"This First Emperor is domineering indeed!"
Hearing that, the bronze bell could hardly resist wanting to fly out of Xu Ying's Sea of Chaos, but having been swung by Xu Ying to smash all manner of magic artifacts, its injuries were worse than before and it could not take flight. Even so, it praised, "This man is truly a hero; he deserves to be seen."
Now that the sacrifice had halted, it would no longer harm Xu Ying and Yuan Qi's secret depositories. Xu Ying also wanted very much to turn back and see what the First Emperor, Zulong, looked like.
The voice he had just heard gave him a familiar feeling, as though he had heard it somewhere before, and more than once.
Yet reason told him that now was the best opportunity to leave Xu Fu behind!
If he did not leave now, it would be difficult to get away later!
Heading toward the entrance, he heard Xu Fu's voice from behind: "Your Majesty, this subject has returned with the ageless immortal from across the seas after seeking the immortal medicine. Just now, it was used to awaken Your Majesty."
"Is this the immortal medicine? We can feel it."
Hearing this voice, Xu Ying leapt onto Yuan Qi's neck, turned around, activated his Heavenly Eye, and gazed into the distance.
Yuan Qi was already struggling under the weight of the artifact shards crammed into his belly, and carrying Xu Ying made it even harder. Fortunately, his secret depositories—Mud Pill, Yellow Court, Jade Pool, and Crimson Palace—were all unlocked, so his physique, strength, and recovery rate far surpassed what they had been.
He continued hastening toward the entrance of the Mount Li Mausoleum, while Xu Ying peered with all his might toward the seven rays of ascension rosy glow. Even with his Heavenly Eye, he could only make out a faint, tiny silhouette from so far away.
The golden coffin had opened, and a figure drifted amid the seven rays of ascension rosy glow. The lingering essence of the immortal medicine stirred up by that grand sacrifice was flowing into that figure's body.
"The immortal medicine you found is very good. Where is Our ageless immortal? Is he not dead yet?"
Xu Ying exchanged gazes across the distance, and suddenly felt an extraordinarily piercing gaze sweep over and fall squarely on him!
"Seventh Master, run!" Xu Ying's body tensed.
Facing Xu Fu, he had felt no such crushing pressure, but facing Zulong, a hair-raising chill seized him, giving him the sense that if he did not leave, he would surely die here.
*Most likely, in the memories of one of my past lives, I was persecuted by Zulong!* he thought to himself.
None of his other "past life" memories had awakened, yet encountering Zulong and merely hearing his voice made Xu Ying's hair stand on end. Xu Ying suspected he had suffered no small amount of torment at Zulong's side.
Aside from him, numerous other Qi Refiners and Nuo masters were fleeing outward. Many had been injured in the grand sacrifice, their cave-heavens battered and their cultivation and strength far below their prime.
Because Yuan Qi had swallowed too many artifact shards, his speed was sluggish. Seeing this, Xu Ying immediately stirred his blood and qi to levitate Yuan Qi like a magic artifact.
Yuan Qi's speed surged at once, and he rejoiced inwardly: *When Ah Ying levitates me, it saves so much effort. Wait a second... am I a magic artifact? Why am I being levitated?*
He felt somewhat bewildered.
Xu Ying was the first to charge out of the Mount Li Mausoleum. Just as he emerged outside the tomb, a familiar voice called from behind: "Demon King Xu, have you been well?"
Xu Ying's heart jolted. He turned back and saw Yuan Weiyang rushing out of the Mount Li Mausoleum with several women of the Yuan family. Behind Yuan Weiyang was Madam Yuan, supporting Old Matriarch Yuan. Uncle Xiao in blue stood beside Yuan Weiyang.
Though somewhat disheveled, they seemed largely unharmed.
Xu Ying hurriedly slid down from Yuan Qi's head, took several brisk strides to Yuan Weiyang's side, clasped Yuan Weiyang's left hand, and whispered, "These past days, I've missed you terribly. And the rouge on your lips..."
