Xu Ying left this Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery ground carrying the Wu hook and the bronze bell, standing on the river's surface as Yuan Qi swam out from within the realm as well.
From the Hidden Scenery ground came bursts of battle, divine abilities clashing with Nuo arts. The Cui clan must have engaged that kindly-faced old immortal. Xu Ying paid it no mind.
In these troubled times, the great aristocratic clans remained the ones living comfortable lives in this world; Xu Ying's impression of them had hardly improved. Only ordinary commoners found it hard to survive in an era of chaos—as the saying went, "When the dynasty rises, the people suffer; when the dynasty falls, the people suffer."
Bearing Xu Ying upon his back, Yuan Qi followed the Miluo River downstream.
Over the past two years, Xu Ying had searched everywhere for the latent transformation grounds of Nuo immortals. He had found cultivation techniques for both the Jade Pool and the Jade Capital, and after pondering them, he could extract the immortal medicine harbored within those two great secret depositories.
"Not a single living Nuo immortal!" Xu Ying exhaled a breath of turbid air.
Just like Zhou Qiyun, he had not found a single living Nuo immortal!
He not only wanted to find the complete inheritance of the six secret depositories, but also sought a true Nuo immortal to see what genuine Nuo methods were like! Zhou Qiyun had searched for more than eighty years and found seventeen Hidden Scenery realms, yet never encountered a living soul.
Now, in just two years, Xu Ying had found nine Hidden Scenery grounds—far faster than Zhou Qiyun. But all he had uncovered were hollowed-out Nuo immortals, and in some Hidden Scenery grounds, not even an eaten husk remained!
Xu Ying summoned the Wu hook. Its blade reflected sword qi across the entire river like frost and snow.
He unleashed Realm-Breaking Strike with the Wu hook. Instantly, the great river split down the middle, the water parting toward both banks and surging upward, suspended more than ten zhang above the riverbanks!
Xu Ying sheathed his sword, and only then did the river surface close back together, the waters returning to normal.
"What a fine sword! That old immortal must have been a true hero who fought heaven and earth in his lifetime!"
Xu Ying praised, then casually stuffed the Wu hook into Yuan Qi's belly, thinking, *I wonder if the Cui clan will make it out alive?*
Though it was a fine magic treasure, he did not care for it much. Taking the Wu hook sword had purely been the fault of his Mound-Touching General principle of never returning empty-handed.
As for Yuan Qi's belly, it was already crammed with various magic treasures. Aside from Zhu Chanchan's half-mountain from Feilai Peak and half of a dismantled golden statue, the rest were the spoils of mound-touching Xu Ying had gathered over the past two years.
Xu Ying channeled Heaven-Human Induction, peering into the void in search of anomalies.
Suddenly, he pointed toward Yunmeng Marsh and called out, "Lord Qi, Lord Bell, we're going there!"
Yuan Qi immediately wheeled around and commanded the surging waters. The river roared into the sky, turning into an airborne torrent that rushed toward the great marsh.
Crossing over to Yunmeng Marsh on the opposite bank, the flood plunged into the wetlands, and the great serpent glided along the current into the marsh, swimming in the direction Xu Ying sensed.
Yunmeng Marsh was vast and boundless. Yuan Qi's colossal body swam through the marsh with effortless ease, yet he was now a gigantic beast; his passage startled countless birds and beasts, sending them fleeing for their lives.
Having traveled hundreds of li like this, they grew closer and closer to the sensed location. Suddenly, another group of Nuo masters came into view. Xu Ying channeled his Heavenly Eye to look and saw they belonged to the Guo clan.
*The emergence of Yunmeng Marsh didn't just draw the eyes of the Cui clan; other aristocratic clans noticed it too,* he thought quietly. After all, this place was the stuff of legends; so long as the major clans were not fools, they would send people to get a piece of the action.
Guo Xiaodie felt a sudden premonition. Spotting the great serpent from afar, she wondered in disbelief, *Is it him?*
Leaping into the air, she turned into a streak of sword qi and arrived above the great serpent. She saw black and white horns atop the serpent's head, mist drifting between them, and a youth standing amidst the mist, his sleeves fluttering in the wind.
