Ascension Day

He laughed heartily. "In that case, I’ll just devour your Flesh Body and take your soul back to complete my mission!"

The few streams of Sword Qi were incredibly fast, arriving behind Xu Ying in the blink of an eye. The Qi Blood in Xu Ying’s body circulated along a strange path, and without a second thought, he executed the Fist Techniques of the Elephant Power Ox Demon Fist, his fists and feet clashing with the incoming Sword Qi!

The Sword Qi flared, forcing the young man back again and again until he had slid several yards away. Yet, he managed to block the full force of the attack.

Xu Jin was stunned. "Ying, how do you know how to do that?"

Having performed the moves, Xu Ying was also stunned. ’Yeah, how do I know how to do this?’

The Incense Fire Flying Sword attacked again, faster and more powerful than before. It shot not only toward him, but also toward Xu Jin!

The Horse-faced Ghost God saw that he was protecting Xu Jin and knew it was his weakness, so it chose to strike at the older man!

A flash of insight struck Xu Ying’s mind. Without thinking, Sword Qi shot from his fingertips. In a few flashes of light, he sliced the Incense Fire Flying Swords to pieces!

’How do I know how to use Flying Swords?’

Xu Ying froze for a moment. He saw his own Sword Qi moving with elegant swiftness, zipping back and forth like lightning. He reached out to touch it, and the Sword Qi suddenly reverted to Qi Blood, drilling into his body like smoke and vanishing without a trace.

The Horse-faced Ghost God was furious and charged forward, shouting, "Trying to run? It won’t be that easy!"

He mobilized his Cultivation, and a chilling Incense Smoke Qi instantly manifested two more arms behind his back, giving him four in total. Each arm grasped a long saber formed from Incense Smoke Qi, the blades sixteen or seventeen feet long!

The Horse-Faced Divine Spirit’s footwork was a blur as its four arms flew. The light from its blades flashed like bolts of silk and a raging storm, whipping around in a furious dance as it howled toward them.

Xu Ying shielded Xu Jin as they retreated to the edge of the great fissure. Seeing that he couldn’t hold on, he instinctively dropped forward, his body moving like a coiling dragon-snake. A wondrous and profoundly mysterious sound echoed in his mind, stirring his Qi Blood!

WHOOSH!

Xu Ying pushed out with both palms. A dragon-snake soared forth, its power magnified countless times over. The massive creature coiled around the Horse-Faced Divine Spirit, flung it a hundred yards through the air, and smashed it against the cliff wall, reducing it to a pile of gore!

Xu Ying stood frozen, staring at his hands in disbelief.

Standing behind him, Xu Jin was also dumbfounded. He murmured, "Ying... what exactly are you?"

The thunder-like pattern on Xu Ying’s forehead gradually dimmed. "Dad, we need to get out of here, fast..." he said hurriedly.

BOOM!

A violent tremor came from the mountain behind them. Xu Ying spun around just in time to see the mountain closing, the fissure vanishing completely. A surging wave of air sent them both flying!

"Our boat!"

While still in mid-air, Xu Ying quickly grabbed hold of Xu Jin. The thought of their fishing boat and the big fish, still inside the mountain fissure, sent a chill through him. ’It’s over. What are we going to eat now?’

He supported Xu Jin as they landed. Suddenly sensing something amiss behind him, he spun around to see a hundred or so towering Divine Spirits that had appeared at some unknown time.

Some looked like the City Gods from a City God Temple, others like fierce deities from a monastery, all of them of varying sizes and postures.

The Divine Spirit in the lead was thirty feet tall, with the most powerful aura of them all. He shone with brilliant golden light, wrapped in dense Incense Smoke Qi, and the ceaseless chanting of thousands of worshippers echoed around him.

"Xu Ying, fugitive of the Yin Court. I never expected you to be hiding here."

The Golden Body Divine Spirit laughed aloud. "I’ve worn out iron shoes searching for you, only to find you here by a stroke of luck! This is a great merit the heavens have bestowed upon me, the Wuling Magistrate!"

This Golden Body Divine Spirit was none other than the Magistrate of Wuling County, a high official of the Yin Court. His Incense Smoke Qi was dense, backed by a thousand years of Dao Practice. After receiving news of Xu Ying’s appearance in Wuling, he had immediately led his forces here, managing to corner him just before he could leave the Underworld.

Xu Jin dropped to his knees with a THUD. He kowtowed repeatedly to the Wuling Magistrate and the other Ghost Gods, banging his head on the ground until it was bruised and bleeding. "My lord Divine Spirits, please spare us! Let a father and son live! I’m begging you!"

"If kowtowing worked, what would be the point of the Celestial Rules?"

The Wuling Magistrate didn’t even spare him a glance. He waved his hand and ordered, "Seize Xu Ying! Take him to the Yin Court to claim our reward!"

Behind him, one Ghost God after another charged out, pouncing on Xu Ying and Xu Jin!

Xu Ying clenched his fists. Looking at the endlessly powerful Ghost Gods charging at him, he couldn’t help but roar in fury, "What did I do wrong?!"

"ARGH—"

Power erupted from his entire body. As he roared at the sky, his Five Viscera trembled. The Xiyi opened, the Black Iron Profound Gate burst open with a KABOOM, and the waters of the Celestial River poured in.

