Xu Ying and Guo Xiaodie wandered through the imperial palace. It was still night, and the palace grounds had long since fallen into silence. Yuan Qi ran wild alongside Guo Xiaodie. Like ghosts, they dashed into one hall to frighten a few young eunuchs, then scurried to another to terrify several palace maids.
Yuan Qi would coil around a eunuch's or maid's neck, whispering into their ears, while Guo Xiaodie would dart forward to yank away their quilts, scaring those huddled beneath into trembling heaps.
Xu Ying did not join in their foolish antics. Instead, he searched all around, trying to locate the Li clan's Dragon-Seeking Locating Art for the Jade Capital secret depository, but he turned up nothing.
The bronze bell flew back and forth. Whenever it spotted a bell hanging beneath the palace eaves, it rushed over and gave it a knock. That bell would chime melodiously, though the sound could not carry into the Second Shendu.
That night, the imperial palace was haunted.
At Derong Palace, Guo Xiaodie poked her head inside for a peek, then backed away with a blushing face, blocking Yuan Qi just as he was about to enter. "Don't go in. The Emperor and a consort are sleeping together in there. It's so embarrassing!"
Hearing the sounds coming from within, Yuan Qi knew it was something shameful and refrained from entering.
They entered the neighboring Dexin Palace. Yuan Qi wondered inwardly, *Wait a moment. Wasn't the Emperor severely wounded by Old Ancestor Guo and recuperating in the Eastern Palace? Did his injuries heal that quickly?*
Just then, Guo Xiaodie spat in disgust again and backed out of Dexin Palace. "We can't go into this one either. The Emperor and a consort are sleeping together inside."
Yuan Qi caught up to her, baffled. "Just now there was an Emperor resting in the Eastern Palace, and now there are two more sleeping with consorts. Just how many Emperors are in the imperial palace?"
Guo Xiaodie seemed to realize something. Her eyes widened as she stared back at Dexin Palace, blurting out, "Could we have run into ghosts? Why else would we see three Emperors?"
Xu Ying made his way to Qinghua Hall and was taken aback. Pei Du sat motionless, nine cave-heavens faintly trembling behind him.
Seated across from him was a youth clad in yellow robes, likewise sitting still, with nine cave-heavens floating behind him as well. The colossal body of an azure dragon wound through those nine cave-heavens, ferocious and menacing, its claws firmly gripping two of Pei Du's cave-heavens.
The two looked at each other with smiles, their respective auras rising and falling erratically.
Suddenly, as though sensing Xu Ying, both turned their heads in unison. Even though they existed in separate realms, Xu Ying could still feel their gazes locking onto him!
*What immense cultivation both of them possess!*
He dared not linger and backed out of Qinghua Hall at once. Yet a dragon's roar reverberated from within the hall, somehow carrying from Shendu into the Second Shendu and ringing distinctly in his ears!
A massive dragon claw suddenly tore through the sky of the Second Shendu, lunging down toward him!
Inside Qinghua Hall, Chancellor Pei Du raised a hand, making a loose clutching motion, and said softly, "Imperial Uncle Li, why must you be so ruthless?"
Before the dragon claw could descend, an invisible force suddenly seized it, stopping it dead in midair.
In that brief instant, Pei Du and Imperial Uncle Li had clashed several times within Qinghua Hall. Each time Pei Du made a move, it was casual and understated, yet Imperial Uncle Li was jolted until his vital qi and blood churned violently, alarming him inwardly.
Prince Li Zhaolou had died in the Pei manor, and Pei Du had come to the imperial palace to offer his apologies. Imperial Uncle Li knew there was something fishy behind Li Zhaolou's death, but he also knew Pei Du had certainly obliterated Pei Jing's memories, leaving not a trace behind.
He had therefore forced Pei Du to stay. The two sat facing each other, and Imperial Uncle Li moved to seize two of Pei Du's cave-heavens by way of punishment.
