Day of Ascension

Yuan Tiangang thought, He’s working harder than before!

On the Bridge of Oblivion, the frowning old man queued up behind the ghosts, his brow knitted deeper than ever.

After who knew how long, it was finally his turn.

Meng Po’s hand trembled involuntarily.

“Granny, pour ten bowls of tea for me, please. Make it strong.”

The old man furrowed his brow deeply. “Give me the first brew. Not the second or third.”

Meng Po couldn’t hold it in and said, “Didn’t you just come yesterday, Emissary? Why are you here again today? And where’s your umbrella?”

The old man sighed. Avoiding the matter of the umbrella, he said, “Last time, your tea was watered down and didn’t work on him. It’ll be different this time. Ten bowls of the first brew should strengthen the seal.”

Meng Po laughed in extreme anger. “There’s no first brew or second brew for my tea. Its potency is always the same! My tea is also known as the soup of oblivion. Anyone who drinks it will have every memory erased from their soul.

“They’ll forget their previous life and fall into womb amnesia, making them even more innocent than a baby! There’s no way anyone can drink my tea and still retain their memories!”

The old man said, “Words are meaningless. He drank your tea and became energetic. A little too energetic.”

Burning with rage, Meng Po shouted, “Impossible! If my tea can’t erase his soul, I’ll destroy my own reputation!”

The old man said indifferently, “Ten bowls. Make them strong.”

Meng Po gnashed her teeth in anger as she stared at him fixedly. After a moment, she said helplessly, “Ten bowls? Are you feeding an elephant? Even if you brought the tea to them, he still has to drink it. Also, you took my tea bowls away the last time. Where are they?”

The old man lined up ten tea bowls in a row in the air and said, “Ten bowls. I have a way to make him drink them.”

Meng Po could only pour the tea. She asked, “What are your plans if it really can’t seal his memories?”

Pondering for a moment, the old man replied, “Then I can only report that the target has broken free and let the higher-ups decide the next course of action.”

Meng Po shuddered and didn’t speak any further.

Shortly after, the old man slowly walked off the Bridge of Oblivion and into the vast darkness.

***

Inside Mount Wu Wang, Qin Yan Cave, Mud Pill Palace.

Dazhong was annoyed. Originally, his chime was supposed to knock Xu Ying’s soul out while his physical body remained on the spot. Instead, the chime knocked Xu Ying’s body out while his soul remained where it was.

The reason was simple: someone had consumed too many Myriad Spirit Pills. Eternal True Spirits filled his soul, making it incredibly robust.

Xu Ying looked at his hands. A milky-white glow radiated from his palms. His soul resembled jade bones and icy skin rather than flesh and blood.

He shifted his gaze to his body. Divine light shone from it, with rays over a cun long extending outward.

“I am my soul?”

Xu Ying suddenly felt a scorching heat on his left shoulder. Looking over, he saw a ball of flame on it, emitting a faint, eerie glow.

He looked at his right shoulder. Another ball of flame burned there as well.

He looked up, only to see yet another ball of flame floating over his head. This one burned even more intensely.

Dazhong explained, “These are the three Yang flames of the human body. When refined as one, they become the True Fire of Samadhi. It has the properties of extreme Yang and hardness, capable of burning everything.”

“But...” Xu Ying pointed at the bull demons. “Why are Their Yang flames different from mine?”

The bull demons trembled in fear at the sight of his soul. They cowered together, seemingly extremely terrified of him.

Xu Ying could even see the souls within the bull demons.

They, too, had souls. Their sizes matched their physical form, but theirs wasn’t as bright as his.

Their souls also had three balls of Yang flame. While theirs appeared to burn fiercely, the slightest breeze made them sway, as if they might extinguish at any moment. Xu Ying’s three Yang flames, however, remained steady and unmoving despite the wind.

Dazhong said, “I see. No wonder these bull demons submit to you. Your soul is too powerful. When they lash at you with the soul-striking whip, you don’t feel any pain, while the whip itself does. Yet, when you hit someone with the whip, you unleash three or four times the power!

“I’m afraid your attainment in the soul has already surpassed the city gods and the controller general. You’re approaching the level of a Ghost King! These bull demons likely see you as one, which is why they show loyalty to you!”

“Ghost King?” Xu Ying was surprised. Didn’t that make him... Great Ghost King Xu? But wasn’t he supposed to be the Great Demon King Xu?

Dazhong sneered. “Your three balls of Yang flame are so pure and unwavering only because the Pure Yang Spirit Flame has tempered them. But that’s not why they burn so fiercely. The real reason is that you consumed too many Myriad Spirit Pills.”

