Ming Zhu was like a man possessed, held tightly by Ming Zhao as he was dragged away from Biri Cliff.
"Hongchuan! Hongchuan, Hongchuan..."
No other sound could escape his lips; he could only call out that name incessantly. His pupils were slightly dilated, and he struggled with every limb, trying to throw himself out of Ming Zhao’s arms.
Knowing Ming Zhu could not hear him, Ming Zhao simply locked his arms around the boy's waist and carried him off, striding away from Biri Cliff without a backward glance. He moved swiftly toward the Sky-Vessel where the others were waiting nearby.
Ming Zhu struggled until he was utterly exhausted. His mind grew hazy as he clung to Ming Zhao’s neck, murmuring "Hongchuan" in a daze.
Ming Zhao placed him onto a soft couch in the central chamber of the Sky-Vessel. He reached out to gently wipe the tears from the boy's face, whispering, "Don't cry. It’s alright. Father is here."
Ming Zhu looked at him with vacant eyes.
Ming Zhao could not stay long. After giving a few instructions to the stunned Yi Fuju and the others, he tossed a storage ring to Yi Fuju, turned, and leaped off the vessel, vanishing into the distance.
Shen Dian and Lu Qingkong rushed over immediately. One wiped his tears while the other grabbed his wrist to check his pulse.
Soon, Shen Dian’s expression darkened. "His meridians are flowing in reverse. He was struck by that last bolt of lightning and is severely injured—Ninth Senior Brother, go to the room and get my medicine chest!"
Lu Qingkong scrambled away as fast as he could.
As Shen Dian bandaged his wounds, Ming Zhu watched her busy movements with a look of curious confusion. Only when he regained a bit of strength did he lightly tug on Shen Dian’s sleeve, whispering, "Hongchuan."
Shen Dian didn't understand, but she could see that Ming Zhu’s mind was currently unstable. She coaxed him softly, "Seventh Senior Brother went down to watch the show. He should be back in a bit. Don't worry."
Ming Zhu tugged again, his voice rising. "Hongchuan!"
Shen Dian said helplessly, "Alright, alright. I’ll go find him as soon as I’ve finished bandaging you. Be good, don't move."
Ming Zhu could neither hear nor see clearly; he simply kept calling Shen Hongchuan’s name.
Driven to a headache by his persistence, Shen Dian turned to Yi Fuju. "Second Senior Brother, could I trouble you to find Seventh Senior Brother? Eldest Senior Brother is making a fuss to see him."
Yi Fuju stood with his back to them, clutching the storage ring Ming Zhao had thrown him. He was like an ice sculpture, frozen in place, motionless for a long time.
You Nü was pacing nearby, anxious but unable to help. Hearing this, she immediately volunteered, "You Nü can go find Senior Brother Hongchuan!"
Shen Dian said, "Fine, I’ll leave it to You Nü then."
You Nü hopped happily, but just as she was about to jump off the vessel, Yi Fuju stopped her.
Yi Fuju’s stiff fingers tapped a rhythmic sequence against the vessel’s railing.
Shen Dian, who was cleaning the blood from Ming Zhu’s body, froze.
After the final thunderclap had struck, the lightning had lingered for a full minute before finally dissipating into the air. The half-dead white snake looked as though its last breath had been snuffed out. Its body was charred black, and the sight of its exposed white bones was utterly gruesome.
Once the dust and smoke cleared, Zhou Mingzhong and Ye Weiyang stood at the edge of Biri Cliff, staring coldly at the demon cultivator who refused to die. If Zhou Mingzhong hadn't reacted in time to deploy a barrier with all his spiritual power, everyone present would likely have been reduced to ash by that final tribulation bolt.
Gui Ning’s face was ashen. Without wasting a moment, he used his spiritual power to lift the massive serpent and hurled it directly toward the formation at the bottom of Biri Cliff.
The massive serpentine body vanished into the pitch-black abyss, and the crowd finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Qingkong steered the Sky-Vessel slowly toward them, landing it on the cliff.
The moment the massive vessel touched down, Lu Qingkong stumbled off and rushed to Gui Ning’s side. "Ma—Master! Seventh Senior Brother, he..."
