Ascension Day

His muscles coiled across his Flesh Body like flood dragons, making him look just like a Divine Spirit!

Xu Ying’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. He had originally planned to observe Zhou Yihang’s Techniques during his clash with the City God. He wanted to compare them with the *Mud Pill Hidden Scene Qi Refining Method* he had obtained from Ding Quan and comprehend the Zhou Family’s Ultimate Skill.

But when Zhou Yihang made his move, it didn’t match the *Mud Pill Hidden Scene Qi Refining Method* at all!

Not a single part of it matched!

Ding Quan was a Nuo Master cultivated by the Zhou Family, a subordinate of County Magistrate Zhou Yang, and his strength was decent enough. Xu Ying had originally assumed that the *Mud Pill Hidden Scene Qi Refining Method*—a technique Ding Quan treasured so much he was willing to kill a colleague for it—couldn’t be that bad, even if it wasn’t some rare Cultivation Technique.

But now, it seemed he had been far too naive about the Zhou Family’s kindness.

The *Mud Pill Hidden Scene Qi Refining Method* was probably a Cultivation Technique the Zhou Family gave to their servants. The real members of the Zhou Family practiced a completely different one, perhaps even a whole other Cultivation System!

Low-level Nuo Masters like Ding Quan could risk their lives for the family and still never receive the true teachings!

Just Zhou Yihang’s Flesh Body transformation Magic Skill alone was enough to rival the City God’s Golden Body—it might even be stronger!

With the addition of four arms, Zhou Yihang was practically a being who had achieved divinity through his Flesh Body!

BOOM!

The two Palm Seals collided, erupting with a shockingly deep sound. Xu Ying, caught in the middle of their clash, was shaken so hard that blood trickled from his eyes, ears, and nose.

Meanwhile, the City God and Zhou Yihang both grunted as their bodies shuddered from the impact. Zhou Yihang had been confident in his stable Divine Soul, forged as one with his Flesh Body, but this single seal had nearly shattered it!

As for the City God, Xue Ling Mansion, he was proud of his powerful Golden Body, believing it was far superior to a Flesh Body refined through the Zhou Family’s Mud Ball Secret Treasury. But in that first exchange, a crack appeared on his Golden Body!

’By the time I kill him, my very soul will be shattered!’ Their gazes met, and the same thought surfaced in both their minds.

The City God Xue Ling Mansion and Zhou Yihang shared a moment of perfect accord. The instant their gazes broke, they both landed on Xu Ying.

’Since I can’t get Xu Ying even if I fight to the death, my only option is to kill him so my opponent can’t have him either!’ they both thought simultaneously.

The next moment, the City God Xue Ling Mansion and Zhou Yihang attacked simultaneously, striking at Xu Ying!

Beneath the City God Xue Ling Mansion’s Palm Seal was the Demon-Subduing Yin Fire, capable of annihilating any Divine Soul!

Zhou Yihang’s Fist Seal was like a mountain—supremely powerful and unyielding. It was the supreme Nuo Technique passed down from the Zhou Family’s ancestor: the East Lord Heaven-Suppressing Seal!

This Fist Seal would surely blast Xu Ying’s Flesh Body and Divine Soul into dust!

Just then, a large bell, taller than a man, suddenly appeared and covered Xu Ying. The City God Xue Ling Mansion’s Demon-Subduing Yin Fire and Zhou Yihang’s East Lord Heaven-Suppressing Seal both slammed into it at the same time!

DONNNG—

The Da Zhong was struck by the two of them. The City God Xue Ling Mansion’s expression changed drastically as cracks webbed across his Golden Body with a series of CRACKS. The immense force sent him flying backward, and he crashed through an old willow tree on the street!

On the other side, the skin on the thick arm Zhou Yihang had used to strike the Da Zhong suddenly burst open. His incredibly powerful muscles twisted and disintegrated into dust, followed by his arm bones shattering with a series of SNAPS.

Zhou Yihang coughed up blood and was thrown backward, crashing through the temple behind him and falling inside.

Underneath the Da Zhong, Xu Ying stood stunned, both shocked and overjoyed. He was shocked that the bell that had tried to scam him had suddenly appeared, and overjoyed that it had actually saved him from this disaster!

Suddenly, with a loud CLANG, the Da Zhong fell to the ground and rolled a few times, ending up behind his rear.

The Mysterious Sound echoed in Xu Ying’s mind, saying, "I’ve used up the last of my strength. You’re on your own now. I’m going to sleep."

’The Da Zhong is the senior who was guiding me!’

Xu Ying turned and saw the Da Zhong lying on the ground. Its suspension loop was pointed at his rear, and its mouth faced outward like a giant trumpet.

He turned, and the Da Zhong also turned with a CLANG-CLANG-CLANG, rotating halfway around to stay right behind his rear.

