At this moment, the Grand Elder, who had been imposing his whole life, felt true despair for the first time. Fighting someone with absolute defense was not just unfair—it was outright bullying. His lips trembled, unable to speak a single word.
Song Wanníng did not slacken. She held the Immortal Furnace in one hand and steadily approached the Grand Elder. Patriarch Huo was already on the way. She had to finish this quickly, defeat the Grand Elder, and leave immediately. She glanced at Baili Shang not far off and gave him a reassuring look.
Then she stood before the Grand Elder, looking down at him from above.
"Prepare to die!"
She shouted sharply and swung her long sword down swiftly at the Grand Elder. The sword light carried destructive power that filled the Grand Elder with deep despair. He had already lost the ability to resist. About to perish and with Huo Yang nowhere near…
He sank into profound hopelessness, his heart full of unwillingness. A Unity stage cultivator, being cornered by two juniors like this—if word got out, his lifetime reputation would be ruined. If that was the case, then to hell with it—he would drag them both down!
A ruthless glint flashed in the Grand Elder's eyes. His body suddenly swelled as he chose to self-destruct.
He sneered darkly.
"No one will live! Die!"
The explosion of a Unity stage cultivator was devastating beyond measure. It could level the entire mountain peak, let alone harm just two people. It would shatter them to pieces, body and soul obliterated.
But Song Wanníng had anticipated this. The moment he prepared to explode, she slammed the Immortal Furnace down over his head.
In an instant, he was completely trapped inside the furnace.
The sudden turn shocked the Grand Elder.
His eyes bloodshot as he let out a final roar of unwillingness. "No—"
Boom—
The furnace trembled, humming continuously.
Song Wanníng withdrew her clone and shielded Baili Shang behind her, her eyes dark and fixed on the furnace.
Baili Shang leaned against Song Wanníng, slowly sitting up. He looked at the furnace and for some reason felt like laughing. A sinister smile curled on his lips.
The Grand Elder surely never expected to die so miserably inside an Immortal Furnace. Earlier, Song Wanníng had deliberately forced him to self-destruct…
Gradually, the furnace fell silent.
Song Wanníng let out a breath and turned to stuff a pill into Baili Shang's mouth before handling the furnace. She opened the furnace and found only shards and a storage ring inside.
The Grand Elder's body and soul had been blown to ashes, drifting away with the wind as soon as the furnace opened. She stroked the furnace with satisfaction. A true immortal treasure, it had not suffered a scratch even from the explosion of a Unity stage cultivator.
Song Wanníng packed away the furnace and quickly stored the ring, unaware of Baili Shang's meaningful glance behind her. He touched his lips where she had fed him the pill. Suppressing a quiet thrill, Baili Shang steadied himself and stood.
"This place is no longer safe. Let's leave."
Patriarch Huo could arrive at any moment. They had to get away quickly.
"Mm."
Song Wanníng nodded and threw the storage ring into her internal world, wary that it might contain anything that could track them.
The two flew away swiftly, disappearing from sight in no time.
…
Another great disaster struck the Huo family.
The Grand Elder's soul lamp extinguished, shaking nearly the entire clan.
Huo Yuan was only a Divine Soul stage cultivator. His death was unexpected but somewhat acceptable. But the Grand Elder was a Unity stage cultivator. Aside from Mahayana, they stood near the pinnacle of the entire cultivation world.
Someone as formidable as him was actually dead!
"Who was it? Could it be an enemy of the Huo family?"
"The Grand Elder left the family over a month ago. He left in a hurry, as if to deal with something important!"
"Damn it, who dares kill the Grand Elder?!"
The news quickly spread to other families.
Everyone was shocked. It was hard to believe a Unity stage cultivator had fallen. After all, the higher the cultivation, the harder to defeat or kill one another.
Meanwhile, the culprit, Huo Yang, was still rushing toward the Forbidden Land. He had not arrived yet but had already received messages from other elders in the clan. Hearing that the Grand Elder had fallen, Huo Yang nearly stopped flying instantly.
"What did you say? Who died?"
He asked in disbelief, his voice hoarse.
"The Grand Elder. His soul lamp just went out!"
The other elders' voices on the transmission talisman were full of grief and anger. Huo Yang staggered, barely steadying his flight.
"How is this possible… How could they kill the Grand Elder?"
He still refused to believe it, hesitating for a moment before accelerating toward the Forbidden Land. Seeing the wreckage and unanswered transmissions, Huo Yang finally accepted reality.
Leaning on a tree, anger and exhaustion from days of struggle forced him to cough up blood, his emotions hard to calm.
"I failed you…"
His eyes reddened. The Grand Elder was the family member he trusted most. Their bond was deeper than with any outsider. That was why he asked the Grand Elder to watch over things for him, never expecting it would cost the Elder's life.
Clenching his fists tightly, his eyes flashed with endless rage. But he did not recklessly pursue the two fugitives. If they could kill the Grand Elder, it meant they had unknown means. Rushing in blindly might only lead him into a trap.
For now, returning to the clan to discuss the situation and plan revenge was the best choice. Huo Yang stared into the distance, murderous intent raging in his eyes.
"I will kill you… I will…"
…
After days of nonstop flight, Song Wanníng and Baili Shang finally found a place to rest. She had hunted a beast in the forest and roasted it to a delicious smell, offering it to Baili Shang. He bit into the meat and smiled at Song Wanníng.
She took a bite herself, looking satisfied. It seemed she hadn't lost her skill at cooking meat. As they ate, she said, "It's been so long, and Patriarch Huo hasn't caught up. I guess he won't come after us anytime soon. Didn't expect Patriarch Huo to chicken out."
They thought Huo Yang would be furious and come chasing them recklessly.
But it was quite the opposite.
"Still, that man is definitely plotting something against us."
Song Wanníng lowered her gaze, a murderous gleam flashing in her eyes. Patriarch Huo was cunning and vindictive. He wouldn't stop until he got revenge, especially after targeting his own son.
Baili Shang paused and said, "In that case, let's lure the snake out and turn their plan against them. You want to steal the Alchemy inheritance, right? This is our chance."