Yuan Qi stared dumbfounded. Zhu Chanchan, sitting inside Yuan Qi's mouth, pushed upward with her hand to make him open wider. The girl sat in the giant serpent's maw, her two legs dangling over his lip, resting her chin on her hands as she watched the scene with keen interest.
Xiao Fengxian, Hua Xianchen, and the others also rushed out of the Mount Li Mausoleum, staring at the sight in astonishment. Other Qi Refiners filed out in battered shape. Seeing this, they assumed a fight had broken out between Qi Refiners and Nuo masters, and hurriedly rallied what little power they had left, hoisting their magic artifacts.
Hua Xianchen raised a hand to restrain them, whispering, "It's not what you think! The ageless immortal has grabbed a young master's hand..."
She frowned, at a loss for how to continue.
In Xu Ying's mind, the bronze bell was beside itself with amusement, emitting a rattling "chug-chug, chug-chug" junk-heap laugh.
Uncle Xiao's expression darkened, his gaze locked onto Xu Ying's hand.
Madam Yuan and Old Matriarch Yuan also fixed their eyes on Xu Ying's hand. Madam Yuan's lip twitched, though she said nothing. The Old Matriarch gripped her phoenix-head cane so hard it creaked.
Yuan Weiyang was flustered as well: *Did he figure out I'm a woman? He looks silly and simple, but did he know all along that I'm Yuan Rushi? So all those times he kissed me and wanted to undo my clothes...*
Her face flushed crimson. Unable to maintain the persona of Young Master Weiyang, she could no longer remain aloof and whispered, "I... I'll take you to meet my elders."
Shedding the dignified composure of Young Master Weiyang, she took on a girl's tender air. Holding Xu Ying's hand, she walked toward Madam Yuan and Old Matriarch Yuan.
"Mother..."
Madam Yuan's expression darkened. Yuan Weiyang's hand trembled, and she let go of Xu Ying, reassuming her identity as Young Master Weiyang, casting aside all emotion. "Mother, Matriarch, this is Xu Ying. You have met him before."
Madam Yuan smiled, nodded gently, and said, "Last time Young Master Xu stayed with the Yuan family, we failed to fulfill our duties as hosts, which weighed heavily on us."
Xu Ying smiled. "Xu Ying greets Madam, and greets the Matriarch."
The two nodded slightly and led Yuan Weiyang away. Yuan Weiyang's expression returned to its distant, aloof demeanor as she said to Xu Ying, "Lord Xu, let us part here."
Suddenly, another figure flew out from the Mount Li Mausoleum, laughing from afar: "With the ageless immortal gracing us with his presence, how could we part like this?"
The figure landed—tall and handsome. Though elderly, he was still high-spirited and vigorous. It was none other than the Yuan family's sole surviving Nuo immortal, Yuan Wuji!
Just earlier, Yuan Wuji's solo stand against the Imperial Mausoleum Golden Man had opened Xu Ying's eyes, and his duel with Xu Fu had left everyone in awe.
Xu Ying stepped forward and said, "This junior, Xu Ying, greets Old Ancestor Yuan."
Yuan Wuji quickly bowed and stepped forward to support him, laughing, "Perish the thought! You are the ageless immortal. In this world, even the newly resurrected First Emperor would address you as senior upon meeting you! How could you bow as a junior to me? You flatter me to death!"
Xu Ying straightened up, and Yuan Wuji laughed heartily. "A chance encounter is better than an invitation! Last time you visited, I was away from Shendu and could not meet you. Meeting today by such fortune, I must treat you properly! Weiyang, I suffered a minor injury just now. Help me receive the ageless immortal first."
Yuan Weiyang agreed, came to Xu Ying's side, and said, "Young Master Xu, please."
Xu Ying felt that he had become a bit colder toward him again.
Although the Yuan family was a declining ancient clan, their foundation remained deep, and by Yuan Wuji's generation, they had not fallen into complete ruin. Yuan Wuji summoned a treasured carriage and called forth two dragon sparrows. These two dragon sparrows were also gods born of incense; prominent clans often used such spirits to draw carriages.
