Jiang Qi stared at Xu Ying in astonishment.
Xu Ying had cut him off mid-sentence, leaving the words choked in his throat.
Yet in Jiang Qi's memory, the ageless immortal had never been renowned for physical martial prowess—with the sole exception of the Battle of the Heavenly Road.
In that battle, Jiang Qi had entered the perspective of the experts of the myriad realms, perishing at Xu Ying’s hands time and time again, every demise gruesome beyond measure.
Yet that, after all, was merely a temporal reenactment manifested from the obsession of Lesser Xuan Heaven.
In true history, Xu Ying had been nothing more than a pitiful creature captured repeatedly—possessing no magic power, no divine abilities, and no means to protect himself.
He had been locked in cages and sold like a rare beast, or even paraded on a chain around his neck to the estates of princes and dukes as an exotic offering. Nobles and ministers had gaped at him as though admiring a freak of nature, murmuring in astonishment.
He had been sliced apart for study more times than anyone could count. Innumerable people had seized him to conduct unimaginably cruel experiments upon his flesh. Some had even stewed and consumed him.
After all, countless people yearned for immortality without success. How could a defenseless youth who somehow lived forever not incite the voracious greed of the world?
Jiang Qi had never heard of the ageless immortal possessing formidable battle power. In his era, the immortal was merely an ordinary mortal endowed with eternal life.
And now, Xu Ying was declaring that he would fight in Jiang Qi's stead against Heavenly God Longyuan!
Even severely wounded by Jiang Qi, Heavenly God Longyuan was by no means an opponent Xu Ying could match!
Gripping the Tianzhu Sword, Xu Ying asked, "Grand Preceptor Jiang, you must know many stories from my past, don't you?"
Jiang Qi nodded gently. "I do. The tales of the ageless immortal were widely known in my era. I heard many stories and legends regarding you, and while scouring ancient texts in search of the truth behind our inability to ascend, I repeatedly found records concerning Senior Ah Ying."
Visualizing the Tianzhu runes in his mind, Xu Ying channeled his strength into the Tianzhu Sword and chuckled. "I lost my memory and never remember what came before. I have no idea what I went through. This time, I will confront Longyuan and escort Grand Preceptor Jiang and these people safely back to Shenzhou."
The Tianzhu Sword in his grip emanated the majestic authority of the Heavenly Dao, its light flaring to illuminate the world inside the fish's belly.
Tianzhu was meant to be a sword forged to execute the world. Yet in his hands, it harbored profound compassion and a heart devoted to salvation, striking a stark and marvelous contrast!
"These people?" Jiang Qi gasped.
He looked toward the terror-stricken folk within the fish-belly realm. Escort these mortals back to Shenzhou? Under the assault of Heavenly God Longyuan, even Jiang Qi in his prime might not have succeeded!
Moreover, these were merely ordinary mortals without any cultivation value. They were hardly worth a mighty Qi Refiner throwing away his life!
Xu Ying smiled. "Yes, these people. Grand Preceptor Jiang is a man of endless stratagems—a grand Qi Refiner capable of subduing a Heavenly Dao divine artifact and restoring the spirit roots of heaven and earth. You will surely find a way to escort them back to Shenzhou. Leave intercepting Longyuan to us."
Jiang Qi fell silent for a moment. "Senior Ah Ying, the tales I know about you might not be pleasant stories. Once you learn those legends, you may regret your choice to save these people today."
Xu Ying offered a bright, radiant smile. "Do those stories paint me as some great villain or demon? I firmly believe that my heart is pure and bright; I could never truly be an evil wretch."
Looking at the innocent, sunny smile on Xu Ying’s face, Jiang Qi felt an unexpected pang of sorrow. He thought to himself, *No. The words 'ageless immortal' are more of a curse to you than anything else.*
He recalled the tales he had heard of the ageless immortal's past—immortal flesh and blood sold openly in streets, a youth flayed alive, caged, imprisoned, tortured, and sacrificed.
