Day of Ascension

Though Xu Ying had comprehended the Granny Tuo Immortal Book and knew that practicing this cultivation technique led to one losing all their primordial yang and gradually becoming someone with a man’s appearance and a woman’s body, he didn’t know exactly how that transformation occurred. He couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

Zhou Zhi surged upward, whistling through the air. The Dao avatar behind him transformed into a golden-haired violent ape. Gripping the tree bark with its feet, the gigantic figure charged upward parallel to the ground. Still about a dozen zhang away from Xu Ying, it threw a violent punch!

His demeanor was frenzied, even more ferocious than a bull demon. The several-zhang-tall golden-haired violent ape behind Zhou Zhi mirrored every punch he unleashed. Just the wind of its punches caused the great locust tree’s mat-sized bark to explode.

Xu Ying unleashed the Eight Techniques of Ba Snake. With a giant python coiling around him, he met Zhou Zhi head-on. Yet his vital energy churned violently with shock as he repeatedly retreated upward. The Ba snake Dao avatar also billowed smoke like incense, its vital energy dissipating!

He formed a sword finger by raising his left index and middle fingers while pressing his thumb against his ring finger and pinky. Then, he thrust his hand forward.

Within his ethereal void, the Dao avatar of the Realm Breaker sword qi immediately vanished. In the next moment, a rainbow-like sword light shot out from Xu Ying’s right shoulder, slashing down to strike Zhou Zhi directly!

Zhou Zhi slapped his hands together to meet the sword qi head-on. The violent ape Dao avatar behind him also slammed its palms together, producing a thunderous roar.

Boom!

A loud explosion rang out as Zhou Zhi and the violent ape were forced to their knees. The locust tree’s bark beneath them shattered and flew everywhere from the impact.

Xu Ying’s Realm Breaker sword qi grew stronger against resistance. The harder Zhou Zhi resisted, the more powerful the sword qi became.

The strike split the ape kneeling behind Zhou Zhi on the bark. A sword light pointed straight at his head, pressing down with such immense pressure that his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose bled.

The sword strike finally stopped a cun away from Zhou Zhi’s glabella. Fresh blood mixed with sweat rolled down his face, yet he still smiled faintly.

Behind him, the five other descendants closed in. Upon seeing the situation, they opened their sword cases one after another. Flying swords shot forth with a whistle, stabbing toward Xu Ying.

Seeing this, he thrust his right hand in a sword finger gesture. Immediately, the flying swords lost control, overridden by Xu Ying’s sword intent. Next, their power skyrocketed, and they instead stabbed Zhou Zhi with immense force.

Zhou Zhi’s Vajra Indestructible Body was truly formidable. These flying swords pierced only two cun into him before they stopped.

“Impressive skill!” Zhou Zhi cried out sharply and leaped into the air. There, his avatar shifted once more. The violent ape Dao avatar suddenly burst into flames, transforming into a three-legged golden crow, and swooped down.

The golden crow’s wings blazed with the sun’s essence qi, radiating such extreme heat that the flying swords melted at a single flap. Meanwhile, the golden crow’s three legs were capable of splitting skulls with an unstoppable force. Even flying swords wouldn’t be able to wound it.

Xu Ying exchanged several blows head-on; ultimately, he couldn’t withstand the assault. Borrowing the momentum of the impact, he continued retreating upward and suddenly unleashed the “Tai” character’s Dao sound from the Eight Sounds of Primordial Nurturing.

His five viscera immediately shifted. His belly swelled up like a drum, and he heard the waters of the heavenly river within his ethereal void pouring backward, surging together with his primordial qi to strengthen his internal organs.

Xu Ying threw a punch at Zhou Zhi and the three-legged golden crow. The cloth on his right arm tore open with a tearing sound as his muscles and bones roared in unison, filled with surging vital energy. Even the Ba snake coiled around him became a lot more solid, resembling a true Ba snake capable of devouring the heavens.

Xu Ying unleashed his punch while Zhou Zhi was still airborne. The Ba snake opened its jaws and swallowed both him and the golden crow Dao avatar behind him in one bite!

The Ba snake Dao avatar was not a physical entity and naturally could not truly devour him. Still, the force contained in his punch struck him squarely.

Zhou Zhi exploded as the golden crow behind him was crushed, turning into dust and smoke before dissipating.

“No wonder you killed so many of our clan’s experts. Demon King Xu, you truly are formidable!” Zhou Zhi giggled.

As he plummeted, he performed another actualization, manifesting another transformation of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirit Radiant Vestige Art. A heavenly dragon Dao avatar appeared behind him and slithered up the tree like it was flying.

Xu Ying unleashed the Eight Sounds of Primordial Nurturing, shattering the various transformations of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirit Radiant Vestige Art in succession.