*It really is him!*
Delight surged through Guo Xiaodie's heart. Landing down, she smiled and said, "Demon King Xu, how have you been?"
Looking at the increasingly enchanting girl before him, Xu Ying recalled days gone by and smiled. "Xiaodie, how have you been?"
Guo Xiaodie strode forward, circled around him once, and suddenly punched him hard in the chest. Shaken until her wrist ached, she exclaimed, "You truly are an ageless immortal! More than two years, and you haven't changed a bit! You haven't grown taller, and you haven't put on any weight—you're just sturdier!"
Whenever Xu Ying was reminded of this, sorrow weighed upon his heart.
Every time he bathed, he discovered that down below, there was still only a single hair. Every time, he plucked it out, yet every time, it stubbornly grew back—and always that very same one, with no others sprouting.
"I suppose I really am an ageless immortal."
Xu Ying sighed and changed the subject, asking, "What are you doing here?"
Guo Xiaodie replied, "We discovered a Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery ground in Yunmeng Marsh, so we came to investigate."
Xu Ying probed, "A Nuo immortal from Emperor Wu's era?"
Guo Xiaodie nodded lightly. "We suspect so as well. That Hidden Scenery ground is most likely a place where a Nuo immortal underwent latent transformation before the great upheaval of heaven and earth. Although our ancestor cultivated the Primordial Spirit Calamity Deliverance Scripture you passed down and extended his lifespan, the hidden danger of Nuo immortals remains; his fruit could be harvested at any moment. That is why he wants to find the orthodox way from a Hidden Scenery ground dating back to Emperor Wu's time."
Xu Ying smiled. "The Guo clan ancestor thought along the same lines as me. Did he come?"
Guo Xiaodie shook her head. "No. Two years ago, when Zulong came to Shendu, he stepped forward to face him. He couldn't hold his ground, got battered into a cripple, and is still nursing his injuries."
Xu Ying sighed with deep feeling. "The old man is truly public-spirited and warm-hearted."
Guo Xiaodie grew infuriated just speaking of it. "When Zulong came to Shendu, I told the ancestor not to step forward, but he insisted on sticking his neck out, and he couldn't even win!"
Her chest heaved violently as she fumed, "The old man refuses to listen to reason! Even lying in bed, he clamors for another fight! In that battle, the divine statues of three holy emperors—Emperor Zhidao Dasheng, Emperor Zetian Dasheng, and Emperor Wenwu Dasheng—were revived before Zulong was finally repelled. Even so, the Nuo masters were beaten so badly they couldn't hold their heads high."
She sighed. "Many people abandoned Nuo master cultivation to become Qi Refiners instead. Someone named Xu Fu appeared out of nowhere, leading a host of Qi Refiners, claiming he would spread orthodox methods and denouncing Nuo arts as evil."
Xu Ying asked, "Xiaodie, have you seen Weiyang?"
Guo Xiaodie hesitated a moment before saying, "After the battle with Zulong in Shendu, she vanished along with the Yuan clan. Rumors say the Yuan clan ancestor, Yuan Wuji, died, devoured by evil. Old Matriarch Yuan and Madam Yuan died as well. Only a few members of the Yuan clan remained, and sitting on such a massive estate, they couldn't hold onto it at all. So Yuan Weiyang took advantage of the chaos in Shendu to lead away the surviving family members and the clan's wealth."
Thinking of the girl, Xu Ying felt a wave of relief and smiled. "She is proud and ambitious. When she returns, she will surely shake the world."
Guo Xiaodie looked at his face, a twinge of sorrow rising in her heart. *He and Weiyang are a match made in heaven...*
At that thought, she quietly tugged her bodice down a little lower, declaring fiercely in her heart, *But in this world, there's no man Xiaodie can't steal away! The pavilion closest to the water catches the moon first—Sister Weiyang, this lady is definitely poaching your man!*
Suddenly, waves surged across the surface of the vast lake ahead. The entire lake surface swelled upward, rising higher and higher until it reached over thirty zhang above the water, whereupon it violently exploded, scattering jade and pearls of spray!
