Chapter 40

In the main hall atop the cloud platform, Chongzhao was half-kneeling on the ground when Zhe Sang slashed down at him with a sword. The strike was imbued with a powerful spiritual energy, aimed directly at Chong Zhao’s spiritual core.

At that moment, a vast and righteous immortal energy shot out from Chong Zhao’s spiritual core, blocking Zhe Sang’s sword.

Zhe Sang’s pupils contracted sharply as he stared at the spiritual artifact before Chong Zhao, then suddenly turned to look at Songfeng on the stone steps.

How could Chong Zhao possess such a thing?! How?!

“The Mountain-Guarding Jade Scroll?!”

The Piaomiao Jade Scroll was now floating steadily in front of Chong Zhao’s forehead, protecting him.

The disciples gasped in shock, equally incredulous.

The sect master actually passed the Mountain-Guarding Jade Scroll to Junior Brother Chong Zhao?

What’s the point of this duel now?!

Er Yun glanced at Songfeng.

Songfeng, meeting Zhe Sang’s enraged gaze, trembled but said nothing in the end.

“Unfair!”

On the cloud platform, Zhe Sang roared in anger, his eyes bloodshot. Without any restraint, a powerful surge of spiritual energy burst forth from the blood bead in his possession.

Dark clouds suddenly gathered above the platform, as if an evil wind had arrived, knocking the disciples off balance.

Zhe Sang’s sword trembled with a blinding light as he slashed at Chong Zhao once again.

Chong Zhao, who had been bowing his head, suddenly lifted his gaze and grasped the Jade Scroll in front of him.

The scroll transformed into a simple jade sword in his hand, and a vibrant spiritual energy instantly enveloped him.

“Peak Immortal Lord!” Er Yun exclaimed in disbelief.

How was this possible?

When Chong Zhao last emerged from seclusion, he was only at the mid-level of the Immortal Lord!

Zhe Sang, suspended in the air, was equally shocked. He was only at the early stage of the Immortal Lord and had forcibly elevated his realm to the mid-level using the red bead. But there was no time to think—the jade sword, imbued with immense power, clashed with his own sword.

A deafening crash followed, and blinding white light exploded on the platform. A figure plummeted from midair, crashing heavily onto the cloud platform.

The dark clouds dispersed, and Chong Zhao stood firm while Zhe Sang spat out a mouthful of blood and knelt on the platform. His sword had shattered into dust, leaving only the hilt in his hand.

Silence fell over the stone steps.

Zhe Sang looked up at Songfeng.

“Why?”

His question, tinged with blood, escaped his lips.

Chong Zhao couldn’t have reached the peak of the Immortal Lord in just three short years. The aura surrounding him was unmistakably the most orthodox Piaomiao spiritual energy.

It was Songfeng who willingly transferred his spiritual energy to Chong Zhao!

Songfeng remained silent for a long time, looking at the disciple he had raised with care. With a wave of his hand, an immortal force descended upon Zhe Sang.

Zhe Sang screamed in pain, his eyes turning a demonic blood red. Several strands of chaotic spiritual energy surged from his spiritual core, accompanied by the cries of an infant, a sound so harrowing it chilled the soul.

How could a immortal’s spiritual core contain the energy of mortals?

The disciples erupted in shock—could it be that Senior Brother Zhe Sang…

“Absorbing mortal spiritual energy to cultivate—Zhe Sang, I’ve raised you for a hundred years, and this is how you repay your cultivation as an immortal?” Songfeng’s voice was filled with disappointment as he questioned in pain from the stone steps.

“For the sake of reviving our piaomiao sect, I have devoted myself to cultivation for a hundred years without a single day of slacking,” Zhesang retorted angrily, pointing at Chong Zhao.

“If not for the unfairness of you and Martial Uncle, abandoning me in favor of him, how would I have ended up like this?!”

“You still do not see your mistake!”

“What mistake have I made?” Zhe Sang slowly stood up, laughing madly.

“Only the strong can survive in these three realms. Master, isn’t that what you taught me?”

Seeing Zhe Sang without a trace of repentance, Songfeng’s body swayed as he closed his eyes.

“Ungrateful disciple!”

Songfeng held back no longer.

A surge of immortal energy struck Zhe Sang’s spiritual core.

Zhe Sang screamed as countless streams of immortal energy erupted from his body. Then, a sharp crack echoed—it was the sound of his golden core shattering.

In an instant, Zhe Sang’s face turned ashen, and his body was devoid of any immortal energy.

