Sealed for Three Thousand Years

The bronze bell whispered, "Ah Ying, Xiao Fengxian!" Xu Ying gave a slight nod; he had thought of Fengxian'er as well. Yan Kongcheng's experience was quite similar to Xiao Fengxian's. She, too, had said that not long after her birth, she had encountered a cataclysmic upheaval of heaven and earth, sealed away by an unknown power. When she awakened, three thousand years had already passed. Those three thousand years were a complete blank. It was as though she had simply taken a nap, only to wake up having crossed three millennia. Xu Ying looked toward Yan Kongcheng. Had Yan Kongcheng truly suffered the same fate as Xiao Fengxian? Could it be that the great sealing three thousand years ago concealed secrets beyond the folding of heaven and earth brought about by Heaven-Human Induction? Yan Kongcheng was full of heroic vigor, divine radiance gleaming in his eyes, his aura as sharp as a blade. Suddenly, he thrust a finger forward. Xu Ying immediately saw the other youth's fingertip quiver slightly, followed by hundreds of index fingers stabbing toward him! Those index fingers came fast or slow, leading or trailing, carrying a bizarre rhythm that held the wondrous mysteries of the Great Dao. It was none other than the Immortal Slaying Finger, the Immortal Dao divine power in which the sorrowful old man was proficient! However, when unleashed by Yan Kongcheng, although its sheer power was far beneath that of Fu Yi, the sorrowful old man, it was distinctly more subtle and exquisite! It was as if his was the true lineage! Xu Ying remained calm and gathered his vitality as well, deploying the Heavenly Dao Finger he had comprehended from the Heavenly Dao runes of Heavenly God Longyuan. Yet this finger of his was also fused with the Dao of Heavenly Fate; seemingly a single thrust, it concealed behind it the full reckoning of heavenly fate in finger force! The Immortal Slaying Finger wielded the Immortal Dao, whereas the Heavenly Dao Finger channeled the Heavenly Dao. Logically speaking, the Immortal Dao transcended the Heavenly Dao and stood above it. However, the Immortal Dao of the Immortal Slaying Finger was not the genuine Immortal Dao, but a divine power born from an Emei patriarch's comprehension of it. Xu Ying's Heavenly Dao Finger, on the other hand, fused several Heavenly Dao runes onto his fingertip, making its power vastly more pure! The instant their finger forces collided, terrifying shockwaves erupted with shrill whistles, piercing through the void before and behind both Xu Ying and Yan Kongcheng! Xu Ying's figure flickered like a specter. Though his feet seemed rooted in place, his body moved like a phantasm, appearing in every corner around them. Only after the full force of the Immortal Slaying Finger finished detonating did the hundreds of Xu Ying's afterimages merge back into one amid the tremors. Before and behind Yan Kongcheng, immortal light suddenly drifted like floating gossamer. As the countless concealed forces trailing the Heavenly Dao Finger struck the veil, strange bird-and-worm seal script lit up across the surface in brilliant golden radiance, blocking the Heavenly Dao finger forces! Around Yan Kongcheng, the bird-and-worm seal script on the gossamer veil flared continuously, weathering the strike in its entirety! Yuan Qi stared wide-eyed. Quietly raising his tail, he poked the bronze bell and whispered, "Lord Bell, Ah Ying has met his match." The bronze bell murmured, "Ah Ying didn't use the six secret depositories. If he had, his combat power would soar." Yuan Qi lowered his voice. "The other guy held back, too. His cultivation realm is higher than Ah Ying's—he's in the second Pass-Breaching stage. Whatever he lacks in magic power can easily be made up by his realm." The bronze bell, being more experienced and knowledgeable after all, said, "Yan Kongcheng relied on a divine power to block Ah Ying's Heavenly Dao finger force, whereas Ah Ying relied on his movement technique to dodge the Immortal Slaying Finger. That shows Ah Ying has already seen through the Immortal Slaying Finger, while Yan Kongcheng hasn't seen through the Heavenly Dao Finger." Yuan Qi thought for a moment and said, "He was swept into the seal three thousand years ago, right around the time when the hundred schools of thought were ousted in favor of the Nuo arts. What if he also learned the Nuo methods of the six secret