Immortal Tomb

"...go to the demonic realm." Xu Ying felt a faint resistance in his heart. Drawing upon the fortune left behind by his first life, he had mastered the three thousand Heavenly Dao runes and achieved perfection in the Heavenly Dao for the first time in his life. Toward the demonic realm, he harbored an instinctive aversion. It was as though the Heavenly Dao and the Demonic Dao were irreconcilable: either you destroy me, or I destroy you; coexistence was utterly impossible! 'No, this is an impulse forced upon me by the Heavenly Dao.' A sudden chill crept down Xu Ying's spine. Though the Heavenly Dao runes he commanded were now complete, the Heavenly Dao imposed part of its will upon him, leaving his joy, anger, sorrow, and delight no longer entirely his own. 'Cultivating immortality is about transcending the Heavenly Dao to attain ultimate liberation, not being bound by the Heavenly Dao! If I am bound by the Heavenly Dao, wouldn't I merely become a heavenly god? I shouldn't be so averse to the demonic realm. If I were hostile toward the demonic realm, why would I have hidden Fangzhang immortal mountain there in the first place?' At this realization, recognizing the peril inherent in the Heavenly Dao, he stated resolutely, "Very well, I will make a trip to the Demon City." Shenpo smiled and said, "The demonic realm is fraught with peril. Tread carefully, Young Master Xu. As for Penglai's safety, you need not worry in the least; I have everything under control here." Xu Ying was never entirely at ease regarding her motives, always suspecting she had an agenda of her own, yet she was indeed helping him. Had she chosen to aid the Immortal Master of Penglai while Xu Ying fought him, Xu Ying never could have reclaimed the Third Mystic Pass, let alone defeated the Immortal Master! Xu Ying was in no rush to plunge into the demonic realm; first, he went to examine his Third Mystic Pass. Fairy Gushe and the others were redoubling their efforts to heal their wounds, striving to restore their former cultivation and might. Now at the helm of Penglai, Xu Ying made the immortal spiritual qi of the Penglai Fairy Realm freely available to them, accelerating their recovery. Otherwise, relying solely on the modest miniature immortal mountains of the Seven Immortals of Penglai, it would likely take thousands of years of arduous cultivation to regain their peak condition. Before the Third Mystic Pass, Yuan Tiangang was transcribing the runes upon it for closer study. He was exceptionally gifted, well-versed in divination and calculation, and endowed with towering talent. Since cultivating under Shenpo's guidance, his progress had been nothing short of meteoric. Xu Ying scrutinized the Third Mystic Pass and reached out to touch it; the pass felt surprisingly metallic beneath his fingers. Pushing open the gate behind the pass, the immortal dao within surged, resounding with loud dao resonance. Standing before the portal and gazing into the expanse beyond, one saw the immortal dao condensed into tangible substance like an ocean, with radiant clouds and rosy mist swirling like a vast sea. The Jade Capital floated at the far end of this ocean of the immortal dao, resembling the other shore. Beholding this sight, Xu Ying could not help but fall into deep thought. 'Could the Immortal Realm itself be an "other shore"? Countless immortals ascend to the Jade Capital, which means the other shores of countless immortals form the Immortal Realm.' Yet this speculation remained mere conjecture, impossible to verify. 'Unless someone can pinpoint the location in the human body corresponding to the other shore of the Immortal Realm, directly opening a cave-heaven to draw down immortal spiritual qi for culti... Wait a moment.' He froze like a wooden chicken, his body rigid, even trembling faintly. Yuan Tiangang had transcribed up to where Xu Ying stood. Noticing his posture, Yuan Tiangang hurriedly waved a hand in front of him and ventured, "Young Master Xu, what is the matter?" Xu Ying's eyes stared blankly ahead without a word. Yuan Tiangang stroked his thick beard, shook his head, and was just about to step away when Xu Ying suddenly spoke: "What if the Jade Capital behind the Third Mystic Pass is precisely the secret depository in the human body corresponding to the Immortal Realm?" Yuan Tiangang was startled, then chuckled. "What secret depository? A seventh secret depository?" Xu Ying turned his head and stared fixedly at him. "What if we open the Third Mystic Pass and use immense power to carve out the Jade Capital behind it—could we open a cave-heaven and draw down