Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Liu Yi Yi of the Gazing Mountain Sect

No one cared about the Heaven-Questioning Sect’s opinion.

If the two Divine Transformation Stage cultivators were not missing, everyone would have already divided up the Heaven-Questioning Sect right in front of their faces.

This was the cruel Cultivation World.

If your strength fell short, even a major sect would be squeezed.

Only through the rise and fall of countless forces could the Cultivation World grow more prosperous.

Filled with humiliation, the Sect Master escorted them to Guest-Welcoming Peak, then turned and went to Cloudsky Peak.

Unlike his earlier arrogance and dissatisfaction, he looked exhausted now.

“Junior Sister Song, something terrible has happened!”

He landed at once, hurried to Song Wan Ning, and said anxiously, “Junior Sister Song, they all want to challenge you. I’m afraid they’ll harm you in secret. How about you claim you’re sick?”

“Right now, you are the person in our Heaven-Questioning Sect most likely to advance to the Divine Transformation Stage. Those scum definitely have bad intentions!”

He cursed furiously several times, enough to almost make Song Wan Ning laugh.

Not long ago, the Sect Master had disliked her and secretly favored Gu Qing Yuan.

Now that Gu Qing Yuan was unreliable, he came to fawn on her instead.

With someone like this as the Sect Master of the Heaven-Questioning Sect, no wonder the sect had declined.

“Junior Sister Song, did you hear what I said?”

The Sect Master waved his hand, irritation edging his voice.

Song Wan Ning lowered her eyes. “I heard.”

“Good. The Heaven-Questioning Sect is unstable now, and the other sects are pressing hard. Our sect is in danger.” He sighed heavily. “Now we can only hope you advance to the Divine Transformation Stage soon and hold up the Heaven-Questioning Sect.”

“Right—can you contact the two ancestors? My messages have all sunk without a trace!”

No one knew where the two ancestors had gone. There was still no reply.

Song Wan Ning shook her head, hiding the smile at her lips. “I can’t.”

“They must be in some secret realm,” he muttered.

“Maybe.”

The Sect Master sighed again and warned her repeatedly, “If they challenge you, you must keep calm and refuse!”

“Understood.”

Song Wan Ning had never planned to accept.

Standing up for the Heaven-Questioning Sect was not something she would do again.

The Sect Master left, frowning miserably.

“Disgusting.” The Sword Spirit spat, finding the Sect Master’s face downright ugly. “That Martial Uncle is only at the Ascension Stage, yet he has the nerve to set his sights on you. He really thinks highly of himself!”

“He indulges himself and refuses to cultivate, yet he expects you to guard the sect. How can his skin be so thick?”

Song Wan Ning raised an eyebrow. “Ignore him. Once the Heaven-Questioning Sect declines, he should disappear from this world, too.”

“There’s no need to get angry over someone like that.”

“Hmph. I just get mad seeing him treat you like a fool!”

Born with Song Wan Ning, the Sword Spirit saw her as its sky and its faith. Whoever hurt her, it wanted to split them apart.

Song Wan Ning smiled. “Let him jump around a while longer. After he’s nailed to the sect’s pillar of shame… it won’t be too late for him to disappear.”

“Hehe, you’re right. If he dies that easily, it’s too cheap for him!”

The Sword Spirit snickered, looking forward to that day even more.

—

The next day, Cloudsky Peak welcomed a guest: Liu Yi Yi.

“Wan Ning, I missed you to death!”

She lunged straight at Song Wan Ning, and a fresh scent hit Song Wan Ning’s face.

Song Wan Ning shifted aside and dodged.

Liu Yi Yi missed and stared at her in surprise. A flicker of doubt flashed in her eyes.

But she recovered quickly, pouting. “What, it’s only been a little while and you’re already distant?”

“Or did you just advance and start looking down on us old friends?”

Liu Yi Yi looked pretty and harmless. With her playful, quirky personality, people liked her. She had friends everywhere.

Song Wan Ning had once treated her as a close friend and told her every secret and worry. But after she fell into desperation and sought shelter from this former friend, she could never forget that ugly face.

“You really think I treated you as a good friend? You’re so naive. I only got close to you because you can refine pills and were useful!”

“Sometimes I hate even seeing you. Why do you get the best of everything—the best family, the best talent, even that face? It’s disgusting!”

“I only approached you in the beginning because my brother liked you, but I think his taste is awful. You can’t compare to Ye Chu Xue at all!”

“Good thing my brother came to his senses and stopped wasting time on you.”

“Look, I’ve already notified the Heaven-Questioning Sect. They’ll be here soon to catch you, you traitor! Hahahaha…”

That manic laughter. That savage face, twisted by jealousy.

Human nature was complicated. Without noticing, everything could change.

Maybe it started with sincerity, or maybe it started as exploitation.

Song Wan Ning’s heart collapsed, and her heart demon grew heavier again…

It was all caused by the person in front of her.

Heh.

She hadn’t even had time to settle the score, and Liu Yi Yi came to her door herself.

A cold, sinister light rose in Song Wan Ning’s eyes. She stared at Liu Yi Yi until Liu Yi Yi’s scalp tingled for no reason.

Song Wan Ning smiled as usual, but that smile made Liu Yi Yi’s hair stand on end, as if something unseen were watching her.

Did she know what Liu Yi Yi suggested yesterday?

Liu Yi Yi’s face changed. She forced grievance into her voice. “Wan Ning, are you angry about yesterday? I’m sorry—I had no choice. The Sect Master of the Gazing Mountain Sect insisted I bring you up. I really didn’t mean it.”

Tears filled her eyes, and she looked ready to cry.

“Waaah…”

Liu Yi Yi cried very “sadly.”

The smile at Song Wan Ning’s lips deepened. Watching that clumsy performance, she realized again how stupid she had been in her past life. She couldn’t even see through someone like this—no wonder she’d ended up on a dead end.

She didn’t deserve sympathy.

Thanks to the Three Lives Mirror, she had been given a chance to start over and fix her mistakes.

Song Wan Ning tightened her fingers and stayed silent.

Her strange reaction made Liu Yi Yi’s heart jolt. Still crying, she stole quick glances at Song Wan Ning.

Slowly, she couldn’t cry anymore.

Something was wrong with Song Wan Ning.

Liu Yi Yi stopped. Suspicion rose, and she pressed, “Wan Ning, your Heaven-Questioning Sect is in a critical situation. If you don’t step forward and fight, the Heaven-Questioning Sect will be in danger!”

She hated Song Wan Ning’s comprehension and talent.

In such a short time, Song Wan Ning had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage—two minor realms above her.

Her fingers twisted together, jealousy warping her expression.

Suddenly, Song Wan Ning sighed and grabbed Liu Yi Yi’s hand.

“I know things are urgent, but my cultivation was not advanced through the usual path, so it won’t stand up to scrutiny.”

She hinted at it subtly. Liu Yi Yi caught it instantly, thrill bursting through her chest.

So that’s it.

Song Wan Ning’s cultivation had been stacked up by swallowing pills.

In that case, she couldn’t blame herself for using Song Wan Ning as a stepping stone.