Rumor had it among the common folk that the peak of Qingyun Peak was where immortals dwelled.
For mortals to trespass was a grave disrespect.
The immortals’ wrath would then summon the Heavenly Punishment Thunderbolt.
Since it was a heavenly punishment, it was naturally beyond mortal endurance.
If one didn’t want to be blasted to death by the thunderbolt, the only choice was to flee in panic.
Wang Jinghong hastily scooped up Wang Sandong in his arms and, without a second thought, sprinted straight toward the cliff.
Behind them, bolt after bolt of lightning fell into the Sea of Time Flowers, silent and soundless.
Almost at the same moment, Wang Jinghong and Wang Yunteng leaped from the peak.
Three bolts of lightning struck the edge of the cliff.
For an instant, debris flew and dirt scattered.
Before the rubble could even settle, another three thunderbolts came crashing down.
Without the protecting Sea of Time Flowers, the lightning struck the rock directly—now came the true danger.
For ordinary people, the speed of falling from a height was far faster than running speed.
So, as long as an attack could be dodged by running, dodging while falling was naturally easy.
But for cultivators, falling speed was much slower than running speed.
In other words, the speed of natural descent could not evade the thunderbolts’ attacks.
Even worse, while falling naturally, a person’s position only changed vertically, making them an easier target for the lightning.
Fortunately, Wang Jinghong and Wang Yunteng were not reckless.
Before climbing the mountain, they had already investigated the situation and devised a countermeasure.
As Wang Jinghong leaped from the cliff, he immediately used “Void Step” in midair, shifting his momentum to dodge left.
Wang Yunteng, on the other hand, used both hands and feet, relying on the cliff face to change his position.
The thunderbolts fell with increasing frequency.
Almost before the debris from the previous bolt had settled, new thunderbolts came blasting in.
Wang Jinghong and Wang Yunteng could only rapidly dodge left and right, sacrificing their already slow falling speed to evade the lightning.
In the midst of this tense moment, a loud laugh suddenly rang out.
It was filled with bold heroism, looking down upon the world.
Wang Yunteng shouted with a laugh, “What a thrill!”
Upon hearing this, Wang Jinghong merely chuckled lightly and continued to focus on dodging the thunderbolts.
With Wang Sandong in his arms, he was already somewhat constrained, and now facing the Heavenly Punishment Thunderbolt, he naturally dared not be careless in the slightest.
Wang Sandong, on the other hand, was relaxed and at ease.
She had faith in Wang Jinghong.
So despite the danger, she wasn’t afraid.
In fact, she even had the leisure to admire the might of the thunderbolts.
Hearing Wang Yunteng’s words, Wang Sandong looked over, watching him dodge clumsily among the bolts, seeing the smile on his face, and felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.
She knew that Wang Yunteng’s days had not been happy.
To him, his parents’ desire for him to become a dragon was the shackle of his life.
And Wang Jinghong, with his Ultimate Spiritual Root, was like the whip in Wang Yunteng’s parents’ hands.
Sometimes, Wang Sandong could even see envy in Wang Yunteng’s eyes when he looked at her.
She still remembered a few years ago, when he was drunk with Cui Jinnian, he had said:
“Without a Spiritual Root, without hope… maybe that’s a good thing.”
A bolt of lightning landed just behind his back.
Wang Jinghong broke out in a cold sweat.
He had inexplicably been distracted just now.
He quickly gathered his focus and concentrated on dodging the thunderbolts.
At that moment, on the other side of Qingyun Peak.
Empress Yuan was wearing a light green dress.
Demonic Qi churned beneath her feet as she strolled casually through the air in midair, showing no signs of tension.
Once she was far enough from Qingyun Peak, the thunderbolts stopped appearing.
Empress Yuan then withdrew the Demonic Qi beneath her feet, letting her body float down gracefully, like a celestial maiden descending to earth.
This ability to walk in the air was “Sky Soaring Step,” a skill usable at least at the seventh cultivation rank—a technique that allowed short, free movement in the air by relying on one’s power.
