When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 53

Just now, in the midst of chaos, everyone sees Shen Lingshu attacking his fellow practitioners like a madman. Years of his accumulated reputation are completely destroyed in a single day. The cultivators who are innocently injured by him—along with those who witness their comrades being devoured by the beasts he brings back—all want him dead.

Except for Jue Fei. He is the only one still worried that something might happen to Shen Lingshu under his watch, leading to yet another disgrace for Tianqing Sect, comparable to Yun Peiran’s killing of Gu Shenshu.

So when Jue Fei makes the decision to abolish Shen Lingshu’s spiritual vein, no one steps forward to stop him. Even the disciples of Tiandao Sect remain silent.

By the time the Shen family arrives, it is already too late.

Shen Lingshu’s spiritual vein has been completely destroyed, leaving him too weak to resist. No matter how much Shen Xi and the Shen family curse Jue Fei, he pays them no heed and leads the surviving young cultivators away from the hill.

On the way down, aside from the enraged Shen family, everyone remains silent.

Once they descend the mountain, Gu Qiuming finally recovers from his earlier shock and regret. Among their Tiandao Sect disciples, only fifty-six remain, including Lu Qi—all of them injured.

Shen Lingshu has already been taken away by the Shen family. None of these brothers step forward to stop Jue Fei earlier, and now, the Shen family claims they no longer trust Tiandao Sect. Yet, ironically, they are also the first to flee when the disaster begins.

After being scolded by the Shen family, the disciples of Tiandao Sect are in no mood to speak.

Gu Qiuming’s emotions are complicated. Suddenly, a thought strikes him. He abruptly lifts his head, glancing at his fellow disciples. His eyes widen as he turns back toward the crowd in shock.

Lu Qi asks, “What are you looking for?”

“Looking for Yun—” Gu Qiuming starts, but then realizes his voice is too loud. Seeing that the group remains silent, he lowers his voice and whispers, “Senior Brother Yun is gone. He didn’t catch up!”

Lu Qi simply responds, “Yeah.”

Gu Qiuming hesitates, unable to understand why Senior Brother Lu seems so indifferent.

It is rare for Lu Qi to explain himself, but this time, he does. “You’ve seen Junior Brother Yun’s strength. He may appear calm, but no one can stop him once he’s made up his mind. If he didn’t leave today, he might never have another chance.”

Gu Qiuming is stunned.

Lu Qi wants to warn Gu Qiuming not to mention this to anyone, but seeing how easily he is shaken, he figures there is no need for further explanation. He has long suspected that Yun Zhuoran is far from weak, and what he witnesses earlier confirms it. He is relieved that Yun Zhuoran hasn’t been defeated by adversity—he is still the extraordinary Yun Zhuoran of the past.

The world is full of all kinds of people—some good, some bad. Just as there are those who resent Yun Zhuoran because of Gu Shenshu’s death, there are also those who believe in his innocence. Lu Qi happens to be one of the latter.

And Lu Qi’s guess is right—Yun Zhuoran hasn’t followed them because he is planning to leave.

However, before that, he still has to clean up the mess the others have left behind.

Penglai Immortal has been in a hurry to get Jue Fei and the others out because he is unable to kill the beast—he can only suppress it temporarily. Now that the people are gone, the small hill beneath his feet, which has been formed by condensing a fragment of the fairy island, trembles even more violently.

From the darkness, Yun Zhuoran emerges alongside his heart demon. Penglai Immortal descends from the mountain and grabs his hand.

“Let’s go, quickly!”

Yun Zhuoran nods in agreement.

The Chimera is just as badly injured as Penglai Immortal, but having devoured many cultivators not long ago, it naturally recovers faster. Now, under Penglai Immortal’s assault and the suppression of the Immortal Mountain, its ferocity is fully unleashed.

Penglai Immortal has no intention of sacrificing his life for those self-proclaimed righteous cultivators, so he hurriedly drags the others away.

Just then, the Chimera lets out a deafening roar that shakes the Immortal Mountain. Its overwhelming demonic power surges forth, toppling the mountain itself.

Startled, Penglai Immortal swiftly retrieves the Immortal Mountain and prepares to leave, but the Chimera has already closed in!