Amidst the shattering water, a colossal beast leaped out, dozens of zhang in length. It resembled a qilin, yet looked like a dragon-horse, its four hooves flying, trailing a long tail as it trod upon the water and galloped away!
Upon the dragon-horse's back, a faint arc of light gleamed, looking from afar like a doorway!
An elder of the Guo clan shouted, "This Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery ground is hidden on an ancient beast!"
Xu Ying was exceedingly astonished. Over the past two years, he had found numerous latent transformation grounds, but they had all been fixed in place. Never before had a Nuo immortal's Hidden Scenery ground been hidden upon a living creature!
The many Nuo masters of the Guo clan charged forward one after another. Some sprinted across the water swift as the wind, their footsteps repeatedly exploding the lake surface; others leaped high, executing the Heaven-Soaring Cloud Ladder to dash through the air. Still others circulated sword qi to skim across the water, moving at no sluggish pace.
Yet the dragon-horse was truly too fast, skimming over the water like fleeting shadows and leaving everyone behind.
"Lord Bell, Lord Qi, we must stop it!"
Xu Ying leaped from Yuan Qi's head, sprinting along cloud ladders and pushing his speed to the limit in an instant. Then, channeling his sword qi, he transformed into a beam of sword light cutting through the air!
At the same time, sword qi surged around the great serpent Yuan Qi with mounting ferocity. His billowing vital essence turned into clusters of sword qi that lifted his massive body, skimming over the water as he gave chase to the galloping dragon-horse!
*Clang—!*
With a vibrating toll, the bronze bell pointed its mouth backward, boosting its speed dramatically. It quickly overtook Yuan Qi, tolling ceaselessly as it pursued Xu Ying! Moments later, the bell surged past Xu Ying as well, hurtling toward the dragon-horse!
The dragon-horse whipped its tail fiercely against the bell's side, knocking it off course. The dragon-horse then swung sharply in another direction, its hooves clattering over the marsh water, exploding the surface with every step and sending it moving even faster!
The bell struggled to turn, and by the time it did, it had long lost trace of the dragon-horse.
Xu Ying, however, executed Heaven-Soaring Cloud Ladder in midair, forcibly shifting his trajectory and catching up to the dragon-horse.
The beast's hooves flew, treading upon the marsh. Exploding water blossomed into lotus flowers, hurtling backward toward Xu Ying!
Xu Ying propelled his Golden Core forward. With several heavy thuds, the lotuses were pierced by the Golden Core and detonated one after another.
Xu Ying's aura erupted, and a cauldron flew out from his Realm of Xiyi. It was the cauldron forged during his Cross-Refinement stage through the mutual tempering of water and fire—the very vessel in which his Golden Core had been formed!
This cauldron contained Samadhi divine water and Samadhi true fire. Turning mouth-downward, it poured forth water and fire like two great dragons, entwining from left and right to bind the dragon-horse and draw it into the cauldron.
Odd patterns twined across the dragon-horse's body, natural markings formed by its fur. Now, these patterns lit up and unleashed a divine ability, actually resisting the Samadhi divine water and Samadhi true fire!
The dragon-horse leaped upward, its antlers slamming into the cauldron, overturning it and breaking free.
Yuan Qi surged forward from behind Xu Ying, shouting, "Stay right there!"
Xu Ying hastily warned, "Lord Qi, be careful! That dragon-horse might be a fully grown ancient beast!"
He had barely finished speaking when Yuan Qi's head took several kicks. His jaw slammed by the dragon-horse, his head spun in dizziness!
Xu Ying seized the opportunity to strike with his Golden Core, sending the dragon-horse tumbling head over heels. As it struggled to rise, Guo Xiaodie leaped from Yuan Qi's head and punched the horse's head squarely, sending the beast dozens of zhang long tumbling and rolling across the water for several li.
Xu Ying broke into a cold sweat. *If that punch she threw at my chest earlier had been full power, I'd probably be done for!*
The bronze bell plummeted from the heavens to suppress it. But the dragon-horse rolled over and surged with sudden speed, causing the bell's suppression to hit empty air, merely blasting the marsh water into an explosion!
