He fancied himself irresistibly charming, forgetting that at the moment he was wearing another man's face.
Naturally, he couldn't get into Yun Yunzhuo's good graces.
Here he was, fighting tooth and nail against a beast, and not only did he hear no pleasant chime of rising affection, but he also watched Yun Yunzhuo turn and run…
Run…
Xiao Heyun's eyelid twitched. He swore aloud. "Damn it!"
The scene he had envisioned never came to pass. Furious, he took out all his frustration on the beast. After a vicious struggle, he finally brought it down.
Yun Yunzhuo's unhesitating departure was still etched in his sea of consciousness, refusing to fade.
"System, system, check Yun Yunzhuo's favorability!"
Even if she didn't like him, surely lending a hand ought to have earned him at least a point or two?He had helped her, after all.
Panting, Xiao Heyun divided the beast's carcass while he waited for the announcement.
"Host, Yun Yunzhuo's current favorability is zero. Please continue to work hard and win the beauty's heart!"
The system's cold voice fell. Neither of them had expected it to remain completely unchanged.
"Damn, that heartless woman!"
Now Xiao Heyun was truly fuming. Not even a sliver of goodwill?
"Host, it must be because you're still concealing your true face. Since you've made it inside, show your real appearance. Women are creatures who judge by looks!"
The system also suspected the problem lay with his current face. With such an ordinary appearance, how could a young lady fall in love at first sight?
It wasn't as if she'd never seen a man before.
"Hmph, it must be that!"
Xiao Heyun stroked his chin, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Once I reveal my true face, she'll be throwing herself at me. Shallow women like that!"
Swallowing his anger, he finished dealing with the beast's remains. Then, after searching the surroundings and confirming the valuables had been taken, he grew even more irritable.
"Let's go. I don't believe I can't win that woman over!"
With that, Xiao Heyun shed his disguise and led his people toward the red mark's location.
"Wow, so many herbs. We've struck it rich!"
Xiao Jin darted over, excitement shining in his eyes as he circled around the pile of treasures Song Wanníng had just taken out.
They had already left the medicinal garden and found a nearby cave.
The puppet's combat strength had been low, leaving it pressed down by Xiao Jin and the others, unable to interfere with Song Wanníng.
She had picked quite a haul of rare spirit herbs. Some needed their roots processed, so she had only now taken them out.
Looking at the fresh, vibrant herbs laid out before her, Song Wanníng felt a surge of satisfaction.
The change in her fortunes was enough to make her think back to the days before Ye Chuxue appeared—days when everything had gone smoothly, when she had felt in complete control.
She had thought her path to ascension would be smooth, never imagining it would end in tragedy. But that was all in the past. Now she was once more the bright, confident Song Wanníng of before.
After tidying the herbs and planting some seeds in her internal world, she prepared to look for Jiang Cen and Xiao Heyun.
A brief sensing revealed both were far away. It would take time to cross paths. So she decided to make her way in their direction while keeping an eye out for treasures along the way.
With her mind made up, she left the cave.
The Lingxi Secret Realm was a place of diverse and unpredictable terrain. Here, everything was lush and green, the scenery serene.
Before long, she spotted a Moonlight Flower.
This flower only bloomed under moonlight, its bloom lasting just ten seconds before withering. Once withered, it bore a fruit that could enhance the Primordial Soul—a rare and high-grade treasure.
Song Wanníng's Primordial Soul was already stronger than most at her cultivation level. With an extra boost, she could better withstand the pressure of high-level cultivators, and her spiritual sense would reach farther.
Tempted, she decided not to rush ahead. Instead, she stayed put to wait for the fruit.
As for Jiang Cen, she was in no hurry. Just earlier, as she had been about to chase after them, the Three Lives Mirror had suddenly shown her their images.
She could clearly see their movements, their surroundings, and even hear their voices.
It was her first time witnessing this. The Three Lives Mirror explained that because they were inside a secret realm, the Heavenly Dao's rules were partially lifted, granting her this "convenience."
Once outside, the mirror would again only be able to hear invaders' inner thoughts.
And this boon didn't come from the lower realm's Heavenly Dao fragment, but from the Spirit Realm's more complete Heavenly Dao fragment.
The two fragments had already reached an agreement: Song Wanníng must drive out the invaders and find a way to merge the two realms into one, which meant they were obliged to help her.
In other words, she could charge forward without worry. The Heavenly Dao had her back.
Now that she could track both targets so clearly, wouldn't it be even easier to toy with them?
A sly smile curved her lips.
"Sister, this sudden change still feels strange to me," Xiao Jin admitted.
Since Ye Chuxue's death, their master's treatment of them had improved day by day. Sometimes it felt unreal.
Song Wanníng patted his head. "It will only get better from here."
"Mhm, I hope Sister keeps doing well."
Xiao Jin nuzzled her hand affectionately before settling with his younger siblings in front of the Three Lives Mirror, watching the two targets closely and ready to alert Song Wanníng at the first sign of trouble.
Song Wanníng, meanwhile, stayed nearby, waiting to see if the moon would appear.
The sky gradually darkened. Moonlight broke through the clouds, spilling over the land.
Song Wanníng's eyes lit up. It was time.
Now all that remained was for the flower to bloom and bear fruit.
Soon, the silver-white petals unfurled, quietly blooming as if the entire world had narrowed to this single flower.
Even her breathing grew quieter.
As promised, the bloom lasted only ten seconds before the petals dissolved into motes of light that drifted into the heart of the flower.
A small fruit began to form, swelling until a faint blue glow shone within its silver skin.
Within minutes, it was fully ripe.
Success.
Song Wanníng's gaze sharpened. She leapt forward without hesitation, reaching for the fruit.
But just as her fingers brushed it, an ice blade slashed in from the side.
"Put it down!"
A sharp voice rang out as a figure burst from the darkness.