Although the interior of the carriage was vast, once Yuan Qi was stuffed inside, everyone else was forced to stay outside. Even Old Ancestor Yuan Wuji could only sit on the carriage shafts to circulate his arts and heal his injuries.
Madam Yuan and Old Matriarch Yuan were frail and could not bear the cold wind outside, so they had Yuan Qi clear a bit of room inside the carriage so they could squeeze in.
Xu Ying and his companions were fairly numerous, so they climbed atop Yuan Qi's head, braving the wind and dew, sitting directly on the surface.
Seeing this, Hua Xianchen and the others stepped forward, intending to stop them from taking Xu Ying away. Feng Xian'er quickly spread her phoenix wings, blocking them: "None of us is a match for that elder. Stepping forward would just be throwing our lives away! Let us wait for Old Ancestor Xu Fu to return before making our plans!"
Aboard the carriage, Zhu Chanchan's round eyes were wide open, darting between Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang. One feigned composure, while the other seemed on the verge of speaking.
Suddenly, Xu Ying broke the silence: "After parting in Shendu, I lost my memories. I can't remember many things clearly—only some moments with you."
Yuan Weiyang smiled. "Do you still remember the wager between us?"
Xu Ying thought about it and shook his head.
Yuan Weiyang said, "Our wager was: if you completed the missing parts of the Yuan Dao Heavens Induction, I would take it upon myself to betroth my younger sister Rushi to you. If I completed the technique first, you would grant me one request. Now, I have already completed the missing portions. By cultivating it, one can refine the immortal medicine from the Yellow Court secret depository. What about you?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "I lost my memory for three months and don't remember this wager. I lost. Besides... I don't like your younger sister Rushi."
Yuan Weiyang's heart turned cold.
Right at that moment, Xu Ying took her hands, his gaze burning: "The one I like is you! I like how you take my hand and run through the streets and alleys. I like you taking me to the incense post road. I like you lying beside me looking at the sky. And I like you leaning close to me, letting me smell the faint fragrance of the rouge and powder on your face."
Yuan Weiyang's mind was in utter turmoil. She panicked: "Demon King Xu, your memories are mistaken! That was my younger sister..."
Xu Ying held fast to her hands and smiled. "I remember it was you. We even gathered locust flowers together on the giant locust tree and caught dragon loaches."
Yuan Weiyang's face flushed crimson. She whispered, "Let go, let go first! The one you're talking about really is my sister, not me..."
Zhu Chanchan sat nearby, squinting with a beam on her face, not uttering a word. She thought: *This is huge, absolutely huge! Ah Ying had his memories of this life sealed away by the Demon Suppressing Seal, to the point he can't even remember which girl he likes correctly. Those two scoundrels, the bell and the snake, actually aren't reminding him just so they can enjoy the show!*
Suddenly, Zhu Chanchan sprang up, came behind Yuan Weiyang, and giggled, "Look at you two grown men, what's so great about squeezing each other's hands? Like this!"
Reaching around Yuan Weiyang from behind, she placed her hands on Weiyang's chest and grinned, "A squeeze will tell if he's a real man—huh?"
A look of bewilderment crossed Zhu Chanchan's face. She squeezed again and muttered under her breath, "What's going on? Why..."
Releasing her hands, she squeezed her own chest, mumbling, "So soft... and about the same size."
Dazed and despondent, she walked away.
The bronze bell, which had still been laughing with a "chug-chug, chug-chug" rattle, abruptly stopped, dumbfounded: "Wait, what?"
The giant serpent, who had been snickering quietly without daring to make a sound, was also struck dumb with disbelief.
Yuan Weiyang broke free from Xu Ying's grasp, straightened the clothes that Zhu Chanchan had rumpled, and said sternly, "Neither of you should act so frivolous again! Otherwise, we can't even remain friends."
Xu Ying quickly sat up straight and said, "Weiyang is right to scold me. I was never such a frivolous person; my memories are probably a bit jumbled. I still need some time to sort them out."
