Day of Ascension

“With cultivation at the third heaven of the Gate-Knocking Stage, he reduced the three of us Ascension Stage Qi Cultivators to this.”

Bei Chenzi coughed up blood again and again. He said hoarsely, “If he were restored to his peak condition...”

The red-robed woman and the frowning old man both shuddered. Forget his peak condition, they had struggled to survive even this battle despite joining forces. If they had not brought back the demon-suppressing runes and Bei Chenzi hadn’t released his yellow robe to guide the other two, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Without any warning, Dazhong flew over and rammed straight into the trio. Zhu Chanchan was hidden behind the bell. She punched it, and the bell rang out loudly.

Xu Ying had gravely wounded the trio, but Dazhong had exhausted nearly all its power as well. The trio pooled what little strength they had left, barely managing to repel the bell and send it flying.

Zhu Chanchan leaped out from behind the bell. Bang! Bang! Bang! She landed a punch on each of them. The artifacts on their bodies shook violently. Their faces changed in shock, and they hastily directed their remaining mystical power to suppress the strange movements of their own artifacts.

Simultaneously, Yuanqi darted out and silently coiled around Xu Ying. Sword qi flowed around him, and he rose into the air, trying to escape with Xu Ying.

“Well done, Master Qi!” Dazhong called from a distance.

Yuanqi rode his sword qi and tore through the air at an astonishing speed.

Bei Chenzi and the others suppressed the disturbances in their artifacts. The frowning old man threw out the yellow robe, and Bei Chenzi gathered his remaining primordial qi and blew out a breath.

The yellow robe snapped through the air. In an instant, it had caught up with Yuanqi. Its sleeve swept downward and enveloped the twenty-odd-zhang serpent, drawing him inside.

Yuanqi stirred his mystical power and activated the True Cultivation of Ba Snake, transforming into a hundred-zhang giant serpent. Yet as he grew larger, the sleeve expanded with it, wrapping around him just as tightly.

The yellow robe was also an artifact, seemingly worn by an invisible figure. That unseen figure shook its sleeve, and Yuanqi’s muscles and bones went limp. Against his will, he released Xu Ying and fell out of the sleeve.

They were high above the ground. If he fell, he would be smashed to pieces. Fortunately, Dazhong flew over and opened his mouth wide, catching him just in time. Still, Yuanqi's weight dragged the bell plummeting toward the ground.

Zhu Chanchan desperately attacked Bei Chenzi and the others, but the three of them did not engage her at all. They put away the altar and shrine, supported one another, stamped their feet to summon clouds, and flew away from the mountaintop.

The yellow robe, with Xu Ying tucked inside its sleeve, flew back on its own.

Dazhong steadied its fall and flew back to the mountaintop, but Bei Chenzi and the others were already gone.

Yuanqi’s heart went cold. He murmured, “Those three old bastards took Ah Ying. The world is so vast. Where are we supposed to find him?”

Dazhong’s heart sank as well. The trio had sealed Xu Ying again, which meant the memories of his life as a snake catcher had been sealed away too. According to their deductions, he would be given a new set of memories and begin a new life.

The world had changed. The Divine Land now stretched across an immense expanse, with territories continuing to emerge. If the trio hid Xu Ying somewhere at random, finding him again might be impossible.

Worse still, they could periodically reset his memories and move him to another unfamiliar place, forcing him to begin yet another new life.

“You don’t need to worry.”

Zhu Chanchan strode over, radiating a murderous aura. “I had already tampered with Ah Ying’s stone ax. I also left my mark on the artifacts those three little brats have. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three punches! They shouldn’t even dream of escaping my senses!”

Dazhong and Yuanqi were both impressed and terrified. Yuanqi said carefully, “Grandaunt, you also hit us with those bang, bang punches before. Does that mean we also...”

Dazhong immediately rocked back and forth, anxiously inspecting himself for hidden marks, worried it was no longer pure.

Zhu Chanchan reassured them, “I wouldn’t do that to my own people.”

Dazhong and Yuanqi relaxed a little.

Zhu Chanchan felt vexed. That was close. Good thing neither of them is very bright. Still, branding my own friends isn't right. I'll erase the marks while they aren't paying attention. Wait. They’re my Dao Protectors. What if they run off?

