Chapter 116

The Demonic Affliction spread like wildfire, leaving everyone in a haze of bewilderment, anguish, and desperation, unsure when doom would strike. Many, losing their minds and judgment in despair, frantically sought a lifeline, an object for their hatred and fury.

The war drums, silent for years, roared anew, igniting the beacons across sixteen provinces.

Indestructible Peak boasted the mightiest warriors, yet the unseen hand manipulating fate had cast off its disguise, revealing a grotesque visage. No longer constrained by destiny's threads, it plunged into hysterical madness.

Over the years, it had secretly cultivated numerous powerful individuals who harbored animosity towards Indestructible Peak, leveraging "coincidental" opportunities. Now, it unleashed "unfortunate" luck upon Indestructible Peak's cultivators.

The first three regions afflicted by the Demonic Affliction all lay within Indestructible Peak's direct sphere of influence.

The sect master of Heavenly Fire Sect was tormented by inner demons; the Buddhist cultivators of Nine Stars Monastery succumbed to the Demonic Affliction. Plum Blossom Palace, Azure Mist Palace, Celestial Mechanism Pavilion, Night Rain Tower—all suffered misfortunes, great and small…

Fairy Spirit Island encountered numerous "unexpected" failures while deploying formations. Madam Nian, with unwavering resolve, led her female cultivators to reinforce and mend the defenses repeatedly, preventing the cultivators and mortals of Southern Ridge from entering Central Continent and causing a more rapid spread.

Above Indestructible Peak, layers of tribulation clouds amassed. Torrential rain poured down, accompanied by countless lightning bolts. The black monstrosity emerged from the clouds, reeking of blood, repeatedly shattering the defensive barriers. Rebels from Central Continent formed battle arrays, coordinating with the monster to assault Indestructible Peak.

Avian demon cultivators soared into the stormy skies, amidst lightning and rain, to confront the monster.

This was no battlefield for birds—the rain soaked their wings, hindering their speed, and the Nirvana Red Butterfly's venom could not distinguish friend from foe in the downpour, forcing a strategic retreat. On the ground, flightless demon cultivators and human cultivators advanced under the cover of countless Blood King Vines, unleashing spells and weapons upon the enemy.

Boulders rained down, and lightning flashed intermittently, claiming lives and disrupting the battle.

Medicinal cultivators from Medicine King Valley, aided by talisman masters and artisans, charged onto the battlefield, bearing defensive artifacts and charms, to provide emergency treatment for the wounded before sending them to the rear for further care.

The Divine Lord emerged slowly from the main hall, clad in a snow-feathered cloak, his gloved hands clasped.

He summoned an overwhelming torrent of phoenix flames, disregarding the lightning's interference, and swept them towards the rebel cultivators, instantly engulfing them.

…

Bai Zihao stood atop a peak, observing the monster and the unfolding battle, patiently awaiting the signal.

A golden peacock materialized in the air, unfurling its magnificent tail feathers, which shimmered with countless golden halos, radiating power to deter and dispel evil, directly dazzling the monster's eyes.

Then, he transformed into a tall male figure, clad in golden armor, his long hair tied back. All traces of his usual irreverence vanished from his handsome features, now sharp with lethal intent.

"Hey, ugly," Kong Muhua taunted, provoking the monster to divert its attention and saving several birds that were on the verge of being killed. Swiftly, he flew onto the monster, seized its horns, spread his wings, and with divine strength, slammed it into the mountaintop lake, shouting, "Zihao!"

Bai Zihao activated his life-bound artifact, unleashing the Ten Thousand Miles of Frozen Landscape.

An icy tundra descended, freezing the lake layer by layer, trapping the monster within.

Kong Muhua materialized a colossal axe in his hand and swung it fiercely at the monster's skull.

This mountain-cleaving blade, capable of leveling peaks, halted upon striking the monster's bone, unable to penetrate further. Immediately, demonic energy spread, enveloping the axe, which had been shimmering with a rainbow glow, stripping away its brilliance and leaving it dull, charred, and hideous. Horrified, Kong Muhua retrieved the axe, only to see the demonic energy already enveloping the monster's wound, rapidly repairing its flesh…

Bai Zihao conjured countless ice shards, piercing the monster, attempting to pin it to the bottom of the lake.

The monster's body mutated again, rapidly expanding until the ice barrier trembled precariously and then shattered.

Countless sharp blades of black demonic energy emerged from its body, like a thousand demonic swords, all lunging at Bai Zihao.

Twelve layers of ice shields formed, only to shatter one after another.

Kong Muhua interposed himself, transforming his golden tail feathers into a defensive barrier against the storm of attacks.

His most cherished feathers blackened and fell under the demonic onslaught…

Kong Muhua gritted his teeth, refusing to retreat even half a step.

No one noticed that the monster's tail had already burrowed underground, slowly extending, concealing its aura, bypassing the dense network of Blood King Vines beneath the earth, and approaching the Divine Lord who was directing from the cliff. Seizing the moment when everyone was unprepared, it burst from the rock face, its venomous stinger striking fiercely at the lofty figure.

The stinger pierced his body, leaving no trace of blood.

The Divine Lord lowered his head, looked at the monster, and smiled mockingly.

Countless Nirvana Red Butterflies flew from his body directly onto the monster's tail, injecting a flood of toxins. Around him, countless formations lit up, coiling around the monster's body along the path of the paralyzed stinger—a new sealing array.

The monster finally understood, emitting an eerie sound: "You are him, yet you are not him!"

Bai Zihao sat on the ground, his eyes curved in a smile: "This fool is so easily tricked."

The Divine Lord's true form had long since departed Indestructible Peak. What remained to hold the fort was merely a powerful avatar, deliberately exposing weaknesses to lure the monster into a trap, an bait to reseal it.

