"You, on the other hand, might actually be useful alive!"
A trace of disdain flickered in the Patriarch's eyes. She had never really thought much of Lao San. Average talent, timid, never accomplished anything in life, yet still dared to dream of herself. It was like a toad wanting to eat swan meat.
The Patriarch picked up Song Wanníng and tossed her aside casually.
The stones behind them still looked the same, but the oppressive aura had quietly vanished.
Song Wanníng's brows furrowed slightly as she began to calculate her next move.
Her main body was already very close, lying in ambush. If danger struck, or if there was any opportunity, her main body would arrive as fast as possible. After all, creating a clone was no easy feat, and she couldn't afford to give up lightly.
After about half an incense stick's time, a figure finally appeared from the distance.
Dusty from travel, yet still exuding a carefree, unrestrained elegance. Handsome, refined, instantly several levels above that elder.
"You finally came!"
The Patriarch stood up at once and glared at him with mock reproach.
"You're way too slow, I've been waiting forever."
She threw herself into the man's arms, wrapping around his neck with practiced ease. He caught her by the waist and then lifted her chin, planting a deep kiss on her lips.
Song Wanníng's eyes twitched uncontrollably, especially at their wandering hands…
Every hair on her body stood on end. If the situation had been different, they might have actually done it right there.
Disgusting. Shameless.
Still… that man clearly wasn't from the Yao family. Not a single feature matched. It seemed the Patriarch was breaking Yao family rules to be with an outsider.
Finally, the clingy couple separated and started moving toward Song Wanníng.
The man's eyes briefly lit up in awe at her appearance.
"So this is the Dragon Clan?" he asked.
"Mm, the stone's curse is broken. We can go in now!"
The Patriarch smiled wickedly, eyes shining with pride.
The man pinched her waist again and led her toward the stone.
The Patriarch pushed carefully against it.
Song Wanníng looked back, noticing the stone moving bit by bit, but strangely, the parts that were pushed forward seemed to vanish into thin air.
A folded space?
She hadn't noticed at all!
Her brows tightened. No wonder there was no trace of formation energy, yet everything was hidden. It was a spatial folding technique. She realized her understanding of space was still too shallow to detect it.
The stone moved bit by bit, disappearing into the void until a doorway of space appeared.
The air was thick with spatial energy.
The Patriarch's eyes gleamed with excitement, barely able to contain herself.
The man beside her was equally eager, eyes full of anticipation.
They had finally opened the door!
"The records of the ancestors were right!"
The Patriarch grabbed Song Wanníng and stepped through, the man following behind. The three of them passed through the spatial doorway together.
Moments later, they arrived on a wasteland of black soil.
Everywhere was dense with murderous energy, not a sign of life in sight.
Song Wanníng glanced around and immediately recognized the place.
"The Exiled Land?"
The Patriarch paused in shock, confirming her own recognition. She had been there before, and it looked exactly like this.
"This isn't the Exiled Land. It must be a separate space carved out, maybe cut from the Exiled Land by that Dragon Clan bastard…"
The man mused for a moment. It was a confined space, definitely sharing the same aura as the Exiled Land.
"Hmph, doesn't matter where it came from. Nothing can stop us now!"
"Let's move quickly, we can't let anyone else find this place."
The Patriarch's expression was thrilled. She tightened the binding rope in her hand and started leading Song Wanníng around the space.
The man was equally excited, striding forward, eyes scanning everywhere.
Song Wanníng followed along, brows furrowed in confusion. What exactly were they looking for?
Could it be a Dragon Clan treasure? After all, her blood had been used to open the door, so the most likely target was some Dragon Clan artifact.
She kept an eye out as well, but all she saw was wasteland. Thick oppression and murderous energy filled the air, not a single object in sight.
Round after round of searching, their expressions soured.
Their earlier excitement faded into frustration.
"Where's the thing? Why can't we see it? The ancestors clearly said it's here!"
The Patriarch grew anxious. The treasure was right in front of them, yet it was nowhere to be found.
The man frowned, thinking for a moment. "Don't rush. If the records say it's here, it has to be here. But a special treasure wouldn't be easy to find. We need more patience."
They started searching again, day after day, still without success.
The man began to fidget, unable to sit still.
"What's going on? Could the ancestor's record be a lie?"
The Patriarch's eyes reddened, full of unwillingness to accept defeat.
The man's gaze quietly fell on Song Wanníng.
She felt a chill down her spine, realizing something bad was about to happen.
Sure enough, the next moment, he suggested, "Since it's a Dragon Clan sealed treasure, let the Dragon Clan find it. That might lead to something."
The Patriarch's eyes snapped toward Song Wanníng. "You mean use her?"
"How?"
Her gaze turned dangerous. They'd brought Song Wanníng along as a precaution. If she could be used now, all the better.
The Patriarch seized the hope, her eyes sparkling again.
"Dragon Clan suppression means there could be Dragon Clan intent here."
The man stared at Song Wanníng with ill intent, a cruel smile on his lips. "If they see one of their juniors in danger, they'll appear…
Then we can naturally trace the treasure!"
Before the words even finished, the Patriarch lunged at Song Wanníng with a sword aimed at her chest.
Swift and precise, with no hesitation.
Song Wanníng couldn't even react properly and got pierced directly in the chest.
"Pah!"
A mouthful of blood sprayed out. She felt her heart drop and quietly crushed the pill in her hand.
A cloud of invisible powder spread into the air around her.
The two didn't notice at all, just staring at her bleeding form.
"You—"
Song Wanníng seethed in anger, clutching her chest. Before she could finish, the Patriarch stabbed again.
She was at the peak of a Tianxian, taking on a Renxian was child's play.