Ascension Day

High up in the Big Locust Tree, Yuan Qi climbed back to a crook in its crown. He performed breathing exercises to accumulate power, preparing for Knocking at the Gate while quietly awaiting his second transformation.

"Stinky snake, are you going to turn into a human this time?" Da Zhong asked.

Yuan Qi was full of anticipation. He smiled and said, "When a Great Demon cultivates into a Demon King, they can take human form. My transformation was delayed when I first became a Demon King because I drank so much Dragon Blood. But this is my second transformation. I'll definitely become human this time."

Da Zhong's interest was suddenly piqued. "Ying may have passed the Taiyin Yuan Yu Skill on to you, but are you sure you've grasped it completely? If you only comprehend the Taiyin aspect, you'll turn into a woman. You might even end up as both male and female!"

Yuan Qi jumped in fright, his heart filled with dread and his mind thrown into turmoil.

Da Zhong shouted urgently, "You're in the Gate-Opening Stage, trying to knock at the Tailbone Profound Gate! If your heart isn't sincere, the Profound Gate won't open! Focus your mind, now! Stop thinking about whether you'll be a man or a woman and just let nature take its course!"

Yuan Qi hurriedly refocused.

Da Zhong circled around him, swaying gently and emitting soft chimes to help him quiet his mind. 'This is my fault,' it thought. 'If I hadn't brought up the whole man-or-woman thing, his thoughts wouldn't have run wild. I just hope his transformation is successful this time!'

The floral fragrance in the air was intense, and the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi was so abundant it was almost excessive. There was no need to consume a Great Medicine; one could attempt Knocking at the Gate and achieve a breakthrough fueled by the scent of the locust blossoms alone.

Before it knew it, night had fallen and the Naihe River had emerged. As Da Zhong stood guard over Yuan Qi, it suddenly felt the air turn chilly as the temperature plummeted. This was its first time spending the night outside since arriving at Huaihua Palace, so it hadn't realized how cold the nights could be.

It quickly nudged Yuan Qi closer to the fire pit to keep him from freezing stiff.

Just then, at the foot of the Big Locust Tree on the opposite bank of the Naihe River, specks of Ghost Fire suddenly flickered into existence. They gathered together, drifting eerily toward the tree.

'How strange…'

Da Zhong focused its senses, and its bell-like body shuddered. The Ghost Fires surging toward the Big Locust Tree were actually countless Netherworld Ghost Soldiers riding tall steeds, clad in decaying armor!

These Netherworld Ghost Soldiers were in orderly ranks. Not only were they riding skeletal horses, but some also rode giant Ox Demons, skeletal dragons, and skeletal phoenixes.

Other Ghost Soldiers carried tattered great banners. As the banners billowed, a ghastly wind seeped from their surfaces. Strange, slippery, dark-bodied creatures from the Underworld squirmed in and out of the holes riddling the fabric.

At the center of the grand army of Netherworld Ghost Soldiers was a Parasol covering an area of several acres. It resembled a huge, tattered umbrella, yet it was incomparably magnificent, despite being riddled with holes.

Long, pure-black streamers hung down from all around the Parasol. They, too, were corroded and tattered, fluttering in the wind.

Beneath the Parasol, Yin Ghosts stood with grim menace. Ghost Kings stood ramrod straight, holding Ghost Head Sabers and brimming with murderous intent.

Further back beneath the Parasol sat a majestic figure. He wore an emperor's crown from which beaded yingluo pendants hung, and a golden-yellow robe with a Coiling Dragon embroidered on the chest.

However, this majestic being was utterly devoid of flesh and blood. The face beneath the imperial crown was a bare skull, and the hand gripping the dragon throne was stark white bone!

Da Zhong rang out with a CLANG and cursed inwardly. 'This is bad! The place Zhou Qiyun picked has terrible feng shui! The master of Huaihua Palace must have been an Emperor! No wonder Huaihua Palace was never occupied by anyone else—the Emperor continued to reside here even after death! And now, its true master has returned!'

It suddenly understood why the Master of the Mud Pill Palace had been so slow to "harvest" Zhou Qiyun. They were waiting for the arrival of Huaihua Palace's original master.

With Zhou Qiyun occupying Huaihua Palace, its original master naturally couldn't sit idly by.

The moment Zhou Qiyun clashed with the palace's master would be the perfect time for the Master of the Mud Pill Palace to reap their harvest!

'If Zhou Qiyun can't handle this disaster, then when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Ying will be in terrible danger too!'

It gazed into the distance, wondering silently, 'I wonder which emperor from the Mortal World this one was?'

At that moment, the Zhou Clan's patriarch, Zhou Qiyun, walked over, followed by thirteen elders with faces of ancient venerability. They were impossibly old—the very same thirteen Zhou Clan Elders who had been sitting in the center of the main hall, comprehending the Jade Scroll Daoist Scripture.

Xu Ying was surprised. 'These thirteen Zhou Clan Elders have been engrossed in the Jade Scroll Daoist Scripture, completely oblivious to worldly affairs. Why have they awakened now?'

Behind the thirteen elders were the Zhou Clan disciples who had been dismantling the Great Temple World. Men and women, young and old, all wore grim expressions, as if facing a formidable enemy.

'I only stole one pillar. Surely they wouldn't mobilize an army this large just for that, right?' Xu Ying felt his confidence waver.

Zhou Qiyun walked past him without breaking his stride. "A pillar is missing from the main hall," he said. "Who took it?"

Xu Ying was about to make an excuse when the thirteen Zhou Clan Elders behind Zhou Qiyun raised their hands in unison and pointed directly at him.

Xu Ying decided against arguing. "I took it," he admitted. "Is that pillar really so important?"

Zhou Qiyun continued walking toward the palace entrance and said flatly, "What's taken is taken. This traveling palace doesn't belong to my Zhou Family anyway."

Xu Ying was rather surprised. Zhou Qiyun was the type to scrape the very land clean wherever he went. Why was he being so generous today?

"The rightful owner of this traveling palace has come to hold us accountable," Zhou Qiyun said flatly.

Xu Ying followed him out of Huaihua Palace and looked up. A boundless army of Netherworld Ghost Soldiers stood silently in the air, their ranks perfectly formed.

At the center of the vast army, beneath the tattered Parasol, sat the impeccably dressed Emperor Bai Gu. Ghost Kings stood below him like the civil and military officials of an imperial court.

A chill went down Xu Ying's spine. "They wouldn't go to all this trouble for a single Bronze Pillar," he said. "Elder Zhou, they aren't here for me."

Zhou Qiyun sighed, but a smile touched his lips. "They're here for me. I imagine the Master of the Mud Pill Palace has been waiting for this opportunity. And now, his wait is finally over."