Thousands of li north of Mount Jiuyi, new territory continuously surged forth, pushing the original great river more than two thousand li to the north. A city named Jingzhou had once stood here, where a Grand Nuo named Cui Yongyi from the Cui clan served as regional inspector.
Yet with the later invasion of the Netherworld, new land constantly erupted from the Cangwu Abyss beneath Mount Jiuyi, conjuring numerous mountains and rivers out of thin air across Jingzhou. This severed Jingzhou's communications with its subordinate territories, reducing Cui Yongyi's post as regional inspector to an empty title. Had it merely been the addition of some mountains and rivers, the Cui clan could have reopened routes across Jingzhou; but alongside the new territory came vast lakes and mighty rivers. Across ten thousand li, the realm became a waterlogged expanse, studded with lakes great and small like stars in the sky.
Mist drifted across the water. Looking down from midair, the clouds seemed like a dream and the water like the sky, heaven mirrored in the lake and clouds gliding across the surface. This was the ancient Yunmeng Marsh. It had vanished from the world long ago, yet now reappeared due to the Netherworld's invasion.
From the government manor of Jingzhou, a procession of Nuo masters emerged, among whom were no shortage of Grand Nuos and clan elders. Cui Yongyi was also among them. In their midst, an eye-catching young master was surrounded like stars orbiting the moon—none other than the eldest young master of the Cui estate, Cui Dongli.
The Cui clan's host of Nuo masters included disciples fostered by the Jingzhou government office, younger generations from various branch lines, and descendants of the direct line. In total, more than two thousand people marched in grand procession into Yunmeng Marsh, carrying an array of magic treasures.
"Since antiquity, Yunmeng has been perilous to enter," Cui Yongyi remarked with emotion. "The Yunmeng Marsh, lost for three thousand years, has finally reappeared. Word arrived not long ago that wondrous phenomena have surfaced one after another. Someone saw a giant walking on the water with a dragon's head and human body, lightning and thunder crashing in its wake. Another saw a mountain slowly stand up, only to turn out to be an unknown behemoth whose thunderous roar shook the valleys, drinking an entire lake dry in a single gulp."
He shook his head and sighed. "The Yunmeng Marsh of today is no longer within my power to govern."
Clan elder Cui Zhicai smiled and said, "There is no need to hang your head in despair, Yongyi. You are merely far from Shendu and have not had time to acquire the latest supreme techniques. Once you cultivate the Qi Refiner methods and practice Nuo and Qi dual cultivation, your cultivation and strength will advance by leaps and bounds, and you will realize that we remain the masters of this land."
Pausing, he asked, "Is this discovery authentic?"
Regional Inspector Cui Yongyi replied, "It is. When Yunmeng Marsh was spewed forth from the Cangwu Abyss, the upheaval of heaven and earth caused a Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery realm to rupture and reveal itself. Immortal light surged from the Hidden Scenery, magnificent beyond compare. Many in Miluo County saw it. Some also witnessed a divine dragon appearing and vanishing among the clouds, baring a pair of black and white horns."
Cui Dongli, the eldest young master of the Cui clan, asked in surprise, "A dragon with black and white horns?"
Regional Inspector Cui Yongyi answered, "Indeed. A dragon with black and white horns soared through the sky. Others saw that dragon diving in the river, several hundred zhang long, bearing the head of a snake and devouring the river's great fish."
Cui Dongli could not help recalling another matter, thinking to himself, *A bizarre dragon... why does that sound like the snake demon beside that Demon King Xu? He hasn't shown his face for two years now.*
Clan elder Cui Zhicai murmured in puzzlement, "Strange. Yunmeng Marsh disappeared three thousand years ago. Why would a Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery realm lie on its periphery?"
Cui Dongli explained, "Granduncle might not know this. While consulting the imperial archives, I discovered that Nuo already existed three thousand years ago during the Qin and Han eras. The First Emperor burning books and burying Nuo masters, and Emperor Wu exclusively exalting the Nuo arts—both show that Nuo had already begun supplanting Qi Refiners back then."