depositories?" The bronze bell was taken aback, feeling somewhat uncertain. "If that's the case, then Ah Ying really has met his match." Yan Kongcheng marveled, "What the Ageless Immortal used was a Heavenly Dao divine power, wasn't it? Truly exquisite!" He did not continue employing Mount Emei's divine powers, yet that brief exchange was enough for Xu Ying to witness the extraordinary nature of Emei's heritage. Xu Ying praised, "Emei's heritage is profound and unfathomable, truly admirable. I have heard that during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, people discovered the other shore, and Qi Refiners departed for it, leading to the decline of the Qi Refiners. Did Emei not decline because of that?" Yan Kongcheng said, "Emei naturally declined, but our heritage was so vast that although we waned, the impact on Emei was not truly severe." He raised his hand and pointed toward the towering peaks of Mount Emei, smiling. "Every ascension light you see as far as the eye can reach was left behind in the lower realm after our Emei patriarchs overcame their heavenly tribulations and ascended." Standing there, Xu Ying looked in all directions. There were hundreds of peaks, large and small, and hundreds of ascension lights! Every beam of ascension light represented an ascended immortal. The immortals who had ascended from Mount Emei numbered in the hundreds! The ascension site of the Emei ranges was not tucked away within some so-called grotto-heaven or blessed land, because the entire Mount Emei was itself a breathtakingly magnificent ascension site! This sight shook Xu Ying to his core! Yan Kongcheng spoke with immense pride, smiling. "Though this is the Age of Dharma Decline, our Emei's heritage endures, and the ascension site endures. Even if I am the only one left of Emei, I can still restore our lineage!" Xu Ying said, "I once saw someone use the Immortal Slaying Finger, an Emei art. I didn't expect to see the same heritage from Brother Yan." Yan Kongcheng's expression shifted, and he stamped his foot. "The Immortal Slaying Finger? I know where that thief got our Emei's immortal art! My grand-uncle's grave was emptied out!" Xu Ying was taken aback; he had actually been referring to Fu Yi, the sorrowful old man. Fu Yi claimed to be an Emei Qi Refiner and was skilled in the Immortal Slaying Finger, while Yan Kongcheng had just displayed that exact same technique. Suspecting Yan Kongcheng's origins, Xu Ying had deliberately dropped hints to probe him. Yan Kongcheng and Fu Yi were clearly from the same sect. Fu Yi had died only recently, and now Yan Kongcheng had appeared, claiming to have been sealed for three thousand years. It could not help but arouse Xu Ying's suspicions. Yan Kongcheng laughed out of sheer fury. "The Nuo masters of later generations have no shame whatsoever! They dug up so many graves of our Emei ancestors! In my grand-uncle's tomb, I even found things they left behind!" He retrieved several jade seals and medallions from his Realm of Xiyi. Xu Ying took them and saw that one bore the character "Cao," with "General of the Household" carved on the back. Another jade seal bore the character "Zhou," its face carved with the words: "Heavenly Official Bestows Blessings; A Hundred Taboos Rendered Void." 'It seems to belong to the Zhou family.' Xu Ying felt a twinge of guilt. 'Could it be that Zhou Qiyun dug up the graves of Emei's patriarchs?' The General of the Household medallion marked with "Cao" and the Mound-Unearthing Seal marked with "Zhou" were both things Xu Ying had encountered while investigating the truth behind Nuo immortals; they were quite common. The origin of the "Cao" General of the Household medallion could no longer be traced, but the Zhou clan's Mound-Unearthing Seal—Xu Ying knew full well where that came from. It was undeniably Zhou Qiyun's doing! Yuan Qi whispered, "Ah Ying, this jade seal..." Xu Ying secretly waved a hand at the big snake, gesturing for him to keep quiet, thinking to himself, 'After all, we've done our share of grave-robbing too. Our hands aren't clean. If Yan Kongcheng suspects we dug up his patriarchs' graves, we'll never be able to clear our names.' Yan Kongcheng was beside himself with grief and rage, cursing under his breath. Then he apologized to Xu Ying, saying, "So many of our ancestral tombs were plundered that I lost my composure. Forgive me, brother." Xu Ying remained suspicious