On the other side, Song Wanníng sped up, quickly leaving the area around the Monster's nest. She rode her flying sword through the clouds, trying over and over to communicate with the Three Lives Mirror. It had always urged her to repair the two worlds, but right now, she was completely lost about how to even begin.
At this point, all she could do was ask the Three Lives Mirror for guidance. But it stayed silent, unresponsive no matter what she did, until finally, four words appeared across its surface—Go with the flow.
The moment she saw those words, her restless heart suddenly calmed down. She'd been too anxious lately, pushing herself to the point where everything she did carried a trace of impatience. But this was the kind of thing that couldn't be rushed. The more impatient she got, the more likely she'd make mistakes. If she failed because of that, she'd regret it for the rest of her life.
"Three Lives Mirror, will my family be in danger?" Her weakness had never been her own life or death—it was always her family.
"Your blessings are deep, and your fortune will extend to your family." The Three Lives Mirror could sense her worry, so it gave her a reassuring message.
Song Wanníng had already eliminated many invaders. Those achievements would transform into blessings and virtue, and her family would naturally share in that fortune. As long as she stayed focused on her mission, they'd be protected and escape misfortune.
Hearing that, the weight pressing on her heart finally lifted. A faint smile appeared on her face, and her flight slowed down, no longer hurried or frantic. After thinking things over, she decided she had to report this matter to her sect first. The issue was too serious to ignore. If they didn't treat it properly, a full Monster outbreak would be the start of a disaster.
For now, though, she needed to find a quiet place to cultivate. Only by getting stronger could she truly face Gong Ye head-on. Maybe killing him would be the key to merging the two realms at last.
Determination flashed in her eyes as she found a nearby cave without hesitation and went into seclusion once again.
Meanwhile, across the Spirit Realm, a large-scale Monster hunt had begun. Because of what happened to the Golden Dragon clan, everyone took the matter seriously this time. If Monsters really invaded in great numbers, every living being would be in danger.
Even sects that had grudges against each other temporarily set aside their differences to cooperate, working together to search for signs of the creatures.
But despite the massive effort, the results were disappointing. It was as if the Monsters had vanished into thin air—no trace, no presence, nothing. Before long, the searching sects started grumbling, complaining that the Demon Palace and Guhan Sect had overreacted, making a mountain out of a molehill. They said the two sects wasted everyone's time and scared them for no reason.
Luo Hantian was scolded so badly his face turned red, nearly throwing the teacup in his hand. He managed to hold it in, though not without muttering a few curses under his breath.
"Sect Master, since no one found anything, maybe that girl Wanníng was mistaken. We don't need to dwell on this any longer."
"But those sects really don't know how to talk. We were just being kind, giving them a warning."
"Now that there's no Monster, shouldn't they be happy? Why're they blaming us instead? If there really were Monsters and we didn't warn them, they'd still accuse us of hiding it!"
The elders were furious too, feeling those sects didn't appreciate the gesture.
Running an investigation was for everyone's peace of mind—what was wrong with that?
Hearing their words, Luo Hantian's anger slowly cooled, replaced by a long sigh. "From what I know of Song Wanníng, she'd never exaggerate something like this. Those Monsters are cunning and good at hiding. Just because we didn't find them doesn't mean they're not there."
He trusted her deeply. After all these years, he knew her better than anyone. She had no reason to make trouble for herself. But clearly, most people weren't taking the matter seriously anymore. With a faint headache, he looked over at the elders before finally making up his mind.
"In that case, let them ignore it if they want. We'll handle our own. Have the disciples keep searching for traces of the Monsters. The moment they find anything, report it immediately!"
He couldn't control others, but at the very least, he had to make sure the Guhan Sect's territory was safe.
The elders nodded, unable to refute him. Deep down, they also hoped this was just a false alarm—no one wanted those things to appear again.
The Demon Palace's stance was the same. The Demon King calmly ordered his disciples to continue searching and to kill any Monster on sight. They'd seen those creatures with their own eyes. They knew they were real.
They had to do everything possible to protect their people.
...
In the beast territory, Song Wanníng's clone was still among the serpent clan. She sat in the council hall, quietly listening to their discussion about the Monster incident.
"We've searched everywhere, no trace of any Monster."
"The demons and humans are such worrywarts. A few Monsters, and they lose their minds!"
"Exactly. Even if there were a whole group of them, they wouldn't be our match. What's there to fear?"
"Let's drop it already, no point wasting time on this."
"Right now, the bigger problem is that Gong Ye's whereabouts are still unknown. With how vengeful he is, if we don't kill him soon, none of us will be safe!"
Before long, the conversation shifted to Gong Ye.
Song Wanníng stayed silent.
No one had realized her disguise yet.
She could now absorb beast energy, and her aura had no trace of disguise. Her Primordial Soul was so powerful it rivaled that of a Mahayana cultivator, so even the patriarch couldn't see through her.
She Yi stayed by her side, quietly reminding her of things when needed, while the fox beast Mei Huan had also joined the serpent clan, posing as one of her "concubines."
If she wanted to find Gong Ye, her own strength alone couldn't compare to the reach of the entire serpent clan. So when she heard them deciding to continue tracking him, her brows slightly furrowed.
Gong Ye had used some unknown method to block even the Three Lives Mirror, making it impossible to locate him. That made things extremely difficult. He was probably the toughest invader to deal with aside from Ye Chuxue.
"All right, everyone's dismissed. Ah Jiu, stay behind." The serpent patriarch waved everyone off, leaving only her.
Song Wanníng didn't panic. She calmly waited in the hall while the others filed out, then turned her attention to the patriarch when they were finally alone.
"Ah Jiu, I have a task for you." The patriarch's expression was solemn as he motioned for her to sit.
"Patriarch, whatever you need, just say the word. I'll do my best to get it done!" She felt a flicker of curiosity but immediately showed loyalty.
The patriarch's stern face softened into a pleased smile. Then he pulled out a map and spread it across the table.
"Here. Do you recognize this place?"
He pointed at a spot on the map as he asked.