Tian Li turned his head and gave Song Wanníng a faint smile.
Song Wanníng watched him expressionless.
Tian Li didn't seem embarrassed at all. Instead, he touched his face and said teasingly, "I'm a man of the Buddhist Dao. Are you feeling a little tempted, benefactor?"
Song Wanníng: "…"
This man was definitely not a Buddhist cultivator. A cold glint flashed in her eyes, though the corners of her mouth curled slightly.
"Whether you're a Buddhist or not, I don't care. But I do enjoy peeling off the layers of thick-skinned people to admire them."
"A truly beautiful sight," she added, her smile more of a warning than amusement.
Tian Li touched his nose sheepishly. "Look at you, taking it seriously."
He turned his gaze back toward the island.
The closer they got, the denser the murderous energy became. Even from a distance, it radiated a strong sense of unease.
Song Wanníng's expression grew more serious. Her merit began circulating naturally, and a faint golden glow spread over her body.
Tian Li couldn't help glancing at her, a mix of desire and calculation flickering in his eyes before vanishing. He pulled out an Immortal Treasure, a black umbrella that emitted golden light when opened, cutting through the heavy, sinister energy.
The two of them descended rapidly toward the island.
When Song Wanníng's feet touched the ground, the soft texture made her stomp deliberately to test it.
"This sea island appeared suddenly a hundred years ago, and it's always been filled with this murderous energy," Tian Li explained.
"Based on my calculations, this is actually a flaw in the Heavenly Dao. I specially invited you here to take a look. Maybe we'll find clues about other invaders."
He walked forward with her, a hint of melancholy in his expression.
The island was filled with trees and grass, but all of them shared one feature—they radiated intense death energy. Even descendants of plants that had barely survived in the Lower Realm looked less threatening than these.
Yet strangely, they all grew extremely lush. A vibrant life force intertwined with the death energy, creating an unsettling contrast.
Song Wanníng's interest peaked. "A flaw in the Heavenly Dao? Could this be related to the Heavenly Rift?"
Countless possibilities swirled in her mind, but she kept her guard up and followed Tian Li cautiously.
After a while, he suddenly stopped.
Before them was a formation, exuding heavy death energy.
"See it? This is the place," Tian Li said, pointing at the center. Black energy seeped outward continuously.
Occasionally, struggling soul energy tore free, forming terrifying faces in the void.
Song Wanníng stared at the dark vortex, a deep unease pressing in from her soul.
Tian Li looked equally troubled, clearly affected by the formation.
"You know something about formations, right?" he asked.
From what he gathered, Song Wanníng had close ties to Feng Jiuxiao.
She shook her head. "Honestly, I know nothing about formations."
This was an Immortal Formation, far beyond anything she'd learned. Feng Jiuxiao's legacy didn't cover Immortal Realm techniques, so she had no experience.
Even her hairpin wasn't as reliable as it was in the Lower Realm. Many of her tricks didn't work here.
Tian Li fell silent for a moment, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.
"In that case, we'll have to break through by force," he said with a faint smile, summoning a blood-red great blade into his hand.
Heavy murderous energy radiated from it, catching Song Wanníng off guard.
"This blade… how many had it slain? Tian Li wasn't a Buddhist cultivator, so why pretend to be one? Why did he carry Buddhist energy at all?"
Her questions multiplied. This Tian Li appeared far too strange, and he knew her secrets…
With even more suspicion, she watched him charge into the formation.
The endless death energy swept over him instantly, yet his expression remained calm as he swung his great blade.
Each strike conjured a different beastly silhouette.
They surged forward, colliding violently with the death energy.
The energy stirred, forming shrieking shadows that attacked the beasts, and soon the two forces tore into each other.
Song Wanníng remained still, watching coldly.
Xiao Jin and the others sat ready on her shoulder.
"Big sister, this guy's definitely dangerous. We have to hold back and not intervene!"
"Exactly, even if he dies, we don't move!"
Their instincts told them Tian Li couldn't be trusted, even if he claimed to be one of her kind.
"I know, I just want to see what he's really up to," Song Wanníng murmured, a shadow of intent in her gaze. Tian Li had led her here deliberately.
She'd suspected it all along, and he hadn't hidden his true purpose. But what exactly it was remained a mystery. One thing was certain—it wasn't good. No matter how much he hid, that faint malice kept surfacing, and she could feel it.
"Big sister, should we knock him out and probe his soul?" Xiao Jin suggested eagerly.
"I'll do it!"
"Me too!"
The little ones raised their hands, ready to help her deal with him.
Song Wanníng chuckled and held them back.
"Don't rush. Let's see how long he wants to play this game."
She wasn't foolish. She had escape plans ready. She just wanted to understand how Tian Li knew about the invaders. Even if he was an invader himself, he shouldn't know this. Had something changed?
A troubling thought flashed in her sea of consciousness—if consciousness had truly awakened, she was in real danger.
Countless invaders in the Immortal Realm could exist, and she'd be completely unaware. If one of them had awakened consciousness, they'd definitely know about her…
She'd become an exposed target, a thorn in their side. If this was true, her life would be extremely perilous.
As the thought passed, Tian Li continued battling the death energy fiercely.
Suddenly, he called back over his shoulder, "Come help!"
His tone was calm, as if he weren't afraid she'd see it as a trap.
This behavior could either be extremely foolish or hide an even deeper trap.