On the Qingshui River in Wuling Commandery, there was a village called Matoupo. It did not have many villagers, only thirty or forty households. Because it was close to the Yuan River, they made their living by fishing.

At the western end of the village lived one family. The husband was surnamed Xu, given name Jin; the wife was surnamed Lu, given name Si. They had been married for many years but never had children.

Seven years earlier, while fishing on the river, Xu Jin had cast out his net. When he hauled it back in, he discovered a child tangled inside. The boy was still breathing.

The couple rescued the child and asked his name. The boy’s surname was Xu, and his given name was Ying. There was a Xujiaping Village upstream that had been raided by mounted bandits; a great fire had burned the village down.

The child had escaped by jumping into the river, but he could barely swim and had been carried downstream by the current. The couple took pity on him and adopted him. Since his surname was pronounced almost the same as theirs, they saw no need to change it.

Before anyone realized it, seven years had passed. The child Xu Jin had adopted had grown into a lanky young man with broad shoulders and long limbs. The years spent fishing alongside Xu Jin had tanned his skin until it was almost bronze.

Over the past few months, the world had undergone upheaval, and many stretches of new land had emerged. No one knew where the towering mountains and precipitous ridges had come from. The Yuan River alone had widened more than tenfold.

Its currents became violent, and enormous fish now lurked beneath the surface, overturning boats and devouring fishermen. Before long, no one who relied on the river dared venture onto the water.

“Xu Ying brought this misfortune!”

An old man in the village said, “Three months ago, there wasn't anyone named Xu Ying in this village! He only appeared recently, yet the moment he arrived, all of you acted as though you'd known him for years! He definitely isn’t human. He’s a monster that bewitches people’s minds!”

The villagers looked at the old man with strange expressions, but he kept babbling and shouted, “That monster changed your memories! Think about it. Did Xu Jin really take his boat out seven years ago and net a child? No! That boy only showed up two or three months ago!”

“Old Xu’s gone mad.”

Everyone shook their heads. Someone even comforted Xu Ying and told him not to take it to heart. “Old Xu's getting senile. He mixes everything up these days. Last time, he even accused me of peeping at the little widow while she was bathing. As if that ever happened. Heh.”

Xu Ying did not take it to heart either.

At dusk, Xu Ying saw an old man who was frowning enter the village and say something to Old Xu. A moment later, another white-robed old man arrived, along with a red-robed woman. The three strangers were unusual.

All of them were injured. One was missing an arm, another limped, and the third appeared to have suffered a serious chest wound. As they spoke with Old Xu, they repeatedly pointed in Xu Ying's direction. Their fingertips glimmered with faint light.

Xu Ying saw it all, and suspicion rose in his heart. He casually picked up the stone ax leaning beside his front door and strode over. From a distance, he said, “What are you doing? Uncle Xu, don’t panic. Little Ying is here!”

The three had been gesturing moments earlier, but the instant they saw him approaching, they turned and left, disappearing without a trace.

Xu Ying carried the ax up to Old Xu. When Old Xu saw him, he jumped in fright and said, “Ah Ying, are you trying to commit murder?”

He was surprised. Old Xu had never treated him kindly before, but for some reason, he seemed to have changed today and was speaking to him so gently. The youth felt puzzled. After answering with a few casual words, he left.

Outside Matoupo Village, Bei Chenzi said, “That was close. When we altered the memories of the villagers in the nearby towns and villages, we didn't expect one person to slip through the cracks. Fortunately, we found him in time, and nothing came of it.”

The three stood on high ground and looked at Xu Ying from afar. Seeing him completely accept his new identity, calmly overturning the wooden boat to scrub its hull, they finally relaxed.

“This seal is foolproof! Now we can rest easy!”

The three exchanged glances before bursting into laughter. The red-robed woman said with a smile, “Let’s go! We can heal our injuries in peace now!”

Xu Ying was very familiar with fishing. After washing the boat and setting it out to dry, he went to dry the fishing nets. Just then, Xu Jin returned from worshiping at the temple, limping slightly.

