Xu Ying held the *Blackwater Underworld Scripture* in his hand as he watched the dragon-horse vanish into the distance. After a moment, he said to Yuan Qi, "Seventh Master, if sword immortals truly existed in ancient times, they must have been people like Bai Qiuzi."
Yuan Qi lay coiled outside the mountain god temple, his massive body concealed in the darkness. "Repaying kindness, exacting vengeance, keeping one's word, and fulfilling promises," he said in a wistful voice. "Dashing like a shooting star, braving the stormy night—she truly embodies the spirit of chivalry."
The bronze bell chimed indignantly. "Someone like that Li Yingzhu is completely hopeless! She goes back on her word!"
Xu Ying unrolled the *Blackwater Underworld Scripture* and read it carefully.
The eastern sky gradually paled, and the sun climbed upward. By the time he finished reading the scroll, daylight had already broken over the world. Beside his ear came the bell's melancholy voice: "And yet, Li Yingzhu still hasn't delivered Guo Xiaodie."
Having finished reading the *Underworld Scripture*, Xu Ying took up a brush and changed the words "Blackwater" to "Mystic Water." He remarked, "The author harbored ill intent, making even the title sound sinister, but the technique itself isn't truly that malicious."
He probed within to map the channels, and before long, he located the Bubbling Spring secret depository within his Realm of Xiyi. Feeling somewhat perplexed, he turned to Yuan Qi. "Seventh Master, Old Ancestor Shi, Shi Mole, possessed only a single Bubbling Spring depository, yet the *Underworld Scripture* says there are two, symmetrical on the left and right. Could it be that the person who passed down the Bubbling Spring depository to Shi Mole never received the orthodox method either?"
Yuan Qi pondered for a moment. "Bai Qiuzi said that spurious scriptures were already circulating during the era of Zulong, and what Zulong burned when he executed the Nuo practitioners were precisely those counterfeit texts. It's likely that the Qi Refiners who fabricated false scriptures back then weren't the same group who did so after Heaven-Human Induction."
The bronze bell added, "After Bai Qiuzi's time, there were Nuo immortals who tried to leap out of the trap. The orthodox methods of the Heaven-Human Induction era might well have been restored then. But after Heaven-Human Induction, both the orthodox methods and the Qi Refiners who concurrently cultivated Nuo qi vanished together, leaving only counterfeit scriptures behind for later generations."
Yuan Qi suddenly realized a grave possibility and said, "Lord Bell, could your master also be one of the masterminds behind eating Nuo immortals? He also disappeared three thousand years ago, so he might very well be the mastermind who spread the counterfeit scriptures back then..."
The bronze bell erupted in fury. With a resonant *clang*, it slammed directly into Yuan Qi's head. "Foul serpent, don't you dare slander him! My master was upright and magnanimous; he would never do such a thing!"
Yuan Qi took a heavy blow and flared with rage as well. Whipping his tail around, he sent the bell flying and roared, "Your master was upright and magnanimous? Then how could he forge a treasure like you? Would an honest magic treasure steal other people's qi and blood? Besides, you even suppressed a heavenly god and Fairy Qingbi, aiding a tyrant in his villainy! Anyone can tell with half an eye that your master was shady!"
The bronze bell swelled with a howling rush of air, hurtling forward like a miniature mountain to knock the giant snake into the air. It bellowed, "Shameless snake, aren't you a magic treasure yourself? Don't you cultivate qi and blood too?"
Yuan Qi surged his vitality and qi, unleashing the Eight Sounds of Primordial Nurturing as Dao images manifested around him. In an instant, dark clouds gathered over Mount Dongting amidst flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder. He lunged toward the bell, shouting, "I am a dignified monster-race Qi Refiner! How could I be a magic treasure?"
The bell staggered under his blows, falling back continuously, and roared, "I treated you like a brother, yet you dare use the Eight Sounds of Primordial Nurturing against me? Foul serpent, today it's either you or me!"
It channeled the Eight Sounds of Primordial Nurturing as well, its might instantly soaring. The shockwave knocked the serpent rigid, sending him plunging into Dongting Lake. Clanging furiously, the bronze bell bombarded the giant snake in the water, churning the lake until it seemed to boil.
Yuan Qi opened his maw, spewing forth bronze pagodas, bronze cauldrons, bronze swords, Wu hooks, and countless other treasures with shrill whistles as he hurled them at the bell, screaming, "Broken bell, all ties between us are severed!"
He poured his divine consciousness into assembling thousands of treasures into half of Feilai Peak. Lacking the magic power to wield it properly, he wrapped his tail around the bell instead and smashed it toward the mountain!
