Ascension Day

Xu Ying sat before the entrance to the Guo Mansion in the Second Divine Capital, staring into space. The sorrowful old man from moments ago was no stranger to him; he'd also had a chance encounter with the old man in white and the woman in red.

As far as he was concerned, the three of them were likely working together, all with the goal of forcing him to drink Meng Po's Soup.

But why would those three have intervened to save him at such a critical juncture?

Da Zhong was also quite perplexed. "Could it be that those three mean you no harm?" it guessed. "Are they actually your guardians?"

Yuan Qi shook its head. "If they were protecting Ying, why would they try to make him drink Meng Po's Soup? That makes no sense."

Da Zhong pondered, "What if the whole point of making Ying drink Meng Po's Soup *is* to protect him?"

Even as it said this, it couldn't help but find the idea absurd. "No, that's not possible. The purpose of Meng Po's Soup is to erase Ying's memories, to prevent him from ever recalling his past. But then, why would they also protect him and stop the Nuo Immortal from eating him?"

It began banging against the wall. DONG! DONG! "I can't figure it out!"

Yuan Qi also started banging its head against the wall with a series of thuds. It couldn't figure it out either.

Xu Ying roused his spirits and laughed. "Whatever the case, my past must be connected to those three! As long as someone knows the secret of my identity, then that secret can one day be unraveled! Most importantly, haven't we overcome our current crisis? Now, those Nuo Immortals won't dare to come and eat me, right?"

He planted his hands on his hips and let out a hearty laugh.

Yuan Qi laughed. "See? Just like I said, only the good die young, while a menace lives for a thousand years! Ying is truly blessed by heaven!"

Xu Ying's laughter subsided. He thought for a moment, feeling like there was a contradiction in that statement somewhere. But he wasn't well-read, so he felt too embarrassed to correct Yuan Qi.

Guo Yue walked over. "The ancestors of the major Noble Families—the Li, Shi, Zhu, Zhao, Chai, Cui, and Gao—all suffered devastating injuries tonight, including the ancestor of my Guo Family. They'll all have to lay low for a while. The Divine Capital should be safe for now. My wife and I will head out to gather information. You two stay here and don't wander off. Wait for us to return and lead you out."

Guo Xiaodie and Xu Ying exchanged a look and quickly nodded.

Guo Yue, Li Yingzhu, and the others would be returning to the Divine Capital. If no one in the outside world performed the rites for the Guo Family Ancestor, the gate to the Second Divine Capital could not be opened, meaning Xu Ying and Guo Xiaodie would be trapped.

Therefore, they had to stay here and wait for Guo Yue and the others to return.

Guo Xiaodie's eyes darted about mischievously. "With the ancestors of all the great Noble Families injured, their mansions must be in an uproar," she proposed. "We can't sneak into their mansions from the Divine Capital, but we can get in from the Second Divine Capital!"

Xu Ying's eyes lit up. "We probably shouldn't be doing that, should we?"

Despite his words, he was already walking beside Guo Xiaodie toward the nearest residence, the Cui Mansion. Yuan Qi slithered down from Xu Ying's shoulder, landed on the ground, and revealed its true form, over two hundred feet long.

Da Zhong flew out as well, floating in the air and following along.

"Xiaodie, when I first arrived at your home, your ancestor said he wanted to eat me... he was joking, right?" Xu Ying asked.

Guo Xiaodie shook her head. "Of course he wasn't. I think he really did want to eat you. He's probably eaten people before."

Xu Ying's face turned ashen. "For real?" he cried out.

Guo Xiaodie quickly added, "I'm just kidding! Look how scared you are. Is the great Xu Demon King really this timid?"

Xu Ying finally let out a sigh of relief and laughed. "I really thought he was going to eat me."

"Of course he wouldn't!"

Guo Xiaodie reassured him, thinking to herself, 'The Xu Demon King might have a wicked streak, but he's so gullible. I just told him it wasn't true, and he believed me instantly.'

When they arrived outside the Cui residence, they saw it was protected by a sacred guardian from the Lingyan Pavilion. As Xu Ying and Guo Xiaodie walked toward the Cui Mansion, the Incense Smoke Qi suddenly transformed into a thick, heavy fog. The deeper they went, the denser the mist became, making it impossible to get their bearings.

They walked for over three miles but still couldn't reach the Cui residence, so they had no choice but to give up.

The moment they turned around, the fog of incense smoke dissipated, revealing that they were standing right in front of the Cui Mansion again.

Yet whenever they tried to enter the Cui Mansion, the mist would billow up before them again, blocking their path.

Xu Ying had no choice but to give up and head for the other Noble Families.

It wasn't just the Cui Family. The Chai, Gao, and Pei Families were also protected by sacred guardians from the Lingyan Pavilion, making them impossible to enter.

Xu Ying and Guo Xiaodie skipped those families and went to the Shi Family's estate.

Legend had it that the Shi Family originated during the Great Han Period, but they remained obscure until the current generation's rise to prominence. Like the Zhou Family, they were a new Noble Family.

The Shi Family's ancestor had been gravely wounded, and the entire household was in a frantic state. Some were brewing decoctions, some were performing alchemy, and some were praying to the gods. There were even those who went to the brothels and pleasure quarters to seize women from the Zhou Family, forcing them to come and help heal the Shi Family's ancestor.

Xu Ying and Guo Xiaodie strolled brazenly through the Shi estate. They saw faint, ghostly figures bustling all around them, but none of the figures could see them.

Although Xu Ying and Guo Xiaodie could see everyone in the Shi Family, they couldn't hear what was being said. They could only tell that the household was in an uproar.

"The Shi Family's ancestor was the first one to make a move," Guo Xiaodie explained. "He tried to force his way into my Guo Family's estate to capture you."

Xu Ying and Guo Xiaodie went to look at the Shi Family's ancestor. They saw a young man with a massive gash splitting his chest open, nearly cleaving him in two.

Not only that, but his Mysterious Domain had also been split open. Arcs of lightning shot out chaotically from the rupture.

Elder Guo's strike hadn't just split open the Mysterious Domain; it had even shattered his Hidden Scenery!

Xu Ying gasped. "Xiaodie," he murmured, "your ancestor's power is absolutely brutal. The people from the Zhou Family won't be able to heal the Shi ancestor's wounds! This is even worse than what Lord Zhong suffered!"

Guo Xiaodie said, "My ancestor was invincible for a hundred years. Of course he's powerful."

Seeing Xu Ying's confusion, she explained, "After the Emperor of Ultimate Dao fell into decline, my ancestor became invincible. With the Nine Heavens of the Red Palace, he wielded the might of an Immortal and could hardly find a worthy opponent! Later, when Zhou Qiyun rose to power, my ancestor couldn't quite match up anymore, but he still has his Ninth Heaven."