Day of Ascension

Pinned beneath the willow tree, Xue Lingfu watched as Xu Ying charged toward him with the great bell in tow. He quickly sat up and laughed out loud.

“The Underworld Court is blessed with boundless fortune to have obtained Xu Ying today!”

Earlier, he and Zhou Yihang had struck simultaneously to kill Xu Ying. However, they accidentally struck the great bell instead, and the recoil drove them back. The recoil nearly destroyed the golden body he had attained through five hundred years of bitter cultivation. It also almost reduced the incense qi in his shrine to nothing.

Fortunately, the earth god had just ordained Huang Sanduo as god in the temple and had not left. Seeing the city god injured, Huang Sanduo appeared beside him and placed several sticks of incense in the shrine.

The city god caught his breath after receiving the incense and gathered the scattered incense qi, stabilizing his golden body.

Xu Ying was running straight toward him. It was no different from walking into the lion’s den. Shrewd as he was, he couldn’t help but break into a smile.

Before he could stand up, Xu Ying closed to within two or three zhang and spun mid-run. Just as Xue Lingfu stood up, still beaming, he saw a giant bell sweep toward him!

The earth god cried out frantically, “Block, my lord!”

Xue Lingfu remained composed in the face of danger. He immediately channeled his remaining incense qi and condensed it into a shield before him.

Bang!

The great bell shattered the shield and continued sweeping at him. Xue Lingfu ducked and hunched his shoulders to take the hit, reaching out with his left hand toward Xu Ying.

With the shield cushioning the blow, the impact left him dazed but otherwise unharmed.

Zhou Yihang saw this from afar and cursed inwardly. Xue Lingfu has the earth god offering him incense. He’s recovering faster than I am! Xu Ying will fall into his hand!

However, Xu Ying moved like a top flung from its string, spinning as he rushed toward Xue Lingfu. The moment Xue Lingfu blocked the first strike, the bell swung back at terrifying speed.

He was struggling to keep up—his eyes most of all. Even they couldn’t follow, let alone his limbs.

Xue Lingfu withstood the second impact but failed to block the third, fourth, and fifth. The blows sent him airborne, tumbling away.

While still in the air, the great bell struck him several more times, driving him faster until he slammed toward the temple.

The earth god had been hiding behind the city god. Once Xue Lingfu was sent flying, how could he fare any better? He, too, was sent flying, his whereabouts unknown.

Seeing the city god flying toward him, Zhou Yihang hurriedly dodged to the side. A loud crash rang out as he crashed into the temple’s wall.

Xu Ying charged toward them with the bell in tow. Before closing the distance, he launched himself sideways and spun at breakneck speed with a light tap of his hand against the ground, parallel to the ground.

The great bell swung upward, whirling through the air and slamming into the temple wall with a clang. It smashed Xue Lingfu and the wall into the ground!

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

A series of thunderous booms rang out as half of Xue Lingfu’s golden body shattered.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yihang channeled his Mud-Pill Secret Trove, desperately regenerating his flesh. Xu Ying flipped upside down and spun like a windmill, sending the great bell hurtling through the air toward him.

I’ve truly slipped up this time. A chill washed over Zhou Yihang as the great bell struck him, sending him flying.

After sending Zhou Yihang flying, Xu Ying immediately turned around and struck the city god with the great bell. He refused to give them any opportunity to catch their breath.

Zhou Yihang landed on the ground, vomiting blood. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xu Ying charging toward him.

He cried out, “City God Xue, we can only survive if we join hands!”

Half of Xue Lingfu’s golden body had shattered, and the remaining half was battered. His incense qi was scattering, barely holding on. Hearing Zhou Yihang’s cry, he immediately realized that this old rival was also on his last leg.

If we don’t join hands, we’ll really perish here in the hands of this whelp!

He gathered the last of his mystical power, and his Incense qi coalesced into a hand over a zhang tall, reaching into the temple.

Huang Sanduo, the newly ordained god, hid inside the temple, watching the battle unfold—until the city god’s massive hand closed in and seized him.

Huang Sanduo cried out in panic, “City God Xue, have you forgotten all the gifts I sent you!”

“I know. And that’s why I’m borrowing your life!”

Xue Lingfu used all his strength to throw Huang Sanduo toward Xu Ying.

Xu Ying was swinging the bell at Zhou Yihang when he saw the two-faced, six-armed statue flying toward him out of the corner of his eye. He hurriedly turned around and let the great bell collide with Huang Sanduo.

