Day of Ascension

Xu Ying, Yuanqi, and Dazhong’s hearts clenched. This was bad. Judging by Zhu Chanchan’s conduct, the crime she was meant to atone for with this meritorious service was probably no small matter.

After all, the “scraps” she had skimmed from the Other Shore Divine Vessel were numerous enough to build the Flying Peak, which was a several-li-tall mountain.

Xu Ying guessed that Emperor Zhou’s Other Shore Divine Vessel was probably only about the Flying Peak’s size. Dazhong and Yuanqi even suspected that Old Ancestor Chanchan had skimmed “scraps” from the Flying Peak to build the Other Shore Divine Vessel, rather than the other way around.

Could that shoddy, cut-rate ship really carry the emperor of Zhou and the entire civil and military court to the Other Shore?

Emperor Zhou didn’t execute Old Ancestor Chanchan as a sacrifice to Heaven. How magnanimous!

Xu Ying inwardly praised the emperor’s broad-mindedness, then asked cautiously, “Grand Preceptor, has Master Craftsman Zhu confessed?”

Grand Preceptor Jiang Qi of the Great Zhou wore pale purple robes, with a Zhou sword at his waist. It was a slender bronze longsword, giving him the bearing of a sword immortal from the painting.

He shook his head. “Her mouth is far too tight. How could she ever confess? She was tortured even before when we hung her up and beat her for ten days and ten nights, but she didn’t give up a single word.”

With a half-smile, he said, “Ageless Immortal, are you very familiar with her?”

Xu Ying shook his head. “Not at all. I’ve just met her a few times.”

Yuanqi also hurriedly distanced himself from any responsibility. “That’s right. We only met her by chance and shared a few meals. She likes beating people, going Bang! Bang! Bang! with every hit, and she’s quite violent. We are scholars and have never been fond of violence, so naturally, we gradually lost touch with her.”

Jiang Qi said, “I thought you were all Master Craftsman Zhu’s accomplices, hiding stolen goods for her.”

Dazhong hurriedly said, “Absolutely not! Birds of a feather flock together, and people gather by kind. With hearts as upright as ours, how could we possibly associate with someone so vile?”

Yuanqi whispered, “Ah Ying, my half still has half of the Flying Peak. Will Emperor Zhou treat us as accomplices and throw us in prison too?”

Xu Ying signaled for him to stay calm and lowered his voice. “Stick to our story and insist that it belongs to us. Whatever happens, we do not confess. He can’t produce any actual evidence anyway.”

Jiang Qi asked, “The Origin Dao Essence you stole from me, may I have it back now?”

Xu Ying took out the gourd and laughed heartily. “I merely happened to come across it, so I should naturally return it to its rightful owner. Grand Preceptor, no need to thank me. Returning something we find to its owner is simply what people like us ought to do.”

He had seen Jiang Qi use the Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact to destroy billions of living beings in a heavenly domain, all for one immortal Dao spiritual root. That man was ruthless. If he refused to return the essence, Jiang Qi would probably kill him on the spot and refine him into medicine.

Jiang Qi accepted the gourd, opened it, and looked inside. His expression changed slightly. This much is missing?

Xu Ying read his expression and felt uneasy. “Come to think of it, we did consume quite a lot of it. But the situation was dangerous. Had we not consumed it then, we never would’ve gotten a chance, so of course we had to drink our fill.”

Jiang Qi tilted his head back and drank a mouthful of Origin Dao Essence. “Do you wish to return to the Yuanshou Realm? I have a way back.”

Xu Ying’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. “Grand Preceptor, could you be referring to the Heaven Punishment Sword?”

Jiang Qi took out the Heaven Punishment Sword and said solemnly, “Ageless Immortal, as long as you control it and wield the Heavenly Dao’s power, you can transform into a god with a dragon’s head and a human body, travel through space and time, and return to Yuanshou.”

He placed the Heaven Punishment Sword in Xu Ying’s hand. “However, if you hold the Heaven Punishment Sword, the Heavenly Dao will try to control you and turn you into a killing machine. You must resist its will.”

Xu Ying gripped the sword hilt, startled and uncertain, and hurriedly said, “Grand Preceptor, aren’t you the one taking us back to Yuanshou?”

