Day of Ascension

Yuan Weiyang was confused. “But why does the locust tree want to kill him?”

The locust tree wouldn’t have died if it hadn’t made a move.

Its limbs were enormous, with countless tentacle-like roots buried deep underground. Perhaps the underground body was many times larger than what was visible above ground. To kill such a majestic being would have been truly difficult.

However, the moment it struck, Zhou Qiyun would discover where its divine soul and consciousness were hidden and kill it from there.

Xu Ying replied, “The great locust was probably searching for a body for reincarnation. Zhou Qiyun is the strongest existence here, and he’s injured. If he’s powerless to resist, it could possess him. After all, it only had eight thousand years of lifespan left.”

Something stirred within Xu Ying. “We humans only have a lifespan of a hundred years. Even someone who cultivates as bitterly as the Zhou clan’s old ancestor only lives a little over three hundred years.

“The great locust, despite having its vitality severed, still had eight thousand more years to go. Yet, it bet that lifespan to possess someone who lives and dies in the blink of an eye. The loss far outweighs the gains.”

Thinking for a moment, Yuan Weiyang said, “It must have seen Zhou Qiyun unleashing his Radiant Vestige land of sublimation and glimpsed the Divine Land immortal realm. It probably believed it could use the same method to achieve eternal life.”

Xu Ying shuddered.

Zhou Qiyun must have concocted the plan to ambush the great locust and use its vitality to heal his injuries at that time. Every word and action afterward had been part of a setup to lure it into his trap.

He didn’t want to remain injured for too long because he still had to do his second task.

The great locust was his sacred medicine for healing his injuries.

Had Zhou Qiyun already planned to ambush the great locust when he chose this place for his showdown with the Mud Pill Palace Master?

The great locust tree could truly be a great villain, as Dazhong had said, but Zhou Qiyun baited him into making a mistake. His scheme runs too deep. That is not the righteous path.

Thinking of this, he suddenly recalled what Zhou Qiyun had said before.

“Facing these old fossils, one really cannot afford to make any mistakes. A single misstep could mean death.”

A mistake meant death!

That was the cruel reality.

To us, Zhou Qiyun is also an old fossil. The same applies when we face him. Mistakes aren’t permitted. The slightest misstep could mean death!

The next day, while cultivating, Xu Ying sensed that the great locust tree’s floral fragrance had faded significantly. The rich primordial qi of heaven and earth, which had refreshed the soul, also grew much thinner.

However, the locust flowers still bloomed vibrantly. The buds on each branch bloomed overnight, as though the tree had used the last of its life to flower, leaving behind a final burst of brilliance in the underworld.

As Xu Ying watched the locust flowers filling the sky wither and drift to the ground, a thought crossed his mind. Unfortunately, you took one wrong step.

He returned to the hall and began deciphering the Granny Tuo Immortal Book word by word.

The great locust tree was dead, the Mud Pill Palace Master was dead, and the white skeleton Emperor had fled. Once Zhou Qiyun had fully healed his injuries, he would proceed with his second task. During this time, Xu Ying must decipher the Granny Tuo Immortal Book.

As for how much to decipher, Xu Ying needed to decide that himself. Too much and he would outlive his usefulness. Too little and he would lose his value. The best approach was to strike a balance between being useful and expendable.

Moreover, he needed to provide the true scripture.

Zhou Qiyun’s talent and comprehension ability were terrifyingly high. He would immediately notice if Xu Ying deliberately inserted mistakes into the true scripture. Earning the suspicion of someone like him was tantamount to courting death.

Xu Ying cultivated as he deciphered the immortal book, with neither task interfering with the other. He had expected that he would step into the second level of the Gate-Knocking Stage while the locusts bloomed. Now that the great locust had died, he would likely fall short of that goal.

Over the past two days, more and more members of the Zhou clan arrived at the Locust Flower Palace. The descendants and the disciples of the clan who were emptying the Water Entrance Temple had also rushed over.

In the main hall, several descendants kept looking toward Xu Ying with delight.

Xu Ying was immersed in deciphering the immortal book and paid them no attention.

After some time, Zhou Qiyun emerged from seclusion. He came to find Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang. “You’re exceptionally talented individuals. Have you deciphered the Granny Tuo Immortal Book?”

Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang each presented the portions they had deciphered. Zhou Qiyun placed the two scrolls side by side and unfurled them at the same time, reading with one eye each.

After a long while, Zhou Qiyun shut the two books and said, “That’s it?”

Yuan Weiyang said, “This is already my limit.”

Zhou Qiyun shifted his gaze to Xu Ying. The latter said with a look of difficulty, “If you could give us a little more time...”

Zhou Qiyun rolled up the scrolls and kept them in his pocket. “I’m heading to the Underworld Court to meet the emperor. You two will come with me and stay by my side. You are free to peruse the Granny Tuo Immortal Book and all scriptures of the inner estate!”

Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang secretly sighed in relief, knowing that their work was just enough to keep them alive for the time being.

Xu Ying hurriedly said, “I still need to make a trip up the tree. My friend, Yuanqi, is still up there.”

