Day of Ascension

“You are... that fledgling phoenix from before?”

Xu Ying looked at the petite girl but couldn’t find any resemblance to a phoenix. Only her slightly upturned eyes resembled phoenix eyes.

“Young Master, you may call me Feng Xian’er[1], or Xiao Fengxian.” The petite girl tapped her toes lightly on the ground and walked away. She glanced back and waved.

Xu Ying called out for Master Zhong again, but Dazhong still didn’t reply. So, he jumped out the window.

As he landed, he felt something soft beneath him. It seemed that he had stepped on someone. Guo Xiaodie let out a soft groan, turned around under the window, and fell back asleep.

Xu Ying jumped in fright, puzzled. Why hasn’t she gone back to her own room? Why insist on taking over my bed? Is my bed really that comfortable?

Shaking his head, he followed Xiao Fengxian.

Her eyes bright and her teeth pearly white, the girl smiled. “That girl was drugged with a knockout drug. She won’t wake up any time soon. Earlier, I saw someone lure away a great bell and a huge snake. Then I saw another woman carry this miss here, strip her naked, and place her in your bed.

“She even took the girl’s clothes away, so I didn’t want to disturb you. Before I got far, though, I saw you throw the miss out. I knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep right away, so I came to talk to you.”

Xu Ying replied, “I see. I thought there weren’t enough rooms on the mountain.”

Xiao Fengxian burst into a giggle. “You’re a strange one, how interesting! If I were you, I wouldn’t have dressed up that miss and thrown her out.”

Puzzled, Xu Ying asked, “What else can I do other than dress her up and throw her out? Besides, it’s cold on the mountain. If I’d thrown her out naked, she might have caught a cold.”

Not long after, Li Yingzhu quietly came to the window of Xu Ying’s room.

Logically speaking, things should have happened already. I should barge in now to catch them red-handed, leaving him no room for excuses. Then, he’d have no choice but to become our Guo clan’s son-in-law. Even if Zhou Qiyun wants to take him away, he’ll have to consider the Guo and Li clans!

Suddenly, her foot gave way; she had stepped on someone. Looking down, she couldn’t help but be shocked by the sight.

Guo Xiaodie yelped in pain, then tossed around and went back to sleep.

Flabbergasted, Li Yingzhu opened the window to look. There was no one in the room. She picked up Guo Xiaodie and left in a hurry.

Just then, Guo Yue approached with a smile. “I lured that bell and that snake to another Mount Jiuyi. All nine peaks look alike, so they won’t be able to tell the difference at night. Who knows when they’ll find their way back here... My dear, why did you bring Xiaodie back?”

Shaking her head, Li Yingzhu said, “The lecher refused the free meal we served him and escaped through the windows.”

Guo Yue immediately gained a newfound respect for Xu Ying. “He’s a tough guy! But how could he hold back?”

Li Yingzhu sneered coldly. “If it were you, could you resist?”

Guo Yue shrank back and didn’t dare answer.

Li Yingzhu said, “Since he won’t take the easy way, it makes things a little difficult...”

Guo Yue couldn’t help but say, “My dear, why don’t we have Xiaodie bring the Sword Kinesis Mantra to him directly and ask him to explain it?”

Li Yingzhu sneered coldly. “If it were that simple, why would old ancestor Zhou need to capture him? If he doesn’t like Xiaodie, could it be that he likes...”

Her face flushed red. “How could that be?”

***

Xiao Fengxian led Xu Ying to the parasol tree on the mountaintop. They spiraled their way up and soon arrived at the canopy.

She tapped the tree trunk lightly, three long and two short beats. The tree split open, revealing a passageway. At the end stood a magnificent golden palace complex.

Xiao Fengxian led the way, and Xu Ying followed. The palace complex wasn’t very large, yet exquisitely beautiful. Feathers of every color adorned the windows, giving the place a dazzling appearance.

She stopped before a window and pushed it open with both hands. A corresponding window opened on the parasol tree, revealing the nighttime scenery of Mt. Jiuyi.

The window faced east. A pale glow had already begun to emerge on the horizon.

Xiao Fengxian said, “You have shown me kindness, Young Master. I will never forget your grace in saving my life. I can only...[2]”

She glanced at Xu Ying, thinking that his complexion was somewhat dark, and continued, “I can only repay you by serving you loyally in my next life.”

Xu Ying smiled. “It was no trouble. No need to mention it.”

Even now, he still didn’t understand how he had saved Xiao Fengxian. He only knew that when the heavenly god and heavenly demon had attacked simultaneously that day, one descended from the sky while the other emerged from the earth. Both had come aggressively, intent on destroying the parasol tree and Xiao Fengxian.

Yet they were all bark and no bite[3]. They came swiftly and left just as quickly, fleeing far away as soon as they clashed.

Xiao Fengxian said, “I originally intended to rest for a few more days, raise my cultivation a little, and wait until my injuries have fully healed before visiting you to repay your kindness. However, I changed my mind after catching a glimpse of you from afar last night.”

Her expression turned solemn, and she said seriously, “Young Master, do you know that a heavenly demon has possessed you? It still hasn’t taken over your body, but given enough time, it will corrode your soul and seize your physical form!

