In the following days, Song Wanníng focused entirely on refining pills and cultivation.
Wu Rouyun kept her word. She not only delivered all the necessary herbs but also sent over the precious pill formulas.
In the Underworld, cultivators capable of refining pills were extremely rare, and high-grade formulas hardly circulated on the market, almost entirely monopolized by Ghost King Valley.
No wonder they were so arrogant.
Song Wanníng studied the formulas for a while and attempted a test according to the instructions. The ninth-grade pills were successfully refined.
Five supreme pills lay quietly at the center of the furnace, filling her with delight. Her Primordial Soul gained a noticeable boost of strength.
In the Spirit Realm, Primordial Soul power only increases with cultivation unless one experiences something extraordinary. She had not expected such rapid advancement in the Underworld.
Quickly regaining her composure, Song Wanníng picked up the formulas again, studying them meticulously. She could not afford carelessness and wanted to make full use of every ingredient.
…
Inside Ghost King Valley, news that someone had been impersonating a Ghost King Valley disciple and swindling others spread quickly. Everyone was furious.
No one suspected Wu Mingxu of making baseless claims. After all, he was the new-generation genius of Ghost King Valley and had no reason to accuse a stranger unfairly.
Ghost King Valley immediately sent a message to Langya Gang, informing them that Song Wanníng was not their member and warning them not to be deceived. The tone was polite, but the intent was clear: they hoped Langya Gang would distance themselves from Song Wanníng.
"Ugh, that old man from Ghost King Valley can speak well, much better than that fool Wu Mingxu," Wu Yaozu said, rolling his eyes at the message.
Wu Rouyun could only smile wryly. Her brother really lacked sense. She thought for a moment and politely replied, but made no mention of cooperating with Song Wanníng.
After sending the reply, she led the gang members out. Before leaving, she repeatedly instructed Wu Yaozu to fully cooperate with all of Song Wanníng's requests. Once cooperation was chosen, it required complete trust. Only then could she quickly obtain the pills she wanted.
Outside Langya Gang's gate, they mounted the traversing beasts and headed toward the nearest Mingyue Valley.
Every three years, Mingyue Valley hosted a gang competition to showcase the strength of the new generation of disciples. If the strength gap was too severe, the gang's status would decline, and recruiting new disciples would become harder.
This vicious cycle could lead to being absorbed by other gangs, making these competitions very important. Wu Rouyun always led the team herself, and this time was no exception.
Yet this time, it would likely invite criticism.
A shadow of concern flickered in Wu Rouyun's eyes.
Once Song Wanníng refined the supreme pills, they would realize how badly they had misjudged her.
…
Time passed quickly. Song Wanníng studied pill refinement every day. She had already broken through to tenth-grade pills, but since she promised to make pills for Langya Gang, she focused on refining many lower-grade pills in bulk. From first-grade to eighth-grade, each type numbered at least a hundred.
This was after setting aside her twenty percent share.
"Here, take them!"
She tossed a bottle of pills to the unlucky ghost in the corner.
At this moment, the unlucky ghost had reached the early stage of Qi Refining, third layer, and was absorbing Yin energy in the corner.
When he saw the bottle, his eyes lit up, and he almost cried out in joy. The perpetually unlucky ghost seemed to change the moment he encountered Song Wanníng. Now, with his master's help, he had stepped onto the path of cultivation, with countless supreme pills to eat. He could hardly believe his good fortune.
Tears nearly came to his eyes, and hope for life glimmered in them. He shrank into the corner, consuming the pills and cultivating. His progress was astonishing, leaving Xiao Jin dumbfounded.
"Wow, is it really this easy for a ghost to advance? We are so unlucky!"
For spiritual beings like them, advancement was usually slow. The unlucky ghost had truly struck it lucky. Long Ling glanced at the bottles of pills piled nearby, drooling with envy.
Song Wanníng laughed, patted them, and returned to her refining. Once her task was complete, she would refine the Supreme Spiritual Elixir. At that thought, a dark glimmer passed through her eyes. She smiled lightly and bent down to organize her herbs.
Meanwhile, the gang competition proceeded as scheduled. On stage, disciples fought fiercely, while beneath, gang leaders exchanged tense glances.
For years, they had competed for disciples and resources. Harmony was rare.
Especially Gang Master Song, who looked at Wu Rouyun with resentment.
First, Song Wanníng's outstanding talent benefitted Langya Gang, which displeased him.
Second, although he had submitted to Ghost King Valley, Langya Gang dared to defy them, making him appear weak.
For any of these reasons, he disliked Wu Rouyun and could not help speaking sarcastically.
"I heard Gang Master Wu brought back that little girl Song Wanníng to Langya Gang? Tsk, I bet she's refining the pills they need for them?
No wonder Gang Master Wu no longer needs Ghost King Valley's pills. Congratulations to Langya Gang for finding such talent!" Though he spoke congratulatorily, his tone dripped with schadenfreude. Everyone noticed.
Some joined in, "Hahaha, right? They don't even care about Ghost King Valley. She must be a peerless genius. Soon, she'll look down on us all."
"Hahaha, really? Gang Master Wu, are you sure you want to ruin your cooperation with Ghost King Valley for someone unknown? Don't be careless!"
Voices mixed with speculation, truth, and rumor, but Wu Rouyun paid them no mind.
She smiled and replied, "Thank you for your concern. Song Daoyou is indeed a promising talent. I connected with her immediately, so naturally, I will not turn her away. Everyone, focus on the matches on stage."
Her words had barely fallen when a man shouted in dissatisfaction, "Wu Rouyun, why are you saying such flattering things? I think you've gone mad, trusting a cheat like her."
"For your own selfish desires, you risk the entire gang. Someone like you deserves to be gang leader?" The speaker was the leader of Fengyun Gang, a man with a thick beard and a longstanding grudge with Wu Rouyun.
Their feud had persisted in life and continued after death, nearly escalating into a gang war.
When he spoke, onlookers exchanged glances, eager for the confrontation to unfold.