Ascension Day

Xu Ying said flatly, "The Zhou Family invited me as a guest to break the Demon Technique for your family, yet you want to kill my friend. Aren't you afraid of angering your ancestor?"

Granny Zhou Yu hurriedly stopped and said with a smile, "Young Master Xu, the ancestor said to invite you, but he never said anything about inviting this Exotic Snake. However, I'll do you a favor and won't make things difficult for him." With that, she put Yuan Qi down.

Yuan Qi breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Ying climbed to the edge of the basket and looked out. He saw that the Bean Soldiers were still following Granny Zhou Yu, looking lost and confused.

Xu Ying waved his hand, and Vitality surged out from his Mud Pill Secret Treasury. The Golden Armor Bean Soldiers took root and sprouted one by one, growing into sturdy bean seedlings.

Xu Ying returned to the basket and thought, 'They're so small, it would be difficult for them to survive in the New Land. But if they return to their original selves and become beans again, they can thrive in this mountain forest, blossom, produce new beans, and live on for generations.'

Seeing this, Yuan Qi thought, 'Ever since I met Ying, I've faced so much danger, and Da Zhong has been injured time and time again. But we haven't left this Plague God, and it's probably because of his humanity.'

That was something a lot of people lacked.

Granny Zhou Yu sensed the flow of Activity within Xu Ying's body. Greatly shocked, she exclaimed, "Young Master Xu, you've opened the Mud Pill Secret Treasury?"

Xu Ying lay on his back in the basket with his legs crossed and said leisurely, "Even your family's ancestor has to consult me, so what's so surprising about me being able to open the Mud Pill Secret Treasury?"

Granny Zhou Yu snorted, covered the basket with a silk handkerchief, and hurried on her way. Her eyes flickered. 'The ancestor is in a fierce battle with that great subterranean creature, a fight so intense it's tearing the New Land apart. I wonder how it's going. I was hit by the shockwaves and badly injured. I need to find the other family members as soon as possible.'

From inside the basket, Xu Ying asked, "Granny Yu, why did you all come here? Logically speaking, shouldn't a lofty figure like the Zhou Family's ancestor be guarding the Capital?"

Granny Zhou Yu said, "You may not know this, Young Master Xu, but the change in the Naihe River's course and the invasion of the Underworld have sent massive shockwaves through the court and the country. Now, everyone has their eyes on this New Land in Yongzhou. Heh heh, in the entire Divine Land, what Treasure Mountain or Blessed Land hasn't been occupied by the Noble Families? Only the New Land remains untouched. All the treasures here are ownerless!"

Realization dawned on Xu Ying.

'Humans die for wealth, and birds die for food.' With the Underworld invading, the New Land on both banks of the Naihe River was bound to hold many treasures. Since ancient times, treasure has always tempted the hearts of men. The various powers of the Divine Land must have been stirred to action, and the number of people coming here to seek treasure and adventure would surely grow.

"My Zhou Family originated in Yongzhou," Granny Zhou Yu said. "Since a New Land has appeared in Yongzhou, it should rightfully belong to us. Our ancestor naturally had to come."

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out, "Excuse me, Granny, could you tell me how to get to Wuyang Mountain?"

Xu Ying was startled. 'That voice... it's Yuan Weiyang! That's right, and that old servant in green robes with him, Uncle Xiao, is definitely a top-tier expert!'

Just as he was about to call out, Granny Zhou Yu suddenly reached into the basket, grabbed Yuan Qi by the neck, and said with a smile, "You two, head that way."

A thought stirred in Xu Ying's mind, and he remained silent. Instead, he focused on comprehending the Realm-Breaking Sword Intent, and a faint, almost imperceptible trace of that Sword Intent emanated from the basket.

Yuan Weiyang said, "Thank you, Granny. Uncle Xiao, let's go."

Uncle Xiao's voice followed, "Young Master, you can go to Wuyang Mountain to see that Xu Demon King, but you must remember, under no circumstances are you to go into the river to catch fish or dig for loaches!"

Yuan Weiyang's gentle voice replied, "I am merely going to discuss the Divine Sense Refining Skill with him. Why would I go into the river to catch fish?"

As they walked further away, Granny Zhou Yu finally released her grip on Yuan Qi's neck and continued onward. After a short while, her voice came again, "Young Master Xu, there's a ruined temple up ahead. Let's take shelter there and wait for my family to find us... Water Gate Temple! What a strange name!"

As Granny Zhou Yu carried the basket toward the Water Gate Temple, Xu Ying's heart tightened. 'This is bad! The Zhou Family doesn't want me dead, but the White-robed Nuo Immortal most certainly does!'

Yuan Weiyang's gentle voice sounded again. "Granny, ahead is the Hidden Scenery Transformation Land of a Nuo Immortal. That Nuo Immortal died a violent death, and his resentment is very strong. It would be unwise to proceed."

