Gu Feiyu’s death and the annihilation of his Dao sent a wave of shock through the purple-robed young woman, the yellow-robed youth, and the others watching in the distance.
Gu Feiyu was the contemporary sect master chosen by the Wuji Sect. Sheltered and escorted by an immortal, he had been sealed away for three thousand years to re-emerge in this era and shoulder the heavy burden of reviving the sect.
He was a Qi Refiner who had unlocked the Six Secret Depositories of the Human Body and cultivated both Nuo methods and qi, making him an embodiment of the ancient era's wisdom. In both cultivation and prowess, he was undeniably an exceptional figure among his peers.
What was more, he possessed the Golden Seal-Script Immortal Talisman bestowed by an immortal to shield his body. Without breaking the talisman, killing him was nigh impossible.
Even a Qi Refiner at the Ascension stage would likely be helpless against a Golden Seal-Script Immortal Talisman. It was not merely that the talisman was extraordinarily powerful; they could not even begin to comprehend it, let alone decipher it.
Yet Gu Feiyu’s death forced them to realize that even with the protection of an immortal's Golden Seal-Script Immortal Talisman, survival was far from guaranteed—one could still be slain!
"There is always someone stronger; there are heavens beyond the heavens."
The yellow-robed youth glanced at Xu Ying and murmured, "This man is no weaker than me, but what a pity. Having offended an immortal, how could he possibly keep his life?"
He swiftly retreated, his eyes darting about. "This place will soon turn into an Asura battlefield. A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall—better to leave at once!"
The purple-robed young woman and the others also sensed the impending danger and scattered in haste, fleeing as far from Xu Ying as they could.
Scarcely had they departed when the Golden Seal-Script Immortal Talisman froze midair. From within the talisman came a majestic voice: "Junior, you bid me descend for a contest. Now, I have arrived."
The talisman radiated immortal radiance, and out from that very light stepped a figure clad in a white robe, bearing white hair and a white beard. As he moved, a wondrous sound of the Dao began to rise from a low hum, swelling outward louder and louder, growing ever more resonant!
This was Immortal Elder Wuji, who had absorbed the talisman's energy to forge an avatar in the mortal realm to carry out his bidding.
He intended to manifest and punish this lawless wretch!
As the sounds of the Immortal Dao resonated from within him, winds surged and clouds churned. The Grand Dao of heaven and earth fell into disarray. The ground split open, spewing forth rolling torrents of magma. Violent gales howled, flames seeped through fissures in space-time, and the void around the talisman fractured into countless glass-like shards that danced through the air.
Earth, water, wind, and fire plunged into utter chaos!
Farther out, mountains shook, vegetation grew wild and untamed, and the Nuo masters and Qi Refiners caught even slightly too close scrambled in terror—yet mid-stride, their bodies melted into pools of rotten flesh.
With the sounds of the Immortal Dao echoing all around, a scene of total apocalypse unfolded. Even the yuan qi within Xu Ying began to churn uncontrollably; neither his Martial Dao true qi nor his sword Dao techniques could suppress it, threatening to turn upon him in severe backlash!
Immortal Elder Wuji's avatar stepped out from the immortal radiance shed by the Golden Seal-Script Immortal Talisman, growing increasingly tangible. Just as he was about to fully emerge from the talisman, the bronze bell suddenly came flying in.
Xu Ying grabbed the wall of the bell and struck it hard with his palm, slapping right onto the 'Cage' Dao rune carved upon it.
*Clang!*
The bell resonated with a deafening chime. The immortal elder emerging from the Golden Seal-Script Immortal Talisman revealed a look of astonishment. "Where did you obtain such a seal?"
His figure swayed, tracing an inscrutable trajectory, remarkably dodging the seal of the 'Cage' Dao rune!
Xu Ying clasped his hands together facing the bronze bell, his ten fingers interlocking to form five cage runes. He forcefully triggered the bronze bell's might!
Accompanied by the chime, 'Cage' Dao runes erupted continuously, locking down toward Immortal Elder Wuji!
