No, You Came at Just the Right Time

Xu Ying lowered his voice. "Lord Qi, Lord Niu, I think Xu Fu isn't quite right in the head. Those whose paths diverge cannot make plans together—we'd best slip away. Lord Bell, can we make it out?" The bronze bell suddenly hurtled toward Xu Fu, shouting, "Won't we find out once we try? I'll hold him off, you two run first!" Both Xu Ying and Yuan Qi were stunned. *Since when did Lord Bell get so brave?* Little did they know, six whole months had passed since Xu Ying had been sealed once more. During that time, Zhu Chanchan had pummeled the bell with her fists whenever she had a free moment, which had long since hammered its old injuries into full recovery. For the first three months, the bronze bell had secretly pilfered vital qi and blood from Yuan Qi and Zhu Chanchan. For the latter three, it had skimmed from Yuan Qi, Zhu Chanchan, and Xu Ying together. Even if its strength had not returned to its absolute pinnacle, it was easily back at ninety percent. This was the first time Lord Bell had ever gone into a fight so fully provisioned. It had been itching for action for a long while. Never mind a mere Xu Fu—even if a heavenly fiend or a heavenly god stood in its way, it would charge in just the same! *CLANG!* The chime reverberated, and countless bizarre textures and patterns surfaced across the bell's bronze body. Its might surged explosively, and in an instant, the overflowing energy shook the entire grand hall. The pillars seemed on the verge of melting, slabs broke loose from the vault, and the stone floor softened into mush! This grand hall was an extraordinary treasure in its own right. The moment the bronze bell's power erupted, the hall's interior space expanded at blinding speed, trying to contain the bell's devastation before it ruined itself! It was a palace forged by an Ascension-stage Qi Refiner, tempered a thousand times over and branded with all manner of divine runes, falling only slightly short of the bronze bell itself. Yet the speed at which its interior expanded could not keep up with the blossoming of the bell's power. Its inner walls were continuously shattered and torn away! And this was merely the destruction wrought while the bell held its power in check! The bronze bell concentrated its might upon its surface, letting its chime fly forward first. As its mouth vibrated, waves of sound stacked upon one another, compressing space until the distortion became visible to the naked eye, taking on the ridge-like contours of a mountain range as it rolled toward Xu Fu! The chime rode the spatial tremors with terrifying speed, chime in the lead and the bell right behind. Its form ballooned until it was a hundred times larger than Mount Fangzhang itself! As it surged, it brought with it an unparalleled spatial pressure, crashing forward horizontally! Even a ten-thousand-zhang peak would be snapped in two by the impact! Its mouth aimed downward, spinning as it advanced. The ground split open, and countless fragments of the palace churned and caught fire in the turbulent deluge, forming a crimson torrent of molten stone that swirled into a circle beneath the bell! When the chime struck, the flesh of Xu Fu's face rippled like water, and the hall behind him instantly fell to pieces. Then the bell crashed in with power far exceeding the sound, fully intending to grind Xu Fu to powder! Even if it failed to crush him, knocking him off Mount Fangzhang would still count as a total victory. For as long as Xu Fu stepped off Mount Fangzhang, he would age in an instant, his old wounds would flare, and a window to escape would open for them. *Lord Bell, what a true hero!* Xu Ying and Yuan Qi cheered silently. Seizing the opening, they sprinted toward the palace exit. The doors had already shut fast, but Xu Ying summoned his stone axe without hesitation and brought it crashing down! This hall was a top-tier anomalous treasure, but right now it had to strain every shred of its might against the bell's power and had no leeway left to deal with Xu Ying. A few chops of his axe battered the doors into kindling. A resounding chime echoed behind them as the bronze bell boldly rammed Xu Fu on Mount Fangzhang. *Clang! Clang!* The reverberations shook everything. Though the shockwave was aimed at Xu Fu, its residual force still hurled Xu Ying and Yuan Qi high into the air, tossing them clean out of the hall. By the time Xu Ying and Yuan Qi hit the ground, they had landed hundreds of paces away. The palace doors were torn away entirely, and the terrifying shockwave blew through the entrance like an exhaust nozzle, scouring the sky ahead clear of every speck of cloud. The white clouds that had drifted there were wiped away as if by the hand of an unseen god. "Lord Qi, run!" Xu Ying immediately urged his sword qi forward, calling out to Yuan Qi. Just then, the bell ceased its chime. From within the palace, the bronze bell's sheepish, hesitant voice drifted out: "Master Ying... hold on a moment." Xu Ying stopped and glanced back, only to see that the bell had not flown out after them. Sensing trouble, Xu Ying braced himself and trudged back into the grand hall. Behind Xu