The members of the Guo clan rushed out of the mountain god temple in alarm, watching in utter terror as the giant snake hammered the bell with deafening clangs. Guo Xiaodie hurried over to Xu Ying and said, "Aren't you going to break them up?"
Xu Ying comforted her, saying, "Don't worry. They'll make up in no time."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the bronze bell tore free from Yuan Qi's coils, pinned the serpent's head against Feilai Peak, and began slamming it down repeatedly. Soon, Yuan Qi's face was covered in blood, and he cried out, "Lord Bell, spare me! This little snake knows his wrong!"
The bell stopped.
Before long, snake and bell were back on good terms as if nothing had happened, leaving the onlookers utterly dumbfounded.
Li Yingzhu walked over and extended an invitation: "If Monster King Xu has no pressing matters over the next few days, you could travel with us. We'll be exploring Yunmeng Marsh, and we might discover something new."
Over the past two years, Xu Ying had searched high and low for the arts of the six depositories and had finally assembled all six. With no need to keep wandering for now, he needed a quiet period to comprehend the orthodox method of the Bubbling Spring depository, so he agreed.
Li Yingzhu was overjoyed. Stepping aside, she whispered to Guo Yue, "These few days are our chance to bind him to our Guo clan's chariot. Once he and Xiaodie seal the deal, he'll be our Guo family son-in-law!"
Guo Yue said with hesitation, "That doesn't seem right. Xiaodie hasn't agreed yet. A melon forced from the vine isn't sweet."
Li Yingzhu glanced at Guo Xiaodie and countered, "I'd say it's plenty sweet. That girl has clearly taken a fancy to him."
Guo Yue looked over and saw that Guo Xiaodie had put on a garment with a noticeably lower neckline today and was leaning close to Xu Ying, clearly trying to catch his eye. Guo Yue frowned in displeasure. "Xiaodie acting like this makes it look as though our Guo clan's daughters can't find husbands. It's a disgrace to our family's reputation."
Just then, a delicate, gentle voice drifted over, carrying clearly up Mount Dongting: "Is that Monster King Xu on the mountain? Hearing the bell just now, this humble woman hurried over to look. Seeing the bell and snake locked in such a magnificent clash, I realized an old acquaintance must be here. Monster King Xu, Zhu Hongyi requests an audience."
Li Yingzhu looked down the mountain following the voice. Unbeknownst to them, a large group of Nuo masters from the Zhu clan had arrived, accompanied by clan elders. The red-robed woman leading them was particularly eye-catching. Dressed in unadorned, vivid scarlet, she held a pipa in her arms. That woman was Zhu Hongyi, who had met Xu Ying once before. Holding her pipa, she glided up the mountain and reached the front of the mountain god temple. Glancing at the Guo clan members outside, she offered a faint smile.
With a light strum of the pipa, she walked straight toward the temple, speaking as she went: "Three years ago, Monster King Xu shattered the Shi clan. Word spread far and wide that I had joined hands with the Monster King, cleaving the Shi Manor with an axe, slaying over a hundred foes, and eliminating Old Ancestor Shi, Shi Mole, to rid the people of a menace. Thanks to that, my name became known throughout the world. Meeting the Monster King again today fills my heart with both joy and trepidation."
Stepping across the threshold, she curtsied gracefully to Xu Ying. "This humble woman received Monster King Xu's generous favor, gaining unearned merit and a reputation that was never truly mine." Her lashes fluttered as she looked up, her gaze lingering deeply upon Xu Ying.
The morning sun rose, catching the teardrop-shaped earring dangling from her earlobe. As it swayed gently, it refracted the vibrant sunlight into a prismatic rainbow, lending her an indescribable allure.
Li Yingzhu inwardly gasped at the woman's skill. Kicking Guo Yue, she hissed under her breath, "That's the kind of charm art that keeps an emperor from holding morning court! The Zhu clan is moving on Monster King Xu too! Our run-down Guo family is still fussing over propriety, but if we wait any longer, they'll steal him right through the door crack!"
Guo Yue muttered awkwardly, "The Zhu clan harbors wicked intentions, but our Guo clan walks a righteous path."
Li Yingzhu spat at him in disgust and lowered her voice: "Keep acting righteous, and I'll step in myself to help Xiaodie take Monster King Xu!"
Guo Yue stammered, "You wouldn't dare!"
Xu Ying stepped forward and made a polite gesture to help Zhu Hongyi up.