Regional Inspector Cui Yongyi praised, "The eldest young master is truly erudite and accomplished."
The surrounding Cui clan Nuo masters chimed in one after another:
"Our Cui clan captured an immortal from the other shore and extracted an immortal technique, yet no one could decipher it until the eldest young master cracked the code."
"With the immortal technique, the eldest young master unified various secret depositories, creating something unprecedented! Now that he has unlocked the three great depositories of Jade Pool, Crimson Palace, and Mud Pill, he is a grandmaster whose achievements shake past and present!"
"The power of three great secret depositories converges in the young master. If not for the other great clans cherishing their own broomsticks, he would surely have unified even more secret depositories. Those clans lack all vision and refuse to surrender their depositories—truly repulsive!"
Cui Dongli smiled faintly; he did indeed have cause for pride.
The three great clans—Cui, Guo, and Pei—had joined forces to trespass into the other shore and capture an 'immortal' slumbering there. Weakened and powerless to resist, the 'immortal' had their Realm of Xiyi suppressed, preventing them from cultivating, and was coerced into divulging the *Lesser Creation Internal Contemplation Scripture*.
Cui Dongli was the first among the three clans to grasp the profound mysteries of the *Lesser Creation Internal Contemplation Scripture*, earning great esteem within his clan. When the Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery realm was discovered in Miluo, he was chosen to lead the expedition into this secluded domain. He recalled how, back then, Xu Ying had entered Shendu and slaughtered the Nuo masters of the great clans at the Luo River until their courage shattered. A single stone axe had crushed the heroic dreams of countless youths.
Yet that belonged to the past.
*Nowadays, even Demon King Xu is utterly beneath my notice. Ageless immortals, immortal persons—they are nothing more than transient smoke,* he thought quietly to himself.
Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Cui Dongli said, "Granduncle, this Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery realm in Miluo is of paramount importance. It may well be the refuge of a Nuo immortal from the Qin or Han eras. If we unearth a Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery from that period, we might solve the ominous curse of the Hidden Scenery latent transformation. Since Nuo stood on equal footing with Qi Refiners back then, such grave flaws surely did not exist."
The crowd praised him in unison. "The eldest young master is brilliant!"
When they reached the Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery realm, they found it situated alongside the great river, the surface shimmering with rippling waves. Looking across the waters, tens of thousands of qing stretched outward, with gulls wheeling and gathering like swarms of insects to hunt small fish. From below the surface, a fish-dragon six or seven zhang long leapt up, swallowing a flock of gulls in a single snap.
A doorway had cracked open from the upheaval, standing poised over the river's surface. Guarding the entrance were Cui clan Nuo masters, who bowed hurriedly upon seeing the group arrive. "We have kept watch here and seen no one enter."
Cui Dongli led the throng inside in single file. Yet no sooner had they stepped into this Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery realm than a blaze of fire erupted. A golden crow swooped down, unleashing true fire of the sun and inflicting devastating casualties on the crowd!
Clan elder Cui Zhicai was both shocked and enraged. Channeling his divine ability, he held off the three-legged golden crow, only to watch the bird soar upward and transform into an eye hanging in the sky. Then, the eye turned into a blazing sun, sprouted a pair of wings, and fluttered away.
As the group pressed onward and looked up, a bizarre toad appeared in the sky, bearing six eyes and three legs. Its long tongue plunged from above, snagging several Nuo masters and devouring dozens of men! The crowd hurriedly unleashed their Nuo arts and divine abilities at the monstrosity, but far from retreating, the toad leaped straight into their ranks to feast on human flesh!
Only after devouring a hundred people was it repelled by Cui Zhicai. Leaping into the air, it too turned into an eye before transforming into a bright moon, secretly watching them from on high. Hearts pounding with dread, the group finally managed to gain a foothold in this Hidden Scenery realm.
Looking up, they saw immortal mountains floating overhead and the Five Sacred Peaks hanging upside down. Between the sun and the moon sat a splendid heavenly palace perched amidst the clouds, radiating ten thousand beams of immortal light.
"That is the Jade Capital!"
