Ascension Day

"Even at the Three Heavens of Knocking Realm, he reduced the three of us—all Ascension Stage Qi Refiners—to this sorry state."

Beichenzi coughed up blood, his voice raspy. "If he ever recovers to his Peak..."

The red-robed woman and the sorrowful-faced old man both shuddered. Forget recovering to his Peak; even this time, the three of them working together were almost beaten to the point of annihilation!

If they hadn’t brought the Demon Suppression Runes, and if Beichenzi hadn’t released his Yellow Robe in time to guide the other two, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Suddenly, Da Zhong flew over, crashing towards the three of them without warning. Zhu Chanchan, hidden behind the Bell, struck it with a fist, and the Bell’s chime boomed!

Beichenzi’s trio had been gravely injured by Xu Ying, but Da Zhong’s power was also depleted, so it wasn’t much better off. The three immediately mustered all their remaining strength to resist and instantly knocked Da Zhong away.

At that moment, Zhu Chanchan leaped out from behind the Bell. BANG, BANG, BANG! Three punches, one for each of them. Instantly, the Magical Treasures on their bodies trembled violently. The trio’s faces fell in alarm as they hastily circulated their remaining Magical Power to suppress the strange movements of their respective Magical Treasures.

At the same time, Yuan Qi shot out, coiled around Xu Ying without a word, and with Sword Qi swirling around his body, he soared into the air, attempting to escape with Xu Ying!

"Nice one, Lord Qi!" Da Zhong shouted from a distance.

Yuan Qi flew using Sword Control, his speed incredibly fast as he tore through the sky.

Beichenzi’s trio suppressed the disturbance in their Magical Treasures. The sorrowful-faced old man threw out the Yellow Robe, and Beichenzi channeled his remaining Primordial Qi and blew out a breath. The Yellow Robe billowed as it flew, and in just a moment, it caught up to Yuan Qi. Its sleeve swooped down and scooped up the twenty-zhang-plus Big Snake, pulling it into the sleeve.

Yuan Qi surged his Magical Power, channeled his true power as a Ba Snake Cultivator, and transformed into a hundred-zhang giant snake. However, as he grew larger, the sleeve also grew larger, pulling him completely inside.

That Yellow Robe was also a Magical Treasure. It was as if worn by an invisible person. The invisible person shook the sleeve, and Yuan Qi’s muscles and bones went limp. He involuntarily released Xu Ying and fell out of the sleeve.

They were quite high above the ground. If he fell from this height, he would surely be smashed to pieces. Fortunately, Da Zhong flew over, its mouth widening, and managed to catch him. However, the impact still sent it plummeting downwards!

Zhu Chanchan desperately attacked Beichenzi’s trio, but the three of them didn’t engage with her at all. They packed up the Altar Shrine, supported one another, stomped their feet to generate clouds, and flew off the mountain peak.

The Yellow Robe, with Xu Ying tucked in its sleeve, flew back on its own.

Da Zhong stabilized its descent and flew to the mountaintop, but Beichenzi’s trio was already gone.

Yuan Qi’s heart went cold. He murmured, "Those three old bastards took Ying. The world is so vast, where are we supposed to find him?"

Da Zhong’s heart sank as well. Xu Ying had been sealed by the trio, and apparently, his memories as a Snake Catcher had been sealed along with him. According to their speculation, Xu Ying would be implanted with a new set of memories and begin a new life!

And now, the world was vast, the territory of the Divine Land was immense, and New Lands were constantly emerging. If those three hid Xu Ying somewhere random, it would be impossible to find him!

What’s more, the trio would reset Xu Ying’s memory every so often, taking him to another completely unfamiliar place to start yet another new life!

"You don’t have to worry."

Zhu Chanchan strode over, radiating killing intent. "I’ve already tampered with the Stone Axe that Ying was carrying. And with those three punches—BANG, BANG, BANG—I also left my personal mark on the Magical Treasures of those three little devils! None of them can even dream of escaping my senses!"

Da Zhong and Yuan Qi were both impressed and horrified. Yuan Qi asked cautiously, "Uh, Chanchan, you’ve... hit us like that before, too. Does that mean we also have..."

Da Zhong hastily shook itself up and down, checking for a mark and worrying that it was no longer pure.

Zhu Chanchan comforted them, "I wouldn’t do that to my own people."

Da Zhong and Yuan Qi relaxed a little.

Zhu Chanchan was annoyed with herself internally. ’They almost found out. Good thing they don’t seem very bright. Still, it’s not right to brand my friends. I should get rid of the marks when they’re not looking. But wait... they’re my Guardians. What if they sneak off?’

By the Qingshui River in Wuling County, there was a place called Mataopo Village. The village wasn’t large, home to only thirty or forty households. Because it was near the Yuanjiang, the villagers made their living by fishing.

On the west side of the village lived a family. The husband’s name was Xu Jin. He and his wife had been married for many years but remained childless.

Seven years ago, Xu Jin was fishing on the Yuanjiang when he cast his net and pulled up a child. When he brought the boy onto his boat, he was still breathing.

The couple saved the child’s life. When they asked his name, the boy said his surname was Xu and his given name was Ying. Upriver, there was a place called Xu Family’s Field that had been attacked by Horse Thieves. A fire had burned down the village, and the child had jumped into the water to escape. He wasn’t a good swimmer and was swept here by the river’s currents.

The couple took pity on him and adopted Xu Ying. Since his surname, Xu, was pronounced the same as their own, they saw no need to change it.

Seven years passed in the blink of an eye. The child adopted by the Xu Family had grown into a young man. He had a broad frame, which made him look tall and lanky. From years of fishing with Xu Jin, his skin was tanned dark.

In recent months, the world had begun to change. Many New Lands had emerged. Towering mountains and jagged peaks appeared from nowhere, altering the course of rivers. The Yuanjiang had widened to more than ten times its original size, its waters surging violently. Large fish now lurked in its depths, capsizing small boats and devouring people.

For a time, the fishermen who depended on the water for their livelihood dared not set out in their boats.

"It’s that Xu Ying! He brought this bad luck!"

An old man in the village said, "I remember three months ago, there was no one named Xu Ying in our village! He only appeared recently, but when he arrived, it’s as if all of you have known him for years! He’s definitely not human. He’s a monster that bewitches the hearts of men!"