Day of Ascension

Xu Fu stood atop Fangzhang Immortal Mountain and reached out to Xu Ying. After hesitating briefly, Xu Ying took his hand. Xu Fu pulled him onto the mountain.

Yuanqi hurriedly shrank and leaped after them. “Wait for me!”

Xu Ying stood on the tiny immortal mountain, marveling at the sight. Though Fangzhang Immortal Mountain measured little more than a zhang across, it easily accommodated two people. As it drifted out of the hall, intricate patterns rippled across its surface, shifting without end.

His gaze fell on those patterns. They seemed somewhat familiar, reminiscent of the bird-worm seal script; the moment he focused on them, they disappeared before he could unravel their mysteries.

“Is this mountain really a fragment of the Immortal Realm? It looks ordinary.”

Yuanqi hung from Xu Ying’s ear, looking around as he whispered, “Xu Fu is always standing on this mountain. Do you think he can’t leave it?”

Dazhong’s divine sense rippled. “What would happen if he left this mountain?”

The scar at the corner of Xu Fu’s eye twitched.

Xu Ying’s eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice, “Enough with the wild speculation. He mentioned that Emperor Ancestral Dragon gathered the world’s greatest Qi Cultivators to open a tiny crack in my seal. After that, he sent us out to sea to search for the immortal mountains. Did the information about Fangzhang Immortal Mountain come from me?”

He blinked, puzzled. “How would I have known anything about an immortal mountain?”

Dazhong and Yuanqi had no answer. They had never even heard of Fangzhang Immortal Mountain, much less its wondrous uses.

Yuanqi slithered down to the ground and cried out in surprise, “Look! You really can see the Immortal Realm!”

Xu Ying was startled and quickly looked around, but saw nothing unusual.

Yuanqi shouted, “Shrink yourselves! You can only see it at my size!”

Dazhong immediately shrank to the size of a palm, dropped onto the ground, and exclaimed, “He’s right! You really can see the Immortal Realm!”

When Xu Ying heard this, he reversed the Scattered Bean Soldiers exorcism technique until he was no larger than a bean. Looking up from the ground, he saw that the tiny immortal mountain was enveloped by a thin layer of atmosphere, forming a firmament of its own.

Beyond that translucent sky floated colossal immortal mountains like hazy phantoms, so ethereal they scarcely seemed real. Farther away stretched streams of immortal light like ribbons and rainbows. Peak after peak rose through glowing clouds and mist.

A vast palace complex drifted across the heavens, while immortal trees hung suspended in midair, their branches laden with flat peaches that looked close enough to pluck.

Fangzhang Immortal Mountain was truly wondrous!

Xu Fu’s voice seemed to come from beyond the heavens. “That is the Immortal Realm. We can see it, but we cannot touch it. This stone fell from the Immortal Realm into the mortal world. Although it rests here, it still shares the same sky as the Immortal Realm. That is why we can stand upon it and witness its scenery.”

Xu Ying dispelled the Scattered Bean Soldiers technique and returned to normal. He praised, “Fangzhang Immortal Mountain truly is miraculous.”

Xu Fu said, “There is something even more miraculous. When the sun rises in the Immortal Realm, you’ll understand how extraordinary it is to cultivate qi beneath its light. Its sunlight transforms into primordial qi as it enters you, refining away every impurity until your flesh becomes as flawless as jade. It is no different from consuming immortal herbs.”

Xu Ying, Yuanqi, and Dazhong immediately grew eager. They wished the Immortal Realm’s sun would rise at once so they could experience it for themselves.

Xu Fu’s disciples all wore white robes and carried sword caskets on their backs. Flying in groups of four, they maintained a sword formation on either side of Fangzhang Immortal Mountain as they escorted it through the skies.

With the immortal mountain beneath his feet, Xu Fu glided over rugged peaks and winding rivers. Chuckling, he said, “One day in the heavens is one year on earth. Since I obtained Fangzhang Immortal Mountain, I have experienced only four thousand sunrises. You can only see the next sunrise if you stay here for a year.”

Standing on the immortal mountain, Xu Ying saw another parasol tree atop a peak ahead. The divine parasol tree grew facing the sea. Tall and elegant, it rose above the surrounding peaks!

He surveyed the surroundings when he heard a clear and melodious birdsong. He looked up and saw a divine bird trailing a long tail of fire across the sky. It soared upward; with a mighty flap of its wings, flames filled the heavens. Rolling through the flames, it accelerated in a burst of speed and vanished into the distance.

Xu Fu said, “That was a divine bird whose ancient bloodline has awakened. I heard a Phoenix built its nest nearby. Since then, more and more divine birds have gathered in this region.”

Xu Ying turned toward the parasol tree just in time to see the fiery bird settle among its branches.

Could it be Feng Xian’er?

“This place is Mount Huotong. The first grotto heaven among the ancient Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens. In those days, countless Qi Cultivators cultivated and underwent heavenly tribulation here.”

