Day of Ascension

Dazed, Xu Ying felt as if a violent storm erupted in his mind. Wave after wave crashed into his brain, leaving no room for anything else.

His divine sense became more active and taut than ever before. His breathing also grew rapid, goosebumps broke out across his skin, and his scalp tightened.

He opened his eyes and looked at the maiden pressed against him. Her eyes remained closed, her long eyelashes fluttered, and at some point, her face turned bright red.

Then, the maiden sneakily opened one eye. Their gazes met, and Xu Ying’s face instantly flushed. He felt as though he had done something wrong.

Flushed as well, Yuan Rushi turned to look elsewhere. After a long silence, she said softly, “I’m not usually like this. We’ve only known each other for a day; for some reason, when I see you, I feel like I’ve known you for a long time. It’s like we’ve known each other for a thousand lifetimes...”

“I’m not usually like this either. I’ve never felt anything like it before. My mind is a mess, and my heart won’t stop racing...” said Xu Ying.

She turned back to him, her eyes sparkling. “What did it taste like?”

Xu Ying pondered for a moment. “Sweet. Soft and tender, with a delicate fragrance. Like cherry blossoms.”

Yuan Rushi’s face lit up with joy. “I was asking about the grape, not my lips. Back in early spring, I secretly gathered cherry blossoms and made them into rouge for my lips because it keeps them moisturized. So you really do like it!”

Still blushing slightly, Xu Ying replied, “The grape was sweet with just a hint of tartness. The flavors were perfectly balanced. Sister Rushi, aren’t we betraying your brother by doing this? You’re his younger sister. How could I—”

Smiling from ear to ear, Yuan Rushi asked, “Do you want to taste it again?”

“But there are no grapes left...”

Yuan Rushi closed her eyes and leaned in for a kiss. Only then did he realize that she wasn’t referring to the grapes, but the rouge.

A moment later, their lips finally parted.

Xu Ying wanted another taste of the cherry blossom rouge, but Yuan Rushi gently pushed him away. “I should return now. My mother will scold me if I’m gone for too long. As for what happened today...”

Her face flushed again. “You must not tell anyone, especially my older brother. He’s very strict with me. You have to keep this from him. If you do, then I... I will...”

Fidgeting with the hem of her dress, she said shyly, “I’ll bring a different rouge for you to taste tomorrow!”

With that, she leaped into the air, turned into a stream of sword light, and sped off into the distance as if fleeing.

Xu Ying remained seated atop the statue’s crown. The enormous setting sun stretched across the horizon, bathing his face in crimson light.

Only after a long while did he finally come back to his senses. The thought of keeping this secret from Yuan Weiyang, together with the lingering taste of rouge on Yuan Rushi’s lips, filled him with both guilt and excitement.

Dazhong’s unbothered voice rang out. “Ah Ying, it’s getting late. It’s time to return.”

Xu Ying jumped up as if his pants were on fire and exclaimed in shock, “Master Zhong, how come you’re here?”

Dazhong flew out from the back of Xu Ying’s head and said lazily, “What do you mean? I’ve always been here. Did you forget? You and Xiao Qi agreed that I’d siphon from you on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and from him on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Today is the fifteenth, so it’s your turn.”

Bathed in the crimson glow of the setting sun, Xu Ying’s already flushed face looked even redder. He muttered, “Master Zhong, don’t tell Yuan Weiyang what happened today.”

Dazhong brushed it off, saying, “What have I not seen? During the three thousand years I hung inside that temple, I saw far more than young people flirting. You two were just touching lips. Ah Ying!”

His tone turned serious.

“I have always told you to visualize an image in the void to anchor your divine sense. Yet you’ve treated my advice like the passing wind and neglected your training. Earlier, your divine sense was like a boiling pot.

“You were lucky your brain didn’t melt. The next time you youngsters kiss, remember to perform Visualization. Better yet, visualize me. One toll of the bell, and I guarantee your heart will become as still as water.”

Xu Ying pondered for a moment. He rather liked the sensation of his divine sense boiling, so he paid little attention to Dazhong’s advice.

He jumped off the statue, channeled sword qi, and flew into the shadows to avoid drawing attention. A short while later, he landed outside the Yuan residence and walked inside.

Yuan Weiyang came out to greet him and said apologetically, “I’ve already reprimanded my sister and sent her to reflect on her actions for abandoning you and returning home alone. She won’t be eating dinner tonight. Go wash up, Demon King Xu. We’ll have a casual meal afterward.”

Xu Ying covered for her. “Sister Rushi didn’t do anything wrong. Please don’t punish her. I wanted to stay out a little longer, so I asked her to return first.”

Yuan Weiyang replied seriously, “The clan rules cannot be ignored. If someone breaks them, they must be punished.”

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Uncle Xiao went out to check. A moment later, he returned and said, “It’s the Pei clan’s Pei Jingting. He came to invite Young Master Xu to a banquet.”

