What did the scrambled text say? Being a science major, his reading comprehension wasn't great, and he couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Lying on the ground covered in blood, Song Qing Shi was baffled for quite some time.
He vaguely remembered that his operational error might have caused the system to explode. Although he couldn't recall exactly what he had done, the vulnerability of such a high-dimensional construct struck him as absurd. Are all systems so fragile?
In any case, revival was a good thing. The unsolvable problems could wait until later.
With great difficulty, Song Qing Shi moved his fingers and felt pain throughout his body. It seemed like his ribs were broken, and he had abdominal injuries, along with various other wounds caused by the explosion. His head also hurt, filled with jumbled fragments of memory. One moment he felt like Song Qing Shi, the medical student with ALS; the next, he felt like Song Qing Shi, the cultivator and healer; and later still, he wondered if he might be a powerful founder of a cultivation sect.
In the corners of his memory, there was also a vague red shadow that made his heart feel sweet and somewhat tearful whenever he thought about it. What was that?
Could it be the Chi Xia Buddha Fruit?
That fruit induced random human emotions—sometimes overly sweet, sometimes so bitter it made you want to cry.
After some contemplation, Song Qing Shi felt that it resembled neither an object nor a fruit but something—or someone—more significant. Setting aside this important yet perplexing question, his immediate problem was survival.
He searched and sorted through his memories for any useful information. Unfortunately, his mustard seed bag was empty of healing pills, and his injuries were too severe for delicate maneuvers. His dantian was damaged, hindering the flow of spiritual energy and rendering many healing techniques unusable.
Suddenly, rain began to fall from the sky, cold and uncomfortable against his skin.
The pain made Song Qing Shi want to cry, but he held back, struggling to crawl to the side. Yet, with bones injured all over his body, he didn't make it far despite his arduous efforts. Eventually, he lost too much blood and his consciousness began to blur.
After an indeterminate time, a green umbrella appeared above his head, and someone started poking his face with a tree branch.
"Hey? Hey? Are you dead?"
Wanting to cry out for help, Song Qing Shi could only manage a feeble groan: "Ugh..."
The person sighed, put down the umbrella, and stuffed an unknown pill into his mouth.
Song Qing Shi felt the world spin around him, and then he knew no more.
...
When Song Qing Shi woke up again, he found himself lying in a comfortable bed covered with a soft quilt. His wounds had been roughly attended to, and wafts of herbal scent emanated from a clay pot on a red clay stove next to him. By the smell of it, the ingredients seemed to be deer bone flower, moon vine, chirping sand, and soaring grass—all elements that nourish qi, enrich blood, and aid in wound recovery.
He sank into contemplation.
The door opened, and a young man in green attire entered with a crane-spouted pot. Seeing that Song Qing Shi had awoken, he appeared surprised, "You actually survived? It's a miracle!"
"Your suturing technique is incorrect, your knot-tying is wrong, and that stitching on the leg... you skewed it. Furthermore, it's a joint area; you should use stronger thread, otherwise it will come apart," Song Qing Shi quickly assessed the medical errors, then eyed the young man's crane-spouted pot, fearing he might force-feed him the concoction. "Moon vine is generally used to regulate hormones and nourish qi in postpartum women; it's not quite suitable for men. Chirping sand is too hot and could cause heavy bleeding in seriously injured patients..."
He survived because he hadn't yet been administered that potion.
"It's my first time treating someone; I lack experience. Considering your severe blood loss, I thought you needed nourishment similar to that of postpartum care," the young man blushed as Song Qing Shi critiqued him. He hastily put down the pot and brushed his sleeves, feigning that nothing had happened, then added defensively, "What's there to be afraid of? Even if there were a few mistakes, it's my brilliant medical skills that saved you!"
Song Qing Shi pondered, "What was the pill you fed me?"
The young man replied, "Eight-Treasure Heart-Protecting Pill."
Song Qing Shi continued to regard him with an indescribable expression.
