Everyone made the same decision at that moment. Since they dared to come, they shouldn't dream of walking away alive.
Li Ruo swung her sword and disappeared into the crowd. Her body swelled with surging spiritual power. She'd live and die with the Song Clan. But still, she couldn't help feeling a pang of regret. She hadn't gotten to see her Master even once...
That thought flashed through her mind, and then—she froze.
A figure suddenly broke through the clouds. That divine face, that presence like a god descending to the mortal world—it was the person she'd longed for day and night. Her Master had come.
Song Wanníng hadn't expected to see such a sight when she arrived at the Song Clan. With a single wave of her hand, she suppressed the self-detonations of all the cultivators at once. Her expression stayed calm, but the killing intent pouring from her body made everyone within miles tremble in fear.
"Wanníng?"
When Song Qingyun and Mu Yuan saw her, tears streamed down their faces.
The Song Clan disciples burst into sobs of relief, their eyes reddened. Their Ancestor had come to save them.
"Don't be afraid."
Song Wanníng gave them a brief glance, then turned her gaze toward the group of Divine Transformation cultivators.
In an instant, dozens of them felt something terrifying lock onto them.
"You're Song Wanníng?" one of them demanded, trying to sound calm.
But before he could finish his words, her eyes flashed. The man's body disintegrated into ash, not even leaving behind his Primordial Soul.
Boom!
The explosion of his body echoed like thunder, shaking the hearts of every Divine Transformation cultivator present.
The Song disciples below were stunned into silence, trembling all over.
"!!!"
The enemy cultivators were terrified. Song Wanníng hadn't even moved, yet their companion had died just like that?
"S-Senior, this... this is all a misunderstanding..."
Their legs went weak, their voices shaking.
Song Wanníng didn't bother replying. She just looked at them with those calm, icy eyes, the kind that could freeze a person's soul.
They panicked and bolted in terror.
But before they could take more than a few steps, Song Wanníng raised her sword.
A light, almost casual swing.
The sword's intent spread, swallowing all of them.
The next moment, dozens of bodies exploded at once.
Boom!
The deafening roar shook the land. For dozens of miles, the ground quivered as the air filled with the echo of destruction. When the dust cleared, the cultivators had turned to nothing but drifting ash.
"Ahhhh!"
The disciples of the hidden clans went mad. Some ran, others fell to their knees, weeping.
They all knew it was over.
Their clans were finished.
Song Wanníng's cold gaze swept across them. There wasn't a trace of pity in her eyes. Her soft voice was like a blade cutting through ice. "Leave no one alive."
These people had come to annihilate the Song Clan. Let them reap what they'd sown. Besides, this was a chance for the Song Clan to show their power to the world.
Song Qingyun snapped out of his daze and shouted, "You heard her! Leave no one alive!"
His roar snapped the disciples back to reality.
Their fear turned to fury, and one by one, they charged at the hidden clans' disciples.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
Their voices thundered across the battlefield, but now, their eyes were filled with hope.
Their Ancestor had appeared.
No one would ever harm the Song Clan again.
At that moment, Song Wanníng became a god in their hearts—an irreplaceable god.
The surrounding sects and families were terrified. They watched in horror as the battle turned in an instant, their legs trembling so badly that some collapsed where they stood, drenched in cold sweat.
Those who'd once held grudges against the Song Clan were deathly pale, their bodies shaking uncontrollably.
Too terrifying.
Even in the Spirit Realm, no one could kill a Divine Transformation cultivator with just a look. And she'd killed dozens with one sword strike, without giving them the slightest chance to resist.
Just how strong had Song Wanníng become? Would she come for them next?
At that moment, all they felt was fear.
They finally realized they'd never catch up to the Song Clan again.
…
Outside the Song Clan's gates, rivers of blood pooled on the ground. Corpses were piled high, forming small mountains.
The hidden clans were utterly destroyed. The Song disciples moved through the aftermath, cremating the bodies and washing the blood from the stones.
The air was thick with the smell of iron, chilling every cultivator who saw it. When they looked at the Song Clan now, there was no envy or rivalry left, only fear.
Inside the main hall, Song Qingyun and the others took the pills Song Wanníng had given them, their wounds healing quickly. They looked at her, eyes shining with gratitude and awe, grateful beyond words to be alive.
Li Ruo stood beside her Master, gazing up with devotion and admiration.
Song Wanníng smiled softly, patting her head. "You didn't slack off."
Li Ruo's face instantly turned bright red. She'd reached the Golden Core stage already, and breaking through to Nascent Soul was only a matter of time. For a dual-spirit-root cultivator, that was already an incredible achievement.
Her Master had praised her!
Li Ruo's eyes sparkled, her heart swelling with motivation.
"Wanníng, you girl..."
Song Qingyun looked at her, countless words caught in his throat. When she first appeared, they'd been terrified she'd get dragged into their mess.
That moment had been filled with both joy and fear, impossible to describe.
Mu Yuan stepped forward and pulled Song Wanníng into a tight embrace. She didn't say a word, but Wanníng could feel it all. She hugged her back, eyes growing red.
Thank goodness she'd made it back in time.
After a long while, Mu Yuan finally let go, cupping her face with trembling hands. "You've lost weight. And you've grown taller!"
Song Wanníng laughed and shrugged, like a little girl again.
Everyone in the hall couldn't help but laugh too.
…
The crisis at the Song Clan ended quickly.
But what followed were endless visits from various clans and sects. They all wanted to curry favor and mend their strained relations.
The Song Clan, however, barely had time to respond.
One power after another from the Spirit Realm arrived, each one overly polite, trying to get close.
At first, Song Qingyun couldn't believe it. But after a few conversations, he finally learned just how much chaos his daughter had stirred up in the Spirit Realm.
Even the great forces from the Central Region came to pay respects, praising him for raising such a remarkable daughter.
Even with all his years of experience, Song Qingyun couldn't stop smiling for days.