Jiang Qi suddenly cried out and vomited a great mouthful of blood, then toppled stiffly to the ground, his breathing as faint as a thread.

Only moments ago, he had been refined and elegant, carefree and dashing. Now, he looked utterly wretched. His wounds had erupted all at once, his divine sense was in disarray, his Primordial Spirit was dissipating, and his injuries were severe.

Xu Ying hurried forward to check on him. Jiang Qi seized his hand and sprayed out another mouthful of blood.

Clenching his teeth, he forced out, “I severely wounded the Dragon Abyss Heavenly God, but he wounded me just as badly. When the great terror erupted, we both fell into Little Profound Heaven. You beat me to death one hundred and four time—”

He coughed violently, as though he were about to cough up his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

Xu Ying quickly sent a trace of Mud Pill vigor into him to help suppress his injuries.

Jiang Qi’s color improved a little. He hoarsely said, “The Dragon Abyss heavenly god is also here. You probably killed him a hundred or so times too, but he is a heavenly god, after all. His recovery ability is far superior to mine. Now, only you can activate the Heaven Punishment Sword. Our lives depend entirely on you...”

With that, Jiang Qi’s eyes bulged, his legs went limp, and his head lolled to one side.

Xu Ying checked his breathing and let out a breath of relief. Turning to Dazhong and Yuanqi, who had crowded around, he said, “He’s still breathing.”

Yuanqi quickly untied the gourd containing Origin Dao Essence from Jiang Qi’s waist. “He’s already beyond saving. Ah Ying, let’s leave him behind, activate the Heaven Punishment Sword at once, and return to Yuanshou Realm!”

Xu Ying shook his head. “He may have schemed against us, but in the end, he personally put the Heaven Punishment Sword into my hands. I didn’t take it from him by force. How could I abandon him and leave with a clear conscience? Master Qi, let’s bring him with us and leave before the Dragon Abyss heavenly god finds us!”

Helpless, Yuanqi could only flick his tail, hoist Jiang Qi up, and set him atop his head. “Master Zhong, keep an eye on him. Don’t let him fall off.”

Dazhong agreed.

No one noticed that the unconscious Jiang Qi had quietly let out a breath of relief and silently dispersed the divine ability in his hand.

Xu Ying steadied himself and examined the Heaven Punishment Sword. This Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact, which everyone dreamed of possessing, felt exceedingly heavy in his hand. Red-gold divine dragon qi coiled around the blade, obscuring the bird-worm seal script carved into it.

Xu Ying carefully read the bird-worm seal script, and his heart stirred slightly. “Some of the Heavenly Dao runes on this sword seem wrong.”

The bird-worm seal script on the blade explained the meaning of the Heavenly Dao principle known as Heaven Punishment. Xu Ying understood its meaning the moment he saw it. Yet he faintly sensed that the script contained quite a few errors and omissions. It could not truly convey the Dao of Heaven Punishment.

“No wonder Jiang Qi said that back then, the Dragon Abyss heavenly god and the others were masquerading as the Heavenly Dao. So even their Heavenly Dao Divine Artifacts aren’t all that authentic.”

Xu Ying laughed.

Yuanqi urged him, “Ah Ying, can you activate the Heaven Punishment Sword?”

Xu Ying quietly recited the Heavenly Dao runes engraved on the back of the sword and entered Visualization with his divine sense. The power of the Heaven Punishment Sword instantly erupted!

The sword blazed with brilliant light that shot straight into the clouds, materializing a phantom of a god with a dragon’s head and a human body.

A surging murderous aura filled heaven and earth. Then, within several hundred li around Xu Ying, the desert trembled. White skeletons crawled out of the yellow sand one after another, wielding all kinds of broken artifacts, and resumed their fierce battle even in death.

They had died here and were filled with resentment. Now, controlled by the Heavenly Dao emanating from Heaven Punishment, they fought with such fury that it seemed as though heaven and earth themselves would be torn apart. Broken artifacts flew through the air in every direction.

With a crash, a skeleton’s head was knocked flying. It tumbled and rolled through the air before landing on another skeleton’s shoulder.

