Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Leaving the Secluded Land

By infiltrating the other families in disguise, Song Wanning learned that they had also started working on lifting the seal long ago.

Some even started earlier than the Feng Family!

Everyone wanted to get out, fed up with this life where they couldn’t ascend.

Fortunately, only the Feng Family’s Clan Leader and elders knew about the loophole. Otherwise, there would have been even more trouble.

If these people were to get out, they would inevitably cause great harm. But there was nothing she could do. Dealing with the Feng Family had been a matter of pure coincidence; she was no match for the many remaining Divinity Transformation cultivators.

She could only hope the seal would hold a little longer.

But this seal had existed for countless millennia, so it probably wouldn’t be broken so quickly.

...

Soon, the loophole was about to open again.

Song Wanning knew it was time to leave.

But she didn’t want to leave just like that, so she decided to leave behind a smokescreen to attract as much attention as possible.

So, before she left, she obliterated Feng Youming’s Nascent Soul. She then left a last will and testament in his cave, fabricating a detailed account of how he discovered a method to ascend to the Spirit Realm and poured all his treasures into the effort.

Unfortunately, during his battle with the Feng Family, he had suffered an irreparable injury and had to regrettably stop at the most critical moment!

He hoped that those who came after could fulfill his last wish and, at the same time, tell his mother that he would repay her kindness in his next life.

These vague and misleading words would certainly attract the attention of the elders from the other families.

This would consume the bulk of their attention, hopefully buying some time.

After arranging everything, Song Wanning brought Bai Yang to the location of the loophole, waiting for it to open again.

The Golden Small Sword stood cheerfully on her shoulder. ’Master’s bag of dirty tricks just keeps getting bigger,’ it thought.

’How could the people of the Secluded Land possibly resist such a temptation?’

’It was just like with Feng Jinchuan. Even if he suspected something was amiss, he had to take the gamble.’

’Otherwise, he would never be satisfied.’

’Master had their mindset pegged perfectly and knew exactly how to exploit it.’

Bai Yang stood by Song Wanning’s side, beaming today.

’Master is treating me well again, and I’ve found so many treasures with her. This trip has been incredibly rewarding!’

His gaze was fixed on the seal. About ten minutes later, the loophole finally reappeared.

"Go on ahead. Be careful!"

At Song Wanning’s urging, Bai Yang quickly stepped through the seal.

The familiar air of the outside world rushed to greet him. He was finally back.

Although the Spiritual Energy here was much thinner, he felt an inexplicable sense of security.

’He still preferred the land where he was born and raised.’

Back inside, Song Wanning took out the jade hairpin, an Immortal Artifact, and smoothly passed through the seal as well.

But she didn’t let her guard down, instead carefully flying to Bai Yang’s side.

After they had gone about ten meters, the sky suddenly twisted.

The Heavenly Punishment arrived as expected.

A terrifying pressure carrying an aura of total annihilation rushed towards Song Wanning.

Song Wanning’s expression darkened, and she scoffed inwardly.

’The moment the Heavenly Dao finds the slightest excuse, it tries to kill me.’

’Good thing I was prepared.’

At this moment, Bai Yang also noticed the Heavenly Thunder, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Just as he was about to react, Song Wanning grabbed his hand and shouted, "Bai Yang, look out!!!"

The next moment, Song Wanning had pulled him much farther away.

By then, the Heavenly Thunder had already descended, its heavy killing intent terrifying to behold.

However, just as it was about to strike, it abruptly changed course and slammed into the ground nearby.

"RUMBLE—"

A massive explosion left a deep crater in the ground, where the Power of thunder and lightning crackled nonstop.

The grass and trees were burnt black, and a foul smell rose from all around.

Bai Yang’s racing heart took a long time to calm down.

The scene reminded him of the battle against the beast tide. Back then, a Demon Cultivator had tried to capture them, only for Heavenly Thunder to abruptly change direction as well.

For a moment, a familiar feeling washed over him.

Before he could dwell on it, Song Wanning suddenly said, "Bai Yang, I find your situation quite peculiar. It seems that whenever someone tries to harm you, Heavenly Thunder descends. Could you be the legendary Heavenly Dao’s Son?"

Song Wanning’s brow furrowed slightly, looking as if she was deep in thought.

Bai Yang’s train of thought was instantly broken, and he started thinking along the lines of Song Wanning’s words.

’This has happened at least three times now!’

’Could it be true? Am I really the Heavenly Dao’s Son, just as Master said?’

Bai Yang’s heart began to pound. The more he considered it, the more plausible it seemed...

’And from the look on Master’s face, she must have only just realized it herself.’

’It’s all just a coincidence.’

"Master, I... I don’t know. But whether I’m a child of destiny or not, I will cultivate diligently and never disappoint you!"

His spirits soared, and he was back to his old, confident self.

Seeing this, Song Wanning’s lips curved into a smile. She offered a few words of encouragement before leading Bai Yang on their way back.

She didn’t take Bai Yang back to the Song Family, but returned to the Heavenly Inquiry Sect.

...

「Demon Clan Territory.」

Ye Chuxue and Gu Qingyuan finally found a natural shelter that could serve as their safe haven.

But this place was home to a Great Demon of considerable strength.

Ye Chuxue and Gu Qingyuan managed to kill the Great Demon with great difficulty, but they were also injured in the process.

Gu Qingyuan’s injuries were the most severe. His internal organs had been shattered, and he lay in the cave with a deathly pale face, a heart-wrenching sight to behold.

Ye Chuxue bit her lip, and after some thought, decided to risk performing Alchemy.

"Qingyuan, I’ll grind the inner core into powder and use it in Alchemy for you. Once you take it, you’ll recover quickly!"

’Normally, consuming the inner core directly would be far more effective.’

’But they had been on the run for so long that their supplies were nearly exhausted, and they were short on Alchemy ingredients.’

’Now that they had this Great Demon’s inner core, grinding it into powder would allow them to refine more Elixir Pills, which was a better use of it for their situation.’

"Chuxue, you use the inner core. I’ll be fine if I just rest and recuperate!"

Gu Qingyuan’s brows were knitted in pain, yet he didn’t consider himself at all, instead hoping that Ye Chuxue could use the inner core to advance her cultivation.

Seeing his worried expression, Ye Chuxue was incredibly moved, and a surging tide of love overwhelmed her.

Their time on the run, far from weakening their feelings, had actually deepened the bond between her and Gu Qingyuan immensely.

’She loved Gu Qingyuan. She loved him so, so much!’

’They were each other’s support, each other’s hope.’

’As long as they were together, they could overcome any hardship; no obstacle could block their path.’

"Qingyuan, I’ve already decided to perform Alchemy. Just focus on resting."

After saying that, she ignored Gu Qingyuan’s objections and finally took out the Alchemy Furnace.

Gazing at the familiar tool, a dark glint flashed in Ye Chuxue’s eyes.

She then began to refine the pill according to the Pill Recipe.

However, just as a certain ingredient was added to the mix, far away in the Song Family estate, Song Wanning’s true body suddenly snapped her eyes open.