Day of Ascension

Chapter 36 - Immortal Trace, Ghostly Shadow

Xu Ying had once worried that the phenomenon resulting from practicing the Grand-Unity Guiding Method would easily attract the pursuit of the statue gods, as it was too conspicuous. Now, he didn’t care about that and openly practiced it.

The closer he got to the floating temple ahead, the richer the sun essence within the sunlight became. His vital energy gradually recovered, easing his worries slightly.

Xu Ying looked back at the five immortal mountains. Their arrangement resembled the layout of the ethereal void. Even their varying heights and shapes matched the five viscera.

Boulders that have turned into flesh and blood surrounded the five mountains, floating through the air as they searched for people to devour. More statue gods riding clouds of incense joined the battle between Zhou Zheng and the city gods, making the situation even more chaotic.

Xu Ying looked up. A sun hung in the sky above the grand temple, while another sun loomed beyond the heavens behind it. Outside, sunset was already approaching.

Xu Ying exclaimed in surprise, “Strange. I don’t feel hungry here.”

Dazhong replied, “In the immortal realm, one sustains oneself on wind and dew. One can turn both into primordial qi, so hunger naturally disappears. This place really has some resemblance to an immortal realm, though in the end, it is only something like the ethereal void.”

A flash of insight suddenly struck Xu Ying. He exclaimed, “I get it! Master Zhong, I understand now! This evil Sword Immortal isn’t a Qi Cultivator, but an Exorcist! We’re neither in an immortal realm nor in his ethereal void! We’re in his land of internal sublimation! He’s not a Sword Immortal, but an Exorcist Immortal!”

Dazhong was stunned.

Xu Ying was inexplicably excited. He had once heard the coffin maiden say that Exorcists refined their Radiant Vestige. Upon reaching the highest level, they could create a miniature immortal realm inside them, sublimate it, and conceal themselves within!

This world of the dilapidated temple matched every characteristic of a land of sublimation and concealment she had described!

In other words, this place was actually a miniature immortal realm within an evil Exorcist immortal!

This was not an immortal realm, and the one residing here was not a true immortal. He was an Exorcist immortal who had cultivated his exorcism art to the highest level.

He had achieved sublimation and concealed himself in this land, coexisting with the world. He had turned numerous ancient gods into his servants to refine Myriad Spirit Pills for his consumption.

After a moment of silence, Dazhong said, “An Exorcist immortal, huh. No wonder those soul-summoning incantations have so many mistakes in them. He most likely got the texts from an ancient Qi Cultivator, but made mistakes due to his shallow knowledge. Clearly, he is just another ignorant fraud.”

Xu Ying sensed mockery in the word “another.” He thought, Is Master Zhong taking a jab at Yuanqi?

He pondered, This Exorcist immortal is ruthless, viewing humans as ants. His methods are also extremely evil. It’ll be difficult for us to escape if we enter the grand temple.

His eyes flickered as he looked at the temple ahead. An idea struck him, and he said, “Master Zhong, let’s avoid the main entrance and circle to the back instead.”

Dazhong suggested, “Since you are aware of the perils, why insist on seeking death? Let’s return, set up a tablet for that stinking snake, and worship him. We can write the words ‘brave warrior’ on it and make up a few stories about his kindness to trick people into worshipping him. Once he becomes a god, we’ll have fulfilled our duty.”

Xu Ying refused.

Dazhong had no choice but to push himself to fly toward the temple, thinking, You can’t bite the hand that feeds you. What to do? I still need his vital energy to heal my injuries. Besides, even if Ah Ying is an ignorant fraud, he’s still worth befriending. For his friends, he’s willing to risk his life.

Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, “Ah Ying, did you feel anything unusual after consuming the Myriad Spirit Pill?”

Only then did Xu Ying recall that he had swallowed one. That pill helped immortals heal their Primordial Spirit, yet after entering his stomach, it vanished like a clay bull sinking into the sea, vanishing.

Baffled, Dazhong murmured, “Strange. Did that evil Exorcist immortal get the recipe for the Myriad Spirit Pill wrong, too? Why would it have no effect otherwise?”

Hanging on Little Rocky Mountain, he had witnessed the fall of Qi Cultivators and the rise of Exorcists. However, he had never left the mountain because he had to suppress the coffin in the well, so he had no idea what exactly happened during that time.

Finally, they arrived at the grand temple. It stood in magnificent splendor, radiating a grand and majestic aura. Outside, a waterfall cascaded down from beyond the heavens. Water splashed like jade beads and scattered pearls. Even when Xu Ying looked upward, he still couldn’t see its source.

“Manifestation of the Great Dao?” Xu Ying was taken aback slightly. Then, he realized something unusual. “It’s a Radiant Vestige formed from countless Manifestations of the Great Dao!”

Using his Third Eye, Xu Ying saw that every droplet from the waterfall consisted of Manifestations of the Great Dao. The water-element manifestations contained frost, rivers, lakes, seas, and so on. Within them were intricate techniques that pushed the limits of ultimate change!

With the Third Eye, one could closely observe these Manifestations of the Great Dao and comprehend many Dao arts!

