Chapter 375: Refining the Snow Lotus
"If this really causes a stir later on, Senior Brothers and Sister, just say it was me..."
Given Song Wanning’s personality, she must have acquired an incredibly valuable treasure; otherwise, she wouldn’t have waited until her return to go into seclusion.
"Alright, Junior Sister, don’t worry!"
The three of them nodded and solemnly agreed.
’But it’s just cultivation,’ they thought. ’How much of a commotion could it possibly cause?’
...
Countless streams of blood-colored water submerged Song Wanning’s entire Dantian. Suddenly, the bloody water surged directly toward her meridians.
"SPURT—"
The moment it impacted her meridians, she spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood. A pain like having her tendons pulled and skin flayed wracked her entire body.
"AHH—"
Song Wanning cried out in a low, pained voice. Unable to maintain her meditative posture, she slumped to the side.
But the bloody water didn’t stop, continuing to pour into her acupoints.
Soon, the bloody water began to seep out from her skin... flowing rapidly in all directions...
In just a few moments, the ground around her was soaked. Song Wanning lay in a pool of blood, submerged from head to toe.
Anyone who walked in would surely be stunned by the sight.
In her Sea of Consciousness, the Dragon Spirit and the Divine Nether Profound Fire were terrified. But they knew that as long as their master could endure this, she would grasp a new opportunity...
So, not daring to disturb her, they could only fly out of her Sea of Consciousness and quietly stand guard nearby.
Time ticked by, second by second. Song Wanning gritted her teeth against the excruciating pain, allowing the bloody water to continuously wash over her body.
She had discovered that the bloody water seemed to be changing her constitution...
’Such a powerful opportunity is right in front of me. I can’t let anything go wrong!’
So she carefully kept her body rigid, refusing to give up even as veins bulged all over her skin...
...
「Two days passed in a flash.」 Song Wanning’s figure was still nowhere to be seen at the battle stage.
"Is Senior Sister Song not planning to issue any more challenges?"
"What a shame! I love watching Senior Sister Song fight with her sword. She’s just so incredible!"
"Maybe it’s because the Spirit Rhinoceros Secret Realm is about to open. Senior Sister Song is probably conserving her strength. After all, the more you reveal, the more dangerous the Secret Realm becomes!"
"Oh, so that’s why..."
The disciples, seeming to understand the reason, dispersed while chatting among themselves.
Since Song Wanning wasn’t coming, they wouldn’t be coming back either.
Jiang Cen trailed behind the crowd, her expression extremely ugly.
Hearing them go on and on about "Senior Sister Song" and praise how powerful Song Wanning was, she felt a surge of displeasure.
’Song Wanning is just one of the Ascenders. What right does she have to surpass everyone else?’
’My status is so noble, yet these people secretly curse me behind my back...’
’And those prodigies look down on me even more!’
Jiang Cen pursed her lips, a flicker of soaring ambition in her eyes.
’After this trip to the Secret Realm, all of these people will become my stepping stones. Everyone will be forced to see me in a new light!’
’They looked down on me yesterday, but tomorrow, I’ll be completely out of their league!!!!’
Jiang Cen walked away, filled with fighting spirit. But she had only gotten halfway when the sky suddenly changed color, heralding an impending storm...
She looked up in surprise. Through the Sect Protection Array, she gazed into the depths of the clouds. The once-bright sky was instantly shrouded, and a fierce wind began to howl...
Following the direction the clouds were moving, she saw that their destination was Chasing Cloud Peak.
"Chasing Cloud Peak?"
Jiang Cen’s brows furrowed deeply, and she immediately flew toward Chasing Cloud Peak.
At the same time, many Cultivators within the Sect noticed the strange phenomenon. Their expressions changed drastically as they rushed toward Chasing Cloud Peak.
On Chasing Cloud Peak, the one responsible for it all, Song Wanning, was still unaware of the phenomenon she had caused outside. She was still struggling to persevere.
Meanwhile, the few people in the courtyard were frantic.
"Damn it, a phenomenon this obvious... everyone else must have seen it!"
"Junior Sister, stay in the courtyard and don’t come out. We’ll run interference!"
The three of them had thought nothing would go wrong, never expecting the phenomenon to be so intense.
’This martial niece of ours sure gave us a huge surprise right off the bat.’
"Alright. I’ll leave it to you, Senior Brothers!"
Leng Qingzhu nodded. ’I’m an Out-of-Body Stage Cultivator. Anyone who wants to try and snatch this opportunity will have to think twice.’
’But Wan Ning...’
She glanced back, a worried look on her face, yet her heart swelled with pride.
"Second Senior Brother, this niece of ours is no ordinary person."
Feng Xue watched the torrential rain beat against the Sect Protection Array, his brow twitching.
’Look at those dark, oppressive clouds... this spectacle is like someone undergoing a tribulation...’
"Mm, would anyone who can enter our Chasing Cloud Peak be some run-of-the-mill character? Hahaha..."
Qin Ming laughed heartily. The more outstanding the people of Chasing Cloud Peak were, the happier they became!
But soon, they could no longer laugh.
In just a few moments, people had surrounded them from all directions.
Most of them were Out-of-Body Stage Cultivators, and they had even alerted the Sect Master...
The three exchanged a look. Before they could speak, several Divine Separation Stage elders also arrived.
"Qin Ming, what is happening here?"
The Sect Master strode forward. He glanced at the others beside Qin Ming, a dark light flashing in the depths of his eyes.
"Could it be that Uncle Song is advancing?"
Song Que was currently in seclusion, so it was highly likely that he was the cause of such a huge commotion.
The other Cultivators’ eyes flickered upon hearing this. If Song Que advanced, his Cultivation would be the highest among the Supreme Elders...
Seeing the delicate atmosphere, Qin Ming quickly replied, "My Master has not yet come out of seclusion. This commotion was caused by my junior sister. Perhaps she had a breakthrough in her cultivation..."
Jiang Cen, who had just arrived, overheard this and felt a wave of relief.
’So it’s Leng Qingzhu. Thank goodness it’s not Song Wanning.’
She was no longer in a hurry and stood casually to the side.
"Oh? So it is Junior Sister Leng?"
The Sect Master’s eyes flickered. Leng Qingzhu had just returned from the Secret Realm and was already causing such a stir. It seemed she had gained something from her trip.
He smiled. "I see."
The rain was now falling even harder, as if trying to punch massive holes in the sky.
The crowd gathered on Chasing Cloud Peak showed no intention of leaving. Everyone wanted to witness the phenomenon for themselves.
After all, a celestial phenomenon was not something an ordinary person could trigger.
...
「Time flew, and three days passed while Song Wanning refined her body.」
By now, the pain had long since vanished, replaced by a feeling of profound ease that emanated from her very soul.
It was a sensation that made one feel as if they could ascend to the heavens...
She abruptly snapped back to her senses, quickly pulling herself out of the feeling, only to realize with a start that she had undergone a massive transformation.
Her body was filled with a sea of red, flowing in an orderly fashion. Her meridians had been widened, and even her bones had changed color.
Her once-white bones had now become a crystalline, translucent red, glowing with a faint luster.
The aura they emitted was even more astonishing.
Looking at her Dantian, she saw the red substance was continuously compressing, squeezing in toward the Tai Chi Diagram at its core.
The originally black-and-white Tai Chi Diagram first turned a chaotic gray before being quickly stained by the blood-red color.
Her brow tightened as she began to try and control it.
Relying on her powerful will, she soon forced a change in the Tai Chi Diagram...
Black, white, gray, and red... The four colors were evenly distributed, forming a complete circle.
And at that very moment, the celestial phenomenon changed abruptly!