of his background and said, "Brother Yan, you can just call me Xu Ying or Ah Ying. No need for 'brother' or 'Ageless Immortal.' Could you tell us where you appeared after you were unsealed? Might you lead us there to have a look?" "Why not?" Yan Kongcheng led Xu Ying toward Mount Emei's main peak, talking as they walked. "The reason I didn't vanish alongside heaven and earth with my martial uncles and aunts is probably because our Emei patriarchs high in the Immortal Realm preserved my life so I could shoulder the heavy burden of reviving Emei. From ancient times to the present, Emei has produced so many immortals; they surely foresaw the great calamity before it arrived and made preparations." Xu Ying pondered for a moment. This conjecture was not implausible. With hundreds of immortals ascended to the Immortal Realm, this force was likely a considerable faction even there. The upheavals that took place in the Yuanshou world could hardly have been hidden from them. It would be no surprise if they had made preparations beforehand. A cluster of radiance gathered under Yan Kongcheng's feet as he strolled through the air, unhurried yet swift, like taking a leisurely walk through a courtyard. Xu Ying used the Extreme Intent Freedom Technique to keep pace beside him, but found it difficult to appear as effortless. Xu Ying had learned several void-treading spells, such as flying on a sword or the Heaven-Soaring Cloud Ladder, but none allowed one to walk upon the sky as if on level ground. Yet Emei's magic could achieve precisely that. 'Emei's heritage is no small matter. It's nothing like Li Xiaoke's makeshift dabbling,' Xu Ying thought. Although Li Xiaoke was a rare genius in the world who dedicated himself to restoring lost spells and divine powers and deciphering immortal methods—and his contributions were indeed immense—he still paled in comparison to a colossal behemoth like Emei. Even in its decline back then, Emei's heritage had still been extraordinary. Yan Kongcheng led him to the Golden Summit Peak of Mount Emei, and they ascended the stone stairs. Yuan Qi hastily lowered his voice and said, "Ah Ying, look over there!" Xu Ying looked in the direction the great snake's tail indicated, and his heart gave a lurch. On the other side of the cliff, an immortal cave-dwelling had been pried open by brute force, its doorway shattered into seven or eight pieces that lay flat on the ground. Before the entrance of that cave-dwelling lay several skeletons. Judging by how weathered the bones were, they had died only a few years ago. Their clothes had not yet decayed, and their attire marked them as Nuo masters from southern and western Xiang! "That is the tomb of my Supreme Patriarch!" Yan Kongcheng fumed, "Our Emei forbidden grounds were infiltrated by those little devils—coming and going as they pleased! They even dragged the Supreme Patriarch's bones out of the tomb. When I gathered the Patriarch's remains for burial, there wasn't a stitch of clothing left on him!" Xu Ying whispered to Yuan Qi and the bronze bell, "It wasn't Zhou Qiyun. If Zhou Qiyun had raided the tomb, he wouldn't have just taken a few clothes; the Patriarch's bones would certainly have been carried off as well." On their way up the mountain, they saw several more large excavated tombs. The masters of these graves had all been famous Ascension-stage Qi Refiners of Mount Emei who, because the heavenly road had been severed, were trapped in the mortal realm and had no choice but to die of old age here. Only to have their tombs ransacked by Nuo masters who had reached a dead end. "Ah Ying, look!" Yuan Qi nudged his snout toward Xu Ying. Xu Ying's eye twitched. "Lord Seventh, we've gone straight..." In the direction Yuan Qi indicated lay several large, unlooted tombs. The upheaval three thousand years ago that folded heaven and earth had likely folded this mountain peak, keeping those grave thieves from discovering them. Yuan Qi asked, puzzled, "When did we ever go straight?" Xu Ying wrestled with his conscience. After all, when Yunmeng Marsh first appeared, they had been scouring the area for Nuo immortal Hidden Sceneries, and not long ago they had plundered the great tomb of Mount Jiuyi. Finally, they reached the Golden Summit of Mount Emei's main peak. There stood a remarkably striking beam of ascension light. Unlike the others, this light pierced straight through a hall and into its