The two exchanged glances, unease apparent in their eyes.
The immortal furnace inside the Jade Void Palace was sealed with talismans, and none had been broken, proving it had never been opened. If so, what on earth were Nuo Lu's nine immortal pills?
The furnace was immense, its outer walls branded with intricate Dao imagery, while flames drifted around it.
The immortal pills refined within must have matured long ago and remained sealed inside. The immortal medicine stolen by the crowds outside the Jade Void Palace had merely drifted from this furnace—nothing more than the fragrant vapor of the pills within.
And the immortal fire outside the palace was presumably the very fire used to refine those immortal pills.
"Evidently, Nuo methods and Nuo arts are not genuine Dao methods," the Son of Heaven of Zhou sighed, gazing up at the immortal furnace. "They are merely artificial realms created to assist in cultivation. This immortal furnace is the source of the Jade Pool immortal medicine. Nuo masters absorb its power and refine it into surging magical power. Yet the source of that power is not natural; it was created by mortal hands."
Xu Ying nodded gently. "Xu Fu refuses to accept dual cultivation of Nuo and qi, insisting that qi refining alone is orthodox. He does have a point."
His expression dimmed.
Could Xu Fu's path truly be the correct one?
Was Nuo truly a heresy? A shortcut, yes, but a demonic path riddled with fatal perils?
Xu Ying was not obstinate. If dual cultivation was indeed wrong, he would abandon it. Yet having the path he championed proven false brought a pang of sorrow.
Xu Ying walked over to one side of the Jade Void Palace. Along the wall were several clumps of immortal fire, each topped with a furnace vessel, though far smaller than the great one. Beside them stood a table equipped with weighing scales and pestles for grinding herbs.
Upon the scale lay some immortal medicine resembling gray ash, fragrant with medicinal scent.
Scattered across the table were various herbs—roots, leaves, and slabs of flesh sliced from unknown exotic beasts, all exuding rich medicinal aromas.
The Son of Heaven of Zhou stepped beside him and helped examine the items, perplexed. "What are these used for?"
A pill recipe lay on the table, inscribed with names of ingredients.
Xu Ying gathered the herbs and measured them with the scales according to the recipe. One by one, he matched every component until only a single ingredient remained.
"What is this 'great medicine' written on the recipe?" Xu Ying asked, bewildered.
The Son of Heaven of Zhou looked toward the ash-like immortal medicine, his eyes flickering, but said nothing. Just then, Xu Fu's voice drifted over: "Try weighing some of the ash."
Xu Ying and the Son of Heaven of Zhou turned to look. Xu Fu stood atop the Fangzhang immortal mountain, drifting over unhurriedly. His robes were unruffled and his breath steady, without the slightest sign of injury.
Their hearts skipped a beat. When Xu Fu had stepped forward to confront Nuo Ancestor Nuo Lu, both had assumed he would be flayed alive if he survived at all. Yet here was Xu Fu, completely unharmed, while Nuo Lu was nowhere to be seen!
Could Xu Fu's strength be even greater than Zulong's?
"Fellow Daoist Xu, how did the battle go?" Xu Ying inquired.
Xu Fu gave a meaningful look. "I displayed a divine power he had seen once before and frightened him off."
Xu Ying's heart thudded. Could the divine power that scared Nuo Lu away have been one that he himself had passed down to Xu Fu?
He did not pry further. The Son of Heaven of Zhou, however, was deeply shaken. A Nuo ancestor's power was unimaginably vast; if Xu Fu could frighten him off, was Xu Fu the true foremost figure of Shenzhou?
Composing himself, Xu Ying carefully took a handful of the grayish-white ash, measured the amount specified by the recipe, lifted the lid of a furnace vessel, and placed the prepared ingredients inside.
There was also a small amount of Jade Pool water on the table, all of which he poured into the vessel.
Suddenly, strange rays of light emanated from the vessel, blossoming outward layer upon layer. An exotic fragrance filled the air as an immortal pill took shape within!
After a short while, the immortal pill inside matured, clattering violently against the lid as it tried to break free.
