Beside Shuikou Temple lay a village, now reduced to utter ruins. The emergence of the new Netherworld land had taken a heavy toll here, tearing the settlement to pieces.
Several houses on the east side of the village now sat atop a soaring cliff in the distance. Several others lay strewn at the foot of the precipice, while a few hung precariously over the colossal chasm.
Xu Ying raised his head to look. The cliff face was remarkably sheer and smooth. Across the rift stood an opposing precipice; the two mountains looked as though they had once been a single whole, split cleanly by someone.
Beneath the fissure lay a bottomless abyss, where chilling winds moaned and wailed!
The yin energy here was exceedingly dense, accompanied by an influx of desolate, chilling peaks from the Netherworld. Some were even formed entirely from piled bones!
At the summit of one such peak sat a gargantuan skull. It looked human, yet it was monstrously huge, with a sword hilt plunged into the crown.
Xu Ying withdrew his gaze. It was daytime now, but once night fell, this place would surely become a domain of demons and spirits, overrun by uncounted ghosts and monsters!
And Shuikou Temple sat squarely upon the centerline of that colossal chasm.
The central axis of the dilapidated temple's front gate aligned perfectly with that of the great fissure!
Seeing this, Xu Ying instantly envisioned a surging, magnificent sweep of sword qi that cleaved the firmament, tore the earth asunder, and split a mighty mountain in two!
Upon arriving here, the sword intent within the great chasm abruptly intensified dozens of times over. The closer one drew to Shuikou Temple, the stronger the sword intent grew!
Xu Ying could even faintly sense a gleam of sword light, akin to a rainbow arched across the heavens, threatening to pierce his Realm of Xiyi!
Far more people had gathered here than he had imagined. Aside from ghosts and deities, there were many Nuo masters—some clad in the attire of officialdom, others bearing the air of wandering sects.
"Why have so many people come here?"
Puzzled, Xu Ying asked a Nuo master who seemed to belong to an itinerant sect. The man told him that this was newly emerged land rich in treasures and rare, wondrous herbs, drawing crowds like moths to a flame.
Another Nuo master told him, "Both the Zhou clan and the Nether Court are hunting a key fugitive named Xu Ying. Word has somehow spread that this fellow specializes in cracking demonic techniques. The major clans all take this very seriously and sent men here to catch Xu Ying and try their luck. How should I address you, little brother?"
"I am Ding Quan."
Seeing the unimaginably massive serpent beside him, the Nuo master felt a jolt of dread. Though suspicious, he dared not press further.
The entrance of the ruined temple hung directly over the center of the great chasm. Yet despite straddling the rift, the building showed no signs of splitting apart. Someone had used Nuo arts to cultivate green vines into a long bridge leading straight to the temple's doorway.
Xu Ying stepped onto the vine bridge and noticed someone studying the great chasm. Brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone were laid out beside him, and he was even using a carpenter's square to take measurements of the fissure, occupied with some unknown task.
Xu Ying walked over. The person was a refined young master who looked only a year or two older than Xu Ying, with fair skin and a stature roughly the same as his.
Xu Ying, however, had a broad frame and large hands and feet, giving him a somewhat rugged impression. This youth, despite his tall height, had a slighter frame, with far more delicate eyes, brows, ears, nose, and lips.
He wore a white robe edged with deep indigo trim and embroidered with pale azure hornless dragon patterns. His garments were elegant and understated, free of superfluous adornment.
Beside him stood an elderly man dressed in the traditional garb of a servant—graying hair, a green robe, and cloth shoes. He eyed Xu Ying and Yuan Qi with wariness as they approached.
Paying it no mind, Xu Ying shifted his gaze to Shuikou Temple. Standing outside, one could still see the temple's ancient halls and shrines along with several large trees, no different from what he had seen when he visited two years ago.
Yet when he reached the temple gate and looked within, a completely different spectacle met his eyes!
Through the gateway, two towering, majestic peaks came into view. Shrouded in swirling mist and clouds, they drifted suspended in the sky like a landscape from a painting.
Behind the verdant mountains hung a sun, radiant and pure, without the slightest hint of scorching heat or blinding glare, orbiting the two immortal peaks!
Xu Ying was utterly dumbfounded. Those two immortal mountains and that sun had truly risen from inside the temple!
He could even see an invisible curtain of light surrounding the floating mountains, like a world boundary separating them from the outside!
When boulders tumbled from these two peaks, any that fell within the barrier floated in midair; any that fell beyond it plummeted straight down!
In other words, the inside and outside of the temple were two entirely different worlds!
"How is this possible?" Xu Ying said in astonishment.
Yuan Qi muttered, "Has this world... reverted to the ancient past?"
Suddenly, the world within the ruined temple shook violently, and the earth outside swayed from side to side. A third majestic immortal mountain was rising slowly from inside the ruined temple!
Xu Ying looked up at the ascending mountain and muttered, "The world has probably gone truly mad."
All at once, realization struck him, and he blurted out, "I understand! The temple gate is a portal cleaved open by the sword qi of that peerless swordmaster! This portal connects to another world! The sun and the immortal mountains we see are all things from that other world!"