Gui Ning’s pupils constricted. Without waiting for Lu Qingkong to finish, he flew onto the vessel. From a distance, he saw Ming Zhu curled up beside the couch.
Ming Zhu’s wounds had all been treated by Shen Dian. He had changed into a set of white robes and sat huddled by the couch with his knees pulled to his chest, his expression filled with terror.
Gui Ning walked over and gently pulled him into an embrace, whispering, "Don't be afraid. Master is here."
Ming Zhu’s hearing had recovered somewhat. Hearing Gui Ning’s cold yet soft voice, the tears he had just stopped began to pour down again. He lunged into Gui Ning’s arms and finally broke down, wailing uncontrollably.
Shen Hongchuan’s corpse had been taken out of the storage ring by Yi Fuju and placed in a room on the vessel. Lu Qingkong was kneeling beside him, his face covered in tear tracks.
Gui Ning took one look and understood what had happened. He said nothing, only telling Lu Qingkong, "Let’s go."
Ming Zhu seemed frightened out of his wits, clutching Gui Ning’s sleeve and refusing to leave his side. His face was a mask of panic and dread. Gui Ning did not find him tiresome; when the boy cried, he used his sleeve to wipe the tears, and when he trembled, he offered soft words of comfort.
Lu Qingkong wiped his own tears and activated the vessel’s formations, steering it unsteadily toward the now-calm sky.
Right then, the bottom of the vessel was struck violently by something. The Sky-Vessel let out a shrill, agonizing screech, and the entire hull lurched, nearly throwing everyone on deck overboard.
Gui Ning’s expression darkened. He handed Ming Zhu over to Yi Fuju, instructing, "Watch him. Don't let him run off."
Ming Zhu grabbed his sleeve desperately, unwilling to let go. "Master! Master!"
Gui Ning tapped his forehead lightly and said softly, "I’ll be back soon."
With that, he led everyone else out of the room.
Zhou Mingzhong and Ming Zhao were now standing by the vessel's railing. Their robes and hair whipped in the wind as they stared expressionlessly at the massive white ropes extending from the bottom of Biri Cliff. The ropes seemed to be formed from the demon cultivator’s spiritual power, clawing at the vessel like sentient serpents.
Ming Zhao clicked his tongue in annoyance. "How persistent."
That white snake hadn't died even after being struck into such a state. It had actually crawled out of the formation suspended in the abyss. Its massive head now rested on the edge of the cliff, and countless strands of white spiritual power radiated from its body, coalescing into thick white serpents that latched onto the crumbling Sky-Vessel, attempting to drag the massive ship down.
Gui Ning arrived late and took in the scene, his expression grave. "We must be quick. If he escapes the formation, the tribulation is already complete. Once he consolidates his cultivation at the Great Perfection stage, no one will be able to stop him."
Zhou Mingzhong gave a lazy grunt of affirmation. The three of them leaped from the vessel simultaneously, their spiritual power erupting as they smashed down toward the demon cultivator’s head with unstoppable force.
The white snake let out a sudden cry of agony, its roar echoing through the heavens. The white ropes coiled around the vessel were all severed by Gui Ning using a hundred illusory longswords.
Even so, the Sky-Vessel continued to plummet unsteadily.
Amidst the deafening roars, Shen Dian screamed, "Ninth Senior Brother! Faster! We’re going to fall!"
You Nü clung to Lu Qingkong’s leg, shouting that they were all going to die.
Lu Qingkong, driven to a frenzy by the noise, bit his finger and began to repair the damaged talismans on the vessel bit by bit.
"You’re all too loud! Shut up!" Lu Qingkong cursed as he worked. "Have you no manners?!"
At the same time, the three peak-level cultivators struck at the gasping demon at the bottom of the cliff. In a single exchange, they pulverized half of the blood-drenched serpentine body.
The demon cultivator shrieked. The severed spiritual power surged again like wild seaweed, lashing out toward the vessel in the sky. More white ropes locked onto the vessel’s railings and window frames.
