It was a shame.
Song Yunfeng died before he could name the one pulling the strings.
Song Yuanlang let out a quiet sigh. They had avoided disaster today, but what about tomorrow? The real danger hadn't been captured, only delayed.
You can guard against a thief in the night, but how do you defend against one who never stops watching?
"Patriarch… was Song Yunfeng really a traitor?"
One of the disciples finally voiced what many were thinking. They were all from the same clan. Song Yunfeng had always seemed quiet, dependable. To hear he'd betrayed them felt surreal.
Song Qingyun swallowed the fury still simmering in his chest and gave a heavy nod.
"Song Yunfeng colluded with outsiders, attempting to lure a beast tide against us. He intended to cripple the Song Clan. Thankfully, someone noticed in time and stopped it before disaster struck."
He didn't point to Song Yuanlang, though his gaze flicked briefly in his direction. Instead, he spoke with a deep scowl.
"Years ago, Song Yunfeng asked me for a Heavenly Origin Nurturing Heart Pill. When I refused, he grew resentful. Toward me, and toward the clan.
He was born into this family. He was raised and cultivated on our resources. And yet, over a single pill, he turned on us. This alone shows the narrowness of his heart. Selfish. Petty.
He brought this fate on himself. No one else is to blame."
Gasps rippled through the disciples.
"Heavenly Origin Nurturing Heart Pill? Has he gone mad? Does he even know how rare that is?"
"I heard it sold for tens of thousands of mid-grade spirit stones at the last auction. He actually had the nerve to ask for one?"
"Unbelievable. Just because of that, he was willing to kill us? I never thought he was this twisted."
Murmurs turned into curses as the shock faded, and fury took its place. Several disciples even spat toward the spot where Song Yunfeng's body had fallen.
That kind of pill wasn't something you just asked for. Either you paid an enormous price, or you performed a great deed for the clan. Even then, it was a maybe. Rarity aside, even Song Wanníng would struggle to refine one.
Song Yunfeng must have been desperate… or completely deranged.
And to go as far as setting them up for slaughter, all for a grudge?
Disgust boiled in the group. Their outrage had nowhere to go but into insults hurled at the traitor's corpse.
"Enough," Song Qingyun finally said. "We'll discuss this later. Right now, stay alert. The beasts are still out there."
Though he hadn't caught the mastermind, the disciples were safe. That was enough—for now. His grip on the knot of worry in his chest loosened just slightly.
Then, without hesitation, he tossed Song Yunfeng's body toward the horde. The beasts tore into it at once. Flesh, bone, blood, all gone in an instant. The red mist lingered in the air, casting a bloody haze over the disciples' vision. No one spoke. The message was clear. Betray the Song Clan… and this was your fate.
With the Beast-Luring Powder's influence gone, the horde slowly began to retreat back into the mountains. Little by little, the tide broke.
Disciples reorganized and resumed the battle. Morale surged.
This time, the clan had been generous. Every day, they received ample pills and talismans. Whether coincidence or not, many began to wonder—had the Song Clan suddenly grown wealthier?
...
With the immediate danger fading, Song Qingyun returned to fighting off the remaining spirit beasts. His shoulders finally began to loosen.
Then another force swept across the battlefield.
A monstrous pressure surged from deep within the mountains.
Boom—!
The ground buckled. Every beast dropped flat to the earth, trembling uncontrollably. Even those in mid-leap slammed into the dirt.
The disciples collapsed as one. None of them could stand under that weight.
Even Song Qingyun and the other Nascent Soul cultivators were yanked from the sky, crashing to the ground like falling stars. Their limbs refused to move. Their bones screamed in protest.
"No…"
A chill crept down his spine.
A Divine Transformation cultivator?
No… worse.
A Divine Transformation-level beast cultivator.
Song Qingyun's mind roared in alarm. His thoughts leapt back to what Song Wanníng had told him.
Back then, she said the deaths of their scouts had happened before the beast tide arrived.
Could it be… she was right?