immortal spiritual qi from the heavens?" Yuan Tiangang pondered for a moment and smiled. "Young Master Xu, even if what lies behind the Third Mystic Pass is the human body's seventh secret depository, how would you open it?" Xu Ying answered with utmost gravity, "First cultivate qi to form the Primordial Spirit, cross the Jade Pool and the God Bridge, breach the Third Mystic Pass, and then open the seventh secret depository..." Having said this, realization struck him, and he laughed at himself. "Once the Third Mystic Pass is opened, one enters the Ascension stage. Would opening a seventh secret depository even be necessary then?" Yuan Tiangang laughed. "Besides, if you carve away the Ascension stage, you forfeit an entire realm. Is it worth trading an entire cultivation realm for a seventh cave-heaven?" Xu Ying nodded in agreement and chuckled. "Furthermore, it is only my guess that what lies behind the pass is the seventh secret depository. If it is not, anyone practicing this method would be severing their own future." At this point, he deemed the idea impractical and smiled. "Who could carve out a seventh secret depository and still survive? No one would ever conduct such an experiment." Yuan Tiangang smiled and concurred. Xu Ying gazed back at the Third Mystic Pass, his heart stirring faintly. Indeed, no one else could guarantee survival if they treated their Ascension stage as a seventh secret depository to be carved open. Yet the Third Mystic Pass stood right before Xu Ying, completely intact... 'My Third Mystic Pass was severed from me, yet I didn't die.' Xu Ying blinked, his heart hammering in his chest. 'I can experiment and see if I can open an Immortal Realm cave-heaven.' His heart raced furiously. If this could truly be accomplished, the entire qi refinement system would be rewritten! The ultimate goal of qi refinement would no longer be crossing tribulation and ascending, but rather cultivating to the third Pass-Breaching stage, then opening the seventh secret depository to establish the seventh cave-heaven! 'Haha, the purpose of cultivation is to ascend to immortality, not to carve out a seventh cave-heaven. I'm overthinking it. Besides, I am still far from the Ascension stage.' Xu Ying shook his head, putting the thought aside, yet the allure was so immense that it continued to resurface, tempting him to try. Clearing his mind of distractions, Xu Ying attempted to take the Third Mystic Pass into his City of Xiyi to merge with the pass in his Realm of Xiyi. However, this pass had already been refined into a magical treasure by the Immortal Master of Penglai, having transitioned from intangible to tangible, solid form. It could not revert from tangible back to intangible, and thus could not be restored to a cultivation realm returning into Xu Ying's body. Xu Ying tried several times, but finding it impossible to turn the solid back into the ethereal, he felt a twinge of disappointment. Nevertheless, the process of refining the Third Mystic Pass went extraordinarily smoothly. He effortlessly erased the imprint left by the Immortal Master of Penglai and branded it with his own. Between him and this mystic pass existed a natural bond of blood and qi; they resonated with each other as though it were part of his body. Yet this was merely the sympathetic resonance between a treasure and its master, not truly becoming part of his flesh and spirit again. Xu Ying felt a moment of gloom, but quickly rallied his spirits, telling himself silently, 'A severed realm can be cultivated anew. In the future, I will surely be even stronger than I was in my first life!' He went to Shenpo to take his leave, saying, "I am departing for the demonic realm. I leave Penglai in your hands, Goddess." Shenpo smiled. "Rest assured, Young Master Xu. Nothing will go awry in Penglai." Xu Ying nodded gently, found Gushe and the Seven Immortals of Penglai, and smiled. "While I am away, make yourselves at home. You may cultivate anywhere on the main peak." Yan Yu and the rest of the seven immortals cheered. Xu Ying flew out of Penglai, tracing the source of the demonic realm's invasion. 