Day of Ascension

Xu Ying looked at him and saw the fire in his eyes, flames burning fiercely, fueled by an unshakable resolve.

Xu Fu said, “Undergoing tribulation and ascending is merely a wish of mine. My true goal is to trace everything back to its source, set wrongs right, and restore what was lost! Restoration!”

His expression burned with conviction as he declared in a ringing voice, “Restore the Qi Cultivators!”

Xu Ying, Dazhong, and Yuanqi stared at him in astonishment.

“Three thousand years ago, a Dong Clan Qi Cultivator cast aside the hundred schools of thought and exalted the exorcism arts alone. He advocated the resonance between Heaven and humanity. Ultimately, he brought down the Qi Cultivators!”

Xu Fu’s eyes burned with fervor. He placed both hands on Xu Ying’s shoulders and said with absolute sincerity, “For three thousand years, exorcism techniques have prevailed while Qi Cultivators have declined. But what are exorcism techniques worth?

“Their practitioners live barely three hundred years. That’s not even as long as a Qi-Gathering Stage demon, or the dog I keep at home! Even my dog will outlive an Exorcist master!”

He shouted, “Exorcism techniques were a mistake! Three thousand years of humiliation. Three thousand years of darkness. Yet today, dawn has finally arrived. Today, the Qi Cultivators rise again! Lord Xu, you are the Ageless Immortal!”

Xu Ying’s mind roared. “I’m the Ageless Immortal?”

“South of Xiaoxiang, at the Abyss of Cangwu. Beneath Mount Jiuyi, the Ageless Immortal.”

Had the coffin girl actually been talking about him?

Xu Fu’s gaze burned. “That’s right! You are the Ageless Immortal, the legend of eternal life! I found traces of you in ancient records. I uncovered your origins in ancient myths. I know your past. You can restore the glory of the Qi Cultivators!”

Xu Ying frowned and glanced at Xu Fu’s hands on his shoulders. “I feel the Qi Cultivator cultivation methods aren’t quite that perfect...”

Xu Fu burst into laughter. “That is precisely why we need the Ageless Immortal’s help. To complete their imperfect cultivation methods!”

Standing on Fangzhang Immortal Mountain, he rested a hand on Xu Ying’s shoulder and looked out over the spiritual sanctuary.

Then he proclaimed, “Lord Xu, as long as you agree to help, I will share this immortal mountain with you! Disciples, why have you not come to pay respects to the Ageless Immortal? He will be your immortal teacher of longevity!”

The white-robed disciples who had followed him there were all visibly stirred. Each of them bowed. “We pay respects to the Ageless Immortal! To Old Ancestor Xu Ying!”

Yuanqi and Dazhong were both shaken by the sight. Yuanqi flushed with excitement, and he murmured, “Could the age of the Qi Cultivators truly be returning?”

Xu Fu laughed loudly and activated Fangzhang Immortal Mountain, carrying Xu Ying as they flew out of the grotto heaven. “For three thousand years, the Qi Cultivators have languished in darkness. Today, they finally behold the light!”

Xu Ying steadied himself and asked, “Brother Xu, how do you plan to restore the Qi Cultivators? Their legacy was clearly severed. If they are to rise again, wouldn’t that amount to creating an entirely new cultivation system?”

“The legacy of the Qi Cultivators was never severed!”

Xu Fu’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he smiled. “To tell you the truth, when the hundred schools of thought were cast aside and only the exorcism arts remained, a group of young Qi Cultivators escaped the catastrophe.

“When Heaven and Earth underwent the great sealing purge, they survived and kept the flame alive! Not long after I returned from the high seas, they found me. I’ll take you to meet them!”

Fangzhang Immortal Mountain flew through the enormous mountain fissure and emerged from the grotto heaven. Weaving between towering peaks, it soon descended before the seaside great hall.

Beams of light fell from the sky, landing and transforming into men and women dressed in ancient-style clothing. They wore garments from the Qin and Han eras.

One woman wore only a simple Daoist robe, with nothing more than a peachwood hairpin inserted at the top of her head and no other adornments. She saluted Xu Ying with graceful bearing. “I am Hua Xianchen. I pay respects to the Ageless Immortal.”

Her eyes shone with excitement. She looked at Xu Ying as though looking at a priceless treasure, her excitement written plainly across her face.

A man walked toward Xu Ying. He wore coarse cloth garments and had broad hands, large feet, and a powerful, imposing build. He wanted to approach Xu Ying, yet did not dare come too close.

Standing several zhang away, he was so overcome with emotion that he could hardly contain himself. “I am a Qi Cultivator from the era of Emperor Wu, Dong Meiqing. Today, I have finally beheld the Ageless Immortal!”

Xu Ying gave a slight nod, somewhat at a loss. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were addressing someone else, someone who wasn’t him.

