Thanks to her prior experience, Song Wanníng knew this stone wouldn't submit easily. But she didn't interfere. After all, Liu Lanyi's cultivation far surpassed hers.
Maybe she had her own way.
And if not, Song Wanníng could always toss the stone into her Sword Domain and "reason" with it there.
It was the pearl that had revealed this to her—what she had comprehended was not just sword intent, but a fully formed True Sword Domain, a world that belonged to her alone.
In that realm, she was the absolute master.
As long as she got the stone inside, she had countless ways to make it yield.
But that didn't mean she was invincible. Those with cultivation far above hers couldn't be drawn into the domain at all. In fact, they might shatter it on contact.
While Song Wanníng let her thoughts drift, Liu Lanyi was already focused on binding the stone. She'd assumed it was just a normal stone. But the moment she tried to form a bond, she felt a surge of resistance.
It had spirit.
Her brows drew together, and she poured her full attention into the process. After a while with no results, she turned to Song Wanníng. "Stay here. I'm going to try elsewhere."
She didn't believe she could be outmatched by a mere stone.
"Alright, Ancestor. Take your time, don't mind me," Song Wanníng replied with a lazy wave of her hand, her lips curving in amusement.
Her Ancestor was just like her. The more something resisted, the more determined she became. Chuckling to herself, Song Wanníng lay down where she was and took a nap.
Several days later, a sudden surge of spiritual energy erupted from the back mountain. Moments later, dark clouds gathered rapidly overhead.
The skies darkened in an instant. One moment, the heavens were clear and serene. The next, they were swallowed whole by thunderclouds seething with destructive force. The air turned heavy, charged with spiritual pressure that made even seasoned cultivators tremble.
A heavenly tribulation?
Disciples across the sect froze in shock. Then, like a tide breaking free, they surged toward the back mountain. Excitement crackled in the air as younger cultivators scrambled to get a better view. For many of them, this would be their first time witnessing a tribulation with their own eyes—a spectacle spoken of in reverent tones, rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
But while the juniors buzzed with wonder, the Sect Master and the elders were deathly pale.
"Why the back mountain?!" the Sect Master shouted, panic surging through his veins. His breath caught as he stared at the roiling clouds, his heart pounding like a war drum. Without hesitation, he took flight, racing toward the source.
"Maybe it's not Elder Liu," the Seventh Elder said cautiously, struggling to sound composed. "It could be someone else… let's not assume the worst."
"The worst?" the Sect Master snapped. "Look at that lightning! Does that look like Nascent Soul stage to you?"
His voice cracked under the weight of fear.
"Only one person in the sect is at the Divine Transformation stage right now. The other Ancestors are still in seclusion. Who else could it be?"
Silence fell. Grim and unspoken truths settled between them. No one dared answer. They followed in silence, hearts heavy.
Meanwhile, Liu Lanyi's expression darkened as she felt the sudden surge of heavenly pressure. Her spiritual sense swept the horizon—and when she realized the tribulation was headed straight for her, her blood turned cold.
She stormed into her quarters.
Song Wanníng was already there, waiting quietly as though she had expected this moment. Her hands rested in her lap, her posture composed, a faint, unreadable smile on her lips.
Liu Lanyi stopped in the doorway, stunned.
In that instant, everything clicked.
She had done this on purpose.
Liu Lanyi crossed the room in silence and sat opposite her. Her eyes bore into the young woman's calm face. "Why?"
Why make her bind the stone? Why make her ascend now?
If she had known the stone carried such power, she never would have touched it.
But Song Wanníng said nothing. Her gaze softened, eyes rimmed with sorrow. In her past life, Liu Lanyi had never made it this far. Her soul had scattered during a failed attempt at ascension, her body reduced to ashes, her name lost in the wind.
Because of her.
This time, she wouldn't let that happen.
"Ancestor, you've already done more than enough for the Wentiān Sect. That place isn't worth your sacrifice." Liu Lanyi had spent years suppressing her cultivation for the sect's sake, holding back the moment of her ascension.
And the Wentiān Sect? They had sent her to her death.
A place like that deserved to fall.
Liu Lanyi stared at her, stunned. A terrifying thought flashed through her mind.
"You… you want to destroy the Wentiān Sect?"
How could this be?
Song Wanníng had grown up here. She had always been loyal to the sect. How could she now harbor such heretical thoughts?
To do so was nothing short of treason. It was a betrayal of her masters and ancestors.
"Ancestor," Song Wanníng said gently, stepping forward to embrace her. "You just need to survive the tribulation and head to the Spirit Realm. Give my respects to Master when you see him."
"I miss him." Her voice was soft, tinged with longing and grievance.
Liu Lanyi's heart clenched. After a long silence, she sighed.
"Fine. It's done. I'm about to ascend anyway. Whatever happens after, I won't be part of it."
As one of the sect's Ancestor, it had been her duty to protect the Wentiān Sect. But after ascension, what happened in the mortal realm would no longer concern her. She didn't know why Song Wanníng had turned against the sect.
But she knew this child—knew that she was loyal and never forgot a debt. If she was acting this way, it must be because the sect had failed her, hurt her.
For years, Song Wanníng had provided the sect with pills from the moment she began alchemy. Even rare and precious ones she could not sell outside, she had given freely.
And what had the sect ever given her in return?
Very little.
If she owed anyone, it was her old friend—not the sect.
"Ancestor, I'll miss you," Song Wanníng murmured, clinging to her, unwilling to let go.
"I'll keep cultivating. Once things here are settled, I'll come find you and Master in the Spirit Realm." By then, maybe Master would be angry that she had destroyed Gu Qingyuan.
But she believed he would understand.
Song Wanníng lowered her eyes, hiding the cold gleam that flashed through them. Then she looked up again, her gaze soft and full of longing. Liu Lanyi was struck once more, gently stroking her cheek.
"Alright. Your master and I will be waiting for you in the Spirit Realm." Just as her words fell, the voice of the Sect Master rang out from outside. Liu Lanyi raised her brows slightly and walked out with Song Wanníng by her side.
"Ancestor, what's going on with this tribulation?" the Sect Master asked the moment she stepped out, unable to hide the urgency in his voice.
He didn't even try to sound polite. The tone was full of suspicion and demand.
Liu Lanyi's expression turned cold. "What, I need your permission to ascend?"
The Sect Master flinched and immediately tried to explain. "Disciple didn't mean it that way…"
"Hmph."
Liu Lanyi was in no mood to spare him. "As you can see, my cultivation has reached its limit. I can't suppress it anymore. I must ascend now. The sect's future is in your hands."
"What?!"
"No! This cannot be!"
"Ancestor, if you leave, who will protect the Wentiān Sect?"
"That's right, Ancestor. Please, think of us!"
"Other sects still have peak Divine Transformation cultivators to hold the line. If you ascend, we'll lose our standing. Please reconsider!"
The elders and Sect Master all broke into anxious protest.
Without her, Wentiān Sect would fall from the ranks of major sects. Their future would be in jeopardy.
The panic on their faces chilled Liu Lanyi to the core.
In that moment, she finally understood why Song Wanníng had made her choice.