Chapter 110

The Tianwu Sect, a mid-sized faction, spanned several hundred miles across seven mountain peaks, each fortified with defensive arrays. Now, most of these arrays had been breached by the demonic tide. The sword cultivators, caught off guard by the frenzied assault of the Foul Demons, were overwhelmed.

Fortunately, the Tianwu Sect’s guest quarters were located on Xunxian Peak, the main peak among the seven. This was where the newly initiated young disciples trained. Facing their first enemy attack, they panicked like headless flies—until terrifying flames and crimson butterflies erupted from the guest quarters, slaughtering the Foul Demons…

The youths were utterly bewildered: “???”

Everyone knew the appearance of flames and crimson butterflies heralded death.

Trapped between a rock and a hard place, they were too afraid to approach, yet they couldn’t possibly fight so many Foul Demons. Watching their comrades fall, they weighed their options: being devoured by demons or slain by the Divine Lord. The latter, it seemed, might be a quicker end?

In their despair, someone took the lead, and they began fleeing toward the guest quarters.

Outside the courtyard, crimson vines and blazing fire blocked all paths. The disciples hesitated at the entrance, caught between advancing and retreating. After a moment, voices emerged from within, and the vines slowly parted, clearing a passage for them to enter.

The youths rushed in, finding many of their sectmates already inside. A youth in white was instructing the terrifying aerial presence: “Wuhuan, expand the defensive perimeter. If anyone approaches, let them in. If you spot any unusual or interesting Foul Demons, bring them in too.”

“Understood.” Yue Wuhuan detested being stared at by strangers. He had donned his old golden mask again and smiled gently.

Even so, his beauty was dazzling.

Humans naturally warmed to beautiful things, lowering their guard. Though the Tianwu Sect disciples had heard of the horrors of the Dark Era, they hadn’t lived through it themselves, so the fear wasn't as visceral. Like fearless newborn calves, they saw the Divine Lord’s gentle demeanor and overcame their apprehension, voluntarily joining the fray to finish off wounded Foul Demons that hadn't yet perished.

Song Qingshi directed the Tianwu Sect disciples already stationed in the guest quarters—those who had quickly grasped the situation—to prepare makeshift sickbeds and assist in treating the wounded.

Luckily, sword cultivator sects frequently engaged in battles, so injuries were commonplace. Sword cultivators were adept at treating external wounds; those with minor injuries could staunch bleeding and stitch wounds themselves. Patients suffering from corrosive venom or severe injuries were given emergency treatment by Song Qingshi to stabilize their condition, then handed over to sectmates for care, awaiting unified treatment after the battle.

After being bandaged, the newly arrived lightly wounded patients looked back to find several snarling Foul Demons caged nearby. Remembering their fallen comrades, grief and rage surged through them. Several youths immediately drew their swords, eager to stab these demons and avenge their brethren!

“Stop!” Song Qingshi reacted swiftly, lunging forward to protect his precious specimens.

The youths, eyes red with fury, demanded, “Why are you protecting these demons?”

Song Qingshi explained, “I need them for research.”

The youths didn’t understand. Clutching their swords, they prepared to argue further.

Just then, the guest quarters’ chef arrived with a large pile of freshly slaughtered chickens and ducks, trembling as he handed them to Song Qingshi. Song Qingshi quickly tossed the food to the ravenous Foul Demons inside, observing their tearing at the flesh. Worriedly, he murmured, “This doesn’t seem like enough. Get some more food, preferably larger, living creatures…”

Song Qingshi glanced back at the impassioned youths, noticing they seemed rather idle.

The youths, sensing his peculiar interest, shuddered. Their initial fervor slowly receded as they remembered this was someone associated with the being from Indestructible Peak. No matter how youthful and innocent he appeared, he was a terrifying entity who killed without blinking… Was he planning to feed them to the demons?

Their master had taught them that sword cultivators must have the courage to challenge strong foes, but when the disparity was too great, discretion was the better part of valor. Otherwise, sword cultivator sects would face extinction…

The youths quietly retreated, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

Seeing them flee, Song Qingshi grew angry. He was swamped tending to so many severely wounded patients and his newly acquired specimens, almost driven mad with work. Not only were these fellows causing trouble, but they were also trying to slack off?! He swiftly unleashed Mystic Fire, blocking their retreat, and coldly reprimanded, “All of you, stay!”

The youths’ faces turned ashen with fear.

Song Qingshi harshly chastised these slow-witted, unmotivated, lazy brats who only knew how to shirk work. He dragged them all into emergency training, assigning them to grueling nursing duties.

