Day of Ascension

The Pei clan’s carriage raced along the incense qi road toward the Guo residence when Xu Ying saw a towering figure descend from the sky and land before it.

It was an old scholar, exuding an air of righteousness.

Xu Ying’s heart stirred slightly. I’ve seen him in the Pei clan’s forbidden grounds!

Buried within the Pei clan’s grotto heavens were their Exorcist Immortals with only a layer of skin. Among them was this elderly scholar. He hadn’t been completely devoured. Only his five viscera and six bowels had been hollowed out.

However, the Jade-Pool Secret Trove was located around a cun and three fen[1] below the belly button. The Pei clan experts’ cultivation was all stored within it, so it vanished along with their five viscera and six bowels.

Moreover, this Exorcist Immortal’s divine soul had also been devoured. Only a trace of remnant will controlled his body.

Then one formidable figure after another descended from the sky, landing on the road and matching the carriage’s speed.

“Exorcist Immortals have appeared!” Someone cried out in shock from afar, “They’re the Exorcist Immortals of the Pei clan’s past generations! They have reappeared in the world!”

Indeed, these figures were Exorcist Immortals of the Pei clan. To the outside world, the official story was that they had sublimated their Radiant Vestige and coexisted with the world, each living happily as carefree immortals in their respective lands of sublimation.

The truth was that they had all met with misfortune in their later years and died within their Radiant Vestige lands of sublimation. They had their flesh, blood, and bone devoured, leaving only a husk.

Now, these husks had flown out of the Pei clan’s forbidden grounds and appeared on the imperial postal road.

Though they were only a layer of skin, they still radiated the presence and temperament of Exorcist Immortals. Their overwhelming Dao auras resembled the heart of heaven and earth, shaking the Divine Capital’s atmosphere.

Their aura immediately drew the attention of the Jinwu Guards and others, who all turned to look in this direction.

One by one, the Pei clan’s Exorcist Immortals flew over and stood guard around the carriage. Gradually, over a hundred Exorcist Immortals surrounded the carriage!

“Though the journey to the Guo residence is short, dangers and obstacles still lie ahead.” Pei Du said with a calm expression, “I cannot endure a siege from the other noble clans alone, so I shall deny them the chance. As patriarch, I have the right to mobilize the remnant souls of our ancestors.”

Xu Ying gazed out at those towering figures, deeply shaken inside. This was an ancient clan with two thousand years of history. Once it revealed its full foundation, the entire world would tremble.

More than one hundred Exorcist Immortals. Though dead, their Radiant Vestige lands floated overhead, deterring anyone from acting up.

Their bodies had died and their souls were destroyed, but their Dao aura remained!

Xu Ying retracted his gaze and said to Pei Du, “Much thanks.”

Pei Du smiled faintly. “No need to thank me. This disaster was caused by my clan’s failure to discipline its people. Since we were at fault, we must bear the responsibility. I can only escort you this far. Whether you survive depends on the Guo clan. This time, I fear we’ll implicate them.”

The sight of over a hundred Exorcist Immortals escorting someone left the entire Divine Capital alarmed. Even the emperor’s inspection tours were never accompanied by such an overwhelming display of power.

People across town speculated about the identity of the legendary figure inside the carriage. Who could have guessed it was merely a snake catcher from the countryside of Lingling County?

Nevertheless, some people did guess the identity of the one in the carriage. Yet the Pei clan’s display of might was overwhelming. Even their Exorcist Immortals, rumored to be living in seclusion, had been mobilized. Naturally, no one dared to make a move.

Finally, the carriage arrived at the Guo residence under the protection of over a hundred Exorcist Immortals. They had already received news and had opened their doors in advance. Pei Du did not step off the carriage; he drove it directly into the residence, only stopping when they reached the rear courtyard.

The Guo clan’s white-haired ancestor dismissed everyone, including Guo Xiaodie, who had come to watch the commotion, and the one-armed Guo Yue.

The carriage door opened. Pei Du stepped out and came to the Guo clan ancestor’s side.

The ancestor sighed and grumbled, “I just heard the news and planned to go to the Yuan residence tonight to eat him, yet you delivered him to me now. Couldn’t you have waited one night and discussed this after I finished my meal?”

