Chapter 556 - 563: Discovered

She wasn’t worried about herself, but she feared that her Master would be in danger. After all, Gong Ye not only possessed immense fortune but also cultivation at the very peak—both things Liu Lan Yi could not hope to challenge.

"Master, knowing Gong Ye’s nature, he’ll definitely sense it when we remove the bone nails."

"If we run into danger, you must be the first to leave. I have plenty of ways to escape..."

Song Wanning knew her Master’s personality all too well. She would never agree to leave her behind.

Sure enough, Liu Lan Yi froze. "No. Either you go, or we go together. There’s no way I’m abandoning you to save myself!"

’If I actually did that, what kind of person would that make me?’

At this point, Liu Lan Yi still hadn’t accepted the reversal of their roles.

Song Wanning gave a wry smile and said something cruel, yet effective: "If you stay, you’ll only hold me back..."

As soon as she said it, silence fell over the Water Prison.

Song Wanning hadn’t wanted to say it, but she and her Master had never been ones for mincing words or beating around the bush.

Liu Lan Yi was stunned. After a moment of silence, she finally accepted the reality of the situation.

She laughed and playfully chided, "You little rascal, so you’re saying I’ll just drag you down, is that it?"

"I wouldn’t dare! Once you’re out, Master, your cultivation speed will probably be even faster than mine!"

Song Wanning replied with a smile, understanding that her Master had agreed to her request.

It was an unspoken understanding between them.

"Then where should I wait for you? And how can we guarantee your safety?"

Liu Lan Yi’s smile vanished, and the worry in her eyes was impossible to conceal.

"When the time comes, go here... The Fox Demon will go with you. Then..."

Song Wanning told Liu Lan Yi the location she had prepared ahead of time, then pressed a talisman into her hand.

"If there’s danger, activate this talisman the moment I counter-attack. It will transport you to safety."

"All you have to do is wait for me there. I promise I’ll get there as fast as I can!"

Song Wanning had made these preparations long ago; she just never expected the one she was rescuing would be her own Master.

Now, she was incredibly grateful for her foresight.

Liu Lan Yi looked at the talisman, fell silent for another moment, and finally nodded in agreement.

She clutched the talisman tightly, her heart a maelstrom of emotions...

Finally, with all preparations complete, Song Wanning began to figure out how to remove the bone nails.

She had originally planned to use demonic power, but she had very little of it in her body—only enough for a disguise. To use it for anything else was beyond her capabilities.

So, her thoughts quickly turned to Immortal Qi.

Immortal Qi was superior to demonic power; it would surely be effective against the bone nails.

Without hesitation, Song Wanning forced the Immortal Qi from her body. A powerful aura instantly filled the Water Prison, and even the prisoners in the other cells felt it, all turning to look in her direction.

Her expression unchanging, Song Wanning channeled the Immortal Qi, wrapping it around a bone nail. The Immortal Qi then solidified into a powerful pair of pliers and began to pull forcefully.

The very instant the Immortal Qi made contact, Gong Ye, far away with the Snake Clan, sensed it. His expression changed drastically.

’Someone is tampering with the bone nails?!!’

The aura around Gong Ye instantly turned menacing. He narrowed his eyes, and then, as if realizing something, he suddenly chuckled.

’So that woman still hasn’t given up. Trying to break free from the bone nails and escape again?’

’How naive!’

’The bone nails are imbued with my demonic power. To remove them, one’s strength must far surpass my own. Otherwise, it’s impossible.’

’In the entire Spirit Realm, my strength is at the apex. I have nothing to fear from anyone!’

’So no matter how hard they try, it is nothing more than an ant trying to shake a tree!’

At this thought, the chill emanating from Gong Ye subsided slightly, and he resumed his negotiations with the members of the Snake Clan.

He was already secretly planning to eliminate the Snake Clan and was currently devising a way to lure them into a trap.

But the Snake Clan seemed oblivious, instead chattering away enthusiastically, trying to find ways to get the upper hand in the deal.

A cold sneer touched Gong Ye’s lips as he began to scheme once more.

Miles away, Song Wanning saw Gong Ye’s reaction through her avatar and breathed an inward sigh of relief.

She then refocused her full attention on pulling out the bone nail.

At first, the bone nail was incredibly resilient, pinning Liu Lan Yi’s hand firmly to the wall.

But as she continuously infused it with Immortal Qi, the demonic power on the nail began to show signs of weakening, even recoiling slightly.

It was Immortal Qi, after all. Even in a small amount, it quickly caused the demonic power to crumble.

Liu Lan Yi stared at the unmoving bone nail, her heart growing heavy.

’This is a bone nail Gong Ye placed himself. Song Wanning can’t possibly remove it.’

She opened her mouth to speak, but in the next instant, the bone nail actually came loose and fell out.

The nails that had pinned her for nearly ten years finally dislodged at this moment, pulling free from her bones.

In that instant, Song Wanning and Liu Lan Yi met each other’s gaze and broke into joyful smiles.

At that same moment, thousands of miles away, Gong Ye’s expression changed dramatically.

Without a second thought, he flicked his sleeve. A long chain appeared in his hand, and in the next instant, he vanished before everyone’s eyes.

The members of the Snake Clan stared after him, completely dumbfounded.

But in the Water Prison, Song Wanning was startled and immediately rushed forward, stuffing an Elixir Pill into Liu Lan Yi’s mouth.

"Quick! He knows! Go, now!!!"

The words had barely left her mouth when a figure materialized before the three of them inside the Water Prison.

The Fox Demon turned deathly pale with fright and quickly hid behind Song Wanning.

’This is bad, this is so bad,’ she lamented internally.

Liu Lan Yi, however, instinctively moved to shield Song Wanning, her sharp gaze fixed directly on Gong Ye.

It was too late to run now.

Gong Ye looked at the three people before him. The anger in his heart was an erupting volcano, yet his face remained perfectly calm.

"So it was you. I seem to have underestimated you!"

His fists cracked, his eyes brimming with killing intent.

"No wonder. No wonder they suddenly summoned me back. It was all to create an opportunity for you, wasn’t it?"

’But how did the Snake Clan know Liu Lan Yi even existed?’

’Could there be a mole?’

For a moment, Gong Ye’s expression grew even more terrifying.

Seeing his misunderstanding, Song Wanning offered no explanation.

She sent a secret voice transmission to Liu Lan Yi, telling her to activate the talisman during the ensuing chaos and to leave the rest to her.

"Gong Ye, enough with the pointless chatter. You’ve seen the strength of our Snake Clan. Even ten more of you would be no match for us!"

"I suggest you surrender to our Snake Clan obediently. Otherwise, just as you were cast aside once before, we of the Snake Clan will cast you aside again!"

Song Wanning deliberately twisted the knife in Gong Ye’s heart, and with just two sentences, she completely enraged him.

"Excellent—"

Gong Ye laughed, but there was no humor in it.

"A mere Out-of-Body Stage cultivator dares to be so arrogant? I’d like to see for myself just how powerful your Snake Clan has become!"

With that, Gong Ye raised his palm and lunged toward Song Wanning and Liu Lan Yi!