She trailed behind the Merfolk, not forcing it to stop, but instead observing her surroundings as she followed.

The Wuyou Sea was vast and teeming with demon beasts. The inability to use her Divine Sense made the search incredibly passive, forcing her to take things one step at a time.

And so, she followed the Merfolk as it darted through the depths of the sea. Fortunately, her Cultivation was high, so the demon beasts that sensed her aura all cowered in hiding, not daring to emerge.

Finally, after four hours, the Merfolk stopped in front of an underwater cave.

"It’s right here! I can sense that Jiao Jiao is in this very spot!"

The Merfolk was growing anxious. ’How could Jiao Jiao have wandered so far?’

’I wonder if Jiao Jiao is safe!’

"Alright, let’s go in and take a look. But we must be careful."

Song Wanning glanced at the cave and nodded to the Merfolk. The two of them, human and Merfolk, headed toward the entrance.

The cave was completely submerged, filled with lush seaweed and schools of fish that frolicked about.

The moment they saw the intruders, the fish scattered in a panic, surging toward the cave’s exit.

Song Wanning followed the passage deeper into the cave. The farther she went, the narrower the tunnel became until she had to alter her form, shrinking herself into a tiny ball to proceed.

The Merfolk also did its best to shrink down, but was ultimately forced to retreat into Song Wanning’s Beast Pet Bag so they could keep moving forward.

"How could Jiao Jiao have come here? This looks like a dead end!"

The Merfolk grew increasingly worried for Jiao Jiao’s safety. ’The cave looks like it ends just ahead, but Jiao Jiao’s aura is still here. It has to be nearby!’

"Don’t panic yet. There’s definitely something strange about this cave!" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Song Wanning soothed the Merfolk and continued deeper, constantly scanning her surroundings, trying to pinpoint the other Merfolk’s location.

However, when she reached the end of the tunnel, there was still no sign of any Merfolk.

"Are you certain it’s near here?"

"I’m positive! And I can feel that it’s behind this tunnel wall!"

"Behind the tunnel wall..."

Song Wanning mulled this over for a moment, then reached out to feel along the wall at the dead end.

The cramped space restricted her movements, making each motion difficult. But it wasn’t long before she felt a tiny, unusual hole.

The hole was no bigger than a needlepoint; she would never have noticed it if she hadn’t been carefully feeling her way around.

She brought her eye close to the pinprick of a hole. Suddenly, a flash of cold white light shot out from the opening, aimed directly at her.

Song Wanning instinctively jerked her head to the side, then shot out her hand and snatched the cold light from the air.

"SWOOSH—"

The cold white light stilled in her grasp.

She opened her hand and found a key lying in her palm.

Song Wanning raised an eyebrow, her gaze instinctively turning back to the tiny hole.

She then took the key and pushed it toward the hole. Though their sizes were completely different, the key bizarrely and precisely aligned with the opening.

With a gentle twist, a CLICK echoed from the hole. Immediately, a powerful force pulled her straight through.

The cave returned to its tranquil state, as if no one had ever been there.

But Song Wanning was already stunned by the sight before her.

An entire Immortal Mansion had appeared before her eyes.

The Immortal Mansion stood seven stories tall. With its intricately carved beams, painted rafters, and jade-like architecture, it was clearly an extraordinary place.

A rainbow-colored light flowed endlessly around the estate, completely separating it from the surrounding seawater and adding to its mystique.

’I came here looking for a Merfolk, but I ended up stumbling right into this place!’

Song Wanning pursed her lips and let the Merfolk out of her Beast Pet Bag.

The Merfolk’s jaw dropped, equally stunned by the sight. "There’s an Immortal Mansion like this in the Wuyou Sea? How have I never seen it before?"

It had lived in the Wuyou Sea for centuries, and the scene before it today completely upended its understanding of the world.

Song Wanning remained silent, her eyes fixed on the Immortal Mansion as she sized it up.

’Ye Chuxue must be inside already, right?’

’The Heavenly Dao went to such great lengths just to hand her this opportunity. It must be getting desperate.’

’If not for its own rules, it probably would have just placed it directly in Ye Chuxue’s hands, wouldn’t it?’

A sarcastic smile touched her lips. "Come on, let’s go have a look inside."

She led the Merfolk toward the main gate of the Immortal Mansion. She had expected to be blocked, but both she and the Merfolk passed through unimpeded, entering the estate.

The main hall on the first floor appeared to be a reception room. The exquisite tea sets and decorative objects all spoke to the owner’s refined and elegant style.

A stalk of Heavenly Net Bamboo stood artfully arranged in a dark green treasure vase. As she drew closer, she could smell its faint, pleasant fragrance.

After surveying the first floor, Song Wanning ascended the stairs to the second.

The moment she set foot on the top step, she felt herself enter an Array.

A familiar aura washed over her. A Compass appeared before her, next to which were scattered a few array flags and a carving knife.

Song Wanning’s brow furrowed slightly. ’So this is another Immortal’s place of inheritance. Last time it was Elixir Pills, this time it’s Arrays. Next time it’ll probably be Artifact Refining or talisman making.’

’Others might spend their whole lives without mastering a single one, yet the protagonist can effortlessly master all four great arts of cultivation and reach the pinnacle of each.’

’Leaving a trail of legends in her wake.’

She walked over to the Compass and saw a Fourth-tier Array projected above it.

The test was to perfectly replicate the Array onto a blank Array Plate. Success meant advancing to the next level; failure meant being "invited" to leave.

Song Wanning had already studied Arrays, so a simple replication wasn’t difficult for her. Moreover, her powerful Divine Soul gave her an advantage in inscribing arrays, allowing her to grasp the finer details with greater precision and making her less prone to error.

So she calmed her mind, picked up the carving knife, and began to work, one stroke at a time.

The Merfolk sat quietly to the side, not daring to make a sound. ’Even though I’m worried about Jiao Jiao, panicking now won’t help.’

’Jiao Jiao must be somewhere in this Immortal Mansion. As long as I follow my master up level by level, I’ll definitely see Jiao Jiao.’

「Meanwhile, in another room of the Immortal Mansion」 Ye Chuxue was engrossed in studying Arrays.

Although the array symbols before her were incredibly complex, for her, they were no problem at all.

’Ever since I was injured, my path has been anything but smooth. Now that I’ve finally come across such a huge opportunity, I definitely won’t let it go to waste.’

’And especially Song Wanning... she’s just an Alchemy Grandmaster. Once I become an Alchemy Grandmaster and then an Array Master on top of that, the look on her face will be priceless!’

Ye Chuxue truly couldn’t wait for that day to come.

With this as her motivation, her drive was stronger than ever, and she didn’t feel the least bit tired.

Beside her, a Merfolk waited quietly. Its long hair drifted around it, and it had a docile, well-behaved appearance. With its stunning beauty, its entire being seemed to shimmer with a gentle, healing power.