Another man stepped forward and bowed respectfully from a distance, his tone almost fawning. “Qi Cultivator, Qi Qingzhou, pays respects to the Ageless Immortal!”

There were also people dressed in bright, splendid robes, handsome in appearance, who had cultivated a Primordial Spirit. They, too, bowed deeply to Xu Ying, overwhelmed with emotion, and said through choked sobs, “Now that the Ageless Immortal has reappeared in the world, Qi Cultivators can finally see the light!”

Even frail old men and women hobbled forward. The instant they saw Xu Ying, they broke into tears. Too overcome to speak, they could only nod repeatedly. “Good! Good!”

“Heaven has eyes. The Ageless Immortal has finally descended into the world. He will lead us out of this age of darkness and restore the Qi Cultivators as the world’s orthodox path!”

Someone threw back his head and laughed, his voice filled with indignant outrage as he shouted, “The heretical exorcism techniques stole our status, stole our territory, plunged the world into chaos, and left poison behind for thousands of years!

“Those false doctrines usurped everything that rightfully belonged to us. At last, the time has come to set things right and settle old scores!”

“Use our True Fire of Samadhi to burn the heretics to death!”

A familiar voice suddenly rang out. Xu Ying looked toward the voice and saw Xiao Fengxian had flown over from who knew where. She was flushed with excitement, shouting at the top of her lungs, “Use the True Fire of Samadhi to burn them to death!”

“That’s right! Burn those heretics who cultivate exorcism techniques to death!” More Qi Cultivators echoed her.

Xu Fu laughed heartily and put an arm around Xu Ying’s shoulders. With fervor in his voice, he said, “Lord Xu, do you see? The Qi Cultivators are still here. We have always been here. We were never exterminated!”

Xu Ying’s gaze swept across the crowd, meeting one exhilarated face after another, one pair of burning eyes after the next.

“For three thousand years, darkness has shrouded the world, yet the light never left. It was merely covered by darkness. We have waited all this time for the right opportunity, and you are that opportunity. Your return has brought the light back to us!”

Xu Fu laughed. “Qi cultivation alone is the true orthodox path. Those heretical arts deserve no place in this world! After your return, the first thing we must do is resurrect Emperor Ancestral Dragon!”

Xu Ying’s mind shook. He turned to look at him. “Resurrect Emperor Ancestral Dragon?”

Xu Fu was almost delirious with excitement. He laughed loudly. “That’s right! Resurrect Emperor Ancestral Dragon! That man from the Dong Clan cast aside the hundred schools of thought and elevated the exorcism arts above all else, poisoning Heaven and Earth. Only by reviving Emperor Ancestral Dragon can we restore order with an iron hand!”

An excited light flickered in his eyes. “Emperor Ancestral Dragon will burn the books and bury the Exorcists all over again. This purge shall surpass even the first! This world and the newly emerged lands will be cleansed with the blood of Exorcist Masters!”

Xu Ying steadied himself. He had not yet recovered the memories of this lifetime, but he instinctively felt that what Xu Fu wanted to do might not be a good thing.

The exorcism arts certainly had many flaws, yet they still complemented the Qi Cultivators’ methods.

I should tell them that Qi Cultivator methods alone cannot grant longevity, Xu Ying thought.

Just then, he saw two familiar figures and froze.

Xu Fu also noticed him stiffening. Slightly startled, he followed Xu Ying’s gaze and saw a dashing young gentleman and a charming, lovely married woman.

He asked in confusion, “Lord Xu, do you know Young Master Xiang and Shisanniang?”

Xu Ying nodded lightly and said indifferently, “Naturally.”

Xu Fu beckoned to Young Master Xiang and Shisanniang. The two hurried forward.

Young Master Xiang bowed first and said with a smile, “Xiang Haikong pays respects to the Ageless Immortal! I had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai and offended you on the Hell River last time. I ask you to be magnanimous and forgive me!”

Shisanniang stepped forward as well and offered a graceful curtsy. Looking delicate and pitiful, she lowered her head. “Chu Shisanniang offended Elder Xu on the Hell River. I would never dare repeat such disrespect. Elder Xu, whether you wish to punish me, beat me, or deal with me however you see fit, I will submit without complaint.”

After saying this, she secretly lifted her eyes and glanced upward to read Xu Ying’s expression.

Xu Ying’s face was as still as an ancient well.

Xu Fu smiled. “So that was it. I was wondering how Lord Xu knew the two of you. You committed a grave offense by offending him, and I cannot let you off lightly. However, we need capable people right now, so I’ll record your offense and deal with it later.”

Xiang Haikong and Chu Shisanniang were both shocked and delighted. They looked up at Xu Ying.

Xu Fu smiled. “Lord Xu, just think of them as a fart and let them go.”

He waved his hand, allowing the two of them to leave.

“Wait.” Xu Ying said coolly, “Farts can be let loose as you please. People are another matter.”

