Chapter 95

The Divine Lord's training methods were brutal: he'd hurl people into perilous situations, forcing them to fight for their lives. Only when they were on the brink of death would he drag them back for healing, only to send them straight back into danger once recovered. Medicine King Valley had long been absorbed into the territory of Indestructible Peak, where the world's rarest elixirs and most skilled physicians gathered, boasting unparalleled healing arts.

Bai Zihao endured through sheer willpower, repeatedly grappling with death, only to rise from countless failures and forge his own path of cultivation. Later, at the Divine Lord's behest, he established the Wind and Snow Tower, securing firm control over the northern region. He leveraged bounty missions to gather intelligence, eliminating numerous restless underground factions, along with many despicable rats and traitors, all in service to Indestructible Peak.

During that long, dark era, Bai Zihao was the Divine Lord's most ruthless assassin—executing every order without fail, his name striking fear into all who risked appearing on his death list.

Kong Muhua was consumed by bitter resentment.

After the Divine Lord's "education," Bai Zihao's mind was solely fixed on cultivation and missions. Kong Muhua felt like a forsaken concubine, banished to a cold palace, resorting to every seductive trick just to earn a fleeting moment of favor—a truly pathetic state.

When Bai Zihao first discovered Kong Muhua's true identity as an Ancient Great Demon serving under the Divine Lord at Indestructible Peak, Kong Muhua swiftly deflected all blame onto the Divine Lord, weeping profusely and apologizing for a long time. Though Bai Zihao initially felt awkward and uncomfortable, he soon let go of his reservations and reconciled.

Bai Zihao pushed himself to the limit in cultivation, often sustaining severe injuries; losing limbs was commonplace, and being dragged back by the Divine Lord barely clinging to life was a frequent occurrence.

Kong Muhua's heart ached, yet he understood Bai Zihao's need for strength and supported his relentless pursuit of power.

In the beginning, Bai Zihao was clumsy and prone to mistakes. Kong Muhua would secretly follow him in disguise, subtly offering hints, watching over him when he lay gravely injured and unconscious, or, when his confidence wavered, lavishing him with exaggerated praise and encouragement to press on.

Gradually, he found his way into that battered heart.

After achieving the Nascent Soul stage, Bai Zihao shyly confessed his feelings, proposing they become cultivation partners.

Kong Muhua swore it was pure excitement that caused him to accidentally shift into his towering male form in bed. Bai Zihao, slightly drunk and dazed, didn't notice the change in his "beauty's" physique and melted pliantly beneath his touch, even letting out teasing whimpers.

How could Kong Muhua resist? Driven by pride and a competitive streak—determined to prove demonic prowess far surpassed human weakness—he held nothing back.

Bai Zihao initially struggled in pain, completely overpowered by the Ancient Great Demon’s strength, but soon gave in, his cries growing increasingly alluring. Protesting even as he clung tightly, he even blurted out filthy endearments in the heat of passion, admitting Kong Muhua surpassed his "worthless ex" a hundredfold in bed.

Kong Muhua feasted all night, thoroughly satisfied.

The next morning, Bai Zihao buckled his belt and turned cold, accusing Kong Muhua of deception and demanding a breakup.

By heaven's grace! The peacock had already displayed its plumage and gifted its tail feathers—where was the lie?

Kong Muhua had always concealed his demonic and male forms, presenting himself as a delicate, maidenly beauty.

Bai Zihao, accustomed to seeing him as a woman, couldn't accept the idea of being intimate with a man who favored silks over swords. He’d forgotten the implications of a peacock’s courtship display and hadn’t expected his own body to respond so intensely. Mortified by the revelation, he refused further intimacy with a man, unwilling to sink back into desire.

His cultivation followed the Way of Frost and Snow, his heart colder than most. Without hesitation, he abandoned romance to focus entirely on his ambitions.

Kong Muhua raged, spreading complaints far and wide about Bai Zihao’s "love-'em-and-leave-'em" ways. Yet Bai Zihao remained stubborn on this one point—though flexible in other matters, he adamantly denied any attraction to men. Since Kong Muhua couldn’t actually become a female peacock, he had no choice but to persist, chasing off rivals and inventively pursuing trysts, succeeding occasionally.

Bai Zihao’s loyalty to the Divine Lord was legendary—he would brave any danger to fulfill his orders.

Kong Muhua’s usual confidence wavered somewhat in the Divine Lord’s presence. Though the Divine Lord seemed cold and emotionless, what if, over time, he grew fond of the beautiful Bai Zihao? Kong Muhua could only play the tragic heroine, lamenting beneath the wutong tree.

Now that the Divine Lord was to wed his Divine Consort, all should rejoice—if only the process weren’t so slow. Kong Muhua itched to fly over and impart 108 methods of winning favor, slaughter all romantic rivals, toss the Consort into a bridal sedan, and deliver him straight to the Divine Lord’s bed. Alas, despite his inquiries, the Consort’s identity remained a mystery, leaving him beside himself.

Upon hearing the news, Bai Zihao chuckled long and merrily: "Congratulations to the Divine Lord for finally attaining his wish after so long."

Back then, he’d been deeply curious about the romance between Medicine King Immortal and Yue Wuhuan, devouring every rumor but lacking the courage to investigate. Now that the Medicine King had emerged from seclusion, he hoped to meet this intriguing figure and uncover the truth.

The Divine Lord had shown him immense kindness. Bai Zihao sensed the Lord had repressed his desires for years, nearing eruption—while the Medicine King seemed a clueless block of wood...

Bai Zihao rubbed his right wrist, mischief dancing in his eyes. As fellow possessors of the Water Single Spiritual Root, perhaps he should teach the Medicine King how to please the Divine Lord?