Cui Dongli's breath hitched, and he cried aloud, "Go there! That is the Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery latent transformation ground—it must contain the legacy of the Jade Capital secret depository!"
The many Nuo masters of the Cui clan quickly summoned various treasures to bridge the expanse toward the immortal mountains and began climbing.
Before reaching the Five Sacred Peaks immortal mountains, however, fleshy tentacles reached downward, coiling around Nuo masters and yanking them into the sky. Panic broke out, and many lost their footing and plummeted, while those dragged aloft screamed miserably before falling silent.
"Samadhi true fire!"
Cui Dongli roared, spitting a torrent of Samadhi true fire from his mouth to ignite the descending fleshy tendrils. The tentacles squealed eerily and retracted toward the sky. Using the light of the flames, the onlookers looked up, their scalps turning numb: the immortal mountains above were covered with roots—all of them fleshy tentacles!
The entire underside of the mountain was densely matted with hair-like tendrils!
Now, ignited by the Samadhi true fire, the tentacles sizzled and gave off the aroma of scorched meat as they fell in charred heaps from the sky, a truly ghastly sight.
Cui Dongli raised his hand, channeling the Samadhi true fire to shield their front as he shouted, "Everyone, climb faster! My Samadhi true fire cannot hold out for long!"
The Cui clan Nuo masters scrambled upward, finally scaling the mountain just before the flames died down.
Yet upon reaching the summit, sword light suddenly flashed in all directions like schools of swimming fish. In an instant, countless people lost their lives before they could react, their heads severed from their bodies!
The survivors fought desperately to resist as the sword light multiplied. Clan elder Cui Zhicai and Regional Inspector Cui Yongyi, possessing the highest cultivation, held the frontline. They saw that the immortal mountain was hung with bright mirrors, while at the peak hung an unsheathed, bizarre sword suspended upside down. Shaped like a curved blade, it had a broad tip tapering toward the top, a heavy head, a curved arc along its spine, double-edged sharpness, and a hilt, spinning continuously where it hung.
Whenever the mirrors caught the reflection of that strange sword, sword qi burst forth!
Cui Zhicai and Cui Yongyi fought with their lives to fend off the sword qi, yet casualties continued to mount. Cui Zhicai shouted, "Dongli, you are the most gifted! Hurry and unravel this formation!"
Sword light and sword qi surged thicker by the moment. Even with Cui Zhicai having opened eight cave-heavens, resisting became increasingly difficult.
Cold sweat dripped from Cui Dongli's brow. Facing this formation, he had no idea how to break it. Just as all hope seemed lost, a massive tail suddenly dropped from the sky. A youthful voice drifted down:
"You can grab my tail and climb up."
The crowd looked up to see an immense tail covered in pale scales that shimmered with multicolored brilliance.
One after another, they seized the scales. Before the sword light could engulf them, the tail retracted toward the heavens, pulling them through the cloud layer. Once through the clouds, brilliant radiance broke before their eyes.
Directly overhead stood the Jade Capital Heavenly Palace.
The colossal tail hung down from this very palace. Filled with doubt and awe, the crowd was borne up into the palace grounds.
The tail gently set them down. There they saw a serpent of unfathomable length coiled entirely around the Jade Capital Heavenly Palace. It slowly raised its head, its eyes gleaming faintly like torches in the nine heavens as it gazed down at them. That youthful voice rang out again from the serpent's mouth: "Haven't you learned the Sword Control Formula? I remember Ah Ying taught it before."
The great serpent bore black and white horns upon its head—the very monster dragon seen in the skies by the folk of Miluo!
Yet this serpent was far larger than the rumors described. Its breath stirred gales and exhaled clouds, mysterious and mighty, embodying a natural Dao image that inspired instinctive awe. Overwhelmed with shock and terror, the crowd hurriedly voiced their thanks.
