The Best Mother

The Twin Wraiths froze.

Lead the way?

How did it become leading the way?

Weren't they just supposed to point the way?

Song Yao walked a few steps, and seeing that no one was following, she looked back and tilted her head. “What's wrong? Unwilling?”

“Mother raised you to this size, yet you won't even lead the way?”

“Why is Mother's life so bitter, to end up with two ungrateful brats like you...”

The Twin Wraiths couldn't even cry now.

Is this cultivator sick? She must be sick.

When did she ever raise them?

She was definitely a demonic cultivator!!!

However, her Bishui Sword was glowing with a faint light. The Twin Wraiths dared not voice their anger. Aggrieved and resentful, they could only scramble up and walk ahead to lead the way.

But their four eyes rolled about, scheming.

The deeper they went, the more the ancient trees became twisted with gnarled roots, their dense branches spreading upward until they wove an airtight net across the sky.

The daylight was cut into fragmented shards, growing increasingly dark and heavy.

Even the wind in the forest carried the stench of rotting leaves and damp soil, sending a chill deep into one's bones.

The disadvantage of having a weak body showed itself at times like this.

She was highly sensitive to the cold.

In her past life, under the harsh environment of the Earth Realm, she could have fought someone for three hundred rounds.

But missing soul fragments was indeed a bit troublesome.

Song Yao let out a soft sigh, stopped her steps, and pulled a thin cloak from her spatial pouch to put on.

When she looked up, however, she sensed something was wrong.

The rotting leaves under her feet suddenly rustled. The vines coiled around the tree trunks seemed to come alive, shooting toward her from all directions with dark, sharp thorns.

She dodged, and the thick, tough vines instantly intertwined. In the blink of an eye, they built a cage around her, trapping her inside.

The Twin Wraiths stopped in their tracks, their tearful expressions instantly vanishing.

They slowly turned around, their two mouths splitting open once more like mischievous children, their pitch-black eyes brimming with undisguised malice.

“Hehehe.”

Two high-pitched, childlike voices intertwined, echoing eerily through the forest. “Mother, this is a man-eating tree. It will find a way to eat you soon, so just die peacefully here. Once you are dead, we will find a better one...”

The voices cut off abruptly the moment Song Yao touched the vine cage.

The vines swelled and thickened at a visible rate, like provoked venomous snakes. They suddenly withdrew the cage, reversed direction, and lunged toward the Twin Wraiths.

The sinister grins on the Twin Wraiths' faces froze instantly, replaced by sudden, overwhelming terror in their pitch-black eyes.

Before they could even scream, they were tightly bound by the vines and hung upside down in mid-air.

The thorny vines dug deep into their withered flesh. Their blood mixed with shrill screams, making one's scalp tingle.

By the time they recovered, the young cultivator who was supposed to be trapped had walked over to them, her eyes level with theirs.

Her beautiful, elegant face was inches away in the dim light. Her long eyelashes drooped, and her breath carried a faint fragrance as she spoke in a slightly disappointed tone, “And here I thought I was the best mother to you.”

“You really are naughty.”

The Twin Wraiths were dazed for a moment, then struggled violently to beg for mercy. “Mother, Mother, we were wrong.”

“Mother, we... we were just joking with you.”

Song Yao smiled.

These Twin Wraiths were indeed smarter and slipperier than she had thought. Who knew how many people they had eaten?

Before she could think about what to do next, a fierce argument suddenly erupted not far away, interspersed with the sharp clashing of swords.

Someone was fighting.

Song Yao looked up, sending her divine sense toward the sound. Passing through layers of tree shadows, she got a general idea of the situation.

—Chen He was surrounded by five disciples wearing Beiyao Sect uniforms. His sword moves were completely suppressed, a bloodstain already marked his shoulder, and he was struggling awkwardly.

Since they were here, she couldn't just ignore her own sect's junior brother.

It was just that it was inconvenient for her to act personally.

Song Yao withdrew her divine sense and turned to look at the Twin Wraiths hanging upside down. “I'm not an unreasonable person. Be good and do Mother a small favor, and Mother won't treat you badly.”

Their skin raw and red from the vines, the Twin Wraiths immediately nodded and cried, their fused heads shaking like rattle-drums.

Two weak, childlike voices chimed together in a hurry: “Mother, we'll be good! We'll listen to Mother!”

The vines loosened, and the Twin Wraiths fell with a thud.

After giving them instructions, Song Yao walked a few steps, then turned back with a half-smile. “You won't run away again, will you?”

The Twin Wraiths frantically wanted to shake their heads, but unable to do so with fused heads, they said in a panic, “No, Mother, don't worry.”

This cultivator could even control man-eating trees, let alone other plants in this secret realm.

Run?

Could they even run?

The Twin Wraiths looked at Song Yao's departing back with tears in their eyes.

If they had known that targeting her would turn out like this, they would rather have starved for another five years.

...

By the time Song Yao reached the scene of the conflict, Chen He had already been knocked to the ground. His robes were stained with blood, and his breathing was ragged, yet his palm still tightly clutched a glowing white Spirit-Accumulating Stone, his knuckles pale from the force.

The Beiyao Sect disciples stood in a semi-circle around him.

The leader seemed to be the third disciple of Beiyao Sect, Lu Mingxuan.

He toyed with his sword, a gentle and elegant smile on his face, speaking politely, “Junior Brother Chen, opportunities in the secret realm are determined by heaven. This Spirit-Accumulating Stone's spiritual energy is pure, which happens to align with our Beiyao Sect's cultivation method. You are alone; it might be hard for you to protect it. Why not hand it to us for safekeeping? That way, we won't waste this treasure's opportunity.”

Chen He gritted his teeth, his gaze icy as he glared at them. “I found this Spirit-Accumulating Stone first! In the secret realm, everyone relies on their own ability. How is it fair for you to use your numbers to rob me?”

“Junior Brother Chen, that's not right.”

Lu Mingxuan's smile remained, his tone still peaceful, yet every word carried an underlying pressure. “You've participated in so many tournaments. Don't you know the rules of the secret realm?”

He stepped forward leisurely, his posture relaxed. “In the secret realm, the capable deserve it. If you can't protect this spiritual stone, it means you aren't blessed to enjoy it. Why ruin our harmony over a small opportunity?”

“Furthermore, you are alone here. We are merely sparring with you according to the rules. If you are sensible, you can save yourself some physical pain.”

As he spoke, he gestured with his chin to the people behind him.

Several Beiyao Sect disciples raised their swords to step forward.

Just as the cold light flashed, a light, clear voice leisurely drifted out from the shadows of the trees, interrupting, “Wait, wait.”

Everyone paused and turned to look.

A slender girl holding a sword, wrapped in a large cloak, walked right through the Beiyao Sect disciples' encirclement as if no one was there.

She walked to Chen He's side and held out her hand to him. “Give me the Spirit-Accumulating Stone.”

Chen He, dazed, handed over the glowing white spiritual stone.

Song Yao took it, stuffed it into her spatial pouch, and then looked up at the Beiyao Sect crowd, a lazy smile playing on her lips. “Alright, now you can make your move.”