Day of Ascension

Dazhong whispered, “Ah Ying, excessive friendliness hides malicious intent. This old coot is in cahoots with that frowning old man who feeds you Meng Po Soup. We even saw him with that frowning old man when we were in the Second Divine Capital...”

Xu Ying smiled, but his voice came out through his teeth. “Don’t alert him. Let’s see what he wants first.”

Understanding his intentions, Dazhong hurriedly instructed Yuanqi, who caught on and didn’t expose the white-robed elder.

Xu Ying greeted him with a bow and said politely, “This is the second time we’ve met, Old Sir. I haven’t had the chance to ask for your honorable name yet.”

The white-robed elder smiled. “I’m surnamed Bei, and my given name is Chen. Those who know me call me Bei Chenzi.”

His gaze fell on Zhu Chanchan, and his mouth watered as shock and suspicion surged through him. This girl smells incredible. How did she train herself into looking so delicious? Truly a rare find!

Xu Ying asked humbly, ”Old Sir, do you know the origin of Diqiu City?”

Bei Chenzi steadied his Dao heart, his white beard shaking slightly, as he let out a chuckle. “I’ve heard rumors. They say that this place is the tomb of Emperor Zhuanxu[1] from the ancient era. Diqiu City was built as a residence for the tomb’s guardians, and over time, it grew into a stone city. As for why it vanished, I haven’t the slightest clue.”

They briskly crossed the stone city and reached the side that had just emerged from the fog beyond the walls. The moment Xu Ying stepped outside the city limits, he found himself staring into a bottomless abyss right beneath his feet. He had been moving so fast that he almost lost his footing and walked right off the edge.

The group stopped and looked across the chasm, but the dense fog completely concealed the opposite side.

Low, muffled roars suddenly echoed from deep within the abyss. Xu Ying barely caught sight of something rising from the darkness. Countless massive tentacles writhed as it struggled to crawl out.

Even after activating his Third Eye, he couldn’t make out its features.

A sharp crack split the air. A long whip lashed out from the fog and struck the massive creature.

The whip was very thin when first swung, but it rapidly thickened and lengthened, like a dragon or a python. A tangled mass of tendon and muscle, it plunged into the abyss and stretched to an unimaginable length.

The creature let out a thunderous roar after the blow. With a violent sweep of one enormous tentacle, it hurled a towering mountain peak out of the abyss, sending it crashing onto the opposite side.

This scene was absolutely shocking. Even Zhu Chanchan was startled.

Xu Ying was deeply shaken. A mountain flying out of the abyss was terrifying, yet what shocked him most was the whip.

He recognized this whip. He had once owned one just like it: the whip Qingbi, the coffin maiden, had given him to beat the Plague God.

The two whips were nearly identical!

Xu Ying asked, ”Chanchan, can you see what’s inside the abyss?”

She replied, “You can see it if you activate your Third Eye, but I’ve never seen that thing before either. It’s truly bizarre.”

Xu Ying turned his gaze toward Bei Chenzi. “Old Sir, do you know what kind of creature is down there?”

Bei Chenzi was likewise consumed by shock and uncertainty. He leaned over to look down. “I have no idea. Those things already existed when I was born. Back then, we called the people with the whips the Abyss Watchers. They lived in seclusion within the abyss’s fog. Whenever demons from the abyss tried to crawl out, the watchers lashed them back down.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, “Many people tried to explore the abyss back then. Yet as soon as they jumped in, they became dizzy and disoriented, never to return. The abyss is truly terrifying.”

Xu Ying looked across the chasm, but the fog had not cleared. It was strange. Even his Third Eye couldn’t see through it, leaving the identities of the whip wielders a mystery.

The Abyss Watcher continued lashing the creature, and its thunderous roars echoed repeatedly through the abyss.

A moment later, the creature retreated into the depths. The whip also withdrew into the fog and vanished.

Doubts filled Xu Ying’s mind. Qingbi had the same whip; did that mean that she was one of the Abyss Watchers? Or did she seize it from one of them?

This stone city must have been released from the abyss as well. Xu Ying suddenly thought of the Abyss of Cangwu. Are the Abyss of Cangwu and this abyss the same? And who exactly are the Abyss Watchers?

