Day of Ascension

This scene shocked Xu Ying even more than the phoenix’s appearance.

When the phoenix had appeared, all birds paid homage to it. When Mount Jiuyi appeared, the myriad mountains bowed in reverence to the ancestor of all mountains. It was a spectacle on a completely different level!

What secrets did Mount Jiuyi hold? Was the Ageless Immortal truly here?

Xu Ying murmured, “The Mount Jiuyi before me is the real one, isn’t it? Why were these nine great mountains sealed away and turned into nine ordinary-looking peaks? And why have they revealed their true forms now? Because of the underworld invasion, or something else?”

He used to believe that the underworld invasion was the result of an unexpected accident. Hidden experts had summoned the Plague God to divert the Hell River and taken advantage of the chaos to rescue the girl in the coffin, ultimately triggering the invasion. The truth seemed far more complicated now.

The summoning of the Plague God, the diversion of the Hell River, the rescue of the coffin girl, the underworld’s invasion, the emergence of new lands, the Abyss of Cangwu, and the phoenix soaring above Mount Jiuyi all seemed connected.

An unseen hand appeared to be quietly pushing everything forward behind the scenes.

“Ah Ying, I’ve been here before.” Dazhong’s voice came from within. He sounded like he was murmuring in his dream. “My master brought me to this mountain once. I saw the myriad mountains paying homage.”

Within Xu Ying’s sea of chaos, Dazhong shook himself vigorously, as though trying to dislodge the dust clouding his memories. “Back then, my spiritual sentience had not fully awakened yet. I experienced a lot of things, but my memories are blurry.”

He murmured, “Three thousand years ago, I followed my master to many places. The mountains and rivers were very different then. But Mount Jiuyi looked just like this.

“I vaguely remember my master saying that some great figure was buried here. When he was laid to rest in Mount Jiuyi, the myriad mountains all tilted toward it, as though bowing to him...”

It was a memory from Dazhong’s childhood. His spiritual sentience had only begun to awaken then, leaving many memories incomplete.

“When my master hung me in the pavilion on Little Rocky Mountain, I think I saw Mount Jiuyi.”

Dazhong still sounded as if he were talking in his sleep, his words coming in fits and starts. “I seem to remember this great mountain gradually shrinking. Not only did it shrink, but many other towering mountains and rivers also gradually disappeared...”

“This world may be gradually returning to what it originally was,” Dazhong said.

Xu Ying stood on the mountaintop, looking out over the myriad mountains, his emotions surging.

When that great figure was buried, and the mountains all paid homage, recognizing Mount Jiuyi as their sovereign, what kind of awe-inspiring manifestation of the Great Dao had that been?

Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the parasol tree.

”The one in the tree is a young phoenix! It hasn’t reached adulthood yet!”

Someone had already climbed onto the parasol tree and cried out in shock, “Those divine birds are guarding the fledgling phoenix!”

Another person exclaimed in delight, ”Quick, climb the tree! We might catch the phoenix! If we do, we’ll strike it rich! Even if we fail, just catching one divine bird would make our fortune!”

”I heard that during the reign of Emperor Zetian Dasheng, the Imperial Palace possessed a phoenix bone. Emperor Zetian Dasheng comprehended its mysteries and went on to seize the mortal realm. If even a phoenix bone was that extraordinary, what about a true phoenix?”

Uncle Xiao looked up at the parasol tree. “Young Master Weiyang, many people have already climbed the parasol tree. Should we go up and take a look?”

Yuan Weiyang looked up. The parasol tree towered impossibly high, its canopy covering all of Mt. Jiuyi. Sunlight filtered through the leaves high above, refracting dazzling colors.

Bifangs, rocs, bluebirds, and all manner of divine and exotic birds circled the parasol tree. Enormous shadows occasionally swept across the mountains, creating a scene of unparalleled magnificence.

From the summit of Mount Jiuyi, one couldn’t make out the divine birds. Without getting close, it was impossible to comprehend the Dao avatars. Only by observing them up close could one gain enlightenment.

That was why everyone who had come here, whether from the Imperial Palace or the Cangwu Sect, climbed the parasol tree. They all tried to get as close as possible to those divine and exotic birds.

Yuan Weiyang looked toward Xu Ying, only to see him standing on the mountaintop. He did not attempt to comprehend the phoenix or the other divine birds. Instead, he silently gazed at the sea of clouds and the surrounding mountains.

“Young Master?” Uncle Xiao asked.

