Ascension Day

The big snake extended the tip of its tail, patting Xu Ying on the head. It smiled in satisfaction and said encouragingly, "Ying, since you've found a solution, be brave and go for it!"

"Mm!"

Xu Ying nodded firmly and began his attempt to unify the Mud Ball Secret Treasury.

When the cow brothers, Niu Zhen and Niu Qian, saw this, they were filled with utter admiration for Yuan Qi. Niu Qian said, "Our teacher's knowledge is practically divine, but even a man as learned as him needs to consult Lord Qi when he's undecided."

Niu Zhen remarked with a sigh, "Lord Qi is truly unfathomable."

Yuan Qi was muttering inwardly, 'I just went along with Ying's train of thought and said a few encouraging words. He's not actually going to cultivate using this method, is he? What if something goes wrong...'

He blinked. 'Well, I guess that would be Ying's problem anyway. He's so smart, he'll surely figure it out. Oh, right, maybe I should open my own Mud Ball Secret Treasury?'

His heart pounded in his chest. Ever since being attacked by a great subterranean creature while searching for the Mud Ball Secret Treasury in Qinyan Cave, he hadn't once considered how to open his own.

But now, with Xu Ying on the verge of unifying the Secret Treasuries and Qi Refining, his own mind began to buzz with ideas. 'My Demon Race also has the Six Secrets of the Human Body, so we can certainly unify Qi Refining and the Secret Treasuries as well. If I open my Mud Pill now, the timing will be perfect! This is the golden age for the resurgence of the Demon Race!'

Full of enthusiasm, he immediately mobilized his Divine Sense and entered the Mysterious Domain. His Divine Sense traveled upward and, in just a moment, arrived at the Sea of Chaos within his brain, where he located his own Chaos Mud Pill.

Yuan Qi froze, stunned. Floating right next to his Chaos Mud Pill was a large bell, bobbing up and down.

"You wretched Bell, when did you get here?"

Yuan Qi flew into a rage and lunged forward, his Divine Sense grappling with the large bell. "No wonder I've felt like my essence was being drained lately!" he roared. "So it was you causing trouble! You've been stealing my Qi Blood!"

"You're wronging me! I only take a sip or two each time, no more than twenty percent!"

"You drain Ying and now you're draining me! You wretched Bell, are you planning on having two 'old grandpas' in your pocket?"

"That's the pot calling the kettle black. Aren't you also carrying an 'old grandpa' around, clinging to Ying and leeching off him?"

...

Da Zhong was knocked out of Yuan Qi's mind, but the big snake was relentless. His massive serpentine body coiled around the bell and began slamming it into the ground, making it ring out with loud CLANGS.

He had already awakened his Ancient Bloodline and cultivated the Ba Snake Cultivator's techniques and the Dragon and Snake Awakening skill. Possessing a Dao Image, his power was tyrannical and boundless!

Even Da Zhong began to feel the pain from being smashed. It immediately stopped holding back, grew larger with a WHOOSH, and pried the snake's coils open. Pinning Yuan Qi's large head, it began hammering it into the ground—once, twice—with resounding THUDS!

The two brothers, Niu Zhen and Niu Qian, hid in a corner of the Ascension Land, trembling with fear.

"Lord Qi is going to get killed, right?" The two cow brothers exchanged a look, their minds perfectly in sync. 'Why hasn't our teacher stopped them?'

"Lord Zhong, spare me!" cried Yuan Qi, his head now covered in lumps.

"Lord Qi is so magnanimous!" The two cows breathed a sigh of relief and praised him in unison.

The snake and the bell quickly made up as if nothing had ever happened.

Yuan Qi asked Da Zhong for advice on opening the Mud Ball Secret Treasury, and Da Zhong did not hold back. "There are two ways to open the Mud Pill," it said. "First, you can have a master open it for you. This carries a hidden danger, as your Mud Ball Grotto Heaven can easily be controlled by that person. Second, you can gather the Power of a Dao Image, turn it into a Divine Power, blast open the Mud Pill, and open the Grotto Heaven yourself."

It recounted the process Xu Ying had used to open his Mud Pill. Yuan Qi was eager to try at once. "I've cultivated the Dragon and Snake Dao Image, and my own body is a Dao Image! I can open the Mud Pill by myself!"

Da Zhong said, "An Ancient Alien Species like you, having awakened your Ancient Bloodline, has no need to cultivate Qi Refining Skills or Nuo Techniques. You just need to continuously develop your Bloodline Power, increase your bloodline's purity, and capitalize on your racial strengths. Do that, and you can grow into an unparalleled Ancient Divine Object! Why bother trying so hard?"

Yuan Qi laughed heartily. "What's the difference between that and just coasting through life waiting to die? Can't I have some ambition? Lord Zhong, have you ever seen an Ancient Alien Species capable of Sword Flight?"

Da Zhong praised, "I didn't think much of you at first, but I never imagined you'd actually master the Sword Control Technique. Alright, then. Ying is busy figuring out how to unify the two cultivation systems and can't spare the time to help you. I will act as your Dharma Protector and help you open your Mud Ball Secret Treasury! In the future, you, Niu Yuanqi, will be the preeminent Grandmaster of the Demon Race!"

This speech made Yuan Qi's beastly blood boil. He wanted to let out a great, world-shaking roar to vent his feelings, but a sudden thought stopped him. 'If I really become a Grandmaster of the Demon Race whose name goes down in history, ushering in a new era for our kind... and in the future, when demons hear my name, they give a thumbs-up and praise how incredible the ancestor of the Cow Demon clan was... wouldn't I just die from rage?'

