The people who'd once looked withered and old suddenly regained their youth.
Their cultivation rose at a shocking speed, so fast that even they could hardly believe it. They exchanged startled looks before bursting into unrestrained joy.
Just when they'd thought there was no way out, a new path appeared before them!
They'd already prepared themselves to accept the worst, yet the true surprise came now, right when they least expected it!
At that moment, smiles bloomed uncontrollably on every face.
Even Song Wanníng couldn't hold back the rush of emotion in her chest. Everyone could now leave safely, and the guilt she'd been carrying finally melted away. Seeing her companions recover made her even happier than her own healing.
Dreamlike colors lingered in the air, bathing everyone in radiant light.
Even Baili Shang's cultivation began to soar, and the others who'd already reached the peak of Mahayana were no exception.
They'd all been only one small step away from ascension, and now that last gap was finally filled. In just a few breaths, they could already feel the pull of the Heavenly Dao guiding them upward.
Excitement filled the air, but they forced themselves to stay calm. Many still had things left unfinished, farewells yet to be made.
Only Meng Po hesitated briefly before releasing her full aura. She'd already taken care of all her affairs in the Underworld. And even if something happened, King Yama was still there. So she could ascend without a single worry—right here, right now!
As the power of virtue gathered, the sky began to change. The clouds split apart, and a beam of radiant light descended from above.
The others instantly looked at Meng Po with envy.
This was every cultivator's lifelong dream.
For a ghost cultivator like her, it had always been something impossible to even imagine. Yet here she was, truly about to ascend. She looked at Song Wanníng with deep gratitude.
"Wanníng, thank you."
Meng Po's heart brimmed with longing.
Would her benefactor still recognize her when they met again?
Song Wanníng smiled gently. "You earned this. You don't need to thank me."
Under these conditions, there was no way Meng Po would fail her tribulation. If it had been before... things might've been different. But now, this was the reward she deserved for all her effort.
"Go."
Song Wanníng waved with a bright smile, her heart filled with blessings.
"I hope you find the one you've been looking for."
Meng Po nodded hard, then smiled at the others. "I'll be waiting for all of you in the Immortal Realm."
She cupped her hands respectfully, then flew straight toward the beam of light.
Rainbow light cascaded again, and Meng Po looked down one last time at the mortal world before turning away and stepping into the light without hesitation.
A moment later, the beam slowly retracted and vanished into the depths of the clouds.
In just a few breaths, it was gone without a trace.
Meng Po had ascended, and not a single bolt of thunder appeared!
The group stood frozen, stunned. They'd known her path would be smooth, but not this smooth!
The hardest part of ascension was always the thunder tribulation. Countless cultivators had died under that final test. Some barely survived but lost the chance to ever ascend, forced to wander the Lower Realm as drifters for eternity.
But Meng Po, a ghost cultivator with the most difficult path of all, hadn't even faced a single strike of thunder before ascending!
Their hearts trembled in shock, and moments later, joy exploded through them. After all, the pain of powering that formation was nothing compared to the agony of a tribulation. They'd truly hit the jackpot this time!
Every single one of them silently rejoiced that they'd accepted Song Wanníng's invitation back then. Otherwise, none of this would've been theirs to share.
The light of ascension faded, and the colors in the sky slowly dispersed.
Song Wanníng's cultivation stabilized at the peak of Mahayana, her progress impossibly smooth, far faster than she'd ever imagined. Her mind was strong and calm, untouched by bottlenecks.
Now, with the power of virtue surrounding her, she almost seemed to glow with golden light.
Baili Shang's cultivation surged as well, breaking through to late Mahayana.
But the most astonishing change was in Xuan Yan. Once a demonic creature that could never advance, he now radiated faint traces of human aura beneath the glowing clouds.
His energy climbed rapidly, completely different from before. He trembled all over, overwhelmed by excitement. He'd never imagined he'd get another chance to change his fate. At this rate, as long as he rebuilt his body, he could transform into a true demon cultivator!
He'd no longer be a monster everyone hunted!
Tears welled up at the corners of his eyes. The Heavenly Dao had given him a second chance at life. This time, he wouldn't be the same fool again. He'd make those people pay for what they'd done.
"Ha ha ha!"
Xuan Yan's laughter echoed wildly, raw and full of release.
The others exchanged complex looks but were happy for him. After fighting side by side through life and death, their bond had already gone far beyond simple friendship.
After a long while, calm finally returned.
Their racing hearts gradually settled.
"Fellow Daoyou, I need to return and check on the Cao Mu Clan. I won't stay any longer,"
The world had just been restructured, and he had no idea how his people were doing.
"We're heading back too."
"Yeah, no point in staying."
Yun Yangzi and the Demon King were equally anxious. Everyone feared something might've gone wrong.
Song Wanníng was the most worried of all—she had to find her family. She didn't even know where the Song Clan's ancestral land had ended up.
"Let's meet again in the Immortal Realm!"
Song Wanníng smiled and waved goodbye.
They all laughed heartily and waved back before splitting off in different directions. Everyone hurried toward home.
Only Song Wanníng stood there, momentarily lost. After the world's reformation, communication talismans in the Lower Realm still didn't work.
Just as confusion began to settle in, Long Ling popped out.
"Sister, did you forget about me?" she teased playfully.
After all, the Song Clan's land sat right atop the dragon vein—no one knew its location better than her.
At his words, Song Wanníng slapped her forehead and laughed.
She really had let her worry cloud her head.
...
At the Song Clan's gate, a crowd had gathered.
Several hidden families' Divine Transformation cultivators stood there with their clans' higher-ups, blocking the entrance.
The reason was simple.
After today's chaos, everyone realized the world had changed.
The Lower Realm and Spirit Realm had merged once again, throwing countless cultivators into panic.
In the Lower Realm, these hidden families were once at the top, people who commanded respect wherever they went.
But now?
Before the forces of the Spirit Realm, they were nothing. And worse, during the reformation, their clan lands had completely collapsed. Truly collapsed, shattered into countless fragments scattered who knew where. All their resources were gone. They'd survived, but they had nowhere left to settle.
That's why the Song Clan, whose land rested on a dragon vein, had become their new target. They'd joined forces, planning to drive the Song Clan out and take over the place for themselves. Once they secured the land, they could spread their territory outward later.