Across lifetime after lifetime of reincarnation, what that youth had experienced was far more isolation, abandonment, exploitation, and betrayal than light.
He had witnessed the ugliest depths of the mortal world and walked through the filthiest recesses of the human heart.
Had it been Jiang Qi, learning the truth would have snuffed out every shred of light within him, leaving only darkness, gloom, and destruction!
Because to Xu Ying, this world was not worthy of praise, and these people were not worth saving! Yet having endured all of that, how could light still dwell within this youth's heart?
Jiang Qi collected himself, struggled to bow, and said with solemn resolve, "If Senior Ah Ying insists that this humble servant save them, I shall exert myself to the utmost, dedicating my life unto death, and shall not refuse."
He was a man who had dared to pose as the Heavenly Dao and threaten the myriad realms—a being who had wiped out every living soul across an entire realm without a flicker of pity. Yet here, he bowed before Xu Ying and called himself a humble servant.
This was the demeanor of an ancient gentleman-scholar, a virtue scarcely seen in the present age.
Xu Ying returned the courtesy, then addressed the bronze bell and Yuan Qi: "Lord Bell, Seventh Master, accompany me to pay our respects to Heavenly God Longyuan."
The bronze bell spoke languidly: "Ah Ying, even if you wield Tianzhu and govern the Heavenly Dao, you're no match for Heavenly God Longyuan. This heavenly god's strength is far superior to the one my scrap-heap master suppressed back in the day! Fortunately, Lord Bell here has experience suppressing heavenly gods. In this fight, you'll still have to count on me to carry the day!"
Yuan Qi hopped onto Xu Ying's shoulder and showered the bell with praise: "Lord Bell is truly magnificent! After this battle, Ah Ying and I will erect an ancestral shrine and offer sacrifices to you, ensuring you're deified as a god after death!"
"Bah, spit on that!" the bronze bell snapped angrily. "A child's blather bears no curse—good fortune and great prosperity! Even if you two bastards become gods, I won't! Lord Bell is destined to thrash the Xiaoyao Bell and suppress Fairy Qingbi! I'm not about to throw my life away for some glorious sacrifice!"
Xu Ying channeled the Tianzhu Sword, and sword qi swirled around his frame.
Jiang Qi hurriedly called out, "Senior Ah Ying, one more thing! Heavenly God Longyuan has no head upon his neck. If you strike, do not attack that maple-leaf-shaped radiance! It was precisely because I launched my assault against that maple leaf that I lost the initiative and was grievously wounded when he seized the opening."
Xu Ying voiced his thanks and waved. "Grand Preceptor Jiang, escort them out. I will catch up with you. If I make it back to Shenzhou, the Tianzhu Sword will automatically fly back to your side."
Jiang Qi bowed in farewell. "This humble servant awaits your triumphant return."
The Tianzhu Sword roared upward, carrying Xu Ying as he shot toward the exterior of the fish's belly.
The Tianzhu Sword could take the form of a dragon-headed, human-bodied deity to display its grand phenomenological power, or it could be wielded as an immortal sword. At this moment, Xu Ying treated Tianzhu as an ordinary immortal sword, unleashing the majesty of its Heavenly Dao!
The sword light carried him whistling through the tear in the fish-belly world, plunging into the atmosphere of the giant gas planet.
A pungent, highly toxic stench permeated the air; only after passing through the great fish's respiration could it be purified enough for ordinary mortals to breathe. However, both Xu Ying and Yuan Qi possessed vast Realms of Xiyi within their bodies and had no need to breathe the ambient air.
Xu Ying steered the Tianzhu Sword, cleaving through the sky. He saw colossal fish hacked to pieces, their carcasses strewn everywhere. Only the boundless sea of such a gas giant could sustain fish of such immense scale, yet now, they were being ruthlessly slaughtered!
Many more great fish swam in fury, charging toward a single spot where the brilliant light of the Heavenly Dao shone. There stood a towering heavenly god with only one arm, his shoulders crowned by a dazzling, maple-leaf-shaped radiance.
It was Heavenly God Longyuan, locked in combat with the colossal beasts, intent on butchering every last one!
