"Chief, aren't you afraid that if she grows too strong, she'll slip out of our control?" Song Yanyu's eyes widened in disbelief, though a deep jealousy flickered within them.
She felt the chief had been bewitched by her beauty, but how could someone as unhinged as the chief care about mere appearances?
"If she's too weak, how could she possibly be my opponent?"
After waiting so long for someone who might be like me, how could I let her die so soon?
Clearly, the chief had investigated her. The former waste suddenly becoming this powerful, with a personality so different from before—there was a seventy percent chance she was a fellow transmigrator. How could he not have some fun with her?
He was a madman, one who never needed reasons for anything. His only obsession in this life was finding another transmigrator like himself. Otherwise, wouldn't it be too lonely to be the only one in this world?
But Ye Lanshan knew none of this. Right now, she was in a village a bit farther from the mountain's base, directing everyone as they built houses.
This would be their shelter for the next few days, so it had to be built well.
Though anxious inside, she showed nothing on her face. Everything had to proceed slowly. She was far too weak now to confront those lunatics head-on and rescue Huo Feiyan and Xia Ri.
For now, she could only wait for the Holy Land's people to come cause trouble, then rescue them in the chaos.
Was it really this hard to cultivate both immortal and mystic paths simultaneously?
Ye Lanshan sighed inwardly and headed alone to the Sunset Mountain Range. Only through life-and-death trials could she unleash immense potential and advance quickly.
Both the Xuan Yu Forest and the Primordial Demon Forest were too far from here. Though the Sunset Mountain Range had few spirit beasts, there were still some.
"Roar~ Roar~" Several beastly cries rang out in succession.
"Fifth-tier Grasswood Boars. Alright, I'll practice on you first." Flames rose in Ye Lanshan's hand.
After two days of training, her control over the Red Lotus Karmic Fire had reached a new level.
"Still too weak. The legendary Red Lotus Karmic Fire can burn heaven and earth. You need more practice. If you have time, find the other spiritual flames too," Huntian said seriously, as if recalling something.
"Of course. I won't give up any chance to grow stronger." Ye Lanshan smirked playfully. She felt she had grown too complacent in her past life, even losing that fiery passion.
But thankfully, the fire had reignited. No matter what came before, now that she was back in the fray, she would carve her name deep into this continent.
Her once-weary heart had come alive again, and a youthful vitality appeared on her calm face—the freshness of re-entering the world.
Just as she had once thought: if she couldn't cultivate in peace, she would turn this world upside down.
If she did something, she would be the strongest; if she did something, she would do it perfectly. She was a serious person—once she decided on something, she would execute it flawlessly.
"Lanshan, I've found the Holy Land's people. They're about to search the entire Sunset Mountain Range. Come back quickly."
Mu Xinlian's faint voice echoed in her mind. Ye Lanshan didn't delay and flew back at top speed.
"Chief, you're back." Ling Chunian quickly brought her a chair.
"Mm. Since I've taken you in, you'll follow my rules. Once this matter is settled, I'll train you personally. You're far too weak now." Ye Lanshan frowned at their strength, wondering how they had trained to be so feeble.
"Yes, we'll follow the chief's arrangements. But I have one request." Ling Chunian's voice carried obvious joy, though a hint of embarrassment crept in.
"Speak." Ye Lanshan raised an eyebrow, curious about this request.
Ling Chunian knelt on one knee and said solemnly, "Half of our strength is sealed. We beg the chief to unseal it."
"Beg the chief to unseal it." The Ling clan members knelt in a cascade, all on one knee—a gesture that, though humble, preserved their dignity.
"Seal?" Ye Lanshan reached out and grasped Ling Chunian's spiritual vein, frowning. This seal required at least the Golden Core stage to break.
"Who sealed your cultivation?" Only a Golden Core cultivator could undo it. The person who sealed them was no ordinary being.
"It was our mother, the former acting chief." Ling Chunian smiled bitterly.
"Acting chief? Why would she seal your cultivation? If she hadn't, you might not have ended up in such a miserable state." Ye Lanshan found it strange. Wasn't becoming stronger better? Why seal it? Was the acting chief also a traitor?
"Why? Because she feared our talent would attract unwanted attention. She only wanted us to live peacefully. But she never realized that no matter how we hide, what's meant to happen still will."
Ling Chunian's voice dripped with sarcasm, as if she wasn't talking about her own mother.
"Exactly. Whether you're weak or strong, what's coming will come. Instead of hiding, face it head-on." Ye Lanshan understood this well. Some things couldn't be avoided by running.
"So we beg the chief to help us break the seal." Ling Chunian's voice was firm. She had to get rid of this cursed seal.
Ye Lanshan was now in a bind. It wasn't that she wouldn't help, but her cultivation wasn't strong enough to break it. She'd have to find a way to force a breakthrough.
"Three days. In three days, I'll break the seal for you." Ye Lanshan had decided to push through, not just for them, but to have a better chance at rescuing Huo Feiyan and Xia Ri later.
"Great! We can finally break the seal!" Ling Chunian's face lit up with joy. She would no longer be suppressed by this seal, her efforts rendered futile.
"Miss." Qing Dai called softly. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the flesh on her arms was beginning to rot.
"Qing Dai, what happened to you in there?" Ye Lanshan found it hard to believe. Even she wouldn't buy that Qing Dai hadn't been experimented on.
"I'm fine." Qing Dai hesitated, as if unwilling to speak in front of so many.
"There's no one here now. Just say what you need to." Ye Lanshan gently led Qing Dai to a secluded spot and set up a formation, ensuring only the two of them could hear.
"Watch out for a traitor. There's one among the Ling clan, but I don't know who." Qing Dai told Ye Lanshan what she had overheard inside.