The bell struck the statue, and the latter instantly. Huang Sanduo was only a newly ordained god and had barely received any incense offerings. His divine body shattered, and his divine soul vanished into thin air. A single speck of Eternal True Spirit flew toward the underworld.

However, that brief pause gave Zhou Yihang time to steady himself. He immediately summoned his remaining mystical power to unleash the Sun Lord World-Quelling Seal upon the bell.

Clang!

The bell emitted an earth-shaking roar as the terrifying force from the Sun Lord World-Quelling Seal erupted, sending it tumbling into the sky.

The Sun Lord World-Quelling Seal didn’t strike Xu Ying, yet the shockwave swept him up and sent him spinning through the air.

He thought, Crap! I can move the bell, but it can move me too!

The bell slammed into the street, bounced, fell again, and rolled dozens of zhang away.

Xu Ying followed the same path: fall, bounce, and roll.

Zhou Yihang and Xue Lingfu were momentarily taken aback but quickly came to a realization.

That’s the way to deal with him!

Xu Ying planted his palms and pushed himself up, staring at the two warily.

Zhou Yihang and Xue Lingfu also staggered to their feet, but neither advanced. Both were top experts of Lingling County, but they were nearly spent. They knew the method to deal with Xu Ying now; without perfect coordination, one mistake would leave them battered by that spinning bell.

Xu Ying realized the situation was bad after suffering a setback. The wound on his shoulder burst open. He stepped back, keeping his eyes on them. He retreated into the pharmacy.

The shop assistant had already packed the herbs he had asked for into a big burlap sack. He and the shop manager stood outside, watching. When they saw Xu Ying approach, they hurried inside.

Xu Ying took the burlap sack, hoisted it over his shoulder, and carefully backed away. He avoided turning, wary of smashing the shop with the bell.

He turned only after exiting the pharmacy’s premises and ran toward the edge of the town.

Clang, clang, clang!

The bell scraped along the ground, trailing smoke. The noise echoed like a procession beating drums and gongs behind him.

Zhou Yihang and Xue Lingfu suppressed their injuries. They didn’t give chase and simply let him leave.

Xue Lingfu said, “You can’t walk by the riverside forever without getting your shoes wet.”

Zhou Yihang had used all his strength to channel the vitality within his Mud-Pill Secret Trove to heal his injuries. He smiled bitterly. “This time, it’s worse than wet shoes. That whelp nearly dragged me into the water and drowned me.”

City God Xue’s expression turned dark. Cracks spread across half his golden body, and with a series of sharp pops, fragments broke off. As they separated from him, the shards transformed into real gold as they fell.

That earth god from before emerged out of nowhere. He knelt before Xue Lingfu’s feet, offering incense and kowtowing while chanting.

Xue Lingfu’s scattered incense qi gradually coalesced. The broken gold on the ground twitched, then leaped back toward him.

Zhou Yihang said, “Xu Ying caught us off guard and injured us with his protective artifact. As long as we’re prepared, we can easily deal with that damn bell of his.”

Xue Lingfu replied calmly, “Though I’m afraid you can’t capture Xu Ying personally, as you will soon depart for the underworld.”

As his words fell, demonic qi spread from the town entrance. A demon god strode into Huangtianpu Town.

Xue Lingfu said, “I have the earth god. He can travel underground, mobilize forces across the mountains and lakes, and track Xu Ying. But with your injuries, I’m afraid you can’t even resist the demon gods under me.”

Zhou Yihang sighed, then chuckled softly. “You can call for reinforcements, but I can’t? With our clan’s exorcism techniques, every plant and tree can serve as soldiers. Informing some juniors to provide backup is no trouble for me.”

At the other end of Huangtianpu Town, government officials from various services, such as the Service of Merit, the Service of Supplies, and the Service of Census of Lingling County, rushed in.

Grassroots gods from various towns and villages, as well as demon gods, also rushed to Huangtianpu Town. They were astonished to see the city god injured. They hurriedly knelt, offered incense, and inquired about his well-being.

On the other hand, Lingling County’s assistants gathered: personnel, logistics, civil, military, judicial, works, and prison wardens. Altogether, dozens of government officials had gathered. Though fewer than the gods, they were all the Zhou clans’ Exorcists. Their capabilities far surpassed ordinary grassroots gods.