Reacting just as quickly, Penglai Immortal summons his spiritual power to block the rampaging beast.

Yun Zhuoran does not leave either. He presses down the restless heart demon hidden beneath his robes and joins the fight. Together, they manage to repel the Chimera, and the two prepare to retreat.

The battle on the hill is so intense that the ground trembles, and the sky darkens. Even without the deliberate use of spiritual techniques, the sheer force of two great masters above the Integration Stage clashing—coupled with the beasts’ earth-shaking roars—is enough to send the surrounding monsters fleeing in terror.

Meanwhile, outside the eerie black-and-red barrier surrounding the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, cultivators from the four major sects and numerous smaller factions have already gathered, preparing for battle. Unbeknownst to them, in another corner not far away, Gu Shenshu has just emerged with the Qilin.

The Qilin crouches at Gu Shenshu’s feet, a stark contrast to the defiant, death-seeking stance Yun Zhuoran saw before. Now, it displays a gesture of submission.

Gu Shenshu fixes his gaze on the barrier.

“This barrier was created by another fierce beast within the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest,” the Qilin explains. “When you knocked on my cave’s door, the spiritual energy from the Floating City Lord’s Order leaked out, and that beast awoke.”

“It’s the Chimera,” the Qilin continues. “After I returned to the forest, it followed me. It has coveted the City Lord’s Order for years, always waiting for a chance to steal it.”

Gu Shenshu’s crimson eyes shift slightly as he tilts his head. “This barrier—can’t it be broken?”

The Qilin hesitates, a trace of reluctance in its voice. After a moment, it finally mutters sullenly, “I didn’t create it. I can’t undo it.”

“Tsk. My little apprentice is still inside.”

The Qilin’s ears twitch slightly. It secretly hopes the barrier won’t break too easily…

But Gu Shenshu merely chuckles. He turns away and summons the mirage dragon.

“Forget it. Everyone has their own fate.”

—

Within the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, two figures take advantage of the chaos to climb the hill. Their path is unexpectedly smooth, with no monsters barring their way.

However, the fluctuations of spiritual power from the ongoing battle send wave after wave of crushing pressure, making their ascent increasingly difficult.

At last, they reach the former camp of the righteous cultivators. A heavy, metallic scent fills the air.

The scene before them is gruesome—scattered corpses of fallen cultivators, severed limbs strewn across the ground.

Ji Wuwang grabs Ji Ruo, preventing him from rushing forward, and instead drags him behind a massive boulder. Ji Ruo angrily shoves his hand away, about to curse him out—only for the ground to suddenly tremble violently again. Startled, he clings to a nearby tree to steady himself.

“You couldn’t have just helped me up?!” Ji Ruo snaps.

Ji Ruo turns back, fuming, only to see that Ji Wuwang stands firm and unshaken. That only makes Ji Ruo more irritated—but Ji Wuwang isn’t paying him any attention. His eyes are locked on something in the distance, a strange gleam flashing in them, sending a shiver down Ji Ruo’s spine.

Ji Ruo follows his gaze—and his breath catches in his throat.

Atop the hill, a ferocious beast is in pursuit of two figures. One red, one white—

It’s Yun Zhuoran!

The oppressive force from the battle is overwhelming. Ji Ruo barely manages to glance at the scene before his eyes burn and dry up from the sheer intensity of the spiritual energy. He isn’t ignorant—he knows full well what this means. Someone of his cultivation level would have been crushed under the Chimera’s presence alone.

Which means that Yun Zhuoran’s cultivation is anything but ordinary.

He whispers, “Where did the Chimera come from?”

Ji Wuwang doesn’t answer but instead asks, “Do you know the one in white?”

Ji Ruo has come here for Yun Zhuoran, but he is more curious about why Ji Wuwang has shown up in the midst of the chaos. Though, in the end, he has shamelessly followed him.

“What are you doing here?” Ji Ruo asks, still shaken by the sight of the Chimera. The beast is terrifying—how could he possibly take Yun Zhuoran away in the middle of this mess? Right now, all he wants to do is run.

Ji Wuwang smiles. That eerie smile makes Ji Ruo’s scalp tingle with unease.