Yuan Weiyang said, “Let’s go up the tree first. Uncle Xiao, be careful. Something doesn’t seem right. Some people aren’t planning to comprehend the Dao avatars. They intend to catch the phoenix!”

Uncle Xiao acknowledged her, then looked at Xu Ying with a puzzled expression.

Yuan Weiyang took the lead and leaped toward the parasol tree, saying, “Don’t mind him. He’s had an insight of his own.”

Uncle Xiao hurried after her.

Xu Ying stood at the summit for a long time as though he had become one with Mount Jiuyi beneath his feet.

Yuanqi was about to climb the parasol tree as well; seeing that Xu Ying still hadn’t moved, he grew anxious. Just as he was about to call out to him, Dazhong’s voice rang out.

”Don’t disturb him. He’s about to enter a profound state. After observing the countless mountains, he seems to be showing signs of entering Dao immersion.”

Yuanqi said in surprise, ”Dao immersion? Master Zhong, is that possible just by looking at mountains? Isn’t Dao immersion only possible when breaking through a cultivation realm?”

Dazhong said unhurriedly, “Anything that embodies the manifestation of the Great Dao can serve as a gateway to Dao immersion. Ordinary Qi Cultivators may gain insights while observing the manifestation of the Great Dao and imprint them within their ethereal void, but that cannot truly be called Dao immersion.

“Dao immersion means entering the Dao itself and comprehending its principles. Merely observing the manifestation of the Great Dao lets one grasp only the surface. Only through Dao immersion can one truly obtain the underlying principles of the Great Dao.”

Yuanqi asked, ”When I broke through to the Gate-Knocking Stage, I gained insight into the inversion of Heaven and Earth and the interchange of Li and Kan. Does that count as Dao immersion?”

Dazhong replied, ”Not quite. You merely gained some additional insights, but they were of little real use. Dao immersion requires one to comprehend a divine ability.”

”Only if you comprehend a divine ability while breaking through the Gate-Knocking Stage could it be considered Dao immersion. With Ah Ying entering Dao immersion, you must seize the opportunity. His divine sense will emanate Dao resonance, and the principles he comprehends will fill it.

“You’re in a favorable position. If you can grasp the principles hidden within his Dao resonance, you may also enter Dao immersion and gain some insight in the process.”

Yuanqi immediately perked up. He focused all his attention on sensing the Dao resonance emanating from Xu Ying.

Dazhong observed him for a moment. The foolish snake is quite diligent... If only he were a little smarter. Unfortunately, he isn’t.

Gradually, a wondrous divine sense spread out from Xu Ying. It was like the touch of his thoughts extending from his brain, linking him to heaven and earth and to Mount Jiuyi itself. Through it, he sensed the flow of the mountain winds and felt the great mountain’s skin.

It was as if he could feel the wind brushing through the forests and hear the murmurs of running water. His divine sense seemed to diffuse throughout Mount Jiuyi, becoming the mountain’s own sense of touch, like a web of nerves reaching every corner.

He seemed to have become the mountain itself. Its roots stretched into the earth, growing from unfathomable depths and spreading in all directions beneath the ground. The mountain’s consciousness flowed through him, carrying with it the countless ages of change and erosion it had endured.

Through the mountain’s senses, he could observe everything within it.

He could clearly perceive every blade of grass and every tree on Mount Jiuyi, hear the voices of the plants, and sense their joys and sorrows. He could see rabbits hopping through the forest, foxes lurking in the undergrowth, and even fish swimming through mountain pools.

Through the mountain’s senses, he reached all the way into the grand hall of the Cangwu Sect, where he saw people of every sort.

Among them was a gloomy, volatile middle-aged man. His clothes were disheveled, and he was stuffing spirit pills into his mouth one after another. Suddenly, the middle-aged man glared in his direction and swept his sleeve. A pill furnace came crashing toward him.

Xu Ying’s consciousness drifted like a breeze, arriving at a small lake in the mountains, where he saw a young girl bathing in the water. As she splashed through the water and danced across its surface, his consciousness passed beneath her outstretched arms, carrying a hint of coolness.

It then drifted to the parasol tree, where he sensed the vast consciousness of the divine tree. They exchanged thoughts, and the two resonated with one another. The entire experience was wondrous.

Following the parasol tree upward, his consciousness soon found the young phoenix nestling among the branches. The young phoenix seemed to sense his presence. It turned its head in surprise to stare at the empty air. Xu Ying’s consciousness swept over it like wind, ruffling a few of its feathers.

The young phoenix appeared rather annoyed and spat a burst of flame after him.

