Day of Ascension

Seeing the text on the yellow paper, the trio felt a great weight lift from their shoulders.

The frowning old man said, “I’ll go to the Heavenly God Hall to retrieve the Demon-Suppressing Runes. You two stay here and keep an eye on him. No mistakes are allowed!”

The red-robed woman suggested, “The sealing runes are a matter of grave importance. In these chaotic times, it would be disastrous if anything goes wrong on the road. I’ll come with you!”

The frowning old man replied after pondering momentarily, “Alright. The situation is urgent, so let's move fast. I'm leaving Xu Ying in your hands, Dao Brother.”

The white-robed elder said, “Do not delay, lest my heart be filled with dread and apprehension.”

“We understand!” With that, the frowning old man and the red-robed woman departed in a hurry.

The white-robed elder turned his gaze toward the Divine Capital. There, Xu Ying had killed Shi Beihuang with a single toll of his bell before charging into the residence. Wielding the ax radiating blinding bloody light, he unleashed a massacre. In no time, blood flowed like a river.

No matter who approached, he would just swing his ax once. If one blow wasn’t enough, he would simply ring his bell, scattering their spirits and souls.

The massacre unfolded to the desperate notes of a pipa. The music brimmed with murderous intent. Each time Xu Ying killed someone, the melody grew faster and more chaotic. It slowed only when he lowered his ax.

Despite his wealth of experience, the white-robed elder couldn’t help but feel dread in his heart. If he keeps killing like this, more of his memories will awaken. He'll break free before they return with the sealing runes!

Suddenly, a terrifying fluctuation erupted from the Shi residence. Shi Mole had awakened from his secluded meditation and rushed out to save his clansmen.

Even though the Pure Yang Spirit Flame had destroyed his vitality and severely damaged his soul, he was still an Exorcist Immortal with nine open grotto heavens!

The moment he emerged, Xu Ying launched Dazhong into the air, trapping Shi Mole and the hall where he had been cultivating beneath the bell.

A spark of the Pure Yang Spirit Flame was trapped beneath the bell with him. As its power erupted, blazing flames engulfed everything below. Shi Mole's bloodcurdling screams rang out without end, echoing across the Divine Capital.

Suspended over Shi Mole, Dazhong’s layers of light wall spun continuously. The inner walls bore images of all creation, while intricate patterns covered the outer walls in an endless flow.

Beneath the bell, the Pure Yang Spirit Fire engulfed Shi Mole’s physical body, soul, and even his ethereal void. His face twisted in agony as he frantically pounded at the light wall! The walls shook violently from the blows but held firm.

Outside, Xu Ying circled the bell, hitting the wall with palm strike after palm strike. The bell shook, and Dazhong’s power erupted. His tolls stimulated the Pure Yang Spirit Flame, making it burn even hotter!

The fire countered the power of Shi Mole’s Gushing-Spring Secret Trove. Xu Ying had noticed this weakness and deliberately used the spirit flame to burn him.

Zhu Hongyi floated helplessly through the air, dragged along by Xu Ying's movements. Her red robes billowed around Dazhong as the notes of her pipa grew faster and fiercer. Every note carried deadly intent.

Formidable figures suspended above the Divine Capital watched the scene unfold, utterly shaken.

Suddenly, amid the sea of flames beneath the bell, Shi Mole unleashed his Radiant Vestige land of sublimation. He hid within it to resist the burning Pure Yang Spirit Fire.

Xu Ying’s power was also nearing exhaustion. Though the spirit fire filling the sky had burned Shi Mole’s ethereal void to a crisp, it lacked the power to penetrate the Radiant Vestige land of sublimation inside his Gushing-Spring Secret Trove.

Zhu Hongyi felt the strings of her pipa go loose. As if relieved of a heavy burden, she clutched the instrument to her chest and hurried away, not daring to linger for even a moment.

At that moment, Dazhong’s wall of light shook slightly. Xu Ying paused, withdrew his hand, and preserved the last of his cultivation. Beneath Dazhong, the overwhelming spirit fire receded, shrinking back into a tiny spark.

Dazhong froze and asked in bewilderment, “How are you, Ah Ying? Do you still recognize me?”

Xu Ying looked at him in surprise, wondering why he would ask such a strange question.

Dazhong said, “You became utterly terrifying just a moment ago. You brought out the stone ax's full power, fully unleashed the spirit fire, and even activated me to release my greatest might. It was as though you had become a completely different person!”

Xu Ying chuckled. “Master Zhong, I’ve always been me. There’s no one else. I just suddenly knew I should use the stone ax and the spirit fire that way. I didn't even have to think about it.”

Dazhong finally relaxed and smiled. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Ying's actions had been terrifying, but he was still the same Xu Ying. He hadn't suddenly become someone else.

Touched, Xu Ying asked, "Master Zhong, did you notice something slipping through your wall of light and into the bell just now?”

Dazhong was thoroughly shocked. “My wall of light is my Dao avatar. How could something pass through my Dao avatar without me noticing? Did you see wrongly?”

