Ascension Day

Zhou Yihang’s gaze was somber as he said, "Yang’Er, you are not yet qualified to be privy to these secrets. But since you’re curious, I will tell you some of what I know."

He fell silent for a moment before continuing, "Twenty years ago, I followed the clan Elders to Duqiao Mountain in Lingnan’s Beiliu County. Our Nuo Masters had discovered an Ancient Cave Heaven there. The Elders scoured the Royal Ancient Texts and surmised that this was the Cultivation site of the Ancient Qi Refiner Tuo Yu, and that it was likely one of the few relatively well-preserved Grotto Heavens in the Divine Land. On that expedition, three Elders were present, along with two hundred core disciples of the Zhou Family and a thousand Nuo Masters. It was a massive undertaking to explore that Grotto Heaven. We encountered many strange things."

A look of terror filled his eyes, and it was a moment before he composed himself. "Strange things that couldn’t be explained by Nuo Techniques, Nuo Arts, or even the Magic of Ghost Gods! These occurrences could only be explained as Immortal Techniques! We Nuo Masters, including the three Elders, couldn’t understand them at all! Not in the slightest, do you understand?"

The terror in his eyes turned to despair.

The Zhou Family’s deep exploration of the Duqiao Mountain Grotto Heaven had resulted in catastrophic losses. All one thousand Nuo Masters were annihilated, more than half of the core Zhou Family disciples were killed or wounded, and one of the three great Elders was lost.

Ultimately, after paying a terrible price, they managed to bring a few things out of the Ancient Cave Heaven on Duqiao Mountain. Among them was a Jade Scroll left behind by the Ancient Qi Refiner Tuo Yu.

The scroll was over a foot long, as verdant as young bamboo, and inscribed with golden characters that no one could decipher.

Besides the Jade Scroll, there was also a hand-copied volume of Ancient Texts, which was presumably Tuo Yu’s written record of her attempts to decipher the scroll.

This volume of Ancient Texts contained a Cultivation Technique, but it was abstruse and exceedingly difficult to comprehend.

"Inside that Grotto Heaven, we also saw a mural depicting someone Crossing the Tribulation to become a Flying Immortal. Because of this, some Elders guessed that the Ancient Qi Refiner Tuo Yu had witnessed someone’s Ascension to Immortality. What she had deciphered was none other than an Immortal’s Cultivation Technique!"

Zhou Yihang paused here to compose himself, then said, "After that, I never saw that volume of Ancient Texts again. However, I still remember the expressions on the faces of those Elders as they looked through it. Their faces were strange, as if they had just eaten three-day-old pig swill! They said..."

He paused, then said, "They said the opening of the Immortal Technique that Tuo Yu deciphered... was the same as a Demon Technique."

County Magistrate Zhou Yang’s eyes widened, his mind reeling from the shock.

In the wilds of Lingling, demons were numerous. While they weren’t exactly overrunning the place, one could easily stumble upon one or two by chance.

Some of these demons brought disaster to the countryside, others lived as recluses in the deep forests, and some, with the heart of a bear and the guts of a leopard, would audaciously crown themselves kings of mountains. However, most of those who cultivated to the level of Demon King were eventually recruited by the Yin Court, granted divine positions like Mountain God or River God, and tasked with managing the land’s mountains and rivers on the Yin Court’s behalf.

Zhou Yang looked down on demons. Their Cultivation Techniques were bizarre and varied, but they were all limited to the Qi Collection Stage. Once they reached Qi Gathering Perfection, their path ended, and they could advance no further.

Demon Cultivators were inferior to Nuo Masters. After a Nuo Master opened their Secret Treasury, they could draw upon its Secret Power to refine their Hidden Scenery. Their Cultivation would grow ever higher, their abilities becoming world-shaking, reaching a transcendent state!

The great ancestor of the Zhou Family was a figure who stood at the very pinnacle of this world; even the current Emperor had to show him the utmost respect!

But Demon Cultivators were not even on par with the Divine Spirits of the Incense Fire Gods!

As for the Incense Fire Gods, as long as their divine positions remained, they could continuously absorb Incense Smoke Qi, their Magical Power growing more profound by the day. They too could cultivate to an extremely formidable state!

Only Demon Cultivators were stuck at the Qi Collection Stage. At best, they could become a Demon King, be enfeoffed as one of the Demon Gods, and rule over a domain no larger than a single mountain.

As for Demon Clan Techniques, they were even more unremarkable, and very few people bothered to study or research them.

But now, Zhou Yihang had just said that the opening of an Immortal Technique was the same as a Demon Technique. Zhou Yang couldn’t help but be shocked!

"The texts left behind by the Ancient Qi Refiner Tuo Yu, although they contain the deciphered Immortal Technique, are far too obscure and abstruse. They require further interpretation."

Zhou Yihang closed his eyes to rest, saying, "Even the task of deciphering this text has driven several of our Zhou Family’s geniuses to an early grave. Many of the clan’s most brilliant figures have worried their hair white over it. It’s simply too difficult to understand."

He sighed, a tear rolling from the corner of his eye.

A flicker of understanding crossed Zhou Yang’s eyes. "That’s why Xu Ying, who can decipher Demon Clan Techniques, is so exceptionally rare."

"But if our Zhou Family can’t have him, then he must be destroyed. We can’t let any other family benefit!"

Zhou Yihang’s expression turned cold and sinister. He waved his hand dismissively. "Go, Yang’Er. Remember, you must inform the Governor."

County Magistrate Zhou Yang acknowledged the order, bowed, and departed.

In a cave on Lingling’s Xiaoshan Mountain, Xu Ying stood just inside the entrance, looking out. The sky was thick with dark clouds, and a thunderstorm was raging. The rain came down in a refreshing, torrential pour, while fierce winds pulled at the sheets of water, whipping them about.

The sky gradually darkened.

The sudden storm had blocked his pursuers.

Xu Ying withdrew his gaze. Inside the cave, a large pot was bubbling over a campfire, brewing medicine.

The Snake Demon Yuan Qi was curled up by the fire, warming himself. He looked sickly and listless, waiting for the medicine to finish brewing.

In a corner of the cave, a black bear was cowering, trembling with fear as he watched Xu Ying. This was his cave, but now it had been usurped by Xu Ying and Yuan Qi.

"Xiong Qianli, don’t be afraid. We’ll leave after the rain stops," Xu Ying said to the Bear Demon, his expression kind.

The black bear spoke in human tongue, "Mr. Xu, are you trying to trick me? Last time, you snatched my Scriptures and said you’d return them after you read them, but you still haven’t given them back!"