Immortal Elder Wuji's avatar relied on drawing energy from the Golden Seal-Script Immortal Talisman; he could not leave its vicinity, or he would be unable to manifest. Within the confined space around the talisman, no matter how exquisite his footwork, he could not withstand Xu Ying’s relentless barrage!
Three-dimensional cage runes interlocked layer upon layer, sealing him in succession. The talisman, together with Immortal Elder Wuji's avatar, was sealed within a perfectly square, box-shaped cage rune.
"Junior, do you know what you are doing?"
Inside the cage, Immortal Elder Wuji's avatar slowly raised his head, his expression dark and sullen. "You have slain a true immortal's mortal successor. You have offended a true immortal. You are guilty of a sin."
As the word 'sin' fell from his lips, sounds of the Immortal Dao surged out from within the cage. Heaven and earth lost their color as Immortal Dao pollution spread in every direction.
"Lord Qi, the bug!"
The Great Dao within Xu Ying boiled, slipping beyond his control and threatening to self-destruct. He shouted urgently, "The bug!"
Yuan Qi was just slithering out of the Hidden Scenery latent transformation ground. Hearing the shout, he froze for an instant before realizing what was meant. He hastily opened his mouth, and another cube carrying a cage seal flew out.
Trapped inside this seal was an insect with wings, legs, and a pair of scissor-like mouthparts. It paced restlessly within the cage seal, its wings buzzing incessantly, yet it could neither take flight nor snip through the seal.
This was the very insect that had devoured the sorrowful old man, Fu Yi. Sealed by Xu Ying, it had been stored within Yuan Qi's belly all along.
Xu Ying raised his hand, caught the cage, and slammed it down with tremendous force, driving the cage holding the insect straight into the cage sealing Immortal Elder Wuji's avatar.
The two cages fused into one.
"I know who you are!"
Seeing the insect, Immortal Elder Wuji's avatar abandoned chanting the sounds of the Immortal Dao. His expression changed drastically, and he cried out harshly, "You are Xu Ying! You have returned to Mount Kunlun! The lower realm's cage has lost cont—mmph, mmph..."
Before he could finish, the insect suddenly split into countless tiny bugs that swarmed forward with a shrill whistle, drowning him completely.
Immortal Elder Wuji's avatar struggled amid the swarm, but in an instant, he was gnawed down to nothing. Even the Golden Seal-Script Immortal Talisman was devoured completely, leaving not a scrap behind!
Xu Ying watched with a hammering heart, his hand trembling slightly as he reached out to grab the cubic cage.
Yuan Qi was equally terrified. He hurriedly said, "Ah Ying, don't put this bug back in my belly! If it bites through the cage one day and gets out, I won't even be enough for Lord Bug's midday snack!"
"Don't worry, don't worry. This bug has no intellect; it cannot break the cage rune," Xu Ying consoled him. "The cage rune was used to seal me. If it were that easy to break, I would have unsealed myself long ago."
Even so, Xu Ying felt uneasy as well. He activated the cage runes on the bell's wall once more, reinforcing the seal.
Inside the small cage, the insect was exceptionally ferocious. Every time it fluttered its wings to take off, it looked ready to lunge out and tear them to shreds. Fortunately, as it shifted, the cage shifted along with it, keeping it firmly confined.
The purple immortal plant flew out and examined the insect with great curiosity. The moment the insect saw the plant, it grew even more agitated and excited, pacing within the cage as if longing to pounce and devour it.
Xu Ying said in surprise, "Could it be that this kind of insect is raised on immortal medicines? Grave Grass, cut off a few root tendrils and give it a taste."
The purple immortal plant grew furious and wanted to teach him a lesson, but remembering the scene when Xu Ying ambushed the outer god Tianshu, it felt a twinge of fear and held back.
Xu Ying was startled, thinking the plant had mended its ways. He thought to himself, *Lord Qi said that one takes the color of one's company, and he certainly wasn't lying. Lord Grass has been with me for so long that it has grown refined and gentle.*
Covered in blood, Gao Shiqing stumbled out of the Hidden Scenery latent transformation ground. Seeing that Xu Ying had even fed the immortal avatar of the Wuji Sect to the bugs, his heart froze in terror, and he turned to leave.