Inside the carriage, Xu Ying and Yuanqi exchanged glances.

Yuanqi comforted, “Rest assured, Ah Ying. The person Old Ancestor Guo planned to eat is definitely not you. The Yuan clan has plenty of other people who must taste just as good.”

Yet, he didn’t sound confident.

Old Ancestor Guo’s voice rang out. “Have you eaten?”

Pei Du replied, “I nearly did. Fortunately, I managed to hold back.”

Old Ancestor Guo muttered, “How? I definitely couldn’t have. I’d have taken at least a bite. Oh, since you delivered him to me, could it be that you wanted to grant me eternal life? I’ll steam him for dinner tonight. Our pot is huge. The bamboo steamer can fit two or three people. Don’t leave tonight. Stay and eat with me.”

Pei Du said, “You jest, Brother. He treated me with sincerity, so how could I repay him with the malice of a petty man? Prince Li Zhaolou died at my residence; I have to enter the palace myself to explain the situation. I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave once I’m inside, so I’ll have to rely on you to take care of things here.”

Old Ancestor Guo sighed. “Then I’ll have to eat him alone. You know I’m older than you. The malice of a petty man often consumes me, so I won’t wait for you. I’ll have a taste first.”

Pei Du took out the Primordial Spirit’s Overcoming Calamity Scripture and handed it to Old Ancestor Guo, saying, “This scripture gave me hope of living. Perhaps Exorcist Immortals really can live for eternity in the mortal realm without worry of meeting misfortune in their old age. Don’t be petty, take a look first.”

Old Ancestor Guo flipped through it. “Make me a copy.”

Pei Du laughed. “You can keep it. I’m leaving him with you as well. If you have any questions, ask him directly, Captain Guo[2]. Brother, I’m entrusting him to your care. He’s still alive.”

Old Ancestor Guo sighed. “It’ll be hard for him to live past tonight.”

Pei Du fell silent for a moment, then said, “If you can’t endure it, then send him away. Don’t risk your clan and life.”

Old Ancestor Guo said, “Right now, his value in deciphering demonic arts doesn't even come close to the value of his flesh. More people are eyeing his flesh than there are demons in the moat. Sending him away safely would be difficult.”

As Pei Du departed, he smiled. “You’ve already received benefits from him and accepted my request. Now, whether you choose to be a petty man or an upright one is up to you.”

Old Ancestor Guo puffed his beard and glared with wide eyes, staring at the carriage as he groaned and sighed.

He muttered under his breath, “Steamed, or braised?”

Xu Ying coughed dryly and said, “I heard everything.”

Old Ancestor Guo said angrily, “You think I won't eat you just because you heard me? Nonsense! Rather than let everyone else seize you and carve you up, I might as well have the first taste. Brat, how do you want to die?”

As Xu Ying stepped out of the carriage, Old Ancestor Guo hurriedly covered his face with his sleeve and ran off as if fleeing.

He cried out, “Don’t come out! The mere sight of you makes my mouth water!”

Xu Ying felt a vague sense of unease and murmured, “Chancellor Pei left me with the Guo clan, but are they actually dependable?”

Old Ancestor Guo vanished without a trace. A long time passed, yet no one set foot inside the courtyard. Although Pei Du had also left, the Pei clan’s hundreds of ancestors remained, standing guard throughout the residence and protecting Xu Ying.

Even though they were only empty husks, they were still Exorcist Immortals. Each was stronger than the ghost Exorcist Immortal Chen Mianzhu!

Xu Ying decided he might as well walk around and look at the scenery. While lounging in a pavilion, he overheard people talking nearby. It was Guo Xiaodie’s voice.

She said, “Kowtow once, and you get your arm back. Fourth Uncle, that’s a bargain!”

Guo Yue’s voice rang out angrily. “I’d rather lose an arm than kowtow and apologize to him!”

Guo Xiaodie chided, “Where did you pick up this stubborn attitude from? I’ll kowtow in your stead later, just stand by my side and apologize.”

“I won’t!”