Xu Ying replied, “I clearly sensed something strange passing through the wall and entering the bell...”

Zhu Chanchan approached and praised, “As expected of the Dao protector I chose. Ah Ying, your skills as an Exorcist are indeed not bad! Dazhong is impressive, too!”

Yuanqi hurriedly asked, “What about me?”

Zhu Chanchan cast a glance at him but said nothing.

Xu Ying asked, “Chanchan, did you see something enter the bell?”

Zhu Chanchan shook her head. “I didn’t see anything.”

Xu Ying asked Yuanqi, but he hadn't seen anything either. He thought for a moment, then asked the Dazhong to dispel his light wall. “Let's check out Old Ancestor Shi’s Radiant Vestige land of sublimation. I have a bad feeling about this.”

Dazhong grew tense at once and hurriedly said, “We trapped and burned him because we seized the initiative. If we face him head-on, I might not be able to protect all of you!”

When Xu Ying insisted on going in, Dazhong said helplessly, “Once inside, don't leave the area beneath my opening. Otherwise, I'm afraid I can’t protect you.”

He dispelled the wall of light and hovered high above Xu Ying and the others. Without its suppression, Shi Mole’s ethereal void was immediately unleashed. A burnt ethereal void appeared before them.

To enter an Exorcist Immortal’s ethereal void, one required an Exorcist Immortal’s guidance, or a formidable existence to break through the barrier by force, like the streak of sword qi at the Water Entrance Temple that had pierced an ethereal void.

However, the Pure Yang Spirit Flame had burned through the space of Shi Mole’s ethereal void, laying it bare to the world.

From the outside, it looked like a sheet of paper riddled with burn holes. Stepping through one of the charred openings, they saw a sky still engulfed in flames. The five immortal mountains burned fiercely, the rivers and lakes had dried up, and the Heavenly River had been cut off.

Shi Mole’s ethereal void had taken on an ominous atmosphere. Black qi filled the air, squealing and fleeing in all directions from the spirit fire, like black rats on fire, darting wildly across the sky.

Zhu Chanchan quickly grabbed Xu Ying’s hand. Only then did she feel a little more at ease.

Xu Ying looked around, searching. A moment later, he rode sword qi downward. Passing through a stretch of yellow springs, he descended deep underground. The yellow springs twisted and turned, while massive, coarse lines hung everywhere, tangled like a mass of hemp and crisscrossing in an eerie pattern.

“This place should correspond to Shi Mole’s feet. We are descending along his left leg right now!”

Surveying his surroundings, Xu Ying told Yuanqi and Dazhong, “I never realized there was a place like this inside an ethereal void.”

He continued on his way until he finally reached the deepest part of the ethereal void, coming to a stop before Shi Mole’s Radiant Vestige land of sublimation.

Before him lay a sea of the netherworld. Six lotus leaves, each spanning several mu, floated on its surface. At the center was a lotus with white petals tipped in pink. Shi Mole sat within the fully bloomed flower, looking solemn and majestic.

Taking Zhu Chanchan by the hand, Xu Ying soared forward into the air. Dazhong chimed anxiously, dropping a wall of light that covered everyone.

Xu Ying landed on the lotus flower and glanced at Shi Mole. “Master Zhong, I don’t think that’s necessary anymore.”

Still, Dazhong refused to dispel the wall. Zhu Chanchan went closer to examine Shi Mole, only to see that he was nothing but a layer of human skin, sitting upright as if he were still alive!

A slit ran from the back of his head down his neck to his tailbone. It was as though someone had peeled off his skin, leaving the empty husk behind while the flesh had escaped.

Despite her usual fearless nature, Zhu Chanchan was scared out of her wits and scrambled behind Xu Ying.

Dazhong still didn’t dispel his wall. He said in a deep voice, “Ah Ying, if someone entered this place and devoured Old Ancestor Shi, then chances are he hasn't left yet!”

Xu Ying, Yuan Qi, and Zhu Chanchan felt a chill run down their spines. They quickly looked around, while Zhu Chanchan muttered anxiously to herself in her mind. The world today seems even worse than it was in my time!

The sea of the netherworld was calm and without a single wave, resembling a polished mirror.

After a long while, there was still no sign of movement.

Xu Ying let out a sigh of relief. “The one who devoured Old Ancestor Shi must have left already. This is no place to linger; let’s get out of here as soon as possible!”

He immediately channeled the Sword Kinesis Mantra, enveloping Zhu Chanchan as he flew back up.

Dazhong still didn't dare to be careless in the slightest. While flying upward, his wall of light remained, shielding everyone.

As Xu Ying flew up to an extreme height, he happened to look down. Beneath the calm, motionless surface of the sea of the netherworld floated a smiling face.

It stretched across the entire sea, gazing up at him with an eerie smile.

A chill surged through Xu Ying's heart, making him shudder. Yet, he watched as that face slowly sank, disappearing into the darkness beneath the sea of the netherworld.

Only when Dazhong had flown out of Shi Mole’s ethereal void did he dispel the wall of light. He shrank rapidly and entered Xu Ying’s mind. Ah Ying is becoming stranger and stranger. I wonder if the awakening of his memories is for the better or the worse.

