Ascension Day

Uncle Xiao let out a great shout, activating his Primordial Qi and Divine Sense. Instantly, the fog for hundreds of yards around them was rapidly cleared!

The creatures in the fog were fast, but the Magical Power of a Grand Nuo like Uncle Xiao was simply too immense, his aura too overwhelming. They had no time to hide and were exposed for all to see.

They were small, pale-faced ghosts that looked like three or four-year-old children. Their bodies were a ghastly white, and they wore only a pair of white shorts. They preferred to move on all fours, and they were incredibly fast.

In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.

"They're just some little ghosts," Uncle Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hee hee." The laughter of the little ghosts came from within the fog.

The fog soon surged back in, swallowing their surroundings. Xu Ying walked forward, seeing only tall willow trees all around them, their Willow Branches dancing in the dark.

Those little ghosts hid in the fog, appearing and disappearing like phantoms. Occasionally, they would climb a willow tree, squat on a branch, and giggle at them incessantly.

Their way of climbing trees was also strange. Their feet were as agile as a Spiritual Ape's, grabbing the bark to walk up the tree as if on level ground, and soon they would be squatting high above.

They also jumped around like Spiritual Apes.

"Ying, where are we?" Yuan Qi trailed at the very back, yawning. "I'm so sleepy," he said wearily. "I have no energy."

Xu Ying stopped. "I was just thinking we should probably stop and wait for Zhou Qiyun to find us and lead us out. We're truly lost… Xiaoqi, what's wrong?"

Hearing this, Yuan Weiyang turned to look at Yuan Qi and jumped in fright. In the blink of an eye, Yuan Qi, the once fat and massive Big Snake, was now gasping for breath, as skinny as a rail!

At some point, snow-white Ghost Dolls had swarmed onto the Big Snake's back. Grinning, they had their lips puckered, sucking his Yang Qi out one mouthful at a time!

Many other Ghost Dolls were blowing on Yuan Qi's Yang Fire. Of his three flames of Yang Fire, these Ghost Dolls had already extinguished two!

The last flame of Yang Fire, the most vigorous of the three, was on top of Yuan Qi's head. It hadn't been blown out yet, but it was already sputtering and threatening to go out at any moment.

'What in the world are these little ghosts?'

Just as Yuan Weiyang had this thought, she saw a Ghost Doll perched on Uncle Xiao's shoulders, grinning as it covered his eyes with its hands.

Uncle Xiao's eyes were wide and staring. He was talking to a willow tree, apparently mistaking it for one of them!

'A ghost has clouded his vision!' Yuan Weiyang was both shocked and furious.

Uncle Xiao could still see well enough to walk, but heaven only knew what he was actually seeing!

Xu Ying also saw the Ghost Doll on Uncle Xiao's back. "What is this thing?" he shouted, reaching out to pull it off.

But Yuan Weiyang saw his hand pass straight through the Ghost Doll's body, touching nothing.

These Ghost Dolls were spirits, with no Flesh Body. Xu Ying had never studied any soul-related Nuo Arts, so he couldn't touch them.

Just then, Yuan Weiyang noticed her own vision starting to go askew. "Xu Demon King," she asked urgently, "is there a Ghost Doll on my back covering my eyes?"

Xu Ying looked over. Two Ghost Dolls had jumped onto Yuan Weiyang's back. One covered her eyes, while the other grinned and stuck two fingers in Yuan Weiyang's ears.

Another Ghost Doll climbed onto Yuan Weiyang's back to blow on the two flames of Yang Fire on her shoulders.

Xu Ying quickly said, "Brother Yuan, have you ever learned any Nuo Techniques for dealing with souls?"

Yuan Weiyang could no longer hear what he was saying, nor see where he was. Both her sight and hearing were being affected by the Ghost Dolls.

Xu Ying was both shocked and furious, but he saw that the Ghost Dolls only attacked Yuan Weiyang, Yuan Qi, and Uncle Xiao, while staying far away from him.

'I've eaten so many Ten Thousand Spirits Pills,' he suddenly remembered. 'My soul has practically solidified into an Undying True Spirit. With the Bone Soul-Beating Whip, I could even beat the Divine Spirits in the Broken Temple World until they cried out in pain!'

'My soul is extremely strong, which must be why they won't attack me. But how do I unleash its power?'

A flash of inspiration struck Xu Ying. During his Cultivation of the Taiyi Guiding Skill in the Gate-Opening Stage, he had been able to clearly sense his soul's growth. He immediately activated the Taiyi Guiding Skill, focusing his senses on his soul, and recalled the feeling of his soul being blasted from his Flesh Body by the chime of Lord Zhong's Bell.

With a THUD, Yuan Qi collapsed. The Big Snake was nothing but skin and bones, its great mouth hanging open as it snored loudly. The Ghost Dolls were still relentlessly trying to blow out the Yang Fire on its head.

This particular Yang Fire was the most vigorous, so it couldn't be extinguished in a short time. But once it was out, his lifespan would be exhausted, and he too would become a ghost!

