Day of Ascension

“The Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mystic Altar Technique is flawed. He failed to unify the Crimson Palace and Jade Capital Secret Troves, so his mystical power can't truly reach the nine heavens when he circulates the cultivation technique.”

Xu Ying had deciphered the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mystic Altar Technique, so he knew its flaws well. He said quickly, “Based on his technique, the fourth heaven is hollow. It has no substance. If you break through to it and hold your ground there, you can shatter his technique.”

Guo Xiaodie had been urging him to leave, but she froze in disbelief. “Is that true?”

She looked up at the sky. Thick thunderclouds blanketed the heavens, faintly revealing nine layers of dark clouds. Amid the mist, imperial dragons seemed to swim, and a pillar of fire flickered deep within the clouds, flashing into view whenever lightning illuminated the sky.

High above, white-haired Old Ancestor Guo fought with all his strength to reach it, only to be driven back time after time.

Xu Ying hesitated momentarily. “I deciphered his cultivation technique. If he's smart, he'd definitely cultivate it this way and unify the two Secret Troves. If he's dumber than I thought, he probably hasn't reached that level yet...”

Guo Xiaodie beamed with delight. “I’ve heard the old ancestor say that the emperor has been smart since he was young!”

She hurriedly called out, “Fourth Uncle, Fourth Uncle! Your divine sense is powerful. Tell the old ancestor that the fourth heaven is fake. Have him stand there and strike down the emperor!”

Guo Yue hurried off.

Guo Xiaodie said quickly, “Even if the old ancestor defeats the emperor, we still have to leave. He'll be completely exhausted after that strike. If he were in his prime, he could have fought ten rounds without even losing his breath.”

Such was the tragic plight of Exorcist Immortals. Their bodies aged, and their vital energy declined far below its former peak. In the past, Old Ancestor Guo alone could suppress Zhou Qiyun. After he grew old, he couldn’t even keep Zhou Qiyun in check.

Just then, the two saw lightning flash across the sky. Old Ancestor Guo's azure dragon halberd tore through layers of thunderclouds before plunging into the fourth heaven. Planting himself firmly within it, he swung his halberd and slashed toward the center.

The pillar of fire collapsed as blood splattered across the sky. The fire pillar was the mystic altar of the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mystic Altar Technique, the very foundation of the technique itself. Had the nine heavens been complete, destroying it would have been impossible.

Even power that rivaled an immortal's would have been exhausted by the time it pierced the ninth heaven's core. Yet, it just so happened that the fourth heaven was hollow.

Blood poured down from the sky, dyeing the clouds red.

Guo Xiaodie wiped her face. When she saw her hand covered in blood, she jumped in fright. She cried out, “This is bad, did the old ancestor kill the emperor? Demon King Xu, what exactly was this flaw you mentioned?”

Xu Ying scratched his head.

Without warning, the white-haired elder crashed down from the sky, seized Xu Ying by the neck, and lifted him into the air.

Old Ancestor Guo demanded angrily, “What the hell is that flaw you told me?”

Flustered, he said, “I exploited the flaw you pointed out. I think I might've killed the emperor!”

Xu Ying didn’t struggle at all and answered, “It was the flaw in his cultivation technique. You broke his technique.”

Old Ancestor Guo set him down, his expression flickering between light and dark. “I only attacked. He tried to block it and failed. I ended up slicing through half his body. If Zhou Qiyun, that old rascal, were still alive, he probably could've saved him. But Zhou Qiyun is already dead, and the emperor executed most of the Zhou clan.”

With a troubled look, he shook his head and walked away, muttering under his breath, “I've served the Imperial Court loyally my entire life. Will I execute the emperor in my old age and install a new one? If I do that, how am I any different from that corrupt official?”

He kept muttering to himself as he walked farther away.

Guo Xiaodie hurriedly asked, “Old Ancestor, I see you’re still in great shape and could take on another three or five Exorcist Immortals. Do I still have to send Demon King Xu away?”

Old Ancestor Guo snapped irritably, “Nonsense! I can’t hold on any longer. You can start digging my ancestral grave if I have to fight another one! The sight of this brat annoys me. Quickly send him away!”

