Day of Ascension

The three Ghosts of Impermanence, along with the snake-faced Ghosts of Impermanence, were none other than Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang, Uncle Xiao, and Yuanqi.

Yuanqi's enormous physique made walking difficult. After crawling for one hundred and twenty years, he found it far more comfortable to glide across the ground. These Exorcists had disguised themselves as Ghosts of Impermanence to harvest Yang qi from the underworld. Since they had found a way in, they likely had a way out as well.

The impostor trembled as they forced him to lead the way. His voice quivered as he warned, “You can’t get out like this. The great bell and that big guy behind you are too conspicuous. Once we’re outside, my sect will notice, and we’ll all be dead!”

Xu Ying recognized the truth in his words. Earlier, several individuals had their masks ripped off, resulting in their deaths. Sneaking into the underworld to harvest Yang qi was clearly a secret that could never be exposed. Xu Ying's group would have difficulty avoiding attention.

Nevertheless, Uncle Xiao remarked proudly, “In the world of martial arts, no sect should be that formidable. Having a few Great Exorcists is already their limit. Once we’re outside, all we need to do is announce the Yuan clan's name. Even their sect master will probably kneel to welcome us.”

Xu Ying turned to the impostor. “Who are you?”

The impostor hesitated momentarily but ultimately confessed, “We are from the Cangwu Sect in southern Hunan on a mission to collect Yang qi from the underworld.”

Uncle Xiao frowned slightly. He was well-versed in the affairs of the martial world. "The Cangwu Sect is an Exorcist sect on Mount Jiuyi. It is nothing more than a small local sect. We can go there directly. Announcing our names will be enough.”

Yuan Weiyang shook his head, countering, “Uncle Xiao, how could a small local sect possess so many Ghosts of Impermanence masks?”

Each mask required its maker to enter the underworld and hunt a Ghost of Impermanence. This time, the Cangwu Sect had dispatched two or three hundred Exorcists, each wearing a mask. A small local sect could never afford such an undertaking.

The impostor, sounding desperate, said, “These masks come from the capital. They are not from our sect! An important figure from the capital ordered us to gather Yang qi from the underworld. They would’ve exterminated our entire sect had we refused.”

Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang exchanged stunned glances. A capital figure ordered the sect to harvest Yang qi from ghosts. Everything about it was strange. Suddenly, a voice came from behind Xu Ying. “Why would an important figure from the capital ask you to gather Yang qi?”

Xu Ying’s scalp prickled, and Yuan Weiyang shivered involuntarily, whispering, “Is that the Zhou clan’s ancestor?”

Turning around, Xu Ying saw a white-browed youth who had mysteriously appeared behind them: Zhou Qiyun, the ancestor of the Zhou clan.

Yuan Weiyang turned back, drenched in cold sweat. Uncle Xiao clenched his fists, thinking, The old ghost from the Zhou clan has found us! Even if I die, I must help the young master escape!

Yet he knew the truth. Even if he sacrificed his life, he probably couldn’t protect Yuan Weiyang! Against Zhou Qiyun, his death would have no value at all!

Xu Ying's eyes lit up with excitement and immense gratitude. “Old Ancestor Zhou, I’ve been waiting for you! We were hit by the shockwaves of your divine ability and ended up here. We waited so long that we thought something had happened to you. If you hadn't come, we would have been lost in the underworld!”

Zhou Qiyun replied nonchalantly, “I followed the trail left by the great bell and searched for you along the way. It took a bit of time. If you had stayed in one place, it would have been easier for me to find you.”

Xu Ying’s face turned pale, his heart racing as he stammered, “I-I was worried you wouldn’t be able to find us, so I had D-Dazhong leave a trail.”

Zhou Qiyun fell silent for a moment before asking, “Does wearing the mask also make your skin thicker?”

Xu Ying burst into laughter and turned back to the impostor. “What brings that important figure from the capital here?”

The impostor replied, “I heard from a senior brother that he came here to extend his lifespan.”

“Prolong life?”

Even Zhou Qiyun froze for a moment. He forgot about questioning Xu Ying for abandoning him and asked instead, "He came to Yongzhou to prolong his life. But how?"

The impostor responded, “I heard this from a senior sister who delivered Yang qi. She saw him consume it, and his complexion improved immediately. He cultivates some technique that requires a large amount of Yang qi every day.”

Zhou Qiyun murmured, “Interesting... Which old friend from the capital has come to Cangwu? I planned to undergo my tribulation in Yongzhou. Why did he rush over without even sending a word?”