Shen Dian and You Nü cried out as they were tossed across the deck by the instability, nearly falling overboard.
With a flash of sword light, Zhou Fuxue and Ming Fuhua unsheathed their blades, hacking at the white ropes binding the vessel.
Ming Fuhua said coldly, "Don't panic. Use your swords to sever the ropes."
No sooner had she spoken than her blade struck a white rope, only to be bounced back. Both Ming Fuhua and Zhou Fuxue were at the Nascent Soul stage, yet even with their full strength, they couldn't leave a scratch on those illusory white ropes.
Lu Qingkong, clinging to the railing, shouted, "If you can't cut the ropes, cut the parts of the ship they’re attached to!"
Upon hearing this, everyone began a merciless destruction of the brand-new Sky-Vessel that had only flown twice. As Lu Qingkong used his meager cultivation to chop off an exquisite railing, he shouted, "Shen Dian! If you can't help here, go check on Seventh Senior Brother! Don't let his cor—his body be damaged further!"
Shen Dian hurried into the cabin.
Meanwhile, in the second-floor room, an entire window was smashed inward by a white rope the thickness of an arm. It slithered inside like a living creature.
Expressionless, Yi Fuju flipped his hands, suspending the Jiao-wei Zither before him. He struck the strings violently, sending waves of spiritual power crashing out with the music, successfully repelling the white rope.
Ming Zhu stood to the side, clutching a wooden pillar. His legs felt weak as he watched the snake-like spiritual power. He wanted to help, but he couldn't move a single step.
"Fuju..." He reached out a trembling hand to call for Yi Fuju, his eyes brimming with tears of terror.
Yi Fuju drove back that white snake, but more things began crawling in from below—an endless, relentless tide.
Though Yi Fuju’s cultivation was high, facing so many things that could neither be cut nor repelled soon began to drain his spiritual reserves.
He flew to Ming Zhu’s side and quickly signaled with his hands: *Go. We’re going down. Staying on the vessel will only get us dragged down into Biri Cliff.*
Ming Zhu nodded frantically. Just as the two were about to turn and leave, a white rope, seemingly driven to desperation, lunged straight for them.
Yi Fuju instinctively reached for his zither, but before he could act, Ming Zhu shoved him aside.
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed in his ears. A drop of blood splattered onto Yi Fuju’s cheek. He whipped his head around to see that the relentless white rope had pierced through Ming Zhu’s abdomen. It had passed clean through, coiling several times around Ming Zhu’s blood-slicked waist, dragging him outward inch by inch.
Yi Fuju’s eyes turned red instantly. Ignoring his fallen zither, he poured out every ounce of his spiritual power, striking the white rope without holding back.
That strike, powerful enough to shatter a mountain, hit the seemingly fragile white rope without causing a single ripple. It continued to drag Ming Zhu toward the shattered window frame.
A look of panic finally appeared on Yi Fuju’s habitually stoic face. He stumbled forward, reaching out to grab Ming Zhu’s hand, but the moment they touched, he felt the boy's meridians and life force withering at an alarming rate.
That strike had pierced through the lower back and the dantian, crushing the Golden Core into powder. Even if he managed to pull him back, Ming Zhu would not survive.
the massive Sky-Vessel shook violently. Lu Qingkong’s voice drifted in from outside: "Senior Brothers and Sisters! The vessel is still falling! Are those damn ropes still not cut? Hurry up, we can't hold on much longer!"
Ming Fuhua said coldly, "I’ve cut everything I can see. I’ll check the underside of the vessel; there seems to be one more there."
"Thank you, Senior Sister."
Then came the sound of hurried footsteps.
Yi Fuju gripped Ming Zhu’s hand, holding on with all his might. Hearing the boy's pained groans, he realized that holding on was only prolonging Ming Zhu’s agony. Despairingly, he began to loosen his grip, inch by inch.
Ming Zhu lurched as he was pulled, his body falling into the open air, with only his left hand desperately gripping a broken iron bar on the window frame.
Yi Fuju fell to his knees. His eyes burned, and hot tears seemed ready to overflow.
A cold, fishy wind swept up from the bottom of Biri Cliff, making Ming Zhu’s white robes snap loudly in the gale.