interior. Yan Kongcheng raised his right hand. Various bird-and-worm seal scripts burst from his palm, unsealing the golden hall layer by layer. The breadth of his erudition was truly admirable. He stepped up to the resplendent golden hall and pushed open the heavy doors. Inside, an arcane aura washed over them, rushing against Xu Ying's skin and hair and seeping into his internal organs, leaving his Realm of Xiyi feeling as though brushed by immortal light! The cave-heavens within Xu Ying's body also unfurled at that moment, and the speed at which they absorbed immortal medicine accelerated substantially! Xu Ying immediately sensed that this beam of ascension light inside the golden hall possessed incredible power. Beneath other ascension lights, the worldly essence was extraordinarily dense, but this one not only held an exceptional amount of worldly essence, but faintly allowed the power of the Immortal Realm to seep through! "When I awoke, I found myself floating inside this ascension light," Yan Kongcheng said. "It felt as if space and time were frozen, as if time had ceased to flow. That sensation vanished only when I walked out." Yuan Qi said in shock, "You were sealed inside this light for three thousand years!" The bronze bell guessed, "Or perhaps someone used this light to send him three thousand years into the future." Both explanations made sense; though the outcome was the same, the mechanics differed. Xu Ying looked up at the ascension light. Vaguely, he could even glimpse the outline of another world at the far end of the beam. Stirred, he asked, "Brother Yan, whose ascension left this light behind?" Yan Kongcheng assumed a solemn expression. "This ascension light was left behind when our Emei's first patriarch, the Supreme Patriarch, ascended." Xu Ying asked, "When did the Supreme Patriarch ascend?" Yan Kongcheng shook his head. "It is too ancient to verify. However, hundreds of patriarchs ascended after the Supreme Patriarch, so at that time the heavenly road had not yet been severed, and the super heavenly tribulation had not yet appeared." Xu Ying was moved. This Supreme Patriarch was older than even the super heavenly tribulation; he was likely a figure from forty-eight thousand years ago! Perhaps it was this Supreme Patriarch who had acted to preserve Yan Kongcheng as the sole surviving seedling of Emei! 'Then who preserved Fengxian'er?' Xu Ying suddenly thought. Yan Kongcheng said, "After I emerged from the ascension light and came outside, I was in a daze, completely lost. Mount Emei had not been as prosperous as in ancient times, but every peak had still been guarded by Qi Refiners, suffused with thousands of auspicious vapors and countless rays of radiance. Yet as I flew across the mountain range, I didn't encounter a single familiar face." Xu Ying could empathize with that helpless bewilderment. For Yan Kongcheng, to wake from sleep only to find Mount Emei utterly deserted with not a soul in sight—it was undoubtedly a waking nightmare! "Just as I was on the verge of breaking down, I met someone." A smile appeared on Yan Kongcheng's face. "It was this person who helped me emerge from my despair, rekindled my fighting spirit, and inspired me to shoulder the great duty of reviving Emei and restoring the glory of Qi Refiners!" Hearing that tone, Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat, and a familiar face suddenly flashed in his mind: 'Could it be him again?' A look of fanaticism crossed Yan Kongcheng's face. "He is Xu Fu, a living immortal of this world! He spoke with me through the night, opening my eyes to the mission I bear! Qi Refiners shall inevitably be restored!" Xu Ying could not help but say, "Brother Yan, the old Qi Refiner path is already destined to fail. Dual cultivation of Qi and Nuo is the true path..." Yan Kongcheng's face darkened, and he said coolly, "Dao Brother Xu Fu told me that you were stubborn—a blockhead. I didn't believe him at first, but having met you today, I finally do. Brother Xu." He drew himself upright, straight as a spear, a surge of battle intent emanating from within him. "Dao Brother Xu Fu asked me to make sure you realize what a true Qi Refiner is. Our sparring earlier has yet to reach a conclusion." Anger flared in Xu Ying's heart. Stuffing the "Prison" character seal in his hands into Yuan Qi's mouth, he said, "I, too, would like to see what Emei's true lineage is made of!"