But the next wave of attacks was already upon him. With no time to dwell on their betrayal, he rallied once more to fight back.

A dazzling array of Spells and Magical Treasures danced through the air, completely illuminating the sky above the Mo Family.

More and more people turned their attention to the Array, their faces etched with worry.

Soon, Mo Wentian collapsed, severely wounded.

His chest was soaked in blood, and the Spiritual Energy within him was in complete disarray, spiraling out of his control.

He had already reached his limit just by holding on this long.

He lay on the ground, gazing up at the mysterious figure in midair as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth once more.

"Why... why would you... help her... harm me?"

Mo Wentian truly couldn’t understand why anyone would choose to wade into the Mo Family’s muddy waters.

’Isn’t she afraid of getting burned?’

Hearing his question, Song Wanning’s indifferent voice drifted out from beneath her cloak.

"This is your retribution."

"Retribution?"

Mo Wentian muttered the word to himself, then suddenly laughed.

’Retribution?’

’The victor is king, the loser a villain. What’s this talk of retribution?’

He pushed himself to his feet and sneered.

"I lost today, and I admit my defeat..."

"But—"

Suddenly, the look in Mo Wentian’s eyes changed, and in the next instant, his body began to swell rapidly.

"If I’m going to die, I’m taking you all with me! HAHAHA!"

"Oh no, he’s going to self-detonate! Stop him, quickly!"

The color drained from Mo Rou’s face. She and the others shot toward Mo Wentian at once.

They could never survive the self-detonation of a Nascent Soul Peak expert. Even the Array wouldn’t hold!

’If he really manages to self-detonate, the Mo Family...’

"HAHAHA—"

Mo Wentian laughed with abandon, a glint of madness in his eyes.

He shot a defiant glare at Song Wanning.

’So what if they won?’

’They’re going to die all the same!’

"Heh."

Suddenly, a soft chuckle sounded by his ear, and Mo Wentian’s swelling body froze in place.

An irresistible pressure bore down on him, so immense that his bones began to creak.

Ordinarily, he might have been able to put up some resistance, but now, he was utterly helpless.

THUD—

He crashed heavily to the ground. He stared at the dark figure in disbelief, his pupils trembling.

"You... You’re a Divinity Transformation Cultivator..."

’No wonder... No wonder Mo Rou dared to defy me. So she found herself such a terrifying backer.’

Song Wanning didn’t deign to answer. Instead, she spoke coldly to Mo Rou and the others, "Are you going to let him keep spouting nonsense?"

Mo Rou’s expression changed. "Attack!"

Receiving the order, they charged toward Mo Wentian once more.

This time, he no longer had any way to threaten or hold them back.

He could only watch as they descended upon him, knowing his end had come. Still, his heart was filled with bitter resentment.

’He was clearly the more capable one, yet the title of Family Head had gone to Mo Rou, who was his inferior in every respect.’

’He had fought Mo Rou his entire life just to prove a point, and in the end, he had still lost to her.’

’How could he ever accept losing to her in every single way?’

But the outcome was already sealed. Mo Wentian was dismembered, his Nascent Soul annihilated before it could even escape. He vanished completely from the world.

And so, a Peak Nascent Soul Cultivator of his generation had fallen.

The two cultivators who had defected felt a jolt and quickly looked away.

Mo Wentian, who had been so imperious his entire life, was dead just like that. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Their own days ahead were not going to be easy.

Sigh.

The other Nascent Soul Cultivators had mixed feelings of joy and apprehension, but Mo Rou could only stare blankly at Mo Wentian’s corpse. It all felt like a dream.

Ever since they were children, Mo Wentian had provoked her at every turn, leading others in bullying her.

He hailed from the Mo Family’s Mortal Royal Family branch and was heavily influenced by the mindsets of the common world. He had always believed women were born to be dependent on men. Even if a woman’s Cultivation was high, he never considered it truly impressive.

’She still remembered his boastful declaration: that she should just become his favored concubine and spend her days managing the household and raising his children!’

She had been furious at the time. It was to prove his backward thinking wrong that she had relentlessly pushed herself, never daring to slack off for a moment.

That effort had lasted for over three hundred years.

Now that her greatest enemy had fallen, she felt a fleeting sense of aimlessness.

Fortunately, the feeling vanished as quickly as it came.

’Her life was her own; it had nothing to do with anyone else.’

’The goals she fought for had always been for herself, never for anyone else.’

A heartfelt smile spread across Mo Rou’s lips as she looked up at Song Wanning.

She mouthed two words silently.

*Thank you!*

Song Wanning gave a slight nod, a new light dancing in her eyes.

In that moment, even the night wind seemed to soften.

Moonlight spilled across the ground, draping her in what looked like a mysterious, silver-spun veil.

After one last glance at Mo Wentian’s corpse, Song Wanning turned and flew into the darkness, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

No one but Mo Rou knew who she was or where she came from.

Nor did they know where she was headed.

Mo Rou watched her disappear, her heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.

’Song Wanning had said she would only help them with the Merfolk, but in reality, she had given them a perfect way out.’

’She owed her a huge debt this time.’

She couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

’That woman...’

’She did it on purpose!’

She let out a long sigh.

’Still, it wasn’t so bad having a friend like Song Wanning.’

’And perhaps their cooperation with the Song Family could be deepened.’

’She, Mo Rou, was never one to forget a kindness.’

"Clean this place up. Not a single word about what happened today gets out."

Mo Rou’s cold, threatening gaze swept over the two defectors.

"Understood. You can rest assured, Family Head!"

The two nodded, their spirits low.

Who could have imagined that they, so full of conviction just that morning, would have their world turned upside down in a single night.

Soon, the battlefield was cleaned, the Array was dismantled, and tranquility returned. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

And yet, everyone seemed to have an unspoken understanding of what had transpired, and a palpable unease settled over the entire Mo Family.

Mo Rou moved quickly. In that one night, all those who had followed Mo Wentian in his wicked deeds were rounded up.

However, they were all disciples of the Mo Family. It was impossible to eliminate them all, as doing so would severely weaken the family’s strength.

Therefore, she made an example of a few key figures to warn the others, and then let the matter drop.

To the outside world, the Mo Family announced that Mo Wentian had died at the hands of the Merfolk, resulting in a battle where both sides suffered grievous losses.

The Mo Family’s power structure was reshuffled overnight, sparking widespread discussion.

Song Wanning, however, paid it no mind. She stayed at an inn with the Merfolk for two days. Once Feng Lansi arrived, they departed together for the Wuyou Sea.

The Merfolk remained inside a Spirit Pet bag and were not let out. Feng Lansi had no idea that one of their number—the very individual at the center of all the recent gossip—was right beside her.

The pair traveled with all possible speed and finally reached the Wuyou Sea a month later.

But the moment they arrived at the Wuyou Sea, the color drained from Feng Lansi’s face.

For the renowned Wuyou Sea was now a desert!