Song Wanníng felt absolutely nothing.
So what if he had suffered? Hadn't she?
He might not have played a part in her suffering, but she remembered very clearly that her suffering had certainly involved him.
Gazing into Mo Yuan's eyes, dull with a tinge of gray, Song Wanníng sneered inwardly. After everything he had been through, Mo Yuan still wanted to rely on others? He still didn't understand that when you rely on people, they run, and when you lean on mountains, they collapse.
But that was exactly what she wanted. So she said, with visible displeasure, "I'll help you escape their pursuit first. Everything else can wait."
With those words, Mo Yuan finally let out a sigh of relief.
As long as she hadn't abandoned him, everything else could be dealt with later...
A flicker of something unreadable passed through Mo Yuan's eyes. Who knew what he was thinking?
In the days that followed, Song Wanníng played an endless game of cat and mouse with the two demon lords, dragging Mo Yuan along for the ride. Saving him again and again gradually made Mo Yuan start to rely on her.
Habits were dangerous. By now, he was no longer the stubborn, reserved person he used to be. Without even realizing it, he instinctively leaned on Song Wanníng. His feelings for her deepened with each passing day.
Song Wanníng, however, kept shifting between concern and coldness. Her unpredictable attitude left Mo Yuan confused and restless. Yet that only made him care about her even more.
Everything was progressing exactly as Song Wanníng had planned—except for the fact that Mo Yun and Mo Yu were so angry they could spit blood, cursing her nonstop every day.
"Damn it! Just how many tricks does that shameless woman have? Every time we're about to catch her, she slips through our fingers!"
"Aaaargh! I really want to kill her!!!"
There were times they truly felt like dying, especially with all the restrictive formations in this place. Every step forward was a struggle, and on top of that, they had to deal with the rage Song Wanníng constantly provoked in them.
It was unbearable.
Yet they couldn't do anything about her. They couldn't possibly report back to the Demon Sovereign and admit they couldn't even handle one Nascent Soul cultivator. The other demon king would laugh them to death.
With no choice, they gritted their teeth and continued the chase, having already imagined hundreds of ways to torment Song Wanníng once they caught her.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingyuan had finally followed the guidance of the soul lamp to the borders of the demon realm.
When he realized the final destination was the Wuyou Sea, his expression darkened. He let out a harsh snort, and a trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
His damaged soul hadn't fully healed. He had been traveling day and night, consuming a great deal of energy. His body was already reaching its limit. But the one he loved was still in danger. He had no time to worry about himself. Without hesitation, he dove straight into the sea.
The moment he entered the waters, however, the soul lamp stopped responding, leaving him completely without direction.
Gu Qingyuan's heart sank. Faced with the endless sea, he grew frustrated. Without the lamp to guide him, he was like a headless fly, forced to search blindly.
As for Ye Chuxue, the one he was desperately searching for, she had already been dragged into a sea beast's lair. The beast was fifth-rank. Its den was filled with all the prey it had recently captured.
Once it finished preparing its food, it would begin hibernation. This hibernation was critical to its evolution. It might awaken with a brand new divine ability. It couldn't afford any mistakes.
It dragged all its prey into the deepest part of its lair. But before it could seal the entrance, a ripple of disturbance shook the cave from the outside.
The sea beast flew into a rage and charged out.
Another sea beast was waiting right outside. The moment it saw the first one, it started bickering with it. The quarrel escalated into a full-blown fight. Soon, the seafloor trembled violently, waves crashing layer upon layer in the distance.
Sensing something unusual, Gu Qingyuan paused. After a moment's thought, he swam in the direction of the spiritual energy fluctuations.
The battle between the two sea beasts had grown intense. In the end, both suffered mortal wounds and died outside the cave.
If Song Wanníng had been here, she would have definitely sneered and cursed the heavens for being shameless.
When Gu Qingyuan arrived, all he found were the corpses of two fifth-rank beasts. His eyes lit up. He quickly stepped forward, pulled out a dagger, and sliced them open. In just a few breaths, he had dug out two core pills.
Fifth-rank demon cores.
Gu Qingyuan's heart trembled. He immediately stored them away and didn't forget to collect the corpses either. After all, the skin and meat of fifth-rank beasts were extremely valuable. He couldn't let them go to waste.
Ever since breaking off his engagement with Song Wanníng, he hadn't seen a single spirit stone from her. All his savings had gone to Ye Chuxue, leaving him nearly broke. Clenching his fists, a trace of resentment flashed in his eyes.
Song Wanníng was always like that. When she was in a good mood, she might toss you something from on high. When she wasn't, she didn't care about anyone's pride.
During their time together, he had often endured her coldness, constantly feeling as if all his ambitions were being suppressed.
Not to mention the people who mocked him behind his back for living off a woman.
The more he thought about it, the deeper Gu Qingyuan's hatred grew. Everything he had today, he earned himself. It had nothing to do with Song Wanníng or the Song family.
After tidying up the battlefield, Gu Qingyuan was just about to leave when he suddenly heard a faint whimper coming from inside the cave.
Startled, he rushed in. There, buried under the pile of corpses, he found Ye Chuxue.
The lively and energetic Ye Chuxue who had left not long ago was now covered in wounds, her clothes torn and disheveled, barely clinging to her body. Her face was riddled with cuts. Her breath was so weak, she was hanging by a thread.
In that moment, Gu Qingyuan felt like his heart had stopped.
"Chuxue!!!"
He shouted and dashed over, pulling her into his arms. Regret surged within him. If only he hadn't acted so rashly that day. Ye Chuxue wouldn't have left the sect, wouldn't have ended up like this.
"Mas... Master..." Ye Chuxue, in her daze, barely made out a familiar face. Before she could fully recognize him, she passed out again.
Panic gripped Gu Qingyuan. He immediately carried her toward the surface of the Wuyou Sea.
Eventually, he brought Ye Chuxue to a small inn in Wuyuan City. To treat her injuries, he sold one of the fifth-rank demon cores in exchange for rare, high-grade pills and fed them to her. He stayed by her side day and night.
Finally, on the fifth night, Ye Chuxue slowly regained consciousness. Having survived such an ordeal, Ye Chuxue could no longer hold back. She threw herself into Gu Qingyuan's arms.
"Master... sob... I thought I'd never see you again!"
At last, Ye Chuxue had found someone to rely on. She clung to Gu Qingyuan and wept uncontrollably. She truly thought she was going to die.
But in the end, her master had come for her once again. Ye Chuxue's heart was a whirlwind of emotions. Ever since arriving in this world, her master had always protected her, cared for her.
And Bai Yang?
Ye Chuxue quietly clenched her sleeve, a glint of disappointment flickering in her eyes.
Bai Yang only ever sided with that wretched woman, Song Wanníng.
She suddenly raised her head, her voice choked with sobs, and began tattling to Gu Qingyuan.
"Master, it was Song Wanníng. She stole my inheritance and tried to kill me!"