At this moment, Yun Zhuoran is too focused on working with the Penglai Immortal to deal with the Chimera and has no time to check if anyone else is nearby. Besides, anyone running up the mountain despite knowing the danger must be a fool.

The Chimera is unrelenting. It clearly holds a grudge against Penglai Immortal for striking it with the Immortal Mountain, not to mention their previous battles over the past few days. Even though it is now battered and bloodied, it refuses to let Penglai Immortal escape—and now it has set its sights on Yun Zhuoran as well.

Amid the fierce struggle, the Chimera suddenly speaks in human language.

“I have sealed off the entire Ten Thousand Beasts Forest. You can’t escape! But if you tell me where the Jade Qilin is and where it hides its treasure, I might consider sparing you—temporarily.”

Penglai Immortal freezes. “What Qilin?”

The Chimera does not resume its attack. Instead, it fixes Yun Zhuoran with a cold, piercing stare.

“He carries the scent of the Jade Qilin’s cave. He must know.”

Yun Zhuoran is momentarily surprised—not just because the Chimera can speak human language, but because of what it is saying. He hadn’t expected this beast to be intelligent… But now that he thinks about it, that explains how it has been able to manipulate Shen Lingshu.

The heart demon inside him curiously pokes its head out. “Oh? It actually has a brain.”

Yun Zhuoran sighs, pressing the demon back under his robes. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

The Chimera’s fury erupts. “You dare lie to me?! Tell me the truth! Where is that old immortal? Why isn’t he in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest?!”

Yun Zhuoran raises an eyebrow. The Jade Qilin isn’t in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest? He truly has no idea.

But based on the Chimera’s words… is this barrier its doing?

Realization dawns on Penglai Immortal. “Ohhh, so you’re the one who locked us in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest!”

The Chimera’s voice booms like thunder. “If you hadn’t blocked my way, I would have found the Jade Qilin by now, and its treasure would already be mine!”

Penglai Immortal scoffs. “Oh, so now you’re blaming me? I haven’t even complained about you blocking MY path!”

Yun Zhuoran listens for a while and finally pieces things together.

The Chimera wants the Jade Qilin’s treasure. The moment the Jade Qilin awakens, it sets up a grand scheme to seal off the entire Ten Thousand Beasts Forest. However, it doesn’t anticipate encountering Penglai Immortal—who is lured nearby by the mirage dragon—right when it is about to act. Their battle causes the Chimera to miss its best opportunity to find the Qilin.

As for why the Qilin’s dwelling isn’t within the sealed-off forest—who knows? It must have some other abilities that allow it to escape. Clearly, the Chimera has been blaming the Qilin wrongly all this time.

In truth, the barrier isn’t created by the Qilin or Gu Shenshu.

It is the Chimera all along who seals off the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest.

Regardless of what Gu Shenshu has done—knocking on the Qilin’s cave and using Yun Zhuoran to draw out the City Lord’s token—none of that actually matters anymore.

At this moment, Yun Zhuoran has already figured out a way to escape.

“Xian’er!” he suddenly calls out, cutting through Penglai Immortal and the Chimera’s bickering.

Penglai Immortal flinches, then immediately turns and beams at him. “Xian’er is here!”

Yun Zhuoran hesitates for a split second, then says, “Kill the Chimera, and the barrier will break.”

If the barrier trapping the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest collapses, the beasts inside will flood into the outside world, causing untold destruction. But the people trapped within have no other choice. If they don’t get out, they will simply die here.

Penglai Immortal’s eyes light up with excitement. “Alright!”

This is the first thing his little master has ever ordered him to do—he has to do it well!

The Chimera is stunned. “You’re insane!” it snarls.

But it quickly regains its composure, fixing its sinister gaze on the two of them. “Fine. Since you refuse to talk, don’t blame me for tearing you apart and devouring you alive!”

Of course, even if Yun Zhuoran hadn’t provoked it, the Chimera has no intention of letting them go.

At first, Yun Zhuoran only wants to take Penglai Immortal and retreat. But now—he is serious.

Even with only seventy percent of his strength left, Penglai Immortal is still stronger than Yun Zhuoran. Together, they might not be able to bring down the Chimera… but what if the heart demon joins the fight?