At the same time, by pinning Pei Du down, Pei Du could not return to protect Xu Ying, giving Emperor Shengshen an opportunity to strike.
He had originally believed he could easily suppress Pei Du. Little did he expect that in this exchange, even with the overwhelming advantage of locking down two of Pei Du's cave-heavens, Pei Du could still parry his attacks and shake his vital qi and blood into disarray!
*This chancellor's yuan qi is so vast and surging—truly like an ocean!* he marveled inwardly.
"There is an evil fiend lurking in the Second Shendu, spying on the imperial palace!"
Though Imperial Uncle Li admired Pei Du's cultivation attainments, his actions remained merciless. He said coldly, "I am capturing an evil fiend. Does Chancellor Pei intend to stop me as well?"
Pei Du hesitated for a moment, then withdrew his hand into his sleeve.
With the pressure abruptly lifted, Imperial Uncle Li immediately activated his Nuo technique—True Dragon Reaches Its Claw—striking out toward Xu Ying!
*CLANG!*
A violent tremor erupted in the Second Shendu. The bronze bell swept in from the side to meet the dragon claw. A thunderous toll resounded, shattering the azure dragon's reaching claw!
The bronze bell was also jarred off balance by the impact and came tumbling toward Xu Ying. Xu Ying hurriedly thrust out both hands against its surface, only to be shoved backward by the colossal momentum.
With a loud thud, he slammed into Qinghua Hall, crashing right between Pei Du and Imperial Uncle Li! A sudden gale swept through the hall, sending papers fluttering through the air, yet no figure could be seen!
Imperial Uncle Li grunted, gripping his right hand. Blood dripped from his palm—the bronze bell had wounded his right hand during the clash with the dragon claw.
*Crash!*
A wall of Qinghua Hall collapsed before Xu Ying finally neutralized the force transmitted by the bronze bell.
Imperial Uncle Li was startled and suspicious. *The evil fiend is this formidable?*
He no longer suppressed Pei Du. Getting to his feet, he snatched a stick of incense from a censer, smeared the blood of his right hand across it, brought his sword fingers beneath his lips, and muttered a chant in a low voice.
Just as Xu Ying rushed out of Qinghua Hall with the bronze bell, he looked up to see incense smoke qi swirling in the sky, taking the shape of Imperial Uncle Li's face. It probed into the Second Shendu and sneered, "I shall see who you really are!"
Xu Ying hastily grabbed a cloth to cover his face. The bronze bell also tore down a curtain and draped it over itself to conceal its front.
The boy and the bell sprinted frantically outside, only to run right into Guo Xiaodie and Yuan Qi rushing over. The girl and the serpent were fleeing as well. Guo Xiaodie wore a perfumed kerchief over her face, while the giant snake had picked up a quilt from somewhere and draped it over his head, though it failed to cover even his forehead.
They fled in panic out of the imperial palace, watching as the massive face formed of Imperial Uncle Li's incense smoke flew to and fro in the sky, searching for their whereabouts.
Without the divine guidance of the Lingyan Pavilion spirits, he could not descend in his true body into the Second Shendu.
Xu Ying and the others slipped away from the giant face and breathed sighs of relief, pulling off their masks. Xu Ying said, "It is not safe to linger here. Let us return to the Guo manor first!"
Passing by the Yuan manor, Guo Xiaodie suddenly smiled. "I wonder if Brother Weiyang is bathing or sleeping right now. I'll go take a look!"
She slipped into the Yuan manor.
A moment later, Guo Xiaodie walked out of the manor, looking completely despondent. Even when Xu Ying waved a hand before her face, she did not react.
"She was bathing."
"...what? Just pulled hard like that..."
She burst into tears.
Her mind was in utter turmoil and flooded with sorrow. A voice screamed inside her head: *None of that matters, but why is Brother Weiyang a girl?!*
Xu Ying had no idea what fierce inner conflict raged within her. He gently patted her shoulder, unsure how to comfort her. Guo Xiaodie wept for a long while, thoroughly soaking the fabric on his shoulder. Having finally vented the misery in her heart, she wiped away her tears and snot.