The disciples hadn't died to the tide.
They had crossed paths with a Divine Transformation beast.
"Elders, listen carefully." His voice was low, steady, but tight with urgency. "Protect the disciples with everything you have. If we cannot win this… you must take them and retreat."
He had already prepared himself to die.
In the past life, it was his carelessness that had cost them everything. This time, he would not let history repeat itself. If it came to it, he would detonate his core and drag the beast down with him.
"Patriarch—!" one of the elders cried.
The others looked stricken, but they understood. They nodded silently.
A figure appeared in the distance.
Floating midair, cloaked in violet robes.
Not quite male, not quite female. Their features were androgynous, yet beautiful. The long, narrow phoenix eyes tilted upward with an unnatural charm.
Song Qingyun clenched his fists.
A Mahayana beast that had already taken human form.
...
Far away, inside the Demon God's Tomb, Song Wanníng sat in meditation, working to fuse demonic energy and spiritual energy within her core.
Above her, a glowing screen shimmered, displaying the current state of the Song Clan.
She had asked the Demon God's remnant spirit to keep an eye on things for her.
Now, that spirit glanced at her and said lightly, "Little one. Your clan is in trouble."
Her eyes flew open.
One look at the screen was enough. Her people were being toyed with, treated like prey.
A deep fury erupted inside her. A dark haze surrounded her as killing intent surged outward like an avalanche.
The Demon God's spirit chuckled softly.
"That little beast… it looks like it wants to slowly torture them all to death."
He had been watching her carefully. She had hovered on the edge of advancement for days. Even with his help guiding the demonic energy, she had been stuck at the final threshold.
But maybe, with the right push…
"Looks like the Song Clan might not survive," the Demon God mused aloud, feigning a sigh.
The moment those words left his mouth, everything shifted.
Song Wanníng's aura exploded.
She had fought so hard to change the fate of her clan. And yet here they were again, staring down annihilation. Even a Divine Transformation beast had shown up.
Was the Heavenly Dao really that eager to "correct" the story?
No.
She wouldn't let it happen.
Her destiny was her own to command.
She refused to surrender.
A blaze of unyielding will surged from within her soul. The golden sword in her sea of consciousness transformed into a roaring dragon, spiraling through her mind with a piercing cry.
The balance between spiritual energy and demonic power finally collapsed.
But instead of chaos, it fused.
The two forces swept through her meridians like wildfire, merging seamlessly, then converging toward her dantian.
In an instant, a symbol bloomed.
A yin-yang pattern formed in the center of her core, black and white swirling in perfect harmony.
Rings of light spread outward from her body, each resembling the lines of a great Eight Trigram diagram.
Boom—!
The final barrier shattered.
She had done it.
She crossed the threshold. From Nascent Soul to Divine Transformation.
Song Wanníng opened her eyes.
A storm of killing intent still lingered in her gaze, so fierce and deep that none would dare meet her eyes. Her aura surged wildly, too vast to measure. It wasn't just power—it was presence.
The feeling of something ancient and unstoppable.
The girl from before was gone.
In her place stood a force of nature.
The Demon God's spirit smiled, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.
She had exceeded even his expectations.
To wield both demonic and spiritual energy together—now that was something rare.
"Go on," she whispered.
"Claim your future."
===
If you've been reading my translations for a while, you probably already know that I have a private Xianxia glossary, right? It's that collection of Google Docs and folders I usually link in the comment section of my chapters. But I realized something recently… maybe some of you are reading through the app, not the web version, and copying links there can be a hassle (´･ᴗ･ ` )
So, I've decided to officially upload the glossary here on Webnovel! This way, it's easier for you to access, and I can keep updating it whenever I come across new terms, concepts, or explanations I feel are worth sharing. Whether you're new to cultivation novels or just want to deepen your understanding, I hope this helps enhance your reading experience. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
Its The Xianxia Handbook: A Guide to Cultivation and Beyond. Feel free to visit my profile, add it to your library, and enjoy easier access anytime you want to read!