Yet none of them moved. Earlier, Xu Ying and the Son of Heaven of Zhou had battered each other bloody in a desperate struggle to seize a single immortal pill. Now that they had refined one with their own hands, neither wanted it.
The Son of Heaven of Zhou's gaze fell upon the remaining ash. "What do you think this ash is?"
Xu Ying's voice sounded hoarse. "The recipe calls it the 'great medicine.'"
Xu Fu floated closer aboard the immortal mountain and smiled. "I have heard that Nuo masters command extraordinary arts. Among the Six Secret Depositories of the Human Body, the Bubbling Spring secret depository yields the immortal medicine of soul and spirit. Those who wield its power can summon souls. Why not try summoning souls from that ash?"
The Son of Heaven of Zhou stared at the heap of ash. "When I returned from the other shore, I did indeed open the six secret depositories, but my study of Nuo arts is not deep."
"I will do it!"
Xu Ying exhaled a breath of stale air and activated his Bubbling Spring divine power. He pointed a finger forward, unleashing the soul power of his Bubbling Spring secret depository onto the pile of ash.
"Aaargh—!"
A shrill, bloodcurdling shriek suddenly erupted from the ash. One hazy ghost after another crawled out, nearly lunging into the trio's faces!
They writhed and contorted, still ablaze with immortal fire!
They were the ghosts of the Qi Refiners incinerated outside the Jade Void Palace. Once the immortal fire had burned away their cultivation, their physical bodies could not withstand the flames either, reducing them to ashes!
Their three souls and seven spirits had been thoroughly consumed, leaving only their imperishable true spirits.
A spark of their imperishable true spirits had lingered in the ash, and now that Xu Ying had stimulated them with his own soul power, their ghostly forms were reconstituted!
Xu Ying dismissed his Bubbling Spring divine power. The shrieking ghosts collapsed instantly, scattering apart and retreating into the ash as imperishable true spirits to hide once more.
Xu Ying's heart pounded violently. "Brother Ji, lift the lid."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou waved his sleeve, flinging open the vessel's lid. The immortal pill shot out.
Xu Ying pointed a finger, activating his Bubbling Spring divine power. A piercing shriek rang out from inside the pill as the faces of ghosts pressed against its surface, trapped inside and unable to break free!
The Son of Heaven of Zhou murmured, "Nuo Lu released nine immortal pills, and whenever they encountered people, they darted frantically in all directions. Was it the ghosts inside that were flying? Could they have fled so desperately because they feared being caught and eaten by us?"
To the shrunken souls confined within the pills, the cultivators chasing them must have looked like grotesque, terrifying giants rushing forward with gaping, blood-soaked maws, bent on devouring them!
Xu Ying's face looked grim. "Herb gatherers burn in the immortal fire for thousands of years, harvesting vast amounts of immortal medicine into their bodies. When they burn to ash, that ash is saturated with immortal medicine. By using the herb gatherers' ashes as ingredients to refine immortal pills, one saves the trouble of entering the immortal fire oneself. Without expending any effort, one can simply reap the harvest."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou recalled how Nuo Ancestor Nuo Lu had repelled the immortal fire, only to catch fire himself after Xu Ying called him "old man." Clearly, the immortal fire posed a threat even to a Nuo ancestor.
If a Nuo ancestor ventured into the fire to gather medicine, his cultivation would be burned away as well. That was why they needed herb gatherers.
Setting aside ancient eras like the Yu and Xia dynasties, during the Shang and Zhou dynasties alone, countless herb gatherers had entered the other shore to harvest medicine. The mightiest Qi Refiners of their ages had ultimately been reduced to handfuls of ash, serving as ingredients for the six Nuo ancestors' immortal pills!
The Son of Heaven of Zhou said, "I still have one question: why are we the ones taking the immortal pills instead of the six Nuo ancestors? If the six ancestors went to such lengths to lure people here and refine pills, why didn't they consume the pills themselves?"
Xu Ying nodded slightly. Why didn't the Nuo ancestors take the medicine, choosing instead to release it?
