Song Wanníng followed the merfolk without forcing it to stop. As they moved, she carefully observed their surroundings.
The Wuyou Sea stretched vast and wide, teeming with aquatic beasts. Without the use of divine sense, her search was passive at best. All she could do was take it one step at a time.
She kept close behind the merfolk, weaving through the seabed. Thankfully, her cultivation was high enough that the surrounding beasts, sensing her aura, all hid away without daring to show themselves.
Finally, after two full hours, the merfolk came to a stop in front of an underwater cave.
"It's here! I can sense Jiao-Jiao's presence in this place!"
The merfolk was visibly anxious. Why had Jiao-Jiao ended up in such a far-off place?
And more importantly, was Jiao-Jiao safe?
"Alright, let's take a look. But we need to be cautious."
Song Wanníng glanced at the cave entrance and gave a small nod. She and the merfolk headed inside.
The cave was filled with water, lush aquatic plants, and schools of fish darting about playfully.
As soon as the intruders approached, the fish scattered in panic, fleeing toward the cave entrance.
Song Wanníng followed the tunnel deeper. The farther they went, the narrower the passage became. Eventually, she had to shrink her form, curling herself into a small bundle just to continue forward.
The merfolk also shrank down as much as it could. In the end, it had no choice but to return to Song Wanníng's beast pouch so they could press on.
"Why would Jiao-Jiao come here? There's no way forward from here!"
The merfolk's worry deepened. The tunnel ahead looked like a dead end, yet Jiao-Jiao's aura was still present. It had to be nearby.
"Don't panic. There's definitely something strange about this cave."
Song Wanníng tried to calm it down as she continued forward, carefully scanning the surroundings in search of the other merfolk. But when she finally reached the tunnel's end, there was still no sign of the missing merfolk.
"You're sure it's here?"
"I'm sure! I can feel it—Jiao-Jiao is just beyond this wall!"
"Beyond…"
Song Wanníng narrowed her eyes and reached out to feel the tunnel's end.
The cramped space made movement difficult, but before long, her fingers found a tiny crevice—no larger than a pinhole.
If not for her repeated searches, she would never have noticed it. She brought her eye close to the hole—only for a flash of white light to shoot straight out toward her.
Instinctively, Song Wanníng twisted to the side and raised her hand, catching the light midair.
Shing—
The white light stopped in her grasp.
Opening her palm, she found a key.
Song Wanníng raised an eyebrow, her gaze drawn once again to the pinhole. She lifted the key and inserted it into the hole. Though the size mismatch should have made it impossible, the key slid in perfectly, as if guided by fate.
With a twist, a soft click echoed from within—and suddenly, an unseen force pulled her inside.
The cave returned to its previous stillness, as though no one had ever been there.
But now, Song Wanníng was standing before something that left her stunned.
It was an immortal abode.
Seven stories tall, with jade towers and intricate carvings, the structure radiated an aura of transcendence. Surrounding it was a shimmering flow of multicolored light, separating the abode from the ocean beyond, adding a layer of mystery.
She had come searching for a merfolk, and by sheer coincidence, stumbled into this place.
Pressing her lips together, Song Wanníng released the merfolk from her pouch.
It gaped at the sight, wide-eyed. "There was an immortal abode in the Wuyou Sea? I've lived here for hundreds of years and never seen it before!"
Its worldview had been completely overturned.
Song Wanníng said nothing. Her eyes swept over the immortal abode.
"By now, Ye Chuxue was likely already inside.
So Heavenly Dao had gone to such lengths to ensure she received this opportunity. It must have been getting desperate. If not for the limits set by the rules, it might have just handed the treasure to her directly."
Song Wanníng let out a cold laugh. "Come on. Let's go see what's inside."
She and the merfolk approached the front gates. Surprisingly, there was no barrier. They entered the immortal abode without resistance.
The first floor appeared to be a reception hall. Elegant teaware and delicate furnishings reflected the refined taste of the abode's owner.
A single stalk of Celestial Bamboo leaned inside a dark green jade vase. Up close, it released a faint, calming fragrance.
After surveying the first floor, Song Wanníng ascended to the second.
The moment she stepped onto the last stair, she felt herself entering a formation.
A familiar energy surged toward her. In front of her appeared a compass, several scattered formation flags, and a carving knife.
Her brows furrowed.
So this was another legacy left by an immortal.
Last time it was alchemy. This time, it was formations. Next time, it might be artifact crafting or talisman refinement.
Some people could spend their whole lives trying to master just one of the four great cultivation arts. Meanwhile, the protagonist would easily master all of them and reach their peak.
Thus legends were born.
She stepped closer to the compass. A fourth-rank formation hovered above it.
The test was simple—recreate the formation on another array plate. Pass, and you advanced. Fail, and you were ejected.
Song Wanníng had studied formation arts before. Replicating a design was not difficult, especially for someone with her strong soul. Her spiritual strength gave her greater precision and less room for error.
She steadied herself and began carving with the blade.
The merfolk sat silently nearby, not daring to make a sound. It was still worried about Jiao-Jiao, but panic would get it nowhere.
Surely Jiao-Jiao was inside this immortal abode. If it just followed its master step by step, they would find each other.
Meanwhile, in another chamber within the abode, Ye Chuxue was immersed in studying the formation.
The symbols were complex, but for her, that was never a problem.
After suffering countless setbacks following her injury, she had finally received another grand opportunity. She would not let it go to waste.
Especially with Song Wanníng in the picture. That woman was just an alchemy master. Once she herself became both an alchemy master and a formation master, Song Wanníng's reaction would surely be delightful.
Ye Chuxue could hardly wait for that day to come.
That very thought gave her all the motivation she needed. Fatigue was no longer a concern.
And sitting quietly beside her… was a beautiful merfolk.
With long flowing hair, a gentle expression, and an ethereal beauty, it radiated a soft, healing aura from head to toe.