Xu Ying pondered for a moment and said, “Brother Yuan, Elder Pei escorted me along the way, and their clan has suffered heavy casualties. He’s the only survivor. Since he has invited me so sincerely, it would be inappropriate to refuse.”

Yuan Weiyang nodded.

“I’m afraid every major noble clan has already learned of your arrival. Everyone knows of Mister Xu now. This trip shouldn’t be a problem. The Pei clan is an ancient noble clan. They wouldn’t make things difficult for you, nor would they dare to.”

Xu Ying smiled. “I think so, too.”

He called for Yuanqi and stepped out of the Yuan residence. Outside, Pei Jingting stood beside a newly crafted treasure carriage drawn by two colorful deer.

Standing next to the carriage, Pei Jingting extended his hand. “After you, Young Master Xu.”

Xu Ying smiled faintly and boarded the deer carriage. Pei Jingting followed, and the two took their seats inside. Pei Jingting sighed with emotion.

“My older brother set me up. He knew I never accepted him as patriarch and that I’d been building my own faction within the clan. So he assigned me to invite you. He used it as an opportunity to eliminate my followers, ensuring I would never entertain thoughts of defiance again.”

On this mission to “invite” Xu Ying, he had brought nearly three hundred trusted subordinates from his faction. Unexpectedly, every one of them had died on the journey. He had also nearly lost his life.

Xu Ying asked, “Are the struggles within the noble clans this fierce as well?”

Pei Jingting replied, “They’re a hundred times more ruthless than anything outside. It’s a matter of survival. After enduring this bitter lesson, I no longer harbor any disloyal thoughts toward my brother. That’s why he still entrusted me with welcoming you, Young Master Xu.”

“He clipped your wings without lifting a finger. Even if he wanted to eliminate you, he wouldn’t need to act personally. He truly is a formidable man.”

“He serves as Chancellor to the current emperor. Naturally, he’s a master schemer.”

Before they knew it, they arrived at the Pei residence. A lavish banquet awaited at the Misty Rain Pavilion. Spread across long tables were fresh fruits, sweets, cold appetizers, hot food, main courses, fresh seafood, and mountain delicacies. In total, there were more than a hundred dishes.

About a dozen maidservants stood quietly to one side, ready to attend to their every need. Yet aside from them, no one else was present.

Pei Jingting said, “This was specially prepared for you. My brother has not touched mortal food or drink for many years, so please excuse him for not joining you.”

Xu Ying took his seat. “Are you not sitting down, Elder Pei?”

“Without my brother’s permission, I wouldn’t dare.”

Left with no choice, Xu Ying began eating alone. There was no way he could finish so much food by himself, so, unwilling to waste it, he called Yuanqi over to help.

Before long, the tables had been cleared. Yuanqi said, “I’m still not full.”

Pei Jingting ordered, “Bring a few oxen and horses for Master Qi.”

Only after eating his fill did Yuanqi crawl back into Xu Ying’s collar. Unfortunately, he had eaten too much to hide completely. His round belly bulged outside.

Xu Ying followed Pei Jingting down the secluded paths of the Pei residence. They crossed covered walkways, passed elegant gardens, and eventually arrived before a palace compound.

Pei Jingting stopped and said, “My brother is waiting inside. I won’t be entering, Young Master Xu. Oh, my brother’s name is Pei Du[1].”

Xu Ying thanked him, walked up the stairs, and entered the palace compound.

The palace hall was quiet, brightly lit with lanterns, yet there was no sound. Only his footsteps echoed through the hall.

He walked through the long corridor and stepped into the hall, only to see a middle-aged man standing with his back facing him. Hearing footsteps, the middle-aged man turned around. He was immaculately dressed and had an exceedingly refined appearance.

His sideburns, eyebrows, mustache, and beard were all meticulously trimmed. Even his eyelashes had been carefully groomed.

His attire was equally immaculate. His robes fit perfectly, and the only ornament he wore was a jade pendant hanging from his waist, partially concealed beneath his robes. He wore nothing superfluous.

He was Pei Du, a chancellor of the current imperial court and an Exorcist Immortal of the Pei clan.

“I have long heard of Demon King Xu’s fame.” Pei Du nodded slightly and smiled. “At long last, my anticipation is rewarded. Young Master Xu, your name shook the world the moment you stepped out of Mount Jiuyi. This way, please!”

Xu Ying followed. “Patriarch Pei, where do you intend to bring me?”

“Our clan’s forbidden grounds.”

As Pei Du led the way, a jade-like sky manifested behind him, with grotto heavens rotating. The main palace before them immediately disassembled into perfectly square blocks, revealing a passage that led into the unknown.

Xu Ying followed behind him, secretly astonished.

Pei Du’s mystical powers were much more robust than Pei Jingting’s. Xu Ying felt as though he were standing before a boundless ocean. It even seemed deeper and more unfathomable than Zhou Qiyun’s.

This was the power of the Pei clan’s unique Secret Trove!

