Day of Ascension

Xue Ying'an took the eight-facet sword, surprised and thrilled. Ever since his artifact was destroyed during his journey to the Taiyi Little Profound Heaven, he had been left without one to use.

While Xu Ying relied on his arsenal of divine abilities and exorcism techniques to battle unarmed, Xue Ying’an specialized in bell and sword arts. Hence, a weapon fundamentally elevated his combat power.

Of the six Secret Troves, he had only unlocked three. Unlocking the remaining became exponentially harder as his cultivation rose, rendering standard artifacts useless.

But with the eight-facet sword, he could unlock all the remaining Secret Troves!

The sky, composed of flesh and blood, drooped downward as if a massive ball of flesh hung from it. A cacophony of noise flooded everyone's minds, threatening their sanity.

Suddenly, the ball of flesh split open, revealing a single eye. The cacophony of noise also peaked, driving everyone to the brink of madness.

The two divine sabers behind Jin Buyi suddenly rang. The noises vanished, replaced by the clean, metallic ring of steel.

The massive eye rolled and locked onto Jin Buyi from afar.

Clang!

Saber light erupted behind Jin Buyi. A surge of saber qi, as long as ten thousand zhang, split the sky open, severing the surrounding flesh.

The aged crow stood still, allowing his saber qi to unfurl and sweep through the realm.

That eye seemed to grow furious and was about to strike when the saber aura suddenly entered its sight. An instant later, the eyeball split clean in two.

The two streaks of saber qi behind Jin Buyi grew stronger, and the saber light grew brighter. Wherever the saber light shone, everything split open!

A cold snort echoed from the sheet of flesh. Panicking, the entire mass retreated rapidly, terrified of the blade's reach.

Meanwhile, the saber qi behind Jin Buyi grew increasingly stronger. With Jiucailing Ridge as its center, it spread out in all directions, covering an ever-wider area until it filled half the sky.

Jin Buyi muttered softly, “Hurry up. I’m old and my vital energy is declining. I can’t hold out for much longer.”

A cold dread gripped Xu Ying’s heart. He hurriedly treated Qingbi’s physical wounds, though her damaged ethereal void and Primordial Spirit remained beyond his power to heal.

Xu Ying took out a jade bottle. “I still have some Origin Dao Essence here. You can consume it, Miss Qingbi. It should help you restore your cultivation quickly.”

Yuanqi asked in surprise, “Ah Ying, where did you get that from?”

Dazhong, hanging on his neck, also swayed weakly as if he had something to say.

Xu Ying replied, “I skimmed a little for myself before returning it to Grand Preceptor Jiang.”

“A little?”

“A little.”

Yuanqi remained skeptical, watching Fairy Qingbi sip from the bottle before handing it back. Clearly, some Origin Dao Essence was still in the jade bottle.

The giant snake fussed, “Ah Ying, was it really 'just a little?’ Let me see!”

Xu Ying quickly put the jade bottle away and said sincerely, “Master Qi, as you know, I’m getting on in years. I have to think of my future and prepare my betrothal gifts early. What family would marry off their daughter to an ancient wreck like me? I’m over twenty thousand years old. Do you really have the heart to watch me die alone?"

Yuanqi said hesitantly, “I see. I’ve misunderstood you. I thought you kept a billion bits for yourself and gave Grand Preceptor Jiang a little bit[1].”

Xu Ying replied with a straight face, “Absolutely not!”

Yuanqi tried to sneak a glance into the jade bottle, but he still couldn’t tell how much Origin Dao Essence was left, driving him crazy with curiosity.

Then, Xu Ying helped the naturally slender heavenly dragon restore his physical body. He grew much larger, though his body still seemed tiny compared to his massive head.

Before long, Qingbi recovered a fraction of her cultivation and summoned her Primordial Spirit. Immediately, Mount Jiulong and Jiucailing Ridge began to recede, pulling back into the depths of the sky.

Heaven and earth shook with a thunderous roar as Jiucailing Ridge returned to the Yuanshou Realm.