Zhu Hongyi's red robe pooled over the floor, making her fair skin look all the more radiant and captivating. She extended a slender, jade-like hand and rested it in Xu Ying's palm, letting her fingertips lightly graze his wrist—as though brushing against the youth's very heart. She chuckled softly. "The Monster King's charm that day was boundless; I haven't been able to forget it for three years. Whenever I have a spare moment to reflect, my mind fills with the Monster King's heroic bearing."
Behind Xu Ying, Yuan Qi—his face still bruised and swollen—whispered, "Ah Ying, unwarranted attentiveness hides ill intent."
The bronze bell added, "Indeed. This woman is up to no good; she's here to ruin your Dao heart. Look, her neckline is even lower than Xiaodie's! Ah Ying, your heart just skipped two beats—don't stare!"
Xu Ying stole a glance and found it was indeed true. He thought to himself, *Lord Bell is truly wise!*
Pulling his hand back, he visualized sword qi to steady his divine consciousness, instantly dispelling any stray thoughts. He asked, "Could it be that Lady Hongyi also came for Yunmeng Marsh?"
Seeing that he was keeping his distance, Zhu Hongyi did not press forward aggressively. She smiled and replied, "Yunmeng Marsh appeared so suddenly, and rumors say a divine being with a dragon's head and human body has manifested here, carrying a distinctly mythical aura. Our Zhu clan could hardly resist the temptation, so we came to investigate."
Surprised, Xu Ying glanced at Guo Xiaodie.
Guo Xiaodie nodded. "There is indeed such a rumor. But our Guo clan has searched for days without finding anything."
Just then, hearty laughter came from outside: "Sister, is this the world-renowned Monster King Xu?"
A youth of seventeen or eighteen strode into the temple. He wore a scarlet robe bordered in green, with a broad nose and a small mouth, possessing a striking appearance. Approaching, he dropped to his knees in homage, kowtowing repeatedly while laughing. "Having heard my sister speak of Monster King Xu time and again, I have long held you in deep admiration. Today, I finally have the honor of meeting you!"
Zhu Hongyi smiled at Xu Ying. "This is my younger brother, Zhu Guang, courtesy name Zhongquan. He loves hearing stories about you. You can just call him Zhongquan."
Xu Ying cast his gaze upon Zhu Zhongquan, opening his Heavenly Eye between his brows, and was instantly taken aback.
Within Zhu Guang, the Realm of Xiyi had already opened. The six secret depositories—Mud Pill, Jade Pool, Crimson Palace, Bubbling Spring, Yellow Court, and Jade Capital—were all unlocked, and his cultivation in each was formidable, having opened three cave-heavens apiece! His Realm of Xiyi had also opened the Weilu mystic pass, and his divine consciousness had already ascended to the fourth heaven, placing him merely half a step away from the Cross-Refinement stage!
Moreover, Xu Ying saw Samadhi true fire and Samadhi divine water flowing within him, showing that he had already laid the foundation for the next realm, the Cross-Refinement stage! Xu Ying himself had only reached the Cross-Refinement stage the previous year, spending an entire year using Samadhi true fire and divine water to temper them within his furnace vessel to forge a Golden Core.
Xu Ying's progress had already been extraordinarily swift, advancing from the Qi Harvesting stage to the Cross-Refinement stage in just three years. By all rights, Zhu Zhongquan's progress could never have been this fast—even for a peerless genius, reaching this level so quickly was unnatural! *Furthermore, he is actively suppressing his aura to make himself appear far weaker than he is.*
Xu Ying's gaze fell upon the youth's hands. Zhu Zhongquan was concealing divine abilities in his palms, merely waiting for Xu Ying to step forward and help him up so he could spring a trap.
Dispersing his Heavenly Eye, Xu Ying stepped forward to assist Zhu Zhongquan, who was still kneeling on the ground. Smiling, he said, "Your courtesy name is Zhongquan, which surely signifies that you are whole in both loyalty and filial piety—a rare and noble man indeed. By my reckoning, I should be sixteen years old. You are older than me, so there is no need to kneel."
Zhu Zhongquan felt a surge of delight. *Back then, no one dared to stop Monster King Xu from leaving Shendu, which made his reputation. Today, that fame belongs to me! By stepping on him to rise, my name will shake the world!*
The moment Xu Ying's hands touched his palms, the divine abilities hidden within Zhu Zhongquan's hands surged forward, driving straight inward to strike at Xu Ying's body!
Zhu Zhongquan grinned. "Monster King Xu, your cultivation is nothing special..."
Suddenly, an immense force pressed down, forcefully crushing his blossoming divine ability down until it shrank, unable to unleash even a shred of its power, and crammed it back into his own palms!
