Day of Ascension

So his name is Yuan Tiangang, Xu Ying thought, though it meant nothing to him.

He was just a countryside boy. The imperial court was far beyond him, so he didn’t know that Yuan Tiangang had a glorious past.

Yuanqi, however, was well-read and knew of him. He exclaimed in shock, “He’s that legendary figure!”

The bearded man threw his head back and laughed. “I severed your dragon’s vein by the order of Emperor Wen Wu Dasheng[1] to prevent you from gaining the power to plunge the world into chaos. This was public duty, not personal grudge! But since you want to fight, then let’s fight! What do I have to fear?”

Light burst out from the sword case. The storm immediately stopped, and the sky cleared as far as the eye could see, washed deep azure. The oppressive gloom disappeared as if they had returned to the mortal world.

Xu Ying and Yuanqi were astonished. They saw the bearded man soaring into the air, sword in hand. As he clashed with the giant, swordlight erupted like intertwined lightning.

Suddenly, that giant transformed into a massive stone dragon, dozens of li long. His movements shook heaven and earth. However, their exchange only lasted a few rounds. The bearded man rose higher. His sword flashed. Sword qi stretched like a rainbow and struck the dragon’s neck, his weakness.

The man decapitated the dragon in one stroke!

The dragon’s head plummeted with a thunderous boom, crashing close to the front of the house. His blood flowed like a river.

Xu Ying and Yuanqi stood frozen in shock. The bearded man landed on the ground. The sword light returned to the sword case, which snapped shut. The glow vanished.

The bearded man said, “The dragon was the son form of a mountain range. It had two forms: mother and son. I slew the mother long ago. She seized the royal providence and tried to wreak havoc across the Divine Land at birth. I killed her before she could ascend to the throne as Emperor.

“Afterward, the son made progress in his cultivation and came for revenge. You may bathe in the dragon’s blood. It will bring you great benefits.”

Xu Ying and Yuanqi approached the dragon’s head and bathed in its blood. Their wounds healed at once, faster than any spiritual elixir.

The injury on Xu Ying’s left shoulder healed fully. Vital energy surged even more vigorously inside him than before.

He placed the great bell in the dragon’s blood in a hurry, letting it soak. Hopefully, the bell can also absorb the primordial qi within the blood and recover sooner.

The bearded man clicked his tongue in amazement as he watched this. Sizing up the great bell, he chuckled. “This treasure has quite the origin, but it also carries a heavy burden. If your fortune is insufficient, it will drag you down. You should discard it soon.”

Xu Ying stirred slightly inside. Someone had forged the great bell to suppress the ancient well on the rocky mountain. It had a black coffin inside, and the young girl within had escaped when the Hell River changed its course.

Was that the burden?

The bearded man didn’t elaborate. “The blood contains dragon essence. It can heal your injuries, yet excess absorption will harm you. You’d best stop absorbing dragon essence after healing your injuries, or you’ll leave hidden dangers. As for the strange snake, it may absorb more. It will be greatly beneficial to you.”

Xu Ying stopped bathing in the dragon’s blood, leaving only the great bell submerged.

Yuanqi remained. He soaked himself fully as pure primordial qi surged into him. The dragon essence flooded his body. He couldn’t help but feel both shocked and delighted.

Yuanqi exclaimed in joy, “Ah Ying, I’ll be able to take human form soon! Then, I can practice the Elephant-Bull Demon Fist properly!”

Xu Ying also looked forward to it. He asked, “Xiao Qi, will you be a man or a woman when you take human form?”

“What man or woman? It should be male or female!” Yuanqi cried out, “Of course I’m male!”

Xu Ying said regretfully, “What a pity.”

Yuanqi glared. “Xu guy, I took you for a brother. What are you trying to do?”

Xu Ying stammered, “O-of course, I treat you as a brother too. What else could it be?”

“You don’t mean it! You must have some other filthy thoughts!”

“I don’t! Don’t smear my name!”

“Smear your name? The Xu family’s name was never good among snakes!”

......

As Yuanqi absorbed the dragon essence, he soon reached the limit he could endure. His body showed faint signs of bursting apart.

The bearded man said, “One must not be greedy on their path of cultivation. Absorb too much, and it will harm you.”

