"There is an ancient place in Dao Weeping Pass that once enlightened minds to the wisdom of the Great Dao. Legend has it that in ancient times, before the worldly Daos here were destroyed by evil heavenly daos and evil immortals, anyone who arrived at the Dao Revelation Ground could comprehend the profound mysteries of the worldly Daos."
Hu Zhuojun pointed toward a patch of bare, rocky forest in the distance and said, "It's right over there. But where we need to go is Zhenwu Monastery, and the Dao Revelation Ground isn't on the same path. Besides, it's already a ruin—there's nothing worth seeing."
Xu Ying, having never been here before, craned his neck to look. In the midst of that barren forest, there seemed to be a Taoist monastery, though long abandoned.
Suddenly, a violent wave of power from a detonating magical treasure erupted from the road leading to Zhenwu Monastery. The shockwave surged in all directions. Just as everyone moved to take cover, Hu Zhuojun paled and cried urgently, "Don't try to hide! We'll never make it to Zhenwu Monastery in time! Follow me to the Dao Revelation Ground—we might survive there!"
The others did not understand her reasoning, but seeing the girl bolting ahead, they had no choice but to sprint after her.
As the aftershocks of the treasure swept over them, they summoned their Primordial Spirits to endure the blast. Just as they weathered this initial shockwave, they saw the blast sweep across a nearby mountain ridge.
Hu Zhuojun's face changed drastically. She screamed, "Run! Run for your lives! If we reach the Dao Revelation Ground, we might still live!"
Suddenly, rocks began cascading from the mountain slopes. Clanging sounds rang out from within the mountain, the vibrations accelerating from sluggish thuds to a frantic tempo.
Xu Ying glanced back hastily. Most of the rock on the mountain had already fallen away, revealing brilliant light shining from deep within—like immortal scriptures.
Immortal Dao runes! That mountain was a magical treasure!
Xu Ying instantly realized that the struck mountain was an immortal artifact—a bronze mountain!
The light within grew dazzlingly bright. The rock on the surface stopped shedding and shattered completely, exposing the entire bronze mountain.
It stood thousands of feet tall, etched with all manner of bizarre patterns and studded with golden bosses. Four dragons joined head to tail encircled the bronze mountain, and its peak terminated in a circular suspension loop.
It was a bronze bo bell—a colossal immortal treasure abandoned here for reasons unknown.
'Why hasn't anyone picked up this immortal treasure?'
Xu Ying stared back with wide eyes. Even to this day, he had not seen many immortal treasures.
Who could have imagined that an invaluable immortal treasure was petrified into a mountain right here?
The bronze bo bell had been awakened by the shockwave of that other treasure. Its dormant power blossomed as it slowly rose from the ground, ascending higher and higher.
Suddenly, the bronze bo bell rang out, producing the five tones and twelve pitches. Waves of immortal music pulsed in all directions, far mightier than the magical treasure that had just cut off their road to Zhenwu Monastery!
Struck by that immortal music, the demonic Daos inside Hu Zhuojun and the others instantly fragmented and spiraled out of control, leaving them dazed and muddled.
Xu Ying circulated his dharmic power to lift everyone up, sprinting toward the Dao Revelation Ground with all his might.
As the bell's five tones and twelve pitches rolled outward, across the mountains and rivers of Dao Weeping Pass, mountain faces collapsed to reveal the true forms of immortal artifacts buried beneath, and rivers roiled as ancient treasures surged up from their depths, radiating lethal immortal light!
Before long, all manner of buried immortal artifacts were triggered, each unleashing earth-shattering power that battered the surroundings in every direction!
This set off an even wider chain reaction across Dao Weeping Pass, awakening more and more immortal artifacts to unleash their catastrophic might!
The Immortal Daos emanating from these artifacts warped the worldly Daos of the pass, creating pockets of bizarre Dao space. Whether a Qi Refiner hailed from the myriad heavens and worlds or the demonic realm, stepping into these domains disrupted their Dao images, almost invariably causing a gruesome death.
The Qi Refiners from the myriad heavens and worlds who could enter this place were all elites of prominent sects; they usually practiced immortal arts and possessed some resistance to the Immortal Dao.
Demonic realm Qi Refiners, however, knew nothing of it and frequently perished as a result. This was the exact danger Hu Zhuojun had spoken of!
Hu Zhuojun and the others were already coughing up blood, their lives hanging by a thread. Xu Ying sped like lightning with them in tow, charging toward the Dao Revelation Ground as the dilapidated monastery drew closer and closer!
The monastery was now in sight. From afar, it seemed to possess a curious power that barred the immortal radiance of the awakening artifacts from entering its grounds!
Suddenly, a booming laugh echoed through Dao Weeping Pass: "Chu Tiandu! You hid in your demonic realm for so long that I thought you intended to keep your head tucked in like a coward forever. I never imagined you'd dare come to Dao Weeping Pass!"
