Day of Ascension

“Probably, the descent of their natural enemy forced the heavenly demon and the heavenly god to join forces to eliminate it first,” Zhou Qiyun said, then leaped into the vat.

He was cautious by nature. Though he wasn’t too severely injured this time, he didn't want to face his tribulation while wounded. If he were injured, he would heal as quickly as possible.

After he left, Emperor Shengshen walked over to the vat. “The Records of Gods and Demons in our imperial archives state that they are natural enemies. They are evenly matched and couldn’t do a thing to each other.

“However, a mature phoenix can devour Them. Because of that, calamities often strike phoenixes at birth, making it incredibly difficult for fledgling phoenixes to survive.”

He jumped into the vat, splashing water as he disappeared.

Yuanqi peeked his head out from Xu Ying’s collar and said longingly, “The imperial archives also have records of anomalies? I really wish I could have a look.”

With the two great experts’ departure, Xu Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a chill run down his spine. Although he acted calm and collected before Zhou Qiyun and Emperor Shengshen, cold sweat had soaked his clothes.

The group exchanged glances, all feeling lingering fear.

Uncle Xiao said worriedly, “The emperor has repeatedly tried to weaken the noble clans and keep them in check since his ascension, yet Old Ancestor Zhou blocked every attempt. Deep resentment has built up between them. If the emperor remains in Yongzhou, I’m afraid Old Ancestor Zhou won't be able to restrain himself from killing him.”

Xu Ying replied, “The world might not necessarily be worse off if the emperor died.”

Uncle Xiao, Yuan Weiyang, and Guo Xiaodie looked at him in shock. They could not understand how he could be so bold as to speak such treasonous words.

They were from noble clans, so even a servant like Uncle Xiao belonged to the Yuan clan and had no contact with the lives of the common people.

Meanwhile, Xu Ying had grown up in the villages of Lingling County, Yongzhou Prefecture, rolling in the mud since childhood. He had witnessed the acts of officials and gods firsthand and had never held a favorable opinion of imperial authority or the emperor.

Xu Ying looked up at the Truth-Seeking Supreme Void Grotto Heaven Demon Suppression Hall’s signboard and suddenly thought, What is this mountain?

He immediately perked up, let Yuanqi out, and laughed. “Let’s go climb the mountain!”

Yuanqi expanded into a huge snake over twenty zhang long. Black-and-white horns crowned his head, shimmering scales covered him, and a dragon's mane fluttered at the back of his head. Guo Xiaodie’s eyes lit up, and she quickly climbed on Yuanqi’s head.

The group sat on Yuanqi’s forehead, then the huge snake scaled the rocks as he slithered toward the peak.

Dazhong flew out of the back of Xu Ying’s head. “Master Qi, did you ever imagine this? Being reduced to a mount!”

The snake remained calm and composed. “If carrying them up the mountain makes me a mount, then does my riding on Ah Ying’s neck every day make him my slave?”

Dazhong was rendered speechless.

This mountain’s terrain was no less arduous than Mount Jiuyi. Even with Yuanqi carrying them, the climb took nearly an hour. Xu Ying stood up and looked into the distance. The true appearance of the land spread before him, and a deep shock stirred within him.

“This place is...”

Without realizing it, Uncle Xiao walked ahead of him. With confusion in his eyes, he murmured, “Where is this place?”

While the two of them focused on the view, Guo Xiaodie stealthily tugged down her bodice slightly and leaned toward Yuan Weiyang, showing off her chest. However, Yuan Weiyang didn’t notice it at all. She simply turned around and looked into the distance, lost in thought.

Somewhat embarrassed, Guo Xiaodie raised her head, looked over, and was stunned as well.

On the other side of the mountain, a rising sun emerged from the horizon. Another sun already hung high in the sky, while a third blazed directly overhead.

Behind them, a setting sun glowed red, about to sink into the horizon.

