The Demon Lord didn’t think Song Wanning and the others could escape.

After all, Mo Yuan was unconscious and Song Wanning was grievously wounded. Trying to survive in the treacherous Demon Sea would be next to impossible.

And he, for one, had no intention of letting them off the hook so easily.

However, his cultivation took priority for now. The Demon Lord had to race against time if he hoped to break through his current stage and successfully ascend.

While forcibly extracting that woman’s Demonic Qi had boosted his cultivation rapidly, it had also left him unable to properly cultivate and accumulate Demonic Qi ever since.

Only the Demon Sea could provide the aid he needed.

With a dark expression, the Demon Lord took out a Communication Talisman to inform Qu Shang and his other trusted subordinates that Mo Yuan and Song Wanning had entered the Demon Sea.

’Mo Yuan would be easy to handle, but Qu Shang can’t deal with Song Wanning. I’ll have the other Demon Monarchs keep her occupied for now. In the end, I will be the one to finish her.’

’This woman has ruined my plans time and time again. There’s only one fate for her: death!’

...

"PTHOO—"

The hand Song Wanning used to brace herself against the wall went limp, and her entire body collapsed.

She coughed up several mouthfuls of blood as the Spiritual Energy and Demonic Qi inside her surged erratically, threatening to spiral out of control.

She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing down the coppery sweetness in her throat before quickly taking out an Elixir Pill and swallowing it.

’This was the first time she had experienced the might of someone at the Peak of Divinity Transformation so directly.’

’Just a few exchanges, and I was completely overwhelmed... ’

A glimmer of defiance flashed in Song Wanning’s eyes, a flame dancing in their depths, startlingly bright.

’One day, I’ll stand in a position where everyone has to look up to me. I’ll never again let anyone hold my life in their hands!’

’Not be forced to flee in such a pathetic state!’

After calming the turbulent flow of her qi and blood, she finally lifted her head to survey her surroundings.

The moment she had entered the Demon Sea, she had grabbed Mo Yuan, preparing to muster her remaining strength to carry him away. But then, in a dizzying shift of time and space, they had landed here.

Song Wanning was no stranger to the Demon Sea. After all, any place designed to showcase the female lead’s abilities and charm wouldn’t be complete without her to serve as a foil.

In her previous life, when the Demon Sea had opened, she had been on the run throughout the Demon Realm, so of course she had been there.

But after entering, not only did she fail to obtain any treasures, she had the misfortune of running into Ye Chuxue.

At the time, Ye Chuxue was already a Nascent Soul Cultivator, her cultivation nearly on par with her own. Ye Chuxue had not only snatched the treasure right from under her nose but had also shoved her into a Demon Cave to be incinerated by the Demon Flame.

For three whole months, she endured the Demon Flame searing her flesh day after day, until not a single inch of her skin was left unscathed.

It was there that she was fully corrupted, her last shred of sanity eroded away, transforming her into a Demon ruled only by her emotions.

Only when the Demon Sea finally closed was she teleported out, at last putting an end to those days of inhuman torture.

"PTHOO—"

The memory of that agonizing experience caused Song Wanning to spit out another mouthful of blood.

The Demonic Qi in her body swirled, completely shrouding her.

The torment of the Demon Cave was like a shadow seared into her very Divine Soul; even in this new life, she was still terrified.

She squeezed her eyes shut, forcibly suppressing the malice welling up inside her.

’But there was a simple way to dispel this shadow: make Ye Chuxue have a taste of it herself.’

Song Wanning pushed herself into a sitting position, her icy gaze once again sweeping across the cave.

The cave was over a hundred square meters, appearing spacious and dry. The floor was perfectly level—it was obviously an artificially created cavern.

’I never came here in my past life,’ she mused. ’I suspect this is the main sanctuary of the Demon Sea’s Guardian.’

’Mo Yuan once said that he would become the master of this place the moment he entered the Demon Sea. Maybe it has something to do with this cave. After all, when I entered the Demon Sea in my last life, I wasn’t randomly teleported somewhere else.’

