Ascension Day

Xu Ying grew vigilant. He saw a patch of blue sky suddenly rise from behind the slightly plump girl. It was a pristine, clear blue, with a few floating clouds.

"You pervert who spied on me bathing!"

She cried out and thrust out a palm. The blue sky and white clouds howled as they rushed toward Xu Ying. Before they could reach him, they suddenly transformed into dark, oppressive clouds. Wind and thunder erupted, and for a moment, the area for dozens of feet around Xu Ying was battered by a torrential storm!

"I’ll kill you!" The plump girl’s cry echoed from within the storm.

The moment the blue sky and white clouds turned into a raging storm, the might of her palm strike surged exponentially. It held the power to change the very heavens, a feat Xu Ying had never witnessed before.

The ability to alter celestial phenomena could already be called a Divine Power!

"Miss, you’ve misunderstood! I wasn’t peeking! I’ve been standing under this tree the whole time, I never went down the mountain!" Xu Ying quickly argued.

He staggered back, but the Phoenix Tree was right behind him, leaving no room for retreat. Xu Ying immediately used the Yuan Yu Eight Sounds to execute the Dragon and Snake Dual Form. His body shot backward onto the tree as he thrust his palms out, one after the other, to meet the girl’s attack!

"HISS-ROAR!"

A dragon’s roar and a snake’s hiss echoed as the Palm Power, formed from a dragon and a snake, charged into the tempestuous sky!

When their Palm Powers collided, the might of their respective Dao Images erupted. Xu Ying felt that the girl’s Primordial Qi wasn’t particularly abundant, but her Palm Power was far too tyrannical. It was absurdly tyrannical!

His Primordial Qi Cultivation could have overwhelmed hers, but when her palm struck, the force erupting from her Flesh Body was far more tyrannical than his own, sending him recoiling upward.

Xu Ying was shocked. ’She’s an expert on par with me! Lord Qi, if I get beaten to death in the future, it’ll be all your fault! The day I die, you can take my head and go collect the bounty from the County Magistrate!’

The storm behind the girl suddenly reverted to a clear blue sky. Then, just as abruptly, the blue sky transformed into night. She sneered, "You weren’t peeking? Then how do you know about the mole on my... my... lower left side? Even my own mother doesn’t know about that!"

As she said this, her face flushed crimson. "How could you... how could you peek at my... my private part? How long were you watching?"

It was broad daylight, yet behind the girl was a stretch of darkness like a starry sky, dotted with twinkling stars.

’What kind of Nuo Art is this?’

The thought had barely crossed Xu Ying’s mind when the starry sky began to revolve, sweeping toward him with the girl’s attack. It was still a display of unrivaled power. Before it even made contact, it caused his palms to vibrate, ache, and go numb, as if every muscle was cramping up!

Xu Ying activated the Yang Character Sound from the Yuan Yu Eight Sounds. His internal Pure Yang Yuan Qi surged, and with the resonating Dao Sound, he met her attack with a punch. When their fists and palms collided, Xu Ying managed to scatter her Primordial Qi, but the force of her blow left his right arm unable to lift!

’How can a girl be this strong?’ Xu Ying was inwardly astonished. ’This power is so pure, even purer than the Zhou Family’s Vajra Indestructible Body!’

This was pure physical Power from the Flesh Body.

A young girl, even if a little plump, couldn’t possibly possess such immense and pure physical strength. Yet, her power was absurdly strong!

Moreover, her Martial Arts Techniques were accompanied by Abnormal Phenomena that resembled Divine Powers, making their might incredibly rare to see.

’Could it be a Secret Treasury? Among the Six Secrets of the Human Body, there must be one that can store power!’

Just as he thought this, green fields and a blue sky appeared around the girl. The world spun and turned upside down, and in that moment of reversal, she neutralized the crushing force of Xu Ying’s Primordial Qi.

This move was exceptionally exquisite, a breathtaking sight.

After neutralizing his power, the girl shouted, "You’re not a Nuo Master from the Cangwu Sect! The Cangwu Sect doesn’t have a Martial Arts Technique as refined as yours. Who are you?"

Xu Ying retreated several more steps up the tree, channeling the power of the Ba Snake Cultivator to dissipate her force. Just as he was about to speak, he saw a bright moon rise within the blue sky behind her, followed by a sun leaping up from the horizon.

He instantly felt an overwhelming power wash over him. His own Qi Blood was suppressed by her, his blood flow grew sluggish, and even breathing became difficult.

’It’s definitely a unique kind of Secret Power, one that can unlock the potential of the human body’s strength!’

