In the sky, the cave-heavens of the fifty-three experts had been completely severed. These cave-heavens had been skinned and carved from Nuo Immortals and transplanted into their own bodies.
Now, facing the six Nuo ancestors, these cave-heavens were ultimately nothing more than rootless duckweed. With a casual stroke, the six Nuo ancestors sheared them away.
Yet even stripped of their cave-heavens, these fifty-three remained the most exceptional Qi Refiners. Besieging the six Nuo ancestors, even though the ancestors possessed boundless cultivation and the power to strip away their cave-heavens, the six were still beaten until they coughed blood incessantly. Before the abyss, flesh and blood flew in every direction, gruesome beyond compare.
The Dao manifestations cultivated by the six ancestors themselves were ground away by these Qi Refiners. Although they held infinite immortal medicine capable of healing damage to both body and Primordial Spirit, granting them immortality, their Dao manifestations could not be healed.
A Dao manifestation required continuous visualization and tempering to take form and could only grow over vast stretches of time. Once ground to dust, it would take time to temper it anew.
Suddenly, Nuo Yang's head was nearly punched clean through, and the azure serpent formed from his immortal qi dimmed. He roared, "These juniors are entirely lawless! Sacrifice the cave-heavens!"
Rumble!
A terrifying fluctuation erupted behind him as a Yellow Court cave-heaven materialized, with the Yellow Court Mansion standing at its end!
Nuo Yang's magic power surged violently. When his physical body met the divine ability of the master of the Mud Pill Palace, he emerged completely unscathed!
With a sweeping cut into the empty air, the sky cracked open. The master of the Mud Pill Palace scrambled to defend himself, yet spat a massive mouthful of blood and tumbled back, forced to yield before the lethal edge.
"Sacrifice the cave-heavens!"
Nuo Lu's visage turned ferocious, completely shedding his former demeanor of an ethereal, celestial immortal. He shouted, "Kill them all, and then reorder heaven and earth!"
He summoned a cave-heaven whose end connected directly to the Other Shore of the Jade Pool, facing the Jade Void Palace.
Nuo Peng sneered as well. "Let them behold true cave-heavens so they may die without regret!" She summoned a cave-heaven linked to the Mud Pill Palace in the Sea of Chaos.
Nuo Xiang summoned his own cave-heaven linked to the Nether Sea and shouted, "Even if we're exposed, so what? At worst, we'll carry out another great purge!"
Nuo Di summoned a cave-heaven linked to the Jade Capital. Nuo Fan summoned the Crimson Palace cave-heaven, connecting to the Crimson Palace.
These six Nuo ancestors differed from all others. Everyone else hoped to open all six secret depositories—the more the better. Yet each of them held only a single secret depository, and each of their depositories was unique.
Watching this unfold, Xu Ying thought, "Others—even the fishers and the leek farmers—want as many secret depositories as possible, planning to integrate them at most. Yet the six ancestors possess only one each. And yet, the boost in magic power that this single secret depository grants is horrifyingly immense! Could they truly be the Nuo master progenitors who pioneered the six secret depositories?"
If the progenitors had created the Nuo method of cultivation solely to harvest the world like leeks, then the Nuo method was inherently evil.
As the six Nuo ancestors channeled their cave-heavens, their strength soared, and they cut down several Qi Refiners in rapid succession. For a moment, the remaining Qi Refiners wavered, thoughts of flight rising in their minds.
Ancestor Nuo Yang had severely wounded the man in the bamboo hat and was about to execute him when an immortal mountain roughly ten feet square hurtled out of nowhere and slammed viciously into him.
Nuo Yang was sent flying, shocked and enraged. Looking up, he saw a tall silhouette towering atop the modest immortal mountain, gazing down at him with disdain!
Behind that figure stood a seven-colored divine tree that eclipsed the sun and moon, radiating ribbons of auspicious vapor as its roots and branches gently swayed.