His Dao immersion deepened. As his consciousness drifted past his own body, he saw the little snake hidden in his collar. Its eyes were wide open, yet the corner of its mouth drooped as it snored soundly. Yuanqi had fallen asleep.

Xu Ying’s consciousness returned to the great mountain. Majestic and profound, it stood firm and unmoving. In silence, he contemplated its wondrous Great Dao. His body became as steady as the mountain itself, without the slightest movement.

He had become one with the mountain.

At this moment, a strange sound reached his ears. It seemed like a call, yet also like some meaningless noise between heaven and earth. The sound grew ever more numerous, shattering his immersion in the Dao.

Gradually, he felt his body growing heavier, as though he was slowly turning to stone. He could neither struggle nor wake up.

The strange sounds in his ears grew louder, as if people were speaking and cursing. At the same time, it felt as though innumerable tentacles had wrapped around his legs and body, fastening themselves to his flesh and dragging him downward.

It felt as though he had returned to the Abyss of Cangwu. Countless tentacles pulled him ever deeper into the abyss.

He saw the abyss split open its enormous maw. Compared to it, he was no more than a tiny insect, slowly falling toward that gaping maw.

Just then, he saw a giant snake in the sky. The snake had black-and-white horns and was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“Ah Ying! Ah Ying! Grab my tail!”

The giant snake lowered its tail over the edge of the abyss. Xu Ying grabbed hold of it, and the snake immediately pulled him back up.

Xu Ying woke up the moment he escaped the abyss. He opened his eyes to find himself still standing on the top of Mount Jiuyi, not having moved an inch. At some point, however, his clothes had become soaked with sweat.

Xu Ying still felt a lingering fear as he turned to Dazhong. “Master Zhong, when I entered Dao immersion earlier, I also heard that strange voice calling to me. It dragged me into the abyss and tried to swallow me whole! Luckily, Xiao Qi happened to be nearby. I grabbed his tail and climbed back out.”

Dazhong replied, ”You remained in Dao immersion for too long. Your consciousness became one with the Dao and drifted away from your physical body. While your body entered a deathlike state, such illusions naturally arose.”

Xu Ying found the explanation perfectly reasonable and nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Yuanqi woke up with a yawn and laughed. ”I just had the strangest dream. I dreamed that I’d returned to the Abyss of Cangwu. Ah Ying fell into the abyss, so I lowered my tail and pulled him back up.”

Xu Ying froze. Dazhong let out a clang as well.

Was it merely a dream? Had it truly happened? Or was it simply a hallucination brought on by Xu Ying entering a deathlike state?

Dazhong hurriedly asked, ”Ah Ying, what else did you see while you were in Dao immersion?”

Xu Ying said, “I saw a middle-aged man in the great hall. He ate spirit pills like they were ordinary food. It looked like he also saw me because he threw a pill furnace at me. I also saw the phoenix on the parasol tree.

“She was a young phoenix, and she even breathed fire at me. Oh, right, I also saw a lake in the mountains. A girl was bathing there. Beneath her left breast was a black mole the size of a sesame seed.”

Dazhong pondered for a moment before saying, ”The man in the great hall and the phoenix in the tree aren’t easy to verify. The only thing we can conveniently verify is the bathing girl in the mountains. Let’s go!”

He said excitedly, “Let’s find that lake and see whether there’s really a girl bathing there and whether she truly has a sesame-seed-sized black mole beneath her left breast!”

Xu Ying and Yuanqi both remained silent.

Dazhong said awkwardly, “Don’t you want to see the mole? Come on, what are you standing around for?”

Xu Ying coughed. “Master Zhong, the parasol tree is right beside us. Why don’t we just ask the phoenix whether she saw me a moment ago? Wouldn’t that be much simpler?”

Dazhong grumbled under his breath but did not insist on going to the lakeside.

Just as Xu Ying was about to climb the parasol tree, he suddenly glanced down the mountain, his expression as though he had seen a ghost. Yuanqi poked his head out from Xu Ying’s collar and followed his gaze. A slightly plump young woman dressed in green was racing toward the parasol tree.

The young woman moved with agile, graceful steps. She was tall and wore a white breastband beneath her green robes. Even from a distance, she shouted, ”I was so busy bathing that I didn’t realize a golden phoenix had flown onto the parasol tree! I nearly missed something this important! Move aside, all of you!”

Yuanqi tilted his head back and asked, ”Ah Ying, is this the woman with the mole beneath her left breast?”

The young woman seemed to catch those words and abruptly turned toward them.