That skeleton already had a head. Yet when the second head landed, it immediately took root and fixed itself in place.

With two heads growing from its shoulders, the skeleton immediately fell into conflict with itself. The two heads bit at each other, one controlling the left hand and the other the right. One threw punches while the other jabbed at its rival’s eyes. They fought endlessly.

Beside Xu Ying, Yuanqi and Dazhong also began fighting to the death for reasons unknown. Dazhong’s bell tones shook the air and blasted Yuanqi several tens of li away, leaving him a mangled mass of blood and flesh. “Niu Qi, today only one of us is walking away!”

“Zhong, you and I cannot exist under the same sky!”

The great serpent’s roar came from afar. Then, a tide of bronze artifacts filled the sky, sweeping toward Dazhong and crashing into him one after another.

Fearlessly, Dazhong charged into the torrent of artifacts. “I’ve put up with you long enough. Today I’ll turn myself into a pot and stew you!”

Yuanqi opened his maw wide, and even more artifacts flew from his stomach. “You’re nothing but scrap metal forged by Li Xiaoke, as flimsy as paper, and you think you can stew me? Master Qi will fix you for good! I’ll smash you to pieces, you useless junk!”

Xu Ying gripped Heaven Punishment, and he immediately felt the Heavenly Dao’s consciousness, as vast as the heavens, surge from the sword, trying to suppress his own will.

If the consciousness within the sword swallowed him, he would become a weapon controlled by the Heavenly Dao, with no will of his own. The sword carried out heavenly punishment and earthly annihilation, sending down tribulations wherever it went.

If Heaven Punishment controlled Xu Ying, then wherever he passed, the land within a thousand li would be reduced to a scorched wasteland, leaving not a single living thing behind.

“But your Heavenly Dao runes are all wrong, and this Heavenly Dao consciousness is fake.”

What Xu Ying visualized in his mind was the true Heavenly Dao runes. He quickly forced back the Heavenly Dao’s consciousness, retaining his own consciousness.

He finally took control of Heaven Punishment, and the killing intent that sought to slay the heavens, destroy the earth, and slaughter all living beings receded. Without Heaven Punishment controlling them, the dry bones in the desert collapsed with a clatter and lay motionless once more.

Yuanqi and Dazhong, however, were still brawling.

Yuanqi stuffed one artifact after another into the bell’s mouth, keeping it from making a sound, while Dazhong pinned the great snake’s head beneath him and hammered away at him.

“Today, one of us dies! Watch me burst you apart!”

“Only one of us is walking away from this, and that’s me!”

Xu Ying raised the Heaven Punishment Sword and scratched his head. Are my Heaven Punishment runes also wrong? Can’t be. Those skeletons have all fallen and can’t get up, so why are these two still fighting to the death?

He once again held the Heaven Punishment runes in Visualization and controlled the sword. He could feel that the sword was completely in his grasp and was not invading anyone else.

Xu Ying then realized something. He coughed and reminded them, “Master Zhong, Master Qi, I’ve already taken control of the Heaven Punishment Sword.”

“Taken control of it?”

Dazhong wobbled up into the air and mumbled, “When did that happen? How did I not notice? Ah, Yuanqi, my worthy brother, look how muddled I am. How could I have beaten you like this?”

From inside the bell, one artifact after another came rushing out. Yuanqi hurriedly put away the countless artifacts, his expression apologetic. “Master Zhong, the Heaven Punishment Sword controlled me, and I accidentally stuffed you full of artifacts. You won’t blame me, will you? Will it affect the pure brotherly affection between us?”

“Hahahaha! Our brotherhood is firmer than gold. How could it be affected by such a minor setback? Master Qi is right! What a weight off my conscience.”

“Same here. Master Zhong!”

“Master Qi!”

These two idiots were exchanging empty pleasantries while thinking the exact opposite. Xu Ying turned a deaf ear and let them make a scene. He invoked the Heaven Punishment Sword and commanded the dragon-headed, human-bodied god to carry Jiang Qi, Yuanqi, and himself in its palm and slowly rise. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Standing on the dragon-headed god’s palm, Xu Ying did not sense the heavy, austere, murderous majesty of the Heavenly Dao. Instead, he felt as though he were being bathed in a gentle spring breeze.

