Song Wanníng's gaze sharpened.
There was definitely something strange here. She had inspected so many courtyards earlier without finding anything, which meant… this might be the place.
Better to go down and see for herself.
She first placed a formation disk beside her. It would ward off intruders and also protect her in case Feng Youming returned unexpectedly to catch her off guard.
Stepping into the artificial mountain, a damp breath of air rushed toward her. The sound of running water filled her ears, the steady gurgle echoing in the enclosed space.
But all of it was just ordinary spring water, with not the slightest trace of spiritual energy. The deeper she went, the more the rock passage closed in. After more than ten meters, she stopped at the end of the path.
Nothing in sight appeared unusual. Yet…
Song Wanníng removed the jade hairpin from her head. This was a immortal artifact capable of breaking restrictions. She had never found a chance to use it—until now.
She poured spiritual energy into it, awakening the immortal aura within. The hairpin, already bound to her, drew the energy in and refined it into immortal qi. A soft radiance bloomed along its length.
A beam of white light burst from its tip, streaking forward like a shooting star.
In the next moment, Song Wanníng's Primordial Soul trembled, and the scene before her eyes changed. A barrier shimmered into view, its surface laced with flowing gray light. Dense and intricate runes twisted and pulsed, making her vision swim. The aura it exuded was utterly foreign.
The hairpin had pierced a gap just large enough for one person to pass through.
Her heart gave a sudden thump, a premonition sweeping over her.
A restriction this advanced and complex… the secret behind it had to be extraordinary.
With a mix of excitement and tension, she stepped inside. The breach sealed shut behind her.
Beyond the barrier lay a narrow, pitch-black corridor. She summoned her different fire for light, revealing rough, uneven stone walls on every side. Not a single trace of green growth could be seen. There were no snakes, insects, rats, or ants—nothing living.
Song Wanníng knew this kind of place.
She had just been in one… that supreme-grade spiritual vein.
In such places, the density of spiritual qi was so overwhelming that plants and small creatures could not survive, leaving nothing but stone and spirit ore.
That was her first thought.
But she quickly dismissed it. A supreme-grade vein was beyond precious—it was not something one could just stumble upon again.
Suppressing the thought, she continued forward.
The corridor twisted endlessly, turning corner after corner with no end in sight. The further she went, the hotter her body felt. Her strange fire grew restless, its flame brightening as if eager to lead her onward.
After an hour, she finally stopped, staring ahead in stunned disbelief.
Somehow, without realizing it, she had descended over a thousand meters underground.
And before her… was a whisker.
Yes, a whisker, radiating an intense heat like roaring flames.
It was so massive that even if more than a hundred adults linked arms, they still could not encircle it.
What in the world was this?
Song Wanníng's pulse pounded in her ears.
Beside her, the strange fire flared with wild excitement, leaping and swaying in the air.
The little golden sword hovered frozen in place, mouth agape.
"What kind of creature has a whisker this big… this long?"
It dove into its inherited memories, searching frantically. Whatever this belonged to, it was no ordinary being.
Song Wanníng didn't disturb it. She leapt into the air, moving swiftly through the cramped space to see the whole of this colossal thing—while staying alert in case it struck.
She flew for an unknown stretch of time before reaching the whisker's end… where a closed eye came into view. Her breath caught. She pushed on, but the tight confines kept her from rising high enough to see all of it at once.
Still, as she pieced together the image in her mind, the full shape became clear.
A dragon.
Song Wanníng's expression froze.
A dragon—one of the ancient divine beasts—long since thought extinct.
She had only ever seen drawings in old records. To now have one appear before her eyes struck her with a shock that reached her core.
While she was still reeling, the little golden sword suddenly cried out.
"I found it!
I found it! Big Sister, I found it!
This… this should be the legendary Dragon Vein!"
"Dragon Vein?"
Song Wanníng's heart gave another violent jolt, her eyes quivering.
A Dragon Vein.
A supreme-grade spiritual vein that had gained sentience and taken the form of a dragon. Even without its form, the chance of a spiritual vein developing consciousness was one in ten thousand.
No one knew exactly how a Dragon Vein came to be, but the old records were clear: once it appeared, it could change the fate of the world.
Under its endless spiritual nourishment, cultivation across the land would flourish. The number of ascendants would rise.
And now, such a mythical treasure lay quietly beneath the Song family's city.
Song Wanníng's hands trembled. In her eyes burned a hatred that shook the heavens.
So this was it. This was the reason the Song family was wiped out in her past life.
She closed her eyes, struggling to steady herself.
Those behind the massacre had schemed for this Dragon Vein, using her fall into demon cultivation as an excuse to destroy her family. She could not help but suspect that everything she had suffered, every twist of fate, had been orchestrated by them.
Even Ye Chuxue's smooth, untouchable rise—had it been their doing as well?
The more she thought, the deeper her fury grew. Her fists clenched so hard they ached, old memories flashing before her like a nightmare. She was like a vengeful ghost clawing its way out of hell, drowning in killing intent.
The long-suppressed malice within her surged again, but she forced it down. She had to stay calm. This was not the moment to lose control. Only after a long while did she open her eyes, her face once again composed.
Now that she knew of the Dragon Vein, she would never let them claim it. Any danger could also become an opportunity. Her gaze hardened with resolve as she studied the Dragon Vein.
"It's sleeping. Do you know how to wake it?"
She frowned. Records about Dragon Veins were scarce, and she had no idea where to start.
The little golden sword shook its head. "They're almost impossible to form. I have no other information."
The situation was at an impasse. She didn't dare act rashly. After a long moment of thought, she decided to return and discuss it with her parents. Circling the area one last time, she slipped out through the barrier and back into the city.
"This place is sealed. From today, guards will be posted in secret. I'll buy you another residence—you'll move out tonight."