Chapter 111

Song Qingshi sincerely thanked Madam Nian for her gift, promising to diligently apply himself to his studies and live up to her expectations.

Madam Nian listened in a daze, then turned to see the Divine Lord suppressing a laugh. She realized that her millennia-long revenge plot was nothing but foolishness. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that beautiful men were inhuman. Her heart clenched in frustration, and she resolved to vent her anger later by capturing a few pretty young men and locking them in a dark room.

The cultivator women from Immortal Spirit Isle and the disciples of the Tianwu Sect worked in perfect coordination. Within half an hour, all formations were properly set.

Madam Nian activated the tracking formation, while the Divine Lord sensed all the Filth Demons within the formations and eradicated them using the Blood King Vine. The Tianwu Sect had lost over thirty members in the demon tide, with countless others injured. However, compared to past demon tide disasters, this was considered a decisive victory.

Overjoyed, the crowd embraced and wept—except for Hao Long, who slipped back, tears of self-pity welling up as he tried to call out for his mother. Yue Wuhuan immediately silenced him and hauled him outside to stand guard.

Yu Wenyan hurried over, thanking the Divine Lord for his assistance before asking, "Where is my son?"

Song Qingshi was confused. "Isn't he with Jincheng by your side?"

He hadn’t seen Song Jincheng at Seeking Immortal Peak and assumed the mischievous boy had sneaked off to play with Yu Wenyu, who usually trained under his father. He thought Yu Wenyan would surely protect his son when the demon tide struck. Yet Yu Wenyan had also assumed Yu Wenyu was with Song Jincheng, believing the two were safe under the Divine Lord’s protection. Now, neither of them could be found?

The demon tide had passed, but the boys were missing—this was not good news.

Yu Wenyan was so anxious he nearly jumped in place, and Song Qingshi grew equally worried, urging Yue Wuhuan to search for them.

Yue Wuhuan had Madam Nian adjust the tracking formation, releasing Divine Sense on a large scale to meticulously scan every inch of the Tianwu Sect. Finally, at the foot of a cliff eight hundred miles away on Yuxiu Peak, they discovered traces of the two—though the situation looked dire.

Everyone boarded Madam Nian’s spirit vessel and rushed to the scene.

At Yuxiu Peak, the riverbank showed signs of a fierce battle. Five Filth Demon corpses lay scattered in pieces. Yu Wenyu’s sword had long been broken. He cradled Song Jincheng, whose body was soaked in blood, left arm severed, and abdomen torn open, frantically trying to stuff his intestines back in. Blood was everywhere, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t fix it.

A youthful genius, brimming with confidence, had never encountered such a nightmarish experience.

Yu Wenyu’s mind was blank. He kept feeling for Song Jincheng’s pulse, weeping and begging, "Hold on a little longer, just a little longer… Someone will come to save us…"

Song Jincheng spat out a few frothy blood bubbles before his breathing gradually stopped.

"Father! Elder Wang! Where are you?!" Yu Wenyu wailed hysterically, screaming, "Anyone, please! Save Jincheng! Save us!"

He and Song Jincheng had secretly ridden spirit steeds, planning to sneak off to the city for fun. But on the way, five powerful Filth Demons descended from the sky, ambushing them and decapitating the steeds. The two boys plummeted down the cliff, sustaining severe injuries.

The Filth Demons devoured the spirit steeds and followed the scent of blood.

Though Yu Wenyu was renowned as a prodigy, fighting one against five left him outmatched.

At the critical moment, it was Song Jincheng who shielded him, shoving a Demon-Cleansing Pill into the lead demon’s mouth before being gravely wounded.

The pill slowed the demons’ movements.

Seizing the chance, Yu Wenyu struck with his sword, exhausting every ounce of strength to finally slay the fiends.

But Song Jincheng’s injuries were too severe. No matter how many life-preserving elixirs Yu Wenyu used, he couldn’t stop the fading of his friend’s life.

"I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I was useless," Yu Wenyu sobbed brokenly. "Jincheng, don’t die. We still have to eat the buns at Rongguifang, drink wine at Taibai Tower, watch the flower maidens dance at Twelve Pavilions, and attend the Specter Lantern Festival in Nanyue City… Don’t leave me alone. Someone, please save us…"

He pleaded through tears, over and over.