He looked in disbelief at his shattered golden core, murmuring as he gazed at Songfeng, “You… you shattered my golden core…”

He tried to crawl towards Songfeng, but he no longer had the strength to stand.

“The Piaomiao sect, which has stood for a thousand years, cannot tolerate a disciple who harms mortals. Zhe Sang, with your golden core shattered, you will no longer be able to cultivate as an immortal. You shall reflect in the Xuan Ice Cave for ten years. After that, you will live as an ordinary mortal.”

Songfeng sighed deeply, saying nothing more. With a wave of his hand, a door suspended in midair appeared. A beam of light shot out from the cave, dragging Zhe Sang toward it.

“Good! What a great Piaomiao Immortal Sect! Songfeng, from now on, the relationship between Zhe Sang and you as a master and disciple is severed. If I don’t die, I will definitely come back to kill you! Destroy your Piaomiao!”

Zhe Sang’s crazed, unwilling voice disappeared into the air, and with a flash of light, the suspended stone door vanished.

On the stone steps, Songfeng spat out a mouthful of blood, his face filled with sorrow. In an instant, he seemed to age ten years.

Chong Zhao immediately flew forward with Er Yun to support him.

“Uncle Master!”

“Uncle!”

“Sect Master!”

The disciples also rushed forward.

“I’m fine,” Songfeng said, waving them off.

He looked at the disciples.

“From this day forward, Chong Zhao will be the heir to our Piaomiao sect. Tomorrow, he will represent us at the Wutong Martial Banquet.”

Songfeng’s aged voice echoed beyond the main hall, and the disciples all knelt, saluting Chong Zhao.

“Yes, Sect Master.”

Chong Zhao gripped the Jade Scroll in one hand and supported Songfeng with the other, but his gaze fell in the direction of the back mountain, where the Xuan Ice Cave and Bai Shuo were confined.

After a long time, he knelt slowly before Songfeng, speaking in a deep voice, “Yes, Sect Master.”

****

“Aiyo!”

Inside the Ice Cavern.

Bai Shuo suddenly sat up, colliding head-on with someone in front of her.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!”

She rubbed her forehead, reaching out blindly, only to touch something warm—a bare chest.

What the hell…? Bai Shuo looked up and met a pair of delighted eyes.

“Mumu? What are you doing here?”

Bai Shuo was dazed, and as she glanced around, she realized her hand was still resting on the boy’s bare chest, absentmindedly feeling around.

“You, you, why are you not wearing clothes!”

Bai Shuo jumped three feet high, pushing the boy away.

The boy stumbled but wasn’t angry; instead, he pouted pitifully, “I put them on you.”

Me?

Bai Shuo looked down at the robe draped over her and quickly tossed it back to Fan Yue.

“Put it on!”

“Oh.”

The boy obediently tied his clothes.

Bai Shuo looked around—it was still the Xuan Ice Cave, and the firewood on the ground had long since burned out. She rubbed her cold hands, feeling a bit fearful.

She had heard that people often see their loved ones before they die. She must have been close to freezing to death, which is why she saw the fireworks in the capital and that figure in that palace.

It was Fan Yue who saved her, pulling her back from the brink of death with that faint warmth.

Bai Shuo felt like she had forgotten something, or that something was off, but her mind was too foggy to think clearly.

The boy had somehow moved closer to her, poking her face.

“Are you still cold?”

“Not cold, not cold, I’m trying to think—don’t poke me… Wait, why are you still on the island? Didn’t I ask the old turtle to take you away?”

Bai Shuo suddenly remembered and quickly asked him.

“You were in danger,” Fan Yue pouted.

“So I came.”

“How did you know I was locked up here?”

“I didn’t. I just thought of you, and then I was here.”

Bai Shuo choked, and suddenly remembered that she and Fan Yue had a soul contract. Fan Yue lost his demon power and memory, but retained this contract instinct.

“I don’t even know how long I slept. What happened with Ah Zhao and Zhe Sang’s duel?” Bai Shuo muttered, pacing inside the cave.

“You slept for three days,” Fan Yue earnestly held up three fingers.

“Three days!”

Bai Shuo jolted, suddenly stiffening as if she had realized something.

She turned around, trembling, “You,you..How can you talk?!”

She finally remembered what was wrong—this wood head used to only be able to say one word at a time! When did he get so fluent?

Could it be that the big demon had regained his memory?!

Bai Shuo’s lips trembled uncontrollably.

The boy took a step closer to her and reached out his hand.

Oh my god, she is going to die!!

Bai Shuo opened her eyes wide, but she didn’t expect the boy to hug her tightly and bury his head in her neck.

What’s going on?

Bai Shuo blinked.