Yuanqi slithered out of the pool reluctantly, then lay by the edge and drank a few mouthfuls.

The bearded man shook his head. “You’ve only made it harder to take human form. How foolish. Come with me, little brother. Although this is the path of survival, whether the granny will let you pass at the Bridge of Oblivion[2] depends on your fortune.”

Xu Ying held up the great bell with his left hand and caught up to him with quick steps.

Yuanqi looked back at the dragon’s head, feeling pity. Nevertheless, he caught up, thinking, If only I could eat it...

The bearded man led the way, navigating through mountains and winding paths. Each time they reached a dead end, he found another route. As Xu Ying and Yuanqi followed him, they saw a dense, ghastly landscape on both sides of the path, eerie enough to chill them.

On their own, they would not have made it out alive.

At last, the Hell River appeared. A rope bridge stretched across it, linking both banks. However, the river was dry. Only a mist-covered channel remained.

After bringing them here, the bearded man said, “You’ll reach the mortal realm after crossing the rope bridge ahead. If you see a granny selling tea at the bridgehead, do not drink it. Simply focus on crossing the bridge. If you drink, you cannot return. Remember this!”

Xu Ying bowed and thanked him. “Thank you, Senior. Do you have any unresolved wishes? I’ll make sure to repay you if I make it out alive!”

After hesitating momentarily, the bearded man said, “I came to Homeward to extend my life. Now I am neither alive nor dead, trapped here. I often see my hometown, yet my family knows nothing of me.”

Retrieving the sword case, he continued, “Carry this with you. If you encounter my family, it will automatically fly into their hands. It will convey my grief and longing.”

Xu Ying agreed and slung the case over his back. The leather straps fastened across his chest, keeping the case secure.

He bade farewell to the bearded man and walked toward the rope bridge with Yuanqi.

The bearded man watched them get on the bridge and murmured, “He is blessed with great fortune. I hope he can return to the mortal realm. Never, never drink granny’s tea!”

Xu Ying and Yuanqi stepped onto the rope bridge and advanced without incident. No granny selling tea appeared.

They relaxed and continued, chatting and laughing. When they were almost at the end of the rope bridge, they saw many people lining up along it, blocking the path.

Xu Ying and Yuanqi joined the queue at the back, watching as the crowd slowly moved.

After a long wait, they saw the reason: a tea stall. A hunched granny with white hair and deep wrinkles stood behind it, pouring tea into bowl after bowl.

Even so, the tea in the pot seemed to never run out.

When Xu Ying and Yuanqi reached, their heads felt fuzzy. They had already thrown the bearded man’s warning to the back of their mind; only the unbearably thirsty remained. They believed they had queued for a bowl of tea to quench their thirst.

Finally, it was Xu Ying’s turn.

On the other end of the bridge, the bearded man saw Xu Ying raising the tea bowl. He sighed and muttered, “His fortune is a little too shallow, after all. His parents are powerful, but they still failed to shield him from death...”

As Xu Ying lifted the bowl to drink, the granny sized him up. Her expression shifted. She snatched the bowl from his hand.

She sneered coldly. “Brat, you’ve drunk countless bowls of my tea and come here countless times. Still trying to trick me? Go away!”

Xu Ying suddenly snapped to his senses. Cold sweat poured from his forehead. He grabbed Yuanqi’s tail and yanked him back just as Yuanqi was about to drink, dragging him off the bridge.

On the other end of the bridge, the bearded man stared in disbelief, frozen.

After a while, he finally returned to his senses. “The Meng Po Soup[3] can erase all memories and return one to a state of ignorance and primordial chaos! She just said that he has drunk it countless times. Were his memories erased again and again, or has he lived countless lives?”

Unfortunately, Xu Ying had left Homeward, his whereabouts unknown. He couldn’t catch up to Xu Ying and find out what had happened to him in the past.

Xu Ying dragged Yuanqi off the rope bridge. The latter finally came back to his senses, and a wave of fear washed over him.

Yuanqi looked back, only to see the rope bridge trembling like mist. It gradually dissipated and vanished without a trace.

This journey to Homeward was like a dream. Aside from feeling melancholy, he had some questions.

He thought, Why did my parents in Homeward look different from what I remember?

