The door slammed shut with a heavy thud.
Ye Chuxue sat frozen on the bed, stunned. A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. Her heart, once full of hope, twisted with disappointment. So, in the end, her master was just like the rest of those filthy men, consumed by desire for the human body.
The image she had always held of her cold, distant, unshakable master collapsed completely. She scrambled to her feet, hastily pulling her robes back together. Her heart was still pounding from fear.
That look in his eyes just now…
A violent shiver ran down her spine.
Without another thought, she shoved the door open and fled into the night, racing back to her own quarters.
There, she quickly gathered the luggage she had already packed, stuffed everything into her storage ring, and turned her back on Wentian Sect.
She left without hesitation.
Right now, her mind was a mess. She needed time—space—to calm down. And while she was gone, she'd throw herself into cultivation. She had to grow stronger, fast. Strong enough to surpass Song Wanníng once and for all.
The moment Ye Chuxue disappeared from the sect grounds, a figure emerged at the gate.
Gu Qingyuan stood silently, watching the outline of his disciple vanish into the distance. His expression flickered with regret.
What had come over him? Just now… it was like something had possessed him. Like he wasn't in control of his own body at all.
A heart demon.
That was the first sign.
If he didn't suppress it now, if he let it take root, he might never come back from it. His brows furrowed sharply. Then, without another word, he turned and flew back toward Xuelai Peak.
He needed to enter closed-door cultivation immediately. If he didn't resolve this inner demon soon… it would be the end of his path.
...
"Hmph. Looks like Gu Zhēnjūn's heart is broken."
Song Wanníng crossed her legs, an amused smile tugging at her lips as she withdrew her divine sense. She lazily sipped her chilled tea, the flavor lingering faintly on her tongue.
She had noticed something was off with Gu Qingyuan back on the spirit vessel. With a few well-placed jabs and a little spiritual imprint, she had deepened that emotional crack inside him.
All she had to do was bring up matters of the heart. He would remember her words eventually. Judging by the results… it worked better than expected.
Gu Qingyuan had rushed back into seclusion, while Ye Chuxue had run away, terrified and alone.
An opportunity like this had landed in her lap.
Song Wanníng gazed up at the sky, then stood and vanished into the night.
...
"Master, here are the items you requested."
The manager of the Shénxíng Tiānxià Auction House bowed as he handed over a collection of neatly packaged materials.
Song Wanníng had tasked him with finding Seven Star Refined Iron and several rare resources used for crafting artifacts. He had no idea what she was planning to make.
She looked through the supplies, inspecting them carefully. A satisfied nod followed.
"Not bad. These are all excellent quality. You've done well."
She handed him a small jade bottle. "You've earned this. Also, keep an eye out for any news about Xi Rang."
The manager's eyes lit up as he eagerly accepted the bottle. Just from the warmth radiating off it, he could tell these pills were precious beyond measure.
"Yes, Master. Rest assured, I'll start asking around right away!"
Song Wanníng always rewarded generously. With this alone, he would make Xi Rang his top priority. He began mulling over the rare earth-element treasure. As one of the foundational elemental sources, Xi Rang was an incredibly rare spiritual item.
Whoever possessed it would likely hide it, guarding it like a lifeline. Finding it wouldn't be easy.
Still, he'd make the effort.
After pocketing her goods, Song Wanníng checked over the auction house's ledgers and collected the profits for the year.
The Shénxíng Tiānxià Auction House had grown rapidly since it opened. With regular auctions and a constant stream of high-quality items, its annual income had skyrocketed.
To put it plainly, Song Wanníng was loaded. A rich cultivator among rich cultivators. She could afford to spend spirit stones like water for the rest of her life.
Back then, she had showered her three disciples with resources. They had never had to worry about cultivation expenses. Looking back on it now, she had really burned money like incense.
With her storage ring now heavy with spirit stones, she prepared to leave Wentian Sect for a short while to shop for even rarer items.
Now that she had reached Divine Transformation, she could shape her divine sense into a tangible form and even let her soul briefly leave her body.
It was time to refine a clone.
If she wanted to "rob the rich and help herself," while also having a solid alibi, a clone would make things far easier.
Few cultivators could pull it off. Clone refinement required soul-splitting, and only those at Divine Transformation had the qualifications. But even then, it was risky. If something went wrong, it could damage the soul permanently.
Most wouldn't even attempt it.
Song Wanníng didn't care. She had already made up her mind. She sent a quick message talisman to Li Ruo, then took off, heading south toward the Instrument and Talisman Sect.
...
"You're seriously going to let Song Wanníng off just like that?"
Liu Yiyi sat fuming on a bench, her expression dark, the swelling on her face still fresh and red. A clear slap mark stood out on her cheek.
A Nascent Soul cultivator from their own sect had hit her, and she hadn't even been able to fight back. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
"Ever since we lost that match representing the sect, everyone's turned against us. They keep challenging me one after another, beating me senseless, humiliating me in front of all the disciples. If this keeps up, I might as well die!"
Tears welled up in her eyes.
The entire Wanshan Sect treated her and her brother like a curse now. Everyone blamed them. The lower disciples were afraid to say anything, but the Nascent Soul elders used every excuse to beat her down.
Today had been the worst yet. That wretched woman had slapped her across the face. Right in front of everyone. Liu Yao's face twisted in frustration. "Complaining won't help. She's stronger than both of us. What can we even do?"
He pulled out a chair and dropped into it, clearly annoyed.
"We were planning to trap her during the beast tide, but she stayed in the camp the whole time. Didn't give us the slightest opening."
Just thinking about it made his blood boil.
That conniving girl. She was too careful. Always one step ahead. They never even got the chance to strike.
Liu Yiyi's eyes burned. "Of course she's smart. That's how she tricked us so thoroughly in the first place. But I'm not giving up. You might be safe because your cultivation is high, but I'm not!"
She bit her lip until it bled. "Brother, no matter what, you have to help me get revenge. I don't care how. I won't let this go!"
If things kept going like this, she really would lose her mind. She had worked so hard to reach Nascent Soul. She hadn't even enjoyed the reverence that came with it before being pushed off her pedestal and turned into a laughingstock.
How was that fair?
Liu Yao looked at her, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"Fine, fine. I'll think of something."
He began pacing the room, turning ideas over in his mind.
To defeat Song Wanníng, they would need someone at the Divine Transformation stage… or a top-tier Nascent Soul cultivator with superior skills.
But who would be willing to help them?
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"I've got it!"
Excited, he rushed forward and grabbed Liu Yiyi by the shoulders.
"I know exactly what to do!"