Xu Ying did not know the cause of her grief and said with a smile, "Let's go take a look over by the Solitary Willow Tree."
Guo Xiaodie gave a soft murmur of agreement and silently followed him. She suddenly felt that the boy beside her had sturdy arms and broad shoulders; leaning against him to cry earlier had given her an indescribable sense of reassurance.
Her index finger discreetly tugged down her chemise, and she thought to herself, *Monster King Xu's demeanor is no lesser than Brother Weiyang's. What a pity Brother Weiyang is a girl... Wait a moment, could Yuan Weiyang have set her sights on Monster King Xu too? That little minx!*
They passed the Solitary Willow Tree. In the Second Shendu, this willow tree appeared even more massive, towering into the clouds, yet steeped in sinister ghostly qi, dreadfully terrifying.
Willow branches danced in the air, their tips skewering the severed heads of ghosts.
Those headless wandering spirits stood upon the thick willow branches as steadily as perching birds, their headless torsos turned toward Xu Ying; wherever Xu Ying and his companions walked, they turned to face them.
Yet the heads impaled at the branch tips did not look at them. Instead, they faced the willow tree, each bearing a bizarre smile, whispering among themselves as though sharing secrets with the Solitary Willow Tree.
*They are offering worship to a god.*
Hearing those whispers, Xu Ying felt a stir in his heart. *This willow tree is controlling these beheaded ghosts to cultivate. It wants to attain godhood through incense!*
The path the willow tree trod was clearly that of achieving godhood through incense!
Through all the turmoil of these years, countless people had been beheaded and displayed beneath the Solitary Willow Tree. The depth of their grievance was beyond imagination!
*It cultivates using the resentment of headless ghosts. If it reaches grand completion, it will surely be exceedingly evil!* Xu Ying thought. *However, with the saints of Lingyan Pavilion suppressing this place, it cannot stir up much trouble.*
Guo Yue had been waiting for a long time. Seeing them arrive, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and urged them forward repeatedly. The group hurriedly exited the Second Shendu.
Once outside, the torrential rain had ceased and the sky had cleared. The night sky was as clean as if washed, dotted with stars.
A steward of the Guo clan arrived and arranged lodgings for Xu Ying to rest. The night passed in peace.
When he woke the next morning, Xu Ying did not go to breakfast. Instead, he first practiced breathing exercises in the courtyard. In the sky, his Dao field spanned five or six mu, with Dao seeds raining down like light. Xu Ying surged his vital qi and blood, activating the Taiyi Guiding Technique. The power of the Mud Pill secret depository within him was stirred, sending ripples across the Sea of Chaos. Behind him, a haze of chaotic qi emerged, faintly revealing a cave-heaven rooted in the chaos, drawing up power like a waterspout.
His two secret depositories of the Jade Pool and Crimson Palace had also been opened, but without the top Nuo methods of the Pei and Guo clans, he could not systematically mobilize their power.
He could only harness a small fraction of the energy from those two secret depositories. Even so, the speed of his cultivation progress was astonishing—even outside a grotto-heaven and blessed land, his advancement did not lag in the slightest!
*The Six Secret Depositories of the Human Body are equivalent to six portable grotto-heavens and blessed lands, endlessly providing energy for a Qi Refiner's cultivation. Could this be the true method of Qi Refining?*
Xu Ying suddenly experienced a flash of enlightenment. The fog that had veiled his eyes seemed to dissipate, and a path uniting Qi Refining and the Nuo methods grew clearer and clearer!
He cultivated until the sun rose high, then stopped, only to see Old Ancestor Guo standing not far away, having arrived at some unknown time.
"What a fine technique!"
With a head of white hair and a tall, burly frame, Old Ancestor Guo walked over to Xu Ying. Xu Ying was by no means short, but beside him, he looked like a child.
