He was none other than Song Que!

His aura was weak and faltering, and he was covered with wounds. In many places, bone was visible amidst the blood and gore. Because of a smoking, black handprint that could be seen on his chest, his five yin organs and six yang organs were nearly destroyed.

He was missing an eye, and clearly... was on his last legs. It was as if he remained standing by sheer willpower alone, as strong and tall as a mountain!

Earlier, the Vile-Prince had dispatched all of his demigods to assist Prince Prince Ur-Demon and the other celestials in delaying Bai Xiaochun. By that point, the Vile-Prince had already begun to go completely crazy. He had spent several days trying to break down Song Junwan and Zhou Zimo, and had reached a critical juncture in which success was just around the corner....

That was when Song Que barged into Vile-Prince Mansion. Black robes fluttering, and spear in hand, he began to slaughter the devas who stood in his way, slowly making his way toward the grand hall.

Just when the most critical of moments arrived, he struck the door with his spear, backing it with all of the cultivation base power he could muster, as well as his unswerving determination. By this point in his life, he cared not for matters of life and death, and therefore held nothing back in his attempt to break open the door.

When the door shattered, the Vile-Prince began to descend into utter madness. All of his schemes and plots had come down to his very moment, only to have Song Que interrupt him. Furious, he began to vent his rage on Song Que!

Song Que, with his deva cultivation base, did not shrink back! Without any hesitation, he began to fight the Vile-Prince, who was a demigod!!

Although the fighting did not reach the spectacular level of the original fight between Bai Xiaochun and Daoist Heavenspan, it was momentous, to say the least. Blood spattered as the two combatants fought madly, with Song Que drawing upon all of the murderous aura he had built up over the years!

He knew that he wasn’t a match for the Vile-Prince, and yet, he didn’t hesitate at all to fight!

After all, he was fighting for his beloved aunt!!

He didn’t care much about Zhou Zimo, but simply could not ignore Song Junwan. She was his closest relative! And when he saw her swollen belly, he also knew that he was fighting for his nephew, a nephew whose father could only be Bai Xiaochun!

Although he had always wanted to outdo Bai Xiaochun, and never really liked him very much, he could not forget everything that Bai Xiaochun had done for him since their original meeting in the Fallen Sword Abyss. Song Que was a proud person, but by this point in his life, he felt no grudge toward Bai Xiaochun. And although he realized that Bai Xiaochun was his superior... he had always believed himself capable of catching up!

And thus, he came to fight. For his aunt, for his nephew... and for Bai Xiaochun’s flesh and blood!

He fought without regrets, filled with the desire to do battle to the very end!

The Vile-Prince was already shaken. He had never before met a deva who could endure under the fury of his attacks. And yet, over and over again, Song Que held strong, making it impossible for the Vile-Prince to continue his work with the spell formation.

Although it seemed beyond the bounds of possibility, Song Que, a mere deva, held out for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. He could see that, despite the fact that Song Junwan and Zhou Zimo seemed incomparably weak as they sat there in the spell formation... they were still alive!

And their children were still safe!!

If he didn’t hold out for enough time... the consequences would be too horrific to imagine!

To last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn required that Song Que sustain mortal injuries, but hold strong.... As the Vile-Prince threw everything he could at him, Song Que ignored the pain and injuries and repeated one thing to himself.

Hold strong. Hold strong!

Hold strong!!!

When Bai Xiaochun finally shot down from the sky and entered Vile-Prince Mansion, Song Que knew that it had all been worth it.

The Vile-Prince was in a state of madness, gasping for breath as he unleashed one attack after another. “Why won’t you just die, dammit!? Die!!”

He could see Bai Xiaochun approaching, and his heart pounded with defiance.

“I was close! So close!!” Staring venomously at the dying Song Que, the Vile-Prince turned and fled.

In that same moment, Bai Xiaochun’s divine sense enveloped the entire mansion. Ignoring the fleeing Vile-Prince, he rushed into the main hall to confirm that Song Junwan and Zhou Zimo were safe. Then, it was with grief and sorrow that he turned to look at Song Que, who stood there, his life slipping away.

Song Que managed to look up at Bai Xiaochun, and then slowly smile.

Even in the face of imminent death, he stood tall and straight. He still looked manly and handsome, his eyes flickering with regret at having to leave the world of the living. Voice hoarse, he said, “Bai Xiaochun....

“When we met in the Fallen Sword Abyss, you snatched the heavenstring energy that was meant for me. You outdid me by just a hair. In the Blood Stream Sect, you did the same thing. Outdid me by a hair....

“It was the same in the River-Defying Sect... and at the Great Wall. It’s almost like the two of us are cursed by a magic spell. Even in the Wildlands, you still outdid me....

“I used to wonder... if you would always outdo me.” He staggered to the side a bit. He could hardly keep his eyes open at this point, and could sense his consciousness fading. As his last bit of energy drained away, he spoke his final words.

“Bai Xiaochun, you always did better than me. You always beat me. But today... I, Song Que, managed to outdo you!” With that, he threw his head back and laughed whole-heartedly. Tears streamed down his face as he slowly closed his eyes.... He couldn’t hold out any longer. The spear in his hand dissolved into ashes, and he toppled forward onto the ground....

Song Que had perished!

For his entire life, he had struggled defiantly... always trying to catch up. But this time, just as he had said, he really did outdo Bai Xiaochun!

He didn’t wish to give in to death, but had no choice. However, as his consciousness faded away... he was happy....

Bai Xiaochun trembled as he looked at Song Que’s corpse, completely aware that without his sacrifice, his own wives and children would be dead. Song Que had offered up his own life for them.

“Song Que....” he murmured, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. The pain he felt in this moment was the type that could shake heaven and earth. He suddenly found himself recalling old memories of Song Que, back in the Wildlands, at the Great Wall, in the River-Defying Sect, the Blood Stream Sect and finally... their initial meeting in the Fallen Sword Abyss!

“You’re... the true chosen!” He couldn’t stop the tears, but at the same time, knew that time was limited. He had to endure the pain and sorrow, no matter how hard it was. He quickly sent Song Que’s corpse to the damaged fan, then turned and destroyed the spell formation in the grand hall.

When he saw the faint violet light coming from the totem tattoo on Song Junwan’s arm, he immediately recognized the aura.

“Bruiser....” he murmured. Then he looked at the swollen bellies of Song Junwan and Zhou Zimo, and reached out to touch them. He could sense the unborn children inside of them, moving. They seemed happy. All of a sudden, he felt powerful bonds of attachment connecting them to him. Considering how tiny and weak they were, Bai Xiaochun knew that protecting them was now the most important mission in his life.

“Your mothers protected you before,” he murmured, “but from here on out... dad will keep you safe!” Unsure of how to describe the feelings inside of him, he quickly sent the unconscious Song Junwan and Zhou Zimo to the damaged fan.

Now that he was the owner of the fan, it was a simple task to send people there as long as they didn’t fight back. After doing so, he looked up.

Instead of making his escape... he decided to seek vengeance!!

The Vile-Prince... was still alive!!