Jing Hong happily swayed her body and showered Song Wanníng with affection before running off to play with Xiao Jin and the others.
Song Wanníng first repaired her internal spiritual energy and restored her mental strength. Once everything was back to normal, she folded away the formation plate and resumed searching inside the forbidden land.
Because this was a battlefield relic, debris and broken stones were everywhere. Even now, no signs of life had sprouted.
It clearly showed how fierce the ancient battle had been and how huge the impact left behind.
As Song Wanníng walked, she scanned her surroundings, wondering if Bai Li Shang had found anything.
But the Demon Sovereign's origin was something Bai Li Shang was doomed never to find.
…
Days passed.
Song Wanníng arrived at a strange place. Four stone slabs stood upright, arranged in a circle. At the center, a strange energy fluctuation pulsed slowly.
"Sister, I sense an unusual fluctuation inside," Long Ling whispered. "But I can't sense it specifically."
She had expected to use her treasure-seeking abilities inside, but there was nothing to find here. The only power fluctuation was from this spot.
Song Wanníng frowned slightly. She too sensed something odd. She picked up a pebble and tossed it toward the center of the stone slabs.
In the next instant, the pebble vanished.
Her eyes brightened.
Could this be a formation?
"Sister, let me check it out first!"
Jing Hong shot out like a flash, fierce and full of new energy from her recent awakening. Her sturdy form was perfect for reconnaissance.
"Okay, retreat immediately if there's danger." Song Wanníng nodded.
Jing Hong flew straight into the center of the stones. The moment she entered, she disappeared without a trace, but a call came from Song Wanníng's sea of consciousness. "Sister, there is a teleportation formation here!"
"Let's go in and take a look."
Song Wanníng told her companions and headed toward the center.
Upon entering, a wave of dizziness hit her, followed by the sensation of time and space shifting. When she came to, she was somewhere new. It was a cave, vast and dry—not at all damp.
The surrounding ground remained barren, but for some reason, Song Wanníng felt a sudden sense of familiarity. It even felt like this place had always belonged to her.
The sensation was strange—perhaps it was the Demon God origin inside her?
Her expression darkened.
Her intuition told her she might finally meet the Demon God again here.
She walked slowly deeper into the cave.
The closer she got, the stronger the feeling of familiarity became, until she broke into a small run.
After turning several corners, she stopped inside a huge stone chamber.
Her eyes landed on a skeleton lying on a stone altar in the center.
Song Wanníng was stunned.
Could that be the Demon God?
But hadn't the Demon God's mind been destroyed in the ancient war, with only a remnant spirit escaping?
What was going on?
Her heartbeat quickened as she cautiously approached the skeleton.
The closer she got, the deeper the sorrow that flooded her heart.
Her eyes reddened as she neared the bones step by step.
"Senior Demon God?"
The Demon God had been magnificent and heroic in life, but now lay as a lonely skeleton, silent and still.
How tragic.
Song Wanníng suddenly felt a wave of sadness.
This was not the ending the Demon God deserved. Someone like her, a prodigy of heaven, should have lived long with the world, roaming freely.
Lowering her eyes, Song Wanníng stared at the skeleton for a long moment before kneeling down and bowing three times with deep respect.
The Demon God was not her master, but since she had saved Song Wanníng and passed on the Demon God origin to her, it was as if she were her master.
Those three bows were entirely justified.
At the last bow, the skeleton suddenly shimmered with a glow.
In the next instant, Song Wanníng was transported to a familiar place—the ancient battlefield she had visited before.
On a cliff sat a cute little girl, smiling warmly at Song Wanníng.
It was the Demon Sovereign!
"Senior Demon God?"
Song Wanníng was overjoyed and strode forward.
She had thought they would never meet again, but now, unexpectedly, she could.
"Little girl, come here."
The Demon God beckoned with a smile.
Though she appeared younger than Song Wanníng, her aura was undeniable.
Song Wanníng quickly approached, smiling just as warmly.
They exchanged smiles, as if words were unnecessary but everything had been said.
Side by side, they sat like old friends who had known each other forever, sharing an unspoken understanding.
"I thought no one could accept that remnant spirit, but I waited until you came."
For countless years, she had waited bit by bit in endless darkness, nearly giving up hope before finally meeting Song Wanníng.
She was surprised and delighted.
"It was my luck," Song Wanníng smiled, her eyes bright and shining.
The Demon God gently patted her head with a look of affection.
Song Wanníng suddenly thought of something and said, "Senior, you misunderstand the Heavenly Dao. It did not suppress or destroy you.
It was the Heavenly Dao from another world that exploited a loophole, plundering the Luck and resources of the Star System, which caused your misfortune."
At that time, the Demon God's remnant spirit believed the Heavenly Dao wanted to annihilate her.
Now knowing the truth, Song Wanníng had to tell her. At the very least, she needed to know that the Heavenly Dao had never abandoned cultivators in their own world and was always seeking a way to save them.
Song Wanníng expected the Demon God to be shocked, but she was calm and smiled faintly.
"I know."
A hint of nostalgia flickered in her eyes.
"You know?"
Song Wanníng's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes."
The Demon God nodded, a mixture of longing and regret in her gaze.
"That remnant consciousness was something I sent out in desperation, hoping to leave a trace in the world. If I could choose a successor, that would be even better. So for some things, she was unaware." Her expression changed and the surroundings shifted.
Song Wanníng found herself back on the ancient battlefield.
The Demon God fought multiple opponents alone, majestic and mighty.
She fought to the bitter end, both sides badly wounded.
But at this critical moment, the Heavenly Dao of the Mùsù star system—no one knew how—quietly intervened.
===
Poor Xiao Jin, his 'younger brother' is 'younger sister'