Ascension Day

Upon hearing this, Yuan Qi felt a sudden, urgent sense of crisis. Without Xu Ying's guidance, he was certain he could never have become a Demon King. But these two cows had relied on their own intelligence and talent to become Demon Kings, and were even appointed as Demon Gods by the Yin Court.

'Doesn't this mean they're much smarter than me?'

'In that case, isn't my status as Lord Qi in jeopardy?'

'We all share the "Niu" name, so they should show me some respect... Respect my ass! The moment they saw me, they gave me a whipping, as if I were the one supposed to be plowing the fields,' Yuan Qi thought, his sense of crisis growing even more urgent.

Xu Ying taught Niu Zhen and Niu Qian how to cultivate Divine Sense and how to open the Mysterious Domain.

These two Ox Demons were originally Ox Demon Kings. By a stroke of luck, they had obtained the legacy of an Ancient Qi Refiner. Although it only included a Cultivation Technique for the Qi Collection Stage, their ability to become Demon Kings in such a short time showed their aptitude and comprehension were already extraordinary.

Xu Ying was also an excellent teacher. In his hands, any Cultivation Technique could be explained simply and profoundly. Thus, the two Ox Demons quickly mastered the techniques for cultivating Divine Sense, and a Divine Light began to flicker in their eyes.

At this rate of cultivation, it would only take them a few days to open the Mysterious Domain and regulate their Five Qi.

After Xu Ying finished teaching them, Yuan Qi came forward and asked Xu Ying to teach him Swordsmanship.

Xu Ying explained for a while, but seeing that Yuan Qi still hadn't grasped it, he tied Yuan Tiangang's Sword Box to his back. "First, perceive the hidden swords within the box," he said. "Once you can sense the Sword Qi in the box and resonate with it, you will be able to wield it. The Sword Qi will teach you Sword Techniques, and over time, you will be able to command the swords."

Yuan Qi shrank down to the perfect size to carry the Sword Box, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, carefully trying to perceive the Sword Qi.

It was rare for him to be so serious and focused on his comprehension. Xu Ying was naturally happy to let him be and told Da Zhong not to disturb him. "Lord Zhong," he said, "did you find anything in Qinyan Cave?"

Da Zhong replied, "Nothing at all. The stupid snake thought that the great subterranean creature was entrenched in the deep water, and that the Ascension Land must be there. So he dragged me along to dig open the collapsed Qinyan Cave and dive all the way down. But when we reached the bottom, there was no so-called Ascension Land."

Back then, Xu Ying and Yuan Qi had followed the trail of Vitality from Qinyan Cave to the water's bottom. They accidentally disturbed the great subterranean creature and were chased by it. Since that creature lurked at the bottom of the water, Yuan Qi had guessed that was where the Ascension Land was located.

Xu Ying pondered, "So far, we've only seen one true Ascension Land: the Celestial God Hall on Ghost Ridge. It only appears at a specific time, and only then can it be entered. If Wuyang Mountain truly has an Ascension Land, it must also require a specific time to enter."

Da Zhong said, "Wuyang Mountain is huge. You don't know when it will open, and you don't know where the Ascension Land is. How are you supposed to find it? I think the Ascension Land the young woman in the coffin mentioned definitely isn't in Qinyan Cave. It must be referring to Jiuyi Mountain."

A glint appeared in Xu Ying's eyes as he smiled. "We don't know where the Ascension Land is, but someone from three thousand years ago would. And don't we have a three-thousand-year-old ghost in a mirror right here?"

Da Zhong had a sudden realization and laughed. "Wuyang Mountain was originally Wu Wang Mountain! It only became Wuyang Mountain after the seal was broken during the Underworld's invasion, revealing these ruins. That means this ghost has been trapped in the mirror since three thousand years ago. She must know a lot about this place. If there's an Ascension Land here, she must have heard of it!"

Xu Ying walked into the room, took the Copper Mirror from the dressing table, and said, "Young lady in the mirror, we're not bad people. We'd just like to ask you something."

In the Copper Mirror, the ghost girl saw Da Zhong and panicked. She scrambled to hide under the bed inside the mirror, not daring to peek out.

Xu Ying frowned slightly and asked Da Zhong, "What did you all do to her?"

Da Zhong stammered, "I didn't do anything! Yuan Qi looked into the mirror, and she got scared stiff when she saw a demon. I thought Yuan Qi was in the wrong, so I went into the mirror to comfort her, but I never expected to be misunderstood."

It said dejectedly, "She thought I was a Bell Demon."

Xu Ying understood what had happened. He tried his best to sound gentle as he said, "Miss, we're not bad people. We just want to ask if there is an Ascension Land on Wuyang Mountain. If you tell us honestly, we'll help you break the seal. If you don't... then don't blame the Bell Demon for being cruel and merciless!"

Da Zhong grunted.

The ghost girl in the mirror was terrified and didn't dare come out from under the bed.

Xu Ying said, "Lord Zhong—"

The ghost girl quickly crawled out from under the bed and waved her hands at them, indicating that she didn't know what an "Ascension Land" was.

Xu Ying explained what an Ascension Land was. Suddenly, the ghost girl's eyes lit up. She began to draw on the mirror's surface, creating a Geographical Map of Wuyang Mountain, and then pointed to a specific location on it.

Xu Ying shook his head. "Wuyang Mountain has already collapsed. The geography has changed drastically."

The ghost girl paced within the mirror, thinking for a moment. Suddenly, her eyes lit up again, and she pointed in a certain direction with her finger.

A thought stirred in Xu Ying's mind. He followed the direction she was pointing out of the house. Looking outside, he saw that the ghost girl was indicating a location inside the main body of Wuyang Mountain.

"Xiaoqi, want to go look for the Ascension Land?" Xu Ying asked.

Yuan Qi was engrossed in comprehending the Sword Qi and didn't hear him.

Xu Ying silently praised Lord Qi for his diligence and set off with Da Zhong, following the direction the ghost girl in the mirror had indicated.

The rust-spotted Copper Mirror floated ahead of them, as if held by an invisible hand. Xu Ying and Da Zhong followed the mirror all the way to the place where Wuyang Mountain had broken. The ghost girl inside the mirror drifted back and forth, searching for a long while before suddenly stopping.

Xu Ying hurried forward and saw that there was a cave entrance at the fracture point of the mountain. However, it had been broken along with the rest of Wuyang Mountain, making it difficult to spot.

'So, the Ascension Land isn't in Qinyan Cave, but inside the mountain itself. The young woman from the coffin only went into Qinyan Cave to pay her respects to the Master of the Mud Pill Palace.'