Fu Xi Mountain, with its main peak made of jade, has an ancient array at its summit, known as the Spirit Spring Formation.

It is said that this formation was created by a peerless deity with the original intention of maintaining a barrier to protect the immortal world. However, after the deity passed away, dissipating all their cultivation, the twelve immortal mountains they had established were mostly destroyed during the great war between immortals and demons five hundred years ago. Only four mountains and eight sects remain, with Ling Qingzi’s Tian Shu Sect being the strongest, making it the undisputed leader of the immortal world today.

Due to the weakening of the formation’s power after the deity’s passing, only the core of the formation still functions, and it has largely lost its protective effect for the immortal world. However, Ling Qingzi has repurposed it as a trial that advanced disciples must undergo before they face tribulations.

From Bai Fanlu’s perspective when reading the book, it was like a simulated exam. Now, this formation had been upgraded to a higher level, and once the acting sect leader, Yun Zhan, passes through it, he would receive top-grade refining materials, which could transform the magical artifact Bi Luo, significantly advancing his cultivation in a single day.

Of course, this was according to the original plot.

As Bai Fanlu was forcefully pushed into the situation, he tried to adapt to the sensation of flying through the clouds while glancing at the distant blue light and the swirling black winds.

He could see two major forces clashing in mid-air, equally matched, with the white-robed disciples being thrown about by the turbulent currents, unable to even get close to the demonic creature.

Facing the battlefield directly, Bai Fanlu felt a surge of fear. The original novel hadn’t specified the level of the demonic creature, only describing how the original Bai Fanlu heroically charged into battle, risking his life to protect Yun Zhan.

“Such strong demonic energy…” Wang Chongyu stood in front of Bai Fanlu, blocking his way forward.

“!” Bai Fanlu, already struggling with flying, almost crashed into Wang Chongyu’s back but managed to stop just in time. He rolled his eyes, unable to stop the complaints running through his mind.

Now he was trying to stop him? Where was this energy earlier?

Recalling their recent conversation, Bai Fanlu felt increasingly like he had been set up by a lousy teammate.

Wang Chongyu: “Senior Brother! Your injuries haven’t healed yet; you mustn’t overexert yourself!”

Bai Fanlu: “…Master has treated me with great kindness, and my junior brother is in danger; I must go!”

The original Bai Fanlu would never have knowingly let those two suffer while hiding in fear, and Bai Fanlu wasn’t worried about breaking character—he was just afraid that if he was too obvious, he would be mistaken for an imposter and killed on the spot.

But the truth in his heart was: Come on, stop me already, just a little more, and I can pretend to be overwhelmed by my injuries and faint on the spot!

It was as if Wang Chongyu heard his silent plea: “Senior Brother, you… never mind. I will go with you and ensure your safety!”

Bai Fanlu: “…”

A true burden.

But before he could catch his breath, Bai Fanlu suddenly felt a lightness under his feet as a strange force pulled him into the air. He was then caught by a centripetal force and dragged uncontrollably toward the center of the battlefield.

“Senior Brother!” Wang Chongyu, who had been looking ahead, reacted too late, only managing to grab the corner of Bai Fanlu’s robe.

Bai Fanlu watched as Wang Chongyu, flying on his sword, was pushed aside by a black shadow. The shadow, like a living serpent, quickly wrapped itself around Bai Fanlu’s waist.

The powerful pressure from his abdomen made Bai Fanlu feel as if his internal organs were shifting. Then, the shadow split into two, then three, rapidly multiplying until his vision was completely engulfed in darkness.

A strong sense of danger overwhelmed Bai Fanlu. Wasn’t this demon supposed to be on his side? This acting was way too realistic!

“Mo’er! Catch this!”

It was Ling Qingzi’s voice. Then, something cold touched Bai Fanlu’s hand—a green rope broke through the black mist and wrapped around his wrist. Instinctively, Bai Fanlu grasped it, and with a clear clang, the rope transformed into a short blade. As the blade swept across the area, the black mist instantly dissipated.