“Master, if I hug you, you won’t be cold anymore.”

The boy’s voice was urgent, as if he were trying hard to explain, “You wouldn’t wake up, no matter what I did. Then I spoke, and you woke up.”

“Mumu?”

“It’s me. I can talk now, master. I promise to behave and not cause you any trouble. Please don’t send me away.”

The boy’s muffled voice sounded in Bai Shuo’s ear, and she suddenly froze. Her heart, as tough as diamond, softened like water.

Fan Yue hadn’t regained his memory; he had only regained his intelligence. He remembered everything from waking up behind the medicine hut to what happened after encountering Zhe Sang that night. He still thought he was a little demon tree, and he believed that Bai Shuo was locked up here because she had taken him in and was threatened into stealing the Jade Scroll.

Bai Shuo didn’t know whether to be happy or to sigh. She patted the boy’s back, “Alright, alright, you’re a grown-up now. don’t act liked a spoiled child. I won’t send you away.”

“Really?” The boy looked up, staring earnestly into Bai Shuo’s eyes.

“Really, really. When have master ever lied to you?”

Bai Shuo warned, “But you must promise me this—once we leave, you have to hide properly and never let anyone find you again…”

Before she could finish, a ray of sunlight suddenly shone into the cave, warming the entire space, and two figures walked in from outside.

Before Bai Shuo could react, Fan Yue had already transformed into a small vine and quickly wrapped around her wrist.

In the backlight, the person who came was relieved to see that Bai Shuo was safe, and his voice was a little happy.

“Junior Sister Bai Shuo, the three days are over. You’re free to leave!”

Junior Sister Bai Shuo? Baishuo looked at Yifan and Changxu, who had just entered, feeling embarrassed. Since when were the disciples of the inner island so polite to her?

Oh, right, Ah Zhao! She still didn’t know how his duel with Zhe Sang went. Zhe Sang was devious and had advanced to the Immortal Lord. Ah Zhao mustn’t fall into his trap…

“Thank you, Senior Brothers, for looking after me these past few days. I’d like to trouble you to take me to the inner island,” Bai Shuo said anxiously.

“I know I’ve made a grave mistake, but I just want to see today’s duel. Once I know Ah Zhao is safe, I’ll leave the ethereal sect immediately and won’t cause any trouble for you.”

“Junior Sister, you don’t need to leave,” Changxu quickly said.

“Don’t need to leave?” Bai Shuo was stunned.

“But didn’t the Sect Master…”

“Ah, today Senior Brother Chong Zhao won the duel, and the Sect Master has already announced that he will be the next head of Piaomiao Sect. Given your relationship with him, he will surely make sure you can stay,” Changxu whispered to Bai Shuo.

“Ah Zhao won?”

Bai Shuo’s face lit up with joy, and she let out a long breath of relief. But then she felt something was off.

“Did you say the Sect Master announced that Ah Zhao would inherit the sect today? Then… what about Senior Brother Zhe Sang?”

Yifan’s expression changed slightly, and his usually expressionless face showed a rare hint of disdain.

“He advanced to Immortal Lord by absorbing the energy of mortals. The Sect Master shattered his golden core and imprisoned him.”

What?

Bai Shuo was stunned, muttering to herself about how the Piaomiao sect seemed to be full of shady characters. First, there was the evil Bodhi Songhe, and now there was Zhe Sang?

“Junior Sister Bai Shuo, the Sect Master was angered by Zhe Sang’s actions, and Junior Brother Chong Zhao is attending to him now. You should return to the Medicine Hut,” Yifan said in a low voice.

Changxu was about to object, but a glance from Yifan silenced him.

“Alright, alright. Since the duel is over, I won’t go to the inner island. I’ll head back to the Medicine Hut and make some more spiritual medicines for our sect,” Bai Shuo quickly changed her mind, especially since she had a little demon hiding on her. Knowing that Chong Zhao was with Songfeng, she decided it was best to leave.

She yawned, pretending to be tired.

“Senior Brothers, I’ll head back on my own, no need to escort me.”

Before the two could respond, Bai Shuo had already dashed away.

Inside the Xuan Ice Cave, Changxu pouted. “Senior Brother, Chong Zhao is going to be the next Sect Master. Bai Shuo has suffered so much for him; he must care about her. Why didn’t you let me escort her to the inner island?”

“Fool.”

Yifan glanced at him indifferently.

“If Junior Brother truly cared about her, do you think it would be us coming to fetch her from the Xuan Ice Cave?”

With that, Yifan turned and walked away. Changxu stood there, stunned, and touched his nose.