Xu Ying finally reached the front of the monastery. Without a second thought, he swept Hu Zhuojun and the others inside. The voice drew nearer.
"Chu Tiandu, how do you like my greeting gift?"
Xu Ying froze. The owner of that voice was heading straight toward the Dao Revelation Ground.
'The expert who activated his magical treasure ahead of us did so to trigger the immortal artifacts suppressing Dao Weeping Pass and force Chu Tiandu to this ruined monastery.'
Xu Ying swiftly circled the monastery. It had long been abandoned, and there was no one else present besides them.
'Where is Chu Tiandu?' he wondered.
He pushed the thought aside to inspect the injuries of Hu Zhuojun and the others. Inside the monastery, the invasive interference of the Immortal Dao ceased completely.
Yet in that brief span outside, the bizarre effects of the Immortal Dao had already wreaked severe havoc upon them, leaving them all gravely wounded and unconscious.
Upon closer inspection, Xu Ying realized that the cause of their unconsciousness was the profound and esoteric nature of the Immortal Dao, which had thrown their divine sense into disarray.
'Once their divine sense stabilizes, they will wake up.' He felt slightly relieved.
Surveying his surroundings, he grew curious. 'Wasn't the Dao Revelation Ground supposed to be ruined? Why can it still fend off the Immortal Dao encroaching from so many immortal artifacts? Since it isn't entirely destroyed, could this place help me open the gateway to the demonic realm's worldly Daos?'
"Chu Tiandu, these immortal artifacts are relics from ancient times, used by immortals to suppress and seal demons!" The voice rapidly approached, and before the sentence ended, the speaker had arrived outside the ruined monastery.
His voice drifted in, leisurely and relaxed: "Your master, the Little Celestial Venerable, rose against the tide and sealed these artifacts, but how could his strength alone seal every single demon-suppressing immortal weapon of the ancient immortals? All I needed was to activate my treasure at a crucial junction, and I could trigger all one thousand three hundred immortal treasures across Dao Weeping Pass!"
Xu Ying thought, 'The treasure that erupted on our road ahead belonged to him? It packed quite a punch. He must be truly capable.'
He felt a surge of secret admiration. 'There are plenty of powerful Qi Refiners across the myriad heavens and worlds. I was always worried that the severed path to ascension would lead to the decline of Qi Refiners everywhere. I didn't expect the cultivators of other worlds to still be advancing.'
This cheered him greatly.
Even though entering the demonic realm showed him demons were not entirely wicked, he had never considered himself a demonic Qi Refiner.
In his heart, he was still part of the myriad heavens and worlds, still the Xu Ying who commanded the Heavenly Dao.
Seeing that the lineages of Qi Refiners in other worlds had not suffered the same devastation as the Yuanshou world, he felt genuinely happy for them.
The man outside strode toward the monastery, laughing. "Chu Tiandu, through this you can witness my intellect and my prowess. You fled in panic, yet I strolled through the immortal radiance of those supreme treasures as if walking on empty ground. From that alone, you can also see my comprehension."
Xu Ying looked toward the doorway. A burly, towering young man strode inside—over ten feet tall, with a curly beard and tiger-like eyes. He wore a crisp, slate-grey short tunic and black trousers, devoid of ornamental patterns or embellishments.
Xu Ying offered the young man a smile, trying his best to look amiable and harmless.
The bearded youth's eyes burned with fervor as he glared fixedly at Xu Ying, smiling. "Does this display of mine qualify me to be your opponent, Chu Tiandu?"
Xu Ying was taken aback, immediately realizing the mistake. He chuckled, "Brother, I'm not Chu Tiandu. You've got the wrong person."
The bearded youth threw his head back in laughter and declared loudly:
"Purple-Robed Demon Marquis Chu Tiandu! Did you think that shedding your mask and changing your clothes would keep anyone from recognizing you?"
Xu Ying stared in utter bewilderment.
The bearded youth sneered, "You are the disciple of the Little Celestial Venerable, the mightiest existence of the younger generation in the demonic realm! You have always worn purple robes and a mask, refusing to show your true face. But who could have guessed that the true Purple-Robed Demon Marquis, Chu Tiandu, would be nothing more than a wet-behind-the-ears boy!"
Xu Ying tried to explain, "I really am not the Purple-Robed Demon Marquis. Brother, isn't there some sort of misunderstanding here?"
The bearded youth said, "I am Shen Baiyu of the Taishi Great World, disciple of Gao Xuanzong, the Master of Sword Washing Valley. Chu Tiandu, if you please!"
Xu Ying shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Shen, you really have mistaken me for someone else..."
The bearded youth Shen Baiyu's face darkened, a vicious glint entering his eyes. He said flatly, "Was my display of treasures, wits, courage, and comprehension not brilliant enough? If you refuse to fight..." His gaze shifted to the unconscious Hu Zhuojun and the others on the ground. "They will die before you. Once I kill them, I have plenty of ways to force your hand."
