Ascension Day

At the Water Gate Temple, he had been deeply shaken after witnessing the Zhou Family's methods—they'd tear the very tiles from a temple's roof. This inspired him to try and grab some loot amidst the chaos.

Xu Ying slipped into the study where Zhou Qiyun was recuperating, planning to find some treasure. He saw a Jade Seal on the desk, knew it was valuable, and snatched it up.

Just then, the sky trembled violently, as if a great mountain was smashing down from above, causing the ground to shake relentlessly.

Xu Ying quickly pushed open the window to look outside. He saw a mountain range a hundred li long crashing into the Underworld Mountains. Its undulating peaks and ridges were unmistakably the body of a behemoth!

Xu Ying looked up and saw the behemoth's head plummeting from Zhou Qiyun's Immortal Realm!

As he stared upward, Xu Ying also saw the grand Parasol that covered several acres shatter and fly backward, disintegrating in a flash of brilliant light.

The next moment, Emperor Bai Gu shattered. His tattered Primordial Spirit erupted in flames and fled, trailing fire.

Seeing this, Xu Ying closed the window lattice, placed the Jade Seal back where he found it, wiped away his fingerprints, exited the study, and shut the door.

'Looting during a crisis depends on whether you can handle the fight,' the simple-looking youth thought to himself.

From the sky, the behemoth's head crashed down, wreathed in roaring flames. It rolled across the ground for several revolutions, and in just those few turns, it covered more than ten li, coming to a stop right in front of the fleeing Yuan Weiyang and Uncle Xiao.

A towering mountain had suddenly appeared, its base still gushing pulp and gore, forming a Blood River five or six zhang wide.

Uncle Xiao was about to lead Yuan Weiyang over the mountain, but Yuan Weiyang stopped. Uncle Xiao turned back, a confused look on his face.

Yuan Weiyang's expression was calm. "Uncle Xiao, we can't escape. Let's go back."

Uncle Xiao raised his voice. "Young Master Weiyang, if we cross this mountain, we can get away!"

Yuan Weiyang shook his head. "The Zhou Family's old ancestor is now the number one figure in the Divine Land. He is far, far stronger than when he defeated our ancestor, Yuan Wuji."

Uncle Xiao didn't understand.

Yuan Weiyang continued, "Rather than fleeing only to be captured, it's better to stay of our own accord. By staying at his side, we can still learn a great deal from him."

Uncle Xiao said grimly, "But once he's done using you, he'll eliminate you! Staying here is a death sentence!"

"Uncle Xiao, don't you understand yet? Throwing down the head of the Master of the Mud Mound Palace was a warning."

Yuan Weiyang turned and walked back towards Huaihua Palace. "He could throw that head to form a mountain and block our path, or he could have thrown it directly on top of us. Neither of us could have stopped it. We would have simply been crushed."

Uncle Xiao's Heart Spirit trembled violently. He staggered back to Yuan Weiyang's side, muttering, "The Zhou Family's ancestor can't be this strong. He can't possibly fight two peerless beings and still monitor our every move..."

Yuan Weiyang gazed up at the battle in the sky's Immortal Realm, his face calm. "He is already an Immortal in the Human World. As long as he makes no mistakes, he is invincible in the Mortal World, destined for Longevity. It's just..."

He was a bit perplexed, whispering, 'Old Ancestor Zhou, what are you still seeking? Why do you still need our help to decipher the Cultivation Techniques of the Qi Refiners?'

When Yuan Weiyang returned to Huaihua Palace, he saw that the turmoil had already subsided. Xu Ying was there waiting for them.

When Uncle Xiao saw Xu Ying, his old face flushed red. He raised a sleeve to hide his face, muttering to himself in shame. 'I praised him for his wisdom in knowing others and his enlightenment in knowing himself,' he thought. 'I never expected he would foresee our return and wait for us here.'

Xu Ying, however, didn't seem to mind. He looked up at the final duel in the Immortal Realm between Zhou Qiyun and the human skeleton, his face tinged with worry. "I never expected the Zhou Family's ancestor to be this powerful. I thought at the very least, both sides would be grievously injured."

Before, he had been confident he could escape Zhou Qiyun's grasp. Now, he had no confidence at all!

A hidden worry also grew in Yuan Weiyang's heart.

Zhou Qiyun would never allow them to continue lazing about; he would certainly force them to decipher the Tuo Yu Immortal Book.

Refuse to decipher it, and they would die.

Decipher it, and they would also die!

"Then we'll give him the Tuo Yu Immortal Book," Xu Ying said suddenly.

Yuan Weiyang looked at him in surprise, then after a moment, nodded silently.

The battle in the sky's Immortal Realm ceased. Xu Ying looked up and saw the human skeleton standing in mid-air. Its sword suddenly shattered with a CLATTER, but the skeleton itself remained upright and unmoving.

