Having been through this before, Song Wanning knew perfectly well that this stone wouldn’t be easy to bind. Still, she didn’t rush to interfere. After all, Liu Lan Yi’s cultivation was far higher than her own.

’Perhaps she has her own methods.’

’If that doesn’t work, I’ll just pull the stone into my Sword Dao True Realm and "persuade" it a little.’

She had learned from the bead that what she had comprehended was the Sword Dao True Realm—a world that belonged entirely to her.

In there, she was the absolute ruler.

So, as long as she could get the stone inside, she had plenty of ways to make it submit.

But this didn’t mean she was invincible. A cultivator whose cultivation was too far above hers couldn’t be drawn into the Sword Dao True Realm and might even be able to shatter it.

While Song Wanning’s thoughts ran wild, Liu Lan Yi was already trying to bind the stone.

She had thought it was an ordinary stone, but during the binding process, she actually felt a force of resistance.

’It really is sentient!’

Her brow furrowed, and she focused her entire being on the binding process.

After a while, still getting nowhere, she turned to Song Wanning and said, "You can sit here for a bit. I’m going to try somewhere else."

She refused to believe she couldn’t handle a single stone!

"Alright, Master Liu. You go ahead. Don’t worry about me."

Song Wanning waved her hand dismissively, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile.

’Master Liu’s personality is so similar to mine. The more something resists being bound by her, the more she’ll want to try.’

Lost in thought, Song Wanning simply lay down right where she was and took a short nap.

...

「A few days later.」

Suddenly, a wave of Spiritual Power erupted from the back mountain, and in the sky not far away, countless tribulation clouds began to gather.

The clear sky was instantly blotted out by dark clouds that pressed down, surging forward with a force that seemed bent on destroying everything.

’Is someone undergoing a tribulation?’

Everyone was stunned.

All the disciples of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect flocked toward the back mountain, eager to witness the grand spectacle of a tribulation.

They were all incredibly excited, as many disciples had never seen a tribulation of this magnitude before.

But the Sect Master and several elders were so frightened their faces turned deathly pale.

"Why the back mountain?"

The Sect Master roared as he rushed toward the back mountain, his heart feeling like it would pound out of his chest.

The Seventh Elder tried to console him from the side. "Maybe it’s not Master Liu undergoing the tribulation. Sect Master, don’t be so anxious!"

"How can I not be anxious? Look at the scale of this Heavenly Tribulation! Does that look like it’s for an ordinary person? In our Sect, besides her, who else is at the Divinity Transformation stage?"

The other two ancestors were out traveling and gaining experience; Liu Lan Yi was the only Divinity Transformation cultivator currently in the Sect.

The other elders fell silent, focusing all their energy on rushing to the back mountain.

They were both shocked and furious, little knowing that Liu Lan Yi herself was also staring in stunned disbelief.

She rushed into the room, only to see Song Wanning looking at her with a gentle smile.

In that instant, she understood. Song Wanning had done this on purpose.

Liu Lan Yi fell silent. She sat down across from Song Wanning, stared into her eyes, and asked, "Why?"

’Why make me bind with the stone? Why force me to undergo the tribulation and ascend?’

’If I had known this stone held such power, I would never have bound with it, no matter what.’

Song Wanning gazed at Liu Lan Yi, her heart filled with reluctance and apology.

In her past life, because of her, Liu Lan Yi had not only failed to ascend but had her soul scattered, a beautiful life tragically cut short.

In this life, she wouldn’t make the same mistake, nor would she let Liu Lan Yi bear such a risk.

"Master Liu, you’ve already given more than enough to the Heavenly Inquiry Sect."

"The Heavenly Inquiry Sect isn’t worthy of your sacrifice."

Master Liu had painstakingly suppressed her cultivation, unwilling to ascend, all to protect the Heavenly Inquiry Sect.

But what about the Heavenly Inquiry Sect?

They had sent Liu Lan Yi to her death on the Yellow Springs Road.

’A wretched Sect like that should have been disbanded long ago.’

Liu Lan Yi never expected her to say such a thing. She froze for a moment, and then an astonishing thought flashed through her mind.

"You—you want to destroy the Heavenly Inquiry Sect?"

’How could this be?’

’Wan Ning grew up in the Sect and had deep feelings for it. Why would she have such a treacherous thought?’

’This would be tantamount to betraying her master and destroying her ancestors!’

"Master Liu, you just need to pass the Heavenly Tribulation and ascend to the Spirit Realm. That will be enough. Please, give my master my regards."

Song Wanning stood up, stepped forward, and hugged Liu Lan Yi just as she always did.

"I miss my master."

Her soft words were tinged with a hint of grievance and longing.

Liu Lan Yi’s heart ached for her. After a long moment, she sighed.

"Fine, fine. I am about to ascend now. What happens here is settled, and from now on, it has nothing to do with me!"

As an ancestor of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect, her duty was to protect it. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

But since she was ascending, whatever happened afterward would no longer be her concern.

She didn’t know why Wan Ning was targeting the Heavenly Inquiry Sect like this.

But she knew Wan Ning. She was a good child who always repaid kindness.

’The Heavenly Inquiry Sect must have wronged her, bullied her.’

For years, ever since Wan Ning began her Alchemy, she had been supplying the Sect with Elixir Pills. She had even given many pills that couldn’t be bought outside to the Sect for free.

In return, what the Sect could give her was minuscule.

If Wan Ning owed anyone, it was only that friend of hers, not the Sect.

"Master Liu, I’ll miss you."

Song Wanning snuggled against her, filled with a boundless sense of attachment.

"I’ll work hard on my cultivation. Once I’ve handled matters in the Lower World, I’ll definitely come up to find you all."

’By then, perhaps my master will blame me for destroying Gu Qingyuan, right?’

’But she will surely understand my choice.’

Song Wanning lowered her gaze, concealing the killing intent in her eyes.

She looked up at Liu Lan Yi with adoration, striking a chord in Liu Lan Yi’s heart once again. Liu Lan Yi couldn’t help but gently stroke her cheek.

"Alright. Your master and I will wait for you in the Upper Realm."

She had just agreed with a smile when the Sect Master’s voice came from the doorway.

She raised an eyebrow and led Song Wanning outside.

"Master Liu, what’s going on with this Heavenly Tribulation?"

She had barely stepped outside when the Sect Master asked impatiently.

Perhaps because he was too anxious, his tone wasn’t very friendly, carrying a strong hint of accusation.

Liu Lan Yi’s face immediately fell. "What, do I need to explain myself to you when I undergo a tribulation?"

The Sect Master was startled and quickly tried to explain, "This disciple didn’t mean that..."

"Hmph!"

Liu Lan Yi wasn’t buying it. She said directly, "You’ve all seen it. My cultivation has reached a point where it can no longer be suppressed. I have no choice but to take this step, undergo the tribulation, and ascend. From now on, the Sect is in your hands!"

"What?"

"You can’t!"

"Ancestor, if you leave, who will watch over our Heavenly Inquiry Sect?!"

"Yes, Master Liu, you have to think about us!"

"All the other Major Sects have a Peak of Divinity Transformation Cultivator watching over them. Master Liu, if you ascend, the status of our Heavenly Inquiry Sect will surely suffer! We ask that you reconsider, Master Liu!"

The elders began to panic along with the Sect Master.

If the Ancestor ascended and the Heavenly Inquiry Sect had no other Divinity Transformation cultivator to take her place, they would likely be knocked from the ranks of the Major Sects.

The consequences would be far too great.

Their frantic, overlapping pleas sent a chill through Liu Lan Yi’s heart.

Suddenly, she understood Song Wanning’s choice.