The two clashed from the middle of the great locust tree all the way up to nearly the canopy. Behind, the five descendants had been huffing and puffing for a long time, unable to keep pace. They could only press on forcibly.

With two whooshes, Xu Ying and Zhou Zhi landed on the canopy.

Zhou Zhi raised his left hand and gently tucked the stray hair on his temple behind his ear.

He smiled with pursed lips and said, “As expected of Demon King Xu. You were actually able to withstand my clan’s Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirit Radiant Vestige Art. A remarkable youth indeed!”

With a calm expression, Xu Ying replied, “The Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits Radiant Vestige Art isn’t a top-tier art of the Zhou clan. The old ancestor never once used this Radiant Vestige art when facing formidable enemies. It’s obvious your clan’s greatest legacies weren’t passed down to you.”

Resonating with his words, Zhou Zhi lamented, “Our clan has suffered from personnel issues for a long time. It’s a common problem with great clans. The old refuse to step down, while the young cannot rise through the ranks. As a result, they never gain access to the finest legacies.

“Everyone fights over the few spots as true legacy disciples, even going as far as killing one of their own. Hehe, if those old fossils wouldn’t give up their spots to the young, the great clans would lose their vitality. If not for that, I wouldn’t have practiced the Granny Tuo Immortal Book either.”

Xu Ying burst into laughter. He seized the opportunity to channel the Grand Unity Guiding Method to recover some primordial qi.

Smiling, he said, “You’ve comprehended the true essence of the Granny Tuo Immortal Book?”

Zhou Zhi replied leisurely, “My talent has been rather high since I was young, but I am self-aware. I know that I’m not the smartest in the clan. There are too many clever people. All those geniuses tried to comprehend it, yet none of them could fully grasp it. Why would I waste my effort?

“But I know that these smart people will definitely compile what they have comprehended, summarize it, and send it to the old ancestor.”

Xu Ying was astonished.

Zhou Zhi chuckled. “You didn’t expect that, did you? No one did. Even the old ancestor never expected me to steal the deciphered contents of the Granny Tuo Immortal Book from him! I practiced diligently, and in a few years, I’ve comprehended the profundities of Supreme Yin Primordial Nurturing, Metamorphosis of Heaven and Man, and the Growth of All Creations.”

With a strange expression, Xu Ying asked, “You mean to say, you didn’t comprehend it on your own, but stole it from Zhou Qiyun?”

Zhou Zhi giggled. “Trying to comprehend it exhausts one’s mental energy, wisdom, and time, requiring one to pore over a vast number of ancient texts. Smart people always leave the work to others so they can save time to do other things. Even the old ancestor didn’t try to comprehend it himself. Why should I bother?”

“How long has it been since you shaved?”

Zhou Zhi’s face was fair and beardless, clean as a child. He said smugly, “I used to have a thick beard, but after practicing the Granny Tuo Immortal Book, I lost my beard, and even my skin condition became much better.”

“Aside from your beard, are there any other changes?”

Zhou Zhi’s expression darkened slightly. Sounding a little like a woman, he screeched, “What have you heard? Who was talking behind my back?”

Just then, the five descendants arrived. They were taken aback to see the two talking instead of fighting.

Xu Ying led him on patiently, “Do you think it’s possible that Zhou Qiyun purposely placed the Granny Tuo Immortal Book there and let you steal it? To be honest, he is far too calculating. I don’t think you would have a chance to steal anything from him.”

Zhou Zhi’s expression shifted again. He giggled with a high-pitched voice. “He let me steal it? What would he stand to gain by doing that?”

Xu Ying sighed. “He doesn’t know whether the Granny Tuo Immortal Book is genuine. He doesn’t know whether the deciphered version contains hidden dangers or whether it’s compatible with the Exorcist cultivation system. He needed a test subject. By stealing the book yourself, didn’t you become that test subject?”

The corner of Zhou Zhi’s eye twitched. He shrieked, “You’re spouting nonsense!”

Xu Ying continued, “He also wants to observe you and see if any changes occur in your body after practicing it. He might even understand those changes better than you do.”

Zhou Zhi’s expression flickered between light and dark.

Xu Ying pondered aloud, “What I want to know now is that since he already has a deciphered copy of the immortal book, why did he make me and Yuan Weiyang decipher it as well?”

At that point, he came to a realization.

Zhou Qiyun looked for others to decipher the immortal book because he wanted to verify multiple times whether anything had been overlooked. To him, capturing a few juniors was a trivial matter.

Xu Ying added, “After you became a woman, the old ancestor realized that the book has a cultivation technique that only women can practice. With Yuan Weiyang and me each deciphering a copy, he can confirm that conclusion.”

“A woman?” The five descendants were both stunned and amused. One of them cried out, “Big Brother, is what he said the truth? You really became a woman?”