The white snake of Biri Cliff was still roaring and howling, but its voice grew weaker under the combined assault of Ming Zhao and the others. Its head, resting on the cliff’s edge, began to slide downward.
Ming Zhu was drifting in and out of consciousness. Hanging by one hand, he looked up dazed. Amidst the faint roars of the beast, he heard the slight sound of a longsword being unsheathed.
Yi Fuju looked down at him against the light. That compassionate face was filled with agony. His pale lips moved slightly.
"Sor... ry..."
He had practiced Silent Penance for many years and had long forgotten how to speak. When he finally made a sound, it was a stumbling string of noises, like a child learning to talk.
And because he had spoken, the decades of cultivation in his meridians were destroyed in an instant. Blood spilled from his lips, dripping onto the floor like a blooming lotus.
"I’m sorry..."
Yi Fuju placed his sword against Ming Zhu’s left wrist. The cold blade jolted Ming Zhu into a moment of clarity. As his life force drained rapidly from his abdomen, he seemed to realize something in his final moments. A look of pleading appeared in his eyes.
"I don't... want to die yet..." Ming Zhu murmured softly.
The tears in Yi Fuju’s eyes finally fell, landing on Ming Zhu’s cheek. They felt scalding hot, making his whole body shudder.
In the next instant, a sharp pain erupted from his wrist. Countless shades of crimson exploded before his eyes. Ming Zhu watched blankly as Yi Fuju’s face receded from his vision.
It took a moment for Ming Zhu to realize he was falling. He felt lost and confused, his eyes still holding that deep plea and the words he hadn't yet spoken.
*Please, save me.*
At that same moment, Ming Zhao flew down to the massive snake’s head and struck it with his palm. The white snake lost its final purchase and fell straight from Biri Cliff.
Just as it was about to fall into the formation, it gathered its remaining strength, opened its hideous maw, and lunged upward. It swallowed the falling Ming Zhu in one gulp before losing all momentum and plunging into the array.
The formation finally activated, erupting in a blood-red light that completely consumed the serpent’s body.
Thousands of miles away, Gui He was moving ancient books out of the library to dry them on wooden boards in the sun. Yan Xueyu was nearby, though it was unclear if he was helping or just sunbathing; he lay squinting on a pile of books, looking perfectly content.
Gui He said helplessly, "Xueyu, those books are older than you. It’s really not proper for you to lie on them."
Yan Xueyu said nonchalantly, "It’s fine. No one’s around to scold me anyway."
No sooner had he spoken than Shang Yanfeng walked over with a cold, hurried expression.
Hearing the footsteps, Yan Xueyu immediately thought *'Uh oh'* and scrambled up from the books, fearing his stubborn Fifth Junior Brother would lecture him.
But Shang Yanfeng had no energy for such things. His face was pale with terror, and even his hands were shaking violently.
"Little Martial Uncle!" Shang Yanfeng hurried over, his legs giving way as he collapsed to his knees.
Gui He looked at him, bewildered. "What happened? Why are you in such a panic?"
Shang Yanfeng’s voice was unsteady, thick with dread.
"In the Hall of Longevity... the Longevity Lamps of Shen Hongchuan and Eldest Senior Brother..."
"...have both gone out."
The book in Gui He’s hand hit the ground with a thud.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
蔽日崖 | Biri Cliff | "Sun-Blocking Cliff," the location of the demon's tribulation.
行鸢 | Sky-Vessel | A flying vessel or "kite" used for transport.
闭口禅 | Silent Penance | A meditative vow of silence (Bikou Chan).
长生灯 | Longevity Lamp | A soul lamp that stays lit as long as the person is alive.
大乘期 | Great Perfection Stage | Also known as the Mahayana stage, a very high level of cultivation.
焦尾琴 | Jiao-wei Zither | "Scorched Tail Zither," a famous type of ancient Chinese zither.
丹田 | Dantian | The region in the body where qi/spiritual energy is stored.
金丹 | Golden Core | The core of a cultivator's power; its destruction is usually fatal or results in total loss of power.