…

Suddenly, a fierce wind swept up fallen leaves. Yu Wenyu looked up in shock to see a magnificent spirit vessel descending from the sky.

Song Qingshi had already assessed their injuries. Unable to wait for the vessel to land, he leaped down, riding streaks of Red Lotus Mystic Fire as he flew over. He pushed the hysterical Yu Wenyu away, handing him to his father, then swiftly inserted golden acupuncture needles and performed emergency measures like CPR.

Yue Wuhuan, accustomed to assisting him, stepped forward to sew up the intestinal wounds before carefully repositioning them and tightly bandaging the abdomen. He also retrieved the mangled left hand from the Filth Demon’s mouth.

Song Jincheng’s breathing resumed.

"Six-Yang Resurrection Pill, Qi-Replenishing Powder—dissolve them in eight portions of spiritual liquid. Do you have Nine-Turn Blood Lotus Pill or Blazing Sun Body-Stabilizing Pill?" Seeing the emergency measures succeed, Song Qingshi relaxed slightly, instructing Yue Wuhuan to administer blood-replenishing and life-sustaining medicines. After diluting them, they managed to stabilize Song Jincheng’s vitals.

Yue Wuhuan fashioned a simple stretcher from the Blood King Vine, carefully lifting the boy onto the spirit vessel to return to the Tianwu Sect.

Song Qingshi performed abdominal and arm suturing surgeries at the Tianwu Sect, then drafted a long list of rare medicines for limb regeneration and bodily recovery. After two sleepless days of relentless effort, he finally wrestled the foolhardy youth back from the brink.

When Song Jincheng awoke and learned what had happened, he stared at his bandaged body and immobile left arm, pondering for a long time before cautiously concluding, "With injuries like these… my parents won’t beat me for my exam scores or running away, right?"

Song Qingshi: "???"

…

Yu Wenyu suffered minor injuries but was otherwise unharmed.

His father flogged him mercilessly and made him kneel in the ancestral shrine for three days in reflection. Once his punishment ended, he rushed to Song Jincheng’s side, serving him tea and water, attending to his every need with meticulous care.

After learning the full story, Yu Wenyan found it difficult to continue objecting. He turned a blind eye, allowing his son to keep associating with this boy he disliked—as long as things didn’t go too far.

Song Jincheng was skilled at ordering people about. He demanded pears sliced into flower shapes, grapes peeled and deseeded. After lying in bed for three days, he complained of discomfort and insisted on reading the latest novels. Yu Wenyu immediately rode a spirit beast down the mountain overnight, knocking on bookstore doors to buy them, delivering the books to his bedside before dawn.

After finishing his tasks, Song Qingshi encountered Yu Wenyu returning under the stars and suddenly noticed that the radiant hero's halo around him had vanished. Thinking he’d imagined it, Song Qingshi pulled Yu Wenyu into the light for a closer look. Confirming the change, he grew puzzled.

After much contemplation with no answers, he shared his observation with Yue Wuhuan.

Yue Wuhuan, who managed countless affairs daily and never indulged in lowbrow fiction, pondered briefly. "From Zhao Ye’s information, every protagonist in need of salvation is assigned a hackneyed narrative. I believe this demon tide was the turning point. Had Indestructible Peak not intervened, the Tianwu Sect would have been annihilated. Perhaps… it would have led Yu Wenyu to a tragic fate. But he’s just a Golden Core Sword Cultivator—what difference would tragedy make?"

Neither of them read novels often. From a logical standpoint, they debated for a while but reached no conclusion.

Song Qingshi had a sudden idea—Song Jincheng, a professional novel enthusiast who never went a day without reading them. Dragging Yue Wuhuan along, he went to the boy’s sickbed and presented a hypothetical scenario resembling Yu Wenyu’s situation, asking what kind of novel it might be.

"Of course, it’s a revenge story! A really good one," Song Jincheng answered without hesitation, pulling out *The Swordsman’s Revenge* from his pile of books. "I have a similar one here. A kind, sunny protagonist suffers a massacre—losing both parents and his fiancée, who dies saving him… Filled with hatred, he vows revenge. Along the way, he gains treasures, artifacts, beast companions, and even a lovely immortal physician who offers herself to him when he’s injured… Eventually, he becomes a peerless immortal sovereign and defeats the evil villain."

