Immortalis

Hong Wan Ten

The physicians of Medicine King Mountain had been utterly overwhelmed in recent days.

This illness struck suddenly. Overnight, hundreds of commoners fell sick, exhibiting symptoms ranging from sudden complete loss of strength and being bedridden, to developing high fevers while shrouded in Pestilence Qi.

And it wasn't just humans who fell ill.

Whether livestock or birds and sparrows, many displayed the same symptoms as humans. Birds dropped from the sky, livestock died in droves, and without exception, their corpses stiffened like stone after death.

Medicine King Mountain sent people to investigate, only to find the disease wasn't contagious. They soon discovered that the cause of the pestilence seemed to be a strange insect, emerald green all over, resembling a cicada yet not quite one. Though clearly alive, it was hard as rock when touched with a blade and couldn't be easily killed.

Danyuan Bai often sent mountain physicians down to offer free clinics while searching for medicinal ingredients. Now, facing a major epidemic, they naturally couldn't stand idly by.

However, they had seriously underestimated this bizarre insect-borne pestilence.

Even with the best medicines administered, those infected couldn't necessarily wake up. Their vital energy seemed completely drained, making ordinary tonics utterly useless. The strong-bodied might endure, but anyone weaker would die within three days of contact with the Strange Cicada. Meanwhile, these victims' corpses, like the livestock, would stiffen with skin like stone, neither rotting nor decaying.

The elders of Medicine King Mountain scoured ancient texts and finally concluded this great pestilence was identical to the insect plague during the late Crimson Gold era a century earlier. Back then, there had been no cure—people could only burn the Strange Cicadas and corpses to eliminate the threat.

Yet the Strange Cicadas were numerous and hard to guard against. To eradicate them, not just Medicine King Mountain but various martial sects across the jianghu offered assistance, sending disciples to help commoners avoid the Strange Cicadas and jointly burn these culprits of the pestilence.

For a time, flames were seen everywhere across the Central Plains. Amid the billowing black smoke, sharp-eyed observers noticed that when the Strange Cicadas and corpses were burned, something seemed to burrow into the earth from within them. No matter how they dug afterward, they couldn't find any trace in the soil.

"That thing cannot die... It merely burrows underground in search of Ore Veins. It might even parasitize other insects again. Someday, when exposed to heat, it will reemerge to harm the people once more."

During another elders' meeting at Medicine King Mountain, an uninvited guest suddenly arrived at the mountain gate.

The visitor was bundled up tightly but straightforwardly demanded to see Danyuan Bai, claiming to have a method to stop the insect plague.

The gatekeeping disciples didn't dare delay and immediately escorted him into the Pharmaceutical King Hall where the elders were convening.

"Might I ask who this young hero is..."

Danyuan Bai found the figure vaguely familiar and was forming a guess when the man removed his hat, revealing a face everyone knew well.

It was none other than Zhou Huai, the young master of White Rainbow Tower who had disappeared many days ago.

Now that it had been confirmed the Strange Worm came from the Meat Well, Danyuan Bai coldly snorted, "Back then, you and Yang Wujian deceived the Four Seas Alliance into setting that fire, and now we have this once-in-a-hundred-years pestilence appearing. Zhou Huai, with so many commoners dead, how dare you show your face?"

Though barely over a month had passed, Zhou Huai's demeanor had grown more restrained, the youthful willfulness faded away. Now, he carried the bearing of a true hero of the era.Facing Danyuan Bai's aggressive stance, Zhou Huai merely replied calmly, "Sect Leader Dan, do you still remember the strange worms that Yang Wujian and I distributed to you back then for finding the Longevity Heart Sutra?"

At the mention of the Longevity Heart Sutra, Danyuan Bai's expression grew even more unpleasant.

A few days ago, during the battle with the Zhaoming Division on Boundless Mountain, several Medicine King Mountain disciples had been killed or injured. Slamming the table and rising to his feet, he gritted his teeth and said, "If it weren't for you and Yang Wujian committing such foolish acts, the Zhaoming Division would never have had an excuse to storm the mountain that day. Today, you will pay with your life for my Medicine King Mountain disciples who died unjustly!"

