Patriarch Huo's face twisted in disbelief for a moment, clearly unwilling to accept that Huo Jinchuan had tricked him.
All along, Huo Jinchuan had been manipulating him without mercy.
"You think I would believe you?"
His cold gaze landed on Song Wanníng, filled with hatred as if he wanted to grind her to dust.
Song Wanníng suddenly smiled brightly.
"Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter. I just need to handle the aftermath and wait for you to step down."
With that, she suddenly lifted her long sword and swung it toward Patriarch Huo.
Patriarch Huo laughed coldly at her confident posture.
"Overestimating yourself."
He could send her flying with a single effortless strike.
What a blindly arrogant fool.
Yet just as he moved to strike, a small crack appeared in the barrier's seal.
Baili Shang seized the chance and slipped through the gap, colliding directly with Patriarch Huo's palm.
"Pfft—"
He spat a mouthful of blood but did not retreat. Using the momentum, he flew out beyond the barrier.
Patriarch Huo sneered cruelly and prepared to strike again, but suddenly two divine thunder struck without warning.
One crashed straight at him, the other toward the ice bed.
His pupils contracted in shock, eyes wide with disbelief. He had no time to react before the thunderbolt struck him squarely.
Boom—
The ice bed was also hit.
Through the overwhelming thunder's power, Patriarch Huo watched helplessly as the ice bed was destroyed. He even saw the corpse turn to ash, scattered by the wind into the air. His eyes widened and he was stunned, completely forgetting to counterattack.
Only when there was no trace left of the corpse did he force himself to accept reality. His eyes reddened like blood as he shouted, "No—"
But everything was already over.
Meng'er's body was completely gone, along with the last remnants of her Primordial Soul, all vanished beneath the divine thunder.
"Ah—"
Something deep inside Patriarch Huo shattered completely. Years of obsession broke in an instant, leaving his mind in ruins. He coughed blood repeatedly. His Dao heart was affected as well, nearly falling into madness. He broke free from the divine thunder, eyes burning with fury, determined to reduce Song Wanníng and Baili Shang to dust.
But when he emerged, there was no sign of either of them.
They had long since fled.
"Bitch!!! You both just wait! If I don't kill you, my name isn't Huo!!"
His hair stood on end from rage as he vented wildly in all directions. Yet no matter how hard he tried, the rage inside never faded—only more anger filled his heart. Only after about fifteen minutes did he finally calm down.
Patriarch Huo looked around, a single tear falling from the corner of his eye. The hope of reviving Meng'er was utterly cut off. For him, it was painful but also a kind of relief.
"Meng'er, rest assured. Whether it's Huo Jinchuan or those two bitches, I won't let any of you go. I will not let you die in vain. I will avenge you!"
He lifted his head abruptly, eyes full of storms.
No matter if Huo Jinchuan was truly the mastermind behind it all, he had to die.
...
Bang—
Song Wanníng suddenly fell to the ground, Baili Shang gripping her wrist tightly to stop her fall.
"Cough, cough, cough—"
Baili Shang was still injured, coughing repeatedly.
Song Wanníng thought for a moment and took out a pill, handing it to him. Now that they were cooperating, they had to help each other for the time being. If Baili Shang betrayed her halfway, she would show no mercy.
She looked up and glanced around. They had already used a teleportation talisman to escape far from Patriarch Huo's control. But they would surely be pursued, so they had to be extremely careful.
"Thanks."
Baili Shang took the pill without hesitation, feeling the healing accelerate. His eyes brightened slightly.
Song Wanníng's unique alchemy method not only increased the pill's potency but also sped up absorption.
No wonder he lost to her.
"No need to thank me. Without your talisman, we would still be trapped."
Song Wanníng smiled and stood up, scanning the surrounding environment.
They were now deep inside a jungle. Shrubs surrounded them, but no beasts were in sight.
The teleportation talisman's range was limited; they were likely still within Huo family territory.
"Patriarch Huo will surely put out an immediate manhunt. We have to leave here quickly and head for the Demon God Tomb."
Baili Shang also stood and suggested this to Song Wanníng.
"As for Huo Jinchuan, if you want revenge, now is not the time..."
He worried she still harbored thoughts of hunting down Huo Jinchuan, but with him escaped, there was no way to track him.
It would be better to seek the Demon God Tomb first. Once he gained the Demon God's essence and greatly increased his strength, then they could hunt Huo Jinchuan.
Unbeknownst to him, this proposal was exactly what Song Wanníng wanted to hear.
"Good!"
She nodded, curious about the Demon God Tomb as well. The Demon God Tomb of the Spirit Realm might hold some surprises. If they could find the Demon God's remnant Primordial Soul, it would be even better.
So the two immediately set off toward the Demon God Tomb following Baili Shang's directions.
This route was indeed different from the map he had first revealed, showing Baili Shang had hidden the true map. But Song Wanníng understood. After all, who would trust a stranger with such secrets?
The two passed through the jungle smoothly, then hurried toward another mountain peak. Fearing pursuit, they avoided the city and kept moving through the outskirts.
Even so, they still encountered Huo family checkpoints.
Within just one day, the Huo family had set up inspection posts at every town, with their portraits hung high above the gates.
The reward money was astonishingly high.
Clearly, Patriarch Huo hated them deeply.
Baili Shang was not worried. Instead, he took out two masks and handed one to Song Wanníng.
"Put this on. No one will recognize us. Unless Patriarch Huo shows up himself."
No disguise could completely fool a powerful cultivator, but it was enough for ordinary people.
"Okay."
Song Wanníng put on the mask. Her face changed to that of a handsome young man, fixed at Nascent Soul cultivation.
Baili Shang transformed into a middle-aged man, with Void Refinement level cultivation.
The two looked at each other, showing no trace of their former selves. No ordinary person could tell them apart.
Song Wanníng followed Baili Shang toward the city gate.
Their path was cut off. They had no choice but to pass through the city to continue their journey.
Fortunately, Baili Shang was the young master of the demon clan and carried many strange treasures.