Suddenly, the flesh that filled half the sky returned, surging rapidly toward Jiucailing Ridge.

Jin Buyi let out a piercing shriek. Fiery light erupted, fusing with the saber aura, and made it even sharper. It cleaved through countless fleshy chunks. As they plummeted, the flesh burst into flames.

Flesh swept across the sky, popping loudly as giant fleshy orbs hung low, turning to reveal massive eyeballs.

Swoosh!

Uncountable bizarre eyes blasted divine light toward Jiucailing Ridge.

Jin Buyi swept up the two sabers with his wings and swung down.

The sight terrified Xu Ying and the others. They broke into a cold sweat for the aging Golden Crow. Suddenly, the ridge shook violently and vanished from the Land of Heavenly Retribution.

A blinding radiance filled their vision, the sunshine dazzlingly bright. Next, an even brighter saber light carrying Supreme Yang Divine Fire scorched the sky over Mount Jiulong, painting the heavens crimson!

Two metallic clangs echoed as both divine sabers plunged back into the earth behind Jin Buyi.

The saber light and fiery light filling the sky whistled as they returned to the two divine sabers, while the fiery light entered Jin Buyi.

Xu Ying and Yuanqi stared in awe, their eyeballs nearly popping out of their sockets with envy.

Xu Ying said to Yuanqi, “I must have prepared equally powerful artifacts for myself. They must be hidden somewhere, waiting for me to resonate with them, and they’ll come flying!”

Yuanqi nodded repeatedly. The broken bell hanging from his neck let out a dull chime.

Jin Buyi said, “You forget, Ah Ying. You don’t use artifacts.”

Xu Ying froze on the spot as he suddenly recalled that, in Jin Buyi’s memories, he had indeed never used artifacts!

Even when he did, he used them once or twice, then casually discarded them.

Yuanqi said cautiously, “Ah Ying, do you still remember our experience in the Taiyi Little Profound Heaven? Artifact fragments from experts of the myriad realms are buried there. Many bear your handprints. That proves you never use artifacts."

Xu Ying’s eye twitched slightly. He looked at Xue Ying’an and coughed dryly before saying, “Ah An, Li Xiaoke is still alive. He will definitely return to reclaim the eight-facet sword. You can't protect it."

Xue Ying’an hurriedly said, “Brother Xu, no, I definitely can.”

“No, you can’t!”

Driven by youthful competitiveness, the two wrestled over the eight-faceted sword until Fairy Qingbi approached, her gaze landing on the weapon.

Xu Ying blushed slightly in embarrassment. He let go of the eight-faceted sword and said sheepishly, “I just worry he can't protect it...”

Fairy Qingbi suppressed her urge to laugh. “Would even the Ageless Immortal rob a junior?”

Xue Ying'an held the eight-facet sword tightly and nodded repeatedly. “That’s right, you’re the senior! This belongs to a junior!”

Xu Ying let go of it reluctantly, deeply frustrated inside.

Fairy Qingbi said, “My injuries have recovered somewhat, so I am leaving to hunt down Li Xiaoke. I came to say goodbye. Have you recovered your memories?"

Xu Ying shook his head. “Some images flash before my eyes, but I can’t see them clearly.”

The Primordial Spirit behind Fairy Qingbi reached out her hand gently and took out the spark of Pure Yang Spirit Flame she had placed in his ethereal void.

She said, “I thought this spark of Pure Yang Spirit Flame could help you clear the miasma of confusion and restore some of your memories. I didn’t expect it to have little to no effect. You still haven’t recalled our past.”

She held up the spark of flame on her fingertip, parted her lips slightly, and blew on it gently.

Xu Ying felt a fragrant breeze on his face as she blew the Pure Yang Spirit Flame into him, and it vanished from sight.

She smiled gently and turned around. “I planted this spark of flame in your soul. Ageless Immortal, let us meet again someday.”