Xu Ying faced a charging City God and threw a punch. Accompanying the blow, a Dao Sound like a great bell boomed, causing the power of his Techniques to skyrocket!

It was the Yuan Yu Eight Sounds, exploding and resonating through every part of his Flesh Body and soul, mobilizing an unparalleled power!

His punch shattered the City God’s arm bone, sending the limb flying. Its Golden Body was broken, and nearly half of its Incense Smoke Qi was destroyed!

The other Ghost Gods lunged, attacking from all directions. A blue sky spun into view behind Xu Ying, the Nine Wilds Surrounding Comfort unfolding to absorb the power of all the Ghost Gods into his Nuo Art Divine Power. Then, his Techniques changed, transforming into the Body Mirror. His form became like the Void, neutralizing all of their attacks!

In the sky of the Underworld, thunder and lightning had begun to rage. As Xu Ying brought down a seal, a Tribulation from Heaven descended, smashing a City God to pieces!

Amidst the flashes of lightning, a sword light flickered, piercing the spot between a Horse-Faced Divine Spirit’s eyebrows. The Long Sword then swung down, its light suddenly erupting to cleave another Ghost God in two from head to toe!

Xu Ying’s small figure weaved through the lightning, dragon-snakes coiling and flying around his body. BAM! BAM! BAM! He knocked back one Golden Body Divine Spirit after another.

WHOOSH!

The Thunder Pattern on his forehead grew ever brighter. A Sea of Chaos suddenly materialized behind his head, and Grotto Heavens appeared one after another, spinning into existence!

The wounds on his body healed at a rapid pace. He raised his hand in a seal to meet the Divine Power of another Ghost God. The Abnormal Phenomenon of Ten Thousand Mountains Venerate Jiuyi appeared within his Palm Seal, directly obliterating the Ghost God and its Divine Power into dust!

The blood of the Ghost Gods rained down in torrents, scattering everywhere. Blood fell like rain, and limbs flew through the air!

BOOM!

Xu Ying’s palm met the Wuling Magistrate’s, and he was thrown backward by the impact. The Wuling Magistrate roared again and again as he unleashed a thousand years of Incense Smoke Qi, his palms striking like mountains and forcing Xu Ying into a continuous retreat!

The Thunder Pattern between Xu Ying’s eyebrows blazed even brighter. Suddenly, with another tremendous RUMBLE, a sea of fire appeared behind him. The Jiang Palace Secret Treasury opened, and two great Yanyue Cave Heavens, like crescent-moon furnaces, ignited his Heart Fire!

Xu Ying’s aura surged, and he forcefully held his ground against the Wuling Magistrate’s assault!

CRACK!

A bolt of lightning fell from the sky, illuminating the surroundings—a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, littered with the massive bodies of fallen Divine Spirits.

Xu Ying and the Wuling Magistrate were locked in a stalemate, their palms pressed together, each pushing their Cultivation to the absolute limit!

Suddenly, the Thunder Pattern on Xu Ying’s forehead began to dim. But as it faded, a cloud of Profound Yellow Qi flew out from behind him, and another grotto heaven opened—the Yellow Court Cave Heaven!

A Divine Light suffused Xu Ying’s eyes. His Divine Sense was awakening!

The Wuling Magistrate knew this was bad. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Suddenly, two more arms burst from under his armpits—formed from Incense Smoke Qi—and with two heavy blows, BAM! BAM!, they smashed Xu Ying away!

He didn’t press his advantage. Instead, he spun around and dashed toward Xu Jin, reaching out to grab him. ’I’ll take this man hostage first...’ he thought.

At that very moment, a blinding flash of an axe blade lit up the scene. The Wuling Magistrate turned his head to see Xu Ying leaping through the air, gripping a massive Stone Axe with both hands. The axe light fell from above!

The Wuling Magistrate was split in two by the single blow!

Xu Ying landed, axe in hand, and slowly straightened up. The sky also began to brighten.

Only then did Xu Jin realize he was kneeling in a pool of blood, surrounded by severed limbs. The hands and feet scattered on the ground were about the same size as his own.

"Ying, are you really Ying?" Xu Jin murmured.

"I don’t know." Lost in a daze, Xu Ying tucked the Stone Axe into his belt.

He helped Xu Jin up and walked toward the cliff face. When they reached it, he drew the Stone Axe and brought it down in a single chop, splitting the rock wall open.

The two blood-soaked figures walked out.

The fishing boat was smashed, and the big fish had been crushed to a pulp. The father and son waded out through the water, which gradually rose to their chests, until they finally emerged from the fissure.

Sunlight shone down on them from outside. A thought stirred in Xu Ying’s mind. He lifted Xu Jin as Primordial Qi flowed beneath his feet, and their bodies gradually rose out of the water until they were standing on its surface.

Supporting him, Xu Ying walked onward until they reached a peach grove.

"Ying, do you still recognize me?"

A familiar voice came from behind him. Xu Ying turned to see a Big Snake raising its head from within the peach grove. It looked very familiar.

A name flashed through Xu Ying’s mind. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you... Lord Qi?"