'Why did I hide Fangzhang immortal mountain in the demonic realm all those years ago? This secret will soon come to light.' Not long after Xu Ying departed, a giant serpent carrying Chu Xiangxiang and the others caught up with the Xuanwu Divine Turtle. Acting on Shenpo's orders, Fairy Gushe came out to receive them. "Patriarchs!" Pavilion Master Lin Tianhua shouted with joy, dashing straight toward the Seven Immortals of Penglai. Upon seeing him, the Seven Immortals wore expressions of deep disdain. Before Pavilion Master Lin could even reach them, several heavy knocks landed squarely on his head. "You useless brat! You haven't even reached the Ascension stage, yet you're already eager to enjoy yourself here!" "Have you accomplished the goal of expanding Penglai Pavilion?" "All your ancestors are watching you!" "Do you feel no shame before us...?" The immortals gave him a stern scolding. Pavilion Master Lin grinned cheekily, leaving the seven immortals entirely at their wits' end. "Once matters here are settled, you must return to Penglai Pavilion and bring honor to our sect." Pavilion Master Lin agreed readily, then glanced around. "Patriarchs, you said you possessed vast immortal mountains and magnificent palaces in the fairy realm. Where are they?" The faces of the seven immortals flushed bright red. They hemmed and hawed, talking around the subject without ever pointing out which immortal mountain was theirs. Fairy Gushe led the group up the mountain and casually pointed toward the miniature Penglai immortal mountain. "Right over there." Pavilion Master Lin looked over and saw an immortal mountain barely three feet square. Filled with doubt, he turned back to the seven immortals. The seven immortals erupted in indignation: "Gushe, you have incurred tremendous karma here!" "Pretty as you are, your heart is black as coal... Forget about ever becoming our Patriarch's wife!" "Fellows, I think Fairy Gushe could still be redeemed to become the Patriarch's wife..." "Shut up, Patriarch!" Patriarch Yan Yu was shouted down. Chu Xiangxiang, Yuan Qi, and the big bell could not find Xu Ying. Only after asking around did they learn that he had just departed for the demonic realm. Fairy Gushe said, "Young Master Xu left behind the huabiao pillar inscribed with the three thousand Heavenly Dao runes, saying it would be of great benefit to your cultivation." Yuan Qi's eyes lit up, and he blurted out, "I'll go copy... I mean, comprehend them..." The big bell also flew off in a rush, clamoring that it wanted to study them as well. The grave grass slipped quietly from atop Yuan Qi's head and drifted toward the White Jade Palace. Within the palace, numerous immortal herbs were cultivating in humanoid fashion. The purple immortal plant drifted over and plunged its root tendrils into one of the herbs. That immortal plant froze for a moment, then uprooted itself, seized the purple immortal plant by the six leaves on its crown, and began pummeling it. Both startled and enraged, the purple immortal plant drove its knee up toward the junction where the other plant's stem met its roots. Seeing this, other immortal herbs swarmed in from all around and gave it a thorough beating. Elsewhere on Penglai Immortal Mountain stood other sanctuaries, such as Mituo Temple, where many immortal herbs were absorbing the immortal spiritual qi falling from the Immortal Realm to cultivate. Hearing that an unruly grave grass had broken the rules, they mobilized in droves to encircle and suppress it. For a time, the Penglai Fairy Realm descended into internal chaos, with immortal herbs and divine plants fighting so fiercely they turned the place upside down. By this time, Xu Ying had penetrated deep into the Yuanchu Great World. The demonic realm's invasion had tainted this world so thoroughly that not a shred of the Heavenly Dao remained. The living beings here had completely morphed into demonic creatures; plants and animals alike had taken on bizarre and unsettling forms. 'There's a village here! And people!' Xu Ying stopped and looked toward a small mountain village beside the water ahead, filled with astonishment. He had assumed that with the Yuanchu Great World so severely corrupted by the demonic dao, no humans could possibly survive. He had never expected people to still be living and multiplying here. Hesitating briefly, he walked into the village. The villagers wore garments of animal hide, and strange patterns—evidently demonic markings—marked the exposed skin of their bodies. The villagers also watched him in surprise, pausing their daily chores. Xu Ying reached the center of the village and saw a shrine. The people here were offering sacrifices to a deity, no different from the human settlements across the land of Shenzhou. The demon god inside the shrine suddenly stirred to life, enveloped in swirling incense smoke qi. It sniffed Xu Ying's scent warily and said, "Qi Refiner, have you just returned from the front lines? You bear the scent of an alien Heavenly Dao." Xu Ying nodded gently. "I have just returned from the front lines." A look of admiration crossed the demon