It was not luck, nor was it outside help. It was her understanding of the Wolf Clan—an understanding inherited from Yuehua's memories, carved into her bones, as instinctive as breathing.
The Wolf King descended from the platform.
It moved slowly, each step heavy, its claws producing dull thuds against the bluestone slab. It stopped before Su Wanwan, lowered its head, and met her gaze with its golden eyes.
At such close range, Su Wanwan finally saw its eyes clearly. There was none of the coldness or majesty she had expected in those golden pupils. Instead, there was an exhaustion so deep it resembled an old well that had been dry for ages, with only a tiny bit of water left at the bottom—but that water was too deep, so deep that not even light could reach it.
"Yuehua," the Wolf King said. "She accounted for everything."
Su Wanwan did not understand what it meant.
The Wolf King straightened and turned toward Chu Yang, Sun Wukong, and Tang Monk at the passage entrance. Its gaze swept over the three of them before finally settling on Chu Yang.
"That restriction," said the Wolf King. "There is no need to place it."
Chu Yang's brows twitched slightly.
"It is not because I changed my mind," said the Wolf King. "It is because she is here."
Its tail flicked gently toward Su Wanwan.
"As long as she lives, as long as she continues cultivating, the Wolf Clan will not be able to rise again even after another five hundred years."
Those words hung in the air, heavier than any restriction.
Qingya stood nearby. Having heard those words, it did not argue or even react. It had been the one to fight Su Wanwan just moments ago. More than anyone else, it knew whether the