He continued, “Your soul is almost turning solid, becoming a soul formed from Eternal True Spirit. Compared to your soul, your physique seems incredibly weak. The three balls are burning through your primordial qi and your essence. Primordial qi originates from your physical form, while essence comes from the soul.

“In other words, the three balls of Yang flame are burning you like a candle! You must temper your soul and physique as soon as possible, or your Yang flame will burn you alive!”

Xu Ying’s heart skipped a beat as he realized the severity of the situation. His soul rivaled that of a Ghost King despite lacking a Ghost King’s cultivation. That was definitely not a good thing.

It was like earning two copper coins a day but spending four to sustain oneself. Living beyond one’s means would eventually lead to ruin.

Dazhong urged, “You’ve only just entered the Gate-Knocking Stage. You unlocked the Tailbone Pass and opened the door to qi refining, clearing the path to the heavenly river.

“The essence of this realm is to understand life and death, and to decipher Yin and Yang. Use the waters of the heavenly river to regulate your five viscera and six bowels to strengthen your physique.

“On the other side, you’ve also opened the path to the heavenly mountains within. Ascend them and advance toward the next realm. Understanding life and death and deciphering Yin and Yang also means regulating and refining your soul.”

With a chime, Dazhong knocked Xu Ying’s soul back into his body. He said earnestly, “Do you think I’m pushing you to cultivate only to siphon your vital energy? That’s not exactly it. My objective is to make you train hard to raise your cultivation, so that you become independent sooner. That way, I can siphon even more vital energy from you!”

After delivering his earnest instructions, he said, “Rest early. You have to practice tomorrow morning.”

Xu Ying took out a Myriad Spirit Pill, tossed it to Yuanqi, and said, “I saved one for you.”

Yuanqi was pleasantly surprised, yet a little afraid. He whispered, “Master Zhong, will I burn through my soul like Ah Ying if I eat this Myriad Spirit Pill?”

Dazhong answered, “No. Your soul will likely become even stronger than these bull demons after you consume it.”

Yuanqi quickly swallowed the elixir.

Xu Ying was exhausted after a long day. He ate some wild game to satiate his hunger and soon fell into a deep sleep.

At midnight, the bull demons transformed into yellow oxen and lay down in the Mud Pill Palace to sleep. Suddenly, the mountain wall behind the palace split open, and a white skeleton emerged from it.

As soon as the bull demons laid eyes on the skeleton, they fainted and lost all consciousness.

The white skeleton floated up silently, entered the Mud Pill Palace, and came to Xu Ying’s quarters.

Dazhong was hovering above Xu Ying. Sensing something amiss, he was about to chime to wake Xu Ying up when drowsiness suddenly overwhelmed him. His divine sense became chaotic, and he immediately lost consciousness.

He fell from the air and nearly crashed into Xu Ying when the white skeleton raised its hand lightly, sending Dazhong floating to the side.

Leaning forward, the white skeleton extended a withered finger toward Xu Ying’s glabella. Just then, a spirit flame surged from his glabella, burning intensely as it swept toward the white skeleton, illuminating the entire room.

“Qingbi, you’re going to stand against me, too?” Startled, the white skeleton turned into a wisp of green smoke and dissipated.

The Pure Yang Spirit Flame withdrew at once. The room returned to darkness as the flame retreated into Xu Ying’s body and disappeared.

Dazhong fell to the ground with a clang. He awoke in a daze and murmured, “Strange. How did I fall asleep? Wasn’t I hovering above Ah Ying to protect his soul and suppress his three Yang true flames?”

He was worried that Xu Ying’s true flame was too intense and would prematurely exhaust both his body and soul. Because of that, he continued suppressing the flames even while Xu Ying slept.

The noise also woke up Xu Ying. Seeing that nothing was wrong, he rolled over and went back to sleep.

The next day, Dazhong tolled loudly before the sun rose, making Xu Ying see stars from the shock. This bell was even more diligent than he was. One moment, he flew into Xu Ying’s room to toll loudly. Next, he flew to Yuanqi’s room and clanged back and forth, forcing them out of bed for morning practice.

Even the bull demons were woken up by the noise, yawning as they barely kept their eyes open.

To wash his face, Xu Ying jumped into the water and took a bath as he swam out of Qin Yan Cave. He stretched lazily, put on his clothes, and began his cultivation. In the distance, several female demons looked over shyly.

At this moment, the youth exuded a masculine scent that was very alluring for the female demons.

