Ascension Day

"Can you use it to catch fish? Or to swim?" Xu Jin laughed. "What’s the point of learning it?"

Xu Ying paid him no mind and started his cultivation. Strangely enough, his Qi Refining today felt different from yesterday. Above his head, sunlight converged into a stream, and motes of light flowed continuously into his body.

The current of light in the air gradually formed a vortex, with luminous specks spiraling down into his body.

Xu Ying clicked his tongue in amazement. By the time they reached the lower reaches of the river, the vortex of light above his head had grown massive, spanning forty to fifty feet in diameter.

’If I hadn’t scooped him up in my net seven years ago, I’d really think he was a monster,’ Xu Jin thought, seeing the spectacle.

They steered their boat downstream, only to find another boat smashed to smithereens, with several large fish feeding on corpses below.

Xu Ying and Xu Jin were long accustomed to such sights. They steered their boat into a tributary, following the river into the mountain forests. Xu Jin cast his net, but strangely, every time he pulled it in, he had only caught palm-sized fish. Not a single large one was to be found.

When Xu Jin grew tired, he let Xu Ying take over. The moment Xu Ying cast the net, it was yanked down with a sudden, violent tug, nearly capsizing their small boat. A huge fish had been caught, and it was now dragging the net frantically down the river.

Xu Ying held on to the net for dear life, refusing to let go, while Xu Jin leaned on the stern to keep the boat from flipping.

The small boat shot forward like an arrow from a bow. Terrified, Xu Jin shouted, "Ying, let go! Let go, or we’ll end up in a fish’s belly!"

Xu Ying paid him no heed. The great fish pulled their boat for several miles into the mountains. On both banks, peach trees were in full bloom, the grass was fresh and sweet, and fallen petals swirled everywhere.

The father and son had no time to admire the view. The great fish was pulling their boat straight toward a cliff face!

Xu Jin cried out in alarm. Just as they were about to be smashed to smithereens, he saw a fissure in the cliff wall. The great fish dragged the boat right into it!

BANG!

The great fish was wedged in the fissure, unable to move. Xu Ying quickly grabbed the Stone Axe from his waist and brought it down on the fish’s head.

A bizarre scene unfolded. All of the fish’s Qi Blood suddenly flowed into the Stone Axe. The axe began to glow with a bloody light, illuminating the entire fissure!

Startled, Xu Jin told Xu Ying to throw the Stone Axe away.

Xu Ying couldn’t bear to part with it and tucked it back into his waistband. The father and son dragged the huge fish out and tied it to the side of their boat. Xu Ying then peeked deeper into the fissure and saw a light emanating from within.

Thinking there might be treasure inside, the father and son ventured deeper into the fissure. "If we find any treasure," Xu Jin said, "we can sell it and save up enough for you to find a wife!"

At first, the fissure was so narrow that only one person could pass through. But after a hundred paces, it suddenly opened up before them.

「Meanwhile, in Mataopo Village.」

The river’s surface suddenly began to rise, and schools of massive fish appeared. SPLASH! They leaped from the water, some soaring hundreds of feet into the air in a terrifying display.

On the bank, the villagers were frozen with terror, not daring to move. All eyes were fixed on the river, where a giant snake was approaching.

Two horns, one black and one white, grew from the back of the giant snake’s head, each thirty to forty feet long. Its body was covered in shimmering scales that reflected a brilliant, iridescent light. The Big Snake moved like an ancient god, silent and still, yet radiating a natural, awe-inspiring power. It swam with a slow, elegant grace that nonetheless terrified the monstrous fish, causing them to leap from the river in a frenzy.

A Bell hovered above the giant snake’s head. It seemed to breathe in and out in time with the sunlight, alternately growing and shrinking.

Sitting on the Bell’s handle was a girl who looked to be in her early teens. She wore wide-sleeved robes and was exceptionally beautiful. Her nose was as elegant as carved jade, her eyes shone like stars, and her snow-white skin held the delicate pink hue of youth.

The girl spoke, "I sensed that axe was nearby. But for some reason, its presence suddenly vanished."

The Big Snake spoke in a human tongue, its voice like thunder, rumbling across the water. "Grand Ancestor Chanchan, are your senses reliable? We’ve been searching for months and have found nothing!"

The Big Snake glanced at the people on the bank and said, "I’ll go ashore and ask."

Da Zhong said, "Lord Qi, try to be gentle. You don’t want to frighten them."

"I know, I know."

The Big Snake swam to the bank. The moment it opened its mouth, sand and stones went flying as it said, with great courtesy, "Please stop running. Stop screaming. I am not a man-eating monster... HEY! How dare you splash me with black dog’s blood!"

DONG! The toll of the Bell vibrated through the air, shocking the panicked villagers out of their frenzy.

Yuan Qi cleared his throat and asked, "Have any of you seen a young man by the name of Xu Ying? He’s tall, thin, and a bit tan."