Yue Wuhuan fell silent. Such absurd developments were beyond his logic.

Song Qingshi’s lips twitched. He wanted to know what kind of nonsense this "lovely immortal physician offering herself to him" was.

Yu Wenyu, who had just entered with supper, overheard and angrily retorted, "His fiancée died saving him, and instead of mourning properly and focusing on cultivation, he flirts with other women? This Sword Cultivator has terrible morals—he’s no good!"

Setting down the food, he saw Yue Wuhuan and bowed apologetically. "I… once held misunderstandings about Indestructible Peak. Now, I’m truly ashamed. The Divine Lord’s kindness is engraved in my heart. I will cultivate diligently and never believe such absurd rumors again. My father also said that from now on, the Tianwu Sect will spare no effort to assist Indestructible Peak."

Song Qingshi was confused. "What absurd rumors?"

Yu Wenyu flushed with shame. "Many believe the Filth Demons were created by Indestructible Peak. I… once believed such lies. How foolish I was. I swear, if anyone dares speak such nonsense in front of me again, I’ll pummel them bloody!"

The demon tide had struck, yet the Divine Lord eradicated the Filth Demons and protected everyone in the Tianwu Sect. How could such a good man be associated with the demons? Even the old dark rumors were likely false!

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Yu Wenyu vowed to trust Indestructible Peak for life and repay their kindness. No one would be allowed to slander the Divine Lord in his presence!

Meanwhile, Song Jincheng, carefree as ever, complained that the porridge in his supper was too hot and refused to eat. Yu Wenyu immediately set aside everything else to blow on it and cool it down.

Seizing the chance, Song Qingshi dragged Yue Wuhuan out…

By now, they had pieced together the system’s intended fate for Yu Wenyu: Song Jincheng would skip school to visit the Tianwu Sect. When the demon tide came, the sect would be annihilated. Yu Wenyu would barely escape, losing his parents and best friend, consumed by hatred for Indestructible Peak, and embark on a path of vengeance.

The mastermind, who loathed Yue Wuhuan, would arrange countless opportunities for Yu Wenyu, ensuring his smooth ascent to power.

Song Qingshi’s role was likely to assist Yu Wenyu with pills and medical skills, helping him overthrow Yue Wuhuan…

However, after the system was destroyed and the original information was corrupted, rendering it unable to interfere with the mission's progression, Song Qingshi once again ignored the task. Yue Wuhuan came to find him, and the two of them, along with Song Jincheng, rushed to the Tianwu Sect and pulled some crazy stunts, derailing the plot. Now, Yu Wenyu had become a rabid fan of the Indestructible Peak, ready to draw his sword at anyone who dared trouble Yue Wuhuan...

Thus, Yu Wenyu lost his protagonist's luck.

The mastermind could no longer use this pawn for future arrangements...

But it wasn't about to give up.

As Song Qingshi pondered, he suddenly felt the ground tremble again and quickly asked, "Another earthquake?"

"No," Yue Wuhuan gently closed his eyes. "It's An Long losing it. I'll send an avatar to check."

...

In the Endless Abyss, the monster bound by the seal struggled violently, letting out a roar like a dragon's as foul, black demonic energy surged from its body. It thrashed in agony, its tail smashing against the rocky walls, causing massive chunks to collapse and the seal to weaken dangerously.

Yue Wuhuan forged a sword from pure flame and slashed at its head.

The monster howled, its wounds rapidly regenerating.

Over the years, Yue Wuhuan had tried everything—incineration with flames, killer red butterflies, strangulation, curses, freezing, poison, corrosion, and even piercing it with countless arrows. Some attacks couldn't penetrate its defenses, while others only resulted in instant healing.

He had even discussed with An Long and subjected the monstrous body to three months of burning in phoenix flames. Yet, no matter what, it refused to turn to ashes. Instead, the flames hardened its body, making it even more twisted and powerful. An Long's madness worsened, forcing additional layers of sealing.

Now, he could only restrain the frenzied monster with countless Blood King Vines, subduing it before reinforcing the seal to put it to sleep.

The monster had lost all reason, and its periods of sleep grew shorter. It only sought to break free from the Endless Abyss and go on a killing spree.

This was not a good sign...

He and Song Qingshi had to find a solution—fast.