Ascension Day

"Zhou Qiyun's tribulation crossing should be in the next few days."

After Governor Zhou Heng departed, Xu Ying paid close attention to the strange changes in the heavens and the earth.

"The Celestial Tribulation in the Chaotian Cave Heaven has a maximum range of about one hundred and fifty miles. The commotion from Zhou Qiyun's tribulation crossing this time will likely be immense as well. With the New Land's emergence, the distance from Jiuyi to here is probably over three hundred miles."

Xu Ying estimated the distance. 'If Jiuyi Mountain is the epicenter,' he thought, 'and the tribulation clouds manage to reach here, then their range would have to cover more than six hundred miles. It's impossible for tribulation clouds to be that large. Therefore, I'm at a safe distance. The Celestial Tribulation can't possibly affect me here.'

He settled in to wait, cultivating with peace of mind.

He had already opened two great Secret Treasuries, the Mud Pill and the Jiang Palace, and his body now contained Secret Power. Yet, having never practiced any Nuo Techniques, he had no way to utilize this power in his cultivation.

While in the Ascension Land, he had tried to channel the power of his two Secret Treasuries with the Taiyi Guiding Skill, but with minimal success.

'Zhou Qiyun possesses the most profound mastery of Nuo Techniques in the world today,' Xu Ying thought. 'Other Noble Families, like the Yuan, Guo, and Li Families, also have their own deep Nuo Technique legacies.'

Xu Ying mused, 'Zhou Qiyun learned the Tuo Yu Immortal Book and the Nine Heavens Yang God from me. He then combined them with the cultivation technique for the Mud Ball Secret Treasury. By integrating all of them, his Cultivation Power is likely far more formidable than even the founders of the Tuo Yu Immortal Book and the Nine Heavens Yang God!'

'It seems that cultivating both Nuo and Qi is the correct path.'

Just then, someone came up the mountain—an old man riding a donkey, which was being led by a young boy. CLIP-CLOP, they made their way up the path.

The boy seemed dull and listless, but the old man on the donkey was quite shrewd. He said to Xu Ying, "We are but Loose Practitioners from the wilderness, passing through your Treasure Land. We were hoping to stay for a few days."

Xu Ying smiled. "This place has no master. Please, old sir, make yourselves at home."

The old man thanked him and told the listless boy to let the donkey loose. He then picked a room, cleaned it, and settled in.

But the donkey was incredibly belligerent. Seeing Xu Ying's two oxen grazing, it would amble over whenever it pleased, turn around, and kick at them with its hind legs.

Da Zhong whispered to Xu Ying, "That donkey has Incense Smoke Qi about it. It's no ordinary creature. And that old man is certainly no simple character either."

Xu Ying nodded lightly. He too could tell that something was off about the old man, the boy, and the donkey.

The donkey kicked Niu Zhen and Niu Qian a few more times, finally infuriating them. The two old oxen reared up on their hind legs, revealing their Ox Demon forms, with smoke jetting from their nostrils and fire blazing in their eyes.

The donkey let out a huge laugh and shouted, "I knew there was something strange about you! Finally showing your true forms, are you?"

It did a roll on the ground and shot back up, transforming into a massive creature with the head of a donkey and the body of a man. It stood over twenty feet tall, powerfully built and shrouded in thick Incense Smoke Qi. "I, your master, have absorbed plenty of Incense and Candlelight and forged a Golden Body!" it bellowed. "Today, I'll subdue you two brutes and make you my mounts!"

Neither the old man nor the listless boy made any move to intervene.

Just then, Sword Qi filled the sky as Yuan Qi flew toward them, returning from his cultivation with the Sword Box on his back.

The old man and the listless boy stared, alarmed and uncertain, at the Exotic Snake. It was over two hundred feet long and wreathed in Sword Qi as it soared through the air—a truly shocking sight!

Yuan Qi paid them no mind. He landed beside Xu Ying and remarked in surprise, "That donkey is quite belligerent. What's its story?"

Xu Ying shook his head.

The next thing they heard was a piercing shriek. The brothers Niu Zhen and Niu Qian, each wielding a Bone Soul-Beating Whip, had surrounded the Donkey Demon King and were beating him senseless, forcing one miserable cry after another from the donkey.

His wails were so loud they seemed to pierce the heavens, lingering in the air for an eternity.

The old man on the donkey looked on, alarmed and uncertain. He turned to the listless boy. "Elder…"

The listless boy whispered, "Let's observe their methods first."

Xu Ying let this continue for a moment before telling Niu Zhen and Niu Qian to stop. He said to the old man apologetically, "My oxen are ill-mannered. They've injured your donkey."

The old man chuckled. "Heh, it's fine, it's fine. It's just a stupid beast. Sometimes it needs a good beating."

Just then, another pair of people arrived on Wuyang Mountain. One was old, the other young, and they had climbed on foot, reaching the top completely out of breath.

The old man wore white robes, and the youth wore black. As soon as they arrived, the youth's eyes darted around, falling first on Xu Ying, then on the listless boy with a flicker of surprise. Finally, his gaze settled on the giant Stone Axe propped in the corner near Xu Ying.

"We are father and son, just passing through this Treasure Land. We'd like to lodge here for a few days."

The white-clothed old man hurried forward, cupping his fists toward both Xu Ying and the listless boy with an obsequious smile. "If you could see your way to accommodating us?"

"We aren't the masters of this place, we're just borrowing it as well," Xu Ying said. "Please, make yourselves at home."

The white-clothed old man expressed his thanks, then scurried off to clean a room. Only after he had tidied it up did he let the black-clothed youth settle in.

Xu Ying watched them, puzzled, wondering what their story was.

The old man with the donkey and the listless boy, however, had clearly recognized the newcomers. Their expressions changed slightly, but they didn't go over to greet them, simply remaining seated in silence.

Suddenly, yet another party arrived on Wuyang Mountain. A charming laugh echoed from the distance. "This is a great spot, Elder! Even though this mountain is broken, it's still the tallest peak for hundreds of miles around! As long as Elder Zhou is Crossing the Tribulation, we'll be able to see the entire spectacle… It's you, Xu!"

The voice was startling and sharp. Xu Ying looked over and saw it was Guo Xiaodie's aunt, Li Yingzhu, ascending the mountain with a youth in a yellow shirt.

The yellow-shirted youth was very shy and blushed whenever he looked at anyone. He said to Li Yingzhu, "Zhu'er, mind your manners."

Li Yingzhu's lovely eyes darted toward Xu Ying again and again as she gnashed her teeth. The sight of her reminded Xu Ying of the scent of ripe peaches from her body that night, and his mind began to wander. He quickly performed the Meditation Dao Image to steady his Divine Sense.

The yellow-shirted youth looked at the other two groups. A flash of surprise crossed his face, followed by a smile of understanding. "Elder Shi, Elder Zhu," he chuckled. "It's wonderful that you're both still alive. Truly wonderful. I was afraid your lifespans had run out and you had met with some misfortune."