Ascension Day

Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. "They made contact with a god," he said.

Xu Ying asked doubtfully, "A god? Do you mean a Celestial God?"

Beichenzi shook his head. "Not a Celestial God. The god they made contact with didn't come from the Heavenly Dao World, but from another void, known as the Wei Ruins. It is rumored that the Wei Ruins are hidden within the Abyss."

Xu Ying froze. Yuan Qi was currently moving along the edge of the Abyss, searching the famous mountains and great rivers for any Phoenix Trees where a Phoenix might be nesting.

He unconsciously looked down and saw the two worlds, the Underworld and the Mortal World, still colliding within the Abyss. A deafening sound echoed up from the depths of the earth, like the roar of an ox or the cry of a dragon.

If he used his Celestial Eye, he could see enormous, slick bodies rolling in the lava. But upon closer inspection, they were merely scale-like rocks.

"The Qi Refiners of that era were unable to achieve Ascension, so they infinitely expanded their perception, making contact with the mysterious gods of the Wei Ruins. Under the guidance of these gods, they developed even more powerful sensing methods."

More cold sweat beaded on Beichenzi's forehead. He chose his words carefully, picking only what he was able to say. "This powerful sensing method allows a Qi Refiner to achieve a profound state of Entering the Dao, delving deep into the Wei Ruins and establishing a deeper connection with its world. Back then, it was said that entering the Wei Ruins granted Longevity. It's possible that the disappearance and recent reappearance of Diqiu is related to this connection with the Wei Ruins."

Xu Ying's heart pounded in his chest as he suddenly recalled the mystery of Entering the Dao.

When a Nuo Master was Entering the Dao, if they went too deep, they would perceive a great terror, as if hearing incomprehensible whispers from the Abyss, pulling them down into its depths!

Xu Ying himself had encountered this very situation!

'Could it be that the great terror one encounters when going too deep while Entering the Dao is actually the gods of the Wei Ruins?'

'It was very likely!'

'However, why did the connection that the Qi Refiners of old established with the gods of the Wei Ruins later become a life-threatening terror for Nuo Masters?'

Entering the Dao could lead to death!

This was a consensus among nearly all gifted Nuo Masters, making the process an incredibly perilous undertaking!

Suddenly, he took out the two pages of the Cultivation Technique Yuan Weiyang had given him—the Primordial Dao All Heavens Sensing. His heart began to race!

The Yuan Family's Primordial Dao All Heavens Sensing was a method for cultivating a Supreme Divine Sense, allowing one to sense all the heavens and thereby possess unbelievably powerful Divine Powers. The Yuan Family were masters of this path!

'Perhaps I can use this Cultivation Technique to sense the depths of the Great Abyss!'

Xu Ying's eyes grew brighter. Although what Yuan Weiyang had given him was only a fragment, it was enough. He had originally planned to complete the technique and only begin his Cultivation after he could successfully perform the Refinement of the Yellow Court Immortal Elixir.

But now, he decided to begin his Cultivation early, to strengthen his Divine Sense and make contact with that world Beichenzi had mentioned—the Wei Ruins!

Xu Ying asked, "Sir, are the Wei Ruins at the end of the Abyss, then?"

Beichenzi shook his head. "I do not know."

"Then, was it during the Martial Emperor Period of the Great Han that the Qi Refiners used Celestial-Human Communication to connect with the Wei Ruins, causing their disappearance?"

"I do not know."

"Did the people who disappeared go to the Wei Ruins?"

"I do not know."

"Then, this recent reappearance of the ancient world in the mortal realm... was it released from the Wei Ruins?"

"I do not know."

After four consecutive questions met with "I do not know," Xu Ying's temper flared. He flicked his sleeve and said, "Sir, you don't know anything! What use are you? If you don't know the answer to the next question, then I'll ask you to leave!"

Beichenzi looked troubled, thinking, 'Some of your questions I truly don't know the answers to, and others I know but cannot say. My hands are tied!'

Xu Ying said, "Where is Feng Xian'Er now? Surely you must know that, Sir?"

Beichenzi wanted to say "I do not know," but he recalled Xu Ying's anger and worried the young man would run amok. 'If I let him find that silly phoenix,' he thought, 'then I won't have to worry about him causing trouble everywhere. Once the Demon Suppression Rune arrives, everything will be settled, and I can have peace and quiet for many more years!'

He chuckled. "Xu Demon King, you're too short-tempered. That's not good. But luckily for you, I do know of a few places with Phoenix Divine Trees that can attract a Phoenix. You might be able to find that Little Phoenix in one of them."

Xu Ying's anger vanished, replaced by delight. He bowed in apology. "I was out of line just now. My apologies, Sir. I hope you can forgive me."

Beichenzi smiled. "You have done nothing wrong."

As he said this, he froze for a moment. 'Wait a minute!' he thought. 'He asks me questions. I don't answer, so he gets angry. I risk my life to answer him. He's happy and apologizes, and I tell him he's done nothing wrong. Hmm…'

A chill ran down his spine. 'What is happening to me?'

After a moment of self-pity, Beichenzi rallied his spirits and said, "You most likely won't find Feng Xian'Er on Song Mountain. The Book of Odes says, 'The phoenix sings upon a high ridge; the phoenix tree grows toward the morning sun.' A Phoenix Tree worthy of a Phoenix must be a Divine Tree. Such a tree must grow at the highest point, where it can catch the very first rays of sunlight each day!"

With this explanation, Xu Ying immediately understood. The Phoenix Tree on Jiuyi Mountain grew on its summit, far higher than any of the surrounding peaks, which was why it was able to attract Feng Xian'Er.

Beichenzi said, "A Phoenix is adept at awakening the bloodlines of ancient Divine Birds. Where a Phoenix alights, there are sure to be other unusual birds. You just need to keep an eye out for those two signs, and you'll know if a Phoenix is there."

Xu Ying thanked him sincerely. "Without your guidance, Sir, we would have taken countless wrong turns."

Beichenzi smiled. "Xu Demon King, why are you in such a hurry to find Feng Xian'Er?"

Xu Ying gestured with his chin toward Zhu Chanchan. "What else? To protect her."

Beichenzi looked at Zhu Chanchan, completely baffled. "Protect her? Why protect this girl? She smells delicious!"