The Divine Lord would surely be delighted...

Kong Muhua, realizing Bai Zihao knew the Consort’s identity, clung to him excitedly, begging to seek him out.

Noticing Kong Muhua’s wandering hands and amorous aura, Bai Zihao glanced at the grotesque corpse nearby and the filthy cavern, his expression freezing as he hurled the brazen golden peacock into the snow.

Passing cultivators witnessed the “beautiful maiden” dumped pitifully into a snowdrift, weeping and pleading for forgiveness—adding another entry to Bai Zihao’s ledger of heartless men.

...

Song Qingshi sneezed twice inexplicably.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he rarely fell ill, so he dismissed it, happily organizing his samples. His Mustard Seed Bag ran short of vials, but Feng Jun had brought plenty of transparent ones, solving his urgent need.

In Song Qingshi’s memory, such bottles were rare and expensive custom orders.

Song Jincheng teased him again for his outdated views, explaining these were now commonplace—originally used by Medicine King Valley for laboratory materials, later mass-produced by Tiangong Pavilion, which developed various affordable transparent vessels for all cultivators.

Pausing briefly, Song Qingshi resumed dissecting the first captured Filth Demon with his scalpel, meticulously recording his observations.

These creatures lacked blood or meridians, their skeletal structures differing from humans—some had insect-like exoskeletons, others were soft-bodied, most had mouthparts, and a few sported eerily expressionless humanoid faces.

This unprecedented species fascinated him, every detail begging for study, tantalizing his scientific curiosity.

His excitement grew as he swiftly dismembered the demon, handing labeled fragments to Feng Jun for storage. Even the remains were too precious to discard—he sought a coffin to transport them in his Mustard Seed Bag.

Onlookers recoiled at the grisly scene, never having witnessed such macabre enthusiasm.

They edged away from his scalpel...

Though familiar with anatomical studies, Song Jincheng couldn’t stomach this, pleading: "These things appear frequently—no need to treasure this corpse. It’ll vanish soon."

"Vanish?" Song Qingshi brightened. "I must witness its disappearance firsthand!"

Feng Jun, aware of his research obsession, envisioned their future: no kisses or embraces, just two reunited lovers crouching before a coffin, daily documenting the ugly corpse’s decay. While willing to indulge Song Qingshi, he suggested a more appropriate setting...

As Song Qingshi eagerly paid for a coffin, Feng Jun intervened: "No rush. Without proper equipment here, and with Jincheng needing to visit Tianwu Sect, why not visit Medicine King Valley afterward? Mr. Yue’s lab has everything—precision instruments, temperature controls, even material analyzers..."

Song Qingshi’s heart raced—Medicine King Valley sounded like paradise.

Feng Jun further enticed: "I’ll gift you live Filth Demons in cages for study."

"Deal!" Song Qingshi agreed instantly.

Feng Jun was his angel—gentle and thoughtful. He would resolve the mysteries in his memory, ensuring no harm came to Feng Jun.

Never in this life—or the next—would he leave Feng Jun’s side.

Suddenly, the ground trembled faintly.

"Earthquake?" he asked nervously.

Hao Long shook his head.

Song Jincheng: "Nope."

Feng Jun smiled. "Must be your imagination."

Song Qingshi scratched his head in confusion, feeling he might have been mistaken. He let the matter drop, reluctantly cremated the remains as everyone wished, then went to treat the lightly injured patients nearby. For some reason... the patients' faces filled with terror at the sight of him, as if facing a murderer. Song Qingshi touched his face, wondering if his expression was too intimidating, and thought of asking the gentle and beautiful Feng Jun for help.

But Feng Jun stood there lost in thought, not noticing him.

Song Qingshi thought for a moment and decided to leave it be.

...

Deep in the Endless Abyss, bound by countless seals, An Long slowly opened his eyes.

With Song Qingshi gone and Yue Wuhuan missing, he had lost all love and hatred. The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect was destroyed, the Western Forest ruined, and he was hunted and reviled by the world. With nowhere to go and no purpose, he drifted through life without purpose.

After the appearance of the Filth Demons, the demon in his mind awakened, abandoning control and exploiting his weakened defenses to overwhelm him with endless corruption, continuously transforming his body.

An Long grew increasingly powerful but lost his human form, gradually turning from a half-demon into a full demonic entity, until he lost all reason, consumed by bloodlust alone...

While he still retained some human consciousness, he asked Yue Wuhuan, who had been reborn as the Divine Lord, to seal him in the Endless Abyss, allowing the demonic energy to twist his body until he became a black monstrosity composed of grotesque, segmented limbs and pulsing flesh—somewhat resembling a dragon, but every part of it was hideous, radiating nightmare-inducing horror.

Curled against the cavern wall, he exhaled a massive breath and called the name of his keeper: "Yue Wuhuan, are you there?"

From the darkness, a red-robed man wearing a golden-winged mask slowly emerged, carrying a glowing lantern. He approached An Long, lifted his head to gaze at the enormous crimson vertical pupils, and replied calmly, "I am here."

When sealing An Long, the Divine Lord had left behind an incarnation to oversee the seal. But An Long's mind flickered between lucidity and madness—when insane, he recognized no one except Yue Wuhuan. So the Divine Lord sealed his most painful memories alongside him in this lightless abyss.

An Long shifted his colossal body, dragging countless chains, rupturing the oppressive darkness:

"Wu Huan, I feel that he has returned."

"Wu Huan, have you discovered how to end me permanently?"

"Wu Huan, hurry... or it will be too late..."

"..."

This time, Yue Wuhuan remained silent for a long while before giving the same answer:

"I will find a way to kill you."

"Fear not."