Another couldn’t hold in his laughter and said, “Should we call you Big Brother or Big Sister from now on—”

Zhou Zhi suddenly raised his hand. With a slice, Zhou Zhi cut that person into two with the flesh-winged blade transformed from his right arm.

The others were stunned. Someone cried out, “Big Brother, we’re family! He was only joking; how could you kill him in cold blood? If the old ancestor were to find out what you did...”

“He won’t find out!”

A murderous glint shone in Zhou Zhi’s eyes as he flapped his flesh wings. Golden feathers fluttered, turning into a torrent of golden-feathered daggers and engulfing them.

A moment later, four people collapsed, reduced to corpses!

Xu Ying simply watched from the side without interfering. Only when Zhou Zhi had finished killing the five descendants and turned his murderous gaze toward him did he speak. “You’re not thorough enough. The Zhou clan will still trace this back to you.”

Zhou Zhi paused slightly, puzzled by his remark.

Xu Ying explained, “Your clan has a technique for refining a golden body, and also a technique to summon souls for interrogation. Their souls remain. The clan only needs to interrogate their souls to find out they died at your hands.”

Zhou Zhi looked at the five corpses, frowning slightly.

Xu Ying said, “I have mastered the Third Eye, which allows me to see souls. After death, a soul doesn’t leave the body immediately and enter the underworld. Instead, it will remain bound to the corpse’s feet. Right now, their souls are standing by their feet and looking at you resentfully.”

Zhou Zhi sneered coldly and slapped the back of his head. A white bone banner flew out. It was likely one of the treasures used by the underworld ghost soldiers under the White Bone Emperor’s command.

He waved the banner, and several white bone chains flew out from it. The chains shackled their wronged souls and pulled them into the banner.

Although he couldn’t see where the five souls were, this underworld artifact dealt with souls specifically. So, capturing the souls was a piece of cake.

Zhou Zhi put the white bone banner away and giggled. “Now, you’re the only one left who knows my secret.”

Xu Ying smiled faintly. “That’s not true. Master Zhong, Yuanqi, come on out.”

A chill ran down Zhou Zhi’s spine. A huge shadow rose slowly behind him, enveloping him. He hurriedly turned around and raised his head. A gigantic head the size of a hill loomed overhead, with a mane of feathers fluttering behind it.

It was a huge snake—an unimaginably huge snake.

His scales were like mirrors, reflecting the colors of the world. When sunlight fell on them, they reflected a rainbow.

Tender antler-like horns grew from his head, one black and one white. They branched outward and stretched toward the sky.

He was coiled atop an incredibly thick branch. Still, the sheer weight of his being caused the branch to sag slightly.

Hanging upside down, he raised his hill-like head and looked at this “little thing” known as Zhou Zhi with a puzzled expression.

He was Yuanqi. This metamorphosis had not turned him human. Instead, he had grown even larger.

An aura from the distant primordial wilderness radiated from him, as though an ancient power hidden within his bloodline had awakened. The pressure he exuded was almost suffocating.

Behind his head, a great bell that stood slightly taller than an adult and gleamed with green rust floated over.

“Ah Ying, the great locust is dead.”

Xu Ying replied, “Zhou Qiyun killed it and used its eight-thousand-year lifespan to heal his injuries. It’s time we go down. The Zhou clan’s people are going to fell this tree and bring it away.”

“What a pity. After living for untold ages, it still couldn’t overcome the hurdle of ascension. In the end, it perished in the immortal tribulation brought by Zhou Qiyun.”

Zhou Zhi summoned all his cultivation. A chaotic sea appeared behind his head as three grotto heavens radiated brilliant light.

He said fiercely, “I’ve opened three grotto heavens, practiced the Granny Tuo Immortal Book, and reached the second realm of Qi Cultivators...”

Dazhong shook and tolled, knocking Zhou Zhi’s soul out of his body.

Clang!

Xu Ying thrust his left hand forward with the sword finger gesture. A streak of sword qi pierced the glabella of Zhou Zhi’s physical body, piercing through his brain along with the chaotic sea and three grotto heavens behind his head, draining the vigor of his Secret Trove.

In the sky, Yuanqi’s huge tail descended and lashed him violently, crushing his physical body into meat paste.

Xu Ying turned around and walked toward the edge of the canopy. “Master Zhong, Yuanqi, let’s go!”

Yuanqi slithered down the branch as Dazhong flew to Xu Ying’s side. Xu Ying waved his hand lightly and slapped on the bell’s surface.

The slap turned Dazhong’s mouth toward Zhou Zhi’s soul and let out a thunderous clang. The soul was still in a daze when the sound waves struck him, scattering his soul in an instant.

“Although you’re already very pitiful, I don’t wish for Zhou Qiyun to learn of some of my secrets through your soul.”

Without looking back, Xu Ying jumped off the great locust tree and leaped away. Behind him, the huge snake slithered down, clinging onto the tree trunk as he followed Xu Ying.