In the evening, Xu Ying and Zhu Chanchan worked together to clean and gut the Beast King-god.

Zhu Chanchan said, “I’ll go find a pot!”

“No need!” Dazhong soared into the air and grew increasingly large, his mouth facing the sky.

Xu Ying filled the bell with water and placed the Beast King-god inside. Then, he walked into Yuanqi’s stomach, took out some salt and various seasonings, and sprinkled them into the bell.

Yuanqi spat out a spark of Celestial Fire beneath the bell to heat it.

Zhu Chanchan and Bei Chenzi stared dumbfounded. Dazhong, meanwhile, had long since grown accustomed to it.

Next to the Celestial Fire, Xu Ying read the two golden pages Yuan Weiyang had given him while waiting for the meat to cook. They had the Yellow-Court Secret Trove’s Dragon Tracking Technique and the opening verses of the Yuan clan’s closely guarded technique—the Primordial Dao Heavenly Domain Resonance.

He did not need the complete cultivation method. He only needed the method for connecting to its grotto heaven.

“I wonder if the Grand Unity Guiding Method could activate the Mud-Pill, Crimson-Palace, and Yellow-Court Secret Troves at the same time?”

Xu Ying held his breath and focused his mind. He performed the Dragon Tracking Technique to search for his Yellow Court. It was stated in the Primordial Dao Heavenly Domain Resonance that the Yellow-Court Secret Trove was hidden within the spleen. It was the home of the soul and the spirit, and the source of the consciousness.

He opened his Yellow-Court Secret Trove and found its grotto heaven shaped like a clay pot. It extended deep into a sea of cosmic qi. Immediately, his divine sense improved greatly, and he faintly glimpsed a massive golden hall floating within the cosmic qi, looking exceedingly conspicuous!

Just as he tried to examine it more closely, the cosmic qi surged and obscured his vision.

Xu Ying thought, There’s also an Other Shore within the Yellow-Court Secret Trove! It seems that the six secrets of the human body indeed correspond to six great Other Shores. That’s the true gateway to eternal life!

He had an agreement with Yuan Weiyang to see who could refine the immortal herbs of the Yellow Court’s Other Shore first. Rather than immediately cultivating the Primordial Dao Heavenly Domain Resonance, he immersed himself in contemplation, searching for flaws in the cultivation method so he could improve it.

However, the Primordial Dao Heavenly Domain Resonance’s opening verses were highly cryptic and profound. Xu Ying couldn’t figure out where the flaws were hidden just yet.

Xu Ying couldn’t identify any flaws in the opening verses of the Primordial Dao Heavenly Domain Resonance. They were simply too cryptic and profound.

Gradually, the aroma of meat wafted out from the bell. Yuanqi and Zhu Chanchan had long been salivating in eager anticipation. Xu Ying was also awakened from his thoughts by the scent.

He took a bite of it and said, “It’s ready to eat.”

The girl and the snake cheered. They scooped the meat out of the bell and dug right in.

Zhu Chanchan stuffed her mouth until her cheeks puffed out. She said in a muffled voice, “Delicious, so delicious! I haven’t had a proper meal in over six thousand years!”

Bei Chenzi was startled and puzzled. Over six thousand years? Is she older than me?

Xu Ying invited Bei Chenzi to join them, and he didn’t stand on ceremony. He sat down and began eating. The Beast King-god had cultivated an exceptionally tender and flavorful body. The meat beneath the skin was especially delicious, rich without being greasy. Each bite left a lingering flavor and an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Since they were all Qi Cultivators, they feasted without restraint. The Beast King-god’s meat quickly turned into primordial qi in their stomachs, proving to be highly nourishing. With the help of the massive Yuanqi, they devoured the entire Beast King-god in no time.

Xu Ying’s primordial qi had not fully recovered since the battle in the Divine Capital, but after finishing dinner, his strength returned to its peak.

The group searched the city for a place to settle down. They found a fairly spacious palace named the Shensi Palace, which was fully furnished with beds and quilts. Yuanqi coiled around a few pillars to sleep, Xu Ying went to sleep on a bed, and Zhu Chanchan slept in a separate room.

