This matter was far too important. At the very least, a Nascent Soul cultivator needed to guard it, and ideally, the Song Family Ancestor should personally oversee it.
She did not know if Feng Youming would return, nor what he might do, and even less what he had already done. But she did know one thing—this dragon vein was vital, so important it could determine the very survival of the Song family.
After giving her orders, Song Wanníng hurried through the teleportation array back to the Song family estate. Song Qingyun had been listening to disciples report on the recent gains from reclaimed resources when his daughter called him away. The moment he saw her serious expression, his heart skipped a beat.
"What happened? Did Feng Youming make a move?"
Since his daughter had gone after Feng Youming, it was only natural for him to assume this had something to do with that man.
"Father, I'm going to tell you something of utmost importance. I've found out the truth behind the massacre of the Song family in my previous life."
"What?"
Song Qingyun's expression sank instantly. "Tell me—what happened?"
This had always been a thorn in their hearts. Not knowing the mastermind behind it meant he could never rest easy.
"There's a dragon vein lying dormant beneath our Song family's city."
It was like a clap of thunder from a clear sky. Song Qingyun's mind went blank for a moment, almost thinking he had misheard.
"A dragon vein? You mean a vein that has taken form?"
The Song family had existed for tens of thousands of years, yet he had never heard of such a thing.
"Yes."
Song Wanníng nodded and told him everything that had happened in the past few days without omission. After listening, Song Qingyun fell silent for a long time. The fists in his hands cracked from the pressure, and a murderous aura flashed across his face.
"All for the dragon vein, just to seize our ancestral land, they slaughtered the entire Song family? They have no fear of retribution at all!"
His eyes turned bloodshot with rage. These had been living, breathing people.
Song Wanníng let out a cold laugh. "Why would they fear it? Others did the killing for them."
From start to finish, they stayed behind the scenes, manipulating Ye Chuxue, Bai Yang, and the others. Their hands remained clean of karmic blood, yet they reaped the harvest without lifting a finger. By the time their pawns realized, it was already too late.
Such a well-laid scheme.
"Those bastards!"
Song Qingyun finally understood, and his palm came down, shattering the table beside him. Murderous intent filled his gaze. He wanted nothing more than to face those people right now.
"Father, we must send people to guard the entrance to the dragon vein immediately. If anything happens, I must be notified at once. And one more thing—I came back to ask if the clan has any method to awaken the dragon vein."
A glint of darkness passed through Song Wanníng's eyes. They wanted to claim the dragon vein, but she would never let them succeed. If things ever came to the point they had in her previous life, she would destroy it herself before letting it fall into their hands.
"This… I'm afraid not. Not just the Song family—even the entire cultivation world likely doesn't."
Dragon veins were the stuff of legend. Many people had never even heard of them, let alone seen one.
"If it had been before the collapse of the cultivation world, maybe there would have been a way…"
Song Qingyun frowned, clearly catching her meaning. He too felt tempted. If the dragon vein could be awakened for the Song family's use, the clan's future would be beyond imagination.
But the method would be near impossible to find, and even if it could be awakened, could the Song family protect it?
Would the dragon vein even obey?
His mood sank lower and lower. No matter how he thought of it, the situation seemed bleak.
Song Wanníng suddenly said, "Who says there isn't a way? They must have one, otherwise they wouldn't go to such lengths to seize our land."
There might be no record in the outside world, but the force backing Feng Youming surely had a method.
She lifted her gaze and said solemnly, "Father, we have to prepare on several fronts. First, we need to strengthen everyone's cultivation as quickly as possible, especially the Nascent Soul elders. I still have some inner cores, and a Seven-Star Lotus Flower—take them and arrange their use. I won't need them myself.
Second, the Song family must be ready to relocate. Unless there's no other choice, we must not abandon our ancestral land. But I will not stand by and watch everyone die. If it comes to what happened in my past life, we must save as many as we can.
Lastly, I will find a way to uncover the people behind Feng Youming. We'll divide the work, and together, we will defeat them."
Before, they had not known who was behind it or what their goal was. Now that they did, things had actually become simpler.
The resolute look in her eyes made Song Qingyun's own turn warm. His good daughter was growing up. Though the price of that growth had been bitter, filling him with heartache, he also felt pride and relief.
He smiled faintly. "Alright. I know what to do. But you mustn't act recklessly. If you face danger, put your life first. I do not want anything to happen to you."
He reached out and ruffled her hair. No matter how grown she was, she would always be the treasure in his hands. If those hidden enemies truly forced the Song family's hand, it would be him standing in front to bear the blow. That was his duty as Patriarch.
"Alright."
Song Wanníng nodded. She was only preparing for the worst. The Song family had lived here for tens of thousands of years. Unless there was absolutely no other choice, they would never move.
…
Since Song Wanníng had not touched the dragon vein, Feng Youming remained unaware that its secret had been exposed. He was still within Song family territory, gathering news and trying to find a weakness.
Unfortunately for him, in this life, Song Wanníng had not fallen into demonic cultivation, and the Song family had done nothing outrageous. Days passed without him gaining anything useful.
Until one day, he heard that the Song family had been treating their disciples much better lately, with clan benefits improving significantly.
Feng Youming's expression shifted slightly. He seemed to think of something.
The official explanation was that the Song family had joined the ranks of top clans, and resources had multiplied. But with his sharp mind, he found the situation suspicious. Three Divine Transformation cultivators appearing in quick succession, and disciple benefits rising dramatically—something was off.
His thoughts turned to spiritual veins.
Could it be that, aside from the dragon vein, the Song family had another? He frowned, doubt stirring in his heart. If so, the Song family really had stumbled upon great fortune.
With this lead, he decided to investigate thoroughly. If another spiritual vein truly existed, he could take advantage of it.
His scheme was simple—if he found the vein, he would steal most of the spirit stones within, then spread the news. When it looked like the Song family was hoarding it instead of sharing with other powers, public outrage would follow.
Once the entire cultivation world turned against them, it would be easy to frame them further. Destroying the clan might not be impossible.
Excitement flickered in his eyes. If he accomplished this and awakened the dragon vein, he would be allowed to cultivate within it. Ascension would be within reach. His figure blurred as he left the city, heading to the outskirts. There, he took out the Spirit-Seeking Pearl prepared by the patriarch.
Sure enough, one side of the pearl slowly lit up, pointing toward the north.