Yuan Weiyang secretly sighed in relief and smiled. "After comprehending the method to improve the Yuan Dao Heavens Induction, I tested it out and found it could refine the Yellow Court immortal medicine, so I passed it to our ancestor. Now that our ancestor has refined the immortal medicine, he no longer worries about being consumed. This time, he was unaffected by that blood sacrifice and was able to fight toe-to-toe with that scarred-face man."
Moved, Xu Ying said, "Ancestor Wuji is actually strong enough to face Xu Fu directly?"
Yuan Weiyang did not know why he was so shocked, but Xu Ying had seen just how terrifyingly peerless Xu Fu's combat power was.
In Huotong Cave-Heaven, the evil flesh formed after the death of the ancient Qi Refiner had been burned to ashes by Xu Fu with a single sweep of Samadhi true fire. In the Mount Li Mausoleum, the Imperial Mausoleum Golden Man had been suppressed the very moment it awakened, prevented from fully stirring!
The evil god butterfly insects in the mercury river were utterly powerless against his immortal body, immortal power, and immortal fire, reduced to dross.
When Xu Fu stood on Mount Fangzhang battling those immortals, even though it was distant and hard to see clearly, Xu Ying had seen Xu Fu dispatch an immortal with one hand, without ever needing a second move!
Could Yuan Wuji stand on equal footing with Xu Fu merely by refining the immortal medicine in his body?
"Our ancestor also deciphered an ancient Qi Refinement art pointing straight toward ascension, called the Yellow Court Dao Attainment Art," Yuan Weiyang said with a smile. "He took the Yellow Court Dao Attainment Art as his foundation and cultivated both Qi Refinement and Nuo, which is how he achieved his present status."
Xu Ying came to a sudden realization and smiled. "No wonder."
He looked toward Yuan Wuji, who was sitting on the carriage shafts healing his wounds. At that moment, the bronze bell's voice came: "Ah Ying, Yuan Wuji's cultivation and strength right now might already rival Zhou Qiyun's before his ascension, don't you think? Still, I reckon Xu Fu's power far exceeds Zhou Qiyun's."
Xu Ying did not speak.
The Xu Fu standing on Mount Fangzhang was a true immortal. That Yuan Wuji could fight Xu Fu to a draw left him puzzled.
As if sensing his gaze, Yuan Wuji looked up toward him, smiled faintly, and gave Xu Ying a slight nod.
Xu Ying bowed slightly in return, then whispered, "Lord Bell, when speaking in front of him, do not use divine sense anymore. What resides in the Yellow Court is the divine sense immortal medicine. Using divine sense before him is displaying your meager skills before an expert; you can't fool his senses."
The bronze bell felt a sudden chill. "You mean he heard what I said?"
Xu Ying nodded silently.
Frightened, the bronze bell hurriedly flew up from the Sea of Chaos, entered Xu Ying's Realm of Xiyi, and made its way past the mystic pass and over the Heavenly Mountain to Xu Ying's Fourth Heaven.
Above this heaven, fire and water churned and refined in perpetual turbulence. Xu Ying was trapped before this hurdle, yet to break through.
If his divine sense and soul could plunge into fire and water, kindle the Samadhi true fire and Samadhi divine water, and refine the Golden Core within the cauldron furnace, he would be an expert among Qi Refiners!
Beside Xu Ying's soul and divine sense, the bronze bell wrote crookedly on the ground: "If he could fight Xu Fu to a draw, his strength far exceeds Zhou Qiyun's on the eve of his heavenly tribulation! At my peak, Xu Fu could ignore my chimes and grab my nose with one hand—something Zhou Qiyun couldn't do! He could wound me, but never as easily as Xu Fu!"
Xu Ying also wrote on the ground: "Zhou Qiyun once said that Yuan Wuji suffered defeat at his hands. So what caused Yuan Wuji's strength to advance by leaps and bounds?"
Man and bell fell silent, several ominous conjectures forming in their minds.
Xu Ying asked, "Is it possible for him to surpass Zhou Qiyun and reach Xu Fu's level in just six short months?"
The bronze bell wrote: "If that is impossible, then is Yuan Wuji still Yuan Wuji?"
Chapter 128