Xu Fu smiled. "What if the immortal pills are merely bait?"
A shudder ran through Xu Ying and the Son of Heaven of Zhou. In unison, they asked, "With immortal pills as bait, what kind of fish are they trying to catch?"
Xu Fu said, "With immortal pills as bait, the catch naturally cannot be small."
Xu Ying suddenly thought of the man in the conical hat who had snatched the immortal pill from him and the Son of Heaven of Zhou. A shock of terror struck him, and he instantly knew who the big fish were!
"The six ancestors are fishing for the anglers—the ones who spread false Nuo methods to refine human bodies into great medicine!"
His scalp tingled with numbness. "Where will those who swallow the pills ascend to? Why was the heavenly tribulation fake? Why did it carry the aura of heavenly fiends?"
Six Nuo ancestors, six other shores. If each ancestor refined nine immortal pills, that made fifty-four pills in total—fifty-four anglers or leek harvesters taking the bait.
If the man in the conical hat and the others swallowed the pills and ascended, what awaited them?
He shuddered.
Nuo Lu had not fought Xu Fu to the death and had rushed away. Most likely, the fish at the other shores had already taken the bait, and the ancestors were eager to reel them in, rather than retreating because Xu Fu had outmatched him!
Dramatic upheavals must already be taking place in the outside world!
Xu Fu said, "Lord Xu, Nuo methods are not the orthodox path. Do you agree now?"
Xu Ying opened his mouth to retort, but could find no words to counter him.
"The Jade Void Palace, the immortal furnace, even the immortal medicine—all are man-made creations. The other six secret depositories are the same. The Six Secret Depositories Nuo methods have been reduced to mere tools for anglers and leek harvesters to reap the world," Xu Fu remarked placidly. "Therefore, eradicating Nuo methods and restoring the orthodoxy of qi refining is an absolute imperative! No matter how formidable Nuo methods and secret depositories may be, their strength is borrowed. And borrowed strength must be repaid one day. That is why these herb gatherers are reaped, and why Nuo Immortals are reaped."
Xu Ying frowned slightly.
Xu Fu continued, "Nuo Lu commands the Jade Void Palace and could sever Feng Yao's Jade Pool cave-heaven with effortless ease, just as he could sever anyone else's. Nuo methods cultivate the true, yet what they cultivate is not truth, but illusion."
Xu Fu had plotted for ages to overthrow Nuo methods and restore qi refining. Yet now he showed no concern for events outside, as if convincing Xu Ying was his paramount goal.
The Son of Heaven of Zhou said, "The urgent matter at hand is not debating what is orthodox, but how to leave this place! Lady Feng Yao's Jade Pool cave-heaven was severed; we have only one path left: head to the other shores."
His eyes flickered as he proposed, "I know the way. The two phoenixes can carry us to the other shores; they can fend off the heavenly fiends."
Qingluan and Feng Xian'er flew over, transforming into two young maidens. Hearing this, Qingluan said, "I am the fastest. I will carry you there!"
"It simply takes a long time," the Son of Heaven of Zhou cautioned.
"How long?" Qingluan asked.
"When we rode the Divine Boat of the Other Shore from Jade Void to Crimson Palace, it took over three hundred years. Miss Qingluan is faster, so it might take around a century to reach the Crimson Palace."
Everyone's brow furrowed. A century was far too long.
"If we cannot borrow Feng Yao's Jade Pool cave-heaven, could we borrow someone else's?"
Feng Xian'er suggested, "There are many Nuo Immortals in Kunlun. As long as someone opens a Jade Pool cave-heaven, we can pass through!"
Xu Fu shook his head. "Try and see if you can sense anyone else's Jade Pool cave-heaven. Nuo Lu will never allow you to sense another person's cave-heaven. Your hopes are slim."
Xu Ying, Qingluan, Feng Xian'er, and the Son of Heaven of Zhou immediately tried to establish a connection. The Son of Heaven of Zhou frowned, giving up after a moment. He glanced at Xu Fu and whispered, "You must have a hidden contingency."