Catching sight of the figure beneath the tree, Nuo Yang fell momentarily into a daze, blurting in disbelief, "It's you! You've returned! Impossible! You clearly..."
In that single instant of distraction, the gigantic tree beamed seven-colored divine light downward. Nuo Yang channeled his azure immortal serpent to resist desperately, but root after root and branch after branch tore through his defensive techniques, lashing directly across his body. Every lash inflicted agonizing pain that pierced straight to his soul.
In an instant, Nuo Yang was covered in wounds. Crushed beneath the divine ability of the giant tree, he coughed up blood and flew backward, sheer panic seizing his heart!
"Impossible! Impossible! He couldn't have come back!"
Only then did he realize that the figure on Mount Fangzhang was not the person he had imagined. It was merely someone whose presence and aura bore a resemblance to that person, who wielded the same divine abilities, and who looked down from on high. In his bewilderment, he had mistaken him for that man returning, losing the initiative out of sheer terror.
Yet to lose the initiative in a decisive battle meant suffering a beating.
Xu Fu made an encircling gesture with his arms, and a great furnace bearing brilliant suns flew forth, scooping the unsteady Nuo Yang inside!
Bang!
The furnace exploded. Engulfed in raging flames, Nuo Yang plunged from the abyss down toward Kunlun.
Xu Fu flickered, and in the next moment, Nuo Peng met with disaster. Her mind was momentarily captivated by Xu Fu's divine ability, and by the time she reacted, his technique had already crashed upon her.
It was a bronze mountain peak. The moment it struck Nuo Peng, immense power drove through her body, suppressing and sealing her cultivation and magic power.
Just as Nuo Peng struggled to resist, the bronze peak shattered, transforming into countless bronze sword-qi beams that pierced through her body with sharp hisses!
Nuo Peng mobilized the cave-heaven of the Mud Pill Palace in the Sea of Chaos to heal her wounds, but an ocean of chaotic stars engulfed her, and countless celestial bodies slammed into her body with resounding impacts.
"It's his divine ability!"
Terrified and devoid of any will to fight, Nuo Peng fled in panic.
Xu Fu struck toward Nuo Xiang. Within a few exchanges, Nuo Xiang was coughing blood. Xu Fu then severely wounded Nuo Lu, severed Nuo Di's head in three moves, and dismantled Nuo Fan in two, lopping off his limbs.
The six Nuo ancestors could not withstand him at all!
In just a few brief clashes, the six were either broken or routed.
The ancestors he wounded found it impossible to heal their injuries. His divine Dao manifestations lay embedded within their wounds, obstructing all recovery. Not even the six Nuo ancestors could unravel his divine abilities!
Nuo Di held his severed head in one hand, fighting desperately to carve a path of escape, but in the next instant, Xu Fu shattered the head with a single punch.
Unable to regenerate his head, Nuo Di tore his robes open. His chest transformed into eyes, his belly formed a gaping mouth, and an eye opened in each palm as he fought for his life!
Ancestor Nuo Fan's severed limbs could not regenerate either, reducing him to a limbless monstrosity possessing only a torso and head. Yet his power was formidable nonetheless. Flipping upside down with his belly facing upward, legs sprouted from his back and arms burst from his chest as he joined Nuo Di in besieging Xu Fu.
As for Nuo Lu and Nuo Xiang, they had already fled, leaving behind only these two.
The master of the Mud Pill Palace charged in, striking toward the Crimson Palace cave-heaven behind Nuo Fan. Landing the blow, he could hardly conceal his ecstatic thrill. Suddenly, a palm struck his back. Spitting blood, he darted forward in haste, glancing back to see that Xu Fu had delivered the crippling blow.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, I thought we were allies united against a common foe!" the master of the Mud Pill Palace warned warily.
With a flick of his sleeve, Xu Fu lowered a massive bronze bell, trapping Nuo Fan beneath it. He said impassively, "Times have changed. Back then, you still possessed value, so I cooperated with you. Now, you hold no value to me whatsoever."