Zhou Qiyun waved his hand. “Go and return quickly. Sons of my clan have already begun cutting down the tree. I’ll be taking away everything here.”

Xu Ying left the Locust Flower Palace in a hurry and rushed toward the great locust tree, only to see numerous Zhou clan Exorcists busy at work.

Some cleaned up the battlefield, cutting the massive corpse into manageable pieces and sorting them into categories. Certain parts would be used to refine treasures, elixirs, or even food. Everything was arranged neatly.

Others were painting Dao diagrams of the massive creature and the great locust tree. Another group dismantled the Locust Flower Palace, loading the palace complex onto carts and transporting it to an unknown destination.

Xu Ying arrived beneath the great locust tree and saw a dozen or so men and women. Each of them carried a sword case on their backs, and were channeling flying sounds to cut the tree. Their sword techniques were exquisite. They glowed as they wielded their swords, like giant snowballs radiating light constantly.

“Zhou Heavenly Demon-Slaying Sword, great skills! Zhou Yang wouldn’t have died that day if he possessed such skills.” Xu Ying praised as he passed them by. With a light leap, he jumped onto the tree and climbed along the dragon-scale-like bark in a rush.

At the base, a voice called out. “Big Brother, that’s Xu Ying!”

The dozen or so people cutting the tree all looked up. The speaker was a descendant of the Zhou clan whom Zhou Youyou had saved from Xu Ying.

The man he called “Big Brother” was a man in his thirties or forties. He was quite tall. His eyes and brows bore some resemblance to Zhou Qiyun. His face was fair without any facial hair and adorned with exquisite makeup. Even his clothing was flamboyant.

This man was the eldest young master of the Zhou clan’s inner estate, Zhou Zhi.

“Come, follow him!”

Zhou Zhi and the others immediately leaped up and chased after Xu Ying. “Don’t strike for now. If we kill him here, we’ll be found, and the honored ancestor will hold us accountable. Let’s go a little higher. It won’t be too late to kill him then.”

Boiling with hatred, they said, “This bastard came to our clan’s territory and dared to kill our people. I really wonder why the old ancestor still keeps him alive!”

Zhou Zhi explained calmly, “The old ancestor seeks eternal life. He has already cultivated exorcism arts to their limit and can hardly progress any further. That’s why he’s determined to obtain demonic art legacies and seek a breakthrough through alternative methods.

“Hehe, that old man clings to his position and refuses to step down. Now he even seeks eternal life, yet he doesn’t want to become emperor. How are juniors like us supposed to climb up the ranks?”

The others voiced their agreement. “Big Brother, you are improving at a godly pace. We’d all accept it wholeheartedly if you became the future clan head.”

They didn’t strike immediately. Instead, they climbed two to three thousand zhang upward. Four of the descendants saw an opportunity and immediately set their sword cases down before them.

The sword cases opened with a clack. Tiny flying swords flew out of them, growing in size as they soared upward.

The Zhou clan had refined these sword cases. Aside from masks, Exorcists commonly used many other treasures. A noble clan of their stature naturally possessed all kinds of artifacts.

Previously, they had used these flying swords to cut the tree. Naturally, they could also use them to kill their enemies.

Each of them unleashed the Zhou clan’s ultimate technique—the Zhou Heavenly Demon-Slaying Sword.

Their sword techniques were much more brilliant than Zhou Yang’s. They did not need to plant a willow demon to control their flying swords. Instead, they formed sword fingers and wielded the swords with pure intent, unleashing the complex and ever-changing Zhou Heavenly Demon-Slaying Sword.

The flying swords soared into the sky, dancing in a cluster like a large snowball rolling up the great locust tree. Yet after a long while, none of the swords returned. Xu Ying’s trace had also vanished.

The four sword users formed the hand seals again to recall the swords. The flying swords that had flown away earlier returned, and they each sighed a breath of relief.

However, Zhou Zhi grew alert and cried out urgently, “Watch out!”

Before he could finish speaking, the dozens of returning flying swords suddenly accelerated. They pierced through the Zhou clan descendants’ chests, throats, and foreheads with terrifying speed. The attack came so abruptly that even Zhou Zhi could not save them in time.

The descendant who had narrowly escaped death in the hall fared no better. A flying sword pierced his throat. Several more immediately followed, punching through his chest and forehead and pinning him to the tree. His eyes were still wide open, unable to rest in peace.

Xu Ying is a master of sword techniques! His technique is even more brilliant than our Zhou Heavenly Demon-Slaying Sword!

Zhou Zhi raised two fingers and struck the flying swords coming at him with a clang, shattering them. His fingers trembled from the impact as he felt startled.

These flying swords contain such immense power!

Looking down, he saw his fingers, which had knocked the swords away, were torn open. The attack had broken through his Vajra Indestructible Body.

He turned toward the other descendants. They all channeled their sword cases and summoned their flying swords. They came alive and turned into silver spheres around them, shielding them, yet clanging noises rang out as the spheres were pierced. Immediately afterward, the flying swords collapsed in chaos and scattered everywhere.