This was probably the Da Zhong’s way of protecting itself. It had fallen into a deathlike state, yet it remained locked onto Xu Ying’s position, refusing to leave his side!

’In other words, if I try to run now, this bell is going to follow me, clanging and banging the whole way...’ Xu Ying blinked, a sense of despair washing over him. How was he supposed to escape like this?

"Cough, cough, cough..." Suddenly, a coughing sound came from behind the temple.

Xu Ying spun around to see the giant form of Zhou Yihang, a mangled mess of flesh and blood, propping himself up against a wall and slowly rising to his feet. He coughed up blood as he stared at Xu Ying.

The old man’s muscular body was grotesque, more than half of it destroyed by the bell’s vibrations. However, the Mud Ball Secret Treasury contained endless vitality, keeping his Flesh Body from dying!

However, the bell’s toll had also injured his Divine Soul, which was intimately connected to his Flesh Body. It left him dazed and confused, and he had lost seventy to eighty percent of his strength.

But even with only twenty or thirty percent of his power remaining, he was more than capable of deciding Xu Ying’s Life and Death!

"To think you had a Magical Treasure protecting you. I was careless."

Zhou Yihang’s body swayed, and chunks of flesh fell off with wet PLOPS. New flesh was growing to replace them, but it would then split open and fall off again.

His injuries were far more severe than Xu Ying had imagined!

But the Zhou Family’s Mud Ball Secret Treasury Cultivation Method was truly miraculous. Even injured to this extent, he was still alive.

Zhou Yihang stared at the Da Zhong behind Xu Ying and said in surprise, "This Magical Treasure managed to block a full-power strike from me and the City God. Not bad. But its power is now exhausted. It’s useless and can no longer protect you."

His gaze passed over Xu Ying to look for the City God. He saw the City God Xue Ling Mansion’s massive body, its head smashed into the wall of a nearby house and its torso pinned beneath the willow tree, its status unknown.

"Heh heh, so my strength is still a bit greater than the City God’s after all."

Zhou Yihang swayed as he walked toward Xu Ying, flesh still peeling and falling from his bones. A strange look in his eyes, he reached for Xu Ying and chuckled, "Xu Ying, you will be the Treasure that allows my Zhou Family to rise..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Xu Ying suddenly spun around. By the time Zhou Yihang heard the CLANGING sound, it was too late.

The Da Zhong behind Xu Ying, still as tall as a man even while lying on its side, swept forward with a whistle the moment Xu Ying turned. Accompanied by a loud CLANG, it smashed viciously into him!

Zhou Yihang was crushed by the Da Zhong and sent flying!

As he flew through the air, his mind was still reeling. ’What just happened?’

BANG!

He smashed through the wall on the other side of the temple, tumbling for dozens of yards before finally slamming into a stone wall and coming to a stop.

Zhou Yihang struggled to get up, but his legs made a series of sharp CRACKS. It was the sound of his shin bones breaking!

Zhou Yihang’s heart lurched in shock, and he didn’t dare to move. The blow from the Da Zhong had damaged his shins. If he moved recklessly, he was afraid the bones in both his legs would snap completely!

He snapped his head up and saw Xu Ying leaping into the air. Rage filled his heart. ’This brat isn’t running away! He’s actually attacking me! He’s courting death!’

Xu Ying, now airborne, aimed a sweeping kick at his face. It was a move from the Elephant Power Ox Demon Fist.

In Zhou Yihang’s eyes, the move was crude and unsophisticated. However, accompanying the kick was a massive Copper Bell, which swung over with a WHOOSH!

DONG!

Zhou Yihang was slammed by the Copper Bell. Both his legs shattered, and he was knocked back into the temple.

Dazed, Zhou Yihang had just struggled to get up when he saw Xu Ying was already in front of him. Xu Ying, with his back to him, jumped straight up and then came down.

The Da Zhong smashed down on Zhou Yihang’s head, driving the old man halfway into the ground. Xu Ying jumped and landed again. DONG, DONG, DONG! He repeated this more than ten times, smashing a large pit into the temple floor.

Xu Ying looked into the pit. Zhou Yihang was still not dead. Xu Ying frowned. He heard the coughing of the City God, Xue Ling Mansion, in the distance. With no time to waste, he immediately rushed out of the temple. ’I can’t let the City God recover! I’ve got to give him a few whacks too!’

The road surface wasn’t clean. As the Da Zhong struck the pebbles on the ground, it pulverized them into dust, which looked like smoke spewing from the bell’s mouth.

As Xu Ying ran, the Da Zhong behind him left a trail of "smoke."

"You fugitive! How arrogant!"

With both legs broken, Zhou Yihang used his arms to drag himself out of the pit. He stared at Xu Ying’s retreating back and gnashed his teeth in fury. "Running for your life with smoke coming out of your ass! Are you trying to provoke the Lingling Government Office?!"