The door SLAMMED shut.

Ye Chuxue sat stunned on the bed, a single tear tracing a path from the corner of her eye.

An irrepressible disappointment in her master washed over her.

’So Master is just like all those other disgusting men, full of carnal desire.’

The image of her cold, aloof master shattered in her mind.

Ye Chuxue scrambled up, her heart still pounding with fear as she straightened her clothes.

Her master had been terrifying just now. That look in his eyes...

She shuddered violently, pushed the door open, and ran for her own room.

After packing her already-prepared luggage into her Storage Ring, she left the Heavenly Inquiry Sect that very night without a backward glance.

Her mind was a tangled mess, and she needed time to calm down.

This was also the perfect opportunity to focus on improving her Cultivation and strive to surpass Song Wanning as soon as possible.

Just as Ye Chuxue left, Gu Qingyuan’s figure appeared at the Sect’s gate. Gazing at his disciple’s fleeing silhouette, a flash of vexation crossed his face.

Just now, it was as if he had been possessed; his actions were not his own.

This was a sign of a burgeoning Heart Demon. If he didn’t bring it under control and allowed it to overwhelm him, the consequences would be unimaginable.

With a deep frown, he finally turned and flew toward Xuelai Peak.

He needed to enter death-seclusion immediately to deal with this Heart Demon problem.

"Heh, our dear Lord Gu is heartbroken."

Song Wanning had her feet kicked up, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

She withdrew her Divine Sense and lazily took a sip of her cold tea.

On the Spirit Boat, she had already noticed something was off with Gu Qingyuan. She had deliberately steered the conversation and used her powerful Divine Soul to deepen the impression in his own.

The moment matters of the heart were mentioned, he was bound to remember. From the looks of it now, the effect was quite good indeed.

Gu Qingyuan had rushed back into seclusion, and a terrified Ye Chuxue had fled down the mountain alone...

’Another chance to mess with her has just served itself up on a silver platter.’

Song Wanning gazed at the sky, then rose and vanished into the night.

"Mistress, here are the items you requested."

The Shopkeeper of the Divine Walking Auction House respectfully handed the prepared items to Song Wanning. A long time ago, his mistress had tasked him with finding Seven-Star Refined Iron and some other consumables for Artifact Refining, though he didn’t know for what purpose.

"Mm."

Song Wanning took the items and inspected them, nodding in satisfaction. "Not bad. These are all top-quality materials. You’ve done well."

With that, she took out a bottle of Elixir Pills and handed it to the Shopkeeper. "A job well done. Please keep an eye out for any news about the Xirang."

The Shopkeeper accepted the Elixir Pills with a pleasant surprise, nodding hastily. "Rest assured, Mistress! This subordinate will do everything in his power to find out more!"

His mistress was extremely generous; he knew without a doubt that this bottle of Elixir Pills was exceptionally precious.

He grinned from ear to ear, his mind already turning over the matter of the Xirang.

As a source of elemental earth, the Xirang was an incredibly precious Spiritual Object.

If someone were to stumble upon such a treasure, they would surely hide it away. Finding it would not be easy.

He frowned. It seemed he would have to ask around and call in a few favors.

After taking what she wanted, Song Wanning checked the account books and collected the year’s profits.

Since its opening, the Divine Walking Auction House held multiple auctions every year. Even when no auctions were scheduled, it still sold many other goods, so its annual income was extremely impressive.

One could say Song Wanning was the richest of the rich, with enough Spirit Stones to spend extravagantly for the rest of her life.

In the past, she had been extremely generous with her three disciples, never letting them worry about Spirit Stones. Thinking back on it now, she really did have more money than sense.

She took her Spirit Stones and prepared to leave the Heavenly Inquiry Sect for a while to procure some necessary items in other regions.

Now, at the Divinity Transformation Stage, she could already give form to her Divine Thought and even let her Divine Soul leave her body for short distances...

Thus, the idea of refining a doppelgänger came to mind.

After all, she needed to carry out her "raids and pillages" while also manufacturing an alibi. With a doppelgänger, that would be much easier.

In the Cultivation World, not many cultivators knew how to create doppelgängers. This was because the process first required a cultivator to split their Divine Soul, a feat only those at the Divinity Transformation stage were qualified to attempt.

It was also a tremendous trial. The slightest mistake could damage the Divine Soul, a loss that far outweighed any potential gain. Therefore, even among Divinity Transformation cultivators, no one was willing to undertake such an arduous and thankless task.

Having made up her mind, Song Wanning simply sent a Communication Talisman to Li Rao and departed.

She headed south, making her way toward the Artifact Talisman Sect.

"Brother, are you really going to let Song Wanning get away with this? I heard she’s become untouchable. The entire Heavenly Inquiry Sect has to coddle her and treat her with respect. Even their Sect Master can’t do anything about her!"

Liu Yiyi sat fuming on a stool, the faint mark of a slap still visible on one side of her face.

It had been dealt by a Nascent Soul True Monarch from her own sect, and to make matters worse, she couldn’t even beat him.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

"Ever since I lost while representing the Sect, those people have had it out for me. They repeatedly challenge me to fights, beat me black and blue, and utterly humiliate me in front of all the other disciples! If this keeps up, I’d rather just die!"

The more Liu Yiyi thought about it, the more wronged she felt.

Now, everyone in the Mountain Gazing Sect treated her and her brother like a plague, viewing them as traitors to the Sect.

The other disciples were angry but dared not speak out. However, the Nascent Soul Cultivators, looking to vent their frustration, challenged her again and again, and she couldn’t refuse...

"Today was even worse! That bitch specifically aimed for my face! It was absolutely outrageous!"

Liu Yao grew irritated at her words, his brow furrowing deeply.

"What’s the use of saying all this now? She’s stronger than both of us. What can we do?"

He impatiently pulled out a stool and sat down.

"I was planning to set a trap for her during the beast tide, but who knew she’d just stay in the camp and never come out!"

The thought made Liu Yao’s blood boil.

That damned girl was too clever; she never gave them an opening. What else could they do?

Hearing this, Liu Yiyi’s eyes reddened with anger. "That bitch is smart, alright! Otherwise, she couldn’t have tricked us and led us completely by the nose!"

"But we still can’t just let it go! Your Cultivation is high, so no one dares to come after you. But it’s different for me!"

Liu Yiyi bit her lip. "Brother, no matter what, you have to find a way to help me get my revenge! I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care!"

If this continued, she was going to go insane.

She had worked so hard to reach the Nascent Soul stage, but before she could even properly enjoy the respectful gazes of others, she’d fallen from grace and become a clown. Who could possibly endure that?

Seeing her pestering him relentlessly, Liu Yao’s brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Alright, alright, I’ll think of something..."

He paced around the room a few times.

’To defeat Song Wanning, we’d probably need a Divinity Transformation cultivator...’

’Or maybe a powerful Nascent Soul Peak expert would do. But who would be willing to help him?’

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. "I’ve got it! I know what to do!"

He excitedly grabbed Liu Yiyi’s shoulders.