But how could female demons be more interesting than cultivation?

Yuanqi and the bull demons also emerged from Qin Yan Cave and began their cultivation.

Yuanqi was pondering over the Dragon-Snake Spring Awakening Cultivation Method and sought guidance from Xu Ying.

While circulating his own cultivation technique, Xu Ying deciphered the scripture for Yuanqi. “What is known as awakening is the first crack of spring thunder, the rise of Yang qi, and all creation bursting to life. This cultivation technique refines the pure Yang qi of dragons and snakes to bring about a physical transformation.”

As he explained, Xu Ying demonstrated the circulation route of the Dragon-Snake Spring Awakening Cultivation Technique and completed a full cycle by the time he finished speaking.

Yuanqi learned a great deal from the explanation and quickly grasped most of the cultivation technique. Admiration rose within him. Although Ah Ying isn’t as patient as the white-robed Exorcist Immortal, he is indeed a good teacher. I understood it the moment he explained it.

Then, Xu Ying went on to decipher the other scroll, the True Cultivation of Ba Snake. “The True Cultivation of Ba Snake focuses on the Dao of size transformation. Its shedding technique is truly extraordinary, and one can practice it alongside the Dragon-Snake Spring Awakening Cultivation Method.”

Again, as he explained, he demonstrated a full cycle just as he finished his explanation. He was also using the process to verify his understanding and check for mistakes in his interpretation.

Dazhong was practicing his breathing technique nearby. Watching Xu Ying explain the two cultivation techniques with such precision after reading them only once left him stunned.

This kid doesn’t seem to be a simple snake catcher. No snake catcher can comprehend Qi Refiners’ cultivation techniques so thoroughly after a single reading.

Although the Dragon-Snake Spring Awakening Cultivation Method and the True Cultivation of Ba Snake were suitable for Yuanqi, both were Qi cultivation techniques. They were much more cryptic than Exorcist cultivation techniques. Deciphering them was possible, but certainly not as effortless as Xu Ying made it seem.

Did I accidentally find a treasure while trying to extort someone?

Dazhong secretly grew excited. I truly am the bell of destiny. My luck is incredible!

A flash of insight struck Xu Ying just as he finished his explanation. An incomparably profound scripture emerged within his mind—the continuation of the Grand-Unity Guiding Method.

Compared to the Dragon-Snake Spring Awakening Cultivation Method and the True Cultivation of Ba Snake, the scripture was far more cryptic. Yet, he naturally understood the meaning of the scripture.

With a quick thought, he channeled his primordial qi in accordance with the Grand-Unity Guiding Method and entered his ethereal void with his divine sense. Immediately, the winds and clouds within changed.

The world transformed at a terrifying speed, as if countless years had passed in a single moment while the sun and moon flashed by in succession.

Outside, Yuanqi and the bull demons looked up at the sky.

The one-mu-wide field of light grew increasingly bright in the sky. Sunlight converged upon it like a storm, pouring over it. The seedlings in the light field seemed alive as they slowly absorbed sunlight and continued to grow.

Although the process appeared gradual, the seedlings completed their growth within only a few breaths.

Then, the seedlings in the field of light sprouted ears of grain and bloomed, quickly producing heavy seeds.

Yuanqi murmured, asking, “Master Zhong, have you seen such a cultivation technique before?”

Dazhong was also bewildered. He replied, “No, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Before his voice faded, the seedlings in the field of light matured. Golden, resplendent seeds flew out like a shower of light and fell into Xu Ying.

Yuanqi tried to intercept a golden seed. As it entered him, it immediately turned into dense primordial qi and spread through him, radiating intense Yang qi.

He exclaimed in shock, “They look like rice seeds, but are pure Yang in nature!”

“Rice seeds, rice seeds...” Dazhong murmured, then suddenly cried out, “I know! It’s not rice seed, but Dao seed[1]! Sowing the Dao in a field of light, cultivating a lotus amidst raging flames. This is a cultivation technique that points straight toward the Great Dao! But, but...”

He was utterly bewildered. Even his master hadn’t come across such a cultivation technique. How did Xu Ying—a snake catcher from the countryside—obtain this cultivation technique?

He had witnessed Xu Ying refining the field of light and seedlings during his practice, and had watched those seedlings mature into Dao seeds and enter Xu Ying. Yet, Dazhong had no idea when Xu Ying had learned this miraculous cultivation technique.

At the speed he’s cultivating, my injuries would heal much faster! Dazhong was overjoyed inside and tossed his doubts to the back of his mind.

1. Here, rice and Dao sound the same. ☜