"Senior, why are you staring at him like that?"
Mo Yuan, ever perceptive, immediately noticed something off in Song Wanníng's expression.
In the bubble, the man had a dignified face and graceful bearing, looking as refined as warm jade.
Song Wanníng glanced at the bubble coldly. "Just a disobedient disciple. No need to pay him any attention."
She clearly didn't want to talk about it further, but that alone made Mo Yuan even more suspicious.
"Disobedient disciple?
Hmph. Anyone who stood against senior couldn't be a good person.
Might as well kill him while they were at it."
Still, Mo Yuan couldn't quite figure out what Song Wanníng was thinking. If he killed the man too rashly and upset her, it might backfire.
Forget it. He would play it by ear. Everything would be based on the senior's wishes.
Mo Yuan set the matter aside for now and turned to Song Wanníng. "Senior, our current strength still isn't enough to deal with that beast. But we can take care of Ye Chuxue early. What do you think?"
In his mind, Ye Chuxue was the easiest target. Getting rid of her would surely please the senior as well.
But Song Wanníng shook her head. "Focus on strengthening yourself first. When the time is right, we'll deal with them."
If they went after Ye Chuxue too soon, the Heavenly Dao might interfere, introducing unwanted complications.
It would be better to seize the treasures first. Even if the Demon Sea collapsed afterward, it wouldn't be a wasted trip.
Mo Yuan thought it over for a moment, then nodded. "Senior is right. Let's do that. I'll teleport you to the place you want. Do you have a location in mind?"
His gaze swept rapidly across the sand table. He already had a firm grasp of every area within the Demon Sea.
"You can teleport directly?"
Song Wanníng raised her brows. This 'control' ability was far beyond what she expected.
"Of course."
Mo Yuan answered without a second thought.
But the moment the words left his mouth, the air around them shifted. When Song Wanníng turned to face him again, her expression had turned glacial, a clear aura of do not approach surrounding her.
Mo Yuan froze. He was about to ask what was wrong when Song Wanníng suddenly smiled. The smile was breathtakingly cold, beautiful in a way that sent a chill straight through the bones.
Mo Yuan grew even more uneasy, but Song Wanníng beckoned him over with one finger. As he leaned in, she whispered the plan into his ear.
Her breath was warm against his skin, and Mo Yuan's mind briefly lost focus. He swallowed discreetly and forced himself to stay calm.
As for her suggestion, he agreed to it without hesitation and immediately began carrying out her instructions.
But as soon as Mo Yuan turned away, Song Wanníng's face darkened.
"So Mo Yuan could teleport at will."
That meant Ye Chuxue's so-called coincidence in her past life—arriving just as she finished battling the beast—was likely no coincidence at all.
Mo Yuan had probably sent her there.
Maybe even waited until the moment Song Wanníng was about to take the treasure, when hope was within reach, only to bring Ye Chuxue in and snatch it away before her eyes.
A blow straight to the heart. There was no deeper cruelty than that.
Song Wanníng's knuckles turned white from how tightly she clenched her fists. Veins bulged under the skin. Rage surged inside her. She wanted nothing more than to twist his neck then and there.
But Mo Yuan was still useful, so she forced herself to hold back and turned her face away in silence.
Meanwhile, Mo Yuan had already separated Ye Chuxue from Gu Qingyuan and deliberately placed Lu Nanfeng near Song Wanníng. It would be easy for them to cross paths.
"Senior, I'll teleport you now. Be careful. If you need to return, just activate this talisman."
He handed over a talisman from the altar, eyes shining with anticipation.
Soon, he would advance in cultivation.
As for the Demon Sovereign? Hah.
Still dreaming of cultivation?
Ridiculous.
"Alright."
Song Wanníng didn't feel like speaking to him any longer. She turned and disappeared in the teleportation light.
Mo Yuan immediately turned his gaze to the Demon Sovereign's bubble, a savage glint flashing in his eyes.
He couldn't kill them just yet, but he would make sure they suffered in the Demon Sea. His fingers flew through a series of seals, sending the Demon Sovereign and Qu Shang to distant corners of the realm.
Only after this did he smile in satisfaction and turn to walk back into the sealed chamber.
…
The moment they were teleported, several people were momentarily stunned.
They had just been in one place, then suddenly shifted to another. Anyone would find that strange.
But everyone assumed they had triggered some kind of restriction by accident. No one imagined that someone could control the entire Demon Sea.
The Demon Sovereign frowned at the creature that now appeared before him. He hadn't even begun to cultivate, and now he had to deal with this?
It was a Devourer, a creature that fed on demonic energy. Demon cultivators were its favorite prey. Once it latched on, it was nearly impossible to escape.
And this wasn't just one Devourer.
There were countless.
The Demon Sovereign's face darkened. Cursing under his breath, he charged straight into the fight.
Qu Shang and Gu Qingyuan weren't faring any better. They too had run into trouble.
Only Ye Chuxue and Lu Nanfeng seemed to be in safe areas for now.
Ye Chuxue walked across a carpet of dry leaves. The soft crackling beneath her boots was oddly soothing.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings. After a short while, she spotted a small cave tucked away in the distance. Her instincts told her it wasn't ordinary. Without hesitation, she headed straight toward it.
At the mouth of the cave grew a violet flower, its petals vibrant and edged with a trace of demonic energy. As it swayed in the wind, a faint fragrance drifted past.
Just in case, she quickly sealed her nose to avoid inhaling anything poisonous.
Still, a strange sensation crept over her, making her wrinkle her nose in discomfort. She rubbed her temples with a slight frown.
Worried she might already be poisoned, Ye Chuxue pulled out a pill and swallowed it. She glanced at the nearly empty pill bottle and sighed. Her alchemy journey had gone smoothly at first, but now she had clearly hit a bottleneck.
Still, she assumed it was just because higher-grade pills were harder to refine. It never crossed her mind that something else might be wrong.
With so few pills left and the Demon Sea just beginning, she knew she had to be extremely cautious from here on.
"I wonder how Master is doing…"
Ye Chuxue's heart ached. That figure in her memories had gradually filled her heart without her realizing. Shaking the thought away, she stepped into the cave.
Not long after, Lu Nanfeng also appeared at the cave entrance. He strode inside, catching a whiff of floral fragrance along the way. Glancing at the purple flower by the entrance, Lu Nanfeng didn't think much of it and walked further into the cave.
…
Inside was a pool of demonic spring water. Bubbles gurgled to the surface and burst midair, falling back down in a soft drizzle.
The droplets briefly shimmered with spiritual energy before vanishing.
Song Wanníng tossed out a bottle. It expanded instantly, sucking up the bubbles like a vortex.
Demonic energy and spiritual energy, combined.
Perfect for her use.
Rustling sounds echoed from the corridor behind her.
She knew. Ye Chuxue had arrived.
Deliberately, she kept her back turned. As if she hadn't noticed anything, she continued collecting the spring water in silence.
Then, a shocked and furious voice rang out behind her.
"Song Wanníng?! Why is it you again?!"