Day of Ascension

Boom!

Jiang Qi furrowed his brow slightly. Just a moment ago, Haojing trembled again.

Haojing’s buildings were all artifacts tempered countless times. Many Great Zhou Qi Cultivators floated next to the buildings, focused on branding all kinds of Dao avatars on them.

This was meticulous work. Take the Kui-dragon patterns[1] on cauldrons, for example. They had to be imprinted with Kui-dragon Dao avatars and refined repeatedly so that the Kui-dragon could come to life and unleash its power when the treasure was activated.

The phoenix motifs on the window lattices also had to be imprinted with phoenix Dao avatars. Likewise, Qi Cultivators continuously etched perfection into every surface: hornless dragons along the eaves, immortals across the roofs, coiled dragons around the pillars, and cloud motifs across the floors.

Yet Haojing’s constant tremors caused frequent mistakes, especially as the quakes grew stronger and more frequent.

Boom!

Another muffled explosion echoed through the city. Countless Dao avatars flared across Haojing’s city walls, radiating outward to disperse the terrifying force.

Jiang Qi summoned Minister Coachman Gongyang Ce and asked, “Is he still practicing?”

Gongyang Ce replied, “He is.”

Jiang Qi fell silent for a moment, then said, “Ask Master Craftsman Zhu to finish refining the bell quickly and send it over immediately. Send him away, too. If he stays too long and something happens in Haojing...”

Looking worried, he turned his gaze toward Xu Ying’s lodging. Above Haojing, a vast ocean of vital energy floated across the sky, painting half of Haojing in a crimson haze.

Following another thunderous boom, the expanse of vital energy vanished.

Then, vital energy appeared again, vast and boundless, still drifting through the sky.

This was Xu Ying’s vital energy, manifesting in the sky whenever he channeled his full power.

When he unleashed his attack, the vital energy within the phenomenon poured out in an instant with his punches and kicks. The power of his strikes was enough to make Haojing tremble, lighting up the Dao avatar imprints of half the city as they resisted the heavy blow.

Gongyang Ce was that Great Qi Cultivator at the grand tomb of Mount Li who had hung a bronze sword from a mountain ridge and killed countless people. His mastery of Dao art divine abilities was extremely high.

He said, “When I went to look, he was practicing his martial arts.”

He assumed a firm horse stance, mimicking Xu Ying’s posture and imitating his strikes. “Each strike contains every last bit of his strength. He mobilized his six secrets, the Five Sacred Immortal Mountains, his cauldron, and Golden Core at the same time! No Visualization! He was trying to fuse the powers from these different systems as one.”

“No Visualization?” Jiang Qi was astonished. Puzzled, he said, “How does he unleash his power without visualizing the Manifestation of the Great Dao?”

Gongyang Ce threw a punch with all his strength, but without any Visualization or manifestation of any phenomena. He only managed to unite his Primordial Spirit with his physical body.

His punch couldn’t achieve the unification of the five mountains, let alone mobilize power from his Heavenly River, Heavenly Mountain, Pagoda, and other realms.

Furthermore, Xu Ying also needed to mobilize the power of his six secrets. Every time he struck, he had to fuse their power into his kicks and punches. One could imagine how difficult it was!

Gongyang Ce said, “At first, he struggled to mobilize all his power. The conflicting forces triggered severe backlashes, but his physique was strong enough to endure them.”

Jiang Qi was deeply shaken inside. He knew the peril of backlashes. Higher realms only amplified the damage.

The physical body is fragile and short-lived. Even Qi Cultivators couldn’t withstand the impact of mystical powers, especially from Qi Cultivators who dual cultivated. Their mystical power was even stronger!

Though some Qi Cultivators trained purely in martial arts, none reached the highest realms.

No physical body could endure such immense force; even the Golden Body of a demon god or the Indestructible Vajra Body would crumble into dust.

Yet, clearly, Xu Ying’s physique had withstood the impact of primordial qi!

Only by surviving those backlashes could he repeatedly experiment to merge his distinct powers.

Jiang Qi said, “This can only mean that his physique has grown stronger. And a stronger body unleashes far greater power when channeling the Manifestations of the Great Dao.”

Gongyang Ce said, “When I went to see him earlier, he was shattering the Manifestations of the Great Dao he had previously Visualized.”

Deeply shaken, Jiang Qi exclaimed in shock, “Shattering them! Does he intend to be a pure martial artist? He’s gone crazy. He’s gone into qi deviation! Is he still a Qi Cultivator if he doesn’t use mystic arts and divine abilities?”

He shook his head. Abandoning divine abilities for pure martial arts traded essence for trivialities.

Whether Qi Cultivators or Exorcists, whether Visualizing Dao avatars or refining Radiant Vestige, the goal was to solidify the Dao and refine it into the body.

Take a Yuan snake like Yuanqi, for example. After awakening his bloodline, he was a natural Manifestation of the Great Dao and contained the power of the Great Dao.

A Qi Cultivator would observe Yuanqi closely, then Visualize his form with their divine sense and reinforce it with vital energy. Then, they could store Yuanqi’s Dao avatar into their ethereal void.