Suddenly, his expression shifted slightly, and his voice turned low. “I’m afraid it’s too late to send him away. Another Exorcist Immortal has come. With how much they are suppressing his aura, hoho, they have to be the Cui clan’s old monster. That sneaky old coot! He waited until I fought three battles before he came running to claim the prize.”

He planted his azure dragon halberd upright and stood in the rain, gazing toward the gates of the Guo residence.

Xu Ying hurriedly said, “Senior, you don’t need to risk your life for my sake.”

Old Ancestor Guo suddenly relaxed. He lifted his azure dragon halberd and walked away. “You’re right. I’m going to bed.”

Xu Ying and Guo Xiaodie stood there, stunned.

Old Ancestor Guo’s voice echoed from a distance, “Life and death are uncertain tonight. Xiaodie, escort him to the other Divine Capital. Whether or not we’ll survive, we’ll see after tonight!”

Xu Ying was dumbfounded. “The other Divine Capital?”

Was there another Divine Capital in this world besides this one?

Guo Xiaodie pulled him along and smiled. “Our old ancestor has been alive since Emperor Zhidao Dasheng’s era. He’s helped several emperors quell rebellions throughout the realm and uphold the divine dynasty. While still alive, he was already enshrined in Lingyan Pavilion to receive incense offerings from the people.

“He's a living god.”

Guo Yue and Li Yingzhu rushed over, leading about a dozen members of the Guo clan, and met up with the two. Together, they went to the Martial Arts Hall. The couple and the clansmen quickly set up an altar, then lit incense sticks and candles one after another.

Guo Xiaodie whispered, “The Divine Capital is called that because of its dense incense smoke. Over countless years, it formed an independent world that overlaps with the Divine Capital. It's governed by neither the mortal realm nor the underworld, so it's called the Second Divine Capital.

“You’re not the only one unaware of the Second Divine Capital. Even many noble clans don’t know another Divine Capital exists within the Divine Capital!”

Li Yingzhu urged, “There's no time to waste. Hurry and offer incense. Kowtow to the old ancestor!”

On the altar, sandalwood incense as thick as an arm burned steadily. The Guo clansmen knelt one after another, kowtowed, and silently chanted Old Ancestor Guo's name.

Without warning, countless sparks burst from the burning incense. The sparks clustered together, forming a gateway.

Incense smoke swirled within it before spilling outward, opening the entrance to another wondrous world.

The crowd surrounded Xu Ying protectively and entered through the gateway like a school of fish.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with him, Guo Xiaodie leaned in closer and whispered in his ear, “The gods of Lingyan Pavilion are the rulers there. Since the old ancestor is a living god, he can draw upon the power of incense and send us into the Second Divine Capital.”

Keeping pace with Guo Xiaodie, Xu Ying suddenly stepped into thin air. Wind roared past his ears as he fell from the sky. Just as he was about to channel the Sword Kinesis Mantra, his feet hit something solid. He had already landed.

The ground was formed from incense qi. It felt soft beneath his feet, yet it didn’t collapse.

Looking around, he saw that while it was night outside, this place was brightly lit. Incense qi formed long streets, tall buildings, pagodas, and pavilions.

Several pearl-like suns hung in the sky. Their light was gentle rather than dazzling, adorning the heavens above.

Gods more than one-hundred-zhang tall stood majestically among the buildings, with vast streams of incense qi flowing behind them.

They were the gods enshrined in the Lingyan Pavilion!

They were towering and mighty. These gods held various treasures, such as a golden swordbreaker[1] or pagodas. Some possessed a third eye at their glabella. Others possessed three heads or multiple arms. Some stood atop divine dragons or auspicious clouds, while dragon-pythons coiled around others.

Their incense qi was incredibly dense. They embodied the history of an entire dynasty, and their divine power was unimaginably formidable.

Their accumulated incense qi had forged another Divine Capital, one even larger than the real one. The two worlds overlapped, yet neither interfered with the other.

Next to them were many lesser gods, both large and small. They were likely descendants of the noble clans, but their achievements paled in comparison, leaving them without the privilege of receiving offerings there. Thus, their incense offerings were less prosperous.

Even so, many of these lesser gods had already forged golden bodies. Clearly, they had received incense offerings for a very long time.