Bai Fanlu was overjoyed and quickly slashed the blade across his waist. The black mist split into two, shrinking and retreating like a black snake.

Following the movement, Bai Fanlu saw the shadow hovering in mid-air—a vaguely human-shaped figure, which must have been the demon attacking them.

“How presumptuous! Without your ice spike to protect you, let’s see how long you can last.”

The shadowy figure’s voice echoed, carrying a mocking tone.

Hearing the mention of “ice spike,” Bai Fanlu immediately realized that the blade in his hand was Ling Qingzi’s magical weapon, capable of purifying demonic energy. It was the same weapon that had injured the original Bai Fanlu later.

Before Bai Fanlu could think further, the demon launched another wave of attacks, targeting Ling Qingzi on the platform below.

Behind Ling Qingzi was a young man in blue, his hair fluttering in the wind as he sat in the center of the platform, his face obscured. A golden light shimmered at the top of his head, and his entire body was surrounded by a glowing aura.

No need to guess—that was the male lead, Yun Zhan.

Bai Fanlu’s heart sank.

Ling Qingzi formed a seal with his left hand in front of his chest and turned his right hand, creating a barrier between himself and Yun Zhan. There was a loud crash as blue and black energies collided like clashing weapons.

As the air currents dispersed, Bai Fanlu heard the shadow let out a cold laugh, and Ling Qingzi staggered back a step.

A moment later, a trace of red appeared at the corner of Ling Qingzi’s mouth.

No way?

Bai Fanlu frantically searched his memory of the original plot. There was no mention of Ling Qingzi handing over the ice spike and getting injured!

If this continued and the demon killed the immortal master, and then the male lead died, wouldn’t he be doomed too?

What kind of demon was this, coming in so strong right from the start!

Bai Fanlu recalled the system’s words: “The plot has its own logic.” His mind was in turmoil—was he really supposed to step in and hope the demon would go easy on him out of respect?

“Immortal Master Zhenyuan Ling Qingzi, you are nothing more than this.”

The demon mocked, gathering black mist into a swirling wind around his hand, as the surrounding winds howled and the clouds darkened. Clearly, he was preparing for a big attack.

No choice!

Bai Fanlu no longer hesitated. Gripping the ice spike, he cast an ice shield spell, and the demon, who was closest to him, seemed to hesitate at his movement.

Now was the time. Bai Fanlu moved like the wind, launching himself toward the demon, with the spiritual shield protecting him as he raised the ice spike to strike.

The thick black mist split open as the blade cut through it, revealing a glimpse of frost-like skin beneath.

But just as he was about to get closer, Bai Fanlu’s right hand suddenly froze. A hand had emerged from the black mist, gripping his wrist. Bai Fanlu was shocked, and when he looked up, he was petrified.

Those eyes…

Crimson pupils, glaring at him like the gaze of a demon from hell.

Bai Fanlu gasped, instinctively pulling back the ice spike. The green rope in his right hand unwound, whistling as it wrapped around the demon.

His wrist was freed, and the demon transformed into mist to escape before the ice spike could ensnare him. But at the same time, a small black crystal-like object flew out from the mist. Bai Fanlu dodged it, catching a glimpse of it brushing past his sleeve—a dark dart-like weapon.

Before he could think further, more and more black crystals shot out from the mist, heading straight for Bai Fanlu!

Seriously? Wasn’t this supposed to be just for show? Did they really have to hurt him?

Relying on the original Bai Fanlu’s reflexes, he used the spiritual shield and sword techniques to block the attacks. He couldn’t get close to the demon, nor could he find an opportunity to retreat. As he panicked, wondering why there were so many projectiles, two of them slipped past his defenses and shot straight for his face!

Bai Fanlu leaned back, watching helplessly as they grazed two of his eyelashes and continued flying backward.