Bei Chenzi also chose a room; instead of sleeping, he sat at a table and arranged a chessboard.

Moonlight shone through the window, bathing the white-robed elder in its light. His expression shifted between light and dark. Suddenly, he felt a strange urge to look outside. Beyond the stone city, someone stood atop an altar on a hill, performing a ritual. Candlelight shot straight into the clouds.

That person possessed immense mystical power. Several grotto heavens revolved behind him, shining brilliantly beneath the moonlit sky.

On the hill, there were about a hundred Exorcists of varying strength. Each of them unleashed their grotto heavens and pushed their cultivation to the limit.

Beneath the altar stood roughly a hundred gods. Each possessed a thick incense qi and immense mystical power, bowing low to the altar. At the center of the altar were a bow and seven arrows.

“The Nailhead Seven Arrows Book[2]?” Bei Chenzi’s heart skipped a beat, and he unconsciously let a chess piece fall from his hand. He murmured, “These Exorcists are incredible. They actually found a rare technique like this!”

The Nailhead Seven Arrows Book was a mystic art used by ancient Qi Cultivators. It was specifically designed to attack the soul, and had already been lost to time by Bei Chenzi’s era.

Who would have thought that today, when Qi Cultivators are extinct, these Exorcists could find and recreate this mystic art!

“They seem to be Exorcists from the Divine Capital’s imperial family. The imperial Li clan must have plundered a lot of Qi Cultivators’ graves. Otherwise, how could they possibly recreate such a vicious technique?”

Bei Chenzi activated his Third Eye and looked toward the hill, seeing everything with perfect clarity. They must be experts the emperor sent to kill Xu Ying with the Nailhead Seven Arrows Book!

He couldn’t help but grow excited. He had long since heard of the fierce reputation of the Nailhead Seven Arrows Book. This ferocious ancient mystic art could kill even immortals!

If the imperial Li clan’s Exorcists can actually kill this source of calamity, I will finally have my freedom! Bei Chenzi couldn’t hold back the joy in his heart. He felt like dancing around the room and singing at the top of his lungs. Once he’s dead, what further need will there be for the Demon-Suppressing Runes?

Once the Exorcists and the gods finished their ritual, the Great Exorcist with the highest cultivation respectfully took down the longbow. He nocked the arrow onto the bowstring and drew the bow with all his strength!

The other Exorcists and gods offered their sacrifices, chanting under their breaths as streams of incense qi coiled around the arrow.

With a sharp whoosh, the Li clan’s Great Exorcist released the arrow. It became a stream of light that shot straight toward Xu Ying’s room.

The Li clan’s Great Exorcist drew his bow repeatedly and fired seven arrows in succession. As the first stream of light struck Xu Ying, the other six reached his room, leaving him no chance to dodge.

Bei Chenzi’s hands and feet trembled with excitement. In a quivering voice, he muttered, “Rumor has it that the Nailhead Seven Arrows Book kills without a trace. The target feels absolutely nothing upon impact, yet their soul dies on the spot. Each of these seven arrows destroys one of the seven spirits, ensuring there’s no chance of survival!”

The seven arrows completed their attack. On the hill across from him, the Li clan’s Great Exorcist suddenly shook violently, coughed up blood, and collapsed backward.

With his Third Eye, Bei Chenzi saw the truth. The Great Exorcist’s soul had exploded for some unknown reason, killing him instantly.

Bei Chenzi was stunned. On the hill, the Exorcists and gods fell into a panic. They quickly picked up the Great Exorcist’s corpse, scrambled to pack up their things, and fled in disarray.

“Not even the Nailhead Seven Arrows Book could kill him...”

Feeling indignant, Bei Chenzi turned to look toward Xu Ying’s room with his Third Eye activated. Xu Ying’s soul blazed with dazzling light, enveloped by the eternal spiritual light of his Eternal True Spirit.

It seemed the Nailhead Seven Arrows Book had struck the eternal spiritual light and rebounded, killing the Li clan’s Great Exorcist instead.

Bei Chenzi sighed. “Forget it. I’ll just wait for the Demon-Suppressing Runes.”