Xu Ying couldn't help but gasp in admiration. No wonder Emperor Zhidao Dasheng forced the Underworld Court Emperor to agree to the unification of imperial and divine authority. Apart from his overwhelming strength, if the underworld emperor had refused, he could simply have destroyed the Underworld Court and established a new one.

Relying solely on this Divine Capital, Zhidao Dasheng possessed the means to overthrow the Underworld Court!

The sages of Lingyan Pavilion embody the spirit of a dynasty. No wonder they can manifest a second Divine Capital!

Walking down the streets of the Second Divine Capital, Xu Ying looked up at the gods and suddenly said, “Master Qi, the sages of Lingyan Pavilion have become Dao avatars.

"If we study them carefully, we might be able to comprehend a set of divine abilities. Combined with the Mud-Pill Secret Trove, it wouldn’t be inferior to the Zhou clan’s Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits Radiant Vestige Cultivation Method!”

Yuanqi looked around at the sages of Lingyan Pavilion and whispered, “Master Zhong, is Ah Ying telling the truth?”

Dazhong replied, “Of course, it is. But it requires a functioning brain.”

“Forget it, then.”

Out of nowhere, the sound of wind and thunder echoed. Xu Ying followed the sound and discovered that from within the Second Divine Capital, he could faintly make out the outside world. He could even glimpse experts clashing in battle.

The two divine capitals overlapped, yet never affected each other. The fighting outside couldn't reach this place, so there was no danger of being caught in the aftermath.

They remained separate worlds. Xu Ying could only make out vague silhouettes, and he couldn't hear anything they said.

“This figure looks familiar.”

Xu Ying arrived at the gates of the Guo residence. Looking at the white-robed elder, he felt doubt fill his heart. He seems to be that kind-faced elder with the frowning elder on Mount Wu Wang.

Outside the main gates of the Guo residence, an old man wearing a bamboo hat approached in the pouring rain. Lightning struck repeatedly with sharp cracks, illuminating his straw raincoat.

Just as the elder was about to force his way into the Guo residence, the lightning in the sky suddenly froze. Countless raindrops also came to a stop.

The elder narrowed his eyes slightly and pushed his bamboo hat up, only to see a table and two chairs set before the gates of the Guo residence. A white-robed elder sat at the table, with a game of chess laid out.

The white-robed elder held a white piece, playing chess in the rain.

Oddly, although it was nighttime and a violent storm raged overhead, a brilliant beam of sunlight shone solely upon the white-robed elder.

The elder in a bamboo hat approached and sat across from the white-robed elder. Holding a black piece, he swept his gaze over the chessboard and said calmly, “I've heard stories about a woman in red and an old man in white playing chess in the world.

“They say watching a single game can make one hundred years pass in the blink of an eye. People believe they're immortals passing the time among mortals.”

He played a black piece and continued calmly, “Not long ago, however, I saw that old immortal get beaten until he coughed blood by a girl carrying a black coffin.” ”

The white-robed elder’s hand that held a white piece trembled slightly.

Beneath his straw hat, the elder revealed a faint smile. “Later, I heard another rumor: Zhou Qiyun beat the two immortals playing games in the mortal realm.”

With a loud pop, the white chess piece in the white-robed elder's hand exploded into dust.

“Cui Zhiyuan, you thought bringing up those two incidents would make me reveal a weakness for you to exploit. Yet you still haven't found an opening. You're neither Qingbi nor Zhou Qiyun.”

The white-robed elder picked up another white piece and said calmly, “Back then, when Wang Mang wanted to devour him, I flicked a single white piece over. A massive army composed of hundreds of thousands of Exorcists was instantly wiped out.

“Later generations believed a meteorite had fallen from the sky, but it was nothing more than a single piece from my chessboard.”

The expression of the elder in the bamboo hat darkened. He leaped into the air and retreated.

Boom!

A massive white piece crashed down toward him, leaving him no room to dodge.

With a fierce shout, a Phoenix Terrace[2] manifested behind the elder in the bamboo hat. It was his Radiant Vestige.

He pushed his cultivation to the limit and brandished his brush in a sweeping stroke. A phoenix soared from the Phoenix Terrace. The fiery phoenix spread its wings and flew out to clash with the descending white piece!

The white-robed elder picked up another piece and placed it down, his expression somewhat dark. He muttered to himself, “Back then, a sinister thought crossed my mind. I wanted to see if this giant meteorite of mine could crush him to death, too.