Granny Zhou Yu stopped and said with a smile, "Thank you for the advice. Weren't you going to Wuyang Mountain? Why have you returned?"

Yuan Weiyang's tone became somewhat cold. "My friend is in your basket. Why would I need to go to Wuyang Mountain?"

Inside the basket, Xu Ying suddenly heard a tremendous noise from outside, like the earth cracking and mountains collapsing. The basket shook violently. 'It must be the old servant in green, Uncle Xiao, attacking Granny Zhou Yu!'

"The Yuan Family's Nuo Technique?"

The basket tossed and turned. Xu Ying couldn't see anything outside through the wickerwork and had no idea how the battle was going.

Suddenly, with a WHOOSH, Xu Ying felt the basket fly into the air, but it didn't feel like it was being held. He quickly called to Yuan Qi, and together, man and snake leaped out!

Sure enough, the basket was flying through the air, but Granny Zhou Yu was nowhere nearby. Only intense fluctuations of Divine Power could be felt from a distance.

Xu Ying and Yuan Qi plummeted through the air. Yuan Qi screamed in terror, but Xu Ying shouted, "Ants can't die from falling! We're not much bigger than them, so we'll be fine!"

They crashed to the ground with a whistle, creating a small crater.

Xu Ying bounced back up and fled with Yuan Qi at top speed. They ran without stopping for what felt like an eternity, only halting to rest when they were completely exhausted.

After running for so long, they had only managed to cross a single small hill.

Suddenly, Granny Zhou Yu's venomous voice echoed, "Young Master Xu, why did the Yuan Family's expert suddenly attack me? Perhaps you can give me an explanation?"

Xu Ying's heart tightened. He stood up and saw Granny Zhou Yu approaching, covered in blood.

The old woman had already been injured by the shockwaves from the Divine Power of the Zhou Family's ancestor and the subterranean creature, an injury that even the Mud Pill Secret Treasury couldn't heal. Now, she had been severely wounded again by Uncle Xiao. Her heart blazed with rage as she said viciously, "Young Master Xu, you're full of tricks, but you can't escape my grasp! You've been hit by my Nuo Technique. No matter where you go, you can't escape my senses! Since you refuse to do this the easy way, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Her expression darkened. "My ancestor only ordered me to bring you back. He didn't say whether you had to be alive, dead, or maimed!"

Xu Ying surged his Qi Blood, his body suddenly growing from the size of a soybean to two or three inches tall. "Granny Yu," he said, "did it never occur to you that perhaps you didn't find me here, but that I led you here instead?"

Granny Zhou Yu sneered and reached out to grab him. "Break my Nuo Art? In your dreams! Even if you did lead me here, so what?"

At that very moment, a sense of alarm flared within her. She leaped up hastily as a Bone Soul-Beating Whip shot silently toward her from behind, passing just beneath her feet.

'That was close, but it didn't hit me!'

The thought had barely crossed her mind when four Bone Soul-Beating Whips lashed down upon her, sending the old woman screaming in agony to the ground!

Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief and looked behind Granny Zhou Yu. There, standing amidst a sinister wind, were five imposing Ox Demons. Wielding Bone Soul-Beating Whips, they surrounded the old woman and began lashing her mercilessly.

Yuan Qi felt immensely satisfied and shouted, "Yeah! Give her a good thrashing!"

Xu Ying smiled faintly and whispered, "I've been waiting for you."

After escaping from the basket, he had deliberately fled toward the shattered remains of Wuyang Mountain. He knew that as long as the five Ox Demons were alive, they would relentlessly pursue him.

Sure enough, just as Granny Zhou Yu caught up to them, the five Ox Demons arrived as well.

Granny Zhou Yu screamed continuously as she was beaten, rolling around on the ground. Her cries were so pitiful that even Xu Ying felt a pang of pity, so he plugged his ears with his fingers.

'If I can't hear it, I won't feel sorry for her.'

Just then, Xu Ying saw a young man standing not far away. He had a heroic air about him, but his snow-white eyebrows were rather strange.

The young man stood there quietly, watching the Ox Demons whip Granny Zhou Yu without intervening.

Yuan Qi also saw the white-browed youth, and a baseless fear rose in his heart, as if he had encountered a natural enemy.

Xu Ying raised an eyebrow slightly. He saw something familiar about this white-browed youth.

The white-browed youth strode over and said softly, "The reason I didn't stop them from whipping her is that she disobeyed my orders. I told her to invite you, but she used humiliating methods to shrink you, showing no respect for an honored guest. Therefore, she deserved this beating."

He came to stand before Xu Ying and said flatly, "My name is Zhou Qiyun. Three hundred years ago, I was just like you: a Snake Catcher."