Chapter 528 - 535: In Collusion

’With the Heavenly Dao’s help, I can definitely open this array!’

The light in Song Wanning’s eyes grew even brighter.

She surveyed her surroundings with intense concentration, then drew a wisp of Immortal Qi from her body and shot it into the air.

Instantly, like a drop of cold water hitting a pan of hot oil, the entire area erupted into a frenzy.

A hazy restriction materialized in the sky, its energy inspiring a deep, primal fear.

The Netherworld King’s heart sank, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.

’So this is the restriction that Immortal set up?’

’To think a dignified Upper Immortal, after failing to act like a common robber, would stoop to something so vile.’

He clenched his fists, the frigid aura around him growing heavier.

’When I ascend to the Immortal Realm in the future, I’ll make sure to hunt that person down!’

While he was seething with resentment, Song Wanning had already begun her next move.

Having no Immortal Stones meant she had to rely on the Immortal Qi within her body to break the array, which multiplied the pressure on her.

Fortunately, the Yin Qi here was abundant. She could try to use her Dantian to convert the energy and ensure her output of Immortal Qi remained uninterrupted.

After all, when breaking an array, not even a moment’s delay could be permitted, or all her previous efforts would be for naught.

With this in mind, she immediately consulted the ancient texts within her Sea of Consciousness again, running simulations over and over.

Once she had committed every detail of the restriction before her to memory, Song Wanning began simulating the steps to dismantle it.

By the time she finally made her move, the sky was already bright with daylight.

Bathed in the morning light, Song Wanning finally began.

She continuously flicked out streams of Immortal Qi from her fingertips, precisely striking each of the array’s nodes.

Her movements seemed to be a chaotic dance, but in truth, every step was filled with profound purpose.

But the restriction was immensely powerful and complex, making the process of marking its nodes particularly tedious.

Song Wanning was soon covered in sweat, her spiritual power draining away at a rapid rate, yet her eyes only grew more resolute.

The Netherworld King stared from the side, his gaze unwavering, feeling as though Song Wanning was radiating an endless energy.

Her every move exuded a Tao Essence that he couldn’t comprehend, and her entire being seemed to be glowing.

He was, once again, completely awestruck.

’A person like her could never be confined to the Spirit Realm. Even the Immortal Realm won’t be able to hold her...’

The more he thought about it, the faster his heart beat, as if he had found an extraordinary ally.

...

「Central Domain」

The Mahayana cultivator snuck out of the passage.

A strange phenomenon had just occurred in the Netherworld, and fearing some unforeseen complication, he had been forced to leave ahead of schedule.

If it turned out to be nothing, it wouldn’t be too late to go back in.

The only problem was that bitch, Song Wanning, had been hiding in Mingwang Mansion the whole time, never giving him a chance to make a move. It was infuriating.

The Mahayana cultivator turned around, wishing he could seal the passage shut immediately. But the thought that Song Wanning still had to come out this way made him stay his hand, allowing the passage to remain open for the time being.

After emerging, the first thing he did was send people to investigate Song Wanning’s identity. After all, a junior this powerful couldn’t possibly be a nobody.

Once he found her weakness, then no matter how insidious and cunning she was, she would have to submit and present the Rebirth Flower to him on her knees.

However, in less than an hour, he received a report from his disciples that made his face darken.

’Song Wanning is actually from the Four Domains?’

’Doesn’t that mean she has no family in the Central Domain?’

The Mahayana cultivator’s scheme had failed. He had originally planned to use her family to threaten her...

"Hmph!"

He snorted. "In that case, I’ll just have to use someone else to deal with Song Wanning!"

That Song Wanning was dangerously unpredictable. He had learned his lesson; there was no need to personally go looking for trouble.

So, he immediately sent a Communication Talisman to one of the Huo Family’s ancestors, telling him that he had run into Song Wanning.

And so, the Huo Family, who had been vexed by their inability to find Song Wanning, finally learned of her whereabouts.

"I will go and see to her myself."

The ancestor, Huo Mian, volunteered to capture Song Wanning, his eyes perfectly calm.

When he mentioned her name, his expression was blank, showing he didn’t see her as a threat in the slightest.

"Good. The others are all useless. If you go, don’t let her escape again!"

"That’s right, you go. We’ll watch over the Huo Family, so nothing will go wrong."

The other two ancestors nodded in agreement with his decision.

"If our guess is correct, that fool Huo Jinchuan was completely set up. The treasure our Huo Family lost is very likely in that woman’s possession."

Huo Mian narrowed his eyes, a cold light flashing within them.

Huo Jinchuan’s aptitude wasn’t bad, but his cultivation progress was slow, so they had never thought much of him.

But they never expected he would get played so badly in the end, bringing utter shame to the Huo Family...

One could only imagine their fury.

"Indeed. Although there is no evidence, that woman is the most suspicious."

"Since she has decided to remain in the Central Domain, she can’t blame us for being ruthless."

After the three ancestors conferred, Huo Mian left the Huo Family estate and rushed toward the entrance to the Netherworld.

When the rest of the Huo Family heard the news, they all clapped and cheered.

"Haha, that woman is dead meat this time!"

"She should have died long ago! If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have become a laughingstock!"

"Exactly! This time, even if she gets on her knees and begs for mercy, she won’t be leaving an intact corpse behind!!!"

"Let’s just wait for the good news from our ancestor!!"

...

"Old Man Bai, you’re saying she’ll come out from here?"

Huo Mian looked at the unremarkable spot before him, a flash of doubt in his eyes.

"That’s right. This is a treacherous place. Inside, I ran into that person your Huo Family is looking for..."

"It’s a pity I only found out about it after I came out. Otherwise, I would have captured her on the spot and handed her over to you!"

The Mahayana cultivator shook his head, putting on an apologetic expression.

"But it’s very dangerous in there now. She’s sure to come out soon. You just need to wait a little..."

He had deliberately concealed the passage’s aura. Since he was the one who had opened it in the first place, there was no way Huo Mian could detect anything amiss.

But Huo Mian was no fool to be easily deceived. He stepped forward and studied the outside of the passage for a long time, only giving up after confirming that he truly could not enter.

He then peppered the Mahayana cultivator with questions, all of which were answered perfectly. Only then did Huo Mian finally let his guard down.

He and Old Man Bai had a decent relationship, after all. The man had no reason to deceive him over such a trivial matter.

So he settled in, making idle chitchat and playing chess with Old Man Bai as he waited for Song Wanning to emerge.

...

Meanwhile, Song Wanning was hard at work breaking the array, completely unaware that two people were now waiting for her outside.

As she continued to pour Immortal Qi into it, the restriction began to tremble visibly.

The massive change put all the Ghost Cultivators in the Netherworld on edge.

Everyone knew that something big was about to happen!!!

Soon, the most critical step was at hand.

The Netherworld King’s heart leaped into his throat. He watched with bated breath, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Song Wanning’s face was deathly pale, and she looked utterly exhausted. ’She absolutely cannot make a mistake at this final moment!’