In the distance, mountains and rivers trembled, sending boulders rolling everywhere. The lands rose slowly as an unimaginable beast stood up from among the mountains at a turtle’s pace. The shaking lands were the bony plates on its back.

The people on Yuanqi’s head felt dizzy. Yuanqi was already enormous, yet beside that beast, he seemed utterly insignificant.

Suddenly, the mountain beneath their feet also began to tremble, and the earth shook.

A massive creature brushed against this mountain as it slowly rose. It was an incomprehensibly enormous creature. It resembled a bull, roared like a dragon, and bore rough, bony plate-like scales across its back.

It seemed to be scratching an itch using the mountain. Sparks flew in all directions before it slowly moved away.

Whoosh!

Its tail whipped upward. A dark mass swept over the summit and stirred a gust of scorching wind.

Someone murmured, “This is definitely not the Divine Land. Where exactly are we?”

Dazhong tolled, echoing as he said, “Everyone, this place is a grotto heaven.”

Xu Ying came to a realization. “This place is the Truth-Seeking Supreme Void Grotto Heaven!”

He looked at the mountains and rivers below. His heart stirred slightly. This cliff seemed to be the other half of the Abyss of Cangwu!

He had scanned his surroundings when he was pulled up from the Abyss of Cangwu before and discovered that Mount Jiuyi stood on one side of the cliff. At the time, however, he had no idea where the opposite cliff lay.

Now, seeing this cliff, he realized that this cliff was the other side of the abyss!

This cliff and Mount Jiuyi were one, only separated by the Abyss of Cangwu!

Dazhong sounded excited as he said, “Ah Ying, do you see that rosy light hanging down from the sky? That is the rosy light of ascension left behind by an immortal ascension.”

Xu Ying looked over and saw an eternal streak of rosy light hanging down from the sky over a hundred li away, falling between the mountains.

Its colors were richer and clearer than those seen within the ethereal void, leaving a profound impression.

This was the Truth-Seeking Supreme Void Grotto Heaven. An immortal once ascended from here, making it a place of ascension!

Consequently, the barrier between this place and the immortal realm had become much thinner, filling it with abundant primordial qi of heaven and earth.

Cultivating here would yield twice the result with half the effort!

Xu Ying’s mind stirred with excitement. Below the rosy light, he saw a lightning strike crater that was dozens of li wide.

His surging excitement immediately went cold.

That crater had to be left behind by a lightning strike when the ancient Qi Cultivator underwent their heavenly tribulation. The enormous pit painted a vivid picture of the terrifying scene of that cultivator's ascension.

Then, he spotted a second lightning strike crater. This one was even larger, spanning a hundred li. The tribulation had occurred so long ago that trees now covered the pit.

However, the trees in the crater were lower than elsewhere. Through the outlines, one could still make out the grand spectacle of the tribulation.

Afterward, Xu Ying spotted a third crater. This one was fresher and had not yet been overgrown with vegetation. Then, a fourth, a fifth, and so on.

The grotto heaven had lightning strike craters of varying sizes. They were likely remnants of the tribulation experienced by the ancient Qi Cultivators who had found their way here and underwent their own tribulation!

Before long, Xu Ying found a total of seventeen craters. Some overlapped with another, while others had been buried with time, their outlines barely noticeable.

The largest of them was the cliff they were on, which was actually also a crater!

The cliff was towering. Standing on it, Xu Ying looked into the distance. He could see a massive crater about five hundred li wide!

So, this was the heavenly tribulation a Qi Cultivator had to face when ascending?

Could anyone really withstand a tribulation of such power and ascend to the immortal realm?

His gaze swept through the grotto heaven. Only one streak of rosy ascension light remained. In other words, the other ancient Qi Cultivators who underwent their tribulation here had all failed and perished under the lightning strikes!

That rosy light of ascension became an eternal imprint in this world.

“Although no one has ascended other than that immortal, this place is still a spiritual sanctuary. It’s rich in primordial qi of heaven and earth, and is ideal for cultivation.”