"Won't you stay and chat a bit?" Xu Ying remarked indifferently.
Gao Shiqing came to a dead halt. He forced an awkward, fawning smile and said, "Young Master Xu, long time no see."
Xu Ying looked at him with doubt. Thinking carefully, he was certain he had never met this man before.
Gao Shiqing hurriedly explained, "Back when you entered Shendu, many noble clans came out to welcome you. At that time, I was not yet a Nuo immortal and had only cultivated to the eighth layer of cave-heavens. I saw Young Master Xu from afar amid the crowd."
Xu Ying nodded slightly and asked, "When did the Gao clan get in touch with the Wuji Sect?"
Terrified of angering him, Gao Shiqing answered with utmost caution, "An alliance between noble clans and sects is hardly contradictory. Though sects possess profound heritage and the backing of immortals, only one or two members have survived to this day. If these sects wish to develop, they must rely on the strength of the noble clans. My Gao clan operates in the Mount Tai region, controlling the military governors, county magistrates, and governing the common folk of the countryside. If the Wuji Sect wishes to accept disciples, it must have my Gao clan's nod. My Gao clan cultivates both Nuo and qi, and we also send our clan's descendants to the Wuji Sect. In the future, half of the Wuji Sect will belong to my Gao clan."
Xu Ying asked, "What about the ordinary commoners and the children of the poor?"
"They compete fairly, of course."
Gao Shiqing could not help but laugh. "However, how could those wretched paupers possibly compete against our noble clans? Gathering herbs to refine pills, mining ores to forge treasures, cultivating souls—which of these doesn't cost a fortune? Moreover, prestigious sects require vast expenses at every turn. How much money could those destitute paupers give to a prestigious sect? Could it ever compare to what our noble clans can provide? In great sects like the Wuji Sect, children from poor backgrounds will naturally become fewer and fewer."
Speaking to this point, his face turned bitter. Now that even Gu Feiyu, the sect master of the Wuji Sect, had been killed by Xu Ying, the Gao clan had lost yet another avenue to rise to greater heights.
Fortunately, a cunning hare has three burrows. The Gao clan had not allied solely with the Wuji Sect; they had formed ties with several other sects as well. Even if the Wuji Sect was gone, it would not hinder the rise of the Gao clan.
Xu Ying felt somewhat disappointed and murmured, "So this is what the noble clans are... this is what they are..."
He had originally thought that the emergence of ancient sects might resolve the dilemma of noble clans ruling the world, granting mortal commoners more opportunities to stand out. Never had he expected that the result would simply be an alliance between the powerful and the mighty.
With them joining forces, where would ordinary commoners ever find a path forward?
"The super heavenly tribulation severed the path of ascending to immortality; they are blocked and unable to ascend to become immortals. Yet for an ordinary person, how easy could it ever be to become like them?"
Xu Ying murmured, "For a common person to rise above their station, the difficulty is no less than facing a super heavenly tribulation. Everyone fixes their eyes on how to cross the tribulation and how to ascend, but who speaks up for the commoners? Who stands up for them?"
Gao Shiqing smiled and said, "Young Master Xu, aren't you worrying over nothing? Ordinary commoners are one thing, but those impoverished wretches can't even afford to take a wife, nor can they get enough to eat. In time, their line will naturally die out. Why bother fretting over them?"
Xu Ying's eyelids twitched. He waved his hand and said, "You may go. I won't make things difficult for you."
Gao Shiqing scrambled away in a hurry, thinking to himself, *My Gao clan has placed bets on many sides. Even if the Wuji Sect is ruined, there are other sects. Even if the emperor changes, my Gao clan's standing will not waver in the slightest!*
Xu Ying cast a meaningful glance at the bronze bell and lightly drew a finger across his throat.
The bronze bell understood instantly and soared into the sky.
A moment later, the chime of a bell echoed from the distance. The bronze bell flew back, splattered with blood, and said, "Ah Ying, he asked me to ask you why you didn't keep your word."