The tolling of the bell resonated, repeatedly shattering Nuo Fan's physical body. Screams tore from beneath the bell as blood cascaded like a waterfall.
A chill ran through the master of the Mud Pill Palace. "There are many of us."
Xu Fu cast a glance at the ancient and primordial Qi Refiners closing in and dismissed them coldly. "A motley rabble. I need only slaughter you all."
The master of the Mud Pill Palace gritted his teeth. Glancing at the Nuo ancestor cave-heavens floating near Xu Fu, he abruptly turned and fled.
Darting like a ghost, he seized six cave-heavens from the abyss and vanished into Kunlun.
Seeing this, the other ancient and primordial Qi Refiners chased after the remaining cave-heavens and fled into the distance.
As for the other ancestor, Nuo Di, he had already slipped away under the cover of Xu Fu confronting the master of the Mud Pill Palace.
"Nuo Fan, do you know what they are going to do?"
Standing atop Mount Fangzhang, Xu Fu suddenly coughed up a trace of blood. Forcing his injuries down, he spoke toward the Nuo ancestor trapped beneath the bronze bell. "They are chasing the other five ancestors, scheming to seize the ancestral cave-heavens from your bodies. They intend to transplant them."
He sat down cross-legged, quietly taking his place before the great bronze bell, channeling his magic power to refine this Nuo ancestor alive!
Defeating the six Nuo ancestors had already shaken the world, exposing the bloody truth of the Nuo methods and achieving his goal of reviving the Qi Refiners.
"Yet stopping here is not what the Xu Ying who crossed the sea with me would do. That Xu Ying would eradicate evil to the very roots and slay the Nuo ancestors."
As a Nuo ancestor, Nuo Fan had accumulated far too much immortal medicine. Refining such an entity to death was by no means simple. But Xu Fu intended to do just that—to burn Nuo Fan into ash!
Three days later, the bell chimed once, and Nuo Fan beneath it was reduced to a wisp of ash, body and soul utterly extinguished!
Xu Fu stood and surveyed his surroundings. Not a soul remained. The rifts in the sky had closed, the abyss was nowhere to be seen, and only severed limbs drifted through the air.
Apart from those swallowed by the abyss, most of the severed cave-heavens had been collected.
A few lay scattered among the peaks of Kunlun, unclaimed, their radiance slowly fading.
In the sky, only Ancestor Nuo Fan's Crimson Palace cave-heaven still shone resplendently, brighter than the sun.
Over the past three days, those fishers and leek farmers had gone hunting the other five Nuo ancestors; none dared return to lay a finger on this Crimson Palace cave-heaven.
Xu Fu put the Crimson Palace cave-heaven away and murmured softly, "Lord Xu, do you know that back then, when I first saw your divine abilities, I revered you as a celestial being? Today, wielding your techniques, I too have reached this stage! Heh, Nuo methods..."
He stood somewhat unsteadily on Mount Fangzhang, descending toward Kunlun below, his black robes stained with dried blood fluttering behind him.
"I once beheld a celestial being. How could I permit Nuo methods to defile such a presence? Lord Xu, today I have vindicated Qi Refinement. From this day forth, Nuo methods will cease to exist in this world!"
Feeling lighthearted and unburdened, he whispered, "From now on, no one will ever harvest another using Nuo methods! Lord Xu, the first two things I set out to accomplish are done. The third thing is to become a celestial being myself. From this day forward, no matter how great your achievements may be, you will remain beneath my shadow. I shall become a Mount Kunlun you can never overcome!"
Jade Void Peak had grown much quieter. Most Qi Refiners, Nuo masters, and Nuo Immortals had departed the peak. Some had lost their spirit and returned to their homelands, while others ventured to Kunlun's other sacred mountains in search of their own immortal fortunes.
The six Nuo ancestors, along with those ancient experts who harvested leeks and fished for men, had dealt these young people a devastating blow. Likely, no one would ever cultivate Nuo methods again.