“But wasn’t he supposed to be a Sword Immortal?”

Xu Ying was confused. Outside the Water Entrance Temple, he had witnessed sword qi and sword intent so powerful that it split the earth and shattered time and space. That strike had severed the boundary between Yin and Yang and opened a path to another world.

Because of that, he had assumed the hidden master here was a peerless sword Dao expert.

Yet after arriving in this land of sublimation formed from Radiant Vestiges, he felt disappointed. He couldn’t find any trace of the sword Dao in the master’s Dao arts.

Xu Ying turned to look at the flowers, grass, and trees outside the temple. All of them were composed of Radiant Vestige. Their profundity was immense, but none contained sword intent or sword qi.

Just then, a voice came from the other side of the waterfall. “You noticed it too?”

Xu Ying turned back and saw the youth named Yuan Weiyang and his green-robed elderly servant standing on the opposite side of the waterfall. Earlier, the Radiant Vestige had concealed them from his sight.

He approached, bowed, and said, “I comprehended a Manifestation of the Great Dao outside the temple, which I’d named Realm Breaker, and assumed the master of this place must be a Sword Immortal.

“When I arrived here, I realized he had achieved sublimation and concealment and was an Exorcist Sword Immortal. Yet, I couldn’t find any sword intent or sword qi within the waterfall. I suspect the one who unleashed that peerless sword art is someone else entirely.”

Yuan Weiyang returned the greeting, somewhat surprised. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of closeness toward Xu Ying.

He said, “I also noticed that there’s something amiss here. You named that move ‘Realm Breaker?’ It fits the sword intent very well.”

He continued after a momentary pause, “Just a moment ago, you referred to the Radiant Vestige as Manifestation of the Great Dao. That term is more fitting. Radiant Vestige sounds a lot more ambiguous.”

Xu Ying smiled. “That’s what a senior told me. I’m simply repeating their words. Brother Yuan, I plan to head behind the temple and see what this Exorcist immortal is hiding. Would you like to come along?”

The green-robed elderly servant let out a dry cough and subtly shook his head, signaling Yuan Weiyang not to do so.

Yuan Weiyang hesitated. Xu Ying smiled. “It’ll likely be very fun.”

Yuan Weiyang said, “I’ll go with you.”

The elderly servant glared at Xu Ying, but the latter paid no heed to it. He called upon Master Zhong and flew to the back of the grand temple on the great bell.

The servant said, “Young Master, a wise man avoids danger. This place is extremely eerie; we’d best leave as soon as possible.”

Yuan Weiyang said, “We’ll take a quick look and leave.”

Seeing no alternative, the elderly servant activated the power of his Secret Trove. His incredibly powerful divine sense lifted him and Yuan Weiyang into the air, treading the void and following Xu Ying.

Xu Ying glanced back and was shocked. He asked, “You used your divine sense to take flight? How did you do that?”

Yuan Weiyang answered, “Our Yuan clan cultivates the power of the Yellow-Court Secret Trove. It contains boundless divine sense. When paired with our clan’s cultivation technique, it allows us to fly using our divine sense, though I still can’t do it.”

Xu Ying said, “I’ve been trying to fly on a sword these past few days, but I haven’t succeeded yet. Perhaps my mastery of divine sense isn’t as refined as yours. I’m a Demon King at Mount Wu Wang. Come by if you have time. We can study this together.”

Joy flickered on Yuan Weiyang’s face. He looked toward the green-robed elderly servant, only to see the old man’s expression darken as he slowly shook his head.

Yuan Weiyang grew dejected.

Dazhong ferried Xu Ying to the back of the temple. Its wall was vermilion in color. Just as he was about to fly upward, a huge mouth about a dozen zhang wide split open in the wall, filled with sharp teeth.

The huge mouth opened wide and spat out about a dozen human and beast skeletons. A scarlet tongue slowly extended from within and licked one of the skeletons with reluctant longing before withdrawing. Then the mouth gradually closed.

Xu Ying’s heart pounded fiercely with fear. He looked toward Yuan Weiyang and saw that his expression was unchanged, as if he felt nothing about it.

Xu Ying whispered, “Brother Yuan, aren’t you scared?”

Yuan Weiyang replied, “My family taught me that even if Mt. Tai collapses before me, I must remain composed. No matter how scared I am, I cannot show it.”

Xu Ying laughed incredulously. “Where’s the fun in that? Have you ever gone into a river to catch fish or dug for loaches?”

Yuan Weiyang shook his head.

“Then I’ll take you to the river someday. I’m a Demon King at Mount Wu Wang. If you have time...”

The green-robed elderly servant’s expression darkened. He glared at Xu Ying viciously, worried that the youth he had painstakingly raised would be led astray by Xu Ying’s influence.

Above the back wall of the temple was the roof of the immortal hall. Dazhong flew over, and Xu Ying jumped off him. He stepped across the glazed tiles to the roof ridge. Holding on to the ridge, he peered down.

Seeing this, Yuan Weiyang tried to copy him and lay flat behind the ridge. The elderly servant quickly stopped him, spread a strip of green silk over the ridge, then nodded in approval.