Yet if a Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact truly unleashed the might of the Heavenly Dao, the consequences would be terrifying. Its power could affect an entire heavenly domain and cause every living being within that world to perish in moments.

“This is no safe place. The Dragon Abyss heavenly god is probably still hidden nearby, waiting for an opportunity to strike. I wonder how much strength he has left?”

Xu Ying felt uneasy. The Heaven Punishment Sword floated before him, spinning.

Jiang Qi remained unconscious. His injuries were severe, and while controlling the Heaven Punishment Sword, he had also been forced to concentrate his spirit to resist the invasion of Heaven Punishment’s Heavenly Dao. The strain had been immense, and he would not be waking anytime soon.

The dragon-headed divine being carried them higher and higher until they reached beyond the heavens. There, they saw the Yin-Yang Vine growing out from the immortal palace and stretching into the depths of the starry sky.

The vine was formed entirely of spiritual light. It was incomparably thick, like twin snakes coiling around each other as they spiraled away, and also like a ladder to heaven, as if one needed only to climb along it to reach another world.

Grand Preceptor Jiang Qi is still unconscious. I wonder whether this Yin-Yang Vine leads to the next stage of the Heavenly Path, thought Xu Ying.

He activated the Heaven Punishment Sword. The tip of the Heaven Punishment Sword gradually rose and lightly tapped the void ahead. With a hum, a great vortex of lightning appeared in the starry sky, spinning.

Earlier, they had passed through this great vortex of lightning to enter Taiyi Little Profound Heaven from Yuanshou Realm. But after the stone city departed, the vortex had vanished without a trace.

Now, Xu Ying had used the Heavenly Dao might of the Heaven Punishment Sword to open this vortex.

He kept careful watch on the surroundings as the dragon-headed divine being carried them slowly toward the lightning vortex.

The dragon-headed divine being already had half his body inside the vortex. Suddenly, an indescribably powerful force swept out of the lightning vortex.

Yet because Xu Ying held the Heaven Punishment Sword and had become an embodiment of the Heavenly Dao, while Dazhong and the unconscious Jiang Qi were both extraordinarily powerful, none of them were affected by the strange force.

Only Yuanqi kept transforming inside the vortex. One moment he became an ox, the next a horse, then a bird, a beast, an insect, and all manner of other forms.

Just as the dragon-headed divine being was about to vanish completely into the lightning vortex, a towering divine being with maple-leaf-shaped radiance shrouding his head charged in from behind and reached out to grab Xu Ying and the others inside the vortex.

His target was neither Xu Ying nor Jiang Qi—it was the Heaven Punishment Sword.

As for killing Xu Ying, Jiang Qi, and the others, that was merely something he could do along the way.

Seeing that the Dragon Abyss heavenly god was about to crush them all to death, Xu Ying burst into laughter and was about to unleash the Heaven Punishment Sword’s power.

Suddenly, Jiang Qi, unconscious all this time, sprang upright, laughed loudly, and activated the Heaven Punishment Sword’s power. “Dragon Abyss, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time! I didn’t think you’d be desperate enough actually to come and snatch the sword!”

Xu Ying’s laughter died halfway in his throat, because Jiang Qi had already said everything he wanted to say. Moreover, Jiang Qi’s mystical power was clearly far deeper than his. When Jiang Qi raised the Heaven Punishment Sword, its power erupted even more violently, and he did not need to intervene.

With a sharp hiss, the Heaven Punishment Sword’s power erupted. Its overwhelming murderous aura even split the lightning vortex open, severing the Dragon Abyss heavenly god’s hand.

Jiang Qi stood upon the divine being’s hand, majestic and awe-inspiring, like a sword immortal ascending after surviving his heavenly tribulation. With effortless calm, he said, “Today, I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.”

The Dragon Abyss heavenly god’s muffled grunt came from the other end of the lightning vortex, and his blood dyed the vortex red.

Jiang Qi smiled as he looked toward the other end of the vortex. Then, with a thud, he toppled over and passed out.

This time, he had truly passed out.