Xu Fu looked at him quizzically.
The Son of Heaven of Zhou said, "I heard Jiang Qi mention you with great praise, admitting he fell one move short against you. If you dared to enter the Jade Void Palace, you must have been certain of your escape. What is your contingency?"
Xu Fu sat atop the Fangzhang immortal mountain, a scroll of golden book appearing in his hand. His gaze settled on Xu Ying as he said softly, "If none of you can sense another's Jade Pool cave-heaven, I have only this path left: open the golden book."
He let out a heavy breath. "This is the worst-case scenario..."
Just as he said this, Xu Ying's startled, delighted voice rang out: "A connection is made! Let's go—"
As Xu Ying's words fell, the sky suddenly twisted and spun. A Jade Pool cave-heaven pierced through layers of space-time, bridging from another world to link with the Jade Void Palace where they stood!
Without hesitation, the group took to the air, flying straight into the cave-heaven!
At that moment, Xu Ying's connection with the Jade Pool cave-heaven locked together seamlessly. His divine consciousness expanded exponentially in an instant, blanketing the surroundings and sweeping across the entire other shore world of the Jade Void Palace.
He saw that this expanse of space-time was like pure jade, endowed with natural Dao imagery. The entire realm was a world of Dao forms, filled everywhere with images of the Great Dao!
And the Jade Void Palace sat at the very heart of this Dao manifestation, its immortal furnace drawing the Great Dao of heaven and earth into its crucible, refining the mysteries of the cosmos into immortal medicine!
This was immortal medicine formed by nature!
This was the immortal medicine of the other shore of Dao methods, not borrowed power as Xu Fu claimed.
Perhaps someone had forged the Jade Void Palace and left behind this massive furnace, but the power of the immortal medicine was by no means borrowed strength—it was power nurtured and born of the Great Dao of heaven and earth!
The group flew out of the Jade Pool cave-heaven, landing on solid ground.
They were still in Kunlun, though no longer in the same spot, standing instead amidst ancient Kunlun ruins.
Xu Ying immediately called out in a loud voice, "Xu Fu! I just sensed the true nature of the other shore, and I discovered something! Cultivating Nuo methods means storing the mysteries of heaven and earth within oneself, seeing the vast through the minute, opening one's secret depositories, and linking outwards to the heavens and earth of the other shore. Through this, one comprehends the Great Dao of heaven and earth on the other shore to achieve ascension! This path of cultivation is orthodox, not a wicked art!"
Hearing this, Xu Fu could not hide his profound disappointment. Flicking his sleeve, he said, "Lord Xu remains stubbornly unenlightened. In that case, I have no choice but to tear open the bloody truth of this world for you and all under heaven to see, destroying Nuo methods once and for all!"
Steering the Fangzhang immortal mountain, he soared into the sky and called out in a deep voice, "Master of the Mud Pill Palace, where is my immortal pill?"
In the distance, a giant came flying over upon hearing the call. With a flick of his finger from afar, an immortal pill whistled through the air toward him, accompanied by a laugh: "Fellow Daoist Xu, it was prepared for you long ago!"
Xu Fu turned his head back toward Xu Ying, tilted his head back, and swallowed the immortal pill. His voice echoed down: "The destruction of Nuo methods begins today!"
Just as Xu Ying was about to give chase, a familiar voice called out from behind him: "Ah Ying!"
Xu Ying's heart trembled. He looked back to see a handsome youth dressed in white with indigo trim standing atop a ruin. Beside him stood an elderly man with grizzled hair, dressed in blue-green robes and cloth shoes—it was Uncle Xiao of the Yuan clan.
"Ah Ying, I found Xujiaping," the young nobleman said.
A flood of emotions surged into Xu Ying's heart, and for a fleeting moment, he felt as if thousands of lifetimes had passed in an instant. Behind him, across all corners of Kunlun, pillars of ascension light surged into the sky, interweaving in midair.
Those were fifty-four great masters who had swallowed immortal pills almost simultaneously, undergoing tribulations to ascend!
Chapter 250