“If he died, we would be liberated... I am a dignified Qi Cultivator, a brilliant, dazzling prodigy of the heavens. I didn't want to spend my entire life trapped doing this sort of thing.”

Smack!

This piece slammed heavily onto the chessboard. In the sky, the second falling piece struck with such force that it sent the elder's aura in the bamboo hat into disarray. The bamboo hat he was wearing shattered as well!

“I just slammed it down heavily like this!” The white-robed elder revealed a vicious look, his gaze ferocious as he picked up a third white piece and slammed it on the chessboard.

“What do you think happened? Hundreds of thousands of Exorcists were reduced to ashes. Not even their bones remained! The piece struck him squarely on the forehead. Do you understand?”

With his hat gone, he was now simply the elder in the straw raincoat. He struggled desperately against the third white piece falling from the sky and spat blood from the impact. Stumbling, he fled down the street in a panic.

The white-robed elder picked up a fourth white piece and slammed it viciously onto the chessboard. He said coldly, “Yet, he crawled out from the crater my piece had made, as if nothing had happened. At that moment, I knew he was a monster. An undying monster!”

Boom!

The fourth chess piece descended from the heavens and smashed the elder in the straw raincoat into the ground. His raincoat blew apart. Half-naked, he crawled out of the mud and blood, supporting himself against the walls as he struggled forward.

“This monster must never wake up. Absolutely never!” The white-robed elder didn’t deal the finishing blow. Under the sunlight, the table, chairs, and man slowly rose. He said gloomily, “Right now, I'm nothing more than a donkey he tethered in the mortal world. A donkey that can never break free of its rope...”

At the same time, on the other side of the Guo residence, a taciturn youth rode a donkey. He swayed gently with each step the donkey took.

Up ahead, a red dress blazed like fire. It resembled a massive crimson curtain billowing through the air. Its movements grew broader and broader, spreading until it completely blocked the youth and his donkey from view.

The youth and his donkey walked into the red curtain.

A moment later, the donkey burst out of the red curtain, carrying the taciturn youth, who was now severely injured. In the pouring rain, he cried, “Hee-haw, hee-haw![3] Your father is injured! Hee-haw, hurry, your father is injured!”

An elder from the Zhu clan darted out from the side and quickly grabbed hold of the donkey. Filled with both shock and rage, he hurriedly lifted the taciturn youth down from the donkey’s back and called for other Zhu clan members.

He shouted, “Take this donkey away and slaughter it! We're eating it tonight to nourish my father!”

Several Zhu clansmen were about to kill the donkey demon when the taciturn youth stopped them with a faint whisper. “He saved my life.”

The Zhu clan elder hesitated for a moment and said, “Take Master Lu[4] away and serve him with top-grade straw.”

At the Guo residence’s north gate.

Wearing a smile, the Chai clan’s old ancestor walked through the pouring rain with light, quick steps, holding up a green umbrella, his demeanor relaxed.

Up ahead in the heavy rain, a frowning old man stood before the north gate, sighing.

A moment later, the frowning old man left the Guo residence with a sigh, holding up the green umbrella. Behind him, Old Ancestor Chai lay sprawled out in the pooling rainwater.

“A decent umbrella.” The frowning old man looked up, examining the ribs of the umbrella, his gaze gentle. “Although it’s not as good as mine, it’s not bad... That damn umbrella thief!”

As his figure receded into the distance, loud splashing sounds echoed. A crowd of Chai clan members ran out of the dark, scrambling to lift the unconscious Old Ancestor Chai and rushing away in the pouring rain.

From inside the Second Divine Capital, Xu Ying watched these scenes unfold.

1. The jian, also known as the Chinese swordbreaker or Chinese truncheon, is a type of quad-edged straight mace or club specifically designed to break weapons with sharp edges. ☜

2. It refers to a legendary, highly revered historical site widely referenced in classical Chinese literature. Ancient lore describes that these high, elevated platforms are where the sacred, auspicious phoenixes would land and rest. ☜

3. Reminder, the donkey’s cry sounds like “My son!” in Chinese. ☜

4. The word for donkey. Most demons use the word for their species or a similar-sounding word as their surname, except for a certain snake family. ☜