"Keep quiet!" the green-robed old servant threatened in an undertone.
Xu Ying ignored him, his mind racing with possibilities.
In the distant past, a peerless expert had cleaved mountains, split the earth with his blade, and broken through into another world. Later, someone built Shuikou Temple at the entrance to that other realm!
Yet for reasons unknown, the world behind the temple gates had been hidden away. Someone had built another great shrine nearby, until the invasion of the Netherworld shattered the seal and brought this grand temple back into the mortal realm!
Yuan Qi found it hard to believe. "Lord Bell, could someone truly accomplish such a thing?"
Though the bronze bell had lived through ancient eras and witnessed the legends of ancient Qi Refiners, it too lacked absolute certainty. "In theory, it can be done. But since my birth, I have never heard of anyone surviving the heavenly tribulation to ascend as an immortal."
Its voice turned somewhat dejected. "The path of ascension was barred long ago; it is impossible for anyone to ascend anymore... Could someone truly have used the Dao of the Sword to break through the barrier between two worlds and ascend straight from the mortal earth?"
Yuan Qi asked, "If he ascended, what kind of world did he go to?"
The bell resonated softly. "The Immortal Realm."
"The Immortal Realm?"
Both youth and serpent were filled with longing.
Xu Ying studied the great chasm, the sheared cliff, and the temple gate, grasping the trajectory of that single strike.
Through his resonance with the sword casket, the intent of that heavenly rainbow-like strike gradually seeped into his Realm of Xiyi. Within the casket, the sword qi danced with boundless joy, leaping without pause.
Xu Ying stood quietly before the temple gate, motionless for a long time. Just as Yuan Qi was about to step forward and ask him what was wrong, he noticed faint ripples of invisible sword qi pulsing around Xu Ying's body.
The moment he drew a little closer, several scales on his body sheared off without a sound!
Yuan Qi took fright and dared not draw any closer.
Suddenly, the bronze bell gave a soft jolt and chimed as a stray strand of invisible sword qi struck its surface.
The bell felt a sense of wonder. Only then did it notice that, unbeknownst to anyone, a brilliant rainbow-like streak of sword light had appeared within Xu Ying's Realm of Xiyi!
*He grasped an image of the Great Dao entirely without a teacher?* The bronze bell was thoroughly shocked.
The maiden in the coffin had mentioned the connection between visualization and images of the Great Dao to Xu Ying, but she had never explained it in detail, nor had she taught him what an image of the Great Dao was or how to visualize one upon discovering it.
Yet before this great chasm, Xu Ying had grasped it on his own, visualizing the image of the Great Dao embedded within the rift!
Internal observation and visualization was the indispensable threshold of cultivation; Xu Ying could truly be said to have stepped through the door!
*With merely a hint of guidance, he achieved internal observation and visualization. Before long, he will surely undergo a metamorphosis and make a name that shakes the world,*
the bronze bell thought. *His aptitude and comprehension seem... seem to surpass even my master's...*
"Little Qi, did you comprehend an image of the Great Dao?" the bronze bell transmitted through divine sense to Yuan Qi.
Yuan Qi looked confused. "Image of what great elephant?"
"An image of the Great Dao! The sword dao contained within this great chasm... Forget it, just rest."
The bronze bell swayed gently, thinking, *This kid and Ah Ying both saw Yuan Tiangang's sword, and both came to this great chasm, yet he sensed nothing at all. Truly, some people's brains are brains, while other people's brains are just called brains.*
The sword intent upon Xu Ying grew increasingly intense, spreading in all directions. Suddenly, a crisp ringing of swords echoed through the air as his spilling sword qi encountered another source, the two clashing in midair with clear chimes.
The refined youth had finished his painting and was immersed in contemplating his Hidden Scenery. His sword qi grew stronger, and the two fields of qi collided—one wild and overbearing, the other unbroken, lingering, resilient, and harboring hidden lethal intent.
Their qi resonated and clashed with mounting ferocity. Through sheer breath and aura alone, they played out the offensive and defensive arts of the sword dao.
Yet neither youth was conscious of it, both still lost in their respective epiphanies.
Seeing the collision of qi between Xu Ying and the youth, the green-robed servant feared his young master's comprehension would be interrupted. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he moved to strike Xu Ying down.
Yet he soon noticed that under Xu Ying's pressure, the youth's Hidden Scenery was steadily consolidating, unlocking even more shifts within it. Only then did he forcefully suppress his murderous intent.
*This boy has remarkable comprehension, actually holding his own against the young master,* the servant thought in surprise.
He could tell that Xu Ying was also advancing by leaps and bounds, his sword qi striking and retreating with measured precision as his grasp of the sword dao within the chasm deepened.
*The young master has not encountered an opponent of equal match in a very long time.*
Uncertainty gripped the servant. *Could this youth be a young expert groomed by some major clan? His clothes are plain, so he is likely masquerading as a village boy. Yet this bearing is extraordinary—how could any country lad possess such an air?*
Xu Ying wore rough cloth, yet his demeanor was transcendent, possessing a soaring presence, and the unyielding pride in his brow flared like the edge of a blade!
