Ascension Day

"Crossing Tribulation and Ascending?"

The Yin Court Emperor's Heart Spirit was greatly shaken, and the Immortal Light radiating from his massive Primordial Spirit wavered. After a moment, he spoke unhurriedly, "Crossing the Tribulation... I haven't heard anyone mention that term in a very long time. Has it been a thousand years, or three thousand... Back then, people still dared to speak of it. It makes one feel rather sentimental."

He looked directly at Zhou Qiyun and said, "All those who dared speak of Crossing Tribulation and Ascending back then are dead. I watched those arrogant geniuses fall, one after another, and disappear, one after another, until heaven and earth fell silent, with no one left to speak of it. All that remains is a crippled Immortal like me, barely clinging to life."

Zhou Qiyun's expression turned solemn. He respectfully asked, "I implore Your Majesty to enlighten me."

The Yin Court Emperor said, "The Celestial Tribulation originates from the Heavenly Dao World, its power drawn from a Celestial Dao Divine Artifact. No one can cross it. Any Qi Refiner who reaches the Ascension Stage will die beneath the Celestial Tribulation. There is no Ascension in this world, no Immortal Realm! Master Zhou, give up. Just be a good Nuo Immortal. Even without Ascension, you can live a free and easy life in the Mortal World, just like an Immortal. After you die, you can come to my Underworld. The Underworld needs a talent like you!"

Zhou Qiyun shook his head. "Is Your Majesty familiar with sparrows? They roost under the eaves, flying no higher than the trees and no lower than the bushes. They flock with chickens and dogs, fighting over seeds and insects, living a life of mediocrity. From the moment they are born, you can see their entire life, all the way to their death. There is no change."

The Yin Court Emperor laughed. "But isn't that the life of countless mortals?"

"But that is a life I refuse to live!"

Zhou Qiyun's face was impassive as he said, "I do not wish to be an ordinary man. Even as a Nuo Immortal, I refuse to see my entire life laid out before me, all the way to the end. I want to soar high, not be a mere sparrow. I want to realize my grand ambitions, to spread my wings and fly ninety thousand li!"

Though his expression was cold, flames flickered in his eyes, as if a fire burning deep in his heart had reached them.

The Yin Court Emperor said, "You are a Nuo Immortal. The very purpose for which the Nuo Immortals were created was to avoid the Celestial Tribulation and become an Immortal in the Human World. You have no tribulation to cross, so how can you speak of Crossing the Tribulation?"

Zhou Qiyun said, "I have already found a Magic Skill for Crossing the Tribulation. But I am hesitant, uncertain."

The Yin Court Emperor hummed and asked, "What is it that makes you hesitate?"

"This world is full of emergent prodigies and established masters. When I attune myself to the heavens and the earth, I often sense ancient presences and hear inexplicable whispers. They seem to come from the hidden corners of the Divine Land, or perhaps from another cosmos entirely."

Zhou Qiyun continued, "This invasion from the Underworld was a wake-up call, showing me that such powerful beings still exist. With the Underworld invading and the Mortal World in turmoil, the Yin Court must be behind it, plotting something immense. As a Nuo Immortal of the Mortal World, I fear the Yin Court will try to sabotage me when I am Crossing the Tribulation."

Divine Light swirled in his eyes, then suddenly pulsed violently. He said, "I don't want anyone stabbing me in the back while I am Crossing the Tribulation. Therefore, before I attempt it, I must eliminate all hidden dangers."

The Yin Court Emperor's expression was strange. "Master Zhou, you misunderstand. The invasion of the Mortal World has nothing to do with the Yin Court. We ghosts are quite vexed by this matter as well. We live in the Underworld, where the old do not die and the frail do not sicken. We have no worries about taxes, no suffering from the hardships of life. We are quite content! When the Underworld invades the Mortal World, you living people come scurrying over, disturbing our peace and disrupting our normal lives. To be honest, we're even more annoyed than you are."

Zhou Qiyun was stunned, momentarily at a loss for words.

The Yin Court Emperor sighed. "We of the Yin Court are merely a collection of the dead, revered as gods by mortals and sustained by their faith. What benefit would we gain from annexing the Mortal World? You can attempt Crossing the Tribulation without worry. No Ghost God or Nuo Immortal from the Yin Court will stab you in the back. The ones you need to be careful of are in the Mortal World."

Zhou Qiyun was surprised. This had been the entire purpose of his trip. He had originally thought his journey to the Yin Court would inevitably lead to a fierce struggle between titans that would, at the very least, end in rivers of blood.

He never expected the trip to go so much more smoothly than he had imagined. The great personage of the Yin Court had no intention of fighting him to the death, nor any desire to vie for power or profit. His mindset was entirely that of a Buddha—calm and steady.

Of course, Zhou Qiyun didn't entirely believe him.

'If the Yin Court was truly as the Yin Court Emperor described—a benevolent party, a living Buddha—then why was it so aggressively expanding its divine authority and interfering in the mortal realm?'

The Yin Court Emperor sighed. "My Yin Court is not the ruler of the Underworld; we merely hold a single corner, unable to call the shots or make the final decisions. Many places in the Underworld are uncharted territory for us. For example, those few people Master Zhou brought with him have run off into an unknown region. If you hurry, you might still find their bodies intact."

Zhou Qiyun stood up. "Thank you for your accommodation, Your Majesty. If I achieve my goal, I will surely repay you."

The Yin Court Emperor laughed. "I wouldn't dare."

Zhou Qiyun took his leave and departed from Senluo Palace.

Suddenly, the Yin Court Emperor's voice came from behind him. "Master Zhou, the path ahead is broken. Why must you struggle? Isn't it better to just lie down peacefully in the Underworld like us? If you force your way forward, you will die!"

Zhou Qiyun turned back, smiled, waved his hand, and continued on his way into the distance.

The Yin Court Emperor sighed and murmured, "Good words cannot persuade a ghost damned to die, nor can compassion save a soul bent on its own destruction. I have said all I can. Right or wrong, good or bad, you must decide for yourself."

Just then, a voice came from the deep darkness behind him: "His danger does not come from the Yin Court. The Yin Court can only eat the cold leftovers. It's those other guys who want to devour him, leaving nothing behind."

The Yin Court Emperor bowed slightly, his voice respectful. "Indeed. But we cannot continue to eat cold leftovers forever. We want to drink blood, too. We want to eat flesh, too!"