Ascension Day

The City God, Xue Ling Mansion, and Zhou Yihang each let out a cold snort as their auras constricted, binding Xu Ying even more tightly.

The power of their auras surged, clashing head-on.

The City God, Xue Ling Mansion, smiled, his eyes glinting. "Master Zhou, let’s not beat around the bush. The Zhou Family wants him... could it be because he annotated the Guiding Skill?"

Zhou Yihang’s brow twitched. The ground beneath his feet began to CRACKLE and split, the bluestone slabs shattering under the pressure of his aura. He chuckled. "It seems the City God is quite well-informed. That’s right. I don’t care that Xu Ying killed Landlord Jiang or a few Divine Spirits. But his ability to annotate the Guiding Skill... that is something I cannot ignore. For the City God himself to make an appearance, can I assume Xu Ying has piqued the Yin Court’s interest as well?"

The force of their auras sent the surrounding crowd scattering, putting distance between themselves and the town’s temple.

Even Landlord Huang, Huang Sanduo, who had only just become a Divine Spirit by inhabiting his Divine Statue, hastily leaped down from his Shen Kan and hid behind the temple.

The City God, Xue Ling Mansion, boomed with laughter, his robes billowing about him despite the still air. "The Zhou Family has been excavating Ancient Cave Mansions all over, exploring ancient mysteries. Did you think the Yin Court wouldn’t notice? Truth be told, the Yin Court has also acquired many ancient secrets over the years that need deciphering!"

His divine might permeated the air as the Incense Smoke Qi coalesced behind him, forming a towering Shen Kan. His power surged!

The Mysterious Sound echoed in Xu Ying’s mind. "If I weren’t injured, a mere wisp of my aura would be enough to dispose of them. But I am. Still, do not worry. From the sound of it, you are very important to them. In that case, let them take you for now. In a few days, I can borrow some of your Qi Blood to recover. Even if I can only unleash a fraction of my power, it will be more than enough to eliminate them!"

Xu Ying’s spirits soared at these words, but a flicker of doubt remained. ’Borrow my Qi Blood to recover? Then is this predecessor...’

A strange Energy flowed from Zhou Yihang, countering the City God’s ever-increasing divine might. His eyes flashed as he gave a slight smile. "But the Zhou Family has no desire to share ancient secrets. And if we cannot have Xu Ying..."

He sighed. "Then it would be best for Xu Ying to become a dead Xu Ying. His Divine Soul scattered and annihilated—that would be his most fitting fate."

A smile spread across the face of the City God, Xue Ling Mansion. "The Yin Court feels the same way. If I cannot take Xu Ying with me today, then I must kill him. He cannot be left to the Mortal World!"

The color drained from Xu Ying’s face, and he let out a muffled grunt.

In his mind, Da Zhong let out a DONG. Clearly, this turn of events had stunned the great Bell as well.

"However, Master Zhou, I have one advantage," the City God, Xue Ling Mansion, chuckled. "Even if you kill him, you’ll have to strike a second time to destroy his soul. That gives me an opening. If I can’t take his Flesh Body, taking his soul will do just fine."

Zhou Yihang’s aura surged to its Peak. Even with the City God having summoned his Shen Kan, he couldn’t suppress him in the slightest. "Rest assured," Zhou Yihang said flatly. "If I make a move, Xu Ying’s body and soul will be annihilated in a single strike. He’ll be deader than dead."

Xu Ying grunted again.

The street was now completely deserted, leaving only the three of them.

The earlier sounds of trumpets, suonas, and great drums had vanished. Offerings, paper ingots, and candles littered the ground.

A wind began to rise, stirring the scattered paper money. A lone calf let out a solitary moo into the wind.

Xu Ying stood in the biting wind, a forlorn figure. ’Yuan Qi is still waiting for me to bring back his medicine...’

Suddenly, the City God, Xue Ling Mansion, was the first to strike!

The Shen Kan formed from Incense Smoke Qi behind him erupted with countless rays of light. As he formed a seal with a flip of his hand, the sound of a million chanting voices burst from the Shen Kan—a cacophony that could shatter one’s mind and make it impossible to focus!

At the same time, a brilliant golden light erupted from within the City God, Xue Ling Mansion. It was the Golden Body of a Divine Spirit!

A Divine Spirit absorbs Incense and Candlelight, cultivating Magical Power over a century and refining a Golden Body over three. The City God, Xue Ling Mansion, had enjoyed five hundred years of Incense and Candlelight; his Golden Body was solid and truly extraordinary.

He formed a seal, unleashing a world-shaking Thunder Sound. Upon hearing it, Xu Ying felt his soul tremble, and in the next instant, he saw himself flying into the air!

Looking down, he saw another version of himself standing in place. Only then did he realize his soul had been blasted out of his Flesh Body by the City God’s Seal Technique!

Moreover, in his spiritual state, he could see things invisible to the naked eye: clusters of flame floating beneath the City God Xue Ling Mansion’s Palm Seal!

Those flames beneath the City God’s Palm Seal emanated an overwhelming sense of destruction and terror. It felt as if even the slightest touch would subject his soul to excruciating torment, possibly even igniting it until it was scattered to the winds.

However, the City God’s attack was not aimed at Xu Ying, but at Zhou Yihang. Xu Ying’s soul had been knocked from his body merely by hearing the Thunder Sound of the Palm Seal. One could only imagine the pressure on Zhou Yihang, who was facing the attack head-on!

DONG!

A bell chimed suddenly in Xu Ying’s ear. He felt his Flesh Body turn into a massive vortex, yanking his soul downward until it slammed back into his mortal shell.

Before his rattled soul could even settle, Xu Ying saw that Zhou Yihang, facing the attack, remained perfectly composed with his hands clasped behind his back.

In the next instant, two more arms sprouted from the old man’s sides. He flipped his new hands to meet the City God’s Seal Technique, intending to clash head-on with Xue Ling Mansion and his perfected Golden Body!

A City God who had perfected his Golden Body possessed transcendent strength. His Magical Power, fueled by Incense and Candlelight, was immense—immeasurably greater than that of the Giant Divine Spirit Xu Ying had previously encountered. Moreover, his Seal Technique specifically targeted the soul. How could anyone possibly block it head-on?

Yet, the moment Zhou Yihang extended his palms, the slender old man’s skeleton grew at a frenzied pace. His muscles bulged and rippled, and in an instant, he transformed from a wiry elder into a giant nearly as tall as the City God himself!