Ascension Day

In the Sima Cave Heaven on Song Mountain, the other Noble Families immediately received news that the Royal Li Family had unearthed an Immortal Corpse. Their clan elders rushed over with their retinues. None of the major Noble Families had the ability to explore a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land alone; they had to join forces. Therefore, any benefits obtained within the Grotto Heaven Blessed Land had to be shared equally.

"Not a single Immortal Corpse has been excavated since the world was upended. The Li Family can dream on if they think they’re keeping this one for themselves!"

Overjoyed, a Cui Clan Elder laughed and said, "The Li Family wouldn’t want to offend all of us Noble Families, would they?"

A Zhao Clan Elder chuckled. "Unless the Li Family no longer wants to hold onto their throne, they’ll have to bring it out and share."

Ever since the invasion from the Underworld, it wasn’t just Yongzhou; new lands had sprung up everywhere. The prefectures and commanderies that once ruled the land lost contact with their counties and towns, and even their connection to the Divine Capital grew tenuous. Imperial Authority faltered, losing its grip on the remote territories. Local governments failed, unable to control the lands under their jurisdiction.

If the Royal Li Family wanted to maintain their rule, they had no choice but to rely on the major Noble Families.

The clan elders led their retinues to the Royal Li Family’s stronghold in the Sima Cave Heaven. They were immediately struck by the thick stench of blood. Ahead, the Li Family’s Nuo Masters lay scattered across the ground.

In the center of the stronghold, a heavy, ornate coffin stood open. It was empty.

"The Royal Family triggered a curse! Quick, retreat!"

Sensing that things had gone terribly wrong, the crowd hastily turned to leave, only to find a young man cloaked in Immortal Splendor blocking their path. His clothes were extremely ancient, woven from feathers and gold thread, not in the style of the present day. He wore a Turquoise Necklace and a Hoopoe Ornament on his head.

A beam of Immortal Light descended from the heavens, landing upon him. A delicate fragrance wafted from the Immortal Splendor surrounding him.

He was like an Immortal who had strayed into the mortal realm, pristine and untouched by a single speck of dust. To him, the secular world was nothing but a burden.

Yet, the moment they laid eyes on him, a cacophony of whispers filled their ears. It was as if something was boring into their minds, speaking directly to them.

The feather-robed young man smiled faintly and opened his mouth. A tongue, twenty to thirty feet long, shot out and licked the face of a female Disciple from the Chai Clan.

The woman seemed paralyzed with fear when the nimble tongue suddenly coiled around her neck and flung her high into the air.

The feather-robed young man tilted his head back and opened his mouth wide, then shoved the Chai Clan woman into his maw, headfirst!

The crowd cried out in horror. Immediately, a barrage of Nuo Arts and Divine Powers flew through the air, overwhelming the feather-robed man. Some went even further, directly unleashing Magical Treasures they had acquired from this very Grotto Heaven Blessed Land—artifacts of ancient Qi Refiners—and charged at the young man!

The feather-robed young man simply smiled. A moment later, all was calm.

Many more corpses now lay strewn across the ground.

The feather-robed young man was quite patient. He opened his mouth and stuffed the corpses inside, one by one. When he had finished his meal, he finally turned and walked toward the highest peak of Song Mountain, where Xu Ying and the others were.

On the highest peak, Da Zhong spun faintly, silent and unseen, shielding everyone beneath it. Neither Xu Ying, Zhu Chanchan, nor the white-robed old man, Beichenzi, were asleep.

Only Yuan Qi was fast asleep, lying on his back with his neck stretched taut, letting out loud snores.

He snored, his tongue retracting when he inhaled. When he exhaled, it would stretch out to an incredible length, rippling in the wind like a banner.

’Lord Qi is certainly carefree,’ Da Zhong thought in admiration.

Zhu Chanchan, however, was trembling with fear, huddled behind Xu Ying and poking her little head out from time to time to look around. She was still in a growth spurt, and Guo Xiaodie’s clothes hung loosely on her, letting the wind in from all sides.

When a cold mountain wind blew, the young girl’s clothes billowed out. She quickly hugged herself tightly, looking utterly pitiful.

Beichenzi had produced a stone table from somewhere, set up a game board, and was now playing against himself.

This old man certainly had a flair for the dramatic. Even in the dead of night, a ray of sunlight descended from the heavens to shine down on him, brightly illuminating the game table.

’No matter what, this old man really has a powerful presence!’ Da Zhong thought in admiration.

Xu Ying, meanwhile, was taking advantage of Beichenzi’s sunlight to fully comprehend the Primordial Dao All Heavens Sensing technique recorded on the two sheets of gold paper. Right at this critical juncture, he began attempting to cultivate it.

’Ying is being awfully bold. He doesn’t know how terrifying a Celestial Demon can be,’ Da Zhong thought to itself.

Then again, it didn’t know much about the true power of a Celestial Demon either.

A Celestial God had been suppressed in the ancient well at the Stone Mountain Deserted Temple back in the day. It figured the power of a Celestial God and a Celestial Demon should be roughly the same. However, that Celestial God had been captured and sealed away by Da Zhong’s own master, so the bell had no accurate measure of a Celestial God’s true combat strength.

’Even if Beichenzi can’t handle it, I’m still here,’ it thought.

After a long period of contemplation, Xu Ying finally began to activate the Primordial Dao All Heavens Sensing. He circulated the Heart Method, ’fishing’ for the Immortal Elixir contained within the Profound Yellow Qi of his Yellow Court Cave Heaven.

As the Cultivation Technique began to circulate, his Divine Sense gradually expanded, and his perceptive abilities grew stronger and stronger!

Strangely, however, this time Xu Ying didn’t get that familiar feeling of standing in darkness, nor the eerie sensation of being watched.

The Primordial Dao All Heavens Sensing was a truly bizarre technique. When he activated it, his perceptive abilities seemed to be magnified countless times over, allowing him to easily sense the myriad Zhu Tian hidden within the Void!

’What a powerful Sensing Skill!’

Xu Ying couldn’t help but marvel. His Divine Sense could actually touch these Zhu Tian and perceive their different hues!

He could even touch the ancient consciousnesses drifting free within the Void. These powerful, ancient minds had all but ceased to turn. When he brushed against them, he could hear a magnificent Dao Sound—like the sigh of some great being, or a hymn in praise of the Dao, its meaning obscure.

Xu Ying felt like a tiny butterfly entering a vast and splendid garden, overflowing with blossoming flowers.

He finally understood now why the Yuan Family had always demanded that he practice self-restraint and discipline, suppress his desires, and maintain absolute rationality.