Ascension Day

The little girl, despite her world-weary air, had a crisp and clear voice. She spoke rapidly, rattling on like a set of castanets. She wasn't entirely fluent in that obscure, ancient language, so she switched to a normal tongue to converse with Xu Ying. Though she still used the occasional awkward, archaic phrase, he could still understand her.

Xu Ying, on the other hand, switched between the two languages with no trouble at all, a perfectly smooth transition.

The little girl walked up to the Big Snake, pried open its mouth, and peeked inside. Then, with her hands clasped behind her back, she strolled right in. A moment later, her voice echoed from within, "It's quite spacious in here, and cool. There's an axe, too. Such heavy Fierce Qi."

BANG! A heavy impact rang out from inside. The girl must have been striking the axe.

Her strength was immense. The blow was so powerful it made Yuan Qi's body go rigid.

She strolled back out, carrying the Stone Axe. With an upward push of her hand, she forced Yuan Qi's mouth to open against his will.

The Stone Axe had shrunk considerably, now only about a foot long. The girl handed it to Xu Ying and said, "I fixed it up for you."

Xu Ying took the Stone Axe and casually tucked it into his belt. He asked, "Miss, why were you in that sea of fire? The Immortal Fire is so intense. How did you avoid being burned?"

The girl leaped onto Yuan Qi's large forehead and reached out to stroke the black and white horns behind his head. Yuan Qi bared his fangs, his expression threatening. That pair of horns was his weak spot; he never let anyone touch them.

THWACK! The girl slammed a fist down. Yuan Qi's eyes rolled back in his head, and he nearly passed out. After that, he became much more docile.

"What sea of fire? That's the Doushuai Temple. I was there to steal Immortal Elixirs."

The little girl said smugly, "The flames outside are the Douluo Immortal Fire. It's the most powerful fire, capable of refining all things. There are Immortal Elixirs within that fire; gathering them grants Longevity. As long as you aren't burned to death by the Douluo Immortal Fire, you can live forever."

"Doushuai Temple?" Xu Ying pondered. 'That name sounds familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before.'

In the Doushuai Temple's Immortal Fire, besides this girl, there were many other people standing or sitting. 'Could it be that they aren't Immortals, but also Qi Refiners trying to achieve Longevity?'

Da Zhong flew out from behind Xu Ying's head and asked, "How long were you trapped in there? You weren't breathing when we rescued you."

The little girl leaped in front of it and circled it twice. Suddenly, she raised her small fists and—BANG! BANG!—pummeled Da Zhong a few times!

Da Zhong was startled, but then it suddenly felt its injuries had improved significantly. The gashes cut into its body in the sea of fire had actually healed.

The little girl, looking smug, swung her little pigtails back and forth and laughed. "Now you know how amazing this Grand Ancestor is, right?"

Da Zhong's attitude shifted from arrogant to respectful. It said fawningly, "How should we address you, Grand Ancestor? On which Immortal Mountain do you practice your Cultivation?"

The girl replied, "My name is Zhu Chanchan. You can call me Grand Ancestor Chanchan. Our sect has no Immortal Mountain; we eat wherever we go. I was in the Doushuai Temple stealing Immortal Elixirs and had sealed myself to resist the Immortal Fire, preparing for my future Ascension. But I was burned by the Immortal Fire for too long, and eighty to ninety percent of my Cultivation was destroyed."

Her expression was haughty as she declared, "I've hidden all the Immortal Elixirs I've stolen over the years inside my body. Once this Grand Ancestor recovers my Cultivation and completes the Refinement of the elixirs, I'll achieve Ascension on the spot. Even if that great villain blocks the path to Ascension, he won't be able to stop me! When that time comes, I'll take you all with me!"

She leaped onto Da Zhong and sat down. "The Immortal Elixirs in my body have not yet been refined, making me a walking Immortal Elixir. Celestial Demons will smell my scent and hunt me down! I need your help to get through this!"

Xu Ying thought for a moment, then turned to Yuan Qi. "Lord Qi, you're well-read. The Doushuai Temple has Immortal Elixirs, so why can the human body's Jiang Palace connect directly to it?"

Yuan Qi said guiltily, "Ying, don't you think it's likely I haven't read those kinds of books?"

Da Zhong, carrying Zhu Chanchan, drew closer and said, "The Six Secrets of the Human Body are definitely not that simple. The Jiang Palace Secret Treasury corresponds to the Doushuai Temple, the Jade Pool Secret Treasury to the Yu Xu Palace, and the Mud Ball Secret Treasury to the Sea of Chaos. These Other Shores are all extraordinary places. Lord Qi, I believe there must be a profound mystery here!"

Yuan Qi grunted, a little timidly. "I really don't know about that..."

Xu Ying cut him off. "Zhu Chanchan was hiding outside the Doushuai Temple stealing Immortal Elixirs and wasn't burned to death despite being in the Immortal Fire for so long. This shows that the Immortal Elixirs of the Doushuai Temple can grant Longevity. But why can't the Nuo Masters who open the Jiang Palace Secret Treasury to steal Immortal Elixirs achieve Longevity?"

Yuan Qi had a realization. "That's right! The Guo Family Ancestor is on the verge of dying from old age. He opened the Nine Heavens of the Red Palace, and the Heart Power he fished out must be the Immortal Elixir of the Jiang Palace. If he has the Immortal Elixir, why can't he achieve Longevity?"

Zhu Chanchan poked her little head between them and asked curiously, "What are you guys talking about?"

Xu Ying gave her a rough explanation of the Nuo Masters' Cultivation method. "I've realized that the Nuo Masters' Magic Skill is also a way of stealing Immortal Elixirs, and you steal them too. But the difference in your lifespans is like night and day."

When Zhu Chanchan finally understood the Nuo Masters' Cultivation path, her expression changed drastically. She said in frustration, "If a Longevity Technique like this exists, why would I have needed to risk my life crossing to the Other Shore to steal Immortal Elixirs?"

A wave of sorrow washed over her, and she murmured, "I abandoned everything—my sect, my family, my loved ones, my lover, my friends, even my enemies. I abandoned them all, just for Longevity, just for those damn Immortal Elixirs. I never thought... I never thought you could get them without having to cross over..."

Xu Ying and Yuan Qi exchanged a glance, a sense of pity welling in their hearts.

"The opening of the Mud Ball Hidden Scenery Longevity Technique says, 'If one consumes the Qi of Heaven and Earth, one can plunder the Sea of Chaos. Gather Qi in the Mud Pill Palace, and fish for Immortal Medicine.' The Immortal Medicine from the Sea of Chaos can grant Longevity, and the Immortal Elixirs from the Doushuai Temple can also grant Longevity. It's clear that the Nuo Technique is a Cultivation Technique that leads directly to Longevity!"