There were no clues, no matter how hard she tried to figure it out.

The hints from the white mist had come to an end.

She didn’t know how many years the sword spirit had spent alone in the Ziwei Realm, and it had forgotten most of the past.

Recognizing Ning Ning’s face was already an achievement, but beyond that, the spirit sword couldn’t remember any further details.

The pressing matter now was to escape this small world as quickly as possible and uncover what was about to happen.

Before leaving the Ziwei Realm, Ning Ning, curious, asked her: “After all these years, have you never wanted to go out and see the outside world?”

“Go out? No way.”

The white mist wavered in the air, like a restless child: “My master protected me here for a reason. What if he can’t find me if I run off?”

But the war between immortals and demons had long since ended.

That person had never appeared again and likely never would.

Ning Ning was about to speak when she heard a chuckle from within the white mist: “I know what you’re going to say. You’ve said the same thing many, many times before.”

“He’s definitely still alive. Even if he doesn’t come looking for me, when my master wields that sword, I’ll be able to reach his side in an instant.”

“Although I’ve forgotten many things, there’s one thing I’ve always remembered—”

At that moment, the white mist suddenly dispersed, and the woman’s voice, filled with unprecedented reverence, echoed throughout the lonely, empty space:

“My master, he is the greatest sword immortal in all of the Nine Provinces, both in heaven and on earth.”

=====

Tianhe Desert.

The demon-luring incense had summoned an endless stream of demons.

Lin Xun and He Zhizhou stood guard beside Wen Hemian, who quietly explained the attributes of the demons and how to repel them.

Sword light flashed across the desert, leaving demon corpses scattered everywhere.

The demons had all been tainted with demonic energy, their minds disturbed by the strange fragrance, gathering layer upon layer.

But fortunately, the demons still had intelligence, unlike the mindless demon beasts that only knew how to kill.

Seeing that the two sword cultivators were quite powerful, many of the demons began to hesitate, circling nearby but not daring to approach.

This should have been a good sign, but Wen Hemian frowned slightly, his gaze scanning the yellow sand surging beneath the dunes.

The whirlpool where Ning Ning and the others had fallen had already disappeared.

They had all assumed that the demon cultivators’ target was Pei Ji, but the vine’s movements had been decisive, clearly having already locked onto its prey.

After snatching Ning Ning, it immediately fled.

But why take her specifically?

Ning Ning was just an ordinary girl; the only demon she had ever encountered was probably Pei Ji.

Wait, Pei Ji.

Wen Hemian’s heart skipped a beat as he recalled that Tian Xianzi had mentioned the deep connection between Ning Ning and Pei Ji.

The latter was reclusive, rarely interacting with others.

If there was anyone he held dear, it had to be Ning Ning.

… Only she could be used as leverage against Pei Ji.

Wen Hemian sensed that things were not going well.

“Those demon cultivators are such cowards! They don’t have the guts to face us head-on, so they’re using low tactics like demon-luring incense !”

He Zhizhou grumbled as he fought, his mouth running non-stop: “What about Ning Ning and the others? The whirlpool’s gone, where do we even begin to look for them?”

Lin Xun, in a panic, called out, “Senior Brother He, watch out behind you!”

Before He Zhizhou could turn to face the attack, they saw a familiar figure suddenly leap forward, landing a punch that sent the sand demon flying into the distance.

Lin Xun was stunned by the sheer force of the blow, standing there dumbfounded as he stared at the figure.

Wen Hemian, silent, frowned deeply.

“You—”

He Zhizhou widened his eyes as he looked at the newcomer, wiping the blood from his face: “You’ve been following us?!”

The girl standing in front of him held a small, round compass in her hand, her sly cat-like eyes narrowing with a mischievous grin, showing no sign of guilt.