The immortal mountain flew to a nearby peak and entered a massive fissure running through its center. The cliff walls on both sides were covered with grotesque masses of living flesh that writhed as though alive. The instant they sensed approaching life, countless tentacles lashed toward the mountain.

Xu Fu’s disciples all activated their sword qi to hold the flesh at bay, but the tentacles still pierced several. Their vital energy was drained away at a terrifying pace. Within moments, nothing remained but dried skeletons.

More than a dozen disciples were killed or wounded before Xu Fu gave his sleeve a light flick. The entire fissure shook violently, and countless masses of flesh clinging to the cliffs exploded, swept clean by that one move.

“Thank you for saving us, Master!” cried out the disciples.

Yuanqi muttered, “He could’ve destroyed all that flesh from the start. Why wait?”

The nearest disciple in white said, “This is part of Master’s trial. If he intervened every time, how would we ever improve?”

The other disciples nodded in agreement.

Yuanqi opened his mouth to argue, but a bell suddenly rang. The sound rattled his mind until his head spun, and whatever he had been about to say vanished.

“Why did Master Zhong strike me?” Yuanqi wondered.

Fangzhang Immortal Mountain flew into the deepest part of the fissure. Thick, fleshy tentacles erupted from its surface one after another. Although Xu Fu had just annihilated the flesh coating the cliffs, fresh growth was already surging out of the blood lake.

The blood in the lake reeked of decay, bubbling relentlessly. This was anything but a spiritual sanctuary!

As Fangzhang Immortal Mountain drew closer to the lake, Xu Ying and the others felt evil qi closing in. The sword caskets of the surrounding disciples also reacted strongly. Streams of sword light shot into the air, slashing at invisible evil qi. Each strike drew a spray of fresh blood from space, scattering crimson droplets through the air.

Yuanqi shuddered and murmured, “This place is far too sinister. Is it really a spiritual sanctuary?”

“Without a doubt.”

Xu Fu raised his palm, and the blood lake parted to either side. The mountain carried them into the lake, while the disciples all activated their sword qi and flew around them, guarding them on all sides with great caution.

These disciples are far weaker than Xu Fu. Why does he still need their protection?

Xu Ying felt puzzled. Then realization struck him.

Of course. It’s a habit left over from leading three thousand boys and girls across the sea. Too many died on that voyage. Only he and I survived. He stayed at the center of the group with others protecting him every moment. That’s how he stayed alive.

These disciples are no different from those boys and girls. They’re expendable.

After passing through the blood lake, they finally arrived at Huotong Grotto Heaven. The greatest of the Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens was vast beyond imagination. From its center to the outer boundary stretched a thousand li, with a circumference of roughly six thousand li.

Yet Huotong Grotto Heaven had already declined. The strange flesh carpeted the land, smothering mountains and consuming the giant beasts that inhabited them, leaving skeletons scattered everywhere. It had even climbed into the sky, blanketing the heavens of the grotto heaven itself.

But the most eye-catching sight remained the four beams of ascension rosy light left at the center of the grotto heaven. Those four beams of rosy light fell from the sky and intertwined with one another, radiating the irresistible allure of ascension.

Xu Fu sighed with emotion. “It was these four pillars of ascension rosy light that attracted countless Qi Cultivators. They flocked here to undergo heavenly tribulation.”

The earth shook violently, and countless masses of flesh writhed, reaching out to seize them.

His expression remained calm. His Primordial Spirit appeared behind him, opened its mouth, and spewed out the True Fire of Samadhi. Fire instantly swept across earth and sky. The fire was ferocious beyond measure. Before long, the true fire had spread like a prairie blaze, burning all the flesh to ash.

Fangzhang Immortal Mountain carried Xu Ying, Xu Fu, and the others into the air, rising higher and higher until it entered the four streams of rosy light. Xu Ying looked down and at once saw heavenly tribulation rings of every size.

Crater-like basins of every size dotted the grotto heaven. The smallest heavenly tribulation ring spanned only a few dozen li, while the largest stopped little more than ten li from the grotto heaven’s boundary. The scale of the heavenly tribulation was enough to make one’s scalp crawl.

“The flesh here is the transformed remains of the Ascension Stage Qi Cultivators who died here. Their bodies bore the evil thoughts of those who could not ascend, and their corpses gave rise to it.”

Xu Fu stood beside Xu Ying. “Facing heavenly tribulations of ever-increasing power, they fell into despair. Despair gave birth to resentment and rage. Their corpses transformed, drawing all manner of evil into themselves, and tried to break through this spiritual sanctuary to contaminate the present world.

“Had we not come, within a few years those evils would have escaped and begun devouring the living.”

The disciples said in unison, “Master is merciful!”

Xu Fu said, “Old Ancestor Xu, can you identify the greatest heavenly tribulation?”

Xu Ying said, “The greatest heavenly tribulation isn’t the one a little more than ten li from the edge of the grotto heaven... Wait!”

His mind shook violently, and he looked toward the horizon. At the edge of the sky of this Huotong Grotto Heaven, there was another heavenly tribulation line, like a wisp of black smoke, circling the entire Huotong Grotto Heaven once.