She summoned the heavenly dragon. His tiny body held up his massive head as he hopped behind her. He turned around and called out, “Xu Ying, I—”

Seeing Jin Buyi standing behind Xu Ying, he shrank back. “I’ll[2] overlook the fact that you killed my master, but only this once! If you dare to kill my master again, I’ll eliminate you!”

He leaped onto the black coffin and crouched down. “Qingbi, after we eliminate Li Xiaoke, let’s settle our scores. Though I probably can't beat you, so hold back a little and don’t beat me too badly.”

Qingbi let out a soft murmur of assent.

Xu Ying called out loudly, “Miss Qingbi, you can come find me if you want to practice dual cultivation of Qi and Exorcism! I’ve already gathered all six secrets!”

Qingbi waved her hand, and the black coffin tore through the air.

Crouching on the coffin, the heavenly dragon said, “Xu Ying, that brat, killed my previous master, so we're supposed to be mortal enemies. But because he healed my injuries, I'll let it go... Wait, that rascal altered the Heavenly Dao runes on me!”

He flew into a rage, jumping up and down on the coffin. He shouted angrily, “The Heavenly Dao runes on me are natural, and he altered them... Huh? They’re better now!”

He crouched down again, facing the wind. “I can sense that his alterations are right. Strange, how does he know Heavenly Dao runes? Qingbi, how do you know him?”

Fairy Qingbi fell into deep thought. The heavenly dragon studied her profile and saw her wearing a smile.

The heavenly dragon was puzzled.

Fairy Qingbi said softly, “I was very curious about him back then, so our paths crossed a few times.”

The heavenly dragon asked curiously, “What kind of path-crossing[3]?”

Fairy Qingbi did not elaborate.

Back on Mount Jiulong, Xu Ying bid farewell to Xue Ying’an. The latter treated his sibling disciples’ injuries and explained Li Xiaoke’s evil deeds. Hearing that Xu Ying was leaving made him reluctant.

Xue Ying’an said, “Brother Xu, I really wish to follow you, but I’m worried that my sibling disciples are too innocent and will be deceived by Li Xiaoke again. I have to stay. And now, Mount Jiulong is without a master. I shall step up and become its leader, teach my sibling disciples the techniques of the six secrets, and guide them onto the right path.”

His gaze burned with fervor. “Brother Xu, your knowledge and insights are a hundred times greater than mine, so why don’t you stay? If you do, you’ll be the leader of Mount Jiulong!”

Xu Ying refused politely, “The battle between Qingbi and Li Xiaoke shook me greatly. It made me realize how immensely flawed I am.”

Xue Ying’an exclaimed in surprise, “You’re so powerful, wielding the six secrets and even knowing Heavenly Dao divine abilities. How could you still have flaws?!”

Xu Ying shook his head. “I have merely grasped the six secrets before others. In the future, dual cultivation of Qi and Exorcism will become the orthodox path. Everyone will be able to wield the six secrets. As for Heavenly Dao divine abilities, that is the power of Heavenly Dao; what does it have to do with me?

“If someone else mastered Heavenly Dao runes, they might not be any worse than me. Watching Qingbi and Li Xiaoke fight made me realize I might be walking the wrong path.”

As Xue Ying’an pressed for details, Xu Ying replied, “Relying only on Qi Cultivation, Miss Qingbi could bring about mutual destruction with Li Xiaoke. It shows that Qi Cultivation holds immense potential.”

Xue Ying’an nodded lightly and praised, “Her divine abilities transcend words. If an immortal realm exists for such arts, she has surely reached it.”

Xu Ying said, “Li Xiaoke transplanted other people’s grotto heavens into himself to harness the power of the six secrets. His mystical power is undoubtedly boundless, and his exorcism techniques extraordinary. However, in my eyes, his exorcism techniques are inferior to Zhou Qiyun’s.”

Xue Ying’an had no idea who Zhou Qiyun was, but he reasoned that anyone constantly on Xu Ying’s mind had to be extraordinary.