Fu, golden light welled up from the ground like a springing fountain. Within that light sat an immense Primordial Spirit, its hand reaching out to clasp the suspension loop atop the bell. The bronze bell dangled from the Primordial Spirit's grasp like a common handbell, swinging uselessly from side to side without a shred of its power able to manifest. The bronze bell muttered timidly, "Master Ying, you might as well surrender. I think Patriarch Xu isn't a bad fellow. Falling into his hands, I admit my defeat wholeheartedly." Xu Fu stood on Mount Fangzhang with a faint smile, never having budged so much as half a step. Xu Ying stopped in his tracks, turned right back into the hall, and laughed heartily. "Patriarch Xu Fu has his heart set on restoring the glory of the Qi Refiners! As a Qi Refiner myself, how could I shirk my duty? Whatever Patriarch Xu commands, just say the word!" Yuan Qi proclaimed with righteous indignation, "Patriarch Xu possesses the heart of a true champion of justice! Fearless before the tyranny of the Nuo Masters, dedicated to the restoration of the Qi Refiners—naturally, we demon Qi Refiners must lend our fullest support! We, the Qi Refiners of Mount Wuwang, Niu Yuanqi and Xu Ying, are willing to lay bricks and tiles for the great cause of restoration, dedicating ourselves body and soul until our dying day!" Xu Ying praised him inwardly: *Lord Qi truly hails from a scholarly lineage. Well said.* Yuan Qi could hardly contain his excitement, thinking to himself, *Once the glory of the Qi Refiners is restored, it will be time for my demon race to rise! Everything those human bastards stole from us demons, we will take back in full! Ah Ying, go ahead and be Xu Fu's shadow for now. Sooner or later, I'll have Xu Fu serve as Lord Niu Qi's shadow!* Xu Fu's Primordial Spirit opened its hand, releasing the bronze bell. The bell rapidly shrank and shot behind Xu Ying's head as a ray of teal light, speaking in a frantic rush: "Ah Ying, this old coot is even fiercer than I thought! That move where he grabbed my crown was breathtaking—I couldn't dodge it at all!" It was thoroughly rattled, terrified by the divine power Xu Fu's Primordial Spirit had displayed. Had it not been scared witless, it would never have been so cooperative. It had unleashed ninety percent of its peak power, yet it hadn't forced Xu Fu back by a single hair! Instead, the moment Xu Fu's Primordial Spirit struck, it clamped onto the bell's loop, rendering all of its might utterly useless! Xu Fu maintained his gentle smile, calm and composed. "That move I just used is called One Hand to Turn Heaven and Earth. Back in those days, you praised it endlessly, calling it an unmatched art." Xu Ying assumed a solemn, reverent expression. "That technique was nothing short of miraculous. Once unleashed, it would bring wails from ghosts and gods and cast the heavens and earth into turmoil. In five thousand years, no technique has been more exquisite!" Yuan Qi's face changed, and he whispered, "Ah Ying, is that move really so formidable?" Xu Ying whispered back, "I was only focused on running outside, I didn't see a thing. But nobody dislikes flattery." Xu Fu indeed liked flattery, especially from Xu Ying. It pleased him greatly. "The first matter I need your help with," he said, "is restoring the Qi Refiner cultivation methods we have gathered over the years. We Qi Refiners have weathered catastrophe after catastrophe; most of the methods and divine arts passed down to this day are fragmented and incomplete. Only you, Lord Xu, can decipher and restore them." Xu Ying said resolutely, "I am a Qi Refiner as well. Repairing our arts is a duty I cannot refuse." These words were not meant to deceive Xu Fu; they came from the bottom of his heart. The Qi Refiners had suffered endless trials and tribulations, enduring first the theft of the immortal herbs during the reign of the Son of Heaven of Zhou, and later the Heaven-Human Induction incident under Emperor Wu of the Han. Their scriptures were lost, and none could comprehend what remained. He truly wished to contribute his own part to restoring the techniques and divine arts of the Qi Refiners. Xu Fu continued, "The second matter is resurrecting the First Emperor Zulong to achieve the grand cause of our restoration. These two tasks can be undertaken together. Lord Xu, prepare yourself over the coming days, and we shall venture into the Netherworld to welcome the First Emperor Zulong back!" Xu Ying voiced his agreement, then asked, "What of the third matter? Aren't you planning to undergo your tribulation and ascend? When will you do so, Patriarch Xu?" Xu Fu shook his head. "I am unlike Zhou Qiyun. He craved ascension, using any means necessary to achieve it. But to me, ascension is merely a personal concern, not the purpose of my life. I will not ask Lord Xu to aid my ascension. Yet there is indeed a third matter to attend to." Xu Ying was slightly surprised. He had assumed that Xu Fu, like Zhou Qiyun, kept his eyes solely on ascension, caring for nothing else in this world. "I would gladly hear the details," Xu Ying said. Xu Fu smiled faintly. "Once the first two tasks are