A heavenly tribulation over a thousand li across!

With a thought from Xu Fu, Fangzhang Immortal Mountain flew straight toward the border of Huotong Grotto Heaven. Before long, they arrived at the edge of the grotto heaven, and the mountain flew along the heavenly tribulation line.

Xu Ying caught the lingering scent of scorched earth where lightning had struck. What stunned him even more was that there wasn’t just one heavenly tribulation scar, but forty or fifty, all woven together.

Each one encircled the entire Huotong Grotto Heaven.

That meant forty or fifty powerful Qi Cultivators had undergone tribulation here, each triggering a super heavenly tribulation that spanned six thousand li.

“The Collected Discourses of Fangshi, written by pre-Qin Qi Cultivators, records that super heavenly tribulations have existed since ancient times. They seal the mystic gateway of heaven and earth, sever the gate to ascension, and no one can pass through them.”

Xu Fu took out a roll of bamboo slips and gently unfurled it. It was precisely the Collected Discourses of Fangshi written by pre-Qin Qi Cultivators.

He flipped through the bamboo slips, which rustled. “It says here that places of ascension are close to the Immortal Realm, so the power of the heavenly tribulation is weakest there. For that reason, Qi Cultivators searched for places of ascension to undergo tribulation.

“They classified all ascension sites under heaven into thirty-six grotto heavens and seventy-two spiritual sanctuaries.”

He waved his hand lightly, and the bamboo slips of the Collected Discourses of Fangshi spread open in the air. Each bamboo slip enlarged, and the characters on them emerged.

His divine sense surged. One glowing character after another drifted into the air, projecting visions of the grotto heavens and spiritual sanctuaries. Each was an ascension site where immortals had once ascended, leaving behind lingering rosy light.

Xu Fu said, “According to the Collected Discourses of Fangshi, after super heavenly tribulations appeared, the thirty-six grotto heavens and seventy-two spiritual sanctuaries completely lost their effect.

“Any Ascension Stage Qi Cultivator who underwent tribulation in a spiritual sanctuary could not survive the heavenly tribulation. The last Qi Cultivator recorded here to have undergone tribulation in this place was named Gao Yue.”

He examined the heavenly tribulation lines and said, “One of these lines should be his. According to the records, he died during the era of the Emperor of Zhou. He was the Grand Protector of that time, roughly equivalent to today’s chancellor.”

Xu Ying listened in silence without speaking.

Xu Fu continued, “By the time of Emperor Ancestral Dragon, Exorcist arts had already spread and become quite popular. Some Qi Cultivators intended to use Exorcist arts to replace qi cultivation. Enraged, Emperor Ancestral Dragon ordered every Exorcist text in the world to be gathered and burned, along with those who practiced them.”

Yuanqi said in a low voice, “Burning books and burying Exorcists.”

Xu Fu nodded. “The books of the world were gathered in Xianyang. By chance, I was able to examine them and uncover certain secrets. The truth is that after the Shang and Zhou dynasties, no immortal had appeared for several thousand years.”

He sighed. “At that time, every so often, a super heavenly tribulation would appear, covering the Divine Land, shaking Yuanshou, and startling gods and demons alike. One great Qi Cultivator after another fell beneath its might. For thousands of years, the super heavenly tribulations wiped out generation after generation of heavenly prodigies. By Emperor Ancestral Dragon’s reign, Qi cultivation had already entered its decline.”

Dazhong said abruptly, “In my master’s era, many qi-cultivation methods had already been lost. Even the Sword Kinesis Technique was incomplete.”

Xu Fu sighed. “Back then, the beings who cultivated the highest-level qi-cultivation methods had all perished in super heavenly tribulations. Which Qi Cultivator didn’t live in constant fear, racking their brains for ways to avoid the heavenly tribulation?

“After Lord Xu and I crossed the sea, we obtained Fangzhang Immortal Mountain and endured countless hardships on our way back. The only reason I could find the Yuanshou mainland and return to the Divine Land was that I used super heavenly tribulations to determine the direction.”

His expression darkened. “Four thousand years ago, about every three or four years, a super heavenly tribulation would erupt. Three thousand years ago, one would erupt every forty or fifty years.

“Two thousand years ago, when I returned here, the final super heavenly tribulation occurred eight hundred years after the previous one. At that moment, I knew that sometime between Emperor Ancestral Dragon’s reign and my return, Yuanshou’s final Qi Cultivator had died.”

An era had ended. Emperor Ancestral Dragon’s burning of books and burying of Exorcists had failed to stop the decline of Qi Cultivators. Xu Fu’s expression was bleak, and the light in his eyes gradually dimmed as well. “For the next two thousand years, I never sensed another super heavenly tribulation. Until recently...”

Zhou Qiyun undergoing his tribulation had triggered a super heavenly tribulation! The flames in Xu Fu’s eyes burned once more as he looked at Xu Ying. “That heavenly tribulation rekindled my hope of ascension!”