These fish stretched ten thousand li in length, primordial beasts surviving from the primeval era. Powerful as they were, they still paled in comparison to a heavenly god of his caliber!
One after another, the giant fish threw themselves forward, only to be slain, their blood staining the gas planet red.
Other fish opened their maws, blasting visible acoustic shockwaves that shattered the sky again and again, slamming into Heavenly God Longyuan and driving him steadily backward.
Still others rammed forward with their massive heads, like the mythic Gonggong crashing against Mount Buzhou, tilting the heavens and shaking the earth!
Buffeted backward step after step, Heavenly God Longyuan was struck by a sweeping fish tail—*crack!* The blow sent him hurtling tens of thousands of li away!
Enraged, Heavenly God Longyuan burst into booming laughter: "Lowly creatures, presuming upon your raw strength without revering heaven's majesty! Today, I shall show you the true face of a heavenly god!"
His colossal form suddenly swelled, ballooning ever larger and more imposing until he gradually outgrew the gas planet itself.
His back split open like a canyon of bottomless depth. From the unfathomable chasm emerged hundreds of divine dragons, their flesh tethered to the canyon walls, their heads grotesque and menacing.
Sharp, jointed horns jutted from around their monstrous skulls, their tips exceedingly keen and etched with strange, intricate patterns—the runes of the Heavenly Dao!
They opened their jaws and roared, releasing rumbling draconic cries. Yet the jagged fangs lining their mouths were wildly uneven, as if the Creator had honed jagged mountain ranges to razor sharpness and jammed them into their jaws!
The dragons opened their cavernous maws; in pairs and trios, they sank their fangs into the charging fish, ripping through flesh and even snapping the behemoths in half!
It was a spectacle unlike anything Xu Ying had ever seen or heard of!
The bronze bell was also taken aback, muttering, "Compared to this one, the heavenly god I suppressed back then might have been an underage fledgling..."
Heavenly God Longyuan had fought in the Battle of the Heavenly Road; his might was terrifying, far beyond the reach of ordinary heavenly gods. Ignoring the terror, Xu Ying focused entirely on maneuvering his flying sword, weaving between the giant fish to strike at one of the dragon heads. Meanwhile, the bronze bell gathered its power, prepared to erupt at a moment's notice!
Yuan Qi spat out an assortment of artifacts from within his body—treasures scavenged from the Imperial Mausoleum Golden Men in Mount Li—and swiftly began constructing a Realm of Xiyi. He thought to himself, *I might not be much help, but my reputation for diligent study isn't unearned!*
The bronze bell was a damaged relic, but Yuan Qi was different. Having studied under Zhu Chanchan for a time, he understood how to employ the artifacts of the Imperial Mausoleum Golden Men to erect a Realm of Xiyi and bolster magic power.
The Twelve Golden Men relied on such assembled Realms of Xiyi and incense smoke qi as their driving engine to slaughter enemies across the realms. As long as Yuan Qi could piece together a functional Realm of Xiyi from those treasures, he could wield magic power comparable to those terrifying Golden Men!
Abruptly, Xu Ying silently chanted the resonant dao-tones of Tianzhu, channeling the visualized Tianzhu runes entirely into the sword to awaken its full might!
In an instant, an overwhelming killing intent flared to life. The apocalyptic murderous aura saturating the gas planet coalesced into an incomparably keen streak of sword light, slicing down toward the neck of one of the divine dragons!
At that very moment, Jiang Qi, who had been watching from below, saw the killing intent of heaven and earth stirred by Xu Ying and realized his opportunity had arrived. He promptly manifested his battered, crumbling Primordial Spirit before the panicked populace, standing towering and vast like an ancient deity.
His Primordial Spirit bellowed with an earth-shaking voice, "I am the spirit of your ancestors! Hear my command: proceed at once to the migration vessel and prepare to depart!"
Aware of the dire peril, he knew displaying his Primordial Spirit alone might not suffice to win everyone's trust, so he commandeered the name of their ancestors to deliver the order.