Basking in the sunlight of the four suns, Xu Ying channeled the Grand Unity Guiding Method. Immediately, the sky grew incredibly bright. Sun essence poured in, forming a Dao field several mu wide in the air.

Through his exchanges with Yuan Weiyang over the past few days, he had tremendously improved his divine sense, primordial qi, and soul.

As he channeled the Grand Unity Guiding Method, he saw Dao seeds fall like rain from the Dao field and enter him. His black hair fluttered as he projected a presence like a fierce tiger, shocking Guo Xiaodie.

“No wonder everyone calls him Demon King Xu! Although he’s not as handsome as Brother Weiyang, he possesses a charm Brother Weiyang lacks.”

Her heart beat faster. She looked at Xu Ying, then turned to look at Yuan Weiyang. She felt that Yuan Weiyang was still better-looking, but the wild charm Xu Ying possessed was indeed attractive. She had a hard time choosing between them.

Yuan Weiyang stood up and moved next to Xu Ying, channeling the Primordial Dao Heavenly Domain Resonance. Her physique turned translucent like jade, reflecting three hundred sixty-five gods from her acupoints.

Gods, great and small, took their positions within the palace complexes, manors, and grotto heavens formed within each of her acupoints. Though they were still hazy phantoms, they surrounded her like guards and cast divine light over her, making her seem like the king of the gods.

Uncle Xiao was slightly shaken inside. The young master acted on her own, modifying the Yuan clan’s ancestral ultimate techniques without permission. It is a truly profane act, but her modifications, they...

His expression turned strange. With Yuan Weiyang’s alterations, the new Primordial Dao Heavenly Domain Resonance was far better than before!

Guo Xiaodie glanced left and right, finding both of them truly exceptional. They were equally outstanding, each with their own strengths. She could not choose between them.

Suddenly, Xu Ying let out a roar and channeled the first technique of the Ode of the Azure Skies, Glooming Tempest!

As he struck with his palm, an expanse of blue sky and white clouds appeared behind him, as if washed clean. The next moment, dark clouds rolled in, thunder rumbled, and night seemed to fall.

Whoosh!

The palm wind swirled and roared in front of Xu Ying. He felt his heart energy circulate throughout him. His physical strength erupted; wherever his palm force swept, it wrestled with the wind and cloud, manifesting the phenomenon of a glooming [1] tempest. Its power was so immense that even Xu Ying himself was startled.

Guo Xiaodie’s eyes went wide, nearly popping out of their sockets. Xu Ying had actually unleashed the first technique of the Ode of the Azure Skies perfectly!

To master the Ode of the Azure Skies, one had to first unlock their Crimson-Palace Secret Trove. How could anyone outside the Guo clan unlock it?

Even if one had unlocked their Crimson-Palace Secret Trove, they had to first comprehend the clear azure sky and various other weathers, such as a clear sunny sky, wind and rain, and thunder and lightning. One needed to observe these weathers up close to grasp the Manifestation of the Great Dao and refine it into Radiant vestige.

Only after refining the Radiant Vestige could one unleash the might of the Ode of the Azure Skies.

As the saying goes: Contemplate the azure skies within, perceive its vastness. Visualize the boundless sky and attain freedom.

Without going this far, how could one truly master the Ode of the Azure Skies?

Xu Ying was surprised and delighted. He had thought that the Ode of the Azure Skies Guo Xiaodie had traded him was only an ordinary cultivation art of her clan. He didn’t expect it to possess such immense power!

In his mind, Dazhong couldn’t help but praise, Ah Ying, this girl is worth befriending! The cultivation art she gave you is definitely a top-tier Exorcism art of her clan!

Feeling guilty inside, Xu Ying thought, I traded just a Sword Kinesis Mantra for a top-tier Exorcism Art, and she hasn’t even learned it yet. I’m taking far too much advantage of her. If there is anything she does not understand in the future, I will spare no effort in guiding her.

