Ascension Day

Xu Ying looked up to see the head of Zhou Qiyun's soul fly into the air. Sanmei True Fire shot out from it, incinerating the curved blade. His soul then reconnected, restoring him completely.

Xu Ying was deeply shaken. 'Even his soul can regenerate,' he thought. 'If Zhou Qiyun cultivates a Primordial Spirit, wouldn't his Primordial Spirit also be immortal and indestructible?'

The behemoth blotted out the sky as it came before Zhou Qiyun, its massive size a stark contrast to his small form.

When they collided, the sky became extremely unstable, as fragile and prone to shattering as a mirror.

Xu Ying saw balls of Thunder Fire escaping from the shattered space, zipping along the cracks in the sky before suddenly exploding in a display more brilliant than any firework!

At the exact moment the behemoth collided with Zhou Qiyun, the human skeleton stood up and thrust out with its sword.

This sword thrust from the skeleton seemed even more threatening than the behemoth's attack. Behind Zhou Qiyun, the Sea of Chaos churned as his Nine Great Grotto Heavens emerged in unison. They plunged into the sea, mobilizing all their power to counter the strike.

Suddenly, a brilliant ball of light exploded in the sky. For a moment, multicolored Immortal Light shone down from the torn-open heavens. Xu Ying was stunned to see the vivid colors of the Mysterious Domain, hues that could not possibly exist in the Mortal World.

Wherever the light shone, the portion of the Underworld surrounding the Big Locust Tree trembled violently. It was night, the period when the Underworld's invasion was at its peak, yet where the Immortal Light fell, the Underworld rapidly receded. Even the flow of the Naihe River was severed!

The unstable space between the Yin and Yang realms trembled even more violently. This Immortal Light, descending from the heavens, actually possessed the power to interfere in the conflict between the two realms!

Xu Ying saw the source of the Immortal Light. It shone from within Zhou Qiyun's body. He looked like an Immortal from the legends undergoing Ascension, ethereal and detached from the mortal world.

An Immortal Realm, with him at its center, began to unfold in all directions.

Xu Ying saw the majestic mountains and rivers of the Divine Land spread out around him like a painted scroll, a true Immortal Realm!

The behemoth and the master of Huaihua Palace were instantly pulled into this landscape of the Divine Land. Atop the behemoth's head, the human skeleton leaped up, shooting away like a stream of light. It tried to fly beyond the borders of the Immortal Realm, hoping to escape before the landscape of the Divine Land could fully unfold.

However, the landscape of the Divine Land expanded faster than it could fly. By the time it had flown for hundreds of miles, the landscape had completely merged with the surrounding world, leaving no discernible border.

The human skeleton stopped in mid-air and looked out. It could no longer see the New Land, the Big Locust Tree, or the Naihe River. It knew then that it could not escape unless it killed Zhou Qiyun.

The human skeleton turned back, sped to the behemoth's side, and landed atop its head. Rather than fighting separately, joining forces gave them a better chance of victory.

Their previous battle on Wuyang Mountain had been a hasty affair for both sides. Neither had been fully prepared, and they had parted ways before they could deploy their ultimate techniques.

They had not expected that in what should have been a surefire victory, Zhou Qiyun would unleash the final form of his Hidden Scenery Transformation, pulling them into his personal Immortal Realm for a decisive battle!

Xu Ying looked up, his expression changing as he saw that Emperor Bai Gu had also been pulled into the Divine Land Immortal Realm.

The Hidden Scenery Transformation Land was a unique cultivation method for Nuo Masters. The goal was to create an immortal realm for oneself when their lifespan ran out, a place for Stealth and Concealment, allowing them to achieve Longevity.

However, Zhou Qiyun's method of Cultivation was somewhat different. 'It's as if his Hidden Scenery Transformation Land isn't meant for Stealth and Concealment at all!'

'He intends to completely merge his Hidden Scenery Transformation Land with the entire Divine Land Continent, transforming the Divine Land itself into an Immortal Realm! He won't have to hide in the gaps between the Yin and Yang Realms like the White-robed Nuo Immortal!'

'He wants to live openly in the Mortal World, to be an immortal with Longevity, righteous and unconcealed!'

'In this aspect alone, he surpasses the White-robed Nuo Immortal by leaps and bounds!'

As Zhou Qiyun's Divine Land Immortal Realm blossomed, the flesh that had grown on the Netherworld Ghost Soldiers instantly rotted and sloughed off. The Ghost Soldiers regained their senses one by one, let out a roar, and charged toward Huaihua Palace.

The thirteen elders of the Zhou Family immediately shot into the sky to intercept the Ghost Soldiers.

These thirteen elders were immensely powerful. The Grotto Heavens behind them shone with extreme brilliance, warping the space around them. One elder's Hidden Scenery manifested as a Long River that surged through the air, sweeping back and forth and sending hundreds of Ghost Soldiers flying.

Another's was a mountain range of immense weight; it flew into the Cyan Nether Sky and then plummeted down, smashing the Ghost Soldiers into chaos and crushing them to dust.

Yet another was a long rainbow, and the elder standing upon it wreaked havoc in every direction!

However, there were simply too many Netherworld Ghost Soldiers. A large number of them immediately bypassed the elders and continued their charge toward Huaihua Palace.

"Xu Demon King, now is the perfect time for us to leave."

Xu Ying turned to see Yuan Weiyang and Uncle Xiao standing nearby. Yuan Weiyang met his gaze, his eyes clear, and said, "The Zhou Family's experts have their hands full, and their other masters will soon be overwhelmed. There's no one left who can stop us from leaving. If you're willing, Xu Demon King, Uncle Xiao can escort us out of here."

Xu Ying hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I have two friends up on the Big Locust Tree. I can't just leave them."

Uncle Xiao sneered. "To know others is to be wise; to know oneself is to be enlightened. Xu Ying, you know neither yourself nor others. I fear you'll die here. Follow me, and I can get you out!"

A barely perceptible smile touched Yuan Weiyang's lips. "Worthy of the name Xu Demon King," he said. "Uncle Xiao, let's go."

He followed Uncle Xiao, and they charged out of Huaihua Palace. The old servant in green fought his way through the siege, his strength astonishing as he cut down dozens of Ghost Soldiers before disappearing into the night.

The Zhou Family disciples also streamed out, clashing with the Ghost Soldiers in a bloody battle. Xu Ying, however, didn't join the fight. Instead, he took advantage of the chaos to slip back into Huaihua Palace and start searching for valuables.