Xu Fu extended his divine sense, and after a moment, he located Feng Yao and Qingluan. Xiao Fengxian was with them as well.
"Lady Feng Yao, Xu has fulfilled his mission and returned to you a Mount Kunlun free of the six ancestors. I trust I have kept my word?" Xu Fu smiled.
Feng Yao had already healed her injuries. She bowed in sincere gratitude. "Fellow Daoist Xu, do you intend to transplant the ancestors' cave-heavens?"
Xu Fu shook his head. "I took Nuo Fan's cave-heaven merely to serve as a warning to an old friend, so that he does not stray onto an evil path. I have no intention of transplanting it."
Feng Yao was silent for a moment before saying, "I am one of Kunlun's Undying People. Fellow Daoist Xu has done great kindness for our people, so there is something I must share with you. The reason we Undying People became immortal is precisely because we cultivate Nuo methods. The Nuo methods we practice were never passed down by the six Nuo ancestors; they are far more ancient."
Xu Fu sneered. "Does Lady Feng Yao mean to say that Nuo methods are not a trap? If they were not a trap, why was your Jade Pool cave-heaven so easily severed by Nuo Lu?"
Feng Yao was struck dumb, unable to reply.
With a wave of his sleeve, Xu Fu turned and departed. "Fengxian'er, follow me. I shall take you to see an old friend."
Xiao Fengxian hastily waved goodbye to Qingluan and trotted after him.
Watching them leave, Qingluan remarked indignantly, "Mistress, you advised him out of kindness, yet he is so obstinate and conceited that he shows no appreciation whatsoever."
Feng Yao replied, "My Jade Pool cave-heaven was indeed severed effortlessly by Nuo Lu. It is only natural that he harbors doubts. It is just a pity that the history of my Undying People has been lost, and I do not know where our origins lie. Otherwise, we might understand why the Nuo ancestors could sever the cave-heavens of others and dispel his suspicions."
Qingluan said excitedly, "Mistress, perhaps such records still exist somewhere in Kunlun. Let us search for them!"
Feng Yao shook her head. "Kunlun's civilization was thoroughly wiped out. Our enemies would never have left any written records behind. Our only hope now lies in the revival of the Queen Mother of the West."
She gazed toward Jade Bead Peak in the distance, where lightning flashed and sword-light crisscrossed, while the Queen Mother of the West remained unable to restore her consciousness.
"Only when the Queen Mother of the West awakens will we know what truly transpired here in the past, who our enemies were, and what our history was..." she murmured silently.
Xu Fu led Xiao Fengxian up to the summit of Jade Void Peak. Passing by a stretch of ruins, he paused. Amid the debris, someone had unearthed an underground gateway bearing the inscription 'Xujiaping.'
Xu Fu observed it for a moment before continuing forward. Shortly after, he arrived behind a young powerhouse surveying Jade Void Peak.
Stepping down from Mount Fangzhang, Xu Fu bowed deeply. "Your servant Xu Fu was commanded to cross the sea in search of immortal mountains. Fortunately, I have fulfilled the imperial decree, found Mount Fangzhang, and now offer it to Your Majesty."
Zulong Zhao Zheng halted his steps. Without turning, he said faintly, "Four thousand years have passed. Minister Xu has finally returned with the immortal mountain. Rise."
Xu Fu stood. "Your Majesty, your servant takes his leave."
Zulong raised a hand, and Xu Fu withdrew, turning toward the summit of Jade Void Peak, where the traveling palace used by the Yellow Emperor before his ascension was located.
"Minister Xu, are you returning the immortal mountain to sever your karma?"
Zulong's inquiry drifted from behind. "Do you believe that with your current strength, you can ascend?"
Xu Fu bowed slightly without answering, walking straight toward the Yellow Emperor's palace.
He had to sever his final knot of karma before he could devote heart and soul to facing his tribulation and ascending.
Chapter 253