When the Qi Cultivator needed to unleash a divine ability, they would use their mystical power to channel Yuanqi’s Dao avatar, forming a Yuan snake to fly out of their ethereal void to kill their enemy!

That was the essence of Dao art divine abilities!

Power came from the Manifestation of the Great Dao, not the cultivator’s vital energy. Without that manifestation, primordial qi was merely a mass of energy with greater-than-usual force.

Therefore, Xu Ying shattering his Dao avatars was absolute lunacy!

Even the simplest martial art required Visualization to unleash its power!

Jiang Qi murmured, “He’s mad. He’s absolutely gone mad!”

Gongyang Ce sighed. “I think so, too.”

Looking worried, the two turned back toward Xu Ying’s quarters as another thunderous boom echoed. Dao avatar imprints flared across Haojing’s houses and walls before dispersing.

The power behind Xu Ying’s strike was clearly stronger than before.

Still looking distressed, Jiang Qi said, “This doesn’t make sense, right? He’s not Visualizing any Dao avatars. His strikes shouldn’t have this much power behind them!”

Gongyang Ce looked even more distressed. “I think so, too.”

Jiang Qi muttered, “He’ll soon realize that this path leads nowhere. He will return to the proper way, Visualizing Dao avatars just as the Exorcists and we do.”

Gongyang Ce nodded heavily. “Agreed.”

Both frowned deeply as they watched Xu Ying’s vital energy float in the air like an ocean before exploding in a single instant, completely exhausting itself.

Boom!

Haojing shook. Jiang Qi raised his eyebrow and asked, “Did you hear that sound?”

Gongyang Ce nodded slightly. “It’s the Dao sound from the fist’s wind.”

Jiang Qi asked, “How can he produce the Dao sound without Visualizing any Dao avatar?”

Gongyang Ce replied, “Grand Preceptor, I have the same doubt, too.”

Jiang Qi speculated: “Perhaps he infused his strikes with the Dao sounds he previously mastered to boost their force?”

Gongyang Ce replied, “I think so, too.”

Jiang Qi chuckled, “At least he remains within the bounds of our understanding.”

Gongyang Ce replied, “I feel the same way, too.”

Jiang Qi glanced at Gongyang Ce and saw that he still wore a worried expression. However, even without looking in a mirror, Jiang Qi knew he likely wore the same expression.

After all, a mere Dao sound could not fully explain such terrifying power.

Boom!

Another thunderous boom rang out. Jiang Qi saw something fly into the air. Focusing his gaze, he realized it was the bronze-and-iron walls Xu Ying had shattered.

Jiang Qi sighed and said to Gongyang Ce, “We can’t let him continue doing this. Haojing is the supreme divine city refined with the full strength of our Great Zhou, meant to ascend to the Immortal Realm someday. Repairing his damage will take ages.”

Gongyang Ce probed, “Grand Preceptor, can a divine city that a Transmutation Stage Qi Cultivator could destroy with his punches and kicks really carry us through the heavenly tribulation and ascend to the Immortal Realm?”

Jiang Qi’s expression darkened, and he fell silent.

Gongyang Ce said nothing more on the topic and moved to find Xu Ying.

Halfway there, he heard a buzz. The bronze sword at his waist also rattled in its sheath.

A gentle breeze had been blowing moments ago, but it had stopped without him noticing.

Gongyang Ce walked forward. Feeling a little short of breath, he tugged at his collar.

Nearby, a Great Zhou Qi Cultivator imprinting Dao avatars slammed his golden paint to the ground and yelled at his companion, “Are you causing trouble on purpose? You messed up my imprint! It’s not the first time either!”

The companion snapped back. “I’m not doing this intentionally. You keep finding fault with me. Are you picking on me?”

The Great Zhou Qi Cultivator suddenly activated his sword and stabbed his companion to death. Then, he pulled his sword out, raised his hands high, and slashed down at his companion’s corpse again and again.

With a savage, twisted expression, he said, “So you figured it out! Then die!”

By the time Gongyang Ce approached, the Great Zhou Qi Cultivator had already turned his companion into mincemeat. Unfazed by the gruesome scene, Gongyang Ce kept walking toward Xu Ying’s lodging.

At the street corner, two craftsmen were fighting fiercely. They were covered in blood and in terrible shape. Yet they kept striking at each other. One of them shouted, “Why did you glare at me?”

The other snapped back, “You talk too loud. I’ve been sick of you for a long time now!”

Gongyang Ce ignored them, increasingly anxious and irritated. “We were peacefully restoring Haojing until that Xu guy delayed our progress and wrecked the city! He deserves to die! How are we supposed to report to the Emperor Zhou... Report my ass!”

A murderous glint flared in his eyes. “In for a penny, in for a pound. I should simply kill the emperor of Zhou and become emperor myself! But before that, I should first eliminate that troublemaker surnamed Xu!”

All around him, violent chaos erupted. Craftsmen who had been peacefully restoring Haojing moments before were now drawing weapons, brutally slaughtering one another.