Xu Ying asked about it, and Xu Jin said, “The River God in the Heshen Temple kicked me.”

Xu Ying flew into a rage. “He dared kick my father!”

He snatched up the stone ax propped in the corner and stormed toward the door, ready to settle the score with the god.

Xu Jin hurriedly stopped him and said, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? That's the god our village worships. He could crush you with a single finger. Put the ax down!”

He sighed and said, “When all this new land appeared, I thought the government might stop collecting taxes for a while. I never expected the River God to become worse. Today he demanded that we build him another temple and increase our offerings. We said we had no money and couldn’t even catch fish; that’s when he kicked me.”

Xu Ying said, “To me, the River God is nothing but a clay statue. He doesn’t look like he has any real ability. Why be afraid of him? Ever since the new lands appeared, those huge creatures in the river beat him up every day. After getting thrashed a few times, he doesn't even dare enter the water anymore.

“Furthermore, he preys on women and has married so many wives that the temple can’t even hold them all. Now he wants a new temple, so he’s probably planning to marry even more! If he marries all the women, won’t your son end up a bachelor? “If it were up to me, I'd march over there with this ax and split him in two.”

Xu Jin glared at him and barked, “You’ve lost all respect for the law and heaven! And you still want a wife? Even if you sold me, you wouldn’t scrape together enough for the betrothal gifts! Did you finish washing the boat? If you’re done, go inside and sleep. We set out tomorrow morning!”

“Dad, we haven’t even eaten. How am I supposed to sleep? What are we having tonight?”

“How many days has it been since we went fishing? We have nothing to eat!”

Despite saying that, Xu Jin still took down a dried fish hanging on the wall, patted off the dust, and brought it to his wife to cook.

The next day, father and son drank a little porridge. Madam Lu wrapped up the leftovers from last night for the two of them, then brought over a few pieces of some plant’s root or stem.

“Yesterday, I followed some of the aunties into the mountains to dig up roots. They tasted sweet when chewed. I didn’t dare give them to you last night, so I ate some myself. I haven’t died yet, so I brought a few for you two to fill your stomachs on the road.”

Xu Ying took the roots and bit into one. It was indeed sweet, though a little too fibrous.

Xu Jin scolded, “You cursed brat, that’s our food for the whole day. Don’t eat it all!”

Xu Ying said, “I’m hungry.”

“Still, don’t eat any more. Save it for when we come back tonight. Otherwise, you won’t have the strength to pole the boat. If we can’t return, we’ll end up feeding the big fish.”

Xu Ying put the roots in the boat’s hold. Xu Jin pushed off with the bamboo pole, and the little boat entered the surging, turbulent Yuan River.

Once they reached the middle of the river, a huge fish four or five times larger than their boat swam beneath them and nearly knocked the boat over. They hurriedly steadied the craft and watched the big fish swim far away.

The sun rose over the river. Several enormous snow-white birds let out piercing cries as they flew overhead, their wings casting shadows like clouds.

There was a bend in the river, where the current was too swift to catch fish. They continued downstream for several dozen li before turning into one of the Yuan River's tributaries, where the water ran shallower and calmer, making it a better place to catch fish and shrimp.

Xu Ying stood at the bow, adjusting the boat’s course while practicing his breathing.

The technique he cultivated was called the Grand-Unity Guiding Method. For reasons he could not explain, every movement and breathing pattern was etched into his mind. He had no memory of where he had learned it.

“You practice every day without fail. What’s the use of it?” Xu Jin was deeply dismissive.

Xu Ying split his attention three ways and said, “I think it’s very useful. Besides, I’m idle anyway, so I might as well practice a little. Dad, do you want to learn? I’ll teach you.”

“Can it help me fish or swim?” Xu Jin said with a laugh. “What would I learn it for?”

Seeing he had no interest, Xu Ying simply continued cultivating. Today's session, however, felt different.

Sunlight gathered above his head in shimmering streams. Countless motes of light drifted down and flowed into his body. Gradually, the converging rays formed a luminous vortex overhead, with specks of radiance spiraling through it before pouring into him.

Xu Ying clicked his tongue in wonder. By the time they reached the lower reaches, the vortex of light above his head had grown very large, spanning forty or fifty feet.