Meanwhile, the youthful Zhou Qiyun, with his white brows, straightened his robes. He lifted the hem of his garment and knelt respectfully before the skeleton, placing his hands on the ground and bowing his head to the floor.

"You were my Benefactor Teacher, after all. Despite your malicious intentions, I am still indebted to you."

Zhou Qiyun's face was placid as he said, "To kill you is an act of filial impiety. I kneel to beg my Benefactor Teacher's forgiveness."

The skeleton let out a great laugh. "Good, good! With a disciple such as you, my heart is at ease. I can finally depart without worry!"

With a loud CRACK, the skeleton exploded, turning into fine dust.

Zhou Qiyun retracted his Immortal Realm, and the magnificent Divine Land rolled up like a painted scroll, absorbed into his body.

He walked down from the sky with a steady gait, but as he landed, he suddenly stumbled. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth, which he immediately swallowed.

Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang rejoiced inwardly. 'He is injured after all! He's not invincible!'

However, as if by some strange impulse, Zhou Qiyun glanced at the Big Locust Tree nearby. His white brows rose slightly as he whispered, "Seeing that I am injured, are you still not going to make your move?"

Hearing this, Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang's hair stood on end, each strand trembling.

Zhou Qiyun's words contained multiple hidden meanings. The mere thought of them made their bodies shudder, and they dared not dwell on them for too long.

Zhou Qiyun walked over, his expression calm. He gave the two of them a slight nod and said, "In the next few days, I want to see the translated scrolls of the Tuo Yu Immortal Book. Prepare yourselves." With that, he walked into Huaihua Palace.

Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang glanced at each other. After a moment of silence, they spoke in unison, "Is he really injured? Or is he pretending to be injured to draw out another enemy?"

Uncle Xiao was utterly baffled and quickly asked, "The other enemy you're talking about is?"

Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang both looked towards the Big Locust Tree. Uncle Xiao followed their gaze, confused. "Young Master, you mean this Big Locust Tree? Impossible, the Big Locust Tree is just a tree..."

Xu Ying leaned close to Yuan Weiyang's ear and whispered, "Your family's steward is a bit dim-witted. You shouldn't listen to his every word, or he'll drag you down with him."

Yuan Weiyang, his breath fragrant as an orchid, whispered back, "I know. But sometimes I can't go against his wishes. My mother was very strict and told me to listen to him when we are away from home."

Xu Ying said, "He'll make you stupid. Your earlobe is really pretty, by the way. It's so translucent, it almost seems to glow."

Yuan Weiyang's earlobe turned red.

Uncle Xiao's face darkened. He stepped forward and shoved his hands between them, forcing them apart.

Xu Ying just chuckled. "Let's go! We'll get some sleep and start deciphering the Tuo Yu Immortal Book tomorrow!"

The night passed peacefully.

At midnight, during the Hour of the Ox, a sudden storm of lightning and thunder erupted. The earth shook violently, and the room where the Zhou Family's ancestor, Zhou Qiyun, resided exploded. Everyone rushed outside, only to see strange shadows moving across the window lattice. Inside, the flickering candlelight cast ominous shadows that danced like swinging axes.

Suddenly, a series of loud CRUNCHES echoed as immense, thick roots burst from the ground. Like giant pythons, only far thicker, they coiled and tangled, tightly enveloping Zhou Qiyun's room!

After a moment, the Big Locust Tree trembled violently twice, then fell silent.

Xu Ying was also in the crowd, wondering what had just happened inside Zhou Qiyun's room.

As he puzzled over it, the door beneath the layers of roots opened. Zhou Qiyun emerged, his complexion much better than before. "I have borrowed eight thousand years of Vitality and Activity from my friend, Daoist Big Locust Tree. I feel much better now. You may all return to your rest."

Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang felt their scalps tingle. They turned and silently walked back.

After a moment, Yuan Weiyang whispered, "Lord Zhong once said that the Big Locust Tree only had eight thousand years left before it would be burned to death."

Xu Ying nodded grimly. "He feigned his injury to lure the Big Locust Tree into attacking him, but his real plan was to steal its Vitality. The moment the Big Locust Tree made its move, it fell right into his trap."

Yuan Weiyang said, "So, he really was seriously injured."

A glint flashed in Xu Ying's eyes. When Zhou Qiyun killed the Master of the Mud Mound Palace, he had indeed been grievously wounded. If the Big Locust Tree had attacked then, it could have definitely killed him. But because Zhou Qiyun put on a show of being injured, the Big Locust Tree didn't dare to act.

He waited until he returned to his room, finished his preparations, and then lured the Big Locust Tree into making its move.

The moment the Big Locust Tree acted, it was doomed.