Saying too much would just make it sound disingenuous.

Yu Cheng’s expression was sincere as he broke into a smile at Song Wanning.

Feng Lansi was even more confused. "Senior Brother, what are you talking about? What great favor?"

"It’s nothing."

Yu Cheng smiled but said nothing. This was a secret between him and Song Wanning; there was no need for a third person to know.

Hearing this, Feng Lansi pouted but didn’t press the matter.

"By the way, I heard Song Dao You is also looking for Westwind Sand?"

"Yes."

Song Wanning nodded. Her purpose in coming to the Wuyou Sea was for the Westwind Sand.

"I’ve seen Westwind Sand before. Would Song Dao You like to come with me?" Yu Cheng offered to lead her to it, and naturally, Song Wanning wouldn’t refuse.

"Let’s go."

She gave a crisp nod and followed him with the two Merfolk.

Three humans and two Merfolk—the group looked quite impressive.

Plus, with their high Cultivation levels, they encountered no obstacles and successfully collected the Westwind Sand.

Yu Cheng probably guessed what Song Wanning planned to do, but he didn’t say it aloud, merely exchanging Communication Talismans with her.

"If you have any questions, Song Dao You, feel free to ask. I will tell you everything I know."

"Take care."

Song Wanning parted ways with the senior and junior brother pair. After watching them leave the Wuyou Sea, her gaze returned to the Merfolk.

She raised a hand and patted the Merfolk’s head. Seeing its dazed eyes, she placed her palm on its head, and in just a moment, the Master-Servant Contract was dissolved.

The Merfolk was shocked. "Master, what are you doing?"

’I was all prepared to follow Master out of the Wuyou Sea.’

Song Wanning looked at it, her expression as indifferent as ever.

"You are of no more use to me. We will not meet again."

She turned and swam toward the surface without a hint of reluctance.

The Merfolk watched her leave in a daze, its eyes suddenly turning red for some reason.

"Master... you act tough but you’re soft-hearted!"

It squeezed Jiao Jiao’s hand and bit its lip, but ultimately decided not to chase after her.

’I still have responsibilities to bear, and I can’t bear to leave Jiao Jiao.’

"Master, you must take care of yourself..."

...

"Hmph, what a mouth on that woman...!"

Feng Jiuxiao, who had witnessed everything, rolled her eyes speechlessly.

’It’s a miracle Song Wanning has survived this long.’

She looked down at Ye Chuxue at her feet, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

’This woman almost caused me to suffer a huge loss. I can’t just let this score go unsettled.’

’The Heavenly Dao wants to protect Ye Chuxue? Well, I refuse to let it have its way.’

’As for the Heavenly Punishment...’

The corner of Feng Jiuxiao’s mouth lifted, her eyes filled with defiance.

’I’m just a wisp of Divine Thought anyway. If it gets destroyed, it gets destroyed.’

’Whoever makes me unhappy, I’ll make them miserable!’

At this thought, she cast a deep glance in the direction Song Wanning had left, then sent a palm strike flying toward Ye Chuxue.

This palm strike contained all of her remaining energy.

The giant palm descended rapidly, and the Heavenly Thunder crashed down again with menacing force.

But in the end, Feng Jiuxiao was a step faster. The giant palm arrived as expected, its immense power completely enveloping Ye Chuxue.

The next instant, the Heavenly Thunder, thick with killing intent, struck down.

"HAHAHA—"

Feng Jiuxiao let out a few hearty laughs as her Divine Thought dissipated into the Heavenly Tribulation.

The Heavenly Tribulation faded, revealing the severely injured figure of Ye Chuxue.

Her clothes were shredded, bones throughout her body were shattered, and her Dantian was damaged...

The Spiritual Energy in her Dantian was leaking out uncontrollably, and her Cultivation was rapidly regressing!

The pearl disappeared, and she slowly sank to the seabed.

...

「Heavenly Inquiry Sect, Xuelai Peak.」

Gu Qingyuan spat out a large mouthful of blood and collapsed to the side.