A flicker of killing intent flashed in his eyes. He would pay any price to survive his tribulation. Anyone who came to Yongzhou at a time like this was a potential enemy and a future threat. He had to eliminate them.

“Xu Ying, do you still have an Exorcist mask?” Zhou Qiyun asked. “Lend me one.”

Xu Ying took out a Ghost of Impermanence mask. As Zhou Qiyun donned it, his appearance instantly transformed. He snapped his fingers, and an exorcism technique shot out, landing on Yuanqi.

Yuanqi’s massive form shrank down to the size of a typical Ghost of Impermanence. Zhou Qiyun frowned when he saw Yuanqi still slithering forward on the ground. “Stand up, don’t crawl.”

Yuanqi got to his feet and took two steps before collapsing again. He resumed crawling. Zhou Qiyun took a deep breath, suppressing his irritation. “If not for the old connection I once had with this buffoon’s grandfather, I would have killed him already.”

Back then, he had framed Yuanqi’s grandfather and still felt guilty about it. He reached up to remove Yuanqi’s mask, restoring him to his normal size. “You don’t have enough mystical power to support such a massive frame, so you can’t alter your size. I’ll lend you a hand and help you control your size transformation.”

Without waiting for Yuanqi to respond, Zhou Qiyun’s soul shot out, his palm covering Yuanqi’s head. In an instant, Yuanqi felt a surge of power flood into him. His cultivation soared, doubling or even tripling in an instant!

Zhou Qiyun withdrew his soul. “Try activating your technique now.”

Yuanqi activated the True Cultivation of Ba Snake, his form swelling into a giant serpent that soared and exhaled clouds. With a snap, he shrank down to about a foot long! Surprised and delighted, Yuanqi hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

Zhou Qiyun simply replied, “You should thank the virtue of your ancestors, not me.”

Xu Ying watched with envy, about to speak, but Zhou Qiyun shook his head, saying, “Your ancestors didn’t accumulate any virtue.”

Xu Ying dropped the topic of bestowing enlightenment. Yuanqi leaped onto Xu Ying’s shoulder and hid in the collar of his robe. Zhou Qiyun approached Dazhong, and Xu Ying’s heart raced.

Zhou Qiyun examined him and said, “This bell is heavily damaged, yet it hasn't shattered. That’s quite unusual.”

He lightly pressed his palm against the bell at the spot where the coffin girl had left her handprint. The mark had long since been patched with copper from Huaihua Palace, leaving no visible trace.

The moment his palm touched it, his hand jerked back as though struck by an invisible force. He snapped back, surprise and suspicion flickering across his face. “What an intriguing divine ability!”

Suddenly, Dazhong shrank and spun rapidly, flying into the back of Xu Ying’s head, exclaiming, "Ah Ying, that miser Zhou Qiyun actually helped heal some of my injuries!"

Zhou Qiyun raised his hand and saw strange patterns flickering in his palm. It was the residual divine ability from the imprint! An imprint from an elite Qi Cultivator!

Zhou Qiyun’s heart sank in shock. He glanced at Xu Ying. He could decipher Qi Cultivator techniques, and he carried a bell bearing the handprint of a top-tier Qi Cultivator. The more he thought about it, the more he doubted that Xu Ying was truly just a snake catcher from Lingling in Yongzhou.

He clenched his fist tightly, erasing the residual divine ability in his palm, then said lightly, “Once we enter Cangwu, we won't attract any attention. Let's go.”

The impostor hurriedly took the lead. Xu Ying found it surprising that Zhou Qiyun had not tried to keep Dazhong for himself. After all, he had been scavenging everything in sight. Even the Water Entrance Temple and Huaihua Palace had been stripped bare. Dazhong was far more valuable than both, yet he didn’t seem tempted at all!

“Xu Ying, I can tolerate you fleeing twice,” said Zhou Qiyun lightly, raising two fingers. “If there’s a third time, I’ll kill you and claim your treasure. I really like your bell.”

Xu Ying laughed. “Dazhong isn’t my bell. He’s my friend.”

“Making friends with an artifact?”

Zhou Qiyun raised an eyebrow in surprise and shook his head. “If it were mine, I would’ve definitely wiped its spiritual sentience. An artifact is just an artifact. It's nothing more than a tool. Sentience only makes it troublesome.”

As they continued along the path, they encountered more impostors from the Cangwu Sect, all looking dejected. They had been ordered to enter the underworld and drain the little ghosts of their Yang qi, but Xu Ying and his companions had disrupted their efforts. Their gains were meager, and they feared punishment upon their return.