With that, Danyuan Bai drew his sword. The elders and disciples present exchanged glances, then followed their sect leader's lead and unsheathed their weapons as well.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense and hostile, as if a fierce battle could erupt at any moment.

In the past, Zhou Huai would have felt compelled to offer some explanation, but now, he seemed to have grasped the unwritten rules of the martial world. With a sharp clang, Zhou Huai drew his White Rainbow Sword and said calmly, "If a fight is unavoidable, you should prepare some healing medicine right now."

"What arrogance!"

At this point, Danyuan Bai was in no mood to back down. He thrust his sword toward Zhou Huai, only to be immediately forced back by a sharp sword aura.

"Since that's the case, let's fight!"

With those words, Zhou Huai raised his sword and executed Floating Clouds Embracing Moon, a technique seamlessly integrated with White Rainbow. For a moment, no one could even get close to him. Without a word, Zhou Huai swung his sword and shattered the table in the center of the Pharmaceutical King Hall. Pointing his blade directly at Danyuan Bai, he said coldly, "Sect Leader Dan, are you truly determined to fight me?"

Since the fall of White Rainbow Tower, Zhou Huai's martial skills had advanced by leaps and bounds. He could now be considered powerful enough to take on a hundred opponents single-handedly. The elders of Medicine King Mountain had never been particularly skilled in martial arts, and even if they joined forces now, they likely stood no chance of subduing him.

Danyuan Bai stared at the table shattered by the fierce sword aura, feeling a chill in his heart.

Originally, Zhou Huai's Floating Clouds Embracing Moon had been a mere imitation of Gui Sanyan's technique—possessing the form but lacking the essence. But now, he had fully integrated Floating Clouds Embracing Moon with White Rainbow Swordplay. Though the killing intent had diminished, the technique was now both offensive and defensive. Even if the Immeasurable Seven Swords were to arrive today, Zhou Huai might not necessarily lose.

Danyuan Bai couldn't help but reflect: Zhou Huai's ability to settle White Rainbow Tower's messy accounts in just a few days clearly demonstrated his inheritance of his father's business acumen. Now, with his unfathomable martial prowess on top of that, it seemed White Rainbow Tower was far from fading from the martial world.

Realizing he was outmatched, Danyuan Bai had no choice but to resort to reasoning. He sneered, "Zhou Huai, what exactly do you want?"

Only then did Zhou Huai sheathe his sword. "I told you, I'm here to find a way to end the insect plague. Have you calmed down now, Sect Leader Dan? If not, I can spar with you a few more rounds."

Outmatched in skill, Danyuan Bai could no longer afford to lose his temper. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Speak. What is this method?"

Zhou Huai took out a vial containing Meteor Star from his robe and said, "The Emerald Blood Cicadas parasitized by Meteor Star are what caused the insect plague. Although Meteor Star can be lethal, it prefers to consume ore and usually remains underground, so it poses no danger most of the time."

Danyuan Bai still had some Meteor Star in his possession. As a physician, he immediately grasped the implication and frowned. "The victims all had their blood and vitality drained. Does that mean this thing can also parasitize humans?"Zhou Huai nodded: "Exactly. The reason those corpses are as rigid as stone is because of the Meteor Star within those Emerald Blood Cicadas. Although most people in this world can be parasitized by this object, they cannot survive—they will only have their vitality drained, followed by possession and illness."

Most people...

Danyuan Bai detected something peculiar in his words and was about to ask if there were truly people who could coexist with this Evil Entity when Zhou Huai continued: "The Meteor Star can never be killed. Using fire merely drives them out of their host bodies, causing them to burrow back underground. Sooner or later, they will emerge again."

"If that's the case, how do you stop the insect plague? Isn't burning the only method?"

"Burning is indeed the final solution, but more importantly, we must prevent these Emerald Blood Cicadas from approaching villages to avoid harming more commoners."

Zhou Huai then took out a bottle from his bag containing what appeared to be a crimson powder. He sprinkled some on the ground and placed the Emerald Blood Cicada he had captured nearby. Surprisingly, the cicada automatically avoided the red powder, crawling around it instead.

Danyuan Bai was astonished: "What is this?"

Zhou Huai replied calmly: "Blood powder made from dried blood."

Danyuan Bai grew more confused: "The Strange Worm fears blood?"