Only then did Yuan Weiyang lie down on the silk to keep his clothes clean before peering downward beside Xu Ying.

Below, immortal light filled the sky, dazzling them. After a moment, the two youths regained their vision. Hundreds of people sat upright inside the grand temple, circulating a peculiar cultivation technique.

Meanwhile, beneath the immortal hall, layers of immortal light swirled like swords around an imposing Exorcist immortal.

The Exorcist immortal appeared serene and carefree, with a majestic bearing unseen in ordinary gods, demons, and Exorcists.

He gave off a feeling of clarity, like water in a stone pond untouched by dust. . With just a single glance at him, Xu Ying felt as though his inner world were a rain-soaked field overgrown with weeds. Those weeds were his distracting thoughts: murky and chaotic.

Only when standing before a clear mirror untouched by dust did he realize how dirty his inner mind was. A sense of shame rose within him.

“This senior Exorcist immortal has achieved a transcendent state of mind, free of worldly distractions. Only the mind of an immortal exists. It’s far beyond the reach of ordinary mortals.” Xu Ying couldn’t help but sigh in awe. He and Dazhong had actually slandered this Exorcist immortal, calling him evil. What a sin.

Below, the Exorcist immortal’s refined and gentle voice rang out.

“You don’t even know this? How did you even cultivate, you idiot! I was talking about this, not that! Are you trying to kill me with anger? I told you to reverse the flow of the cultivation technique and circulate two and a half cycles. What did you do instead?

“You circulated it normally for two cycles! Forget the flow, where is the other half cycle?! Is this how I taught you? You absolute dimwit!”

“This Exorcist immortal seems to have a short temper. Who’s got him this worked up?”

Xu Ying peeked his head forward, trying to get a better look at the situation below.

A huge horned snake raised his head, his face full of confusion. He was even thicker than a water vat, and his head was bigger than a traditional Chinese square table. As he raised his head to a height of three to four zhang, he happened to lock eyes with Xu Ying.

Xu Ying gestured to keep quiet. Yuanqi understood, retracted his head, and said, “Immortal Master, I am indeed slow, but I am patient. I will surely learn it!”

The white-robed Exorcist immortal’s breathing turned heavy. After a moment, it calmed down, and he continued lecturing.

Xu Ying focused his divine sense, quietly activated his Third Eye, and looked down at the immortal.

The immortal seemed to sense something and abruptly looked up. Xu Ying got a good look at the immortal’s face. He truly looked like a flawless gentleman, elegant as polished jade.

The immortal smiled in his direction. Yet through the vision of the Third Eye, blood suddenly burst from the immortal’s seven orifices!

His elegant appearance instantly turned hideous and terrifying, like a malevolent ghost from the underworld!

A ghost that had died an unimaginably gruesome death.

Immediately, Xu Ying sensed resentment and malice so intense that it could twist one’s mind and make them go crazy.

A freezing chill swept through him, as if it would freeze his body and soul.

Xu Ying’s eyes turned bloodshot, and his divine sense fell into disarray. Thick blood even began pouring down through the sky of his ethereal void like crimson waterfalls.

Just then, the coffin maiden’s spark of Pure Yang Spirit Flame burst with blinding radiance. Under the fiery light, the tainted blood in the sky of his ethereal void sizzled as the spark refined it away, releasing wisps of smoke before vanishing.

Only then did the resentment and malice Xu Ying had felt dissipate.

A dead person! He is dead! Xu Ying stared wide-eyed at the immortal, screaming internally, This Exorcist immortal is a dead man! One with overwhelming resentment!

Still smiling, the immortal said, “Young friend from the outside world, why hide up there? I have gathered this assembly to preach the Dao. Anyone, regardless of their race and cultivation, is welcome to learn.”

Xu Ying steadied himself, drew a quiet breath, and said, “Immortal Master, it’s quite pleasant up here. I can hear better.”

“Alright, alright.” The immortal didn’t say any further and turned back.

The moment he turned his head, Xu Ying spotted a sliver of light at the back of his head, extending to his neck.

Faint light also shone under his robes on his back.

Xu Ying looked through the light, and his heart pounded wildly. He felt dizzy, and his mouth went dry.

The white-robed Exorcist immortal was nothing more than an empty shell covered in skin and clothing!

That sliver of light was sword light leaking from the crack in the skin behind his head.

Beneath that skin, there was no flesh or blood. It looked as though someone had sliced open the back of his head and poured flesh-devouring worms inside, letting them consume everything within him until nothing remained.

It also seemed like someone had captured him, then used a sharp blade to cut him open from the back of his head to his tailbone, pulled his skin apart, took out his flesh and blood, then sewed his skin back and put him here. They placed him here to create the illusion that he was still alive.

Xu Ying tried his hardest to maintain a faint smile. His voice trembling, he said, “Xiao Qi, stop practicing. Come out, the sun is about to set...”

“I still haven’t understood the immortal master’s Comprehensive Daoist Truth of the Celestial Pivot.”

Yuanqi looked up. “He said he will make sure I understand it. Ah Ying, you have a good head on your shoulders. Come down and learn!”