Xu Ying and the others blended into the crowd and followed the group into a canyon. Looking up, they saw only a narrow strip of sky overhead, with no way of telling how high the canyon walls rose.

As Xu Ying gazed upward, a thought suddenly flickered in his mind. Abyss of Cangwu? Is this really the Abyss of Cangwu?

Ahead of them, an impostor pressed against the canyon wall and advanced along a winding path. Beneath their feet stretched a bottomless abyss. The cliffs above were equally immeasurable. Even though Xu Ying had learned the Sword Kinesis Technique, his heart still pounded as he walked along the precarious trail.

Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed from below. Xu Ying glanced down and saw the walls of the abyss glowing molten gold-red, as if seared by fire. He gazed deep into the abyss, and his pupils contracted involuntarily. The crimson light reflected onto everyone's faces.

Deep within the abyss, the boundaries between the underworld and the world of the living continued to collide. The impacts released waves of scorching heat and deafening rumblings.

Xu Ying’s heart stirred; he had witnessed this scene before. When he first cultivated his Heavenly Eye, he had seen an abyss formed by colliding worlds along the banks of the Hell River.

Back then, I saw rock-like bodies moving in the abyss, but they were too far away to make out clearly. Now that I’m in the Abyss of Cangwu, I should be able to see more clearly.

With this thought, Xu Ying activated his Third Eye on a whim and peered into the abyss. He caught sight of massive forms writhing below, the same rock-like shapes he had seen before. They looked like stone, yet also resembled layers of petrified muscle and flesh.

Just then, the layers of muscle parted, revealing an enormous eye. Xu Ying suddenly felt dizzy, darkness closing in on him. When he finally came to, he found himself teetering over the edge of the cliff, almost about to fall!

Yuan Weiyang had grabbed him from behind, preventing him from plunging into the abyss. Xu Ying, drenched in cold sweat, thanked Yuan Weiyang. He peered down into the abyss again, but the rocks were still just rocks. There was no sign of any eyes.

"To see what should not be seen and hear what should not be heard invites disaster," said Zhou Qiyun flatly as he walked past.

Xu Ying hurried after him and asked, “Old Ancestor Zhou, have you experienced this yourself?”

Zhou Qiyun paused momentarily before replying, “Cultivating Qi requires one to contemplate the Manifestation of the Great Dao and the Radiant Vestige, and understanding a Dao avatar.

“I once delved too deeply into the Dao, and strange voices began whispering in my ear, as though something were calling out to me. I also sensed an incomprehensibly powerful aura. Every time I tried to listen closely or sense it carefully, I was met with immense terror.”

Xu Ying's heart jolted. “Great terror?”

Zhou Qiyun did not elaborate. “In the future, when you enter Dao immersion, you’ll understand.”

Yuan Weiyang moved closer and whispered, "Old Ancestor Zhou isn’t wrong. During Dao immersion, you can hear some strange whispers.”

Xu Ying inquired, “Have you entered Dao immersion?”

Yuan Weiyang confirmed. “I once immersed myself in Dao while practicing Primordial Dao Heavenly Domain Resonance at home. How many times have you entered Dao immersion, Demon King Xu?”

Xu Ying sighed. “I’ve only entered Dao immersion once. Haha, I wonder what the weather is like outside?”

Inside Xu Ying’s mind, Dazhong yawned lazily and said, “The last time you broke through the Gate-Knocking Stage, if you had calmed down to contemplate the Heaven-and-Earth profound root, you would have entered Dao immersion again.”

Strands of silk suddenly descended from above the canyon. One after another, the Exorcists grabbed the silk and were pulled up into the sky, quickly disappearing from view.

Zhou Qiyun looked up, his gaze flickering. “I didn’t expect there to be a direct path to the underworld through Mount Jiuyi. Let’s go up!”

Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang, and Uncle Xiao each grabbed a silk strand. Suddenly, a pulling force surged through them, effortlessly lifting them out of the canyon! The wind howled past their ears as they soared upward. After what felt like a great distance, they burst through an invisible barrier, greeted by a blinding light.

With a rustle, Xu Ying landed, taking in the surrounding view of green mountains and clear waters. Zhou Qiyun also touched down, but before he could observe his surroundings, an authoritative voice rang out from a distant hall. “Why did you fail to gather any Yang qi this time? Is everyone in the Cangwu Sect looking to lose their heads?”

When Zhou Qiyun heard that voice, his heart raced, disbelief washing over his face. “The Emperor!”

He almost cried out in alarm, “The one who came to the Cangwu Sect to prolong his life is His Majesty, Emperor Shengshen Zhangwu!”