Ascension Day

The Guo Family Ancestor sighed. "It will be difficult to survive tonight."

Pei Du was silent for a moment before saying, "If you can’t hold out, then send him away. Don’t risk your family’s lives and fortune."

The Guo Family Ancestor said, "Right now, the value of him deciphering the Demon Technique is far less than the value of his flesh. There are more people eyeing his body than there are monsters in the city moat. It will be difficult to send him away safely."

Pei Du left with a laugh. "You’ve received benefits from him, and you’ve accepted my request. Whether you’re constantly worried or magnanimous now is up to you, my brother."

The Guo Family Ancestor huffed, his beard bristling and eyes wide, as he stared at the carriage and sighed in exasperation.

"Steamed, or braised?" he muttered under his breath.

Xu Ying coughed and said, "I heard that."

The Guo Family Ancestor said angrily, "So what if you heard? Does that mean I can’t eat you? Ridiculous! Rather than be captured and carved up by others tonight, I might as well have the first taste! You brat, how do you want to die?"

Xu Ying stepped out of the carriage. The Guo Family Ancestor frantically raised a sleeve to cover his face and fled, shouting, "Don’t come out! The sight of you makes my mouth water! You’ve stirred my appetite!"

Xu Ying felt a faint sense of unease and whispered, ’Is it really a good idea for Prime Minister Pei to leave me with the Guo Family?’

The Guo Family Ancestor vanished without a trace, and for a long time, no one entered the garden. Although Pei Du had also left, he had left behind over a hundred Pei Family ancestors. These hundred-plus Nuo Immortals stood in every corner of the garden, diligently guarding Xu Ying.

Although they were merely skins, they were Nuo Immortals after all, and every single one was more powerful than the Ghost Nuo Immortal, Chen Mianzhu!

Xu Ying decided to walk around and admire the scenery. As he was sitting idly in a pavilion, he heard a voice. It was Guo Xiaodie, saying, "One kowtow to get your arm back, Fourth Uncle. That’s a great deal for you!"

Guo Yue’s angry voice followed, "I’d rather have a missing arm than kowtow and apologize to him!"

Guo Xiaodie said, "Where did you get that stubborn-as-a-mule temper? I’ll kowtow for you in a bit. You just stand by my side and say you’re sorry."

"I won’t!"

"Your body, hair, and skin were given to you by your parents. If your body isn’t whole, you’re being unfilial! Fourth Uncle, I’ll have Second Aunt teach you a lesson!"

As they spoke, the two walked over. Guo Xiaodie spotted Xu Ying in the pavilion from a distance and ran over, bowing as she prepared to kneel and kowtow.

Before she could kneel, Guo Yue rushed forward, dropped to his knees with a THUD, and kowtowed to Xu Ying. "How can a man let his niece kowtow on his behalf? People would laugh if word got out. I’ll do it myself! Xu Demon King, I was wrong to try and strangle you. You are a man of great magnanimity, please don’t hold it against me!"

Xu Ying quickly helped him up, smiling. "You’re Xiaodie’s fourth uncle, so you’re my fourth uncle too. How could I let you bow to me? Besides, on the battlefield, there is no right or wrong. We were just fighting for our lives."

Guo Yue took the opportunity to stand up.

Guo Xiaodie quickly asked, "My fourth uncle’s arm?"

It was Xu Ying’s first time regenerating a limb for someone else, and he wasn’t sure if it would work. He immediately tried to mobilize the Longevity Qi from his Mud Pill Secret Treasury and slowly channel it into Guo Yue’s body.

It went more smoothly than he had imagined. Without him needing to do anything else, flesh and blood began to grow from Guo Yue’s stump, bone sprouted, and nerve bundles extended forward.

Before long, a brand new arm had grown.

Guo Yue was in awe. "The Mud Pill Secret Treasury truly grants an Undying Body. Thank you, Xu Demon King, for not holding a grudge."

Xu Ying smiled. "It was nothing."

Guo Xiaodie said, "It was nothing for you, but it saved his life! He needed someone to help him even in the latrine, and it was inconvenient when he was having fun with Second Aunt. He even needed his concubine to give him a push. I heard it loud and clear when I passed by!"

A cold wind blew, and for a moment, there was dead silence.

Guo Yue said hurriedly, "I just remembered I have something to do, I’ll be leaving now! Brother Xu, we have a life-and-death bond now, no need for more words. Just say the word if you need anything!"

He fled in a hurry, not daring to stay a moment longer, lest Guo Xiaodie reveal something else embarrassing.

Xu Ying watched him go and remarked with emotion, "It must have been hard for him these past few days."

Guo Xiaodie looked him up and down, her curiosity piqued. "Everyone outside is saying you can gain Longevity by eating your flesh. Is that true?"

At her words, Yuan Qi perked up as well. He immediately slithered out from Xu Ying’s collar, transforming into a Big Snake upon hitting the ground. "I was just thinking of verifying that myself!"

Guo Xiaodie and he exchanged a look of perfect understanding, then both turned their gazes to Xu Ying in unison.

