The zither's melody had ceased, yet its lingering resonance still echoed without end.
The beast's roars had quieted, and the gentle spring breeze regained its tenderness.
All sounds fell silent, yet the snow continued to fall. Snowflakes drifted lightly, passing through the moonlight to land on grass tips and tree branches, floating into streams and lakes, vanishing instantly like an illusory dream.
Only when occasional coolness touched skin exposed beyond the magic robe did one feel a sense of reality.
The cultivators listened to the fading zither notes, none speaking.
The legendary Painted Spring Mountain rose abruptly from the plain, a solitary peak standing in majestic isolation wreathed in swirling dust.
The towering mountain inspired awe, its profound pressure enough to make one's courage fail.
And Song Qianji with that Chaos beast were now within the mountain.
Two tigers cannot share one mountain. If the suppression failed, only one could emerge—either the ferocious beast that devours living things in a frenzy, or Song Qianji who had turned the tide.
Thousands of gazes fixed upon Painted Spring Mountain, filled with deep concern.
Even Song Qianji's enemies, or those who held dislike for him, now sincerely hoped for his victory.
Otherwise, if Song Qianji perished in the beast's jaws, who could withstand the rampaging Chaos? Who would dare gamble on their own survival?
Cultivators who had nearly been devoured gathered together, healing their wounds while still shaken.
Suddenly, someone spoke: "If this is the true 'Wind and Snow Array Entry Tune,' then what have I been playing all this time?"
The voice was hoarse and desolate, utterly unlike its former ethereal beauty.
It was actually Fairy Miaoyan.
She extended her palm, feeling the snowflakes landing on her fingertips.
He Qingqing looked toward Miaoyan with slight sympathy. She understood deeply Miaoyan's obsession with this composition, and in this moment, she surprisingly comprehended the other's feelings.
"The score itself is no different, but he is, after all, the composer who naturally can express the true meaning within the music," He Qingqing said.
Miaoyan threw back her head and laughed wildly: "You knew all along! You all knew, and came to watch me make a fool of myself. Song Xun is Song Qianji!"
Her shrill laughter was terrifying, making one's hair stand on end.
Nearby cultivators who wanted to approach her looked frightened, hastily retreating.
"Who is this person?"
"Certainly not Fairy Miaoyan! The fairy would never be like this!"
He Qingqing didn't know what "Song Xun" had done: "Since you're leaving the Cultivation World, who composed this piece no longer concerns you."
Miaoyan shouted: "Song Qianji concerns me!"
He Qingqing's expression turned cold instantly.
The snow gradually lightened, and the Chaos within Painted Spring Mountain grew quiet.
Whispers arose throughout the underground palace, like spring insects reviving after winter's end.
"I thought that flood dragon in the red river was suspicious earlier. So it wasn't Blood River Valley senior's test at all—it was the King of Thousand Canals finding ways to save us."
"You were rescued in the Red River? We just got saved from the ice cave too. Let's introduce ourselves."
Amid the joy of surviving calamity, a few still wore inexplicable expressions.
"If Senior Brother Song succeeds in suppressing it, would he want to kill it? But a beast's final counterattack before death is its strongest blow," Ji Chen worried. "What if it self-destructs..."
"Song Qianji won't kill it."
Ji Chen was interrupted, turning to meet Wei Zhenyu's profound gaze.
"Song Qianji's understanding of life's cycles, of heaven, earth, and all living things differs from ours. Unless necessary, he's unwilling to kill. When it rains in Song Courtyard, he even rescues earthworms from the ground back into the soil. Don't you find that amusing."
A trace of mocking smile curled Wei Zhenyu's lips.
The Inexhaustible Fire that hadn't been fully subdued yet burned within his Purple Palace, snowflakes landing on him instantly transforming into curling white mist.According to the normal thinking of human cultivators, ferocious beasts were not of their kind, terrifyingly savage, capable of swallowing thousands in one bite and shattering mountains with a single claw. Naturally, they should be killed whenever possible to eliminate future troubles.
"What's so funny? Do you think you understand our senior brother better?" Meng Heze glared at him.
"I don't understand." Wei Zhenyu continued laughing. "I've never understood him. I never know what he's thinking or what he's doing. None of you do either—we're all the same."
He wouldn't kill ferocious beasts and even saved earthworms, so why did he insist on driving me away? Wei Zhenyu wanted to shout at that person: If you want my life, just take it.
But Song Qianji didn't want his life. Song Qianji had saved him twice, and he had no idea what Song Qianji actually wanted.
His Purple Palace constantly endured the torment of flames, making him realize the dangers of subduing heavenly treasures.
If not for Song Qianji bearing the fiercest backlash when the Inexhaustible Fire left the pool, he would have been burned to ashes.