Both parties formed ranks and faced off, their killing intent surging.

It was common knowledge that the divine and imperial authorities had been at odds since the passing of Emperor Zhidao Dasheng Daming Xiao.

In Yongzhou, the conflict ran deeper.

Elsewhere, they could maintain harmony on the surface. However, in Yongzhou, especially Lingling County, a remote region far from the capital, even the imperial authority struggled to reach them, let alone the divine authority.

Here, the Zhou clan were the local sovereigns, ruling over their own territory. They challenged the divine authority of the Underworld Court and were like fire and water.

Zhou Yihang returned to his appearance as a refined elder. He walked to the front of the formation with difficulty and smiled. “Lord City God, this was only a misunderstanding, wasn’t it?”

Having received incense offerings from the grassroots gods, Xue Lingfu barely suppressed his injuries. He emerged from the crowd and said solemnly, “Indeed. Just a misunderstanding.”

Zhou Yihang smiled. “Since it is just a misunderstanding and the fugitive Xu Ying is on the run, it is not wise for us to be fighting among ourselves. Wouldn’t we become laughingstocks if Xu Ying escaped Lingling County?”

Looking ashamed, Xue Lingfu said, “Master Zhou has a point. Fugitive Xu Ying is incredibly dangerous. He violated the law of heaven and must be brought to justice as soon as possible. There is no time for delay. We’ll set aside this matter and settle it later.”

Zhou Yihang replied solemnly, “My thoughts exactly.”

Both sides issued orders to their subordinates to pursue and capture Xu Ying, while they remained behind to tend to their injuries.

City God Xue ordered an earth god to offer incense, then instructed, “Xu Ying’s matter is no trivial affair. Go and invite the divine dragon of Ningyuan Confucian Temple to lend us His assistance.”

Zhou Yihang also secretly sent someone to summon the magistrate, Zhou Yang. When the magistrate arrived at Huangtianpu Town, he was astonished at the sight of Zhou Yihang’s injuries.

Zhou Yihang instructed, “Yang’er, Xu Ying is on the run. Order the officials with relatively lower cultivation to stand down. They are no match for that criminal. Lead a group of elites and personally capture him. I’ll stay back, watch Xue Lingfu, and oversee the situation.

“Also, report Xu Ying’s matter to the prefect. Request him to mobilize Zhou clan experts to track Xu Ying.”

Zhou Yang was taken aback. “That brat is just a peasant. Do we need to involve the prefect?”

Zhou Heng was Yongzhou’s prefect, stationed there by the imperial court. He held military authority and commanded countless experts. Although Zhou Yang was also a member of the Zhou clan, he couldn’t break into the inner circle.

Only a handful of people could enter the inner circle of this aristocratic clan. Zhou Heng was one of them.

Zhou Yang was puzzled. Reporting Xu Ying’s matter to Zhou Heng was equivalent to handing him the merit. Why not take it for himself?

Zhou Yihang explained, “Criminal Xu Ying has already reached the Demon King level with his demonic art. Even among demons, few have reached this stage. Our clan cannot let him fall into the hands of the Underworld Court!”

After hesitating for a moment, Zhou Yang mustered his courage and asked, “Father, the old ancestor’s cultivation reaches heaven. He has already unlocked the full power of his Secret Trove. In this world, whether ghosts or gods, few can rival him. Why is he still so interested in demonic arts?”

With a pensive gaze, Zhou Yihang answered, “Yang’er, you’re not qualified to know these secrets yet. Since you asked, I’ll tell you what I can.”

After a moment of silence, he continued, “Twenty years ago, I followed the clan elders to Mount Duqiao in Beiliu County, Lingnan. Our Exorcists discovered an ancient grotto heaven there. The elders scoured through the imperial archives and concluded it was the cultivation site of the ancient Qi Cultivator.

“Likely one of the few well-preserved grotto heavens of the Divine Land. Three clan elders led that expedition, with two hundred core descendants and a thousand Exorcists to explore the grotto heaven. We encountered many strange things.”

Fear flickered in his eyes. A moment later, he calmed his emotions and continued, “Strange things that couldn’t be explained with exorcism arts and techniques, nor by ghosts or gods! They could only be attributed to immortal arts and techniques! None of the Exorcists there, including the three clan elders, could make any sense of it! It was beyond us. Do you understand?”

The fear in his eyes turned into despair.