“This demon is an entity from beyond the heavens and is impossible to guard against. Even the strongest Qi Cultivators would fall victim to it if they lowered their guard for a moment!”

Xu Ying laughed upon hearing this. “Old Ancestor Zhou and Emperor Shengshen had already eliminated that heavenly demon. How could it be inside me—”

A sharp pain shot through his glabella before he could finish his sentence. His shadow suddenly spread in every direction behind him. It writhed across the palace floor like pitch-black tentacles, crawling into every corner and clinging to the walls.

A booming laughter rang out from Xu Ying’s glabella. Upon exerting the slightest force with those shadow tentacles, Xu Ying found himself floating in the air involuntarily.

Xu Ying’s heart skipped a beat. I really am possessed?

The heavenly demon shouted from within his glabella, “Feng Xian’er, we have no personal grudge between us. Even though I intended to kill you, I’d retreated before I got close! But this brat is different.

“He destroyed my physical body and locked me in the same hall as two top experts. I lost ninety percent of my ten-thousand-year cultivation because of him! If fortune hadn’t favored me, I would’ve been annihilated!”

Standing with her back facing the window, her colorful wings fluttered like a vast expanse of morning glow. She said indifferently, “We are natural enemies. There will be no peace between us until one side dies. Besides, you’ve possessed my benefactor. Why should I spare your life?”

As she shifted her footing, the heavenly demon manipulated Xu Ying to move with her. No matter where she stood, Xu Ying remained directly between them, denying her any opportunity to attack.

“Feng Xian’er, if you make a move, I will meet your divine ability with him. We’ll all die together!” The heavenly demon threatened, “You don’t wish for your benefactor to die by your hands like this, do you?”

Xiao Fengxian hesitated. Seizing the opportunity, the heavenly demon immediately plunged into the depths of Xu Ying’s glabella with all his strength!

Sinister, cunning, and vengeful, he set his mind to possessing Xu Ying to get his revenge. When Xu Ying jumped into the vat, he seized the chance to latch onto Xu Ying’s glabella and burrow beneath his skin to hide.

He knew that Dazhong had been guarding Xu Ying’s divine soul. As long as Dazhong remained, he would have no chance to devour Xu Ying’s soul. Thus, he had remained dormant all this time.

Guo Yue luring Dazhong away had given him a chance, yet he failed to capitalize on it. Then he saw Li Yingzhu deliver a naked Guo Xiaodie to Xu Ying’s room. Curious about human nature, he decided to watch. He wanted to see what Xu Ying would do, so he delayed his plans.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Fengxian tracked Xu Ying down and robbed him of his opportunity.

The heavenly demon understood the urgency of the situation. He had to possess Xu Ying, devour his soul, and seize his body. Only then would he stand a chance against Xiao Fengxian!

Otherwise, he would certainly lose.

Within the Wutong[4] Palace, the shadowy tentacles clinging to the walls suddenly retracted and shot straight toward the depths of Xu Ying’s glabella with a whoosh!

Xiao Fengxian’s face paled instantly. “Oh no!”

She leaped into the air and transformed into a splendid phoenix, fluttering her wings. As her wings beat, her form rapidly shrank. She became a streak of light and shot toward Xu Ying’s glabella.

The heavenly demon laughed and shouted, “Too late, Feng Xian’er! I’ve devoured his soul and seized his body. You’ll be courting death if you dare to enter—huh? What is this?”

Just as Xiao Fengxian was about to enter the tiny opening between Xu Ying’s brows, a brilliant light erupted from within.

Without hesitation, she flapped her wings and veered away, retreating along the path she had come.

The heavenly demon’s scream rang out. “Spare my life! I won’t ever dare to—”

Boom!

Terrifying and destructive fluctuations erupted from the tiny opening between Xu Ying’s brows. A dreadful power burst forth, destroying the heavenly demon and surging toward Xiao Fengxian.

She returned to her true form, a seven-colored phoenix, and beat her wings furiously. She shot out of Wutong Palace and burst through the parasol tree. Yet, that shockwave traveled even faster than her.

With nowhere to run or hide, Xiao Fengxian spread her wings and resisted with all her might.

Mount Jiuyi and the great parasol tree shook violently. Rosy light erupted from the parasol tree, illuminating half the sky. The radiance soared upward before gradually coming to a halt.

***

On another Mount Jiuyi, Zhou Qiyun raised his head and looked toward the rosy light. He couldn’t help but feel deeply shaken and uneasy.

“Another expert has come to Mount Jiuyi! I only came to Yongzhou Prefecture to undergo my tribulation. Why does trouble keep following me? Experts are emerging in droves! Does Heaven have eyes and know that I’m about to face my tribulation? Sending experts from all corners of the world to prevent me from ascending?”

His expression hardened. “But what do I have to fear?”

***

In the Cangwu Sect’s main hall, Emperor Shengshen stepped outside and looked toward the rosy light on the mountaintop, clenching his fists tightly.

“Which faction’s expert is this now? Could it be they learned of my injuries and came to assassinate me? I only harvested some Yang qi for cultivation, yet you all are this relentless. Cough, cough, cough!”

