Day of Ascension

On the massive locust tree, Yuanqi climbed back into the canopy where the branches forked. While practicing his breathing technique and gathering strength in preparation for his breakthrough, he awaited his second metamorphosis.

Dazhong asked, “Stinky snake, will you take human form this time?”

Filled with anticipation, Yuanqi smiled. “A Great Demon can take human form after reaching the Demon King level. When I became a Demon King, I drank too much dragon blood, and that delayed the transformation. This is my second molting, though. I can definitely become human.”

Dazhong immediately grew excited. “Have you fully comprehended the Supreme Yin Primordial Nurturing Art that Ah Ying taught you? If you comprehended the supreme yin, then you will become a woman, or even a man with female features!”

Yuanqi jumped in fright. Anxiety filled his heart, and his thoughts became restless.

Dazhong shouted, “You’re right on the verge of breaking through the Tailbone Pass. If you’re not fully focused, you won’t open the mystic gateway! Clear your mind quickly. Don’t think about becoming a man or a woman. Let nature take its course!”

Yuanqi hurriedly focused his mind.

Dazhong circled Yuanqi, gently swaying to produce chimes that helped calm his mind.

It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought up the gender issue. Hopefully, he succeeds in transforming into a human this time!

The floral fragrance in the surroundings was rich, and the primordial qi of heaven and earth was abundant. Yuanqi didn’t need great elixirs. He could attempt his breakthrough amid the floral scent.

Night had fallen before he realized it. The Hell River surged forth. As Dazhong guarded Yuanqi, he suddenly felt the weather turn cold, with the temperature dropping sharply. Since arriving at the Locust Flower Palace, he had never spent a night outside and hadn’t known it would become so cold.

He quickly nudged Yuanqi toward the fiery pit, afraid he would stiffen from the cold.

Just then, at the base of the locust tree, on the opposite bank of the Hell River, specks of ghostly flames gathered. They drifted toward the tree.

Strange...

Dazhong sensed the surroundings carefully and trembled momentarily. The ghostly flames surging toward the massive locust tree were actually countless underworld ghost soldiers clad in rotting armor and mounted on towering steeds.

They advanced in orderly ranks. Some rode bone horses, while others rode giant bull demons, bone dragons, or bone phoenixes.

Other ghost soldiers carried tattered banners that fluttered in the wind. As chilling winds seeped through the holes in the banners, numerous bizarre underworld creatures emerged. Their slick black bodies squirmed in and out of the openings.

At the center of the army of underworld ghost soldiers was a royal canopy spanning several mu. It looked like an enormous tattered umbrella. Though luxurious, it was riddled with holes.

Countless long, black ribbons hung from the canopy’s edges. They were also corroded and full of holes, fluttering in the wind.

Beneath the canopy, a ghost army stood, with Ghost Kings holding ghost-head sabers[1], radiating a murderous aura.

Further back, under the royal canopy, sat a magnificent figure. It wore an imperial crown draped with strings of pearls and a golden dragon robe embroidered with a coiled dragon across the chest.

Yet the magnificent figure possessed no flesh. The face beneath the crown was a bare skull, and the hand gripping the dragon throne was nothing but gleaming white bone.

Dazhong tolled, cursing inwardly. Zhou Qiyun chose a bad place! The master of the Locust Flower Palace is likely an emperor! No wonder no one occupied it! It turns out that the emperor still resides here after his death! And now, the master has returned!

It suddenly dawned on him why the master of the Mud Pill Palace had delayed coming to “harvest” Zhou Qiyun. He had been waiting for the master of the Locust Flower Palace to arrive.

Naturally, the master of the Locust Flower Palace wouldn’t tolerate Zhou Qiyun occupying his place.

The moment Zhou Qiyun clashed with him, the master of the Mud Pill Palace would emerge to reap his harvest.

If Zhou Qiyun cannot handle this disaster, no eggs will remain intact when the nest is overturned. Ah Ying will be in danger as well!

He gazed into the distance. I wonder which emperor of the mortal realm this one was?

***

Just then, Zhou Qiyun approached, with thirteen ancient-looking elders following behind him. They were the thirteen clan elders who had been seated in the center of the hall, comprehending the jade slip Dao book.

Their appearance surprised Xu Ying. The elders had been completely ignoring worldly affairs, immersed in contemplating over the jade slip Dao book, so why had they awakened now?

Behind the thirteen clan elders were the Zhou clan descendants who had torn down the temple world. Men and women, young and old, all wore grave expressions as though facing a formidable enemy.

Xu Ying felt a wave of panic wash over him. I only stole a pillar. Surely they don’t need to mobilize such a lineup for that?

Zhou Qiyun walked past him and said, “A pillar is missing from the hall. Who took it?”

Just as Xu Ying was about to make an excuse, the thirteen clan elders behind Zhou Qiyun raised their hands in unison and pointed at him.

So, Xu Ying gave up on making excuses. “I took it. Is the pillar very important?”

Zhou Qiyun walked toward the palace gates and said indifferently, “If you took it, so be it. This imperial villa doesn’t belong to my clan anyway.”

