Song Wanníng's eyes were terrifying, like they could see straight through everything. The pressure made everyone tense without knowing why.
Ouyang Lin and Wu Wang felt their hearts tighten, their faces turning even redder.
"Alright, we'll investigate a little longer before making any conclusions. Don't argue about it for now."
The sect master clearly didn't want the dispute to erupt again.
He waved his hand. "I'll send people to investigate immediately. I'll give everyone an explanation. The rest of you can leave and get back to what you should be doing. Don't speak nonsense, and don't spread rumors everywhere. Understood?"
His gaze swept across the crowd. The disciples instantly fell silent and nodded quickly. Within a dozen breaths, they'd disappeared from the square.
Only the elders remained, unmoving.
"Junior Brother Mu, I'm sorry for your loss about Feng San. But Song Wanníng really is innocent. Junior Brother Mu, you can't vent your anger on her again."
The sect master's voice carried pressure, making the sect's stance clear.
Mu Zixu's fist was clenched so tightly it looked like it might shatter, but he could only swallow his fury. He thought today he'd be able to kill Song Wanníng and remove this threat once and for all. Instead, he'd turned himself into a joke.
His face was dark and twisted as he forced out a smile. "I'll investigate this thoroughly too. Whoever tampered with Feng San won't escape."
His threatening gaze slashed fiercely across Song Wanníng before he turned around and flew off in a rage.
Wu Wang and Ouyang Lin also glared at Song Wanníng with deep hatred, gritting their teeth as they followed.
Not only had she killed Feng San, she'd humiliated them in public. There was no room left for reconciliation.
Once Mu Zixu and the others were gone, the elders finally let out a sigh of relief and left one by one.
This matter had destined Feng San to become the sacrifice. But everyone's understanding of Song Wanníng deepened. None of them felt she'd done anything wrong. If you don't fight for yourself, you'll be destroyed by heaven and earth. Besides, they came to kill her first. Why wouldn't she fight back?
In the cultivation world, having a sharp mind is never a bad thing.
Very soon, only a few people remained on Alchemy Peak.
"I'll investigate this properly. You shouldn't rush to leave the sect just yet, alright?"
The sect master looked at Song Wanníng helplessly, sighing inwardly. She'd barely ascended, yet already encountered such a huge disaster. Thankfully, she was smart.
"Thank you, sect master." Song Wanníng meant it. It was obvious he was protecting her. Otherwise, today's mess would've dragged on endlessly.
"There's nothing to thank. This is what I should do." The sect master waved his hand and left. He still needed to investigate the drugging incident. It could be minor or enormous, and it had to be uncovered.
"Thank you, Xiānzūn!"
Song Wanníng didn't forget to thank Mo Yang Xiānzūn, who'd come to get her immediately, without even asking what had happened, trusting her completely. Warmth filled her chest.
"No need." Mo Yang Xiānzūn glanced at her quietly. "In the coming days, you can come to me to learn the art of tearing space."
He had some understanding of spatial attributes and could help her.
Song Wanníng's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded fast. "I'll definitely come and disturb you then."
She laughed. She hadn't expected this unexpected benefit.
"Mm." Mo Yang Xiānzūn nodded without expression and ripped open space, disappearing.
Feng Jiuxiao walked over, patting her shoulder. "Well done."
Three simple words, carrying every bit of Feng Jiuxiao's sincerity. She loved Song Wanníng's decisiveness.
Song Wanníng laughed. "You almost didn't get to see me again. Still feeling proud of yourself?"
She joked easily, not avoiding the presence of Alchemy Peak's disciples at all.
Feng Jiuxiao raised an eyebrow. "You're hard to kill. If someone dies, it's never going to be you. Mo Yang Xiānzūn really cares about you. You're blessed."
Mo Yang Xiānzūn always acted alone, never taking disciples or seeing old friends, living only for cultivation. Now he was personally guiding Song Wanníng. He clearly regarded her as a disciple already.
"I owe Xiānzūn a debt I'll never be able to repay in my whole life."
Song Wanníng smiled gently. She'd long treated these seniors as teachers in her heart. All that was missing was the formal title.
"Alright, I'm leaving. If something happens, come find me." Feng Jiuxiao patted her shoulder again and left swiftly.
Only Dao Qing and the disciples remained on Alchemy Peak.
Lan Yue looked relieved, her heart still pounding. "Wanníng, thank goodness you kept that recording stone. Without it, we couldn't have cleared your name no matter how many mouths we had."
She pressed her hand to her chest, genuinely worried.
The senior brothers felt the same way. Only Situ Yue looked strange, out of place.
Dao Qing noticed and his dislike peaked. "This disciple's heart was crooked."
He didn't say anything, but he understood perfectly.
"Sorry for worrying everyone."
Song Wanníng smiled, grabbed Lan Yue's hand, then looked at Dao Qing. "Senior, I have something to tell you."
She'd decided she wouldn't hide this from him anymore.
She refused to let Situ Yue damage her relationship with Dao Qing.
"Alright."
Dao Qing nodded and followed her into the main hall.
The disciples stayed behind, curious what she wanted to say.
Especially Situ Yue. Her heart pounded wildly, like something terrible was about to happen.
…
Inside the hall, Dao Qing didn't ask immediately. He first looked her over with concern.
"Is your injury serious?"
He still couldn't believe she'd killed Feng San. Thinking about it now made him break out in a cold sweat.
Feng San had been incredibly bold. His death was well deserved.
"It's nothing. With all the pills you gave me, these injuries are barely worth mentioning."
Song Wanníng shook her head and sat beside him.
"Senior, there's something I want you to know."
Her expression turned solemn as she met his eyes.
"Just say it." Dao Qing frowned slightly, already guessing something.
"Is this about Situ Yue?" He blurted out the suspicion, already thinking it might be her.
Song Wanníng was surprised, but soon understood.
Heaven's Dao in the Immortal Realm was more complete. Only in Tianjian City were there loopholes, so invaders had weaker influence here.
Situ Yue's Luck wasn't as extreme as the others.
Dao Qing must've noticed long ago that something was wrong.
"I can't be certain, but I strongly suspect her." She spoke plainly, then added softly, "Because Situ Yue isn't someone from our world."
===
Author's Note: Thank you for caring about me. I've been having a really hard time recently, and I keep breaking down while writing. If anything feels off, please understand. I'm adjusting and trying to recover. Thank you all for supporting me.