“Every inch of our body is a gift from our parents. Living with an incomplete body is unfilial! Fourth Uncle, I’m going to ask Second Aunt to beat some sense into you!”

The two of them walked over while talking. When Guo Xiaodie spotted Xu Ying sitting in the pavilion, she quickened her pace. She bent at the waist, preparing to kneel and kowtow.

Before she could drop to her knees, Guo Yue darted in front of her. He fell to the ground with a thud and kowtowed to Xu Ying.

“A real man cannot let his niece bow for him! If this gets out, I will become a laughingstock. I’ll do it myself! Demon King Xu, I was wrong for trying to strangle you. Since you're so magnanimous, please don't hold it against me!”

Xu Ying hurriedly reached out to help him up. He smiled. “You are Xiaodie’s fourth uncle, so you’re my fourth uncle, too. It’s not right for you to bow to me. Besides, there’s no right or wrong on the battlefield. We were all just fighting to survive.”

Guo Yue rose to his feet.

Guo Xiaodie asked, “About my fourth uncle’s arm?”

This was Xu Ying's first time regenerating a limb for someone else, so he didn’t know if it would work. Without delay, he circulated the Mud-Pill Secret Trove’s longevity qi and slowly guided it into Guo Yue.

The process went far more smoothly than expected. Xu Ying barely needed to do anything. Flesh spread across the stump of Guo Yue’s severed arm. Bone extended outward, followed by clusters of nerves.

Before long, a completely new arm had grown out.

Guo Yue sighed in admiration. “The Mud-Pill Secret Trove truly grants an undying body. Thank you for looking past our previous grudge, Demon King Xu.”

Xu Ying smiled. “It was no trouble.”

Guo Xiaodie said, “It was nothing to you, but it is nothing short of salvation to him. He needed help just to use the toilet. Even spending moments of passion with Second Aunt was inconvenient. His concubine had to give him a push from behind. I overheard the whole thing when I walked past!”

A cold breeze swept through the courtyard. An awkward silence followed.

Guo Yue hurriedly said, “I just remembered I still have other matters to attend to. I’ll be leaving first! Brother Xu, we’ve been through life and death together. There’s no need for more words. If you ever need me, just say the word!”

He fled without looking back, unwilling to stay a moment longer lest Guo Xiaodie reveal another embarrassing secret.

Xu Ying watched as he left. He lamented, “It hasn’t been easy for him.”

Guo Xiaodie looked him up and down and asked curiously, “Everyone is saying that eating your flesh grants eternal life. Is that true?”

Yuanqi perked up at those words. He immediately slithered out from Xu Ying’s collar, dropped to the ground, and transformed into a huge snake. “I’ve wanted to find out too!”

Guo Xiaodie exchanged a glance with Yuanqi. The two instantly understood each other and turned to stare at Xu Ying in unison.

Xu Ying said carefully, “If eating my flesh grants eternal life, someone would have eaten me long ago. Then they would have gained eternal life, and eating their flesh should grant eternal life as well. If everyone kept eating one another, wouldn’t the world already be full of immortals?”

“Mhm, you make a very good point.” Even so, they continued staring at him with sparkling eyes.

Xu Ying grew increasingly uneasy, worried they might devour him at any moment.

I’m in the Guo residence, and have so many Exorcist Immortals protecting me. I should be fine.

Xu Ying calmed himself and carefully examined his Jade-Pool Secret Trove.

Previously, while within the Pei clan’s forbidden grounds, he had already located his Jade-Pool Secret Trove. It was located a cun and three fen below his belly button, within his ethereal void. Without expert guidance or the mysterious energy that stimulated one’s primordial qi, pinpointing its exact location would have been nearly impossible.

His primordial qi drifted through the air. To it, the air resembled a sea of qi. Beneath that sea lay a jade pool: the Secret Trove that contained boundless primordial qi.

Xu Ying was already very familiar with his ethereal void, yet this was his first time noticing this jade pool on the land. It was unfathomably deep. Gazing into it felt like looking into the ethereal landscapes within the Pei clan’s forbidden grounds.

Within the pool, there seemed to be a world on the Other Shore. It looked like jade and completely captivated anyone who looked at it.

