Facing Ji Ning's questioning, Ye Ling remained unfazed. He bowed slightly to Ji Ning and replied respectfully, "Reporting to Senior, Jian San Liu appears to have died in the Heavenly Nether Ancient Realm... Junior has already dispatched Dao Sect disciples to investigate the ancient realm, but we have yet to find Jian San Liu's body."
Ji Ning said coldly, "Jian San Liu is the sect leader, and he recently came out of seclusion. How could he suddenly go to the Heavenly Nether Ancient Realm? Did you tamper with something in secret?"
"I am wrongly accused, Senior... Junior has been diligently attending to Senior these past few days, never leaving your side. I have no idea how Jian San Liu died, let alone when or why he went to the Heavenly Nether Ancient Realm!"
Ye Ling feigned a wronged expression as he explained to Ji Ning.
Ji Ning cast another cold glance at Ye Ling, then turned to the white-bearded elder in front of the bamboo house and asked, "Li Ye, you are the Grand Elder of the Dao Sect, and all matters of the Dao Sect are managed by you. Have you discovered anything regarding the sect leader's demise?"
Li Ye respectfully bowed to Ji Ning and replied, "Reporting to the Supreme Elder, I have found that the Sect Leader left the Dao Sect three months ago and went to the Heavenly Nether Ancient Realm in the north."
"Someone saw the Sect Leader enter the third level of the ancient realm, and then the Sect Leader never emerged again."
"The third level of the ancient realm?"
Ji Ning's brow furrowed slightly. He then instantly appeared before the Heavenly Nether Ancient Realm and, under everyone's watchful eyes, directly tore open the entrance to the ancient realm and stepped into the third level.
However, after the battle between Jian San Liu and the Myriad Venomous Beast, nothing remained on the third level of the Heavenly Nether Ancient Realm. The entire third level was empty.
Furthermore, because Zhou Wen had tampered with things in secret, only the residual combat aura of Jian San Liu and the Myriad Venomous Beast remained on the third level. Ji Ning could not sense Ye Ling's aura.
"Did he die at the hands of the Myriad Venomous Beast?"
Sensing the residual auras of Jian San Liu and the Myriad Venomous Beast on the third level, a shadow flashed in Ji Ning's eyes. She then instantly appeared on the ninth level and confronted the bronze coffin, demanding, "Zhou Wen, how did Jian San Liu die?"
"It's Ji Ning! You haven't visited me in ages... And you make such a huge commotion the moment you arrive. What are you trying to do?"
"If you don't want me to smash this broken coffin of yours, you'd better tell me immediately!"
Ji Ning condensed an ice spear in her hand, and the scorching lava beneath the bronze coffin instantly froze!
"Alright, alright! Don't get angry, I'll tell you, won't I?"
Seeing Ji Ning about to act, Zhou Wen quickly said, "Jian San Liu was looking for the Myriad Nether Grass, so he went to the third level of the ancient realm. As a result, he provoked the Myriad Venomous Beast and was eventually swallowed by it."
"Where is the Myriad Venomous Beast?" Ji Ning continued to ask.
"It ran out," Zhou Wen replied.
"Ran out?" A shadow flashed in Ji Ning's eyes. "The Myriad Venomous Beast stayed in your broken tomb for hundreds of millions of years. How could it run out at this time?"
Zhou Wen chuckled, "How would I know?"
*Hiss!*
As Zhou Wen finished speaking, an ice spear directly pierced the bronze coffin, freezing the entire coffin.
"Every blade of grass and tree in this Heavenly Nether Ancient Realm is under your surveillance. Why the Myriad Venomous Beast ran out, I believe you know better than anyone!"
"Moreover, Jian San Liu wouldn't have come to your Heavenly Nether Ancient Realm for the Myriad Nether Grass for no reason."
"Someone must have led him here, and that person also killed him."
"Speak, who was that person?"
Zhou Wen shivered from the ice freezing him, trembling, "Ji, Ji Sister! Let's talk properly. Everything I said just now is true! Jian San Liu was swallowed by the Myriad Venomous Beast, and I don't know why it wanted to go out."
A sharp glint flashed in Ji Ning's eyes, "Even if everything you said is true, you have concealed relevant information. I want to know what you haven't told me."
"For example, how the Myriad Venomous Beast escaped, not why it wanted to escape."
"You wretched woman, you really have no end to..."
*Bang!!!*
Ji Ning kicked the bronze coffin with her foot, directly kicking it into the lava.
"Zhou Wen, I'm giving you one last chance. If I still don't get the information I want, I'll assume you did all this."