In just a short while, he performed the other techniques in the Ode of the Azure Skies. Second technique, Lightning Thunder in Concert; third technique, Bright Mirror Form; fourth technique, Stars Opening the Azure Skies; fifth technique, Nine Heavens Circular Expansion; sixth technique, Radiant Star Shine; seventh technique, Sun Moon Dwelling!

When he moved, a glooming tempest formed and lightning thundered in concert.

When he remained still, his form resembled a bright mirror as stars opened the azure skies.

Every technique he performed, every movement he made, seemed as if a Great Exorcist of the Guo clan had guided him step by step. His execution was near perfection.

Guo Xiaodie grew tense. She stared at Xu Ying intently, thinking, His talent truly defies the heavens. If he comprehends even the eighth technique, Cloud-Ladder Heavenly Bound... Not even the old ancestor was able to master all eight techniques of the Ode of the Azure Skies in one go!

Xu Ying jumped into the air, and a cloud ladder appeared beneath his feet. Stepping onto it, he leaped fiercely and fell straight down with a crash, landing on Yuanqi’s head.

Guo Xiaodie breathed a sigh of relief. He’s a little worse than the old ancestor.

Xu Ying’s heart convulsed fiercely. Dazhong hurriedly cried out, “Ah Ying, don’t use the last technique lightly. It drains too much heart energy! I’ve underestimated Exorcism techniques, thinking a Qi Cultivator’s heart energy is sufficient to support the Ode of the Azure Skies.

“I didn’t expect this exorcism technique to require such immense heart energy. It far exceeds the limit of what a Qi Cultivator can endure! Luckily, you’re strong as an ox and didn’t die.”

Xu Ying rested for a bit to catch his breath, feeling a lingering sense of fear.

He had already comprehended the eighth technique of the Ode of the Azure Skies, Cloud-Ladder Heavenly Bound. He had intended to leap into the sky in a single step, but the technique consumed too much heart energy and caused him to fall.

Unless I unlock my Crimson-Palace Secret Trove, I can’t use the Cloud-Ladder Heavenly Bound as I want!

Xu Ying sat up. Some color had returned to his face. “Miss Xiaodie, how can I learn your clan’s Dragon Tracking Technique to find my Crimson-Palace Secret Trove?”

“Marry into our Guo clan as a live-in son-in-law!”

Her eyes sparkling, Guo Xiaodie smiled. “I have an older sister who weighs two hundred jin. She’s still unwed and is polite and proper, though she has a little bit of a temper. Should I introduce you to her?”

Xu Ying was delighted inside, but hesitated slightly. “I’ll think about it.”

Guo Xiaodie was taken aback. She could not tell whether he was seriously considering it or merely humoring her.

Little did she know that Xu Ying was actually considering it. He had been born in a poor family, and when families in nearby villages couldn’t afford to raise children, they would often sell them in the city.

Unlucky girls ended up in brothels or pleasure houses. Luckier ones entered wealthy households as personal maids with intimate duties. Boys were bought by wealthy madams, dressed in fine clothes, fed lavish meals, and kept as playthings. Xu Ying had always envied them.

If he became a live-in son-in-law of the Guo clan, his treatment would surely surpass theirs. At least he would be a legitimate son-in-law. Those boys were merely toys or medicinal dregs, drained of their value and discarded afterward.

Yuan Weiyang’s voice reached his ears. “Is Demon King Xu content living subservient to others for the rest of your life?”

Xu Ying immediately came back to his senses. He dropped all thoughts of becoming a live-in son-in-law.

If gods won’t tolerate me, I’ll overthrow them. If officials won’t tolerate me, I’ll cut down those officials! If the earth won’t tolerate me, I’ll overturn the lands. If the heavens won’t tolerate me, I’ll pierce through the heavens! A real man walks with his head held high. Why should I live under someone else’s roof? Even if it’s Zhou Qiyun, I’ll crush him!

1. This originates from a poem. It describes a stormy morning so dark it looks like night. ☜