Ascension Day

BANG!

Two blossoms of blood bloomed.

"Murder!" Yuan Yunkong shrieked.

Xu Ying led Zhu Chanchan by the hand, walking toward the outskirts of the Divine Capital City. Behind him, his Qi Blood steamed, manifesting a ferocious and menacing Abnormal Phenomenon of a dragon and a snake.

Suddenly, a man in purple appeared on the other side of the Luo River. A Yellow Court Abnormal Phenomenon materialized behind him, revealing four Grotto Heavens. He laughed and said, "You country bumpkin, you've got some skill after all. Do you recognize Lu Dingtian of the Lu Family? I've come for the Longevity Meat today!"

He abruptly raised his hand. The river's surface exploded, and a great wave tore through the air, dragons and tigers leaping within it as it surged toward Xu Ying!

Xu Ying crouched and activated the Yuan Yu Eight Sounds. A strange Dao Sound echoed, and the Divine Power on the river's surface shattered. The man coughed up blood, his Five Viscera pulverized, and he was sent tumbling and rolling deep into the long street.

Xu Ying continued along the Luo River toward the city's edge. Assailants attacked him ceaselessly. Whether using Dragon and Snake Awakening, the Yuan Yu Eight Sounds, or the Bi Luo Poem, Xu Ying struck down powerful foes in just a few moves. He was unmatched.

He left a trail of blood in his wake, and bodies constantly fell into the Luo River.

High up in the Shi Mansion, Shi Jingtang stood watching this scene from afar. The Shi Clan Elder, Shi Beihuang, stood behind him. Shi Jingtang said, "Clan Elder, the Ancestor's Spiritual Soul and Mysterious Domain were burned. His lifespan is nearly exhausted. There's only one way to save him: we must capture Xu Ying. Only by consuming Xu Ying's flesh and blood can the Ancestor survive this tribulation!"

Shi Beihuang said in a low voice, "Jingtang, do you know how many Nuo Immortals attacked the Guo Mansion yesterday? They all returned in failure. Even the Holy Emperor was grievously injured. The older generation cannot, and dares not, move against him lightly. The only ones who can act are the younger generation!"

Shi Jingtang's eyes burned with fervor. He gritted his teeth and said, "Then let me go! I can definitely kill him and bring his flesh and blood back to the Ancestor!"

He declared loudly, "I've not only opened the Jade Pool Grotto Heaven, but the Spring Grotto Heaven as well! With my Qi Refining Technique on top of that, capturing him will be a piece of cake!"

Shi Beihuang said, "You're too impulsive. None of the Inner Mansion disciples from the great families of the Divine Capital have made a move. The ones who have are either the Nuo Masters under their command or disciples from the Outer Mansions. They are all probing him, testing the full extent of the Xu Demon King's abilities. Only then can they strike with confidence of victory!"

At his command, a dozen more Shi Family disciples rushed out of the Shi Mansion, charging toward the banks of the Luo River.

"Cui Dongli, the eldest young master of the Cui Mansion; Zhu Hongyi, the young miss of the Zhu Family; Gao Xingqian of the Gao Family; Chai Wu Yong of the Chai Family—they are all masters of the younger generation. Then there's Prince Li Tingshu of the Li Family and Wang Yixuan of the Wang Family, who are also renowned throughout the Divine Capital."

Shi Beihuang said coolly, "Jingtang, this isn't about some personal vendetta. You are competing with these people."

By the banks of the Luo River, Xu Ying used a single move, Ten Thousand Mountains Venerate Jiuyi, to crush a group of attacking Nuo Masters until they coughed up blood. Then, he let out a long cry, "Yuan Qi!"

WHOOSH—

The wind howled as clouds of Sword Qi billowed. A hundred-zhang-long Big Snake, wreathed in Sword Qi, flew close to the ground, tumbling through the air and shredding everything in its path!

In an instant, the banks of the Luo River were a storm of flying flesh and severed limbs, dyeing the water's surface red!

Xu Ying unleashed the Big Snake to sweep along the Long River, clearing the area all around him.

A Grand Nuo flew over, his Fifth Heaven Grotto Heavens wide open. Xu Ying's long cry didn't cease as he activated Tribulation from Heaven, using its tribulation might to counter the Grand Nuo's attack. Yuan Qi shrank in size and, just as the Grand Nuo was clashing head-on with Xu Ying's Palm Power, suddenly bit down on the web of the Grand Nuo's hand.

The Grand Nuo spat out blood as his flesh rotted away. He soon met a violent end.

"He's revealed another one of his trump cards. This is intelligence that my Shi Family and the other Noble Families have paid for with human lives," Shi Beihuang said softly from behind Shi Jingtang. "Don't let their sacrifice be in vain."

Shi Jingtang clenched his fists tightly, his fierce eyes wide as he stared at Xu Ying's retreating back.

In just a short time, Xu Ying had already carved a bloody path more than ten li long along the river, leaving a river of blood in his wake.

Shi Beihuang asked, "Have you determined the extent of his Cultivation Power?"

Shi Jingtang nodded lightly.

Shi Beihuang said, "Cui Dongli, Zhu Hongyi, and the others have probably made their move. You can go now, too."

Overjoyed, Shi Jingtang leaped from the tall building and, with a long cry, shot straight toward the Luo River.

At this moment, Xu Ying was gasping for breath. Although his Primordial Qi Cultivation was circulating ceaselessly within him, the consumption was too great, and he was on the verge of exhaustion.

He surged his Primordial Qi and let out a sudden roar, directing all his power into an assault of Sword Qi against his Mud Ball Secret Treasury.

A deafening RUMBLE echoed in his mind as he forcefully broke open his second Mud Ball Cave Heaven!

Without pausing, Xu Ying mobilized the Dao Image of Ten Thousand Mountains Venerate Jiuyi and assaulted his Jiang Palace, opening his second Grotto Heaven there, the Yanyue Cave Heaven!

He activated the Taiyi Guiding Skill once more. His Primordial Qi instantly soared, and his Spiritual Soul leaped into the air, arriving at the Third Heaven of the Gate-Opening Stage!

Xu Ying's Spiritual Soul looked up to see Water and Fire Inter-refining in the sky. He was drawing ever closer to the third Realm of Qi Refining, the Cross-Refining Stage!

Xu Ying strode forward. A decorated pleasure boat sailed up from behind him on the river. Just moments ago, he had been wreaking havoc on the riverbank, killing countless people, yet those aboard the boat seemed entirely undisturbed. The music of strings and bamboo flutes still drifted from within, pleasant to the ear.

Just then, a woman inside the boat, holding a pipa, looked out the window and said with a smile, "Xu Demon King, would you like me to give you a ride?"

Xu Ying wiped the blood from his face and smiled. "That would be wonderful."

He took Zhu Chanchan's hand, and with a leap, he landed on the pleasure boat, causing it to dip slightly under his weight.

Xu Ying entered the cabin and saw that the woman with the pipa was dressed in red, her crimson skirt spread out on the floor. Xu Ying's shoes were covered in blood, so he simply took them off before walking into the cabin and sitting down across from her.

"My name is Zhu Hongyi."

The woman in the crimson dress let her beautiful eyes wander, glancing at Zhu Chanchan before settling back on Xu Ying's face. She smiled and said, "Xu Demon King, you've been staying with the Yuan and Guo Families these past few days. I haven't had a chance to visit, so please forgive me."