When news spread that the Demon Sea had opened, Lu Nanfeng's heart stirred. Since Junior Sister Ye was unharmed, he could finally set his worries aside.
Rather than waiting idly, he might as well venture into the Demon Sea to improve his cultivation. With some luck, he could break through to the Golden Core stage and continue advancing side by side with Junior Sister Ye.
Carrying this hopeful thought, Lu Nanfeng followed the crowd into the Demon Sea.
The Demon Sea was vast, a fragmented piece of a greater world. It had appeared out of thin air hundreds of thousands of years ago and chose a demon cultivator as its guardian.
From that moment on, the demon race had a Demon Sovereign, a title passed down through the generations.
Eager and full of anticipation, the cultivators streamed into the Demon Sea. As soon as they reached the entrance, they split up, each seeking their own path. Everyone was chasing the same dream—an opportunity hidden within the Demon Sea that could change their lives forever.
Three days later, the entrance to the Demon Sea was sealed. No one could enter or leave. Only when the secret realm reached its time limit would the people inside be released.
…
Inside a mountain cave, Mo Yuan slowly opened his eyes. When his gaze fell on the figure sitting in meditation nearby, a wave of complex emotions surged in his heart.
The senior had saved him once again.
That beast had struck with ruthless force. Who knew how many pills the senior had used to pull him back from the brink?
The thought stirred something deep within him.
Perhaps his gaze burned too hot, because Song Wanníng opened her eyes with a slight frown. "You're awake?"
"Yeah."
Mo Yuan nodded and quickly looked away, a bit embarrassed. Only then did he take the time to look around. This was his first time in the Demon Sea, and everything felt unfamiliar.
Yet somewhere deep inside, a strange sense of familiarity flowed gently through him. He stood up and wandered around the cave. After a few circles, his gaze settled on a certain spot on the stone wall.
He walked over and pressed his injured hand against the wall. Instantly, a red light flickered. Complex patterns shimmered into view.
The aura was familiar. So was the door. But what lay beyond was something else entirely.
Mo Yuan felt a surge of joy. He quickly called Song Wanníng over and led her inside without hesitation.
Behind the door was a sealed chamber. At its center sat a single sand table—nothing else.
"Is this… a map of the Demon Sea?"
Mo Yuan leaned closer, curiosity flickering in his eyes. His mother had once said that everything was within his grasp. But what exactly had she meant?
Song Wanníng stepped forward as well, her gaze sweeping over the sand table. When her eyes landed on a certain cavern, a faint trace of demonic energy flickered through her pupils, laced with a sudden chill.
She stared at the cavern, her expression shifting several times before returning to calm.
Within her sea of consciousness, a tiny golden sword sensed the deep-rooted fear etched into Song Wanníng's soul. It stirred with concern.
The infernal flames inside that cavern did more than torment the body. They shattered the mind. It was like a vat of boiling oil in the underworld, searing every soul that fell in. And in that place, even death was forbidden. There was no escape. Only endless, inhuman suffering.
"Senior, allow me to take a closer look. My mother never explained it clearly. She only said I'd understand once I entered the Demon Sea."
Mo Yuan finally had a chance to prove himself in front of Song Wanníng, and he didn't want to let it slip.
She was extraordinary. Whether in cultivation or alchemy, she stood far beyond his reach.
He never expected the senior to return his feelings. But the desire to follow her grew stronger with each passing day. Even if he could only be her follower, staying by her side would already be more than enough.
"Alright. Don't mind me."
Song Wanníng nodded, her expression cold and distant. She circled the sand table, her thoughts drifting to the past.
Near the cavern, at a place called Blood water Cliff, she had once discovered an unimaginably rare Seven Star Lotus Flower. The flower had seven petals, each a different color, each brimming with immense spiritual energy.
Legend said that consuming a single petal could raise one's cultivation by a full realm. But one could only take one petal—any more, and the body would explode.
Back then, Song Wanníng had believed her luck had finally turned. She had nearly wept with joy at the sight of such a treasure. With that petal, she could break past her bottleneck. She'd have a better chance of survival.
But just as she reached out to pick it, a powerful beast appeared. It was on the verge of evolving into a fifth-rank beast.
A fifth-rank beast was equivalent to a human cultivator in the Divine Transformation stage. At the very least, this one was at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm.
Song Wanníng had been terrified. Clenching her teeth, she fought back with everything she had. After a bitter struggle, she finally slew the beast, but she was left gravely wounded and collapsed on the ground.
The treasure was right before her eyes. Even if she had to crawl, she'd get to it.
But just as her hand touched the Seven Star Lotus Flower, an attack struck out of nowhere.
It was Ye Chuxue.
Not only did Ye Chuxue steal the flower, she even hurled Song Wanníng into the infernal cavern while she was still bleeding out.
"Winners take all. Losers like you, Song Wanníng, can only accept your fate. I'm the chosen one. You vicious side characters all belong in hell." Ye Chuxue's voice had echoed in her ears over and over. Back then, she hadn't understood what those words meant.
All she'd felt was hatred.
Now, remembering it, Song Wanníng's eyes gleamed red with bloodlust, a sinister light flaring to life. She had bled and fought, only to pave the way for someone else.
Ye Chuxue had clearly known about her special status long ago. No wonder she always acted so fearlessly, barging into danger as if nothing could touch her.
Song Wanníng lowered her gaze. She didn't know which world Ye Chuxue had come from. She didn't know what criteria the Heavenly Dao used to choose its favored ones.
But if she had been cast as the "vicious side character," then so be it.
She'd play the role to perfection.
Let them see what "vicious" really meant.
With a cold breath, she returned her attention to the sand table. The Demon Sea was expansive, but in her previous life she'd been trapped in a small corner of it. She had never explored the rest.
So she roughly memorized their current location, planning to explore the rest later. About fifteen minutes passed before Mo Yuan approached her again, visibly excited. He pulled out a bead and tossed it into the air.
In an instant, the bead burst into countless colorful bubbles. Inside each one was a projection of a cultivator—every person currently inside the Demon Sea.
At the center, beneath the largest bubble, a sacrificial altar gradually emerged. It was jet black and glowed with a faint light. Mysterious patterns flickered briefly before vanishing into stillness.
Thud.
The altar dropped to the ground in front of Mo Yuan.
"Senior, this is what my mother meant by 'controlling the entire Demon Sea!'"
Mo Yuan's eyes turned red with emotion. He had endured enough of those days spent hiding and running. At last, his chance had come. Scenes of humiliation and persecution flashed before him, one after another. Hatred flared in his eyes as he locked onto four bubbles.
The Demon Sovereign, Qu Shang, Ye Chuxue, and Gu Qingyuan.
These four... must die.
At the same time, Song Wanníng also noticed them. In another bubble, she even saw a familiar figure—her dear disciple, Lu Nanfeng.
Well, well.
The timing really was impeccable.
As a follower of the female lead, Lu Nanfeng had always been favored by fate. It seemed nothing had changed.
Song Wanníng narrowed her eyes at his image, her lips curling into a mocking smile.
Very well. She'd settle everything right here in the Demon Sea.