Xu Ying said seriously, “Since I left Jiangjiatian Village, I have never learned divine abilities systematically, studied swordsmanship properly, or even received true teachings of exorcism techniques.

“To fuse the six secrets with Qi Cultivation, I must first master both. Otherwise, I’ll just become another Li Xiaoke, even at the peak of cultivation.”

He smiled faintly and said, “Ying’an, I’m a little greedy. I wish to reach Miss Qingbi’s level in Qi Cultivation, and Zhou Qiyun’s level in Exorcism. Only by combining both at that level can I reach the ultimate realm.”

Hearing this, Xue Ying’an didn’t try to persuade him any longer. “You possess grand aspirations. I cannot force you to stay, but wait just two days. I’ll organize our sect’s sword art and teach them to you.”

Xu Ying shook his head and smiled. “No need, I’ve already learned them.”

Xue Ying’an looked at him, surprised.

Xu Ying waved his hand and led Yuanqi and Jin Buyi down the mountain. Watching them go, a surge of heroic spirit suddenly welled up inside Xue Ying’an.

He shouted, “Brother Xu, we’ve never had a real spar since we met. Don’t you want to experience Mount Jiulong’s sword techniques for yourself?”

Xu Ying stopped in his tracks and turned to look back. A fierce fighting spirit surged inside him as he smiled. “Sure!”

Standing on the mountaintop, Xue Ying’an unleashed a burst of sword qi from his hand. As the sword light swirled, the youth soared into the air like a sword immortal, streaking across the sky to attack!

Xu Ying leaped into the air and turned into a stream of light himself as he shot through the air. Behind him, countless sword qi formed a long tail and swept toward Xue Ying’an.

Yuanqi and Jin Buyi stopped to look. Across Mount Jiulong's rolling terrain—from gentle slopes to cliffs unscalable even by spirit apes—two streams of sword light wove through the landscape, colliding like shattering silver vases to shower the sky in brilliant sparks.

That sword light didn’t dissipate. Instead, some lurked within the mountains and rivers, while others hid beneath the trees and plants in ambush.

When the two flew close, sword light and sword qi suddenly erupted, resembling a sky full of silver snow as two figures wove and clashed amid the snow.

The "snowstorm" raged harder and harder, shocking the Mount Jiulong disciples so much that they all rushed over to witness the spectacle.

They were all experts in sword techniques, having received Li Xiaoke’s true teachings. Yet, even they were dazzled.

As the “snowstorm” gradually enveloped the mountain ridges, it formed the silhouette of a coiled dragon, as if Mount Jiulong’s dragon veins had awakened and surged forth from different mountain ranges.

The Mount Jiulong disciples gasped in shock. "Are they actually going to fight to the death?”

However, just as the two dragon-shaped sword qi were about to collide, they suddenly swerved left and right, passing each other.

Xu Ying landed on top of Yuanqi’s head, while Xue Ying’an landed on the mountaintop.

As their feet landed, the sky filled with sword qi descended with a whoosh and entered them.

The dazzling snowy scene from a moment ago vanished without a trace.

Xu Ying bade farewell from afar, and Xue Ying’an bowed in return.

Yuanqi ferried Xu Ying down the mountain, while Jin Buyi strode forth on his three legs, swaying left and right as he kept pace with the giant snake, his gaze fixed on its tail.

Yuanqi felt a chill running down his spine from his stare. He hurriedly asked, “Master Jin, do you not want your sabers anymore?”

The two divine sabers were still plunged into the ground on Jiucailing Ridge’s peak, flashing brilliantly.

Jin Buyi reached out a claw to grab the slithering tail and said casually, “I’ll leave them there. My sabers are fast. They come as soon as I summon them.”

1. The word for a hundred million sounds similar to one in Chinese. ☜

2. The heavenly dragon has been using an arrogant way to say “I” all this time, like your daddy I, but switched to a very humble tone here, indicating his lower position like a servant. ☜

3. The word can mean general fate (缘分) or romantic destiny (姻缘) ☜