At midnight, the empty stone city of Diqiu suddenly filled with a sea of people. Crowds bustled through the streets in every direction.

A worker at the steamed bun shop lifted a steamer lid and intentionally fanned the white steam out onto the street to lure in hungry customers. In the wine tavern, a few drunkards fought, while idle patrons in the teahouse sipped tea, laughed, and admired the beautiful girls passing by.

A peddler carried a straw pole on his shoulder as a group of children surrounded him, begging their parents to buy them pinwheels.

Xu Ying drifted back to hazy consciousness and opened his eyes just as a sweet fragrance reached him. A young maiden parted the beaded curtains and approached the bed. She climbed in while removing her outer garments, and her voice rang out as sweet as pearls.

“I’m so tired, let me rest for a bit—Who are you?!”

The young maiden screamed as she jumped out of bed, holding her clothes over her chest and looking at Xu Ying in terror.

Xu Ying hurriedly pleaded, “Miss, please don’t scream! I’m not a bad guy! I’ve been traveling all day and was exhausted. Since the place looked empty, I just lay down to rest, planning to leave at dawn. I didn’t mean to offend you at all!”

The woman demanded, “Turn around and wait until I’ve put my clothes back on!”

Xu Ying turned around. He heard the sound of clothes rustling behind him.

The maiden said, “I’m done. You can turn around now.”

Xu Ying turned back, only to find a gleaming sword resting against his shoulder. The young woman glared at him with wide, angry almond-shaped eyes.

She said furiously, “What a bold lecher, trying to take advantage of me! Today, I’ll make your blood spill!”

Xu Ying hurriedly explained himself, “Miss, I really came here by accident. I wasn’t trying to violate your modesty. Besides, I am a cultivator. You won’t be able to hurt me...”

As he spoke, he tried to circulate his primordial qi. A chill immediately gripped his heart. His primordial qi had vanished without a trace!

The woman pressed the sword closer and demanded, “What’s your name? Speak! I want to know exactly which lecher is going to die beneath the blade of I, Feng Xue’er!”

Realizing he had lost all his cultivation, Xu Ying cursed inwardly. “Miss, I am Xu Ying.”

“Xu Ying?” The young maiden froze momentarily, then her pretty face suddenly flushed crimson. She dropped her sword, turned, and ran away.

Xu Ying blanked out for a second before coming back to his senses. He immediately jumped to his feet and was about to sneak out when a middle-aged woman arrived with several maidservants and the bashful maiden. The older woman laughed before she even reached the doorway.

“So our son-in-law is here! You should have let us know! Who was it that arranged for you to stay in this chamber?”

Nonplussed, he hurriedly said, “When did I...”

The young maiden, shy, cast a furtive glance at him and murmured beneath her breath, “I thought he was a lecher and almost ended up hurting him...”

The lady’s face turned serious as she said, “Even though this marriage was arranged long ago, our daughter isn’t married yet. There is simply no justification for you to barge into her bedroom. Since you’re here, how about this? We’ll hold the wedding right here at our place, lest people start gossiping.”

“Master Zhong! Master Zhong!” Xu Ying hurriedly called out, but Dazhong remained completely silent. He then tried calling for Yuanqi, but he didn’t answer either.

Panicking, Xu Ying muttered in a low voice, “This is a dream! An illusion! I just need to wake up, and everything will be fine!”

Believing that it was just a dream, he calmed down and didn’t resist.

Although the wedding had been arranged in haste, it was conducted beautifully. On the wedding night, the guests left, and the noisy celebrations died down. Xu Ying sat on the edge of the bed, his heart racing. He kept telling himself that this was just a dream, and none of it was real.

Yet, his heart still pounded wildly.

Feng Xue’er lifted a corner of her wedding veil and giggled softly. “You dared to barge into my bedroom and rest on my bed, but now you don’t even dare to lift my veil?”

Mustering his courage, Xu Ying stepped forward and lifted the maiden’s wedding veil.

Feng Xue’er leaned into his embrace, going soft. She smiled. “For some reason, the moment I saw you, my heart started beating wildly. It’s as though I’ve known you forever...”