“Our Pei clan is a noble clan with a thousand-year legacy. Our ancestral Secret Trove is the Jade Pool.”

Pei Du walked ahead without looking back at Xu Ying, yet it seemed he had guessed his thoughts. He kept talking by himself, “As a noble clan with a millennium of history, we know secrets that others do not. As a result, we’ve acquired many treasures.

“For example, among the six secrets of the human body, aside from the most mysterious Gushing Spring, our clan possesses inheritances for every other Secret Trove.”

Xu Ying’s mind jolted in shock. The Pei clan already had five of the six secrets?

At that moment, a ray of sunlight shone in through the passageway, blinding him. When his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, Xu Ying saw that they had already arrived inside a jade-like grotto heaven.

He looked around and immediately felt the weight of the space. Every movement was sluggish, as though he were submerged underwater.

A wondrous power filled the surroundings, stimulating his primordial qi. It began circulating on its own, steadily growing stronger.

Xu Ying’s heart stirred slightly. If I follow this power, I should be able to locate my own Jade-Pool Secret Trove.

Just as he thought of this, he saw a tall, lean elder sitting in the center of the grotto heaven. At the end of this grotto heaven was yet another grotto heaven, with an old woman sitting inside, also motionless.

Xu Ying followed Pei Du along the grotto heaven, walking forward until they reached the tall, lean elder.

Pei Du said, “This is our clan’s first ancestor, and also the first Exorcist Immortal. He was born during the chaotic era of Wang Mang[2].”

Xu Ying looked at the tall, lean elder. The figure appeared lifelike. He noticed the light shining from the back of his head. A narrow slit ran from the crown of his head down his neck, along his spine, and all the way to his tailbone.

He was just a layer of skin!

They entered the next grotto heaven and arrived before the old woman.

“This ancestor was the second Exorcist Immortal of our clan. She had attained enlightenment during the reign of Emperor Guangwu.”

Xu Ying looked closely. Light also shone through the slit along her back.

They walked to the end of this grotto heaven, and a third one appeared. Inside it sat a properly and sharply dressed elder.

Walking ahead, Pei Du introduced Xu Ying to the glorious history of his clan’s ancestors, from the era of Wang Mang to the present. Before Xu Ying realized it, he had already followed Pei Du through over a hundred fifty grotto heavens!

Each one connected seamlessly to the next, all left behind by successive Exorcist Immortals. They formed a seemingly endless corridor within the jade-like space.

Xu Ying looked ahead. The passageway continued stretching further down. Vaguely, he saw figures sitting within them, likely the other Exorcist Immortals of the Pei clan.

Dazhong couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. “Over the past two thousand years, the Pei clan has studied the Jade-Pool Secret Trove so thoroughly that it holds no more secrets for them.

“No wonder they’ve produced so many experts. Still, far too many of these Exorcist Immortals have died. Is someone deliberately watching the clan and harvesting their Exorcist Immortals?”

Xu Ying tensed up inside, worried that Pei Du would notice. However, Pei Du was clearly inferior to Zhou Qiyun; he didn’t notice that Dazhong was speaking.

Walking ahead, Pei Du continued, “Our clan has realized long ago that the so-called internal sublimation of Radiant Vestige and becoming an immortal in the mortal realm were nothing but lies.

“In their later years, every Exorcist Immortal who secluded themselves within their Radiant Vestige land of sublimation met the same tragic end. That tragedy has repeated itself throughout our clan’s history.”

Xu Ying thought for a moment. “Did the Pei clan’s ancestors never try to think of a way to avert this tragedy?”

Pei Du said, “Of course, they’ve tried! They exhausted every possible method. They even resorted to any means necessary to seize the cultivation methods of other Secret Troves, hoping to unlock them all and unify the six Secret Troves. Yet...”

He shook his head. “No one could unify the Secret Troves. Later, they changed their strategy. They decided to gather the strength of every Exorcist Immortal in the clan and create a true immortal realm.”

He stopped in place, having finally reached the end of the grotto heaven. He gazed ahead without a word.

Xu Ying stepped beside him and looked forward. The scene before him was indescribably grotesque. Shattered immortal mountains floated in the sky, their surfaces covered with rotting flesh and decaying blood.

Rivers of blood poured down the mountainsides into crimson lakes, where bloated flesh and bones drifted across the surface.

Beneath a blood-red sun, the landscape lay in ruins. Between the broken mountains and rivers, a colossal skeleton gripped an immortal mountain with both hands as it slowly pulled itself upward. Its empty eye sockets stared directly at them.

This place was bizarre, creepy, terrifying, and ominous!

This was a cursed land, bearing the curse of longevity!

Pei Du said calmly, “We failed.”

“But fortunately, you’re here!” He turned to look at Xu Ying, his face filled with fervor.

1. A prominent historical figure and chancellor during the Tang Dynasty. ☜

2. It refers to a historical period in China, around nine to twenty-three AD, where the official Wang Mang usurped the Western Han dynasty. ☜