He even considered advising Yu Wenyan that restoring the Tianwu Sect couldn’t rely solely on Yu Wenyu, nor could it focus only on sword techniques. A long-term vision was needed for these children’s cultural education. Diligence could compensate for shortcomings; more practice exams and more training would sharpen their minds, which was the glorious path to revitalizing the sect.

Look at Qing Luan from Medicine King Valley! Born a mortal, yet she achieved so much, her name etched into history!

Now that his memories had returned, Song Qingshi felt immense pride. Medicine King Valley had once been a small, dilapidated sect with only one mountain peak. Upon his return, it had transformed into a massive medical academy with countless research assistants, thousands of students, and sprawling medicinal herb fields covering mountains, rivers, and land for thousands of miles—all gifted by Yue Wuhuan! The mere thought thrilled him, making him itch to rush home and kiss his beloved partner twice…

Yue Wuhuan had even arranged the finest spiritual skiff between Indestructible Peak and Medicine King Valley, complete with a mobile study and laboratory, pulled by nine demon birds, swift as lightning—perfectly meeting the needs for travel between the two locations. However, with the mastermind still at large and unknown dangers lurking, he wanted to stay by Song Qingshi’s side, guarding him with his utmost strength. Therefore, he suggested moving Medicine King Valley’s best laboratories and research assistants to Indestructible Peak until the problem was resolved, after which they could reside in Medicine King Valley.

Song Qingshi happily agreed.

Yu Wenyan received confirmation of everyone’s safety, then shamelessly relinquished command of the main peak to Yue Wuhuan.

The Divine Lord of Indestructible Peak, the strongest being in the cultivation world—whether it was his Phoenix Flames or Nirvana’s Crimson Butterflies, contact meant death. Foul Demons that fell to the ground became nourishment for the Blood King Vine.

Though the demons lacked intelligence, they possessed primal instincts. After charging recklessly and leaving behind a large number of corpses, they finally understood the danger and ceased attacking the main peak, scattering elsewhere in small groups of five or six to search for flesh and blood.

The pressure on the Tianwu Sect significantly decreased. Yu Wenyan and the elders, along with their disciples above the Golden Core stage, formed several groups to hunt down demons and search for isolated or injured humans, sending them to Xunxian Peak for shelter and treatment.

The demonic tide lasted from dawn till dusk, with scattered Foul Demons everywhere, seemingly endless.

Reinforcements arrived from Immortal Spirit Island. A graceful, dignified beauty descended from a magnificent spiritual skiff. She wore a golden crane-and-bat pearl headdress, moon earrings, a mermaid pearl skirt, and a cloud-embroidered shawl, moving with impeccable poise.

Accompanied by dozens of elegant female cultivators, she stepped forward. Recognizing the familiar golden mask on Yue Wuhuan’s face, she paused briefly before bowing respectfully. With a steady voice, she said, “By the Divine Lord’s command, Immortal Spirit Island has come to serve.”

The Tianwu Sect’s sword techniques emphasized masculine vigor, and most disciples were male. The few female cultivators, regardless of appearance, all possessed Herculean strength and indomitable spirit, accustomed to treating each other like brothers. Now, seeing the beautiful island mistress and her female cultivators, the young disciples were quite excited, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

Song Qingshi nudged a nearby sword cultivator and quietly asked, “Who is she?”

“You don’t know Madam Nian?” The sword cultivator, tearing his gaze from the beauty, seemed surprised. “She is the foremost Rune Array Master in the Immortal Realm, skilled in mechanisms and calculations. She has created and refined countless talismans, and she has adopted and cared for many orphans, teaching them talisman-making to earn a living. She is a kind and great woman.”

Song Qingshi understood: “A formidable mathematician.”

“Madam Nian serves under him and is highly trusted,” the sword cultivator glanced toward Yue Wuhuan, then kindly warned Song Qingshi, “Don’t linger near Madam Nian. She has a temper and… strange tastes. She enjoys locking handsome men in dark rooms, forcing them to solve bizarre problems—no leaving until they finish. A dashing friend of mine tried courting one of her disciples and ended up trapped for three years. When he emerged, he was emaciated, having forgotten all poetry and prose—just muttering about geometry and field calculations. It was truly terrifying…”

Song Qingshi was baffled but nodded along to the horror story.

