She did not rush to check the system. After all, with the Three Lives Mirror in hand, it could no longer stir any waves.
Originally, she intended to handle the system herself, but just before she acted, the Three Lives Mirror suddenly glowed, eager to engage. That was when she understood the mirror could deal with this so-called system.
It did not disappoint.
Song Wanníng put away the Three Lives Mirror and then looked toward the two figures submerged beneath the water.
Xiao Heyun was truly dead now. But Huo Jinchuan was different from Xiao Heyun; it seemed unlikely he would die under this Heavenly Punishment.
Still, as long as he was injured, his Luck would slowly be affected. If she could manage to drive a complete wedge between the two of them, Huo Jinchuan's Luck would suffer even more.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, the two figures reappeared.
But with each passing moment, the Heavenly Punishment grew stronger and the intervals between strikes shorter. Neither of them had time to react before another divine thunder crashed down.
Song Wanníng and Baili Shang watched with growing dread. This Heavenly Punishment was like a Mahayana cultivator in the Unity stage going through a Tribulation!
This was the terrible price for forcibly trying to revive the dead.
And whether resurrection was even possible remained uncertain.
Boom—
The divine thunder struck continuously. The shattered ice scattered across the ground and quickly turned into icy water under the intense shock, rapidly flooding the area.
Soon, the water rose to the level of their calves.
The two figures were completely submerged, and combined with the water's conductivity, their bodies convulsed violently.
Baili Shang hurried into the air, continuously pulling out pills and swallowing them to slowly mend his wounds.
He tried to break through the barrier but was mercilessly pushed back every time.
Song Wanníng, on the other hand, moved freely in and out of the barrier, which made Baili Shang secretly envious.
...
Time slipped by quickly and soon it was time for the final Heavenly Punishment.
At this point, both the Patriarch Huo and Huo Jinchuan were heavily wounded. Especially Huo Jinchuan, who was on the verge of losing consciousness, every inch of his body battered and bruised. But his Primordial Soul remained clear and lucid. The weaker his body became, the brighter his eyes shone.
The Patriarch Huo was in somewhat better shape, but his expression was still grim because the last strike of Heavenly Punishment was always the heaviest. He glanced at the buried ice bed. Seeing Meng'er's peaceful sleeping face filled him with boundless determination. If they could survive the final Heavenly Punishment, Meng'er would awaken.
"Come on, come on!"
He laughed wildly, fully prepared for what was to come.
Boom—
The last divine thunder shot straight down with overwhelming destructive power toward the two.
Huo Jinchuan's pupils contracted sharply. Without hesitation, he pulled out a Flying Shield Talisman of Ten Thousand Miles.
This talisman had long been lost to the world. Even with enough money, it could not be bought. Not only could it whisk him away from this place, but it also shielded him from pursuit, completely changing a certain death into a chance at survival.
He held it back until now because once targeted by the Heavenly Punishment, even this talisman would not help him escape. He could only wait until the final thunderbolt fell before risking everything.
But…
Huo Jinchuan's fierce gaze landed on Song Wanníng one last time. He had originally planned to drag the Patriarch Huo down with him, but who knew he would end up implicating himself instead?
Still, it was not without gains. His eyes darkened as, at the moment the thunder engulfed them, he released an invisible insect.
The tiny bug was silent and, hidden by the thunder's noise, the Patriarch Huo did not notice a thing. In the next instant, the insect crawled directly into the Patriarch Huo's body.
"What is this?"
The Patriarch Huo's expression shifted in alarm. He quickly looked inward, but the insect had already vanished without a trace.
Huo Jinchuan was nearly dead from the thunder's strike. He immediately activated the Flying Shield Talisman and slipped away under the Patriarch Huo's very eyes.
The Patriarch Huo was furious and raised his hand to attack but was blocked by the talisman's shield. He could only watch helplessly as Huo Jinchuan escaped.
Rage overwhelmed him and, struck by the divine thunder, he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.
Luckily, he had been prepared. A faint glow suddenly enveloped him, wrapping him entirely. His severe wounds visibly began to heal at an astonishing rate.
While the thunder destroyed his body, the glow repaired it with incredible speed. When the lightning dimmed, Song Wanníng's pupils tightened, but she quickly relaxed. If Huo Jinchuan could not get away, she would truly be shocked.
To escape under the Heavenly Punishment was no small feat. This man's skills were formidable.
As for the Patriarch Huo, he seemed to possess some treasure capable of healing injuries this fast. Even super-grade pills could not match this speed.
But now was not the time to care about that. There was no way she could allow the Patriarch Huo to recover so easily. If he did, it would be Baili Shang and her who faced disaster next.
She prepared herself silently, ready to strike.
The last Heavenly Punishment faded away, the lightning power finally dissipating into the air. The ice palace was a complete wreck, no longer existing except as a vast ocean. Waves crashed endlessly, but the person on the ice bed showed no sign of awakening.
The Patriarch Huo coughed and struggled to his feet, his wounds already more than half healed. A look of disdain flashed in his eyes as he sneered at Song Wanníng.
Trying to use Heavenly Punishment against him?
Now you realize your mistake.
But when his eyes swept over the motionless body, his expression suddenly changed. He rushed forward.
"Meng'er!!!"
Meng'er did not wake as he had expected. Though her body had returned to its original form, her Primordial Soul had not been awakened. In that moment, the Patriarch Huo's hope collapsed completely. He lifted his head sharply, a brutal rage flashing in his eyes.
"Are you mocking me?!"
He had suffered through the Heavenly Punishment for one goal—to revive Meng'er.
This woman deserved to die.
The aura around the Patriarch Huo suddenly shifted. The water surged violently as if it would wash away everything at any moment.
Song Wanníng's heart sank but she did not flinch.
She looked the Patriarch Huo in the eye and smiled arrogantly.
"Hahaha, you can't blame me for this. You were stupid enough to believe Huo Jinchuan. I was only trying to survive. Don't blame me."
The truth was that resurrection pills were just legends. There was no way to bring a dead cultivator back to life. But with her ambiguous words, she pinned the blame squarely on Huo Jinchuan.
Baili Shang caught on immediately and feigned surprise, asking Song Wanníng, "He spoke to you as well?"
Song Wanníng said nothing, only mocking the Patriarch Huo with her gaze.
"Patriarch Huo, you made the mistake of offending someone you shouldn't have. From now on, the Huo family belongs to the young master. You only have one path—death.
If you know what's good for you, the young master might spare your life."
Her expression was cold and proud, as if Huo Jinchuan's every command was law.