Day of Ascension

“How could the Heavenly Dao say that? Threatening people with tribulation if they refused to return what they’d taken. This Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact isn’t even as eloquent as Master Qi. Master Qi is far more refined and amiable.”

Xu Ying was puzzled. If I were the Heavenly Dao, why would I need people from the various realms to return the immortal Dao spiritual root? Shouldn’t the Heavenly Dao be omnipotent? It could simply recreate the spiritual root.

This artifact doesn’t have the slightest trace of the majesty one would expect from the Heavenly Dao. So what, then, lies behind it? The Heavenly Dao’s consciousness, or the will of some person?”

A thought occurred to him. What if, instead, someone like him controlled it? Someone of flesh and blood? What if there was no Heavenly Dao behind it in the first place, and someone was merely borrowing its name to serve their own ends?”

If a person was posing as the Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact and issuing those threats, then it all made sense.

Humans had seven emotions and six desires. They felt joy, anger, sorrow, and delight. They knew how to threaten and tempt others, but the Heavenly Dao did not.

Heaven moved with constant regularity. Its movement did not depend on Yao, nor did it cease because of Jie. [1] How could the Heavenly Dao threaten the living beings of all realms for the sake of the spiritual root?

Just as this thought crossed Xu Ying’s mind, the artifact sensed his existence and traced his perception back toward its source!

Xu Ying immediately dispersed his Heaven-Man Resonance, severed his divine sense, and restrained his aura.

His resonance came from the Yuan clan’s cultivation method, Primordial Dao Heavenly Domain Resonance, which connected divine sense to the myriad realms. If the Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact followed his perception’s path, it would sense that his divine sense originated from another heaven and could not locate his true origin.

The Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact did not pursue that Heaven-Man Resonance any further. After all, Heavenly Dao’s consciousness had already sent his voice throughout the myriad realms. In those worlds, powerful figures would inevitably investigate the voice’s source and question whether this dao truly existed.

Just now, several hundred streams of divine sense had swept across Little Profound Heaven and touched its heaven-and-earth spiritual root.

Yet Xu Ying alone had dared to connect his perception directly to the Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact and probe the consciousness behind it.

Suddenly, streaks of spiritual light flew out from the myriad realms that had manifested around the immortal palace, flying toward it. Each streak of spiritual light was a spiritual root that had scattered across the realms after the battle on the Heavenly Path all those years ago. Now, they were answering the Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact’s summons and returning to the original spiritual root!

Of course, some among the myriad realms refused to believe the proclamation. They forcibly restrained their spiritual roots and prevented them from flying away.

Xu Ying’s mind stirred when he saw this. How many years have passed since the great evil destroyed the Heavenly Path? With the path severed, no one has ascended ever since. No matter what the person behind this intends to do, if the Heavenly Path can be mended, perhaps the path to ascension will be restored!

Ahead, within the immortal palace, as more immortal Dao spiritual roots flew in from the various realms, the immortal Dao spiritual root of Taiyi Little Profound Heaven gradually revealed its true appearance: a vine of pure spiritual light.

The vine was a single plant with two intertwined vines. Tendrils connected the two vines, forming a double-helix structure that embodied yin and yang, intertwined as they gave rise to one another.

This wondrous yin-yang structure explained why destroying the Yin-Yang Vine had transformed it into such a wide variety of immortal grasses and plants.

Xu Ying activated heavenly domain resonance again and established a connection with the Yin-Yang Vine spiritual root, searching for the whereabouts of the Origin Dao Essence.

He thought, With so many spiritual roots forming the Yin-Yang Vine, there has to be an Origin Dao Essence within it capable of refining the soul immortal herbs!

Within his Yellow-Court Secret Trove, the divine sense immortal herbs underwent continuous refinement. They strengthened his divine sense and steadily amplified his Heaven-Man Resonance, which slowly reached toward the Yin-Yang Vine spiritual root.

He saw two incomparably thick streams of spiritual light emerge from the vine. The streams intertwined as they rose into the air, while the other end of the vine seemed to connect to a higher dimension.

As the spiritual light churned, another dimension gradually revealed itself. Xu Ying’s divine sense tried to connect with that dimension, but he could never quite reach it.

“Is that the next stop on the Heavenly Path, or the Immortal Realm?”

He settled for the next best thing and searched along the leaves and vines of the vine. Each leaf connected to a different heavenly domain, and some of the vines had rooted themselves in the dimension of those heavenly domains. Xu Ying even felt that if he followed this vine, he could climb to other worlds.

However, the Yin-Yang Vine’s structure was unstable, probably because it was still missing many immortal Dao spiritual roots. The entire structure looked as if it could collapse at any moment.

At the points where the vine leaves connected to other worlds, scenes of apocalyptic destruction unfolded. Water and fire surged, thunder roared, and lightning intertwined. Even divine sense could barely penetrate those regions.

“The Origin Dao Essence must be hidden somewhere within the Yin-Yang Vine’s spiritual roots!”