Losing his balance, Bai Fanlu nearly fell from the sky, but fortunately, his body was flexible. He twisted mid-air, landing on his flying sword. In one swift move, he deflected the two projectiles, sending them hurtling in another direction.

“Ugh…”

Hearing a muffled grunt, Bai Fanlu almost forgot that there were others around.

Someone had been hit, and the demon stopped, perhaps curious about who the unlucky person was.

Bai Fanlu looked down toward the sound.

The blue-clad young man, who had been sitting upright, trembled slightly and slowly fell backward. Before he fell, he seemed to cast a resentful glance in this direction.

The heat from the battle drained from Bai Fanlu’s body, replaced by a cold, bone-chilling fear

.

…Caught in the wind, in complete chaos.

“You dare injure my disciple!” Ling Qingzi’s cold voice rang out.

“…” Bai Fanlu’s foot slipped, and he finally fell off the sword.

To an observer, it probably looked like he had exhausted his strength and fainted from overexertion.

The sensation of falling brought Bai Fanlu back to his senses, and he was frantically thinking of how to minimize the impact when suddenly someone grabbed his arm. With a strong pull, he realized it was Wang Chongyu who had rushed to help him.

But the relief was short-lived. The violent shaking caused both of them to fall off Wang Chongyu’s flying sword together.

This time, there was no time for cushioning. As they plummeted closer and closer to the ground, a blue light wheel appeared beneath them, and the ice spike floated in the air, gently lifting them up. It was Ling Qingzi!

With the Spirit Spring Formation forcibly interrupted, Ling Qingzi no longer needed to focus on supporting Yun Zhan. He quickly formed a seal with two fingers in front of his chest and shouted, “Break!”

His blue robes and silver hair billowed in the wind, and a massive surge of spiritual energy coiled around him. In the next moment, the seal was completed, and the energy exploded outward from him, like a stone causing ripples in a lake, spreading in all directions.

Bai Fanlu, who had been trying to see what was happening, had his head pressed down by Wang Chongyu and could only hear the fierce energy raging around him.

Finally, everything fell silent.

When he looked up again, everything around him had become eerily quiet.

Bai Fanlu sat up, but Wang Chongyu was even faster. He immediately flew on his sword toward the platform. Bai Fanlu, confused, followed him.

Ling Qingzi was sitting cross-legged, meditating to recover his energy.

Bai Fanlu suddenly remembered and looked around. Only the disciples were scattered about, some standing, some sitting, some lying down. There was no sign of the demon anywhere.

The number one immortal master really was something else…

Bai Fanlu secretly marveled. He shouldn’t have gotten involved in this mess.

Wang Chongyu clasped his hands in respect, “Master, the demon intruded at this moment; I believe there must be a traitor among us.”

“Hmm,” Ling Qingzi still had his eyes closed. “We have just activated the Demon Purification Formation. Within half a day, the demon will reveal itself. Take some disciples with you to search the area and find the demon clan’s spy. Use the ice spike to kill them.”

“Yes!” Wang Chongyu accepted the order and gathered the disciples.

Bai Fanlu was left standing there, unsure of what to say.

He knew about the Demon Purification Formation. It wouldn’t affect the original Bai Fanlu, so he wasn’t worried about being exposed.

As for that demon, with his crimson eyes and frost-white skin, he fit the description of a certain character perfectly: the final boss, the Grand Elder of the Demon Clan.

But the plot was still in the middle stages; he shouldn’t have appeared until much later. Bai Fanlu was unsure now.

“Mo’er.” Ling Qingzi opened his eyes.

Bai Fanlu snapped out of his thoughts and bowed, “Master.”

“Yun Zhan has been invaded by demonic energy, and his inner fire is out of control. Take him to the Spirit Spring to bathe. You can also use the power of the spring to heal your own injuries.”

“…”

The Spirit Spring? Bathing?

Bai Fanlu’s right eyelid twitched, heavily and repeatedly.