Xu Ying replied with feigned surprise, "I didn't make things difficult for him. You were the one who killed him; it has nothing to do with me."
The bronze bell grumbled resentfully, "Ah Ying, I exerted immense effort this time and suffered severe damage. Once the matters here are settled, take out some of the treasures you've stashed in Lord Qi's belly and give them to me. I want to see Ancestor Chanyan and have her treat my injuries, and re-forge me while she's at it."
Xu Ying agreed.
The bronze bell was overjoyed.
Yuan Qi, however, felt a surge of secret vigilance, thinking to himself, *The stupid bell has gotten much sharper lately. Just now, it deployed all sorts of arts—it's clearly been working hard in secret, widening the gap between us once again. If I seem completely useless, won't my standing drop lower and lower?*
He resolved inwardly to cultivate with all his might and strive to catch up to the bronze bell as soon as possible.
*Only Grave Grass remains utterly unbothered. Sooner or later, it will become a useless weed, and its place will be taken by me,* Yuan Qi thought.
Xu Ying continued forward, reflecting silently: *Fortunately, there is still the Mount Shu Sword Sect. When my Sword Sect selects disciples, it cannot follow the ways of the Wuji Sect. Yet having only the Sword Sect is not enough; there must also be Jiulong Mountain, Mount Emei, and even more sects. They must choose disciples not based on their family wealth, nor on who their ancestors were, but on whether the disciple possesses genuine talent and aptitude.*
*A true golden age is one where everyone can fulfill their talents and all things can serve their purpose. When everyone is trapped in their own despair, unable to ever rise, that is no golden age at all.*
Suddenly, Xu Ying spotted a cluster of tiled cottages nestled among the distant peaks. His heart surged with excitement. "Could that be Xujiaping?"
He quickened his pace, hurrying toward the cottages.
***
Amid the Great Snow Mountain of Kunlun, the Ice and Snow Goddess suddenly sensed something. Transforming into a flurry of ice and snow, she merged into the mountain.
A blizzard swept through the snowy peaks once more, fiercer than before, sealing off the entrance to the Kunlun Realm.
Yet the newcomer possessed formidable strength. Wearing a bamboo hat, he steered a small boat through the wind and snow, meeting almost no resistance along the way.
As the blizzard grew fiercer, six cave-heavens materialized behind the man in the bamboo hat, radiating an inscrutable might. Wherever the domain of the six cave-heavens stretched, the wind and snow fell still.
"A hermit merely seeks passage, harboring no malice." Standing at the bow of the boat, the man in the bamboo hat bowed toward the snowy mountain.
Amid the storm, the faint outline of the Ice and Snow Goddess appeared, studying the visitor. Just then, several more powerful auras descended, cutting through the blizzard and advancing toward Kunlun.
The Ice and Snow Goddess furrowed her brow slightly. Knowing she could not stop these figures, she waved her sleeve, allowing the storm to subside slightly.
"Why have so many powerful existences suddenly arrived?" she wondered in shock and uncertainty.
The man in the bamboo hat steered his boat through the drifting snow. As though sensing the other auras as well, he slowed his craft slightly, musing to himself, *Are you here seeking immortal medicine, or are you looking for the six Nuo ancestors? Back then, when Emperor Zulong performed the Fengshan ceremony on Mount Tai, you were all present, weren't you? You too witnessed the magnificent spectacle of the six Nuo ancestors bestowing immortal medicine upon Zulong.*
He gave a faint, cold sneer and muttered under his breath, "Does this world truly have Nuo ancestors who command six types of immortal medicine? Why am I somewhat disinclined to believe it?"
The small boat glided out of the snow-capped mountains and entered the Kunlun Ruins.
"The true value of Kunlun lies neither in the six Nuo ancestors nor in the immortal medicines they control, but in the destiny of immortality—the opportunity to ascend! The immortal opportunity that once allowed the Yellow Emperor to ascend by riding a dragon—I shall claim it no matter what!"
Chapter 228