Unlike “Void Step,” “Sky Soaring Step” used power to control Qi, smooth and silky, and appeared more relaxed and elegant.
“Void Step,” on the other hand, utilized the explosive force of spiritual power, with greater momentum but less flexibility.
Just before landing, Empress Yuan again summoned Demonic Qi beneath her feet, using “Sky Soaring Step” to forcibly slow her descent to avoid crashing to her death.
Wang Jinghong could also do the same as Empress Yuan—first distance himself from Qingyun Peak to stop the thunderbolts, then fall on his own, eventually using “Void Step” to decelerate and land safely.
But Wang Yunteng was still there.
If he only had to bring Wang Sandong, it would be fine.
Wang Jinghong was confident he could land smoothly with “Void Step.”
But if he had to carry both Wang Yunteng and Wang Sandong, he wasn’t sure enough.
He didn’t dare take the risk.
Nor could he leave Wang Yunteng alone.
So Wang Jinghong ultimately chose the current approach.
By staying close, if something happened to Wang Yunteng, he could help in time.
When the three finally landed, they all let out a long sigh, still shaking with lingering fear.
Wang Yunteng laughed loudly.
“Thrilling! Want to do it again?”
Wang Sandong rolled her eyes.
“Brother Teng, why are you getting more and more reckless? All this jumpiness.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Yunteng was about to reply when he saw Wang Sandong’s face change color.
He frowned, withdrew his smile, and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Completely at ease.”
Wang Sandong waved her hand.
Wang Jinghong said, “It must be from all the jostling. Rest in the carriage for a while, then go home.”
The three entered the carriage.
After Wang Sandong’s complexion recovered, they drove back.
Not far along, Wang Yunteng suddenly slapped his thigh in realization.
“Ah! I forgot! Jinghong, you could have taken Sandong far away from Qingyun Peak, then used ‘Void Step’ to land. Why did you have to flee like me?”
Wang Jinghong smiled and gave the excuse he had prepared.
“I just learned ‘Void Step’ and am not yet proficient. Plus, I had Sandong with me—feared an accident.”
Wang Sandong glanced at Wang Jinghong, pursed her lips, but didn’t expose him.
“Oh, I see.”
Wang Yunteng was relieved.
Wang Sandong pouted.
“I’ve seen the Time Flowers, my wish is fulfilled. Next time there’s something this thrilling, don’t come looking for me.”
Wang Yunteng laughed loudly.
Wang Jinghong smiled too.
When they arrived at the Wang Mansion, the two elder brothers got out of the carriage first.
Wang Sandong was the last to exit, stealing a glance at the cloth pouch in the carriage.
To her surprise, it was completely empty.
Where did it go?
Her heart tightened, and she started to let her imagination run wild.
Had someone discovered it?
Or had they also uncovered her secret of transformation?
Or maybe Wang Tong just ate it?
If so, that would be the best outcome.
Wang Jinghong and Wang Yunteng went to Wang Jinghong’s courtyard to chat, while Wang Sandong returned to Anzhi Courtyard to rest.
Taking advantage of the solitude, Wang Sandong asked Wang Tong quietly:
“The thing in the carriage’s cloth pouch—did you eat it?”
Wang Tong was a little surprised.
On normal days, when food went missing, Wang Sandong never asked about it.
“Ah… Young Master, was I not supposed to?”
Wang Tong asked back, confused.
“Of course you could.”
Wang Sandong smiled and then added quietly:
“Don’t tell anyone.”
Wang Tong was baffled, but still quickly promised:
“Young Master, rest assured. This servant would never dare to gossip.”
Wang Sandong nodded in satisfaction and said:
“Talk less, do more.”
“This servant remembers.”
Back at Anzhi Courtyard, Wang Sandong rested for a bit and then began cultivation.
But her progress was truly slow, to the point where her enthusiasm wasn’t as high as before.
