Ascension Day

He stirred his remaining Qi Blood, barely managing to form the Elephant God Evil Body Abnormal Phenomenon behind him. "Your Nuo Art and Undying Body aren’t actually that hard to break," he said. "As long as I find the right spot, killing you is as easy as turning over my hand."

Ding Quan’s heart trembled slightly. He sneered, "You’re bluffing! I’ve studied the *Mud Pill Hidden Scene Qi Refining Method* for eight years. Even if you stole it, you’ve only had it for half a day. You think you can see my flaws?"

Xu Ying limped toward him, the Elephant God Evil Body behind him limping as well. He smiled. "The *Mud Pill Hidden Scene Qi Refining Method* has its unique points, but it’s just a crude Nuo Technique. I’ve studied over fifty Demon Clan Techniques, and the *Mud Ball Hidden Scenery* is the most rudimentary of them all. It’s clear the Zhou Family never taught you any advanced Nuo Techniques."

Ding Quan roared with laughter. "The highest realm for a Demon Clan Technique is the Qi Collection Stage! They’re not even fit to carry the shoes for a Nuo Technique, and you have the nerve to call my Nuo Technique crude?"

With a single thought, countless Willow Branches whipped through the air like venomous snakes and giant pythons, strangling him from all directions!

At the same time, another swarm of countless Willow Branches shot back and forth to deal with Yuan Qi.

This was the ultimate Nuo Art recorded in the *Mud Pill Hidden Scene Qi Refining Method*: the Nuo Liu Brush Sword Technique. It used the Willow Branches of a willow tree as swords, with thousands of branches executing swordsmanship to fight off enemies from all sides!

And when facing fewer enemies, the Willow Branches could be concentrated to strangle them to death!

Xu Ying walked forward, his body linked to the limping Elephant God Evil Body. With sudden flashes to the side or twists of his body, he always managed to narrowly avoid the attacks of the Nuo Liu Brush Sword Technique, drawing ever closer to Ding Quan.

Ding Quan panicked. ’He really saw the flaw in my Nuo Art? No, no, I’ve been in Cultivation for eight years. How could I not know my Nuo Art has a flaw? He’s trying to scare me!’

He immediately changed his move. Countless willow roots erupted from the ground beneath his feet, attaching to and coiling around his body, acting as his muscles and tendons to amplify his strength!

Just then, Xu Ying threw a punch. Ding Quan hurriedly raised his hand to meet it, thinking, ’It’s this move again! I’ve seen it before...’

But Xu Ying’s incoming fist suddenly unfurled. His five fingers danced, rapidly striking the root-covered arm!

With every tap of Xu Ying’s fingertips, he felt his body grow a little more numb, as if his muscles and tendons had been disconnected from his brain and he was losing all sensation!

Xu Ying brushed past him, his ten fingers a blur as they struck points all over his body.

The willow roots on Ding Quan’s body went limp like dead snakes and fell to the ground. The Willow Branches that had been attacking Yuan Qi also suddenly went out of control and returned to normal.

Ding Quan stood there dumbly. He had completely lost all feeling in his limbs. An immense fear swelled in his heart—the fear of death.

"Ding Quan, I told you killing you would be as easy as turning over my hand, didn’t I?"

Xu Ying reached back and tapped a finger on the back of his head. "See? I didn’t lie to you."

There wasn’t a single wound on the back of Ding Quan’s head, but his forehead suddenly exploded. His body swayed once and collapsed to the ground.

"The *Mud Pill Hidden Scene Qi Refining Method* doesn’t state the precise location of the Mud Ball Secret Treasury, but judging from the Cultivation Technique’s circulation path, the Mud Ball Secret Treasury originates in the brain."

Xu Ying turned to face Ding Quan’s corpse and said, "I understood the circulation path of your Nuo Technique and knew your Nuo Art moves, so killing you was very simple. You shouldn’t have killed Wei Chu. I’d never seen his Cultivation Technique, so I couldn’t have broken it so quickly."

Yuan Qi slithered down from the roof of the great hall and said hurriedly, "Why are you explaining things to a corpse? It’s getting light out. We need to hurry, or we’ll be trapped on Stone Mountain!"

Xu Ying limped after him. "I was afraid he’d die without understanding why. I heard the villagers say that people who die with lingering questions become Fierce Ghosts."

"You believe that? That’s just a story to scare children!"

Just as they walked out of the ruined temple, they saw Stone Mountain God Huang Siping standing a short distance from the entrance.

Xu Ying and Yuan Qi’s hearts went cold.

They were both injured. If Huang Siping delayed them now, they would surely be doomed!

Huang Siping acted as if he hadn’t seen them and said as if to himself, "After you leave the mountain, don’t head northwest. I received news yesterday that many Mountain Gods and Grass Gods are waiting for you to walk into their trap. Go southwest, along Anzi Ridge and Jianshan. The Divine Spirits there have gone to the northwest."

He transformed into a three-legged demon wolf and staggered down the mountain. "When you reach Jianshan, you’d best take a bath. You’re covered in blood, and the scent is strong. Demon Gods can track you by your smell."

Xu Ying called out to him, "Stone Mountain God, why are you letting us go?"

Huang Siping stopped, glanced back at Xu Ying, and thought for a moment before saying, "Probably because your demonic nature is untamable, yet your human nature hasn’t been extinguished. I used to have those things, but I lost them when I submitted to the Yin Court and became the Stone Mountain God."

He limped down the mountain. "If you are human, you are an anomaly of the Human Race. If you are a demon, you are a marvel of my Demon Race. I look forward to seeing what you will become."

Xu Ying smiled. "I’m definitely human, not a demon!"

The demon wolf disappeared into the mountain forest, his voice drifting back, "Don’t be so sure. The wildness in you is even stronger than mine was. If you ever reveal your true form one day, you might just scare yourself."