He couldn't help but hesitate. 'Maybe I should change the 'Niu' surname before I make a name for myself?'

Da Zhong urged him on, so Yuan Qi set the matter aside for the time being. The two of them were unbelievably audacious, beginning their attempt to forcibly open the Mud Ball Secret Treasury without any guidance from Xu Ying.

Xu Ying organized the workings of the Taiyi Guiding Skill, then reviewed the Mud Ball Hidden Scenery Longevity Technique. He severed the section related to the Grotto Heaven, combined the two cultivation techniques into one, and ran through the deductions several times. After confirming there were no major errors, he finally attempted to circulate the technique.

As he activated the Taiyi Guiding Skill, the Celestial River within his Mysterious Domain began to surge, washing over great mountains and rivers. Faint thunder rumbled inside his body, and a great sun started its orbit.

Instantly, nature's spiritual energy from the Ascension Land poured in, nourishing his Flesh Body and souls. At the same time, Longevity Qi flowed from the Mud Ball Grotto Heaven, mixing with the spiritual energy and seeping into his Five Viscera, his skin and hair, his bones and marrow, and even his Three Souls and Seven Spirits. Every part of him was nourished through and through!

'So this is the true Longevity Technique!'

Xu Ying was overcome with emotion, and tears streamed down his face. He whispered, "If Elder Zhou had comprehended this, he wouldn't have had to rush his Tribulation, and he wouldn't have been taken advantage of by the Master of the Mud Mound Palace."

His Flesh Body and souls grew stronger and stronger. As the Longevity Qi was refined into them, he felt his Five Elements become whole, his Yin and Yang harmonize, and his understanding of Life and Death grow profound. His lifespan was also steadily increasing.

Just then, Da Zhong's panicked cry rang out. "Ying! Ying! Lord Qi is in trouble!"

Xu Ying stopped at once. Da Zhong's voice rang out from within Yuan Qi's mind, "Lord Qi tried to open his Mud Pill, but his technique's power was insufficient and his aim was off! It's a bit crooked. The Grotto Heaven is only half-open and showing signs of collapse! I'm helping him suppress the backlash from the Chaos Qi!"

Xu Ying hurriedly raised a finger and tapped the spot between his own eyebrows. His soul left his body, flew toward the back of the big snake's head, and drilled into Yuan Qi's mind.

The scene before him was one of utter chaos. Waves surged violently in the Sea of Chaos, and great plumes of Chaos Qi floated like clouds above the surface.

A Grotto Heaven plunged into the Sea of Chaos, writhing like a dragon and thrashing about, unable to stabilize itself.

That was the very Grotto Heaven Yuan Qi had forcibly opened!

This Grotto Heaven was much smaller than a normal Mud Ball Grotto Heaven.

The Grotto Heaven could be assimilated by the Chaos at any moment, as it was completely unable to stabilize. If the Grotto Heaven was assimilated and the Mud Pill destroyed, the lightest consequence would be his brain turning to mush, reducing him to an idiot!

In a more severe case, his head might just disappear entirely!

Xu Ying steadied his nerves and observed his surroundings. He saw Da Zhong suppressing the Grotto Heaven's erratic movements, pushing back against the Sea of Chaos to keep the Grotto Heaven from being assimilated.

However, even as an incomparably powerful Magical Treasure, it could not contend with the power of the Sea of Chaos for long. Before long, it too would be destroyed by the Sea of Chaos!

Beside Da Zhong, half of a Chaos Mud Pill remained on the surface of the Sea of Chaos. Presumably, Yuan Qi's Divine Power had been insufficient, opening only half the Chaos Mud Pill and forming this partial Grotto Heaven, which had led to this disastrous result.

"Yuan Qi! Listen to me and gather your Divine Sense!"

Xu Ying shouted. "I'll lend you a hand to open the other half of the Mud Pill!"

Because his attempt to open the Mud Pill had failed, Yuan Qi's Divine Sense had scattered. He was dazed and confused, and didn't clearly hear what Xu Ying said. Xu Ying frowned and made a decisive move. His soul flew out and returned to his Flesh Body.

He mustered all his Primordial Qi and let out a thunderous shout, "Rise!"

Yuan Qi shot into the air. With his Great Magical Power, Xu Ying had forcibly lifted the great snake, causing it to float in mid-air!

Xu Ying activated the Yuan Yu Eight Sounds, causing the Dao Sound to resonate within his body. The Dao Sound in Yuan Qi's body also began to resonate, and he involuntarily followed Xu Ying in performing the Yuan Yu Eight Sounds!

Xu Ying activated the Dragon and Snake Awakening Skill, and Yuan Qi's body automatically followed suit!

Xu Ying pointed a finger at the great snake's glabella, and Yuan Qi's own tail moved to point at its own glabella!

The Divine Powers of the man and the snake surged. Manifesting from outside the Sea of Chaos, their Dragon and Snake Joint Attack struck heavily upon the remaining half of the Chaos Mud Pill!

BOOM!

A violent tremor erupted as the second Grotto Heaven burst open. Like a great snake plunging into the Sea of Chaos, it stirred up wind and waves!

This new Grotto Heaven quickly resonated with the first one. They intertwined, merged, and became a single Grotto Heaven shaped like an entwined dragon and snake, which began to continuously fish Longevity Qi from the Sea of Chaos!

Da Zhong was stunned. 'The stupid snake stumbled into a blessing...'

————Zhai Zhu wrote 12,000 characters yesterday and his brain couldn't keep up, so the update is late. But at least it's a long chapter!