Old Ancestor Guo praised, "Truly wonderful, truly wonderful! Senior Xu, how did you unify the powers of different secret depositories?"
Startled, Xu Ying smiled and said, "Elder Guo, I might not be that immortal from the ancient books. You can just call me Xu Ying. Besides, Xiaodie doesn't call me Senior either. If you don't mind, you can even call me Monster King Xu."
He was plagued with worry, convinced he was probably a monster.
Old Ancestor Guo looked solemn and shook his head. "The rules cannot be discarded. Elder Xu, you may simply call me Little Guo."
Xu Ying was dumbfounded.
Old Ancestor Guo then asked him how he had unified different secret depositories. Xu Ying did not hide anything, telling him that he used the Taiyi Guiding Technique as the foundation, treating the Mud Pill, Jade Pool, and Crimson Palace as nutrients to fish out the power of the secret depositories to aid his cultivation.
Old Ancestor Guo was stunned for a moment and asked, "Did Zhou Qiyun cultivate this way as well?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "He used Qi Refining as root and stem, and secret depositories as fruit, cultivating in that manner."
Old Ancestor Guo sat on the ground and used a finger to sketch two cultivation paths on the stone. One drawing showed a person with six cave-heavens distributed around the top, bottom, left, and right of the body; the other showed a tree bearing six fruits.
These two diagrams were instantly understandable: the first used the six secret depositories as cave-heavens to sustain a Qi Refiner's cultivation; the second used Qi Refining as nourishment, gathering and refining qi to nourish the six secret depositories and cultivate them into Dao fruits.
Two paths: one prioritized Qi Refining, the other prioritized the six secret depositories, each with a different emphasis.
"Which of these two paths is the correct one?" Old Ancestor Guo pondered.
Xu Ying offered his deduction, saying, "In terms of raw power, cultivating the six secret depositories into Dao fruits yields far greater strength. Strength, yuan qi, divine sense, and the physical body can all easily reach the realm of an immortal. Prioritizing Qi Refining still requires step-by-step cultivation, ascending realm by realm, which is not as swift as the Nuo methods."
Old Ancestor Guo nodded slightly and sighed. "White-Browed Old Ancestor Zhou Qiyun was a prodigy of peerless talent, and his cultivation advanced fast enough, didn't it? Yet he was still devoured by someone."
He frowned and said, "The crux lies in the second path. For whom are the Dao fruits upon this tree being refined? If in the end the Dao fruit does not belong to oneself, and someone comes to pluck the fruit, then all is lost!"
Xu Ying felt a stir in his heart and asked, "Elder Guo, when you received the inheritance back then and cultivated the Guo clan's technique, did you ever sense something watching you?"
Old Ancestor Guo turned ashen and murmured, "Indeed. Back then, by a stroke of fortune, I obtained the inheritance of the Crimson Palace secret depository. In my joy, I cultivated the Crimson Palace, and the moment the technique began to run, I felt a pair of eyes staring at me. In recent years, that feeling has grown stronger and stronger."
He said softly, "Most likely, my Dao fruit has ripened, and that unknown master of mine is preparing to harvest me."
Suddenly, he rallied his spirits and laughed heartily. "'Yet my fate is forged by me, not by heaven!' If even heaven cannot dictate my life, how could another person? I will surely break through this fatal calamity and transcend! Senior Xu, the first cultivation path you forged gives me hope. If I walk this path, I can certainly escape the grim fate of a Nuo immortal!"
Xu Ying remained silent for a moment, then shook his head. "When I opened the Mud Pill Hidden Scenery Longevity Art and unthinkingly activated that Nuo method, I too sensed that someone was watching me from behind."
The smile on Old Ancestor Guo's face froze, his bold spirit evaporating instantly. After a long while, he exhaled a breath of stale air and said, "You mean to say... even the first path cannot avoid having one's fruit plucked?"
Xu Ying nodded gently.
Old Ancestor Guo slumped in defeat, murmuring, "Then, where lies the spark of life?"
Chapter 102