Just then, the voice of a youth rang out from within the city: "Senior, when the spirit crowns yin and yang, achievement reaches creation. Existing before heaven and earth, it stands alone; surviving dust and kalpas, it remains unclouded. I have already cultivated to the Cross-Refinement stage, refining both the Samadhi true fire and Samadhi divine water. Attaining the three samadhis in both yin and yang, water and fire fuse together, and I am on the verge of forming the Golden Core. Yet this 'unclouded' state still eludes me."
Another elderly voice followed, sounding like a benevolent, kindly old immortal, chuckling as he spoke: "If I understood it, would I still be in seclusion here, eaten down to the bone? Young friend, do not be insatiable. Now that you have obtained my Jade Capital secret depository technique, hurry and leave. Do not hold me back from butchering these intruders!"
Their hearts racing, the Cui clan members walked into the city. From afar, they saw a kindly old immortal wearing a dark scowl, pinned beneath a bronze bell. Sitting beneath the bell, his clothes were tattered and his appearance disheveled.
Before the old immortal stood a broad-framed youth, reverent toward the elder, bowing courteously as he patiently inquired, "Senior, you were both a Qi Refiner and a Nuo master. Why were you also harvested like a ripe peach?"
Livid with rage, the old immortal wished he could spring up and slaughter him, but pinned by the bronze bell, he could not budge an inch. He shouted, "My master taught me an evil technique to deliberately harm me! Once my cultivation bore fruit, he came to devour me! The only reason I lured people here to eat was to restore my physical body and settle the score with him! Today so many people have arrived—let me go and feast to my heart's content!"
The youth grew even more respectful. "Senior, you could not defeat him in life; how could it be any easier in death? I advise you to let go of this enmity..."
"Spare me your prattle!" the old immortal roared in fury.
Helpless, the youth had the bronze bell release him. Turning to the newcomers, he gave an apologetic nod and kindly warned, "Everyone, please be careful."
Taking the bronze bell with him, he moved toward the exit. Just as he was about to walk out of the Jade Capital Heavenly Palace, Cui Dongli suddenly yelled, "Are you Xu Ying? Halt!"
The youth stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and smiled. "Is something the matter?"
Cui Dongli's blood surged. He declared loudly, "Three years ago, you threw Shendu into turmoil, and I was ordered to intercept you at the Luo River! Back then, watching you slaughter people there, I trembled all over and dared not step forward! Today my techniques and divine abilities are perfected. I want to challenge you, to strike down the shadow in my heart, the god that has haunted me!"
"Has it already been three years?"
Xu Ying looked surprised, but his surprise quickly melted into a smile. "Very well, I will give you the chance to break the god in your heart."
Behind him, radiant light erupted. The cave-heavens of four great secret depositories—Mud Pill, Jade Pool, Crimson Palace, and Yellow Court—surged into view! Visions of the other shore appeared: the Sea of Chaos, the Jade Void Palace, the Tushita Palace, and the Xuanhuang Pagoda! Then came a rumbling tremor as the Jade Capital secret depository unlocked before their eyes, opening three cave-heavens in an instant, elevating Jade Capital to the third-heaven realm!
Behind him, the Five Sacred Peaks immortal mountains rose, the Heavenly River surged, the heavenly peaks hung inverted, and the mystic pass swung wide open. In the fifth heaven, the refinement of water and fire converged into a furnace and cauldron. Within the cauldron, a Golden Core rose gracefully, illuminating the mountains and rivers of the Realm of Xiyi!
Smiling faintly, Xu Ying looked at Cui Dongli and said softly, "You may make your move."
Cold sweat covered Cui Dongli's forehead. His whole body trembled as he tried to strike, yet his presence was completely suppressed, his heart filled with nothing but pure terror! He cried out, straining to attack, only to collapse limply to the ground.
Xu Ying reined in his aura, stepped out of the Jade Capital Heavenly Palace, and called out, "Senior, I am rather fond of your Wu hook. Why not gift it to me?"
"Gift it to your bloody uncle!" the old immortal cursed furiously.
Xu Ying summoned the bronze bell and sent it crashing down toward the immortal mountain below, shattering the ten thousand mirror restrictions in an instant. With a solemn expression, he said, "I thank you on my uncle's behalf."
Chapter 133