Zhou Huai shook his head: "Not exactly. The Meteor Star is an Otherworldly Object that is only interested in minerals. The reason it possesses people isn't because the Meteor Star actively seeks hosts, but because the Emerald Blood Cicada, like ordinary Golden Cicadas, prefers warmth over cold. Thus, when they encounter something warm, they pounce, thereby bringing the Meteor Star into human bodies."

Danyuan Bai still didn't understand: "But why does this blood..."

Zhou Huai explained: "The Meteor Star can serve as a blood shadow for all living things. Therefore, those parasitized by the Meteor Star have hierarchies. If the Meteor Star can coexist with a person, the Emerald Blood Cicada will avoid that individual."

"What..."

His words caused an uproar among everyone present.

Danyuan Bai widened his eyes: "In this world... there truly exists..."

Zhou Huai remained composed and produced twenty identical bottles from his robe: "These are for emergencies. A single drop of blood, even diluted in water, can make the Emerald Blood Cicada retreat instantly... But relying on these alone isn't a long-term solution. Since you still have Meteor Stars, why not try feeding them to birds or beasts that prey on Golden Cicadas? If they can survive long-term, their blood can make the Emerald Blood Cicada fearful. If it fails, burn the corpses, retrieve the Meteor Stars, and try again."

After speaking, Zhou Huai left the bottles and turned to go. Danyuan Bai stopped him: "Wait! Is what you just said true? Can someone in this world really coexist with the Meteor Star? Since the Meteor Star is an Otherworldly Object, wouldn't that person be..."

Zhou Huai paused, knowing what Danyuan Bai meant to say.

The Meteor Star is an Otherworldly Object, transcending this mortal world. If so, wouldn't the person parasitized by the Meteor Star be the closest existence to a god in this era?

Involuntarily, Zhou Huai thought of White Dog.

In the legends of the Northern Desert, both White Dog and Golden Cicada are divine messengers. However, having now encountered both White Dog and Cicada Molt, Zhou Huai knew they were not gods but the most pitiful people in the world, forever imprisoned without hope of liberation.

"Master Danyuan, they say Ancestor Yonglezi of Medicine King Mountain possessed the virtue to save heaven and earth. Now, it's your turn to save this world."After uttering those words, Zhou Huai strode down the Long Steps alone. Danyuan Bai initially intended to send someone after him to investigate the owner of the blood, but Zhou Huai moved with such swiftness that his figure vanished beyond the mountain gate before anyone could pursue him.

"Green Stone, I only hope they won't betray the sacrifice of your blood."

Gazing at the distant Medicine King Mountain disciples searching for him, Zhou Huai murmured softly from his elevated position before setting off on his return journey to White Rainbow Tower.

Along the way, the plague of insects had left the surroundings desolate and silent. While gathering information, Zhou Huai unexpectedly learned that Prince Li of Shuzhou had just succumbed to the insect plague. The emperor, grief-stricken, vowed to eradicate the pestilence and had dispatched several skilled physicians from the capital to treat patients in the affected regions.

It seemed the world had settled into a new order.

Zhou Huai breathed a sigh of relief, yet his thoughts drifted to his friend in the distant capital, stirring a wave of melancholy within him.

Four days later, Zhou Huai returned to Green Bamboo Town. Using his recent earnings from selling pelts, he purchased winter garments for Shen Qingshi and brought along two bundles of tender cabbage for Xue Qiu. Laden with his purchases, he finally entered the bamboo grove.

Previously, to save others through bloodletting, Shen Qingshi had nearly drained herself, falling into a deep slumber for three full days after extracting twenty vials of blood. Zhou Huai, terrified by her condition, immediately prepared nourishing broth. Despite this, Shen Qingshi remained extremely frail, barely able to leave her bed.

During his visit to Medicine King Mountain, Zhou Huai had considered requesting tonic medicines but ultimately decided against turning Shen Qingshi's sacrifice into a transaction, thus never broaching the subject.

Throughout his return journey, he visited numerous apothecaries to gather herbs for Shen Qingshi, wholly preoccupied with ensuring her proper recovery. However, upon reaching White Rainbow Tower, he spotted a horse tethered outside.

Zhou Huai's expression instantly turned icy.

He knew the visitor could only be the one person he least wished to encounter here.