Lu Nanfeng had always been the most unremarkable among the three disciples.
He possessed a wood attribute spiritual root, and perhaps because of that, his temperament had always been gentle. Whenever An Ze caused trouble, he was the one standing off to the side, offering advice and cleaning up the mess afterward. In front of her, he also appeared humble and respectful.
But sometimes, people like this hurt others the most.
Even at moments of life and death, he would still stand there lecturing about morality and righteousness. His eyes might be red, his expression reluctant, yet he would only talk and never actually reach out to help.
Song Wanníng even felt he was more repulsive than An Ze.
Lu Nanfeng had long been in love with Ye Chuxue.
She had noticed it early on.
What she had not expected was that after everything circled back around, Ye Chuxue still managed to detox successfully. A faint chill rose in her heart. Maybe this was not just Lu Nanfeng's so called devotion, but the Heavenly Dao meddling behind the scenes.
Even now, the Heavenly Dao was still correcting the plot.
That made her uneasy.
The Song family had prepared early for this beast tide battle, but if the Heavenly Dao chose to favor someone, then the outcome might become unpredictable.
Song Wanníng took out a sound transmission talisman and sent another message to Song Qingyun, warning them to be careful, and then even more careful.
Once both sides converged, she would naturally find a way to protect the Song family.
…
At the border, the beast tide battle was brutal.
As cultivators from various sects arrived one after another, the pressure eased slightly, but the situation was still far from optimistic.
This beast tide was larger than any before, and it had even mobilized fifth rank beasts.
Beast ranks ranged from one to six, corresponding to human cultivation stages of Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Divine Transformation.
A fifth rank beast possessed combat strength equivalent to a human Nascent Soul cultivator and could even partially transform.
Once beasts reached the fifth rank, they could transform their lower bodies. At the sixth rank, they could fully transform. When crossing a heavenly tribulation, their appearance could be completely reshaped, which was essentially a chance to rebuild themselves into a humanoid form.
However, spirits, beasts, and demon cultivators found tribulation crossing extremely difficult, and many died beneath heavenly thunder.
Humans had it slightly easier, but far fewer could cultivate, and their lifespans were much shorter.
Because of this, the Cultivation Realm maintained a fragile balance.
The Wentian Sect group arrived at the border.
The border line that triggered this beast tide stretched over hundreds of kilometers, and every day countless beasts launched attacks, trying to break through.
The stationed army's leader immediately came forward to greet them.
"Greetings, Zhēnjūn!"
"How's the situation?" the sect master asked, frowning.
"The beast tide is extremely aggressive this time, and the leading beast has already reached the fifth rank," the leader said as he walked, explaining the situation. "The numbers are staggering, and their condition is strange. They seem unusually excited and desperate to cross the border and reach the other side."
"We've investigated repeatedly but still haven't found the cause."
He led several Nascent Soul cultivators into the command tent and pointed at the sand table. "Our current position is in the southern middle section. Upstream is controlled by the Yuan family, and downstream belongs to the Song family."
"Here," he said, pointing again. "This is where the beast tide is densest. This is Wan Jian Sect's stationed area."
The positions had already been divided. Wentian Sect was only a mid tier sect, so their location was relatively safer. The most dangerous areas were all occupied by the six major sects and four great factions.
"The beasts already launched an attack last night, and they'll likely attack again around noon today."
The leader sighed heavily. "We lost over fifty Daoyou last night."
Some were stationed soldiers, while others were loose cultivators who had arrived on their own.
Loose cultivators were those without sects or families to rely on, cultivating entirely through personal effort.
Beast flesh and hides were valuable. Consuming them increased spiritual power, and selling them earned spirit stones. If someone was lucky enough to obtain a beast's inner core, they would strike it rich.
So even knowing the danger, many loose cultivators still rushed to the border, hoping to gain resources.
The sect master fell silent for a moment, then stepped forward and patted the leader's shoulder. "My condolences."
After the brief comfort, everyone immediately began arranging suppression measures.
Song Wanníng did not participate and walked straight out of the tent.
The camp was filled with injured cultivators, and missing limbs were a common sight. Everyone looked grim, and the atmosphere was oppressive.
She gazed toward the distant mountains and faintly sensed several powerful auras hidden within them.
"Master."
Lu Nanfeng's voice came from behind.
She turned around and saw Bai Yang and Lu Nanfeng standing there.
"What is it?" she asked coldly, her gaze briefly pausing on Bai Yang.
Her purpose in coming with Wentian Sect this time was Bai Yang's contracted divine beast. Otherwise, she would have already returned to the Song family's ranks.
She knew she could not give the male and female leads any chance to develop. Once it started, it would be like a flood breaking through a dam and impossible to stop.
So this divine beast was something she had to obtain.
"Master, the sect master asked us to check with you. The camp needs pill supplies. Could you help refine pills for everyone?"
Lu Nanfeng looked at her nervously. He already had lingering fear from her slaps and was afraid she might strike again.
The sect master really was something else. Since his relationship with her was strained, he sent the two of them to persuade her. But was she really someone who listened to persuasion?
Lu Nanfeng sighed inwardly, feeling conflicted.
Yet Song Wanníng nodded without hesitation. "Sure."
She had never planned to rush to the front lines and risk her life for Wentian Sect anyway. Refining pills was a good alternative.
"Huh?"
Lu Nanfeng froze, then felt a surge of relief. Her agreement was unexpectedly smooth.
"That's great. I'll go tell the sect master you agreed."
"No need. This Běnjūn will go personally," she said, waving her hand as she walked toward the tent.
Bai Yang's expression shifted slightly as he followed.
There was confusion in his eyes. He was genuinely surprised she was being so easygoing.
Ever since she broke off her engagement with Martial Uncle Gu, she had not refined pills again, nor had she supplied the sect.
And now she actually agreed.
Filled with doubt, the two followed her inside.
"Junior Sister Song, this beast tide is massive, and disciple casualties are severe. Pill supplies are especially important this time."
"I'm afraid we'll have to trouble you," the sect master said with a forced smile, lacking his former confidence.
If too many disciples were lost during this expedition, his position would become even more unstable.
"Of course, all alchemy materials will be provided by the sect. In addition, you'll receive an extra ten percent of the inner cores obtained each day. What do you think?"
"Alright," Song Wanníng said, nodding. "The beast tide is fraught with danger. This Běnjūn should contribute to the sect. Even if the sect master hadn't mentioned it, This Běnjūn would still refine pills."
She nodded with an air of righteousness, making it seem as if the sect master had been overly cautious.
He laughed awkwardly, cursing inwardly. "That's wonderful."
Ye Chuxue, standing nearby, lit up at the words.
Refining pills inside the tent while gaining inner cores was a guaranteed profit deal.