Xu Ying was surprised. Zhou Qiyun had always stripped the land bare wherever he went. Why was he acting so generous today?”

Zhou Qiyun said calmly, “The true master of this imperial villa has come to settle scores.”

Xu Ying followed him out of the Locust Flower Palace and looked up. A vast army of underworld ghost soldiers stood in orderly ranks across the sky, silent and motionless.

At the center of the army, beneath the royal canopy riddled with holes, sat the immaculately dressed skeleton emperor, with Ghost Kings standing below him like the officials.

A chill ran down his spine. “A bronze pillar doesn’t warrant the mobilization of such a huge army. Old Ancestor Zhou, they’re not here for me.”

Zhou Qiyun sighed, though a smile appeared on his face. “They’re here for me. The master of the Mud Pill Palace has likely been waiting for this opportunity, and now it has finally arrived.”

Xu Ying caught on instantly. The Locust Flower Palace had been unoccupied because it already had a master. Others feared that master and didn’t dare seize the palace.

That master was the skeleton emperor commanding the massive ghost army.

The master of the Mud Pill Palace hadn’t come to “taste” Zhou Qiyun because he had been waiting for the master of the Locust Flower Palace to demand accountability.

With the Mud Pill Palace Master in the dark, and the Locust Flower Palace master in the light, the odds would be heavily stacked against Zhou Qiyun if he had to deal with both of them at once.

Zhou Qiyun said, “Facing these old fossils, one really cannot afford to make any mistakes. A single misstep could mean death.”

The mistake he referred to was the Locust Flower Palace.

Though the palace was great, the Zhou clan shouldn’t have occupied it without first investigating its origins. They made this mistake only because the clan had grown accustomed to acting arrogantly.

Xu Ying gazed at the skeleton emperor from afar. Judging by the characters on the lintel, he was an ancient Qi Cultivator, perhaps even older than Master Zhong’s master. So, who could he be? If Yuanqi were here, he would surely recognize which emperor of the mortal realm he was.

Behind Zhou Qiyun, clear light surged upward like the tide. He said leisurely, “This may also lure the Mud Pill Palace Master into making a move, allowing me to kill him and eliminate future threats.”

Xu Ying’s heart stirred slightly. He’s confident in taking on two existences on par with great Exorcist Immortals at the same time?

Winds and clouds surged in the sky as thunder rumbled. Boundless dark clouds enveloped the Locust Flower Palace, pressing down heavily. Lightning flashed, and thunder roared as a huge, pitch-black hand reached out from the dark clouds. Karmic fire blazed beneath it as it crushed toward the palace.

The black hand halted abruptly when it met the clear light behind Zhou Qiyun. The thunder and fire formed a thin light screen sweeping in all directions like an invisible blade.

Xu Ying immediately noticed the space around him tremble slightly. Then, he saw a new wound appear on the massive locust tree, cutting deep into it.

Nearby, a mountain peak rose silently into the air, as though an invisible blade had severed it from the mountain. It flew dozens of li before tilting downward. The aftershock struck it moments later, blowing it apart.

This scene happened silently. Only after a breath’s time did the deep, thunderous roar reach everyone’s ears.

Xu Ying hurriedly channeled his divine sense, finally activating his Third Eye to discern the spectacle in the sky.

He saw another Zhou Qiyun standing behind Zhou Qiyun, guarding the boundless space. It appeared small but was boundless, radiating clear light from head to toe.

The clear light that surged like the tide and rose continuously emanated from this Zhou Qiyun!

A Primordial Spirit?

Xu Ying immediately recalled the coffin maiden’s Primordial Spirit, but quickly sensed something amiss.

The coffin maiden’s Primordial Spirit was immensely powerful, almost tangible, yet invisible to the naked eye. Even the light radiating from the Primordial Spirit was a shimmering light only a cun long.

On the other hand, although Zhou Qiyun’s “Primordial Spirit” was larger, it was somewhat hollow and lacking in substance. Its radiance was visible to the naked eye rather than appearing as faint thread-like strands.

Examining closely, Xu Ying discovered a ball of flame above the head of Zhou Qiyun’s “Primordial Spirit”. That was the Yang flame of the soul.

Souls should have three Yang flames, one on each shoulder and one above the head. How come Zhou Qiyun only has one... It’s the True Fire of Samadhi!

Xu Ying suddenly realized it, but found it hard to believe.

Zhou Qiyun had actually merged his three Yang flames into the True Fire of Samadhi. His talent was truly terrifying!

He doesn’t understand the cultivation techniques of Qi Cultivators. He probably excavated the tombs of Qi Cultivators and Exorcist Immortals, obtaining some incomplete legacies in the process. Yet, relying on those incomplete inheritances, he had refined the True Fire of Samadhi and tempered his soul to such a formidable level.

To Exorcists, the True Fire of Samadhi was a long-lost, ancient, ultimate technique, profound and mysterious. No one knew how to refine it. Yet, Zhou Qiyun had managed to restore it. A man with such courage and wisdom was truly worthy of admiration.