As for how the ancient settlers of this world had crossed the starry void from Shenzhou to reach this planet, Jiang Qi did not know for certain, but he presumed they must possess a void-crossing craft, likely some kind of ship.
Yet to his surprise, upon hearing his voice, the countless people surged toward an ancient, colossal tree rooted within the fish-belly world.
Jiang Qi felt a flush of sheepishness, thinking, *I assumed their forebears crossed the stars to escape calamity aboard a ship, yet it turns out they relied on this divine tree.*
Limping, he made his way toward the divine tree as well.
It was a Fusang tree. Its leaves resembled mulberry leaves, yet they were thousands of times larger. Rising several thousand zhang high and spanning hundreds of li, it stood straight into the clouds, its thick branches spreading like hillsides wide enough for several carriages to race abreast.
Even so, this was merely a sapling.
The ancestors of the folk who lived here must have been remarkable grand Qi Refiners to possess such a miraculous plant.
The arriving refugees, bringing their families, scrambled frantically onto the branches.
Mingling with the crowd, Jiang Qi was spotted by people who saw his wounded, limping state; several stepped forward to support him and guide him toward the Fusang tree.
Jiang Qi froze slightly, an indescribable mix of feelings surging in his heart.
He had been scorched by the immortal fire of the other shore, which had stripped away all his previous cultivation and even burned away his Primordial Spirit. Every stray thought and petty distraction in his Dao heart had been thoroughly purged by those flames.
Apart from his absolute loyalty to the Son of Heaven of Zhou and his obsession with ascending the entire dynasty, he harbored no other worldly thoughts.
As Grand Preceptor, he was accustomed to maintaining dispassionate reason, unmoved by external gain and unstirred by personal sorrow, his Dao heart as calm and reflective as a polished mirror.
Yet now, ripples stirred across that tranquil surface once more. An inexplicable warmth flowed through the depths of his being—strange and unfamiliar, yet profoundly touching.
*These fragile mortals are actually supporting a powerhouse like me...*
He suddenly understood a little more why sunlight still shone within Xu Ying's heart, why he had never plunged into absolute darkness: perhaps it was the tender compassion of the weak that had touched the ageless immortal.
*Perhaps having occupied high station for so long, I gradually lost touch with human warmth,* he mused silently, allowing that feeling to take root again.
"Mister, you look just like our ancestor," a refugee girl said, peering up into his face.
Above the Fusang tree, his Primordial Spirit hovered—tattered and riddled with holes, its divine radiance dangling like the frayed threads of a ruined garment brushing against the ground.
It was worn and weathered beyond measure.
Yet the face of that Primordial Spirit was identical to Jiang Qi's.
Jiang Qi offered the girl a gentle smile and said, "Our ancestors watch over us from the heavens. They will protect us as we escape this desperate land and return to our homeland."
Ignoring his severe injuries, his battered Primordial Spirit gathered what remained of his magic power to activate the Fusang tree.
The fish-belly world was collapsing. The sky fell in shards, and the toxic vapors of the gas planet began seeping through the breach.
Yet the branches of the Fusang tree danced through the air. Under his command, bough after bough lowered to the ground, allowing the people to clamber aboard the vast leaves.
Once everyone had boarded with their families, livestock, and grain, the mulberry branches slowly rose, returning to their original poise.
Jiang Qi stepped onto the Fusang tree as well. His Primordial Spirit energized the towering arbor; roots tore free from the soil, thrashing as the great tree soared outward to meet the shattered sky.
Outside, Xu Ying's sword light arched like a brilliant rainbow, rallying the killing intent of every living creature on the planet to kindle the full might of the Tianzhu Sword.
A single dazzling sweep of sword light severed one of Heavenly God Longyuan's heads! The blood of the heavenly god gushed like a crimson waterfall, staining the planet red.
Stirring his true essence to carry everyone up and out of the gas giant, Jiang Qi thought to himself, *Senior Ah Ying, I shall not fail your mission, nor shall I betray your trust!*
Chapter 155