"You beast! What do you think you're doing to my Young Master?" Uncle Xiao suddenly roared and viciously attacked a willow tree, his strikes ruthless, though it was unclear who he was mistaking the tree for.

Yuan Weiyang managed to keep her wits about her. She knew her five senses were being deceived by the Ghost Dolls, and that anything she said or did would be a mistake. She simply stood perfectly still.

Gradually, Xu Ying's perception of his soul grew stronger, and the bond between his Divine Sense and his soul grew tighter.

Suddenly, he raised a hand and tapped the spot between his eyebrows.

Xu Ying's expression turned vacant. He looked back and saw himself standing in place while his own body lay on the ground. Once again, his soul had grown so powerful that it had been forced out of his Flesh Body.

He had no time to dwell on it. With a furious roar, the light of his Undying True Spirit erupted from his being, a brilliant soul-light that radiated in every direction!

WHOOSH—

The Ghost Dolls shrieked as the soul-light washed over them. Their bodies contorted, and they tumbled off Yuan Weiyang, Uncle Xiao, and Yuan Qi.

Xu Ying's soul circulated its Primordial Qi according to the Taiyi Guiding Skill. The light around him intensified, and the Ghost Dolls shrieked endlessly under its pressure, their bodies shrinking ever smaller.

Xu Ying stopped the soul-light from flaring any further. He glanced at Yuan Qi and saw that the big snake was still fast asleep, but the Yang Fire on his head was not extinguished. He breathed a sigh of relief.

As for Yuan Weiyang and Uncle Xiao, they had also regained their senses.

Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, letting his soul-light dim. The Ghost Dolls scrambled to their feet, their faces filled with awe. They whispered incomprehensible, fawning gibberish as they slowly backed away.

The Ghost Dolls that had devoured Yuan Qi's Yang Qi jumped onto his body and spat out the stolen Yang Qi. Soon, Yuan Qi's other two flames of Yang Fire relit and gradually grew stronger.

After returning the Yang Qi, they kept their eyes fixed on Xu Ying, offering placating smiles and chattering in that strange ghostly tongue. Like whispers on the wind, they slowly retreated into the fog and vanished.

'These Ghost Dolls really know how to prey on the weak and fear the strong,' Xu Ying thought, shaking his head as he went to wake Yuan Qi.

Yuan Qi was still confused. "What happened? How did I fall asleep?"

He was a Qi Refiner in the Gate-Opening Stage, and Uncle Xiao was a Grand Nuo. Yet they had both been deceived by these seemingly fragile little ghosts and nearly died. The realization put Xu Ying on high alert.

"Something's not right here. Everyone be careful. Stick close together, let's get out of this willow forest!"

In the Yin Court, Zhou Qiyun endured the onslaught of numerous Nuo Immortals as he advanced step by step toward Senluo Palace. As he reached the final steps, his aura exploded. He clashed directly with the Yin Court Emperor. The shockwave from the collision of their Nuo Techniques shook even the magnificent Hidden Lands of the Yin Court itself.

The Ghost Nuo Immortals within those Hidden Lands held back, afraid of causing collateral damage, and ceased their attacks.

Inside Senluo Palace, the Yin Court Emperor also ceased his assault.

Zhou Qiyun ascended the final stone step and entered the palace. A handsome Immortal with refined features sat within the great hall. A sword wound pierced the spot between his eyebrows, running clean through his skull.

One could tell from the wound that he had been killed by an Eight-sided Sword.

That's right. He was a corpse.

His Primordial Spirit hovered behind him. It was this Primordial Spirit that had just been fighting Zhou Qiyun.

"Master Zhou, your current strength has already surpassed that of the Emperor of Ultimate Dao back in his day. You have blended Qi Refining and Nuo Technique, and are beginning to show the air of a Grandmaster."

"Your lifespan is nearly at its end," the Yin Court Emperor praised. "If you've come to seize power and usurp my throne, then I have little choice but to abdicate in favor of a more worthy man and let you inherit my title."

Zhou Qiyun sat down on the floor and met his gaze, his expression calm. "I have not come to seize the power of the Yin Court."

The Yin Court Emperor asked doubtfully, "Could your purpose be the same as the Emperor of Ultimate Dao? To sign a contract with me, agreeing that the Mortal World is yours to rule and the Underworld is mine?"

He laughed. "I can sign such a contract with you. But when you lack the strength to back it up, a contract is just a piece of waste paper—too rough to even wipe your ass with."

Zhou Qiyun shook his head. "I did not come for the sake of the Mortal World either."

The Yin Court Emperor's expression gradually grew solemn. He said in a deep voice, "Then for what purpose have you come?"

Zhou Qiyun said, word by word, "I want... to Cross the Tribulation and Ascend!"

————A huge thank you to the 114th Alliance Leader, "Terminal Lazy-Fat Cancer," and the 115th Alliance Leader, Du Du Rabbit, for your generous tips! I love you, bosses! I'm off to work overtime!!!