This was the second time Song Qianji had saved him.
The first was during the assassination attempt at Thousand Canal Bazaar. Lin Feiyuan knew he couldn't harm Song Qianji, so he turned his sword toward him.
Song Qianji took the blow for him. The scalding blood splashed on his face, feeling hotter in his memory than the Inexhaustible Fire.
"We never betrayed senior brother! How could we be like you?" Meng Heze fumed. "You're still laughing? What's so funny?"
He was naturally angry.
When Song Qianji transformed into Song Xun, they all witnessed "Song Xun" being ordered around and treated coldly by "Wei Wang."
Why did senior brother infiltrate Wei Zhenyu's team? Was it to protect him?
After Wei Zhenyu broke his sword, severed ties, and destroyed the flower stand back then, senior brother traveled thousands of miles to protect him.
And he remained so ungrateful.
Wei Zhenyu's laughter grew louder. Just as Meng Heze reached for his sword, he heard:
"I left home young, wandered the world, lived as both human and dog. Only he stood in front of me time and again. If he drove me away, why did he care whether I lived or died? Isn't that laughable?!"
"You..." Meng Heze's sword remained half-drawn.
When Wei Zhenyu was defiant, he wanted to cut him down. But seeing Wei Zhenyu red-eyed like a stray dog, he instead felt like comforting him.
Ji Chen softly called "Wei Ping" and approached: "There might be some misunderstanding between you and senior brother. After we leave the secret realm, come back to Thousand Canals with us."
After a moment's thought, Ji Chen added: "After you left, senior brother kept learning to cook. His noodles aren't bad anymore."
Wei Zhenyu froze, remembering how "Song Xun" always served him the largest portions when cooking for the team, but he'd only take two bites before pushing it aside.
Song Qianji used to randomly throw seasonings when making noodles—how many attempts did it take before he could make something edible?
"I won't go back to Thousand Canals with you. When he comes out, I'll settle this with him directly!"
When Song Qianji emerged from the mountain crevice, Chaos was already fast asleep. Its long snores echoed through the cavern.
He hadn't used the Shadowless Sword in battle—it still carried traces of Xian Jianchen's aura. Chaos was sensitive to scents and could easily be provoked.
If Chaos exploded in extreme rage, it could collapse the entire Underground Palace.
During this secret realm journey, the Dragon Slaying Formation proved useful at Red River, the items Xian Jianchen gave him stored in his Storage Bag were consumed in the ice cave, while Painted Spring Mountain and the Seven Wonders Zither were used to suppress Chaos.He had played all his trump cards and was injured by Wuxiang's self-detonation and the backlash from activating the Seven Wonders Zither, while an unknown number of enemy clones still lurked in the shadows.
Promises among human cultivators were often accompanied by vows, just as Wuxiang’s earlier condition required mutual oaths to cease hostilities. Only the most severe vows, sanctioned by heavenly law, could foster trust between people.
But this Chaos creature, though partially understanding human nature, was somewhat foolish. It required neither vows nor blood oaths. When Song Qianji said he would return, it believed him and peacefully fell asleep.
Satiated and content, it sprawled in the mountain that stayed warm in winter and cool in summer, snoring away, without a thought to whether Song Qianji might break his promise.
"Blood River Patriarch must have cherished it deeply in his lifetime, much like how I treasure my vegetable garden," Song Qianji thought, glancing back one last time at the jade pendant hanging from Chaos’s neck.
A tamed fierce beast, even after being harmed by humans, would still trust easily.
Song Qianji emerged from the dark cave and returned to the mountain peak.
He was greeted by thunderous cheers:
"He’s out! It’s the King of Thousand Canals, Song Qianji, who won!"
"The King of Thousand Canals is peerless in valor!"
"Divine King Song!"
Earlier, Song Qianji had summoned a great mountain to suppress the fierce beast and played a melody that brought spring snow on a spring night. Though his robes were torn and he swayed unsteadily, in the hearts of all the cultivators, he remained the savior who descended from the heavens.
As Song Qianji turned to descend the mountain, he felt a wave of embarrassment, as if he were being paraded through the Outer Sect square for public display on the second day of his rebirth.
The faint, oppressive aura of Chaos seeped out, enveloping the entire Painted Spring Mountain.
There was no need for him to post a giant banner reading "Danger: Fierce Beast Inside, Keep Away." The cultivators spontaneously circled the mountain, leaving warning markers to caution future generations not to approach and risk their lives.
Having narrowly escaped the beast’s maw, the cultivators set aside sectarian and factional prejudices, uniting once more in a moment of solidarity.
Cheers surged like the sea, joy swelled like the tide.
Just then, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
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