Liu Yao also sat to the side, his face etched with worry as a palpable Evil Qi swirled around him.

His superficial injuries had healed, but his internal wounds were still severe. He even had to restrain himself when he got angry, which was incredibly frustrating.

He gritted his teeth, all traces of love gone from his eyes. "That bitch... she’s been lying to me for all these years..."

"Hmph, I told you a long time ago! Scions of prominent families like them would never deign to look at us, but you wouldn’t believe me!"

Liu Yiyi’s expression twisted, her anger flaring as she recalled the fool Liu Yao had made of himself.

Liu Yao’s expression faltered, and he couldn’t help but shoot back, "And wasn’t it because you were trying to fix the match? Would I have ended up like this otherwise?"

Tempers flared, and neither was willing to back down, each convinced the other was more to blame.

After a long while, their anger finally subsided, and they sat down again to plot their revenge.

"After taking such a huge hit, we have to make her pay the price!"

"But her strength is... off."

"So you’re just going to let her get away with it?"

"Of course not! I will make her regret it. I’ll have her on her knees, begging me for forgiveness!!!!"

*

Gu Qingyuan had mostly recovered, and Ye Chuxue breathed a sigh of relief.

Having repaid the kindness of her Master, she was now preparing to leave the Heavenly Inquiry Sect.

She had only emerged from seclusion two days prior to learn that such a major incident had befallen the sect. Beyond her surprise, she felt a strange sense of vindication.

’A cold, unfeeling place like the Heavenly Inquiry Sect is doomed to perish sooner or later.’

’I bet the Sect Master’s face is a real sight to see right now.’

Ye Chuxue gloated inwardly. ’Who told him to stand by and watch someone die back then?’

’He deserves it!!!’

She gathered her belongings, preparing to leave the sect.

Suddenly, the sect’s bell began to toll.

This was no funeral toll, but an alarm bell that only rang when a major incident occurred.

The somber, oppressive sound of the bell spread to every corner of the sect.

Every cultivator was startled.

"What’s happening? Is the sect about to fall?"

"What on earth happened? Why did they ring the bell?"

"Come on, to the square! Let’s see what the Sect Master has to say!"

"Hurry, hurry! Something major must have happened to the sect!"

The cultivators all began to run toward the main square, speculating on what could have possibly happened.

Bai Yang and Li Rao heard the bell as well and immediately appeared outside the seclusion chamber.

"Master is still in seclusion. Now that there’s trouble in the sect, I don’t know if we should tell her!"

Bai Yang worried that sending a sound transmission without permission might disrupt his Master’s cultivation. His handsome brows furrowed slightly as he hesitated.

He no longer felt such strong animosity toward Li Rao. He had done a lot of reflecting during this time, and without Ye Chuxue’s influence, he could clearly see how absurd he had been in the past.

’Master grew distant from me not because of Li Rao,’ he thought. ’I don’t need to misplace my anger on her.’

But in the end, they could never grow close again, only maintaining a basic level of courtesy.

Their relationship was even more distant than that between ordinary sect brothers and sisters.

Just then, however, Li Rao suddenly produced a talisman and said, "Master told me that if anything happens in the sect, I must notify her!"

’Even though Master has been wronged by the sect so many times, she still cares about its safety deep down.’

’Master is too kind-hearted.’

Her small face tense, Li Rao sent the Sound Transmission Talisman into the chamber and waited anxiously for Song Wanning’s response.

Having witnessed the entire process, Bai Yang’s face paled, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.

He took a deep breath and turned his head away, telling himself not to rush. ’I have plenty of time to win back Master’s favor, bit by bit.’

The two stood silently at the entrance. After about three breaths, they sensed a fluctuation of Spiritual Power from the door.

Master was coming out!

"Master, I think something has really happened to the sect!"

Li Rao immediately rushed forward, looking up at her and said.

Upon hearing this, Song Wanning’s eyes darkened, and her expression turned grim. "I know. Let’s go!"

Her expression was heavy as she led the two of them toward the main square.

Meanwhile, Lu Nanfeng, who had long been away, finally rushed back, arriving at the sect gates travel-worn and dusty.

As Song Wanning’s second disciple, he had been away from the sect for a long time, but he had heard about its demotion and was incredibly worried.

He had just steadied himself at the gate when he heard the bell toll, and his face instantly drained of all color.

Ignoring his fatigue, he rushed toward the main square without a moment’s rest.

...

About ten minutes later, the main square was packed with people.

The Sect Master and all the Nascent Soul Elders were present, their expressions heavy.

Even Gu Qingyuan, who had only just recovered, was in attendance, a testament to the urgency of the situation!

A jolt went through the crowd. Such a lineup involuntarily reminded everyone of the incident a few days prior...

Lu Nanfeng squeezed through the crowd, arriving breathless at the high platform and taking his place behind Song Wanning.

"Master, I’ve returned!"

He spoke from behind her, still panting, but his eyes unconsciously drifted toward Ye Chuxue.

Thinking of what he had done, Lu Nanfeng’s face flushed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Mm."

Song Wanning acknowledged him with a faint hum.

’This second disciple of mine has been gone a long time,’ she thought. ’I’ve been too busy dealing with the others to spare him any thought.’

Suddenly, Lu Nanfeng let out a soft "Huh?"

"Why don’t I see... An Ze?"

He scanned the crowd in all directions but saw no sign of An Ze.

Bai Yang replied, "An Ze also left the sect to gain experience. He hasn’t returned yet."

’It is strange, though. After all this time, An Ze hasn’t sent back a single message.’

’That’s never happened before.’

’I’ll have to send him a message later to check,’ he thought. ’I hope nothing bad has happened.’

"Silence!"

The Sect Master of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect, his expression heavy, waved his hand to quiet the crowd’s discussion.

"I have summoned you all here today because a major crisis has erupted in the Cultivation World!"

"The demon beasts of the south are launching a large-scale assault on the Human Clan Territory. A massive beast tide has erupted, and every sect, faction, and prominent family must send people to suppress it!"

"What? A beast tide?"

"Those southern demon beasts have only been peaceful for a few hundred years, and now they’re stirring up trouble again?"

"Gods, I hope they don’t pick me. With my skinny arms and legs, I’d be torn to shreds!"

"..."

The disciples instantly grew tense.

Many cultivators died during every beast tide, but for others, it was an opportunity to rise to prominence.

The Cultivation World is currently divided into four parts, with the Demon Race, Demon Clan, Spirit Race, and Human Clan each occupying one.

For hundreds of thousands of years, there has been constant friction and endless conflict, but most of the time, each race kept to its own territory, and things remained peaceful.

Now, however, the Demon Race had launched a beast tide, attempting to seize the Human Clan’s resources. Naturally, the humans could not just sit back and wait to be slaughtered.

Demon beasts and the Human Clan had always been mortal enemies. Although there were also demon beasts in the northern regions, most of them were cultivators’ Spirit Pets.

Any other demon beast that revealed itself would have to fight to the death with any cultivator it met.

Both sides were simply trying to cultivate. With their different standpoints, it was hard to say who was right and who was wrong.

"A beast tide?"

Bai Yang’s brow furrowed at the news. In the past, he had only heard of beast tides; he never thought he would actually encounter one.

Sitting in front of him, Song Wanning heard the announcement, and a dark shadow flashed in the depths of her eyes.

’The beast tide has come after all.’

’In my past life, the Song Family was schemed against during the suppression of this beast tide, and they lost more than three hundred of their main-branch disciples.’

’The losses were catastrophic.’

’And as for this male protagonist behind me, he not only earned the allegiance of a divine beast but also stole the show alongside the female protagonist during the great battle.’