Xu Ying hesitated no longer. He began the Contemplation of Jiuyi, his body becoming like a mountain.

Standing on the Phoenix Tree, he exuded an inexplicable, awe-inspiring presence—that of an unmoving central peak, guarded by eight surrounding summits, with ten thousand mountains paying homage.

This was the Divine Power he had comprehended upon Entering the Dao this time.

Xu Ying raised his hand to meet the girl’s technique. The blue sky behind her trembled violently, then shattered. The bright moon turned to dust, the great sun cracked apart, and raging True Fire streamed in all directions!

The girl felt as if ten thousand mountains were spinning with Xu Ying’s palm, crushing down on her. Before his Palm Power even landed, it had already crushed her Primordial Qi into defeat and scattered the power throughout her body!

The power of this palm strike was too immense. Where it passed, it formed the phantom of a mountain range that surrounded her, giving her the feeling that there was no retreat, no escape, and no way to evade!

Shocked, she leaped, and a Cloud Ladder descended from the sky!

The girl stepped onto the Cloud Ladder, leaped again, and soared into the air, landing on another Cloud Ladder that appeared.

Her body was nimble. After a few consecutive leaps, she vanished into the clouds. Her voice drifted down from above, "You peeping pervert! I’m definitely going to tell Her Highness and have you sent to the palace to become a eunuch! Second Aunt, Second Aunt, someone spied on me while I was bathing!"

A woman’s voice came from high in the sky, full of surprise. "Such a thing happened? Xiaodie, don’t you worry. We’ll have Eunuch Chen castrate him and send him to the palace to be a eunuch."

Another voice followed, "Xiaodie, you’re just in time. These Divine Birds are vicious, so come over here. Let me introduce you. This is Young Master Weiyang of the Yuan Family..."

Xu Ying had actually held back and hadn’t gone for the kill. Hearing this, he flew into a rage and shouted, "Yuan Qi, if the Jiang Family and the Xu Family die out, it’ll be all your fault!"

Yuan Qi stammered, "Lord Zhong also said..."

Da Zhong said, "I was using Divine Sense transmission; outsiders can’t hear me. Ying, don’t panic. You’ve opened the Mud Ball Secret Treasury. Even if you really become a eunuch, you can grow it back."

Yuan Qi nodded repeatedly. "A trivial injury, nothing to worry about."

Xu Ying ignored the two idiots and looked up, whispering, "Brother Yuan once said that among all Flying Techniques, the Guo Family’s Cloud Ladder Heaven-soaring Skill is the most exquisite. Could this be Cloud Ladder Celestial Soaring?"

Suddenly, a tragic scream was heard. Someone fell from the Phoenix Tree, smashing to pieces on the ground. From above, another person shouted, "Don’t try to capture the Juvenile Phoenix! Those Divine Birds will kill you!"

A few more people fell. They didn’t struggle on the way down; they were clearly already dead!

"Stop trying to capture the Phoenix! Bastards, you’re making it impossible for anyone to gain insights!"

The tree quieted down again. Xu Ying quietly climbed up the Phoenix Tree. Although this Phoenix Tree wasn’t as magnificent as the Big Locust Tree, it was still extraordinary, with wide, sprawling branches reaching in all directions.

The Phoenix Tree had Wutong Flowers. They were trumpet-shaped and already in full bloom. Dozens of them clustered together, looking like they were playing trumpets, a delightful sight.

The blossoms were huge. Xu Ying saw several people sitting inside the flowers, sketching the distant Divine Birds.

One Divine Bird had two necks, two heads, and four wings. It emanated an Ancient Fierce Qi and was extremely rare. When its feathers spread, they revealed unique patterns containing a profound aura. This was a Dao Image!

"Divine creatures possess Dao Images. Comprehending them can transform them into Divine Powers."

Da Zhong said, "They are divine creatures whose bloodlines have awakened, just like Xiaoqi. They might have been unremarkable strange birds before, but recently, the Ancient Bloodline within them began to awaken, transforming them into Divine Birds like the Dapeng, the Horned Eagle, and the Bifang!"

Hearing this, Xu Ying quickly lowered his voice. "Lord Zhong, I’ve been in Lingling for so long. Why have I never encountered these Divine Birds with awakened bloodlines before? How come so many have suddenly appeared?"

Da Zhong guessed, "It’s most likely related to the appearance of the Phoenix. When a Phoenix is young, it is still weak and needs guardian Divine Birds to protect it as it grows. Once the Phoenix reaches adulthood, it has no natural enemies and no longer needs guardians."

