Ascension Day

Xu Ying's scalp tingled as he listened. Seventeen Nuo Immortals had secluded themselves in their own Hidden Scenery Transformation Lands, hoping to become Immortals in the Human World. Who would have thought that not a single one of them would survive!

'Then, does the path of a Nuo Master's cultivation still have any meaning or value?'

"They experienced great terror before they died. When I examined their bodies, they were often just like this Ghost Nuo Immortal—nothing but a husk of skin left behind."

Zhou Qiyun carefully inspected the White-robed Nuo Immortal's skin, unwilling to miss a single detail. "Some other Nuo Immortals' bodies were relatively intact, just missing certain parts. For example, a Nuo Immortal who cultivated the Mud Ball Secret Treasury would be missing their brain's Mud Pill Palace. A Nuo Immortal who cultivated the Jiang Palace Secret Treasury would have their heart dug out. Others had their feet severed, their heads removed, and so on."

Xu Ying and Yuan Qi couldn't help but shudder.

According to their deductions, the one who killed these Nuo Immortals was the very person who had taught them their cultivation techniques—their own master!

But from Zhou Qiyun's description, it sounded more like they were livestock being raised for food. A picky gourmand would select the most delicious parts to savor—some found the Mud Pill tasty, others the heart, so they only consumed those specific areas.

Yuan Qi couldn't help but ask, "I've read in a book that for some, Ascension is like a cicada shedding its shell. The Flesh Body is like the exuvia—just a husk, a worldly burden that holds us back. Only by shedding this husk can one achieve Ascension. So, is it possible that those Nuo Immortals who were nothing but skin have actually ascended?"

Zhou Qiyun said in surprise, "You certainly have read a lot of books."

Yuan Qi lifted his head proudly, though his tone was laced with a hint of humility. "The Niu Family is a scholarly one, with a vast collection of books. I've read a few in my spare time."

He then remembered that his home was gone, and most of those books were probably submerged underwater. The glory of three generations of the Niu Family was all gone, washed away, and he couldn't help but be overcome with sorrow.

Hearing the name "Niu Family," Zhou Qiyun frowned, wondering why a family would have such a surname. He had no idea this was all a consequence of the Elephant Power Ox Demon Fist scroll he had unintentionally left behind all those years ago.

"I am aware of that theory. There's another one called Ascension by Metamorphosis, which claims they transform into butterflies, shedding their original shells and changing into a form beyond our comprehension."

"However," Zhou Qiyun said, "I have carefully studied the husks left behind by these so-called Ascenders. I discovered that they were, in fact, eaten. There was no Ascension to speak of."

Yuan Qi added, "There's another Ascension Technique, called Ascension by Tribulation Fire. A Nuo Immortal passes away in meditation as Tribulation Fire ignites their body, leaving only a pile of ash. Their true soul, however, has already ascended to the Immortal Realm."

Zhou Qiyun couldn't resist giving him a couple more glances. "You really are well-read," he praised. "Have you heard of another method, Ascension by Martial Release?"

Yuan Qi nodded. "I have. Legend has it that when a Nuo Immortal dies or is killed and buried in a coffin, the coffin is later opened to reveal no corpse, only items like clothing and fingernails. This is known as Ascension by Martial Release, or Ascension by Corpse Deliverance. They leave behind such items merely to deceive onlookers and avoid causing a worldly sensation."

Xu Ying hadn't been able to get a word in, just listening to their discussion. 'Looks like reading books is actually useful,' he thought. 'I can't contribute to this kind of conversation at all.'

Zhou Qiyun said, "But what if all of that is a lie? What if these Nuo Immortals never ascended, but were simply eaten until nothing but their clothes and fingernails remained?"

Yuan Qi's face darkened, and he snapped, "Are you saying everything in the books is a lie?"

Zhou Qiyun laughed. "It depends on who wrote the books. If I were to write one, I'd expose all these fraudulent schemes! I'd write down the bloody truth to keep future generations from being led astray!"

He tossed aside the White-robed Nuo Immortal's skin, strode out of the Great Temple, and declared, "For these seventeen Nuo Immortals, their masters are the true culprits! The purpose of these old monsters in passing down their techniques isn't to continue their own legacies—it's to harvest leeks!"

He sneered, "They treat the world's greatest talents like leeks, harvesting them crop after crop! But I refuse to be a leek! I will turn their own weapons against them!"

Xu Ying followed him out, only to find the area outside the Great Temple filled with people—a dense, dark, overwhelming crowd.

These people radiated immense power. Behind them, the Sea of Chaos churned as brilliant Grotto Heavens distorted Space-Time, plunging into the sea to draw upon its Energy.

The dazzling light radiating from the Grotto Heavens was so brilliant it outshone the sun of the Great Temple World!

"The masters of the Zhou Family... as numerous as the stars in the sky!" Xu Ying couldn't help but marvel.

What an immense Noble Family, what a colossal force!

Zhou Qiyun stood before the temple gate, his voice echoing through the mountains. "Members and disciples of the Zhou Clan, hear my command! Tear down the door of every temple you find and strip the tiles from every roof! Pry out every last coffin nail! I want this Hidden Scenery Transformation Land stripped bare!"

The assembled masters of the Zhou Family bowed in unison. "Yes, sir!"

They scattered in all directions. Anything of value was dismantled and carried away. Even the Hidden Scenery left by the White-robed Nuo Immortal was subjected to Refinement by powerful Nuo Masters and sealed into strange-looking vessels.

Xu Ying even saw them roll up the White-robed Nuo Immortal's skin.

Some even went to the Five Peaks Immortal Mountain, where they cut off pieces of flesh and blood, placing them in vessels to be cultured for some unknown purpose.

As for the petrified Divine Spirits, they were hauled away as well, with not a single one left behind.

Judging by their methodical actions, this was clearly not the first time they had done something like this; they had done it many times over.

Zhou Qiyun continued to walk ahead. A cloud of mist materialized beneath the feet of Xu Ying and Yuan Qi, and the man and the snake found themselves standing upon it, involuntarily following him.

"Elder Zhou," Xu Ying asked, "in the more than eighty years you've spent searching for Nuo Immortals, have you truly not found a single one who survived?"

Zhou Qiyun stopped and pondered for a moment before replying, "I've found seventeen dead Nuo Immortals. However, there were other Hidden Scenery Transformation Lands that were completely empty—no Nuo Immortal corpses, not even ashes. I can't be certain whether they're alive or not, but the chances are slim."