Ascension Day

It was also an Ascension Land!

Because an Immortal had ascended here, the barrier between this world and the Immortal Realm had grown much thinner, allowing for a greater abundance of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

Cultivating here was twice as effective for half the effort!

Xu Ying’s heart pounded with excitement. Beneath the Ascension Radiance, he saw a lightning-strike crater dozens of miles in circumference.

His racing heart instantly turned to ice.

That must be a crater left behind by a Celestial Tribulation when an Ancient Qi Refiner was crossing it. Seeing this massive pit, he could just imagine the terrifying scene of that Qi Refiner’s tribulation!

Just then, he spotted a second lightning-strike crater. This one was even larger, a hundred miles wide. Because the tribulation had occurred in the distant past, the crater was now overgrown with trees.

However, the trees within the crater were shorter than those elsewhere. From its outline, one could still discern the sheer scale of the tribulation back then!

Then, Xu Ying saw a third crater, which was more recent and not yet fully covered with trees. Then a fourth, a fifth...

This Chaotian Cave Heaven was dotted with lightning-strike craters of all sizes, likely the remnants left by Ancient Qi Refiners who had found this place and attempted to cross their tribulations here!

In just a short time, Xu Ying had found seventeen craters. Some overlapped, while others had been buried by the passage of time, their outlines barely visible.

The most massive one was the very cliff they stood on. It was, in fact, also a lightning-strike crater—and the largest of them all!

The cliff was high. Standing on its edge, Xu Ying looked into the distance and could see a colossal pit roughly five hundred miles in circumference!

’Is this the Celestial Tribulation a Qi Refiner must face to achieve Ascension?’

’Can anyone really withstand a Celestial Tribulation of such power and ascend to the Immortal Realm?’

His gaze swept across this Grotto Heaven. Apart from that single column of Ascension Radiance, there were no others. This meant that all the other Ancient Qi Refiners who had attempted their tribulations here had failed, dying under the lightning strikes!

That lone Ascension Radiance had become an eternal brand upon this world.

’Although no one besides that one Immortal ascended, this is a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, after all. The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi is abundant, making it perfect for cultivation.’

Standing under the light of the four suns, Xu Ying activated his Taiyi Guiding Skill. The sky instantly became incredibly bright as Sun Essence Qi swarmed in, forming a Dao Field several acres wide in the air.

In recent days, his exchanges with Yuan Weiyang had led to great improvements in his Divine Sense, Primordial Qi, and soul.

As he channeled the Taiyi Guiding Skill now, he saw Dao Seeds falling like rain from the Dao Field, fluttering down and entering his body!

Xu Ying’s black hair billowed, and his aura was as ferocious as a tiger’s. The sight left Guo Xiaodie momentarily stunned.

’No wonder everyone calls him Xu Demon King! He might not be as handsome as Brother Weiyang, but he has a kind of charm that Brother Weiyang lacks.’

Her heart raced. She glanced at Xu Ying, then at Yuan Weiyang, and decided that Yuan Weiyang was still better looking. But Xu Ying’s wild charm was undeniably attractive to the opposite sex, making it hard for her to choose between them for a moment.

Yuan Weiyang rose to her feet and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Xu Ying. She activated the Primordial Dao All Heavens Sensing. Her physique glowed like translucent jade as the images of three hundred and sixty-five Divine Spirits of the Circulation emerged from her acupoints!

Divine Spirits of all sizes sat enthroned in palaces, manors, and Grotto Heavens formed by her acupoints. Although these spirits were still hazy, mere phantoms, their presence surrounded Yuan Weiyang with Divine Light, giving her the air of a King of Gods!

Uncle Xiao’s heart trembled. ’The Young Master acted on her own, presumptuously altering the Yuan Family’s ancestral ultimate skill. This is heresy! But her changes... her changes...’

His expression was strange. With Yuan Weiyang’s improvements, the current Primordial Dao All Heavens Sensing was far, far better than the original!

Guo Xiaodie kept glancing from one to the other, feeling that both were truly outstanding. They were neck and neck, each with their own strengths, making it impossible for her to decide.

Suddenly, Xu Ying let out a long cry and activated the first move of the Bi Luo Poem: Wind and Rain as Dark as Night!

He struck out with his palm. Instantly, a vision of blue skies, white clouds, and a clear, washed firmament appeared behind him. But the next moment, dark clouds gathered, lightning crackled, and the scene became one of wind and rain as dark as night!

WHOOSH—

The palm wind raged and howled before him. He felt his Heart Power circulating, reaching every part of his body. His Flesh Body’s strength erupted. Wherever his Palm Power went, it battled the clouds and wind, creating the Abnormal Phenomenon of "Wind and Rain as Dark as Night." The force was so strong that even Xu Ying himself was taken aback!

Guo Xiaodie’s eyes went wide, nearly popping out of their sockets. Xu Ying had actually executed the first move of the Bi Luo Poem completely!

To master the Bi Luo Poem, one must first open the Jiang Palace Secret Treasury. And who besides someone from the Guo Family could possibly open the Jiang Palace Secret Treasury?