Xu Ying sat down in the lotus position and focused his mind. Resting his hands on his knees with his palms facing upward, he unconsciously unleashed the divine ability, Descent of Tribulation. The divine ability erupted within his ethereal void and blasted into the jade pool.

Lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled as tribulation light poured out. His divine ability pierced through the jade pool and formed the first jade-pool grotto heaven!

The instant the grotto heaven formed, an endless torrent of primordial qi surged into Xu Ying from another space-time, causing his cultivation to rise without end.

His divine sense surged as he returned to the Jade-Pool Secret Trove. Looking into its depths through the grotto heaven, he suddenly felt his heart stir.

Could it be that a world truly exists on the Other Shore? Otherwise, how could the human body contain such an abundance of primordial qi?

When he unlocked the Mud-Pill Secret Trove, he had already suspected that its vigor likely didn’t originate from the human body. Instead, the Mud Pill was connected to a vast, profound realm of primordial chaos. Unlocking the Mud Pill allowed one to draw power from that profound realm of primordial chaos!

Later, when he unlocked the Crimson-Palace Secret Trove in his heart, that feeling grew a little stronger. Now that he had unlocked his Jade-Pool Secret Trove, that feeling had only intensified.

Did the Pei clan’s Exorcist Immortals ever reach that Other Shore?

Xu Ying opened his eyes and realized that the sky had darkened without him noticing. Guo Xiaodie had also left at some point. Dark clouds gathered overhead, and the rumble of thunder grew lower and lower.

He looked around. The Pei clan’s Exorcist Immortals still stood guard, motionless.

Whoosh!

Without warning, heavy rain poured from the sky. Though sheltered beneath the pavilion, Xu Ying was quickly soaked as wind-driven rain swept through.

Suddenly, the Pei clan's Exorcist Immortals soared into the sky, clashing fiercely with some unseen demon. The storm above became even more intense. Xu Ying could not tell whether they were howling winds or monstrous roars, but they sent chills down his spine.

With a sharp crack, lightning struck the courtyard. The flash illuminated a figure built like an iron fortress. He had white brows, hair, and beard. He stood firmly in the rain, gripping a massive azure dragon halberd[3].

Suddenly, a slimy green form slithered up the halberd, growing thicker and thicker. It was an azure dragon, coiling itself right around the weapon.

“Tonight, the Divine Capital is pouring.”

The imposing, white-haired elder stood unyielding. With a fierce snap of his azure dragon halberd, he flew up into the sky. His voice boomed through the air like rolling thunder.

“And now, let's add a splash of crimson!”

Crack!

Xu Ying looked up and saw lightning streak across the sky, looking as if it tore the sky apart!

The torn sky suddenly grew bright. The sound of galloping hooves echoed as a carriage pulling a sun drove out of the rift, as if it were about to drive the darkness away!

“Go back!”

The white-haired, imposing elder swung his azure dragon halberd, cleaving straight into the rift. His weapon collided violently with an axe and a club thrown from the carriage. The rift sealed shut, and the clattering of the hooves faded into the distance.

Xu Ying and Yuanqi looked up, staring in awe. They mumbled, “The elder is incredible...”

Just then, Guo Xiaodie came running, shouting, “The old ancestor said that he’s too old to last more than three rounds or beat more than three enemies. He has already repelled two! If more enemies show up, I'm supposed to take you and run!”

The sky darkened once more as the third enemy arrived. Xu Ying swept his gaze over the newcomer and immediately recognized the technique.

“Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mystic Altar Technique! The emperor has made his move!”

1. A traditional Chinese unit of length. One fen equals a tenth of a cun, approximately 3.33 millimeters. ☜

2. Referring to him being a grave robber to study other cultivation techniques. ☜

3. The ji is a Chinese polearm, sometimes translated into English as spear, dagger axe, or halberd, though they are conceptually different weapons. Initially, a hybrid between a spear and a dagger-axe. Several weapons were referred to as ji but developed from spears, not from ancient ji. One variety was called the qinglong ji, or azure dragon ji. It had a spear tip with a crescent blade on one side. ☜