Xu Ying searched each leaf thoroughly. The artifact sent his voice through the heavenly domains again, and the divine sense Xu Ying had attached to the Yin-Yang Vine immediately picked it up.

“People of all realms, I am the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao. Return the immortal Dao spiritual roots hidden in your realms at once and restart the Heavenly Path! If you do not return them, tribulation will descend, and punishment will follow!”

More immortal Dao spiritual roots flew out from the heavenly domains. Some major factions had evidently feared punishment and handed over the immortal Dao spiritual roots they had hidden away.

Xu Ying’s eyes lit up. “By following the Origin Dao Essence within these spiritual roots, I can find where all the essence is hidden!”

He immediately mobilized his divine sense and resonated with one of the incoming immortal Dao spiritual roots. That spiritual root had just flown out from the barrier of water and fire and was about to merge with the Yin-Yang Vine’s spiritual root.

Xu Ying swiftly examined it, but found no Origin Dao Essence. The major faction that had preserved the spiritual root had probably removed the essence before surrendering it.

He immediately focused his divine sense and resonated with another incoming spiritual root. This spiritual root also contained no essence.

Xu Ying abandoned it and connected with a third spiritual root. He searched rapidly. The spiritual roots flying out from the other heavenly domains had already begun merging with the Yin-Yang Vine, and he did not have much time left.

He had to move faster. He needed to find a spiritual root that still contained Origin Dao Essence, then follow that essence and trace the path to the others.

The third spiritual root had none.

The fourth spiritual root had none.

The fifth spiritual root still had none.

Gradually, no more spiritual roots flew out from the myriad realms. The Yin-Yang Vine’s spiritual root linked the myriad realms together. Although it remained somewhat unstable, it no longer looked as though it might collapse at any moment.

Judging from the vine’s state, many more spiritual roots, having transformed into immortal grasses and immortal plants, were still being held within the myriad realms instead of being returned.

Xu Ying’s heart sank. With no more spiritual roots emerging, he had lost his chance to search for the essence.

The Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact sent his voice through the heavenly domains a third time. The dao’s consciousness reverberated across every realm, echoing endlessly.

“People of all realms, return the immortal Dao spiritual roots you have hidden at once and restart the Heavenly Path! If you do not return them, tribulation will descend, and punishment will follow!”

A spark of hope rose in Xu Ying’s heart again. What if more factions can’t withstand the pressure and voluntarily return their spiritual roots? Maybe that will be my chance!

However, the myriad realms remained silent. Clearly, the factions that still dared to keep their immortal Dao spiritual roots after three warnings from the Heavenly Dao possessed terrifying strength and deep foundations.

“There are quite a few diehards in the myriad realms!”

Xu Ying admired these diehards’ courage. If he had stood in their place, he probably would have surrendered the spiritual root after the dao had alternated between persuasion and threats.

Suddenly, an incomparably dazzling divine light rippled through the void, and an indescribably terrifying presence swept past Xu Ying. Within the divine light, a dragon-headed, human-bodied god slowly emerged.

The instant it passed, his gaze fell upon Xu Ying. Their eyes met. Xu Ying’s divine sense immediately descended into chaos. Countless jumbled and disordered thoughts flooded his mind.

His own consciousness went blank. Strange runes and symbols appeared before his eyes amid chaotic lines and visual static, and his pupils lost focus. Only after the divine being had gone far away did he gradually regain consciousness.

Pain tore through Xu Ying. He looked down and discovered that his right hand had somehow grasped a bloody heart. The heart remained attached to his chest. Wasn’t that his own heart?

Enduring the pain, he stuffed the heart back into his chest. Complex lines and symbols continued to flicker before his eyes, while a cacophony of noise filled his ears. Only after some time did his senses return to normal.

He hurriedly checked on Yuanqi and saw that Yuanqi was eating his own tail. He had already swallowed half his body.

Xu Ying quickly activated the Heart-Returning Mantra and awakened Yuanqi.

The great serpent hurriedly spat his own body back out. Nearly half his tail had been digested, exposing rotten flesh and ghastly white bone!

“When we encounter the Heavenly Dao, strange things happen to us.”

Xu Ying recalled his previous encounters with heavenly gods. Each time, terrifying sounds had seemed to invade and disrupt his mind and consciousness. The memory filled him with lingering fear.

The dragon-headed, human-bodied god he had just seen was not a true god. Instead, the Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact’s radiance had formed its projection. In reality, the artifact itself had simply passed them by.

Xu Ying steadied himself and looked toward the god. He saw light rippling around that towering god as it followed the luminous vine leaves of the Yin-Yang Vine and arrived outside one of the heavenly domains.

The enormous god passed through the surging barrier of water and fire and entered that world.

Xu Ying at once mobilized his divine sense and also followed the vine to the outside of that world. From there, he watched what happened inside.