The young man conceded, "Alright, alright, I admit my medical skills are lacking. I always fail my exams. It was the pill that saved you."
The Eight-Treasure Heart-Protecting Pill had safeguarded his vital meridians and partly repaired them. After resting for some time on the bed, feeling somewhat rejuvenated, Song Qing Shi requested two pills for pain relief and anesthesia. With considerable effort, he managed to sit up and re-suture his wounds. Then he asked the young man to replace the moon vine and chirping sand in the herbal decoction with moon-scented grass and simmer it over low heat.
The young man introduced himself as Song Jin Cheng, a bright and cheerful lad around sixteen or seventeen years old with a foundation-building level of cultivation. Without waiting for Song Qing Shi to ask, he volunteered his backstory: "It seems you know a bit about medicine. Have you heard of Medicine King Valley? It's the largest medical academy in the cultivation world. Many formidable physicians have graduated from there, such as Master Pu and Master Luo…"
Song Qing Shi pondered for a while and responded blankly, "Isn't Medicine King Valley rather small?"
He had a vague memory of a Medicine King Valley, but it was impoverished, small, and dilapidated—entirely unlike the prestigious institution Song Jin Cheng described. He didn't recognize any Master Pu or Master Luo. If he ever had the opportunity to meet them, he'd make sure to pay his respects.
"Are you from the countryside?" Song Jin Cheng was surprised, "Medicine King Valley is massive! They don't restrict entry based on aptitude, age, or gender—only intelligence matters. Many mortals and half-cultivators try to enroll. Hundreds of thousands compete for just a few hundred apprenticeship positions. Those who pass are exceptionally gifted."
Song Qing Shi was stunned.
This is the pinnacle medical academy of the cultivation world? A paradise for top students? He no longer wanted to complete missions; he wanted to study!
As he got carried away with this exhilarating thought, a question suddenly occurred to him: "Are you also a physician from Medicine King Valley?"
If this is the caliber of students coming out of the medical academy, it hardly lives up to its reputation.
"I was born in Medicine King Valley, both of my parents are physicians there, so I grew up within its walls," Song Jin Cheng's face flushed as he changed the topic. "My great-grandmother is quite formidable, you know. Ever heard of Lady Qing Luan? A legendary apothecary in the world of cultivation! She's disseminated medical knowledge throughout the world, benefiting commoners, widely accepting disciples, and single-handedly building the Medicine King Valley into what it is today—a legendary figure for the ages." So, he's a third-generation legacy student who didn't even need to take an entrance exam.
Song Qing Shi nodded appreciatively, "That is indeed impressive."
He always felt that Qing Luan wasn't actually an old woman but rather a young girl with a gentle exterior but an iron will.
Song Jin Cheng continued to chatter away, "My great-grandfather was Song Ming Hong, a mortal who cultivated himself into a Golden Core Sword Immortal... Apparently, there's also a highly revered great master teacher in the lineage with the surname Song, so my great-grandfather took on that surname as well. Rumor has it that Master Teacher Song has been in closed-door meditation for thousands of years and may be gone by now... Anyway, it's a topic that's forbidden to discuss within the Valley."
The more Song Qing Shi heard, the more confused his memory became, intensifying his splitting headache.
Noticing his discomfort, Song Jin Cheng asked concernedly, "What's the matter?"
Song Qing Shi gravely responded, "I think I've lost my memory."
Song Jin Cheng eyed him skeptically for a while before asking cautiously, "You're not trying to dodge the medical fee, are you?"
Song Qing Shi looked perplexed, "Medical fee?"
"You have to pay for medical treatment!" Song Jin Cheng leapt up in indignation. He had gauged that the man sprawled on the ground was wearing a robe made of expensive fabric, looking like a wealthy young master, so he had reluctantly used an expensive Eight Treasures Heart-Protecting Pill that was a birthday gift from his mother. "That pill is expensive; you owe me eight hundred top-grade Spirit Stones."
