Ascension Day

He paid it no mind and said with a laugh, "Why would you need a Phoenix to protect her? With me here, protecting her will be a piece of cake. If the Xu Demon King trusts this old man, why don’t we go to Song Mountain? We can stay there for a few days and meet this girl’s enemy."

Zhu Chanchan was in the middle of the Refinement of the Immortal Elixir in her body when she suddenly grew tense. She said to Xu Ying, "I’m being tracked. We need to find a place to hide, quickly!"

After a moment’s hesitation, Xu Ying said to Beichenzi, "Then, after we get to Song Mountain, we’ll have to ask for your help, senior, to fend off this powerful foe."

"Of course, of course."

Beichenzi readily agreed, but thought to himself, ’If I go running around with them searching for some Phoenix, it’ll be a real hassle for my two friends to track us down. There’s no telling how long it would take before I can get that Demon Suppression seal on him. By staying at Song Mountain, it’ll be much easier for them to find us.’

Song Mountain was not far to begin with. Yuan Qi slithered at an incredible speed, and they arrived at the foot of the mountain before nightfall.

The Song Mountain of today was no ordinary sight. It had become even more towering and majestic. The mountain was different from before. It used to have Seventy-Two Peaks, but now, those same Seventy-Two Peaks had been thrust up from the ground, with even more peaks growing out from below them!

These new peaks numbered in the thousands, and together with the original Seventy-Two Peaks, they grew upon a single, colossal mountain base!

The mountain base was ancient and immense, its cliffs as sheer as walls, making them nearly impossible to climb. Billowing white clouds drifted between the peaks. A great, surging river flowed down from the mountains until it reached the edge of the base, where it plunged downward like cascading jade, forming a spectacular, miles-high waterfall.

When Xu Ying and the others arrived, the sun was setting. The slanted rays of the setting sun seemed to be hanging in the gap between the waterfall and the great mountain, lending the peak an indescribable grandeur.

Immortal Qi swirled among the mountains. This must be the Grotto Heaven Blessed Land that Pei Du had mentioned.

"Let’s go to the highest peak. From there, we can see if there are any Phoenix Trees for hundreds of miles around," Xu Ying suggested.

Beichenzi naturally agreed, thinking, ’The highest peak is perfect. It’ll be easy to signal my two friends from there and have them find us as soon as possible.’

Xu Ying said, "Lord Qi, I’ll have to trouble you."

Yuan Qi laughed. "Nurturing the Sword for a Thousand Days, all for a single moment of use. Now’s my time to shine!"

He stirred his Qi Blood, and instantly, Sword Qi began to flow around his body. Riding the wind and thunder with his Sword Control Qi, the twenty-zhang-long Big Snake soared into the air, flying toward the peak of Song Mountain that pierced the heavens!

Beichenzi was dumbstruck. He thought, ’This Big Snake has not only awakened its bloodline, but it’s also a Qi Refiner that cultivates Nuo Qi simultaneously. If he ever reaches the Ascension Stage, who could possibly be his opponent?’

’Good thing he doesn’t seem very smart,’ he added mentally.

By the time they reached the Golden Summit of Song Mountain, the sun had set, yet the summit itself was still bathed in bright light, as if still touched by the sun’s rays.

Zhu Chanchan’s Heart Spirit was in turmoil. She whispered, "Ying, the Celestial Demon is coming soon. I’m afraid it will arrive tonight."

Xu Ying comforted her, "With Beichenzi here, you can set your mind at ease."

But Zhu Chanchan could not feel at ease.

Xu Ying said to Beichenzi, "Chanchan has an enemy visiting tonight, one of exceptional power. We must ask for your aid, senior."

Beichenzi laughed. "Just let them come. I’ll see to it that they arrive with their lives, but don’t leave with them!"

Xu Ying’s worries were eased. He asked Zhu Chanchan, "How will the Celestial Demon find us?"

Zhu Chanchan said, "Celestial Demons are skilled at possession. They are already extremely powerful on their own, but if they possess a strong expert, their power grows even greater."

At this, Xu Ying relaxed completely. He smiled and said, "This place is deserted. Besides us, there’s no one here for it to possess. What’s more, with Lord Zhong around, the Celestial Demon can forget about possessing anyone."

Zhu Chanchan said, "I hope so."

Song Mountain had a circumference of nearly a thousand miles. Within its ranges, a dense Immortal Light shrouded the Sima Cave Heaven. This Grotto Heaven was even vaster than the one at Jiuyi, and rumor had it that Immortal Deng had achieved his Ascension here, leaving behind an Ascension Land.

Night had fallen. The Nuo Masters, disciples, and clan elders of the Pei, Cui, Li, and other Noble Families were still digging within this Grotto Heaven, trying to find the treasures of the Ancient Immortals.

The great Noble Families knew they couldn’t monopolize this Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, so they had joined forces to excavate it, becoming no better than Tomb Raider Captains.

Over the past few days, they had suffered countless deaths and injuries, but they had also obtained quite a few valuable treasures.

"We’ve found something! We’ve found something!"

Suddenly, an excited cry echoed from within the Grotto Heaven. A Nuo Master, overjoyed, rushed to report to his clan elder, "We’ve dug up an Immortal Corpse!"

The clan elder was both shocked and delighted.