Zhu Zhongquan's face flushed crimson, his blood and qi threatening to reverse their flow!
With a resonant hum, his Realm of Xiyi manifested behind him, followed by the six secret depositories—Mud Pill, Jade Pool, Crimson Palace, Bubbling Spring, Yellow Court, and Jade Capital—along with all eighteen cave-heavens popping into full view! The force transmitted from Xu Ying's palms grew stronger and stronger, making Zhu Zhongquan tremble uncontrollably as blood began to trickle from his nose.
Zhu Hongyi hurriedly stepped forward to separate the two, offering a charming smile. "Monster King Xu, my younger brother is a rough fellow and meant no offense."
Xu Ying withdrew his palms, speaking with an amiable expression: "I had no intention of harming anyone either. As for rough fellows, I have killed a few in the past."
Zhu Zhongquan took the opportunity to stand up, his eyes burning with an eager light. "We aren't strangers. Monster King Xu joined forces with my sister to charge into the Shi Manor, so you share the bond of comrades-in-arms. What's more, my sister has been enamored with you for years..."
Zhu Hongyi blushed, stamping her foot. "Brother!"
With his hands trembling behind his back, Zhu Zhongquan said with a grin, "My sister is thin-skinned and dares not speak, but as her brother, I must speak on her behalf! My sister has set her heart on the Monster King, and she even keeps a portrait of you hanging in her bedchamber. Not long ago, the Gao clan came to propose marriage, and she scolded them away, declaring that if she were to marry, it would only be to an extraordinary man like Monster King Xu. All other men are beneath notice."
Yuan Qi asked in confusion, "Lord Bell, is Ah Ying really that remarkable? Listening to him shower praise like that, I thought he was talking about me."
The bronze bell sounded somewhat bewildered: "I never noticed it either. And Seventh Master, while Ah Ying might not be that remarkable, you're even less so."
Zhu Zhongquan took a step back and laughed. "I won't disturb the Monster King and my sister any further. I'll take my leave first."
Bowing as he retreated, he reached the outside of the temple before turning around and sprinting down the mountain.
Arriving at the foot of the mountain, he made his way to a prisoner cart parked within the Zhu clan's retinue. The cart was draped completely in black cloth, airtight and concealed from view. Zhu Zhongquan stepped forward, slipped beneath the black cloth, and entered the cart.
Inside the cart was an old man bound in chains. His limbs were pierced through by iron links, his lute bones shattered, and numerous chains bored directly through his Realm of Xiyi, locking down his cultivation so that he could not muster the slightest bit of power! Just as Zhu Zhongquan stepped into the cart, both of his hands detonated with two sharp *bangs*, bursting into clouds of bloody mist. At the mangled ends of his forearms, stark white bone was exposed.
Xu Ying had forced his divine ability back into his body, effectively trapping it inside his arms beyond his control!
He had suppressed it for as long as he could, but once inside the cart, he could hold it in no longer, and his own divine ability had erupted, blasting away his hands and forearms. The old man slowly raised his lowered head, chuckling in a sinister raspy tone: "Zhongquan, did you run into a tough opponent?"
Enduring the agonizing pain, Zhu Zhongquan knelt and kowtowed. "Immortal Master, the technique you taught me was suppressed by him. I beg you to impart an even more profound immortal art!"
This old man was the 'immortal' the Zhu clan had captured from the other shore. To seize this 'immortal', the Zhu clan had expended all their resources in the world of the other shore, and even the Zhu clan ancestor had nearly perished there. Since returning, the Zhu ancestor's injuries had still not fully healed.
The old man's voice was hoarse as he said, "What transpired when your palms met did not escape my ears. He is inferior to you. He has opened only five secret depositories, while you have opened six. The difference between six depositories and five is as vast as heaven and earth! What you lack is merely his realm! Once you reach the Cross-Refinement stage, suppressing him will be as easy as turning your palm! I will impart the method of cross-refinement to you, so that achieving cross-refinement and forging a Golden Core will be well within your grasp!"
He chuckled softly. "Then you can take your revenge! Good disciple, once you have your revenge, you must honor your previous promise and release your master! There is nothing left for me to teach you."
Both surprised and delighted, Zhu Zhongquan kowtowed repeatedly, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes as he thought to himself, *Is that true? Old bastard, you must still have plenty of good things hidden away that you haven't taught me!*
The old man stared at him, his own eyes gleaming with an eerie light as he mused in silence: *This furnace vessel is finally almost refined. Step by step, I am molding him into a form suitable for me... That way, I can discard this crippled body, seize his form, and be reborn...*
Chapter 136