The Divine Lord ordered Madam Nian to set up a large tracking array within the demonic tide’s range, using demonic energy fluctuations to locate all Foul Demons on the ground, control their movements, and coordinate with the Blood King Vine for unified extermination. Madam Nian discussed the specific arrangements with him for a while, pondered for a moment, then retrieved the Tianwu Sect map, swiftly designed the array, and dispatched her direct disciples to set up the array cores.

Madam Nian felt the Divine Lord’s attire and demeanor were uncharacteristically different from before; not only was he not wrapped tightly in his snow-feather cloak, but his entire aura was much softer. Her eyes darted about, and she immediately had a suspicion. After completing the array design, she searched through the crowd and indeed spotted the long-unseen Medicine King Immortal, crouched among the disciples, teaching sword cultivators how to treat venomous wounds.

Instantly, nostalgia washed over her.

Back then, at the Red Dragon Sect, the Medicine King Immortal had saved Immortal Lord Yan Yuan and her. As a child, she had been deeply grateful, even developing a vague fondness for this gentle, beautiful immortal, dreaming of marrying him when she grew up. However… this fondness lasted only three days. Because of those damned romance novels, she was not only caned by her master but also severely disciplined by her senior siblings.

The beating was one thing…

But those two deranged individuals had praised her intelligence in front of their master, making him so proud that he believed his disciple was peerless—then accepted countless exam papers on her behalf.

From then on, she was plunged into a hellish sea of assignments, endless and inescapable. She tried to skip class, but her master had her senior siblings stand by with sticks to supervise. She worked until tears streamed down her face, but no one pitied her. In the end, she was even packed off to Immortal Spirit Island to learn more from Madam Lingmiao…

After the Medicine King Immortal went into seclusion and Yue Wuhuan disappeared, the Messenger Birds stopped delivering exams for a while.

After her brief respite, she grew worried about their safety.

Years later, the Dark Era descended. While other sects trembled before the Divine Lord’s bloody purges, she shuddered before the piles of mathematical and array problems he personally delivered…

The Divine Lord said gently, “The survival of the Red Dragon Sect and Immortal Spirit Island depends on your performance. I will regularly check your progress.”

In that moment, Nian Nian nearly broke down…

The world was on the brink of destruction, why did she still have to take exams and solve problems?!

The Divine Lord was true to his word. Neither Immortal Spirit Island nor the Red Dragon Sect were major powers; without the protection of Indestructible Peak, they would perish in the chaos. The Divine Lord demanded that Nian Nian become an outstanding Rune Array Master. She had no choice but to abandon her happy childhood, locking herself in her room, studying relentlessly day and night. For eight hundred years, she drilled problems and drew talismans until the trauma was deeply ingrained.

Later, she achieved enlightenment through talismans, becoming the Immortal Realm’s foremost Rune Array Master, the esteemed Madam Nian.

After Madam Lingmiao’s demise, she inherited Immortal Spirit Island and oversaw the Red Dragon Sect.

Very few in the world knew the Divine Lord’s true identity, and those who did wisely kept silent.

Once, when Madam Nian had drunk too much, she encountered the Divine Lord’s avatar and couldn’t resist boldly asking, “How could you be so certain I would become an outstanding talisman expert?”

“I wasn’t certain,” the Divine Lord pondered for a moment before admitting frankly, “But since that person said you were excellent, you had to be excellent.”

Madam Nian felt a surge of frustration, unsure where to direct her complex emotions…

Her feelings toward the Medicine King Immortal were a tangled mix of love and resentment.

…

So the Medicine King Immortal has come out of seclusion—no wonder the Divine Lord is in such a good mood…

Smiling warmly, Madam Nian stepped forward, glanced at the Dao Companion Mark on Song Qingshi’s hand, and said softly, “Immortal Lord, it’s been a long time.”

Song Qingshi, nervous at being greeted by an unfamiliar beauty, nodded in response.

Madam Nian chuckled, “What wonderful news that the Immortal Lord and the Divine Lord have become Dao companions. I have a gift I’ve been preparing for years that I’d like to present to you.”

Song Qingshi replied sheepishly, “You’re too kind.”

With a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, Madam Nian said, “I’ve prepared over ten thousand practice exams for the Immortal Lord, covering every talisman and mathematical problem under the heavens. I hope the Master will accept them with delight.”

Song Qingshi had initially intended to decline, but upon hearing the nature of the gift, he found himself unable to refuse.

Who said Madam Nian had a bad temper? Clearly, she was gentle, considerate, beautiful, and kind-hearted! This wedding gift was exactly his kind of gift!