Yun Zhuoran isn’t sure if the heart demon can consume a powerful beast like the Chimera, but it’s worth a try.

Instead of giving it a direct order, he simply tells it to find an opportunity to cause trouble—then quietly releases the little black ball.

The little black ball has been itching for action. The moment it is freed, it darts silently into the dark night sky.

By then, Penglai Immortal and the Chimera have already clashed, neither of them noticing what Yun Zhuoran has done. Without hesitation, Yun Zhuoran rushes into the fray.

Despite their determination, exhaustion is creeping in. Both Yun Zhuoran and Penglai Immortal feel the strain, but they have no choice—if they want to escape the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, they have to fight for their lives.

The Chimera isn’t faring much better. It has fought Penglai Immortal before and knows he is the stronger of the two. However, Yun Zhuoran is no pushover either. Even without a weapon, every strike from him hurts like hell.

Especially after they nearly snap one of its wings.

With a furious roar, the Chimera whips up a violent hurricane, throwing Penglai Immortal backward. Pain flares at the base of its wing—so deep the bone is visible. The wing hangs limply, spasming in agony. Even if it wants to fly, it can’t anymore.

Blinded by rage, the Chimera lashes out, swiping a massive claw toward Yun Zhuoran.

Caught off guard, Yun Zhuoran instinctively raises his arm to block. Though he manages to reinforce it with spiritual energy at the last second, three deep, bone-deep claw marks tear across his forearm.

His face goes pale. Cold sweat drips down his temples. But he has no time to react to the pain—the Chimera isn’t done.

Its claws come down again.

This time, Yun Zhuoran swiftly forms a hand seal, and a golden-red spiritual barrier solidifies in front of him, barely blocking the attack.

He can’t face the Chimera head-on. Alone, he has no chance against the beast’s raw power.

But he isn’t alone.

Penglai Immortal is already returning to the fight when—the Chimera lets out a long, piercing howl.

Then, without warning, it releases Yun Zhuoran and twists its body unnaturally.

Yun Zhuoran freezes.

Penglai Immortal rushes to his side, eyes scanning his bleeding arm with concern, though he hesitates to touch it.

“Xiao Zhuoran, does it hurt?” he asks, voice filled with worry.

Yun Zhuoran shakes his head. His injuries are nothing compared to Penglai Immortal’s. He doesn’t care about them.

He is staring at the Chimera in confusion.

The beast is writhing wildly, crashing into the ground, rolling, and letting out bloodcurdling screams.

Penglai Immortal, who was furious a moment ago, forgets his anger altogether. “What’s wrong with it?”

Yun Zhuoran almost shakes his head, but then—his gaze suddenly sharpens. “Weiran!”

Penglai Immortal blinks. “Huh?”

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t explain. He takes off toward the Chimera without hesitation.

Even though Penglai Immortal has no idea what is happening, he immediately follows.

Then—he sees it.

At the base of the Chimera’s mangled wing, the small black ball is latched on like a parasite.

Yun Zhuoran’s guess is correct.

The wing that was dangling uselessly from the earlier wound—the heart demon has gnawed through it.

Only a few thin strands of flesh still hold the wing to the Chimera’s body. And as the beast thrashes violently, the last tendons snap.

The severed wing hits the ground.

The Chimera stares at it.

A heartbeat later, rage consumes it.

Without thinking, it slams its back against the mountain wall in a desperate, frenzied attempt to rid itself of the unseen tormentor.

Fortunately, the little black ball loosens its bite just in time, nimbly climbs onto the Chimera’s head, and chomps down again, furiously chattering, “I’ll teach you not to bully my brother! I’ll bite you to death!”

Unfortunately, only Yun Zhuoran can hear the Heart Demon’s words. The Chimera has no idea what is on its body, and Yun Zhuoran himself is stunned when he hears it.

Penglai Immortal spots the little black ball on the Chimera’s head and immediately cries out—“What is that?!”

“My… spiritual pet.”

Yun Zhuoran frowns. Seeing the Chimera’s self-mutilation becoming more and more frenzied, he quickly orders the Heart Demon, “Come back now! It’s dangerous over there!”