Xu Ying came to his senses and discovered himself standing by the window. Outside, the sun was just rising, climbing up from the horizon, large and red.

A phoenix with seven-colored wings hovered in the air. Her silhouette stood against the sky as she faced Xu Ying like a formidable enemy.

Xu Ying quickly raised his hand and touched his glabella, only to find a drop of black blood.

Shocked and delighted, he wiped away the blood and smiled. “The heavenly demon that possessed me was eliminated? You’re truly amazing, Xiao Fengxian. No wonder even the emperor said that you’re a natural enemy of heavenly gods and demons. You really are. I didn’t feel a thing, yet you’ve already refined away the heavenly demon.”

Flapping her wings, Xiao Fengxian transformed into a petite girl. She stopped outside the window, colorful feathers fluttering behind her as she looked at him in disbelief.

She probed cautiously, “Young Master, are you completely unaware of what just happened?”

Xu Ying shook his head. “I only felt my vision turn dark. After that, I don’t know anything. By the time I regained my senses, the heavenly demon was already gone. You’re a miracle worker, Xiao Fengxian. The demon vanishes the moment you act!”

A trace of blood flowed from the corner of Xiao Fengxian’s mouth as she felt shame.

That terrifying shockwave earlier had inflicted considerable injuries on her.

She flew back into Wutong Palace and said, “Young Master, your seal seems to be quite different from mine. Try your best to remember your past. I’ll investigate the nature of your seal.”

Xu Ying tried his hardest to recall what happened before the great fire at Xujiaping Village. “I’m from Xujiaping Village, my father is Xu Yanping, my mother is Cai Zhenzhen, I lived in the third house from the village’s west entrance...”

Seven-colored divine light appeared behind Xiao Fengxian, gradually forming a clear mirror that shone upon Xu Ying. Within it, the scenery of Xujiaping Village appeared. At the third house of the village, a farmer carrying a hoe held the hand of a young Xu Ying. Beside a well, a woman with rough hands and large feet sat washing clothes.

The farmer and the woman looked up and gazed beyond the mirror with strange expressions, as though they could see Xiao Fengxian.

Startled, Xiao Fengxian saw that the couple had no facial features; their faces were blank!

Xiao Fengxian cried out, “Details! Try your best to recall the details!”

Xu Ying tried his hardest to recall. His memories grew increasingly clear. Features gradually grew on their faces, though they kept shifting uncertainly.

Her expression grew increasingly grave. Channeling the seven-colored divine mirror, she shouted, “Keep remembering. Don’t stop! Think carefully. Who lives in the house east of yours?”

Within the mirror, every time the faces of Xu Ying’s parents shifted, his memories reset. The appearances and names of his parents in his memories changed accordingly.

Xiao Fengxian told him to recall details as best he could. She was using a method of exhaustion, listing every detail of Xujiaping Village one by one to force the seal’s true form to reveal itself.

As Xu Ying continued recalling the past, his headache worsened. He murmured, “I’m from Xujiaping Village, my father is Xu Leping, my mother is Fang Qingqing...”

Crash!

The Xujiaping Village within the mirror suddenly collapsed and rapidly reconstructed itself. Yet, the man and woman standing at the center of the mirror remained motionless. Their eyes, noses, mouths, and ears shifted constantly, forming different faces one after another.

No matter how their faces, clothes, the nearby houses, or even the landscape changed, the couple kept their heads raised and stared at Xiao Fengxian beyond the mirror.

Despite being a phoenix in the mortal realm, possessing extremely high combat prowess, she couldn’t help but shudder at the sight. Regret surfaced in her heart. She shouldn’t have involved herself in this matter.

Why? Why haven’t we reached the end of this seal? Why isn’t it showing its true form?

As the thought crossed her mind, the couple in the mirror began growing larger. They seemed to be moving closer and closer to the mirror’s surface.

A chill crept up from the bottom of her heart. The couple within the seven-colored divine mirror had begun distorting the real world. They were on the verge of crossing into reality.

Yet, the seal’s true form still hadn’t shown!

“Break!”

Beating her wings, Xiao Fengxian flew backward. Suddenly, her seven-colored wings spread open.

In the east, where the sun rose, thousands of glowing clouds drifted over and connected with the rainbow light of her wings. The combined radiance slashed at the seven-colored divine mirror, attempting to sever the passage the entities within it were using to invade reality.

In a flash, the peaks of all nine Mount Jiuyi and the myriad mountains around them were wrapped in rosy light, illuminating every corner of the land.

The rosy light suddenly withdrew. The seven-colored divine mirror shattered. Xiao Fengxian spewed blood and plunged from the sky. Her eyes went vacant, and her mind panicked.

What exactly is this seal? Why is it different from mine? What are his origins...

1. Her name literally means little phoenix immortal. ☜

2. This usually leads to going under someone’s service or marrying them, but he’s not good-looking enough. ☜

3. It says thunder and little rain in the raws. Just thought it’d be interesting to know. ☜

4. It’s the Chinese word for parasol tree; it looks really weird to call it a parasol palace. ☜