Thinking about how cultivation would become even harder after the fifth rank, Wang Sandong’s mood was somewhat mixed.
She wanted to cultivate Return to Heaven to completion as quickly as possible, then find a way to regulate her frail body.
But she was also afraid that by then, Empress Yuan would show her fangs.
Because she had no strength to resist.
Even if Return to Heaven reached completion, she would still only have the “Soul Snatching” move for self-defense.
No matter how powerful that move eventually became, defeating Empress Yuan with it was almost impossible.
Even if Wang Sandong learned many other abilities through “Soul Snatching,” whether spiritual or demonic techniques, it wouldn’t matter—because Empress Yuan’s “Primordial Spirit Slash” was the natural counter to “Soul Snatching.”
Wang Sandong had thought about practicing other means.
But that was only in theory.
Those spiritual or demonic techniques all required a Spiritual Root to guide them.
It was like having the method to forge a divine weapon, but lacking the ability to forge it, let alone the skill to wield it.
So for now, the only thing she could do was to complete Return to Heaven as soon as possible.
But…
Would she just muddle through the days like this?
Even if she wanted to lie low, Empress Yuan wouldn’t allow it.
Wang Sandong believed that if Empress Yuan discovered her slacking, she would definitely find a way to force her.
After cultivating for a while, she grew tired.
Wang Sandong lay under the sun, basking in its warmth, her thoughts wandering.
Though she seemed idle, she was constantly thinking of ways to break the deadlock.
She believed the key to breaking the deadlock lay in Return to Heaven.
Why was it called Return to Heaven?
And why did it cause transformation?
Was this a characteristic of the technique itself, or a side effect?
What was the principle behind the transformation?
Why did Empress Yuan need someone who had cultivated Return to Heaven to sacrifice the Demon Abyss?
Unfortunately, although A-Gui was a demon cultist, his knowledge was limited.
Rumors said there were many demon cultists in the past.
Many had died during the Great Demon Slaying War, but surely there should be more than just A-Gui left.
Why hadn’t a few more popped up to “contribute” some memory information?
If she could kill someone and gain their knowledge…
That would be so much easier than hard study.
Knowledge was power.
With enough knowledge, she would eventually find a way to regulate her body and deal with Empress Yuan.
But…
How many people would she have to kill to have enough?
What if…
She killed fewer people and humbled herself?
For instance, seducing Empress Yuan, trading her body for her life…
This absurd thought had barely surfaced when it made Wang Sandong laugh bitterly at herself.
Trying to awaken a demon lord’s compassion was utterly foolish.
Of course, it was just wild speculation.
Wang Sandong wasn’t that stupid.
Only the weak placed hope in their enemy’s mercy.
True strongmen never thought about appeasing their enemies—they thought about conquering them.
Forcing them to bow in submission.
Of course, that was just another wandering thought.
After all, she didn’t have that kind of strength.
A short, abrupt note from a zither interrupted Wang Sandong’s chaotic thoughts.
She turned her gaze toward the Qin Room, remembering that demonic zither.
If that demonic zither truly belonged to the Zither Emperor.
And if her “Soul Snatching” could seize the memories of the zither’s artifact spirit…
But even the Zither Emperor couldn’t obtain the demonic zither, let alone a weakling like her.
Better to stay realistic.
Instead of daydreaming, she should focus on Return to Heaven.
That was the key to breaking the deadlock.
But after racking her brains for a long time, Wang Sandong was still at a loss.
She felt she still lacked knowledge.
If she could just “learn” a bit more…
“Young Master.”
It was the steward Chen Youde.
“The Young Madam said she wants to build a pavilion in Anzhi Courtyard to enjoy the view and sent me to ask for your opinion.”
Wang Sandong opened her eyes, looking at Chen Youde’s old face, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Ghost Axe Chen Youde’s knowledge…
Must be quite rich, right?
She nodded and smiled.
“Sure.”
Then her smile bloomed like a Tianjue Flower in full blossom.
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