completed, I shall tell you the third. Someone, come in." The adorable, doll-like young girl that Xiao Fengxian had transformed into stepped inside, bowing. "Patriarch, your orders?" Xu Fu said, "Escort Young Master Xu down to rest. Remember, watch him closely. Do not let him slip away in secret." Xiao Fengxian acknowledged the order and bowed to Xu Ying. "Young Master Xu, this way, please." Xu Ying felt a secret surge of joy. Flashing Yuan Qi a look, he followed Xiao Fengxian outside. Xiao Fengxian was dressed in colorful robes, petite in stature with a rather large head. Between the locks of her fine hair, an occasional feather would sprout, shimmering with hues of teal and purple. Xu Ying followed her to his quarters—a residence nestled in the mountains called Tingsong Court, which proved clean and tidy. Xu Ying relaxed and smiled at Xiao Fengxian. "Fengxian'er, it's lucky Xu Fu doesn't know about our relationship and sent you to watch me. No time to lose—let's slip away right now!" Xiao Fengxian's face hardened. With a sharp *shing*, the Phoenix Feather Sword rested against Xu Ying's neck. Coldly, she asked, "You want to slip away? Are you planning to betray Patriarch Xu Fu?" Xu Ying gingerly pushed the sharp edge away from his throat. "Xiao Fengxian, don't you remember? I saved your life! You even said you'd repay me by serving as my beast of burden in the next life!" Xiao Fengxian's grip tightened, returning the Phoenix Feather Sword to his throat, her expression dead serious. "Of course I remember. You showed me great kindness, and I keep it engraved upon my heart. I will serve as your beast of burden in the next life, but in this life, I must obey Patriarch Xu Fu!" Yuan Qi said angrily, "Ah Ying saved your life! How can you repay kindness with malice?" Xiao Fengxian explained, "Young Master Xu's kindness toward me is merely a personal kindness. Patriarch Xu Fu's grace, however, is a grace bestowed upon all Qi Refiners! Though I am not of the human race, I still know the difference between a small kindness and a great righteousness." Xu Ying tested the waters: "How about you repay my small kindness first?" Xiao Fengxian considered it. Caught between a debt of life on one side and an undeniable righteous cause on the other—unable to have both the fish and the bear's paw—her heart was thrown into deep turmoil. As the girl's thoughts ran wild, she lowered the Phoenix Feather Sword and began untying her garments, stomping her foot. "Fine! Today, I shall offer myself to you to repay your kindness! Then I shall uphold the greater righteousness. That way, both will be fulfilled!" Off to the side, Yuan Qi was dumbfounded. *Is this really something I'm allowed to watch? Should I remind this girl that I'm still right here? Wait a second, if I keep my mouth shut, wouldn't I get to keep watching?* And so he remained completely silent. Right then, a voice called from outside: "Patriarch Xu, Hua Xianchen begs an audience." Xu Ying looked toward the entrance and saw the young woman in Daoist robes arriving at Tingsong Court. Though garbed in clerical dress, her slender waist and erect posture gave her a distinct and alluring grace. Hua Xianchen saw Xiao Fengxian right there, peeling off her clothes with a snowy shoulder already exposed. Realizing she had walked in on something private, she spun around in a hurry and said with an embarrassed laugh, "It seems I have come at a bad time and disturbed the patriarch. Forgive me!" Xu Ying called out at once, "No, you came at just the right time!" He reached out, pulled Xiao Fengxian's robe back up over her shoulder, and smiled. "What did you come to see me for?" Hua Xianchen's face flushed crimson, her heart pounding frantically. *Both of them together? I've never done something like that before—it's utterly mortifying! And there's a giant snake right beside them—what's that for? To add excitement?* Seeing the blush steadily spreading across her cheeks and turning her pale neck rose-red, Xu Ying could not help but wonder: *What kind of technique is she practicing? Still, this girl is truly pretty, scarcely inferior to Xiaodie.* He repeated his question, finally snapping Hua Xianchen back to reality. "Lady Hua, what did you need? Xu Fu mentioned that I should help explain and restore cultivation methods for you all. If it's regarding that, feel free to ask." Hua Xianchen realized she had completely misunderstood. Blushing, she quickly produced a silk scroll and said with a smile, "I sought an audience with the patriarch precisely for this. I obtained a copy of the *Taiyi True Fire Formula*, which contains a method for cultivating the Samadhi true fire. Being clumsy and foolish, I have never been able to understand it." Xu Ying accepted the scroll and asked, "Why didn't you ask Xu Fu? Xiao Fengxian works too. Both of them have refined true fire before." Hua Xianchen replied, "I did ask. Patriarch Xu Fu said his own grasp of true fire wasn't fully clear either; he merely pushed its power to the absolute limit, but it isn't pure Samadhi true fire. He said the authentic Samadhi true fire has long been lost." Xiao Fengxian added, "My true fire is innate, so I can't teach