The little black ball, which has burrowed into the Chimera’s neck, pauses for a moment but seems not to hear him. Instead, it slides down along the back of the Chimera’s neck, clings to its only remaining wing, and tears off a handful of feathers along with a chunk of flesh.

The Chimera howls in agony, but the Heart Demon only pouts in disdain before taking off and leaving its body.

Yun Zhuoran secretly lets out a breath of relief and is about to go catch it when he suddenly sees the Heart Demon above the Chimera swell to the size of a water tank, laughing triumphantly.

It has been too small earlier, unable to take big bites. But now—it can swallow a whole wing in one go!

The now-enlarged black ball stares at the Chimera’s remaining wing, its eyes gleaming. Then, it takes a bite.

With that bite, the Chimera’s wing is torn off entirely at the root and swallowed into the Heart Demon’s mouth!

The Chimera’s anguished wails pierce the sky as it thrashes about violently.

Earlier, the Heart Demon had been small and slippery, like a fish. The Chimera couldn’t catch it and could only try to force it away through self-harm. But now, things are different.

The Chimera grits its teeth and lunges at the massive black ball in midair, but the black ball simply floats away with a smug grin.

The Chimera is so furious it nearly loses its breath, its eyes locked onto the Heart Demon like a cat pouncing on a butterfly.

Yun Zhuoran goes from worried to speechless, his brows furrowing. Raising his hand, he conjures a golden-red spiritual sword, his five fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt. He flies forward and slashes directly at the Chimera.

This strike carries a murderous aura—golden flames burst forth, taking the shape of a dragon. The sword’s whistle rings like a dragon’s roar.

As the blade falls, the Chimera’s tail is severed.

Yun Zhuoran nudges the dismembered tiger-like tail with the tip of his sword, and in an instant, the Heart Demon gulps it down.

The Chimera lets out a bloodcurdling scream that echoes through the mountains.

At this point, it no longer has the strength to hate—its mind is barely clinging to consciousness from the sheer pain.

Yun Zhuoran glances at the massive black ball floating toward him, trying to please him, and then swings his sword once more.

Swords are superior. That is the conclusion Yun Zhuoran has come to after experimenting with countless magical tools over the years.

Penglai Immortal finally snaps out of his daze and joins in.

One man, one black ball, and one island spirit take advantage of the Chimera’s grave injuries, finishing it off with great effort.

The mountains echo with constant, harrowing wails.

Roughly an hour later, the source of those cries has disappeared into the Heart Demon’s stomach. Yun Zhuoran’s sword dissolves into spiritual energy and scatters, leaving only silence in its wake.

The large black ball lets out a satisfied burp, then shrinks back down in size. Happily, it nestles against Yun Zhuoran’s neck, rubbing against him.

His brother has helped him eat the Chimera piece by piece, so he shouldn’t still be mad that he hadn’t listened to his order and returned earlier, right?

Penglai Immortal, thoroughly exhausted, wipes his sweat and stares at the Heart Demon in astonishment.

At that moment, a dull cracking sound echoes from the dome. The dark barrier slowly fractures, revealing an intricate network of cracks.

Warm sunlight pours in through the gaps.

“The barrier is broken!” Penglai Immortal exclaims in surprise.

As the barrier crumbles, the sky brightens. Yun Zhuoran’s cold expression eases slightly—but his face quickly grows tense again.

Now that the barrier sealing off the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest has shattered, the trapped cultivators inside will soon find an escape.

Meanwhile, the beast tide within the forest will start spilling outward.

At the same time, the hundreds of cultivators waiting outside should be making their way in.

Sword lights streak across the sky, each one slicing through the air, inevitably attracting the attention of nearby monsters.

Penglai Immortal is still laughing in relief when Yun Zhuoran presses a hand on his shoulder, his expression grim.

Only then does Penglai Immortal realize that Yun Zhuoran’s face has turned deathly pale. His laughter fades.

“You…”

“I’m about to face my tribulation,” Yun Zhuoran states bluntly.

The immense energy feedback from the Chimera’s demise has been too overwhelming. His body can’t withstand it—he will soon draw heavenly tribulation upon himself.