Ji Ning slightly raised her hand, and a giant ice spear materialized in the air.
The sea of lava on the ninth level instantly turned into an icy world, and Zhou Wen's bronze coffin was embedded in the ice.
"Alright, alright! I'll tell you everything! It was Wang Li Ren! Don't get agitated!" Seeing Ji Ning about to get angry, Zhou Wen did not hesitate to betray Ye Ling.
"It was Wang Li Ren who ambushed and killed Jian San Liu! He also took the Myriad Nether Grass to cure the Heavenly Gu poison!"
"Wang Li Ren!" Upon hearing Zhou Wen's words, a shadow appeared in Ji Ning's eyes, and killing intent erupted.
"As expected, this fellow surnamed Wang had ill intentions from the very beginning!"
Ji Ning snorted coldly, and her aura exploded. The Heavenly Nether Ancient Realm, and all the cultivators exploring within it, were instantly annihilated!
...
Dao Sect.
When Ji Ning returned to Tian Ji Peak, she found all the elders lying on the ground, on the verge of death, and Ye Ling had already disappeared.
Li Ye weakly said to Ji Ning, "Supreme, Supreme Elder, it was Wang Li Ren... He suddenly attacked us!"
"Wang! Li! Ren!"
Seeing the elders on the verge of death, Ji Ning's killing intent intensified.
She slowly landed on the ground and walked into her bamboo house. On the table, she saw a piece of paper.
Ji Ning picked up the paper and read:
"Senior, I have taken Qing Zhu and the still-not-fully-recovered Jian Shi San. If you don't want to die, you'd best bring your Primordial Spirit Fire to the northern border of Daozhou. I'll be waiting for you there!"
*Crack! Crack!!!*
After Ji Ning finished reading the message on the paper, the paper instantly shattered into ice shards!
"Wang Li Ren! I will kill you!!!"
...
Daozhou Northern Border, heavy snow was falling.
Ye Ling stood on a snowy mountain, with Qing Zhu frozen in ice behind him, and Jian Shi San, who had not fully recovered, also lying there.
The Myriad Venomous Beast said, "Kid, we can escape Daozhou from here and head to Beastzhou. Why do we have to wait for Ji Ning to come?"
"I have a friend in her hands. I won't abandon him," Ye Ling replied.
"With your cultivation, trying to save your friend from Ji Ning is a suicidal act!" The Myriad Venomous Beast snorted coldly. "Kid, I won't help you fight, nor will I allow you to take Mao Mao to her death!"
"I understand," Ye Ling replied calmly, taking out the small Mao Mao from his embrace. "Myriad Venomous Beast, you take Mao Mao and leave. I'll handle this here."
"You said it yourself." The Myriad Venomous Beast agreed without hesitation and flew out from Ye Ling's forehead. "Mao Mao, let's go!"
Xiao Mao Mao shook her head, "No, I want to be with Ye Ling!"
The Myriad Venomous Beast roared, "Don't you understand? That kid is already dead!"
"Then you can help Ye Ling!" Xiao Mao Mao said innocently to the Myriad Venomous Beast.
The Myriad Venomous Beast replied, "Ji Ning knows my toxicity. She won't be easily poisoned. Even if I help, it will just be sending another person to their death."
"But..."
"Alright, Mao Mao... You go with the Myriad Venomous Beast to Beastzhou. You are not needed here."
Ye Ling interrupted Xiao Mao Mao's words, pushed her to the Myriad Venomous Beast's side, and then used the Myriad World Insight to open the border barrier of Daozhou, saying to the Myriad Venomous Beast, "You take Xiao Mao Mao and go."
The Myriad Venomous Beast took Xiao Mao Mao, looked deeply at Ye Ling, and said, "Kid, I misjudged you... I thought you would use Xiao Mao Mao to coerce me into helping you fight."
Ye Ling chuckled, "I'm not that shameless."
"Hmph! You've done one decent thing, but don't think I'll stay to die with you!"
The Myriad Venomous Beast snorted coldly, used a bit of spiritual energy to put the still struggling Xiao Mao Mao to sleep, and then unhesitatingly passed through the Myriad World Insight barrier.
Ye Ling watched the Myriad Venomous Beast and Xiao Mao Mao's receding figures, shook his head, smiled, withdrew the Myriad World Insight, and repaired the barrier.
After doing all this, Ye Ling looked at Qing Zhu and Jian Shi San lying on the snowy mountain, his eyes becoming deep, and he sighed slightly.
"World-Destroying Spirit Fire... It seems I'll have to plant my remaining half-seed of origin in you."