She looked up at him, her eyes shining like stars. From those eyes, Xu Ying saw a familiar light.

He had seen that same starlight in Yuan Rushi’s eyes.

She leaned in to kiss him. It was a familiar scent.

The night spilled over the beaded curtains. The blissful spring night felt all too short.

The next day, Xu Ying still felt like this was all a dream. He silently called out for Dazhong in his mind, but there was still no answer. The dream seemed to drag on. Feng Xue’er got out of bed and went with him to pay respects to her parents.

His days suddenly became blissful. It was a kind of happiness the young snake catcher had never dared imagine.

After a few months, he gradually forgot about Yuanqi, Dazhong, and Zhu Chanchan. Instead, he began to believe that they had been a dream. Surely he couldn’t be living inside one.

The happiness right in front of him was what was real. He especially cherished his days with Feng Xue’er.

One day, Feng Xue’er informed him that several Great Spiritists had arrived in Diqiu. They had come under orders from Emperor Wu[3] to perform the Heaven-Man Resonance. It was a cultivation path pioneered by a Qi Cultivator surnamed Dong to connect with heaven, earth, and the gods.

The Great Spiritists continued the Heaven-Man Resonance for many days. As they established a connection with heaven, earth, spirits, and the gods, strange phenomena gradually appeared. The world itself seemed to tilt, leaving everyone in the city uneasy.

Fortunately, nothing bad had actually happened.

One day, Xu Ying woke up and found the bed beside him empty. A sense of foreboding rose in his heart. He hurried outside, only to discover the Feng residence completely deserted. Not a single person remained.

He stumbled and rushed out of the Feng residence. The streets were also empty. Steam still rose from the bun shop’s bamboo steamers. The tea in the teahouse was still warm, and the braised beef still filled the air with its rich aroma.

Yet no one remained in Diqiu.

Everyone had disappeared.

His heart raced with panic. He searched frantically for his wife and then for the Great Spiritists, but he found no trace of anyone.

“Where did you go?” he shouted hoarsely as he searched like a madman.

“Where’s everyone?”

“Xue’er!”

Feeling as though he had lost everything, he wailed at the top of his lungs. Tears and snot covered his face as he walked alone through the empty street.

That day, he lost everything. Like a wounded wild wolf, he let out a grief-stricken howl.

Heaven had given him the most beautiful life, only to tear it away.

Had he never experienced such happiness, he would not have suffered such unbearable sorrow.

In the teahouse, a frowning old man appeared. A piping hot cup of tea sat on the table.

The frowning old man told him, “Drink this cup of tea, and you will forget everything that happened here. You will get a fresh start.”

Broken by grief, Xu Ying staggered toward the cup.

......

“Ah Ying! Ah Ying!” A resonant chime echoed from an immeasurable distance, drawing closer with every passing moment.

Xu Ying jolted awake. He found himself standing by a street in Diqiu City, though he had no idea when he had gotten there. Just like in his dream, he was standing inside the teahouse, holding a cup of piping hot tea in his hands.

Xu Ying quickly put the teacup down and wiped his face. His cheeks were wet with tears.

Yuanqi said seriously, “Ah Ying, you were sleepwalking!”

“I was sleepwalking?” murmured Xu Ying, looking completely devastated.

Zhu Chanchan said, “Yes, you were sleepwalking. You were screaming and shouting as though you’d lost everything. You cried so miserably. It looked like you were searching for someone in your dream the whole time.”

“Is that so...”

Xu Ying composed himself and looked down at the cup of tea on the table.

Was the dream actually real?

Or was it just a vivid dream?

“If that’s true, then this is a cup of Meng Po Soup.”

He picked up the cup of tea from three thousand years ago and downed it in one gulp. It had a familiar taste.

1. Zhuanxu was a grandson of the Yellow Emperor. ☜

2. It is a legendary, highly lethal curse-based artifact featured in the classic Ming dynasty Chinese supernatural novel Investiture of the Gods (封神演义) ☜

3. Most likely referencing Emperor Wu of Han, a famous figure in Chinese history heavily associated with the pursuit of immortality, gods, and state rituals. ☜