Ming Fuhua shouted sharply, "Lu Qingkong, bring the boat closer!"
Ignoring her, Lu Qingkong stood at the prow. He rummaged through his sleeve and pulled out an exquisite whip and a small crossbow. As the Changyuan shrieked and dove toward them again, he used the crossbow to fire the coiled whip directly at the creature’s beating wings.
"Fu-Fu-Fuhua!" Ming Zhu stammered in terror.
The whip landed on the Changyuan’s wing and shuddered. Immediately, black ropes erupted from it like growing vines, winding and coiling around the creature’s skeletal frame as if they were alive.
The Changyuan let out a sudden, hoarse shriek. Its two massive skeletal wings were ensnared by the dense ropes, causing it to lose balance in mid-air. It plummeted heavily toward the boat.
Having already lost one of its wooden wings, the boat was flying erratically. Ming Zhu was nearly thrown overboard several times. He shielded Zhou Fuxue and You Nü in his arms, gripping the gunwale with a death grip, his hand over his mouth as if he were about to vomit.
Ming Fuhua struggled to keep her footing. Seeing the Changyuan’s massive body crashing toward them with unstoppable momentum, she acted in desperation. With a sharp wave of her hand, a torrent of spiritual energy poured out, forming an ice wall in front of them to block the creature’s path.
"Lu Qingkong!"
Lu Qingkong watched the struggling Changyuan with eyes full of fanatical zeal. He even had the leisure to mutter to himself, "A Changyuan... a wind-riding creature rarely seen in a hundred years. The 'Traveling Kites' of the Shishen Kingdom were built from their bones. Even dead bones have the power to travel a thousand miles a day, let alone a living one."
As he muttered, he manipulated the boat’s formations, slowly guiding it toward a nearby high platform.
The Changyuan was massive; it shattered Ming Fuhua’s ice wall instantly. Though its momentum was slowed, the restraints made it even more feral. Its hollow eye sockets stared fixedly at them as it shrieked to the heavens, mustering its last ounce of strength to crush these tiny ants with its own body.
"Lu Qingkong, faster! Faster!" Ming Fuhua urged.
Lu Qingkong remained unhurried. "It’s already fast enough."
Just as he spoke, the boat pulled up to the edge of the high platform. Lu Qingkong leaped onto it, his eyes still fixed on the roaring Changyuan with a jarring look of excitement.
Standing at the edge of the platform, Ming Fuhua reached out to Ming Zhu. "Quickly, we’ve arrived."
His legs weak, Ming Zhu grabbed the two children and ran forward. He had just managed to push You Nü onto the platform when the Changyuan’s shriek erupted behind him. Ming Zhu didn't even have time to look back; he frantically tried to push Zhou Fuxue up next. Suddenly, Lu Qingkong said airily from the side, "Oh, time’s up."
In the next instant, the ground vanished beneath Ming Zhu’s feet. The boat’s formation dissipated, and it reverted into a small wooden toy. Ming Zhu and Zhou Fuxue plummeted together into the bottomless abyss.
The Changyuan, its strength spent and its wings immobilized, slammed into the mountainside and fell along with them.
"Brother!" Ming Fuhua watched Ming Zhu fall before her eyes, her face turning a ghastly shade of white. Without a moment’s hesitation, she pushed You Nü aside and leaped into the void after him.
Lu Qingkong leaned over the edge of the platform to look down. After a moment, he found himself staring blankly at You Nü, who remained on the platform. For a time, he didn't know what to say.
You Nü’s mouth puckered. She tugged gently on Lu Qingkong’s sleeve and sobbed, "They... they fell. The mountain is so high, will they be okay?"
Lu Qingkong’s insufferable personality remained unchanged regardless of who he faced. He impatiently shook off You Nü’s hand and said irritably, "You’re asking me? How should I know?"
You Nü was already terrified; being snapped at was the final straw. She bit her lower lip, trying to endure it, but she couldn't hold back. Suddenly, she burst into loud, wailing tears.
Lu Qingkong: "..."
Lu Qingkong had no idea how to comfort a child. Flustered by her crying, he tried to maintain a cold facade and threatened her, "Stop crying! If you keep crying, I’ll throw you down too!"
You Nü cried even louder.
Lu Qingkong: "..."
For the first time in his life, Lu Qingkong encountered a situation that couldn't be solved with a cold face. He froze for a long time before forcing himself to soften his voice. "Don't... don't cry."
You Nü was crying so hard she was nearly hyperventilating. Her face was covered in messy tear tracks, and the hands rubbing her eyes were trembling.
Lu Qingkong paused. He finally realized that with the other three’s fates unknown, and her being left with a perverse Senior Brother who only scolded her, "don't cry" was the most useless thing he could say.
Lu Qingkong knelt gently beside her, pulled her hands away, and said with a stiff, awkward expression, "Don't be afraid."
You Nü froze.
Kneeling on one knee, Lu Qingkong was roughly the same height as the slender You Nü. He reached out and pulled her into a clumsy embrace, offering stumbling words of comfort. "Senior Sister Fuhua is very strong. She will... she will definitely be able to save those two. Let’s go into Hundred Sword Mountain first to find what you need, and wait for them to find us, alright?"