god's face. "The front lines are perilous beyond measure. It infuriates me that I must protect the folk here and cannot take to the battlefield myself..." Its form gradually petrified, turning back into a stone statue. Xu Ying walked out of the settlement and rose into the air. Across the borderlands of the Yuanchu Great World, villages of demonized mortals stretched far and wide, and in some areas there were even towns. This territory had been entirely assimilated by the demonic dao into a demonic realm. Countless demon gods were enshrined in villages and towns of every size, their rising incense smoke qi absorbed by those myriad deities to form the Heavenly Dao of an alien realm. Some of these demon gods were exceedingly frail, much like the village deities Xu Ying had encountered in his early days. Yet others had enjoyed tens of thousands of years of offerings, absorbing boundless incense smoke qi until they grew immensely powerful. Xu Ying could even sense demon gods lurking within the mountains that were as formidable as heavenly gods! He traveled on and off, observing the habits of the demonic realm's denizens and altering his attire to blend in as a demonic youth, avoiding undue attention. A few days later, Xu Ying had grown thoroughly accustomed to the daily ways of the demonic realm, and had even produced a few demonic markings on his own skin. On this day, he finally reached the edge of the Yuanchu Great World, formally stepping toward the Demon City. Suddenly, a piercing glare struck his eyes: a vast sea of demonic fire emerged ahead, roaring with raging flames. From afar amidst the blazing light, enormous plumes of flame resembling phoenixes took flight from time to time, soaring tens of thousands of li into the sky before dispersing. As the sea of fire raged, a colossal sun dripping with heavenly fire slowly rose from its depths, surrounded by crimson stars forged in the heat. That sun was abnormal; from a distance, the stars orbiting it looked like chains binding the demonic sun fast. Another cold, desolate celestial sphere rose from the fiery sea, radiating moonlight brilliance that mirrored the demonic sun. 'The Eight Desolates Sun Refining Furnace.' Xu Ying was shaken to the core. Standing at the edge of this boundless sea of flames, he murmured, "My divine power, the Eight Desolates Sun Refining Furnace, was forged here." Mysterious vessels navigated that fiery sea, passing through the gigantic phoenix-like flames as they headed toward the shore. The ferryman was a demon god who poled his boat to the edge of the fiery waters. At that moment, a dozen or so demonic Qi Refiners arrived not far from Xu Ying, waiting on the shore. When the boat arrived, they leapt aboard one after another. "Hey—" One of the demonic maidens called out to Xu Ying on the shore: "The ferry across the sea of fire is here! Are you coming aboard? If you miss this boat, you'll have to wait more than ten days for the next." Xu Ying shook his head. "I have no money." The demonic maiden had snow-white skin. Hearing this, she smiled warmly, produced a cloth pouch, and retrieved several items steeped in rich incense smoke qi—evidently the currency of the demonic realm. Paying for an extra fare, she smiled. "You may board now." Xu Ying hurriedly offered his thanks and leapt onto the vessel. The demonic maiden's eyes shone bright as she said with a smile, "My name is Hu Zhuojun. What's yours?" Xu Ying answered honestly, "Xu Ying." "...Xu Ying." At that moment, the demon god poling the boat heard the name. Lowering his massive torso, his head drew near to Xu Ying and the maiden. Looking Xu Ying over, he rumbled in a booming voice, "Young man, your face looks very familiar, as though I have seen it before." He was ancient beyond measure. Slowly straightening his back, he muttered deeply, "It seems several tens of thousands of years ago, I met a youth who looked just like you. I am too old; my memory fails me..." Xu Ying smiled. "There was someone who looked identical to me?" The demon god poled the ferry, and the boat drifted away from the shore, sailing into the sea of fire. He said, "The world is vast; perhaps identical people can indeed be born. Back then, that youth dazzled the entire world... Sit tight. Up ahead lies the Immortal Tomb." Xu Ying looked ahead. A grand tomb in the sea of fire came into view, its colossal tombstone dripping with blazing immortal fire. Inscribed upon the tombstone were the words: "Tomb of the Great Emperor Benevolent and Sacred Sage Benefiting the People, Pure Source Wondrous Dao Trust-Inspiring Protector Taiyi True Lord, True Lord Erlang."