The divine being formed by the artifact floated quietly in that world’s sky, vast and magnificent.

Under the Heavenly Dao’s influence, that world plunged into turmoil.

Xu Ying saw that all living beings in that world—humans and monsters alike, whether they lived on land or swam in the water—descended into madness. Some mutilated themselves, slicing the flesh off their own faces, digging out their own hearts, and eating them. Others slaughtered those around them, attacking for no reason at all.

Even accomplished Qi Cultivators struggled to remain calm under the Heavenly Dao’s influence. One after another, they descended into madness and began slaughtering those around them.

Throughout the world, sects and sacred lands of all sizes brought out their most powerful artifacts and tried to resist the Heavenly Dao’s majesty.

However, it was all futile because the celestial phenomena were changing as well.

Snow fell in the sixth month. Thunderstorms repeatedly erupted. Volcanoes spewed lava, floods swept across the land, violent storms ravaged the world, and disasters struck from every direction.

In the ocean, the corpses of countless fish covered the surface of the sea. On land, all the crops burst into flames, and hurricanes carrying fire ignited every plant.

The entire world descended into destruction. Humans and demons alike perished, leaving only the sects that desperately held out with the protection of their artifacts.

Those artifacts could not last much longer either, as they rapidly aged, decayed, and crumbled.

At last, the strongest figures of those sects could no longer endure. Carrying their respective artifacts, they flew toward the dragon-headed divine being, prepared to risk their lives in a final stand against the Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact.

Ranked among the foremost Qi Cultivators of that heavenly domain, every one of them possessed extraordinary strength. They were great masters of the Ascension Stage, the ancestors and founding patriarchs of their respective sects, lofty beings whom the world revered.

Yet before they could fly to the side of the dragon-headed divine being, their consciousnesses fell into chaos. One after another, they desperately mutilated themselves or attacked others, meeting gruesome deaths one after another.

Xu Ying watched until his hands and feet went cold, and he went numb.

This was the Heavenly Dao sending down heavenly tribulation!

It was too terrifying!

In a short span of time, the artifact had wiped out every living thing in that world.

Pale-faced, Xu Ying withdrew his divine sense, trembling all over. Both his legs were shaking.

Yuanqi’s divine sense had been clinging to Xu Ying’s just now, so he had seen that scene as well. The great serpent was trembling so violently that even Xu Ying shook with him.

“Master Qi, stop shaking,” said Xu Ying in a trembling voice.

Yuanqi’s voice shook. “Ah Ying, I’m not shaking. I’m very brave. Don’t you humans eat snake gallbladders to make yourselves braver?”

Xu Ying said shakily, “I’m not shaking either. Then who is shaking?”

He heard a bell clang and hurriedly looked toward the realm of ethereal void. There, he saw Dazhong floating in the realm of ethereal void, shivering.

Dazhong flew into a rage. “What are you looking at me for? You two are shaking too!”

Xu Ying was about to argue when he saw an immortal Dao spiritual root fly out from the world that had just been destroyed and head toward the Yin-Yang Vine spiritual root.

The Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact had just destroyed an entire heavenly domain for the sake of this tiny immortal Dao spiritual root!

Before the might of the Heavenly Dao, all living beings were reduced to ash.

Xu Ying steadied himself and activated heavenly domain resonance, swiftly connecting with that immortal Dao spiritual root. Delight rose in his heart as he sensed a mass of watery light within the spiritual root. It was the Origin Dao Essence of that spiritual root.

Xu Ying planted a strand of his divine sense into that mass of essence, then withdrew the rest of his divine sense.

The moment the spiritual root touched the Yin-Yang Vine, it turned into streaks of spiritual light and fused with it. As for that mass of watery light, it darted through the vine at great speed and vanished without a trace.

But Xu Ying did not need to know where the watery light had gone. He only needed to track his strand of divine sense.

Before long, he detected his divine sense rushing along the vines and tendrils of the Yin-Yang Vine. It reached the immortal palace below, passed through several great halls, and entered a mural on the wall.

Xu Ying’s spirit soared. He leaped up and raced toward the immortal palace.

“Master Zhong, Master Qi, pull yourselves together! We may have a big score ahead of us!”

Dazhong was still trembling, yet he was trying his best to look at ease. Yuanqi was no better. He had curled himself into a ball and tucked himself inside Xu Ying’s collar, daring only to poke his head out. His mane trembled like a feather fan in a dancing girl’s hand.

Xu Ying’s legs were trembling too, though he nearly fell over several times.

Even so, they were all excited. They might have been cowards, but they were bold cowards, and they were already eagerly anticipating what they could gain.

1. Originating from the chapter ”Discussions on Heaven” (Tian Lun) in the philosophical text Xunzi, this quote emphasizes that nature operates independently of human morality or politics. Whether society is well-governed (like under a sage ruler Yao) or chaotic and cruel (like under a tyrannical ruler Jie), the laws of nature remain entirely unaffected. ☜