Xu Ying said cautiously, "If eating my flesh granted Longevity, I’m afraid countless people would have already eaten me. And if they gained Longevity, wouldn’t eating their flesh also grant Longevity? If we keep eating each other like that, wouldn’t the world be full of long-lived people?"

"Hmm, you make a good point." Their eyes, however, remained fixed on Xu Ying, sparkling with interest.

Xu Ying’s heart faltered. He was worried they might just eat him in the next moment.

’I’m in the Guo Mansion, and I’m protected by so many Nuo Immortals. I should be fine.’

Xu Ying calmed himself and carefully observed his Jade Pool Secret Treasury.

That day in the Pei Family’s forbidden land, he had already located the Jade Pool Secret Treasury. This Secret Treasury was located 1.3 inches below his navel, within the Mysterious Domain. Without guidance or the activation of the Mysterious Energy within his Primordial Qi, it would be difficult to pinpoint its exact location.

His Primordial Qi floated in the air. To the Primordial Qi, this air was a sea of qi, and below this sea was a Jade Pool—a Secret Treasury containing an endless supply of Primordial Qi!

Xu Ying was already incredibly familiar with his own Mysterious Domain, but this was the first time he had noticed this Jade Pool situated on its "continent." The Jade Pool was unfathomably deep. Gazing into it was just like the sight he had witnessed in the Pei Family’s forbidden land.

It was as if an Other Shore World existed within the pool, jade-like and captivating.

Xu Ying sat cross-legged, focusing his Heart Spirit. He rested his hands on his knees, palms facing up, and unconsciously channeled his Divine Power, Tribulation from Heaven. It erupted from within his Mysterious Domain and blasted toward the Jade Pool!

Lightning flashed and thunder roared as the light of the tribulation poured down. His Divine Power pierced through the Jade Pool, forming the first Jade Pool Grotto Heaven!

The moment this Grotto Heaven was opened, Xu Ying felt a ceaseless torrent of Primordial Qi surge in from another Space-Time, causing his Cultivation to climb continuously!

His Divine Sense surged, returning to the front of the Jade Pool Secret Treasury. He gazed into the depths of the Jade Pool through the Grotto Heaven, and a thought suddenly stirred in his mind. ’Could there really be an Other Shore World in there? Otherwise, how could a human body possibly hide such abundant Primordial Qi?’

As early as when he opened the Mud Pill Secret Treasury, he had a faint feeling that its Activity might not originate from the human body itself. Instead, the body’s Mud Pill was connected to a vast and profound Land of Chaos. By opening the Mud Pill, one could "fish" for power from that deep Land of Chaos!

Later, when he opened the Jiang Palace Secret Treasury in his Heart Chamber, this feeling grew stronger.

Now that he had opened the Jade Pool Secret Treasury, the feeling was more intense than ever!

’Have the Pei Family’s Nuo Immortals been to the Other Shore?’

He opened his eyes to find that the sky had darkened at some point. Guo Xiaodie had also left, and dark clouds seemed to be gathering in the sky, with rumbles of thunder growing deeper and more frequent.

Xu Ying looked around. The Pei Family’s Nuo Immortals were still standing there, motionless.

SPLASH!

A torrential downpour began, the rain coming down hard and fast. Even sheltering in the pavilion, one would be soaked by the wind and rain.

Suddenly, the Pei Family Nuo Immortals shot into the sky. Up above, they were battling some unknown demonic monsters. The wind and rain intensified, and a sound that could have been the wind or a roar drifted down, chilling one to the bone.

With a CRACK, a bolt of lightning struck the garden, illuminating a tower-like figure. With white eyebrows, white hair, and a white beard, he stood in the storm, leaning on a thick Cyan Dragon Halberd.

Suddenly, a slick, cyan body began to slither along the Cyan Dragon Halberd, growing larger and larger. It was a Cyan Dragon, coiling around the Heaven-piercing Halberd!

"Tonight, a great rain falls upon the Divine Capital."

The majestic, white-haired old man stood firm. He abruptly shook his Cyan Dragon Halberd and shot into the sky, his voice rolling like thunder. "And now, we add a touch of blood!"

CRACK!

Xu Ying looked up and saw lightning pierce the long sky, as if tearing it asunder!

The torn sky suddenly brightened. The sound of CLIP-CLOPPING hooves echoed as a carriage pulling a sun emerged from the rift, as if to drive away the night!

"Go back!"

The majestic, white-haired old man swung his Cyan Dragon Halberd, slashing into the torn sky. It clashed with an axe and a club that flew out from the carriage. The rift closed, and the CLIP-CLOPPING of hooves faded into the distance.

Xu Ying and Yuan Qi stared up, their eyes wide, and muttered, "The old man is so fierce..."

Just then, Guo Xiaodie ran over, shouting, "The Ancestor said he’s old and can only last for three rounds and defeat three enemies. He’s already driven back two. If another enemy comes, he told me to get you out of here!"

The sky darkened once more as the third enemy arrived. Xu Ying knew who it was with a single glance.

’The Nine Heavens Yang God Mysterious Altar Skill! The Emperor has made his move!’