The mountains along the Hell River still loomed nearby, yet the sky brightened, and the fog thinned. With the sword case on his back, Xu Ying felt a faint sword qi swirling within. It flickered before his eyes at times, like blades clashing midair.

Xu Ying asked Yuanqi about it, but he didn’t feel anything.

“I’ve been reading since I was young, so I know about this. Martial arts flourished during the reigns of Emperor Wen Wu Dasheng and Emperor Zhidao Dasheng. Among Exorcist officials, nourishing swords with qi was common. Yuan Tiangang excelled in this path and became a legend.”

Yuanqi speculated, “Traces of his sword qi remain in the sword case. Since you’re carrying it, you will be affected by his sword qi. That’s why you see sword silhouettes.”

Xu Ying grew interested and asked, “Then, is it possible to comprehend the sword art he practiced through his sword qi?”

Yuanqi burst out laughing. “Ah Ying, what nonsense are you spouting? You wouldn’t master a true scripture even if someone gave it to you, let alone comprehending the profundities of a sword art from one’s sword qi.”

It was the truth. Countless dreamed of cultivation yet never found the method. Even if they did, they might fail. Years of study could still lead them down the wrong path.

A good example would be the three generations of the Niu family. They practiced the Elephant-Bull Demon Fist but failed to master it, never reaching the fourth level.

Only when Yuanqi received Xu Ying’s guidance could he reach the fifth level quickly; now, he was about to break through to the sixth.

From this, one could imagine how difficult it would be to comprehend a sword art from sword qi.

Xu Ying ignored him and continued studying on his own, full of enthusiasm. He picked up a straight willow branch and brandished it as he walked, tracing the sword light he had sensed.

Gradually, his vital energy coursed through the willow branch. Before he knew it, as he executed various moves, his vital energy flowed in peculiar ways. When it reached the willow branch, it turned into sword qi, revealing a sharp edge.

With the willow branch, he executed a variety of moves. The sword qi whistled, growing increasingly sharp and resonant.

Sword arts were combinations of many simple moves: stab, flick, parry, slash, cleave, point, snap, hook, lift, wipe, sweep, prop, intercept, flower, wrap, glide, and so on.

Xu Ying hadn’t learned any sword techniques before, but by observing the sword qi, he grasped the fundamentals, without a teacher guiding him!

Caught up in the excitement of practicing, his vital energy flowed increasingly smoothly. A sharp sword aura formed along the willow branch, extending and shrinking with his control.

The aura condensed from sword qi. It shone with a cold light, sharper than any real precious blade, able to cut through anything.

Yuanqi’s heart skipped a beat. Has he really comprehended a sword art from the sword case?

Holding up the great bell, Xu Ying suddenly leaped into the air and unleashed a torrent of sword qi with the willow branch.

Yuanqi jumped in fright and hurriedly got out of the way. Dozens of holes appeared in the ground. The sword qi even penetrated rocks.

Yuanqi felt incredibly envious. “This guy, he’s this ferocious even while holding up the great bell!”

Xu Ying landed, overjoyed inside. He poked around with the willow branch, wanting to find something to stab.

Yuanqi moved further away in a hurry.

Xu Ying asked, “Xiao Qi, when I saw those gods using swords, Their flying swords could strike from dozens of paces away, moving like Their arms. How do They control Their flying swords?”

Yuanqi corrected him, “Gods can kill with Their swords not just from dozens of paces away, but also from a thousand li away. Their flying swords are formed from incense qi, not real swords. And flying swords are part of their mystical power, so controlling them is natural.”

Xu Ying was lost in thought for a moment. Then, he grew overjoyed. “You’re right! Xiao Qi, you’re so smart! How did I not think of it?”

Yuanqi was tongue-tied with astonishment. “Wait, what was I right about? I’m a little confused...”

1. Emperor Taizong of Tang, second emperor of the Tang dynasty. ☜

2. A bridge every soul has to cross before being reincarnated, they are said to drink the Mengpo soup served by Mengpo at the Bridge of Oblivion so they will forget everything in their current lives and prepare for reincarnation. ☜

3. Meng Po is the goddess of oblivion in Chinese mythology, who serves Meng Po Soup on the Bridge of Oblivion. ☜