Xu Ying walked through the ruins of the Shi residence, looking around. He grabbed an injured Exorcist of the Shi clan and asked, “Where’s Shi Jingtang?”

“The young patriarch has fled. His whereabouts are unknown.”

Xu Ying dropped him and scanned the area, but he found no trace of Shi Jingtang.

Shi Jingtang gathered ghosts for Shi Mole’s demonic arts. Those shady Exorcists outside the city were all under his command. He had played a major role in Shi Mole reaching his current level after opening his Gushing-Spring Secret Trove.

Xu Ying stepped out of the Shi residence and said with a frown, “If we let him escape and he goes on to practice Shi Mole’s demonic arts in the future, who knows how many people he’ll harm!”

Yuanqi said, “No need to worry, Ah Ying. With Old Ancestor Shi dead, the Shi clan will fall with him. The other noble clans are like vultures. Once they smell death, they'll swarm in and strip the Shi clan to the bone. If Shi Jingtang doesn't flee, the various noble clans will tear him apart.”

Dazhong chimed in, “Master Qi is right. What happened to the Zhou clan is a great example. You can easily imagine the Shi clan’s fate! You don’t need to worry about Shi Jingtang escaping.”

Outside the Divine Capital, the white-robed elder spotted Shi Jingtang fleeing in panic from afar. Breathing a sigh of relief, the elder pinched a single chess piece between his fingers and murmured, “The Divine Dynasty already exhibits signs of decay. Imperial authority is shaking, with the General Stars invading the Emperor Star.

“Shi Jingtang happens to be one of those General Stars invading the Emperor Star in the celestial omens. He has the destiny to become an emperor in the future[1].”

Revealing a faint smile, he toyed with the chess piece and said, “The will of heaven cannot be defied. Shi Jingtang was destined to face this tribulation. Once he survives it, he will flee beyond the borders. There, fortune will favor him, allowing him to carve out his own domain in the Divine Land and establish an empire.”

Just then, a brilliant beam of sword light shot up from the Divine Capital. It paused in midair before abruptly changing direction and streaking toward the city's outskirts.

It flew precisely in the direction Shi Jingtang had escaped.

The white-robed elder stared blankly for a second. The chess piece in his hand snapped and blew apart with a sharp crack.

Meanwhile, the sword light sliced through the sky at great speed. It descended and shot toward the fleeing Shi Jingtang!

Boom!

A terrifying sword might erupted where it struck. Countless streaks of sword qi exploded outward, obliterating the mountains and forest within a radius of more than one mu.

The white-robed elder raised his trembling palm to stroke his white beard, but accidentally pulled out a few strands.

“A blessed man will have heaven’s protection! A blessed man will have heaven’s protection!” Completely rattled, he muttered to himself, “Shi Jingtang is a chosen son of heaven, a youth blessed with immense fortune. He definitely won't die here! Absolutely not...”

Gazing at the mountain forest which had been turned to dust, he saw a youth charge out, covered in blood from head to toe. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief.

“Shi Jingtian is indeed a General Star of the future, an existence with hopes of proclaiming himself emperor!”

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

Even more bright sword qi flew out of the sky from within the Divine Capital, each one as thick as a roof beam. They rained down upon Shi Jingtang under the white-robed elder’s gaze!

The violent sword qi blanketed the mountain forest, flattening the terrain!

This time, Shi Jingtang didn’t walk out alive.

The white-robed elder groaned, nearly coughing up a mouthful of blood. A major General Star destined to shape the future had perished before he ever had the chance to rise!

The law of heaven has been violated! The elder looked up at the sky, shouting inwardly, Unleash heavenly tribulation upon him already! Strike him to death! Are you heavenly gods useless? He’s violated the law of heaven!

Yet, the clouds in the sky gathered and parted peacefully, showing no signs of the heavens sending down a tribulation at all.

Furious, the white-robed elder shouted, “You won’t send down a tribulation? No one’s going to intervene, is that it? If no one cares, then I won’t either!”

Though he said that, he still kept his eyes fixed on Xu Ying, worried that he might slip out of his sight.

Xu Ying used up the last of his primordial qi to kill from a distance with sword qi. Only after confirming Shi Jingtang’s death did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He turned to Dazhong and Yuanqi and said, “Taking someone’s head with a flying sword from a thousand li away is still something I can't do, but a hundred li is fine. When cutting grass, one should leave no root behind. Now that I’ve killed him, I can sleep without worry.”

Dazhong asked, “Ah Ying, are you sure he’s dead?”

Heading away from the city, Xu Ying said, “Master Zhong is right. Let’s go check his corpse and deliver one last blow to be sure.”

Yuanqi praised, “Ah Ying is still as cautious as ever. That’s a good habit.”

Zhu Chanchan froze for a moment, then quickly skipped after them. My Dao protectors don’t seem like benevolent people... but neither am I!

1. Shi Jingtang was the founding emperor of the Later Jin dynasty of China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, reigning from 936 until his death. ☜

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