Ascension Day

Xu Ying stood at the bow of the ship and gazed at the shores. On both banks of the Naihe River, the landscape trembled ceaselessly. The Underworld was still encroaching upon the Mortal World as new mountains and rivers surged forth from another realm, crushing the original terrain. The force of the upheaval was staggering!

The Tower Ship raced across the water, its speed ever-increasing. The landscapes on both shores became a blur. Xu Ying was inwardly astonished. ’At this rate, this ship will probably cover a hundred miles in no time!’

The farthest he had ever traveled was just a hundred miles from his village. He felt a rising sense of unease aboard the ship. ’If she doesn’t take me back, will I even recognize the way? I’ve heard some people... abduct and sell children...’

In his mind, Da Zhong sneered. ’This idiot is being sold by the Demoness and he doesn’t even realize it! She must be after something. I can’t imagine what she sees in Xu Ying.’

Unaware of the bell’s thoughts, Xu Ying asked the maiden from the coffin, "What is Contemplation?"

Da Zhong was enraged. ’That damn kid! He asks my nemesis instead of me! If you’d asked me, of course I would have answered! Wait... I think he *did* ask me. I forgot to explain and only told him about Inner Observation. I let my guard down, and now the Demoness has beaten me to the punch.’

The maiden stood at the bow, her figure poised and elegant. "You don’t know what Contemplation is? Ah, that’s right. The Qi Refiner lineage has dwindled to almost nothing in your era, so it’s understandable. In truth, even in my time, a great deal had already been lost. The influence of that Great Evildoer was simply too vast."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "Contemplation is the act of creating an image from nothingness to stabilize one’s Divine Sense. It means using your Divine Sense to visualize a Dao Image within the void, so as to tame the wild monkey of the mind and tether the galloping horse of the will. During Contemplation, you must bring something from nothing, Refining Illusion into Truth. This is how you cultivate Magic and Divine Power, and only then can you achieve Enlightenment."

Hearing this, something clicked in Xu Ying’s mind. "The cultivation method for Contemplation... sounds a lot like the one for Hidden Scenery."

The maiden asked, puzzled, "What is Hidden Scenery?"

Xu Ying took out the scroll of the >. "This Nuo Master Cultivation Technique says that a Hidden Scenery is a Dao Image, but it’s one that’s refined using the power of the Mud Ball Secret Treasury. The process for creating a Hidden Scenery is also about bringing something from nothing and Refining Illusion into Truth. It can be used to create Magic or Divine Power!"

He unrolled the Qi Refining Technique, and as he did, a single strand of dark, lustrous hair fell upon the open scroll. Xu Ying looked up to see that the maiden had, without him noticing, moved to his side. She was tilting her head to look at the > in his hands.

A lock of her hair brushed against Xu Ying’s shoulder.

Her skin was as white as snow and her neck was long and slender. The contrast with her black hair made her complexion seem even more luminous. She looked nothing like an ancient corpse that had been sealed away for millennia.

To Xu Ying’s surprise, the maiden carried no stench of the grave. Instead, a faint, pleasant fragrance wafted from her, compelling him to sneak another sniff or two.

It was the first time Xu Ying had been this close to her, and his heart began to race. He slowly unrolled the scroll further, allowing her to get a better look.

The maiden studied the text intently. Xu Ying stole a glance at her, thinking that her profile was even more beautiful than seeing her face-on. Her long eyelashes fluttered now and then, her eyes shimmered like jewels, the bridge of her nose was delicate and elegant, and her lips were as pink and alluring as fresh cherries.

Xu Ying felt his heart pound in his chest and quickly averted his gaze. ’This ghost girl is not only polite, she’s also really beautiful.’

He was, after all, a boy of fourteen or fifteen. It was only natural for him to get flustered around a beautiful girl, even if said girl might be a ghost or a zombie.

In Xu Ying’s mind, Da Zhong let out another cold sneer. ’This damn kid doesn’t even know how to practice Contemplation. The moment he sees a pretty girl his mind goes wild. Such poor self-control. I bet he’s already picked out names for their children!’

Despite its scorn, it was still afraid of being discovered by the maiden. The opening of the bell silently descended to cover the Chaos Egg. ’I’ll just drape myself over this thing in the Mud Ball Secret Treasury,’ it thought. ’The Demoness will just assume I’m part of the Chaos Egg and won’t discover me.’

The maiden quickly finished reading the >. She closed the scroll, mused for a moment, and said, "It is indeed rather crude. The Hidden Scenery described in this text is one of the Incomplete Techniques. Cultivating it will lead you astray and needlessly drain your life force. It’s truly insidious. You must not practice it."

"Drain my life force?" A chill shot through Xu Ying.

’The > is the Cultivation Technique the Zhou Family teaches its Disciples,’ he thought. ’With such a massive flaw hidden inside, how could the Zhou Family possibly be unaware of it?’

’The flaw in the text certainly wasn’t left by the original Master of the Mud Mound Palace. That means... the Zhou Family must be deliberately teaching these Incomplete Techniques to their own Disciples!’

Cold sweat beaded on Xu Ying’s forehead. The Zhou Family had their Disciples risk life and limb for them, while simultaneously using this Cultivation Technique to drain away their very lives. Their motives were utterly malicious!

’This way, the Zhou Family’s Nuo Technique will never be leaked. And even if it is, what gets out is a method that guarantees a quick death. The Zhou Family uses this to maintain their status!’ he thought.

The maiden continued, "Although the Hidden Scenery in this text is fraught with peril, the underlying philosophy of the Hidden Scenery is brilliant, rivaling even the core concepts of the Qi Refiners’ Cultivation Techniques. Extrapolating from this crude technique, I suspect Hidden Scenery is not just for creating Magic, but is more likely a method of transformation."

She frowned slightly, perplexed. "Have the Cultivation Techniques of the Qi Refiners been rendered obsolete? I don’t believe that Hidden Scene Transformation alone could be superior to the methods of the Qi Refiners. What could have caused their extinction?"

Having been sealed away for several thousand years, the current world was entirely foreign to her.

Xu Ying asked, "Miss, what is Hidden Scene Transformation?"

The maiden replied, "Judging from this technique, the goal of a Nuo Master’s Hidden Scenery cultivation is to forge a Little Immortal Realm within their own body. The ultimate aim is to then transform and conceal themselves within it, thereby achieving Longevity and immortality. However, this particular technique is too rudimentary; it doesn’t clearly explain the process of Hidden Scene Transformation."

Xu Ying’s eyes lit up. ’Forge a Little Immortal Realm inside my own body, transform and conceal myself within it, and become truly immortal?’