Gongyang Ce arrived outside Xu Ying’s residence, unable to suppress his killing intent. His hand quietly rested on his sword’s hilt.

Xu Fu had destroyed his old sword back in the grand tomb of Mount Li. The one he was using now was newly forged by the guilty official Zhu Chanchan. It was better than his old bronze sword and was more powerful!

Suddenly, Jiang Qi appeared beside him and pressed a single finger against the hilt of his sword. Gongyang Ce tried to draw his sword but couldn’t.

Just as he was about to attack, Jiang Qi’s Primordial Spirit appeared behind him, sitting in midair. Its hands interlocked like ropes, forming the Dao heart link seal and stabilizing his Dao heart.

Sanity rushed back into Gongyang Ce’s head. Drenched in cold sweat, he gasped, ”What... what just happened?”

“Interference of Heaven’s Will.”

Jiang Qi looked toward Xu Ying’s residence with a grave expression. “Heavenly Dao has descended upon this courtyard.”

He murmured under his breath, “Heavenly gods shouldn’t be able to descend directly. If They did, it would be very difficult for Them to return to the Heavenly Dao World...”

As the owner of the Heavenly Punishment Sword, he understood Heavenly Dao interference deeply. Humans couldn’t understand the Heavenly Dao. When ordinary mortals heard the Heavenly Dao, they went mad.

That was often the case for Qi Cultivators, too.

As the saying goes, Heaven’s will is unfathomable. When mortals heard the Heavenly Dao, they simply couldn’t withstand the overwhelming, complex information it contained and often went mad. It would amplify their darkest desires beyond control.

The Heavenly Dao was not inherently evil—the human heart was.

Even Xu Ying, who could decipher Heavenly Dao runes, could not defy Heaven’s will and would be affected.

Even exceptionally powerful Qi Cultivators, when faced with the Heavenly Dao, could only guard their Dao heart from being invaded. Jiang Qi, for example, relied on reason to resist the Heavenly Dao’s invasion and keep his Dao heart firm.

That same resilience had allowed him to claim the Heavenly Punishment Sword.

Looking up, Gongyang Ce cried out in shock and puzzlement, “Grand Preceptor, look!”

Jiang Qi looked up and saw an ancient mulberry tree in Xu Ying’s courtyard. Hidden within the tree’s canopy was a stone statue, only as tall as a child, sitting between the branches.

The stone statue was roughly chiseled. Its hands and feet were barely carved out. Its eyebrows were arched downward, giving it a ferocious appearance.

The statue stood motionless, showing no signs of vitality.

Suddenly, the statue turned its triangular head like a puppet and looked down.

Meanwhile, Zhu Chanchan, who was repairing Dazhong, suddenly slammed her hammer down. She let out a sharp, cackling laugh. “I’m going to stop pretending! Today, I shall refine all of you into my artifacts! When I repaired Master Zhong before, I left my imprints on his loop!”

Yuanqi suddenly coiled his tail around her neck and cried out, “Demoness, did you leave your imprint on me? You want to control me? I’ll strangle you to death!”

The half-repaired Dazhong also flew into the air and sneered coldly, “I’ll eliminate you both today and receive Master Ying’s favor by myself!”

The old, dim-sighted Jin Buyi raised an eyebrow. He raised his right wing and pinned them down, rendering them immobile.

The old bird raised his head, brought his other wing to his mouth, and made the gesture to keep quiet. He whispered, “A guest has arrived in the city. These people aren’t ordinary. My sabers are almost here...”

Just then, even Jin Buyi’s composure wavered. “Oh no, it seems there are more of them!”

Outside Xu Ying’s residence, Jiang Qi gripped the Heavenly Punishment Sword gently, thinking, So it’s the stone statue from the Ghost Cub Hill. That place is an ascension site. Every night, numerous heavenly gods descend upon the Heavenly God Hall. They guard the grand tomb of Mount Jiuyi. A mere stone statue won’t be a problem for me...

Just as he was about to strike, another stone statue suddenly poked its head out from the canopy.

Then, more and more stone statues appeared on the mulberry tree out of nowhere.

They were like mushrooms popping up in the woods after a heavy downpour. Before long, more than three hundred stone statues had appeared!

“Three hundred sixty orthodox gods of the heavenly pantheon!”

Jiang Qi could no longer hold back and drew the Heavenly Punishment Sword. Meanwhile, Jin Buyi also summoned his two divine sabers and flapped his wings, lunging toward the mulberry tree.

Suddenly, the space before them warped. The mulberry tree, along with the courtyard, vanished without a trace!

Only empty ground remained where the courtyard had been.

In the distance, Bei Chenzi and the Divine Land earth god were nearly moved to tears at the sight. Reaching out, the mismatched pair exchanged a heavy high-five, unable to contain their ecstatic relief.

“We did it!”

1. Image for reference: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Bronze_Ding_of_Kui-long_%28Dragon%29_Patterns%2C_Western_Zhou_dynasty%2C_Hunan_Museum.jpg/500px-Bronze_Ding_of_Kui-long_%28Dragon%29_Patterns%2C_Western_Zhou_dynasty%2C_Hunan_Museum.jpg ☜