If I hadn’t netted him up myself seven years ago, I really would think he was a monster, Xu Jin thought at the sight.

They rowed downstream and saw boats that had been smashed to pieces, with several large fish feeding on corpses beneath them. Xu Ying and Xu Jin had long since grown accustomed to such sights.

They steered their boat into a tributary and followed the waterway into the mountain forest. Xu Jin cast his net again and again, yet every haul brought up nothing but tiny fish no larger than his palm. Not a single large fish appeared.

When Xu Jin grew tired, he let Xu Ying cast the net. Xu Ying threw it out, and the net jerked downward with tremendous force. Their little boat nearly capsized as a huge fish appeared inside the net, dragging it along and thrashing wildly down the river.

Xu Ying gripped the net with all his strength, unwilling to let go. Xu Jin pressed down on the stern to prevent the boat from capsizing.

Their boat shot forward like an arrow leaving the bow. Terror rose in Xu Jin’s heart, and he hurriedly said, “Ah Ying, let go! Let’s not risk getting eaten!”

Xu Ying paid him no mind. The huge fish dragged their boat more than ten li into the mountains, where peach blossoms covered the trees on both banks, the grass grew fresh and lush, and fallen petals lay in profusion.

They had no time to admire the view. They only saw the huge fish pulling the boat straight toward a sheer cliff.

Xu Jin cried out in alarm. Just as they were about to be smashed to pieces, they saw a fissure in the cliff face. The huge fish actually dragged the boat right into it.

Bang!

The huge fish became stuck in the fissure, unable to move. Xu Ying hurriedly drew the stone ax from his waist and chopped it into the fish’s head.

A strange scene unfolded. The huge fish’s vital energy flowed into the stone ax. Blood-red light shone from the ax, illuminating the fissure.

Xu Jin was badly startled and told Xu Ying to throw the stone ax away. Xu Ying could not bear to part with it, so he kept it tucked at his waist. They then dragged the huge fish out and tied it to the side of the boat.

Xu Ying peered into the fissure and saw light shining from deep within. Assuming there might be treasure inside, he and Xu Jin squeezed farther into the crack.

Xu Jin said, “If we can find some treasure, we can sell it and save up money for you to marry!”

At first, the fissure was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for a person to pass through. After they walked a hundred or so paces, the space before their eyes opened wide.

Meanwhile, at Matoupo Village, the river abruptly rose. Shoals of huge fish filled the surface, splashing as they leaped out of the water. Some vaulted more than ten zhang high; it was a terrifying sight.

On the bank, the villagers stood rooted in place with faces full of fear, not daring to move. They all looked over and saw a giant serpent swimming up the river.

On the back of the giant serpent’s head grew two horns, one black and one white. Each horn was three or four zhang long. Scales gleamed all over it, reflecting iridescent colors in brilliant splendor.

The great serpent resembled an ancient god, silent and serene, yet awe-inspiring. It glided through the water with slow, graceful movements, its mere presence sending fish monsters throughout the river leaping from the water in terror.

A bell also hovered above the giant serpent’s head, facing the sunlight as it exhaled and inhaled, fluctuating in size.

On the bell’s knob sat a girl in her early teens, dressed in loose robes with broad sleeves. She was lovely, with a jade-like nose, eyes like stars, and her snow-white skin carried the faint rosy hue of youth.

The girl said, “I sensed that ax nearby, but its aura suddenly vanished.”

The giant serpent spoke in a voice like rolling thunder. “Old Ancestor Chanchan, are your senses reliable? We've been searching for months without finding anything.”

The great serpent caught sight of the village along the bank. “I’ll go to the shore and ask.”

Dazhong said, “Master Qi, be gentle. Don’t frighten them.”

“I know.”

The great serpent swam to the bank. Spitting dust and gravel with every word, yet it spoke politely. “Please stop running. And stop screaming. I really am not a man-eating monster... Hey! How dare you splash black dog blood on me!”

Clang!

The ringing of the bell shook the air and jolted the people who had gone mad with fright back to their senses. Yuanqi coughed and asked, “Have you seen a young man named Xu Ying? Tall and thin, with somewhat dark skin.”