Xu Fu turned his head in surprise. “Could it be that Lord Xu still hasn’t vented his anger? Young Master Xiang, Shisanniang, Lord Xu hasn’t vented his anger. You two figure it out.”

Xiang Haikong hesitated, then took out a sword, gritted his teeth, and drove it into his own thigh. Seeing this, Chu Shisanniang also took out a flying knife and stabbed it into her abdomen.

Xu Fu shook his head and sighed. “Why go so far as to torment yourselves like this? Lord Xu, what do you think?”

Xu Ying’s gaze fell on the two of them, and he said softly, “As for their attempt to intercept and kill me, I took my revenge and beat them until their bones broke and their tendons snapped. So I am not keeping them here to settle a grudge.”

Xiang Haikong and Chu Shisanniang each let out a breath of relief. They rose to their feet and forced smiles. “Old Ancestor Xu is magnanimous.”

With that, they supported each other and were about to leave.

Xu Ying said, “Both of you can’t leave.”

The two stopped and looked toward Xu Ying.

Xu Ying’s gaze was cold and grim. “I want to know. You were the ones who summoned the Plague God, weren’t you?”

That night remained vivid in his memory. He had ridden the tower ship of the coffin maiden and witnessed the devastation along both banks of the Hell River. Corpses lay piled like mountains, consumed by raging flames.

He also remembered the Hell River changing course, how many families it had destroyed, and how countless died in the ghost god invasion it caused!

He wanted the truth for one reason alone: avenge those innocent people!

Xiang Haikong and Chu Shisanniang’s expressions changed at once, and they looked toward Xu Fu.

Yuanqi and Dazhong had never understood what Xu Ying was after until that moment. Now they finally realized.

Back when the Hell River changed course, the young woman in the coffin had asked Xu Ying to intervene. With a single strike, he had lashed the Plague God away, setting the sky ablaze for ten thousand li. Yet no one had ever discovered why the Plague God descended or what caused the Hell River to change course.

“How many people did you sacrifice to summon the Plague God?”

Xu Ying’s gaze rested on the two of them. His expression remained perfectly calm, betraying neither anger nor joy. “How many people did the Plague God kill? A million? Or ten million? Was the Hell River’s change of course your doing as well? And what about the underworld invasion? Was that your handiwork too?”

Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on Xiang Haikong’s forehead, and he kept glancing at Xu Fu.

Xu Fu said softly, “This matter is hardly anything important. Young Master Xiang, Shisanniang, if it truly was your doing, then admit it.”

Chu Shisanniang giggled. “The sacrifice to the Plague God is indeed related to us, just as the Hell River’s change of course is. Without those human sacrifices, how could the Plague God have descended? And if He hadn’t slaughtered so many people, how could we have diverted the Hell River?”

Young Master Xiang hurriedly added, “Only after the Hell River changed course could its waters flood Little Rocky Mountain, strike the ruined temple, and rescue the Qi Cultivator suppressed in the stone well!”

At those words, Dazhong flew into a rage and cried out in grief and fury, “So it was you! You attacked Little Rocky Mountain the night the Hell River changed course! Three thousand years of my efforts were destroyed in a single night! The one sealed beneath that stone well was a heavenly god who plunged the world into chaos three thousand years ago!”

Chu Shisanniang promptly answered. “It was that woman who failed to appreciate our kindness. We rescued her, yet instead of thanking us, she damaged that bell and left.”

Xiang Haikong said, “She even burned the Plague God in Zhudu and launched a sneak attack...”

Xu Fu coughed once. Xiang Haikong’s heart tightened, and he did not dare say more.

Xu Fu smiled and said, “A trivial matter. Great undertakings always require sacrifices. If sacrificing those lives could restore the Qi Cultivators, then it was a price worth paying.”

“Brother Xu, did you ask the people who were sacrificed?”

Xu Ying asked, “Did you ask whether they thought their deaths were worth it?”

Xu Fu frowned and sighed. “Lord Xu, four thousand years have passed, yet you are still this stubborn. You have struggled and scraped through the mortal world, lived as an ordinary man for four thousand years, and endured every hardship life could inflict. Even after all that, your edge remains unblunted.”

A surge of fury rose within Xu Ying. His gaze was cold and menacing as he said, “Brother Xu, do not make an enemy of me.”

He walked toward Young Master Xiang. “Today, two people will die.”

Xu Fu burst into loud laughter. He reached out from behind, rested a hand on Xu Ying’s shoulder, and laughed. “What happened before was only a misunderstanding.”

Xu Ying could not move. He turned his head, met Xu Fu’s gaze, and said softly, “And if it was not a misunderstanding?”

The wound at the corner of Xu Fu’s eye gradually reddened, and his gaze slowly turned cold. He released Xu Ying’s shoulder and smiled. “Four thousand years, and you still haven’t changed.

“Back then, when we were at sea, you had that same look in your eyes. The scar you left me back then still hasn’t healed.”