His face was pale, and blood gushed out. A single glance was enough to see he was heavily injured.

’My Divine Thought was destroyed, and my Divine Soul is damaged!’

Gu Qingyuan’s pupils trembled as he forced himself to stand up through the intense pain.

"Chuxue..."

’Something’s happened to Chuxue.’

He abruptly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and took two Elixir Pills from his Storage Bag, stuffing them into his mouth.

But with his Divine Soul damaged, even with the nourishment of Elixir Pills, he couldn’t possibly recover so quickly.

Forcing himself, Gu Qingyuan took out Ye Chuxue’s soul lamp from his Storage Bag.

The flame, which should have been burning and leaping, now flickered weakly as if doused by rain, threatening to go out at any moment.

It seemed as if a single gust of wind could easily extinguish it.

Seeing this, he let out an anxious grunt, and a coppery taste rose in his throat.

’Who in the world was that person?’

’To shatter my Divine Thought with a single palm strike! How could Ye Chuxue have possibly offended such a figure?’

Gu Qingyuan’s mind was in chaos. ’If I had known this would happen, I never should have let Ye Chuxue leave the Sect alone.’

The more he thought, the more guilty he felt. Disregarding his injuries, he forced himself out of seclusion and followed the soul lamp’s guidance into the night.

He moved so quickly that Lu Nanfeng, who was standing at the door, didn’t even have time to call out to him before he vanished.

Lu Nanfeng only caught a glimpse of the flickering soul lamp, and his heart lurched.

’A soul lamp that Gu Qingyuan would hold in his own hands... who else could it belong to but Ye Chuxue?’

’Could something have happened to Ye Chuxue?’

Lu Nanfeng’s face instantly turned ashen. He hurriedly took out a Communication Talisman to send a message to Ye Chuxue, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea—there was no reply.

At that moment, he was almost certain that something had happened to Ye Chuxue.

"No, I have to go find Junior Sister Ye!"

Just the thought of something happening to Junior Sister Ye made Lu Nanfeng’s heart ache with anxiety.

He didn’t have time to report to the Sect and immediately followed.

As he reached the Sect gate, he thought of Bai Yang. ’One more person searching means one more bit of hope.’

’But...’

His selfish desires won out. He wanted to be the one to save Ye Chuxue.

’If I’m the one who saves her, maybe Junior Sister Ye will fall in love with me.’

Lu Nanfeng hesitated for only a moment before rushing out of the Sect gate and disappearing into the starlight.

...

After leaving the Wuyou Sea, Song Wanning flew toward the nearest forest.

Breathing in the fresh air of the outside world, she felt wonderfully refreshed.

’Given Feng Jiuxiao’s temperament, Ye Chuxue definitely didn’t get off easy.’

’The Heavenly Dao is also too reckless, always arranging for Ye Chuxue to receive the inheritances of major figures. The risk of backlash is naturally greater.’

’Gu Qingyuan must be the one with the headache now.’

Thinking of this, Song Wanning’s lips curled into a smile. She found a tree trunk in the dense forest to rest for a moment.

The Golden Small Sword fell onto her shoulder with a CLINK. "Sister, why did you let the Merfolk go? A mutated Merfolk is a rare sight!"

’A mutated Merfolk can heal and poison. It would have been an excellent assistant.’

’I thought Master would keep it with her forever, but who knew she’d be the one to break the contract.’

Song Wanning sat cross-legged on the trunk, closing her eyes upon hearing its words. "Getting the Immortal Artifact and the inheritance this time was, to a certain extent, thanks to the Merfolk’s help," she said calmly.

"Besides, whether it’s poisoning or healing, I have no use for it."

"It’s better to let it go free."

’It’s not that I’m some selfless person. If the Merfolk was of great benefit to me, I naturally would have chosen to keep it.’

’But its strengths just happened to overlap with my own.’

’So, calling it useless wasn’t exactly a lie.’