Where was the true Divine Lord?

The monster's agonizing roar echoed through the heavens. Its manipulator, unable to endure such mockery, resolved to reclaim control over the world and destiny at any cost.

Thus, the earth trembled once more, lightning flashed in the clouds, and a furious web of thunder enveloped the entire world.

…

After the new demon-subjugation campaign began, Yue Wuhuan placed Song Qingshi in the experimental cage once used to imprison the Filth Demon, isolating all auras, and then secretly transported him to the basement of Medicine King Valley, where he was hidden away.

Song Qingshi slept for several days, finally recovering from his high fever. He sat up, staring blankly at Yue Wuhuan, who had long since transformed into Mr. Yue, and then suddenly reached out, meticulously examining those beautiful phoenix eyes.

Yue Wuhuan, thinking his memories were overlapping, smiled: "Are you still drowsy? I'm not Mo Yuan now."

Song Qingshi's fingertip lingered on that striking tear mole as he softly asked: "Can you truly see?"

Yue Wuhuan gently replied: "I can."

Song Qingshi slowly withdrew his hand and looked around: "Where is this?"

"Medicine King Valley," Yue Wuhuan whispered.

He had placed the main battlefield and the traps at Indestructible Peak, willing to destroy the magnificent palace rather than this place, which held so many cherished memories.

Song Qingshi stood up, donned his robe, and slowly walked towards the exit.

"Don't go out. The monster An Long became is looking for you," Yue Wuhuan grabbed his arm. "If you stay in this artifact, it can shield you from fate's prying eyes… The trap I set at Indestructible Peak was shattered by lightning. That monster escaped with the help of the mastermind. I need to move you to a safer place."

Song Qingshi gazed at him silently.

"I haven't found a way to kill that monster," Yue Wuhuan pleaded softly, "but I cannot let anything happen to you again."

Cycle after cycle, death after death.

If fate demanded his life, his hatred, he was willing to bear it, to face it.

But he wished for Song Qingshi to live well.

"Qing Shi, you've done enough for me. Give up," Yue Wuhuan painfully implored, "As long as you abandon this mission, you will find true liberation. You won't have to repeat this ridiculous destiny with me, nor be dragged into the mire by me again and again…"

"Mission?" Song Qingshi couldn't help but laugh. "I was never a mission-taker, nor did I ever intend to undertake any mission."

Yue Wuhuan froze, somewhat uncomprehending.

Song Qingshi grasped his hand and enunciated each word clearly:

"Wuhuan, I've remembered the memories from a thousand reincarnations…"

"Wuhuan, I live for you."

"Wuhuan, the only one I must save is you…"

"Wuhuan, I will never give up."

"Wuhuan, this is the best opportunity…"

The earth trembled again, and the sound of thunder echoed in the sky—the monster had arrived.

"The fate controlled by the mastermind has been disrupted. It has gone berserk, which is why my memories awakened… A large part of its power is attached to An… An Long. You must kill this mutated black dragon, weaken its strength, and save An Long," danger was imminent, and Song Qingshi had no time to elaborate. He could only grasp the key points and tell Yue Wuhuan, "You go and stop him first. Qing Luan left behind a weapon that can kill An Long. I'll retrieve it for you."

Yue Wuhuan did not recall Qing Luan leaving any relics related to weapons.

Nor had he sensed any powerful spiritual artifacts or magical tools in Medicine King Valley.

Yet, he was willing to believe Song Qingshi.

"Don't give up, and don't ask me to give up either," Song Qingshi ran out of the basement, paused after a few steps, and turned back to solemnly remind him, "I have the most unyielding heart in the world. Even if I ram into a wall a thousand, ten thousand times, I won’t turn back. If you can’t bear the pain and despair, if you abandon this world, I’ll turn to dust with you."

Yue Wuhuan looked at him for a long time, then smiled. "Alright."

If they failed, he could turn to dust with the purest stone in the world.

What could be happier than that?

…

The monster in the sky descended with lightning, but Yue Wuhuan unfurled a crimson net with his Blood King Vine, blocking all attacks.

The physicians of Medicine King Valley saw the monster—some crumpled in terror, some panicked, but most still raced against time, researching the Demonic Affliction.

Song Qingshi rushed out of the basement, following the golden aura swirling in the air, heading straight for the only memorial hall.

Medicine King Valley's memorial hall had been expanded several times. At Mrs. Qing Luan’s request, every physician who trained in the valley would have their memorial tablet placed here after death, honored by generations of disciples…

Three thousand years had passed. Medicine King Valley had become the largest medical academy in the cultivation world, training countless physicians each year. Now, the memorial hall housed nearly ten thousand memorial tablets. The timeworn black wooden tablet at the very top bore the names of Qing Luan and Song Minghong.

Each life saved earned a measure of merit.

The physicians of Medicine King Valley traveled the world, directly or indirectly altering the fates of countless mortals and cultivators. In the mortal realm, many even built Medicine King Temples to express their gratitude. Now, the Golden Light of Merit amassed on the memorial tablets in the hall reached hundreds of millions—especially on Qing Luan’s tablet, where she alone had accumulated tens of millions.

Song Qingshi raised his hand and, in the name of his late master, chanted the spell, gathering all the Golden Light of Merit into his palm, condensing it into a blade of sacred gold.

This was the weapon forged from the merit Qing Luan had spent three thousand years collecting, then entrusted to Song Qingshi.

Only the purest power in the world could kill the foulest demon.

After the Golden Light of Merit was taken, a gentle and beautiful shadow of a young girl appeared in the memorial hall.

It was the lingering echo of her soul Qing Luan had left behind.

She offered a deep bow to Song Qingshi and pleaded:

"My gratitude, Lord Qingshi."

"Please… return him to me…"