Song Qing Shi nodded in understanding. He searched his mustard seed bag for Spirit Stones and after a while, pulled out just over twenty.
Song Jin Cheng fixed him with an intense stare.
Song Qing Shi's face also turned red: "I seem to be quite poor. Others take care of me."
Song Jin Cheng asked, "Who's that generous?"
"I can't remember." Song Qing Shi's mind conjured a blurry red silhouette once again. Wincing at the headache, he said, "I feel like it's someone I'm very fond of. They often give me pocket money and buy me many nice things."
"Ah, I see," Song Jin Cheng confirmed, "This person must be your father!"
Song Qing Shi was taken aback, "Is that so?"
"Of course," Song Jin Cheng analyzed with full confidence, "Even if you've lost your memory, use your brain! Who else in the world would take care of you and give you money for no reason? Only a biological parent would do such things!"
Song Qing Shi pondered his life before the memory loss, feeling that Song Jin Cheng's analysis made a lot of sense.
Song Jin Cheng generously said, "You're wearing a Phoenix Blood gem around your neck that's worth quite a bit and also contains a soul enchantment. I guess your dad put it there because you look too clueless and might get lost. Just stick close to me and don't wander off. Your father might come looking for you soon, and then he can settle all accounts."
Song Qing Shi nodded emphatically.
Fumbling, Song Jin Cheng prepared the medicine and handed it to him. Song Qing Shi tasted it and realized there were significant errors in the ratios of the auxiliary herbs. Feeling that this young man was still unqualified to practice medicine, he tentatively inquired. Song Jin Cheng bashfully admitted that he had failed five out of seven subjects and had sneaked out to see the world, planning to visit a friend at Tian Wu Gate.
Song Qing Shi almost choked on the medicine, and a sense of pity for Lady Qing Luan overcame him. How could she have descendants who were such academic disasters?
He observed the young man, whose face was brimming with self-satisfaction, and massaged his confused temples. The impulse to drag him back to Medicine King Valley and make him grind through thousands of assignments until he became a competent physician overwhelmed him...
Would that be going too far?
Song Qing Shi took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to mentor the academically challenged youth. Confirming that his injuries were gradually healing, he remembered the strange system task and decided to inquire with this seemingly knowledgeable young man.
Upon hearing the words "Undying Summit," Song Jin Cheng panicked, covered Song Qing Shi's mouth, and looked around cautiously. He scolded, "Even if you've lost your memory, you can't speak recklessly! Is that a place you can casually mention? Utter that name and you risk being killed."
Struggling, Song Qing Shi mumbled, "Wuh-wuh-wuh, what name?"
"It's a name you mustn't speak, related to that mountain," Song Jin Cheng reassured, releasing his hand. "My mother told me about the dark history of the cultivation world when I was a kid—massacres, rivers of blood—it's a terrifying tale that makes everyone shudder. Although nothing has happened for centuries, don't ever be curious or interested in that place; even hundreds of lives wouldn't be enough!"
Song Qing Shi really wanted to know what that name was but didn't dare to ask.
Song Jin Cheng noticed his dilemma and chuckled, "No one remembers what he's called now."
Song Qing Shi concluded, "So, he's very powerful?"
Song Jin Cheng whispered, "Rumor has it he was just a step away from ascending."
Song Qing was bewildered as he calculated the gap between Qi Condensation cultivators and ascended masters. It felt like the system was asking a preschooler armed with a toy knife to duel a fully-equipped special forces soldier! He also estimated how many years it would take for him to reach the Nascent Soul stage, then how much longer to reach the Soul Separation or Out-of-Body stage, and finally pondered his odds of completing the task...
Forget it. The mission is too difficult. He'll shelve it for ten thousand years and revisit it once he reaches the Out-of-Body stage.
For now, he's going to read; reading is much more rewarding!
...
At the peak of the Eternal Summit, atop the temple's throne.
The Divine Ruler suddenly opened his eyes, sensing the soul aura of Phoenix blood.