Ever since he beat the Jiang clan god to death, he had slain gods and officials along his path, shattering his reverence for deities and authority. His every gesture naturally carried an otherworldly detachment.
Even standing there without word or motion, one could clearly perceive his extraordinary nature.
*Moreover, he possesses such a magnificent steed, proving his background is far from ordinary,*
the old servant thought, glancing at Yuan Qi. *Still, their qi is becoming deeply entangled. If they cannot part, death or injury is inevitable. When that moment comes, regardless of his background, I must eliminate him!*
The entanglement between Xu Ying and the youth deepened, finally escalating toward a life-and-death climax. The green-robed servant's eyes flared with hostility as he prepared to deliver a fatal strike, when a resonant bell chime rang out. The two youths' clashing qi instantly dispersed.
*An expert hides at his side!* A shiver ran through the servant, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Hearing the chime, Xu Ying knew the bronze bell had broken their engagement. Seeing the youth roll up his painting and walk toward the temple, he called out, "Brother, I am Xu Ying. What is your name?"
The refined youth turned back and replied with polite courtesy, "I am Yuan Weiyang." With that, he and the green-robed servant stepped into Shuikou Temple.
"Yuan Weiyang."
Xu Ying repeated the name, then said to Yuan Qi, "I thought I had grasped all of the sword dao within the image of the Great Dao. But clashing qi with him showed me aspects I had never perceived. He is truly remarkable."
A streak of sword qi now lay branded within his Realm of Xiyi, brilliantly luminous—it was the very image of the Great Dao he had comprehended.
Had he not resonated with Yuan Weiyang's qi, he could never have grasped the sword qi deeply enough to brand it into his Realm of Xiyi in such a short time!
Yuan Qi urged, "While we were lingering at the entrance, plenty of people already went in. Any later, and they won't even leave us the dirt on the ground!"
Just then, a cry echoed from within the temple: "There's an immortal! There's an immortal inside the temple!"
Xu Ying hurried into the ruined temple. The moment he crossed the threshold, he felt as though he had passed through something, though nothing was visible.
Looking up, he saw three immortal mountains floating in the sky, accompanied by floating boulders orbiting the peaks in orderly patterns like pearls on a necklace.
Many figures were clambering across the boulders, attempting to reach the immortal mountains above.
Suddenly, the earth shook violently. Xu Ying and Yuan Qi lost their footing, nearly thrown into the air!
Xu Ying swiftly channeled his Elephant-Strength Bull Demon Fist, taking root like a divine elephant and standing firm. Yuan Qi mimicked him, but still struggled to keep his balance. Fortunately, having a tail gave him an advantage over Xu Ying, and he wrapped it around a large tree to keep from being hurled away.
Nearby, the gods and Nuo masters who had just entered the world within the temple sprang into action. Green vines lashed out and fibrous roots burst from the soil, reeling back those who had been tossed into the air.
While the crowd looked on in alarm, the subterranean tremors grew even more violent. The ground rose higher and higher—another immortal mountain was tearing itself from the earth right beneath their feet!
Someone screamed, "We're rising into the sky! How do we get down?!"
As the shouts rang out, the underground immortal peak broke free of the earth entirely, carrying them all toward the heavens!
The first hazards they encountered were the great boulders drifting in midair—rocks that had tumbled from the previous two peaks when they took flight. As the rising mountain collided with these floating stones, the impacts were terrifying!
Those on the mountain were struggling merely to keep their footing, leaving them with no means to dodge the plunging rocks. Instantly, numerous gods and Nuo masters were struck, crushed into pulp on the spot!
Others were flattened into mangled flesh beneath rolling boulders!
Worst of all, those who lost their footing slipped from the mountain's edge, their screams trailing long and ragged through the air until their voices gave out, long before they ever struck the ground!
The immortal mountain soared higher and higher, heading straight into the upper skies. Countless boulders broke loose from its slopes, raining down from the heavens!
When the mountain finally stabilized, Xu Ying's taut muscles gradually eased. He turned to glance at Yuan Qi and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the serpent still coiled tightly around the great tree.
Xu Ying peered downward. They were now an unimaginable distance from the ground. In the faint distance, he could still make out a few plummeting figures.
Those were the Nuo masters who had failed to keep their footing; it would be quite some time yet before they struck the earth.
"There's a temple within the temple! An immortal is preaching the Dao inside!" a booming voice called out from the distance.
"A real immortal?"
Surprised and delighted, Xu Ying looked toward the voice. Sure enough, encircled by the four immortal peaks stood a magnificent, sprawling grand temple. Many figures were already leaping across the sky, treading across the floating boulders toward the grand temple.
"Ah Ying, let's hurry over too!" Yuan Qi said excitedly.
Just as Xu Ying reached the edge of the mountain to step onto a boulder, an old man clad in purple-black silk appeared before him, hands clasped behind his back, his expression dark and sullen.
"My son died so horribly." Zhou Yihang spoke with a look that was neither weeping nor smiling.
Xu Ying felt a jolt of alarm, but quickly regained his composure. "So it is Old Master Zhou. Since your son died so terribly, why don't you head down and keep him company, Old Master? I'll send you on your way."
Chapter 30