Xu Ying shifted his gaze to the skeleton emperor. He saw that he also had a Primordial Spirit, lurking in the dark space behind him. The Primordial Spirit was enveloped in black qi and was in tatters. The black qi seeped out from the rotting holes in its form.

That black hand that pressed down from the dark clouds was the manifestation of the skeleton Emperor’s Primordial Spirit. Otherwise, his attack would have been completely invisible!

And Zhou Qiyun’s soul was what blocked his Primordial Spirit’s hand.

The soul and the Primordial Spirit had collided once in an invisible clash. The aftershock of their divine abilities erupted between their palms, forming an unseen shockwave that cut into the locust tree’s trunk and sliced off the mountain peak in the distance.

One could never have seen the truth if they didn’t use the Third Eye.

Next to Xu Ying, Zhou Qiyun suddenly shot into the sky, floating before the royal canopy in the next moment.

His robes fluttered in the wind. Though small, he seemed boundlessly vast. Tens of thousands of underworld ghost soldiers rode skeletal beasts across dozens of li, yet before him, the entire army appeared no more significant than a swarm of ants.

His aura erupted with extreme intensity. Wherever the clear light shone, the underworld ghost soldiers who had moved with perfect coordination suddenly descended into chaos. They raised their hands one after another, staring at their own palms in disbelief.

Flesh and skin rapidly grew over the bones that had touched the clear light. Vitality returned to their bones. Flesh, blood, and skin climbed up along their arms, quickly reaching their shoulders.

Hearts began to grow and beat in their chests. Their internal organs gradually took shape. The dry, lifeless skeletons regained their vitality.

The murderous auras of tens of thousands of underworld ghost soldiers vanished in an instant. One by one, they stared blankly at their resurrected corpses.

Zhou Qiyun strode toward the royal canopy. The skeleton Emperor, shrouded in the canopy’s shadow, also raised his hand and watched as flesh grew on his palm, a ghostly flame flickering in his eye sockets.

“So, this is what an exorcism technique is like, huh?” An ancient voice rang out. The skeleton Emperor looked at his palms repeatedly as his voice came from the shadows, “In my time, such peculiar mystic arts didn’t exist. I can feel the immense power I once possessed while I was still alive...”

He suddenly clenched his fist tight. The flesh on his palm exploded, returning to just bones.

“Unfortunately, resurrection is just an illusion!”

The skeleton Emperor slowly rose to his feet; his voice carried a hint of thunder rumble. “You tried to control me with a body of flesh and blood, yet I sensed your feebleness through the flesh you gave rise to.

“You wield the power of vitality, yet your life declines swiftly like a mayfly’s. You only had three hundred years of lifespan, shorter than us Qi Cultivators who don’t wield the same power. Your cultivation has gone astray, hasn’t it?”

Zhou Qiyun’s expression darkened slightly. The skeleton Emperor seized that fleeting moment of hesitation and thrust out a finger. Space twisted and warped wherever it passed.

At the same time, the Primordial Spirit behind him bowed to a floating curved saber. It whistled through the air and slashed toward the soul behind Zhou Qiyun.

The corner of Xu Ying’s eyes twitched. The skeleton Emperor is right! Zhou Qiyun has clearly opened all nine grotto heavens of the Mud-Pill Secret Trove and wielded the boundless vigor and vitality of the physical body.

So, why has he still aged? Why does he possess only three hundred years of lifespan? It shows that he hasn’t escaped the trap set by the Mud Pill Palace master!

In a clash between experts, a distracted mind was the ultimate taboo.

The skeleton Emperor had pointed out the flaw in the depths of Zhou Qiyun’s heart, causing his aura to fluctuate and his mind to waver, revealing an opening.

Just then, the ground near the Locust Flower Palace suddenly burst open. A massive creature let out a thunderous roar and charged straight toward Zhou Qiyun in the air.

Xu Ying exclaimed in shock, “Master of the Mud Pill Palace!”

The enormous creature glimmered beneath the night sky. Shimmering scales covered it, and its ferocity reached the heavens. Xu Ying could not tell whether it was a dragon or a serpent.

On top of the massive creature’s head sat a skeleton in the cross-legged position, appearing extremely tiny in comparison.

“Master, you’re finally willing to show yourself!”

Zhou Qiyun suddenly laughed out loud. He struck with a finger just like the skeleton Emperor and met his terrifying finger strike. The instant their fingers collided, the skeleton Emperor’s finger joints exploded one after another.

Meanwhile, the curved saber manifested by the skeleton emperor’s Primordial Spirit came whistling through the air and struck the neck of Zhou Qiyun’s soul, decapitating it!

“I’ve already reached the ultimate realm in the Mud-Pill Secret Trove. My soul is undying and indestructible!”

Zhou Qiyun turned to face the massive creature with a faint smile. “Master, you never expected this when you imparted your cultivation techniques to me, did you? Today, I will show you the pinnacle realm that even you failed to comprehend. And then I will send you on your way.”

1. A heavy, single-edged Chinese broadsword. Historically, it was used by executioners or as a brutal combat saber. ☜