It speculated, "It’s probably because of this Phoenix. It sensed it was in danger, so it awakened the Ancient Bloodlines of these strange birds to protect it. I once heard my master say that Phoenixes have this ability to awaken the bloodlines of other birds."

Xu Ying saw Yuan Weiyang and Uncle Xiao and was about to go over, but then he noticed the plump girl he had just fought was with them and immediately dismissed the idea.

Beside Yuan Weiyang, there was also a beautiful woman and a handsome, graceful young man who looked like a couple. They were probably the second aunt of the girl named Xiaodie.

Xu Ying turned and walked away, keeping his distance. Although the Mud Ball Secret Treasury possessed boundless human body Activity, what if they had some secret art that prevented it from growing back? Wouldn’t he be beyond tears then?

Xu Ying wasn’t going to take that risk.

Yuan Weiyang noticed him too and was a little surprised. "Why isn’t Xu Demon King coming over? I was planning to introduce him to a few acquaintances."

The beautiful woman noticed Xu Ying’s gaze, nudged the plump girl with her chin, and whispered, "Xiaodie, is that the pervert?"

When the plump girl saw Xu Ying, she seethed with rage and was about to charge over and kill him. The beautiful woman quickly stopped her. "Don’t act rashly. There are too many Divine Birds here, and they’re very hostile. If you start a fight here, they might misunderstand and attack you. With so many Divine Birds, we won’t be able to protect ourselves."

The handsome man smiled. "We’ll deal with him after he comes down from the tree."

Yuan Weiyang overheard this and was surprised.

Uncle Xiao whispered, "Young Master, it would be best to give up any thought of resolving this misunderstanding."

Yuan Weiyang also lowered his voice and said, "I’m just wondering how Xu Demon King managed to commit another crime in such a short time. He sure works fast."

Xu Ying continued to climb. The number of Divine Birds increased higher up, and they grew more ferocious. Their bodies remained still, but their huge heads turned one by one to stare at the climbing Xu Ying.

The aura of these Divine Birds was incomparably fierce. Every single one of them looked extremely hard to provoke.

The number of people who came to observe gradually dwindled. Many Nuo Masters hid inside the chambers of the Wutong Flowers, not daring to show their heads.

Xu Ying was puzzled, but then he saw a Divine Bird lift its claw. Beneath it was a Nuo Master from the Cangwu Sect who was already dead. The Divine Bird impaled the Nuo Master on a broken branch, a painful sight to behold.

However, judging by the size of these Divine Birds, they, like Yuan Qi, must have only recently awakened their bloodlines. The difference was that Yuan Qi’s bloodline had awakened naturally through his Cultivation and was incomplete, whereas these birds had their bloodlines awakened by the Phoenix, a complete awakening!

They were unlike Yuan Qi. Yuan Qi was a demon who had attained Spirit Communication, making him more human-like.

These birds were powerful and ferocious, full of wild Nature.

"Ying, something’s not right."

Da Zhong quickly vibrated and said, "There are too many guardian Divine Birds, and they haven’t awakened their intelligence. They only know how to protect the Phoenix! The Phoenix didn’t have time to grant them intelligence, which can only mean it has encountered an enemy. This enemy is so powerful that the Phoenix was forced to find as many strange birds as possible and awaken their bloodlines!"

Xu Ying’s heart stirred, and he immediately stopped.

The Phoenix was using its remaining power to awaken the bloodlines of more strange birds. This was an act of self-preservation.

And by gathering so many Divine Birds on the Phoenix Tree, it was choosing the most advantageous terrain for a decisive battle against its enemy!

Therefore, this place was bound to become a bloody battlefield!

’Retreat! I can’t get involved in this mess!’

Just as he thought this, a pleasant and melodious voice sounded by his ear. "Is that you? You rode the wind to my side just now. I request your help."

Xu Ying’s heart skipped a beat. He looked up and saw, nestled between layers of Phoenix Tree leaves and Wutong Flowers, a seven-colored Juvenile Phoenix perched high on a branch. It tilted its head to look at him, its gaze nimble and full of wisdom.

Xu Ying said loudly, "I can barely protect myself, so I can’t help you. Farewell."

He turned and leaped downward. Suddenly, the Juvenile Phoenix’s voice drifted over, hauntingly. "Three thousand years ago, when I had just hatched, I saw you."

Xu Ying landed on a Phoenix Tree branch, his body frozen stiff. He turned his head with great difficulty and said in a strained voice, "Three thousand years ago... you saw me?"

"Yes. Your appearance has never changed," the wise eyes said, looking at him.

---- A big thanks to our alliance leader, Home-cooked Dishes, for another silver-tier donation! Thank you, boss! I’m off to write more Chapters!!!!