was still too slow.
The blood vanished as if swallowed, and a beam of light shot out from the stone straight toward her.
The moment the light touched her, her clothes and skin began to vaporize.
In a single breath's time, half her body was gone.
The change was so sudden that even she didn't expect it. She let out a strangled cry. When she looked down and realized her lower half had already disappeared, panic swallowed her mind.
Her eyes widened, bloodshot and trembling.
Then another flash of light hit her.
"No!"
Her voice broke as she looked toward the Patriarch with utter despair.
"Save me!"
She reached out, eyes filled with terror and pleading. She didn't want to die. She really didn't want to die.
But the Patriarch didn't show even a flicker of concern. She simply watched, cold and indifferent. She had no intention of helping.
In that instant, she understood everything. She stared at her with hatred and disbelief, but before her emotions could settle, the light took her again. She didn't even feel pain. Her body vanished completely, leaving nothing behind, not even a bone.
Song Wanníng pressed against the stone, her heart sinking hard.
"What was that light? It vaporized a Tianxian in an instant. The power was terrifying."
The Patriarch had expected danger, but even she seemed shaken by witnessing it firsthand.
"Lao San was gone. Just like the records said, it really was that deadly."
After a long time, the Patriarch let out a slow, shaky breath.
She stared at Song Wanníng for a few seconds, then sent out a message talisman. She walked over, grabbed Song Wanníng's hair, and forced her upright.
"Don't you dare play tricks on me. If you behave, I might let you live. If you don't, you'll end up exactly like her."
Her voice was cold and full of threat.
Song Wanníng's lips curled with a mocking smile. "She was your own kin, and you're not even sad that she died?"
"Sad?"
The Patriarch let out a cold laugh.
"She was just a useless piece of trash. Dead is dead."