Even after opening the Jiang Palace Secret Treasury, one still had to comprehend the Blue Sky and various other celestial phenomena. These phenomena were numerous—clear skies for ten thousand miles, raging winds and rain, intertwining thunder and lightning. One had to contemplate all these phenomena up close to obtain the Dao Image and cultivate the Hidden Scenery.

Only after cultivating the Hidden Scenery could one unleash the true power of the Bi Luo Poem.

As the saying goes: by inner observation of the green fall, one sees its greatness; by contemplation of the blue sky, one attains freedom.

’How could he have mastered the Bi Luo Poem without achieving this step?’

Xu Ying was also shocked and delighted. He had originally thought the Bi Luo Poem Guo Xiaodie gave him was just an ordinary Cultivation Technique from the Guo Family. He never expected it to be so powerful!

In his mind, Da Zhong couldn’t help but praise, "Ying, this girl is a keeper! The Cultivation Technique she gave you is definitely a top-tier Nuo Technique from the Guo Family!"

Xu Ying felt a pang of shame. ’I traded the Sword Control Technique for a top-tier Nuo Technique, and she hasn’t even managed to learn it yet. I really took advantage of her. Later, if she has any questions, I’ll be sure to spare no effort in guiding her carefully.’

In that brief moment, he executed the second move of the Bi Luo Poem, Thunder and Lightning Together; the third, Body Mirror; the fourth, Star Opening the Green Fall; the fifth, Nine Wilds Surrounding Comfort; the sixth, Starlight Radiance; and the seventh, Sun and Moon Residence!

When in motion: Wind and Rain as Dark as Night, Thunder and Lightning Together;

When in stillness: Body Mirror, Star Opening the Green Fall.

His every move and every form was as if a Grand Nuo of the Guo Family had guided him by hand. His execution was nearly perfect!

Guo Xiaodie grew tense, her eyes fixed on Xu Ying’s figure. ’If he even comprehends the eighth move, Cloud Ladder Celestial Soaring, then his talent is truly heaven-defying! Not even the ancestor of my Guo Family managed to learn all eight moves of the Bi Luo Poem in one go!’

Xu Ying leaped into the air, hovering as a Cloud Ladder appeared beneath his feet. He stepped onto the ladder, jumped forcefully, and then with a THUD, he plummeted down, landing face-first on Yuan Qi’s forehead.

Guo Xiaodie breathed a sigh of relief. ’He’s still a little bit behind the ancestor.’

Xu Ying’s heart throbbed violently. Da Zhong quickly said, "Ying, don’t use that last move lightly! It consumes too much Heart Power! I underestimated Nuo Art. I thought a Qi Refiner’s Heart Power would be enough to support the Bi Luo Poem, but I never imagined this Nuo Technique requires so much Heart Power, far exceeding the limits of what a Qi Refiner can bear! Luckily, you’re strong as an ox and didn’t die."

Xu Ying took a moment to recover, his heart filled with lingering fear.

He had already fully comprehended the eighth move of the Bi Luo Poem, Cloud Ladder Celestial Soaring. He had planned to soar into the sky with a single leap, but he hadn’t expected the severe drain on his Heart Power, which caused him to fall.

’Without opening the Jiang Palace Secret Treasury, I can’t use the Bi Luo Poem to my heart’s content!’

Xu Ying sat up, some color returning to his face. He asked Guo Xiaodie, "Miss Xiaodie, how can I learn your Guo Family’s Dragon-Seeking and Positioning Skill to find the Jiang Palace Secret Treasury?"

"Become a live-in son-in-law of my Guo Family!"

Guo Xiaodie’s eyes sparkled as she grinned. "I have a two-hundred-and-twenty-pound sister who is of marrying age. She’s gentle, kind, and virtuous, but her temper can be a little... difficult. Shall I introduce you?"

Xu Ying felt a flicker of joy, but he hesitated. "I’ll... think about it."

Guo Xiaodie was surprised, unsure if he was actually considering it or just placating her.

Little did she know, Xu Ying was genuinely considering it. He came from a poor background. In the nearby villages, boys and girls whose families couldn’t afford to keep them were often sold to the city. The unlucky ones ended up in brothels, while the lucky ones became bed-warming maids in wealthy households. Some boys were even bought by noblewomen to be kept, living lives of luxury that he had envied to death.

If he could become a live-in son-in-law for the Guo Family, his fate would surely be better than those boys from the village who were sold off. At the very least, he would be a proper son-in-law who married into the family. Those other boys were merely playthings and dregs for noblewomen, to be squeezed dry and then discarded.

Yuan Weiyang’s voice cut in, "Xu Demon King, do you intend to live your whole life subservient to others?"

Xu Ying was instantly jolted to his senses, banishing the thought of becoming a live-in son-in-law. ’If the gods won’t tolerate me, I’ll overturn the gods! If the officials won’t tolerate me, I’ll cut down the officials! If the earth won’t tolerate me, I’ll shatter the earth! If the heavens won’t tolerate me, I’ll pierce the heavens! A true man stands tall and proud. Why should I live under someone else’s roof?’

’Even Zhou Qiyun... I’ll crush him!’