it to her. To be frank, even back in my era, the Samadhi true fire was already lost." Xu Ying unrolled the *Taiyi True Fire Formula*, skimmed through it, and said in surprise, "It clearly isn't lost at all! It's written quite plainly in the book!" Yuan Qi poked his head over for a look and felt an instant wave of dizziness. The archaic characters were so abstruse and jarring that even a well-read demon scholar like him nearly swooned. Hua Xianchen stammered, "The text says, 'The Samadhi of the Li Palace fills the Kan; if the tripod is to form, qi must gather at the Xun gate.' How should this phrase be interpreted?" Xu Ying chuckled. "That line is telling you to gather Samadhi true fire to refine your Golden Core. It isn't telling you how to refine the Samadhi true fire itself." Hua Xianchen's eyes went round as saucers, nearly popping from their sockets. Seeing her reaction, Xu Ying asked dubiously, "Did you use this method to refine true fire?" Hua Xianchen nodded guiltily. Xu Ying shook his head. "Wouldn't that only leave you weaker and weaker the more you cultivate? You burned all your vital qi and blood as though it were a Golden Core, scorching your own cultivation dry! Lately, haven't you been suffering frequent bouts of dizziness, hearing strange sounds, and seeing illusions?" Hua Xianchen nodded frantically. Xu Ying said, "You burned your own soul! With your soul scorched and weakened, you can see ghosts and gods. Those spirits are waiting for you to burn your soul to ash so they can take over your flesh and enjoy life in your skin. You've been targeted by them. Let me open your Heavenly Eye so you can see for yourself." He pressed a finger to Hua Xianchen's brow, helping her focus her divine sense. As her divine sense turned outward like a mirror, Hua Xianchen instantly saw blood-drenched men and women standing behind her—none of them living beings! Hua Xianchen turned pale with dread, her hair standing on end. "Patriarch, can I still be saved?" Xu Ying frowned, displeased. "Don't call me patriarch. I'm only fourteen. Call me Ah Ying, or Brother Ying if you like." He paused, then added, "I'll explain it once. After you refine the true fire, your soul will strengthen on its own, and you won't need to fear ghosts and gods coming for you." Starting from the opening passage of the *Taiyi True Fire Formula*, he explained, "This method primarily deals with the three plumes of yang fire in the soul. The *Taiyi True Fire Formula* explains these three plumes very thoroughly. Cultivate along with me." He explained as he practiced. By the time he finished explaining the scroll, Xu Ying had already fused the soul's three plumes of yang fire into one, forging the Samadhi true fire. With a casual flick of his finger, a wisp of Samadhi true fire flew out, setting the surface of the pond in Tingsong Court ablaze. In mere moments, the true fire burned the entire pond dry! Hua Xianchen stood agape, stammering, "It's... refined just like that?" Xu Ying reeled back the true fire. "Once you master the Samadhi true fire, refining the Golden Core becomes much simpler. The text mentions 'interweaving fire and water'—the fire is the Samadhi true fire, and the water is the Samadhi divine water. Both must be mastered first before you refine the Golden Core, so that the Golden Core can be made pure." Hua Xianchen's eyes remained wide and her jaw hung open, unable to close for quite some time. Seeing this, Xu Ying asked in confusion, "What's the matter?" Hua Xianchen steadied herself, saying with deep guilt, "I... I've already refined my Golden Core..." Xu Ying's brow furrowed slightly. "Summon it and let me see." Hua Xianchen hastily summoned her Golden Core. Xu Ying activated his Heavenly Eye and examined it, finding that deep within the core lurked countless blood fiend and qi fiend impurities that had never been purged clean, leaving countless dark veins across its surface. "Your Golden Core is just like that Young Master Xiang I chopped down—riddled with impurities and utterly fragile." Xu Ying unfastened the stone axe from his waist, casually handing it to her. "Try channeling this stone axe." The moment Hua Xianchen took hold of the stone axe, a boundless deluge of power rushed into her from within the weapon. She felt as though she were standing tall in a sea of blood where mountains of corpses drifted, wielding a giant axe as she strode across the world to enact vengeance at will! Her eyes turned bloodshot, and she burst out laughing. "With this divine axe in my hands, I am invincible beneath the heavens! If gods block my way, I shall slaughter gods; if immortals stand in my path, I shall slay immortals! Whichever man I fancy sleeping with, I'll sleep with him!" Suddenly, a chime rang out, jolting her awake. Hua Xianchen turned pale and frantically dropped the stone axe, crying out, "This axe took control of me!" The bronze bell's voice drifted over: "Girl, the axe didn't control you. It only amplified your thoughts. What you just said came straight from your heart." Hua Xianchen clutched her chest, protesting, "It was the axe controlling me! How could I possibly harbor such bizarre thoughts? Pui, pui!"