Meanwhile, the descendants had their glabella pierced, and they found themselves nailed to the tree!

Of the sixteen of them, only six remained now. Ten descendants had died in this wave of sword attacks!

“Great sword technique! But his cultivation is even more terrifying!” Zhou Zhi’s expression turned cold as he said to the five surviving descendants, “You gave me false information! His cultivation is far stronger than what you told me.”

Among these five descendants, a few had been in the hall, deciphering the Granny Tuo Immortal Book, and had witnessed Xu Ying fighting. At that time, however, Xu Ying’s cultivation had been much lower.

Over the past few days, he had taken full advantage of the locust blossoms, cultivating day and night. Although he had not advanced by leaps and bounds, his progress had still been astonishing. He had already ascended to the first heaven of the Gate-Knocking Stage.

Furthermore, he had comprehended the profundities of the Eight Sounds of Primordial Nurturing. The technique tempered his muscles, bones, and vital energy externally while refining his internal organs, divine sense, and soul internally.

Consequently, everything had become as tough as steel. The power of the swords he wielded with intent had increased dramatically.

It only made sense that Zhou Zhi suffered a huge loss when he measured Xu Ying’s current strength against the standards of his former cultivation.

Zhou Zhi leaped into the air with a fierce shout. Dazzling light erupted behind him as a bird-headed, human-bodied, and bird-legged divine being manifested behind him. It was like Xu Ying’s elephant king divine avatar, though there were some differences.

The divine being flapped its wings. With his feet planted on the tree bark, Zhou Zhi stood horizontal to the ground and ran upward.

With a sweep of his sleeves, countless golden feathers flew out with a whoosh, each like a zhang-long flying sword. They streaked through the crevices in the tree bark at astonishing speed, producing shrill whistles as they passed.

Xu Ying had been hiding among those crevices, and the golden feather blades immediately forced him out. He darted between them as the feathers wove through the bark like streams of golden light.

These feathers were extremely sharp at the edges, like blades tempered hundreds of times over. The vanes were wide, each like a thin golden sword put together to form a feather shaped like a long blade.

This was a Dao avatar!

A Manifestation of the Great Dao!

The Zhou clan definitely has the Dao diagram of a roc. Otherwise, they couldn’t possibly actualize even the feathers with such detail!

As the thought crossed Xu Ying’s mind, Zhou Zhi charged forward and unleashed a fierce barrage of kicks and punches. Following his every move, the roc behind him also struck relentlessly at Xu Ying.

Zhou Zhi’s punches and palm strikes transformed into a roc’s long, feathered blades. Blade light flashed through the air, sharp and domineering. His legs transformed into a bird’s feet, their sharp claws capable of tearing through anything.

Xu Ying met the attacks head-on with the Eight Techniques of Ba Snake and the Six Techniques of Dragon-Snake. Both the Ba snake and the dragon-snake avatars were shaken so violently from the impact that his vital energy scattered like mist, rising upward.

He was also shaken violently. Stepping on the great tree, he kept retreating further up. The tree bark beneath his feet burst apart with a crack with every step, chips and splinters flying everywhere.

Zhou Zhi spun his wings, sending countless more golden feather blades flying out. They formed a golden torrent, slashing down at Xu Ying from every direction.

At the same time, the five other descendants leaped upward as if flying, rushing over at breakneck speed. However, compared to Xu Ying and Zhou Zhi, they were much slower and couldn’t catch up to them for the time being.

Growing excited from the fight, Zhou Zhi let out a sharp cry as he spun through the air. The roc also rotated alongside him. Its wings that spanned over a dozen zhang were like two divine blades. Sharp cracking sounds rang out as they sliced through the great locust tree and cut toward Xu Ying.

Surrounded by golden feather blades, Xu Ying had nowhere to retreat. He suddenly stomped his feet, plunging them deep into the tree trunk as he actualized the Eight Sounds of Primordial Nurturing, thrusting both palms forward, one before the other, toward the roc’s twin blades.

Primordial qi churned violently, surging out from his palms. It transformed into a dragon-snake, soaring to meet the roc’s twin blades with a roar. The violent shockwaves shattered all golden feathered flying blades before they could approach Xu Ying.

Mang guuuu!

Amid the roar of dragons and the bellow of pythons, their techniques clashed. Zhou Zhi let out a groan as the wings of the roc behind him shattered completely, followed by it exploding. Blood mist rose all over him as his skin burst open.

He tumbled and rolled, plummeting from the tree.

Xu Ying was astonished. This person’s so strong. He took on my Eight Sounds of Primordial Nurturing, yet he survived!

Just as he paused, the five other descendants closed in. . They were about to activate their sword cases when a sharp, elegant laugh drifted up from below.

“I haven’t met a worthy opponent in such a long time since achieving success in my cultivation!”

Xu Ying froze. Is this person a man or a woman—Wait, could it be...

He stared in shock, then exclaimed out loud, “He’s a genius! He comprehended the Granny Tuo Immortal Book! Does that mean he’s lost all his primordial Yang?”