"Lord Qi, open your mouth!"
Xu Ying shouted loudly. Yuan Qi hurriedly opened his maw wide, and a bronze sword flew out from his mouth. Xu Ying seized the sword; sword qi whistled forth, swirling in great gusts to encompass both flanks of the dragon-horse!
The bronze sword had been part of Zhu Chanchan's Feilai Peak. Incomparably sharp and even superior to the Wu hook, it was the magic treasure Xu Ying had mastered best over the past two years.
Now, as he executed the Sword Control Formula, he wielded sword qi not for himself, but around the dragon-horse, wrapping the beast within swirling clouds of sword qi!
The dragon-horse attempted to break out, but upon touching the snow-like sword qi, some of its fur was sheared away. It immediately dared not charge recklessly again. Forming sword seals with his hands, Xu Ying slowly reined in the sword qi, pinning the dragon-horse down as they gradually descended.
Yuan Qi swam over, and the bronze bell flew in, each guarding a flank to keep the dragon-horse from escaping. The bell cast down a thick wall of light, finally suppressing the colossal beast.
Xu Ying retrieved the bronze sword, and the dragon-horse grew docile, daring not make any sudden moves.
The Guo clan members gathered around, securing the perimeter. The couple Li Yingzhu and Guo Yue were among the crowd as well. Seeing Xu Ying, Li Yingzhu rushed to Guo Xiaodie's side and whispered, "Xiaodie, you ran into him again? Hey, why is your bodice pulled down so low?"
She immediately understood and gave a discreet thumbs-up.
Guo Xiaodie said shyly, "Second Aunt, what are you talking about? It was always this low!"
Yuan Qi shrank his body, turning into a slender snake hiding under Xu Ying's collar. Xu Ying stepped through the bell's wall of light and onto the dragon-horse's back. Guo Xiaodie and the others hurriedly followed him in.
The dragon-horse turned its head, its heavy breath carrying a threatening air. Yuan Qi poked his head out from under Xu Ying's collar, radiating the fearsome aura of an ancient beast to face it down. But the dragon-horse sneered disdainfully, parting its jaws to show its broad, flat teeth, seemingly mocking him for getting kicked so badly earlier.
Yuan Qi was beside himself with fury. "I'm not fully grown yet! Once I reach adulthood, one puff of poison breath will finish you off!"
"Neigh-whinny!" The dragon-horse sneered mockingly.
Xu Ying approached the arc of light on its back. Examining it closely, he channeled Heaven-Human Induction once more and confirmed his perception was not mistaken. Only then did he reach out and tap gently; within the arc of light, a temple door flashed into view.
Xu Ying knocked on the door. From inside came a voice, "Who is it? Disturbing my peace."
The temple door opened, and a woman dressed in Han-dynasty attire with black robes and red sashes poked her head out. She curiously sized up Xu Ying, Guo Xiaodie, and the others, asking warily, "Who are you looking for?"
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Xu Ying bowed and asked, "May I ask if this place is a Nuo immortal's latent transformation ground? Are you the master of this domain?"
The woman smiled, revealing two dimples. "I am indeed the master here, living in seclusion. You must be my teacher, then? Have you come to eat me?"
She opened the temple door and walked out, laughing. "I never imagined Teacher would be so young. After hiding for so long, you still managed to find me. However, I will not surrender without a fight. Even if you are my revered teacher, I'll fight you to the death!"
Her aura flared, buffeting the bronze bell until it swayed unsteadily, tolling incessantly.
Guo Xiaodie exclaimed in shock, "Are you not a Nuo immortal from the Qin or Han dynasties?"
The dimpled woman said, "I was a Nuo master of the Han dynasty who followed Gaozu in the uprising of slaying the white serpent. Later, I discovered the trap of Nuo immortals, so I came up with a way to avoid disaster. You didn't come to kill me?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "We came in search of the orthodox way of Nuo masters."
Hearing this, the dimpled woman couldn't help laughing. "What orthodox way could there possibly be? From the moment Nuo methods were created, they were nothing but a scam! If there were an orthodox way, why would I have hidden until this day?"
Chapter 134