This was the first time in his life Lu Qingkong had ever spoken so gently. As he spoke, the tips of his ears turned red, and he thought through gritted teeth, *If she keeps crying after I’ve said all this, I’m really leaving her behind.*
Fortunately, You Nü was a sensible child. Hearing Lu Qingkong’s words, she clung to them like a lifeline and nodded vigorously. "Mhm, Senior Sister will definitely be fine!"
Lu Qingkong breathed a sigh of relief unnoticed. He stood up, his ears still red, and walked forward, muttering, "Come on, let’s go inside."
You Nü skipped after him. She was a large-hearted person who didn't hold grudges; Lu Qingkong’s two sentences of comfort had completely wiped away his previous harshness. She was already prepared to categorize him as a "good person who knows how to comfort others."
Not at all afraid of the cold aura Lu Qingkong radiated, she sidled up to him, blinked, and asked softly, "Senior Brother, can I hold your hand?"
Lu Qingkong immediately retracted his hand into his sleeve and said coldly, "No."
You Nü’s head drooped in disappointment.
After a few more steps, Lu Qingkong suddenly felt his previous words had been too harsh. After thinking for a long time, he extended his pinky finger toward You Nü behind him and said awkwardly, "Just... just for a moment."
You Nü cheered and lunged forward, her soft hand grasping Lu Qingkong’s slender pinky. She looked up at him and beamed, "Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Lu Qingkong immediately turned his head away, his ears turning so red they looked ready to bleed. He walked into Hundred Sword Mountain with a stiff, mechanical gait.
The entrance to Hundred Sword Mountain was a cavern shaped like the gaping maw of a giant beast’s fangs. Inside, it was pitch black, and the wind occasionally whistled through the opening with a bone-chilling sound.
Lu Qingkong had a treacherous nature and was usually fearless—though he might have just added a new fear to his list: his Junior Sister’s tears. He pulled a white spiritual stone from his sleeve, which acted like a treasure chest. The base of the stone was carved with dense arrays. As his thumb brushed over them, the stone immediately emitted a soft glow, illuminating the surroundings.
You Nü was prone to extravagant praise for anything new and interesting. "Wow! Senior Brother, this glowing stone is amazing! Did you carve the runes on the bottom yourself? How did you carve them so small? You’re so incredible!"
Lu Qingkong felt no pride at her praise. Since even a posturing waste like Ming Zhu could receive such compliments from her, he felt her praise was far too inflated to be worth anything.
Leading You Nü, Lu Qingkong walked slowly into the cave. He felt a cold wind hit his face; even in the heat of summer, it made them both shiver.
Lu Qingkong led her through a narrow passage with an unchanging expression. Then, the space suddenly opened up, as if they had entered another world. Even the atmosphere changed instantly.
The first thing they saw was a massive sword plunged into the ground, so tall it seemed to pierce the heavens. It stood like an indomitable deity, looking down upon the world with peerless disdain. Even though the sword was bound by countless thick, heavy chains, it could not hide its vast, surging sword intent. A single glance was enough to inspire both dread and reverence.
The thick chains were engraved with tens of thousands of formations. It was impossible to tell how many years ago they had been placed; some parts were rusted and peeling, yet they still dutifully emitted a flickering violet-white light, binding this sinister sword within the mountain.
On the surrounding, endless walls, all sorts of weapons were embedded halfway into the rock. The sword blades reflected the violet-white light from the central chains, making the entire space bright and radiant.
Lu Qingkong had a waste spiritual root and could not practice cultivation; he was essentially no different from someone with no spiritual root at all. Facing that vast, boundless sword intent, he felt his legs weaken, tempted to fall to his knees.
In contrast, You Nü looked at the giant sword in the center with a face full of curiosity and awe, showing no sign of fear.
Seeing something, she suddenly pulled Lu Qingkong’s hand and ran forward, shouting happily, "Senior Brother, Senior Brother, look!"
Lu Qingkong was nearly pulled off balance, but her tug snapped him out of the trance induced by the sword intent, and his frozen body could move again.
What You Nü had noticed was a giant stone standing at the foot of the great sword. On it, the words "Hundred Sword Mountain" were carved in a flamboyant, sweeping script. However, Lu Qingkong couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but the horizontal stroke of the character for "Hundred" (百) looked strange.
Lu Qingkong couldn't help but reach out to touch it. But before he could, the character distorted slightly. In an instant, it transformed into a grotesque human face with a wide-open mouth, emitting a raspy voice: "Give... give it back... *kaka*..."
You Nü: "Aaaaah!"
Lu Qingkong: "..."
Lu Qingkong pulled his hand back lightning-fast, retreating several steps before steadying himself. Though he was brave and had a strange temperament, the sudden appearance of a human face on a stone still made him shudder involuntarily.
Hearing You Nü’s terrified scream, he forced himself to remain steady. Reclaiming his composure as a Senior Brother, he shielded her behind him.
The face was still struggling to open its mouth, uttering unintelligible words.
Lu Qingkong took a deep breath and patted You Nü’s arm before daring to take a step forward. Only then did the face manage to utter a complete sentence.
"Give... back... my things!"
***
