Ascension Day

A faint rumbling, like thunder, emanated from within Xu Ying. RUMBLE... It rose from his Dantian, gradually reaching his throat and nasal passages, before slowly sinking back down and returning to its origin.

After just a moment, steam began to rise from Xu Ying’s body as wisps of white mist curled into the air.

His abilities were not something his grandfather or father had taught him.

In truth, he was not his father’s biological son. His grandfather had found him and brought him home.

His father and grandfather’s surname was Jiang, while Xu Ying’s was Xu. Seven years ago, a great fire had ravaged the Xu Family’s Field. His grandfather rescued him from the blaze and brought him here.

Xu Ying had few memories of the fire, but he did vaguely recall a breathing technique: the Taiyi Guiding Skill.

Whenever he had free time, Xu Ying would practice his Cultivation using the Taiyi Guiding Skill. He had been doing so for a full seven years now.

Xu Ying didn’t know what use there was in practicing this Cultivation. But since he was idle anyway, a little practice in the morning didn’t take up much time.

During his Cultivation, he discovered that the greatest benefit of the Taiyi Guiding Skill was that when his Qi and Blood circulated downward, his urination stream was much straighter than before, so he no longer had to worry about peeing on his shoes.

’This stuff is useless. All it does is help me piss farther.’ Xu Ying had once scoffed at it.

It wasn’t until he was a bit older, after he had gone out with his grandfather and father to catch snakes and killed a Big Snake, that he realized the Taiyi Guiding Skill’s usefulness went far beyond simply being able to piss farther.

Xu Ying taught the Taiyi Guiding Skill to his grandfather and father, but unfortunately, they had started too late. Their progress was slow, and they eventually died, one after the other, while catching snakes.

Now, Xu Ying was the only one left in his family.

Three years ago, Xu Ying had already cultivated the Taiyi Guiding Skill to its absolute limit. His Qi and Blood now surged like roaring thunder.

He could feel that the path continued, that his Qi and Blood was capable of further transformations, but unfortunately, he didn’t know the rest of the Cultivation Technique.

Behind him, the Snake Demon quietly poked its head out of a large vat and was horrified by the sight.

’Xu Ying is devouring the Sun Essence and tempering his Qi and Blood even faster than I can! The speed at which he performs the Refinement... that’s not absorbing the essence of the sun, that’s a monster opening its maw to swallow the very profundity of the morning sun!’

’He’s practicing our demons’ Technique!’ The Snake Demon’s eyes widened in disbelief. ’But he’s human, isn’t he? How can he cultivate a technique of my Demon Race?’

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Xu Ying slowly ceased his breathing exercises. The Snake Demon quickly retracted its head.

Once the sun was high, the fiery Nature of its light became incredibly scorching. Anyone who tried to cultivate a Guiding Technique at this time would feel their Qi and Blood grow hotter and hotter, risking spontaneous combustion and death at any moment.

Cultivating too much was actually harmful. If one wasn’t careful and overdid it, the excess fiery Nature would accumulate in the body. To ensure the purity of one’s Cultivation, they would then need to gather the moon’s essence on a full moon night to neutralize it.

Xu Ying walked over to the vat, reached in, and pinched the Snake Demon at its vital point, lifting it out. With a pleasant expression, he said, "I’m not a fan of killing. I ask, you answer. Otherwise, I’ll kill you. Understand?"

The Snake Demon nodded vigorously.

Xu Ying set it down and asked, "How did you become a demon?"

The Snake Demon, ever perceptive, said, "My grandfather was originally an ordinary venomous snake. One day, he stumbled into Qinyan Cave, just as half of it collapsed. The collapse revealed a roll of Scriptures and a Gourd of Elixirs. After eating the Elixirs, my grandfather suddenly gained sentience. His mind became much sharper; he could speak, and he learned to read. He then followed the Scriptures to begin his Cultivation and became a demon. Later, my grandfather passed the Scriptures to my parents, who then passed them to me. You could say it’s an orderly inheritance, a rich family tradition."

Xu Ying nodded slowly. "Hand over your family’s Scriptures. Let me have a look."

The Snake Demon hesitated.

Xu Ying picked up a fist-sized stone from beside the well. He squeezed it hard, forcing four or five drops of water out of the rock.

The young man opened his hand, and the stone crumbled to dust. "How do you think you’d fare compared to this stone?" he asked nonchalantly.

The Snake Demon made its decision in an instant. It opened its mouth and spat out a roll of Scriptures.

Xu Ying opened the Scriptures. They recorded a Guiding Technique called the Great Sun Guiding Skill and a Martial Arts Boxing Technique called the Elephant Power Ox Demon Fist.

"You’re a snake. You have no hands or feet. How are you supposed to cultivate the Elephant Power Ox Demon Fist?"

Xu Ying burst out laughing. "This is one of the Martial Arts Techniques that only a Cow Demon or an Elephant Demon can cultivate, isn’t it?"

The corner of the Snake Demon’s mouth twitched. ’I’m lucky to have a technique to practice at all,’ it thought. ’What right do I have to be picky? Besides, aren’t you also practicing a Guiding Skill of my Demon Race?’

Xu Ying read through the scroll. The Great Sun Guiding Skill was similar to his Taiyi Guiding Skill, but after studying it for a moment, he realized its speed at absorbing Sun Essence Qi was far inferior.

The Great Sun Guiding Skill described the Realm they were both in: the Qi Collection Stage.

Qi Collection was the process of gathering Sun Essence Qi—particles of light condensed from sunlight—to strengthen one’s Physique and enhance their Qi and Blood.

Xu Ying frowned. Just like his own Taiyi Guiding Skill, the Great Sun Guiding Skill in the Scriptures came to an abrupt end after the Qi Collection Great Success stage. There was no follow-up Cultivation Technique.

"After reaching Qi Collection Great Success, do you feel like there’s still a path forward?" Xu Ying asked.

The Snake Demon answered cautiously, "After cultivating to the very peak, I can feel my Qi and Blood is abundant, surging and roiling with the power to break through to the next level, but I don’t know where the barrier is."

Frowning, Xu Ying got up and went to the Mingtang Hall, returning with a book basket.

He emptied the basket, sending scrolls tumbling all over the floor.

The Snake Demon was stunned. It saw that the scrolls were all different types of Guiding Skills—dozens of them!

In recent years, Xu Ying hadn’t just been catching Snake Demons; he had captured other demonic creatures as well. He had caught nearly every demon within a ten-mile radius!

These demonic creatures had all experienced their own fortuitous encounters; some had stumbled into an Ancient Cave Mansion, some had heard scriptures recited from a Stone Wall, and others had discovered a Grotto Heaven beneath the water, all of which had allowed them to cultivate and become demons.