Ascension Day

Nu’Er answered in the affirmative and hobbled over to treat the injuries of the wounded.

A glint in his eyes, Xu Ying said, "Nu’Er, raise your head."

The Pei Family member kicked Nu’Er again and barked, "Master Xu told you to raise your head!"

Nu’Er raised his head, his gaze evasive, not daring to meet Xu Ying’s eyes.

"Ying, that’s Zhou Heng, the Governor of Yongzhou!" Yuan Qi cried in shock.

Xu Ying remained silent. The slave, Nu’Er, was indeed Zhou Heng, the Governor of Yongzhou. Xu Ying was no stranger to him. Zhou Heng had governed Yongzhou for many years, acting high and mighty, arrogant and domineering. The evil he had committed over the years was too vast to be recorded.

Under his rule, the people of Yongzhou were plunged into misery, a fact Xu Ying had witnessed firsthand. When Zhou Qiyun corresponded with Xu Ying, he had Zhou Heng deliver the letters.

To see him now reduced to a slave was a great shock to Xu Ying.

"Master Xu, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter." Zhou Heng’s expression was a twisted mix of a laugh and a cry.

Xu Ying waved his hand, and the Pei Family member led Zhou Heng away.

Pei Jingting said, "The Zhou Family is a young Noble Family, after all. They never learned restraint. Relying on their invincible ancestor, they acted with extreme ruthlessness, not only exploiting the common people but also antagonizing the other Noble Families. Now that Elder Bai Mei is dead, the Zhou Family’s virtue no longer matches their status, yet they still cling to high office and immense wealth. It’s only natural they would suffer such a downfall."

Walking alongside him, Xu Ying asked, "Does the Pei Family know that Zhou Qiyun is dead?"

Pei Jingting laughed. "Is there anyone who doesn’t know what the Zhou Family is up to? They scattered like a swarm of locusts. All you have to do is catch a few of them and ask a couple of questions, and you’ll know everything."

He sighed. "Zhou Qiyun failed his Tribulation Crossing but left behind an Ascension Radiance, turning Jiuyi Mountain into an Ascension Land. The great Noble Families fought tooth and nail over it, beating each other’s brains out. Countless people died."

Xu Ying had spent the last several days in secluded cultivation at the Wuyang Mountain Ascension Land, completely unaware of these events. He asked, "The Ascension Land on Jiuyi Mountain—did it fall into the hands of the Pei Family?"

Pei Jingting sighed. "My Pei Family would have loved to claim that Ascension Land for ourselves, but the Divine Land is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Every major Noble Family has its own old masters watching over them. It’s impossible for any one family to monopolize it. Fortunately, the Pei Family’s greatest talent is playing the mediator. This way, please!"

They reached the foot of the mountain, where a Treasure Chariot was waiting. It was pulled by two White Rhinos that radiated a dense Demon Qi, but the aura of Incense Smoke Qi around them was even more potent!

White Rhinos naturally have long lifespans. After cultivating into demons, they can live for one to two thousand years. If, during that time, they receive Incense and Candlelight and become Demon Gods, they can forge a Golden Body and become exceptionally powerful.

"These two White Rhinos were adopted by my ancestor. They are already eighteen hundred years old," Pei Jingting explained. "We would never deploy them unless we were welcoming a truly distinguished guest."

Xu Ying followed him aboard the White Rhinoceros Treasure Chariot. He watched as clouds materialized beneath the rhinos’ feet, carrying them higher with every step. They pulled the chariot through the clouds and mist, speeding toward the northeast.

"With the Jiuyi Mountain Ascension Land, when the other families were fighting to the death, my Pei Family stepped in as the peacemaker to broker a truce. Now, everyone gets an equal share of the spoils."

A faint smile on his face, Pei Jingting continued, "We established a schedule and a limit on the number of disciples, allowing everyone to use the Ascension Land. The Pei Family didn’t join the struggle, so we didn’t lose a single person, yet we still got our piece of the pie. That is the wisdom of an ancient Noble Family."

The interior of the White Rhinoceros Treasure Chariot was as vast as a palace. Everyone took their seats according to their roles as hosts and guests. Xu Ying was unfamiliar with the etiquette, so he relied on Yuan Qi, who was hanging from his ear, to whisper instructions so he wouldn’t take the wrong seat.

Then, the music of flutes and strings began to play. Seven graceful, enchanting women emerged from a rear hall with quick, delicate steps. With a flick of their green sleeves, they brushed past Xu Ying’s face and began to dance for him, swaying their hips elegantly.

Xu Ying was flustered for a moment but quickly composed himself. ’Girls from the city are so beautiful,’ he thought, ’and they smell so fragrant. Their arms are so fair... and so are other parts. They must be poor, though, unable to afford proper clothes. The way they dance, all their skin is showing.’

"What is this piece of music?" he inquired.

"This piece is called Qingping Le."

Knowing Xu Ying was unworldly, Pei Jingting explained, "We are on our way to the Capital, which is also known as the Divine Capital. Years ago, Emperor Zhetian the Great Saint usurped the throne and planned to build a Divine Country, merging Imperial Authority with divine power. That’s why she renamed the Capital to the Divine Capital. However, she was unable to see it through. It was only after her successor, the Emperor of Ultimate Dao, broke into the Yin Court that her dying wish was finally fulfilled. In those days, delegations from ten thousand nations came to pay homage. The Divine Capital rivaled the Celestial Court in its splendor. You can’t imagine how lively it was!"

The chariot window was right behind Xu Ying. Looking out, he could see numerous Pei Family disciples flying on the backs of winged Demon Gods, escorting the White Rhinoceros Treasure Chariot.

He looked back and saw Wuyang Mountain and Jiuyi Mountain, situated in different parts of the New Land, facing each other from a great distance. At the edges of the New Land, massive rifts continued to churn, and the invasion from the Underworld had yet to cease.

More new lands were emerging from the Abyss.

Xu Ying had been confined to the New Land the whole time and had never ventured out. New Yongzhou was the epicenter of this world-changing event, and many of the recent major incidents had taken place there.

Now, high up in the sky, he finally realized how different the world had become.

At some point, New Lands had sprung up all across the Divine Land, making the realm far more expansive—and far more dangerous.

Looking down from his high vantage point, Xu Ying saw that the Divine Land was completely transformed. The divine dynasty established by the three Great Emperors—Wenwu Great Saint, Zhetian Great Saint, and the Emperor of Ultimate Dao—had been shattered by the New Lands, its territories now scattered like islands across the world.

The ancient divine dynasty was on the brink of collapse.

Xu Ying turned back. Inside the Treasure Chariot, the scene remained one of peaceful celebration, filled with song and dance.

In an era of apparent peace, a crisis was brewing in the shadows. Everyone saw it, yet they all pretended not to, content to continue their revelry of song and dance.

Everyone seemed to believe that even if the sky fell, it wouldn’t be them who got crushed.