Song Wanning raised a hand to wipe the blood from her lips, her eyes filled with a frosty chill.

’The Demon Lord probably never imagined the Guardian had this kind of advantage. Otherwise, he would have fought to the death to prevent Mo Yuan from entering the Demon Sea.’

’The previous Demon Lord must not have told him this secret.’

’In that case, getting revenge will be much simpler. So what if he’s at the Peak of Divinity Transformation?’

The corners of her lips curved upward as she took out an eighth-grade Elixir Pill and placed it in the unconscious Mo Yuan’s mouth.

She then helped him quickly absorb the elixir, ensuring its medicinal properties spread to every corner of his body.

After one Elixir Pill was absorbed, she placed another in his mouth, showing no signs of reluctance whatsoever.

’These Elixir Pills were all refined from ingredients provided by the Heavenly Inquiry Sect during the beast tide. They didn’t cost me a single coin. Besides, if there was one thing I have in abundance, it’s Elixir Pills. As long as I can achieve my goal, none of this matters.’

Her priority now was to wake Mo Yuan, and then wait for Ye Chuxue and Gu Qingyuan to walk right into her trap.

...

The news that the Demon Sea had opened didn’t stay secret for long. After all, it was difficult to be discreet with such a large-scale movement of Demon Cultivators.

Learning that a Secret Realm had opened, Spirit Cultivators and Demon Cultivators alike went into a frenzy.

Moreover, this Secret Realm had no cultivation restrictions—even a stray dog could wander in for a look. Naturally, no one was going to miss this opportunity.

In less than half a day, tens of thousands of Cultivators had arrived at the Demon Sea and plunged headfirst into its depths.

Ye Chuxue and Gu Qingyuan were among the first to arrive. Gazing at the Demon Sea before them, they felt an inexplicable thrill of excitement.

This was especially true for Ye Chuxue. ’It feels like this Demon Sea opened just for me! Ever since I transmigrated, things have always happened wherever I go. Finding Secret Realms or inheritances has become commonplace.’

But...

"Master, you don’t think Song Wanning is in the Demon Sea too, do you?"

Ye Chuxue subconsciously clenched her fists. The thought of Song Wanning cast a shadow over her heart.

Gu Qingyuan’s brow furrowed at her words. "Logically, Song Wanning should be long gone by now, but it’s not entirely impossible."

Seeing the worried look on his disciple’s face, his heart ached for her.

"Don’t worry, Chuxue. As long as I’m here, even if Song Wanning is present, she won’t be able to cause any trouble."

"Besides, I still haven’t settled the score with her for nearly getting you killed!"

A murderous glint flashed in Gu Qingyuan’s eyes. Ever since their engagement was broken, Song Wanning was no longer the obedient junior sister he once knew.

She had personally exhausted the last bit of affection between them, so he couldn’t be blamed for turning on her so ruthlessly.

"Master... thank you."

Ye Chuxue’s heart swelled with emotion again, and her eyes grew warm.

’Only Master would stand up to Song Wanning for my sake without a second thought. Bai Yang could never compare to that... In fact, when I really think about it, whether it’s cultivation or character, in what way can Bai Yang possibly compare to Master?’

At that moment, a weight lifted from her heart, and she completely let go of Bai Yang.

’I’m the brilliant transmigrated protagonist! Without me, Bai Yang is nothing!’

She followed Gu Qingyuan into the Demon Sea without a backward glance. With her master by her side, she no longer feared what lay ahead, even if it were a mountain of blades or a sea of fire.

Meanwhile, Lu Nanfeng, who had come looking for her, finally arrived. As he asked around for information, he was shocked to learn that not only was Ye Chuxue fine, but she had even advanced to the Golden Core realm.

Lu Nanfeng froze, a wave of inferiority washing over him.

’Junior Sister Ye is a Golden Core Cultivator now... and what am I?’

’Still just a lowly Foundation Establishment Cultivator...’