The Zhou clan’s deep excavation of the grotto heaven in Mount Duqiao had resulted in heavy casualties. All one thousand Exorcists perished, and more than half of the clan’s core descendants were killed or injured. Even one of the three clan elders died.

In the end, they brought back a few relics, including a jade slip left by the ancient Qi Cultivator, Tuo Yu.

The slip was twelve cun long, fresh green like young bamboo, inscribed with golden characters no one could read.

They also recovered a handwritten scroll of ancient text. It seemed to record Tuo Yu’s attempt to decipher the jade slip.

The ancient text was a cultivation technique, yet its wording was convoluted, its meaning obscure and incomprehensible.

“In that grotto heaven, we also discovered a mural depicting someone overcoming tribulation and ascending to immortality. An elder speculated that Tuo Yu witnessed an ascension, and what she was deciphering was the cultivation technique of immortals!”

Zhou Yihang paused to compose himself, then continued, “I never saw that ancient text again. But I still remember the elders’ expressions when they read it. They looked like they had eaten pigswill left to rot for three days. They said...”

He paused again.

“They said that the deciphered opening lines of that immortal art matched demonic arts.”

Zhou Yang went wide-eyed. A surge of shock swept through his mind.

The mountains and wilderness of Lingling County were teeming with demons. They were not everywhere, yet one could encounter them by chance.

Some caused trouble in the countryside, while others lived deep in the mountains and forests. A few ambitious ones occupied peaks and ruled as kings.

However, the Underworld Court recruited most who had reached the level of Demon King and bestowed upon them divine positions, such as mountain gods or water gods, to oversee the lands for them.

Zhou Yang looked down on demons. Their cultivation techniques were varied and bizarre, yet all were limited to the Qi-Gathering Stage. Once they reached their peak, their path ended. They could not advance further.

Demonic cultivators were inferior to Exorcists. After unlocking their Secret Trove, Exorcists harnessed its power to refine Radiant Vestige. Their cultivation rose steadily, penetrating heaven and earth. Their abilities surpassed the ordinary and touched the divine.

The Zhou clan’s old ancestor stood at the pinnacle of this world. Even the reigning Emperor treated him with deference.

Yet demonic cultivators were also inferior to gods sustained by incense.

As long as an incense god retained their divine seat and continued to absorb incense qi, their mystical power would grow day by day. They could also cultivate to an extremely formidable realm!

Only demonic cultivators were limited to the Qi-Gathering Stage, becoming Demon King at best. After being ordained as a demon god, their domain rarely extended beyond a single mountain.

As for the cultivation techniques of demons, they were even more lackluster. Few people bothered to practice or study them.

Yet now Zhou Yihang claimed that the opening lines of the immortal arts matched those of the demonic arts. How could this not astonish Zhou Yang?

“The records left by the ancient Qi Cultivator, Tuo Yu, may be a deciphered immortal art, but it was too convoluted and incomprehensible. They still require further deciphering.”

Zhou Yihang closed his eyes to rest. “Even studying those records has driven several geniuses of our clan to death. Many others were left with white hair. It was simply too difficult to understand.”

He sighed. Tears rolled out of the corner of his eyes.

Zhou Yang’s gaze flickered. “Hence, Xu Ying, who can decipher demonic cultivation techniques, is just that valuable.”

Zhou Yihang’s expression turned cold. “If our clan can’t have him, we destroy him. We can’t let others benefit from him.”

Waving his hand, he said, “Go on, Yang’er. Remember, you must inform the prefect.”

Zhou Yang acknowledged, bowed, and left.

Xu Ying stood within a cave on Mount Xiao in Lingling County, looking out. Dark clouds covered the sky. Thunder boomed as rain poured heavily. Fierce winds tugged at the rain, causing it to sway violently.

The sky gradually darkened.

The sudden downpour stalled his pursuers.

Xu Ying retracted his gaze. A large pot hung over a fire, herbs boiling inside. Yuanqi was curled up by the fire, pale and weak as the medicine simmered.

A black bear huddled in a corner, trembling as he watched Xu Ying. This was his cave; now, Xu Ying and Yuanqi had occupied it.

Xu Ying comforted the bear demon with a friendly expression. “No need to be afraid, Xiong Qianli. We’ll leave once the rain passes.”

The black bear spoke in the human language, “Great Benefactor Xu, aren’t you lying to me? Last time, you took my scripture and said you’d return it after reading it, yet you still haven’t returned it.”