Xu Ying's eyebrows twitched slightly. Maintaining a gentle expression, he asked, "Do you truly wish to experience my divine abilities?"
Shen Baiyu grinned and gestured. "By defeating the Purple-Robed Demon Marquis, my name will ring across the myriad heavens and worlds! Please!"
Xu Ying walked toward the monastery entrance. "Outside, then. Don't disturb my friends."
Stepping out of the monastery, he let out a quiet sigh. 'This fellow isn't too bright, mistaking me for Chu Tiandu. If he hadn't threatened the lives of Hu Zhuojun and the others, I really wouldn't want to fight.'
Shen Baiyu took up a position opposite Xu Ying. A hundred-zhang Primordial Spirit manifested behind him, its aura swelling with tremendous vigor.
All around them, colossal immortal artifacts hovered in midair, their ferocious power gradually waning.
When the Little Celestial Venerable reclaimed Dao Weeping Pass, he had placed restrictions and seals on every single immortal artifact. The earlier blast had only caused them to awaken instinctively in resistance. Now, the seals were steadily taking effect, suppressing the artifacts once more.
Shen Baiyu let out a ringing roar, his Primordial Spirit's black hair whipping in the wind. Suddenly, countless streaks of sword Qi manifested across hundreds of li, instantly coalescing into a vast ocean of sword Qi!
Shen Baiyu commanded his swords with his Primordial Spirit, soaring into the air. Boundless sword Qi converged with his Primordial Spirit, forming a roaring deluge that surged toward Xu Ying! At this moment, Xu Ying could even hear the resonant hum of the Sword Dao!
Shen Baiyu's Primordial Spirit sword mastery was truly beyond anything Xu Ying had ever seen!
'A respectable opponent.'
Xu Ying raised a hand, and boundless fire surged forth.
Inside the monastery, Hu Zhuojun drifted between consciousness and stupor. She blearily opened her eyes, feeling as if countless voices were screaming in her head.
Struggling to her feet, she tottered forward. Through the slit in the monastery doors, she faintly caught sight of a youth's silhouette.
Before that youth, a blinding blaze rose steadily. A great sun emerged from the sea of flames, trailing clusters of stars behind it. That ocean of fire revealed infinite detail—crashing waves of flame, soaring fire phoenixes, weaving fire dragons, growing trees of fire...
The grand furnace was incomparably bright, radiant as ten thousand suns, forcing the eyes shut!
The roaring deluge formed by myriad sword Qi shrieked through the air, plunging straight into the Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace—only to vanish like a clay ox entering the sea, leaving not a ripple behind.
A terrifying shockwave erupted from the Dao Revelation Ground. The concussion first sent up a ring of fire nearly a li tall, rippling outward in an expanding circle. Violent gales then whipped around its perimeter, sweeping wind and flame in every direction!
Outside the gates of Zhenwu Monastery, Chu Tiandu stood dumbstruck. "The Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace... a divine ability that no one has completely comprehended in over forty thousand years... has reappeared in the world?"
On the fringes of the demonic realm, amid the measureless sea of fire, the elderly demon god punting the ferry was startled by the flare. Pausing his oar, he raised his head to look. A rising Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace met his gaze.
The old demon god stood frozen, murmuring softly, "Is it illusion, or reality? Or has that person... truly returned?"
Before the monastery at the Dao Revelation Ground, the fluttering hem of Xu Ying's robes settled back into place.
Before him lay what was practically a sea of molten lava, while Shen Baiyu was nowhere to be seen.
A hundred li away, plastered spread-eagled against the mountain-sized bronze bo bell was Shen Baiyu's Primordial Spirit, with Shen Baiyu's physical body pressed tightly against it.
His eyes were wide, filled with pure terror. His aura still churned violently. His body was battered and torn, covered in gruesome wounds, some of which were still ablaze.
The fire had already burned down to the bone, sizzling as it roasted his flesh.
Behind him, six cave-heavens spun—the cave-heavens of a Nuo master.
Suddenly, four of the cave-heavens—Mud Pill, Bubbling Spring, Jade Capital, and Crimson Palace—severed from his body, spiraling away before crashing into the mountain forests.
Coughing up blood, Shen Baiyu gazed toward the youth standing outside the monastery gates a hundred li away, the terror in his eyes unresolved.
"Purple-Robed Demon Marquis Chu Tiandu... lives up to his name." Spitting another mouthful of blood, he collapsed.
Xu Ying pulled back his palm, turned around, and walked back into the ruined monastery. 'We're both from orthodox factions, after all. I should show the righteous path some face—I can't just slaughter him the moment he offends me.'
Turning around, he shut the monastery doors and thought, 'After all, I belong to the orthodox path too, and I cultivate the Heavenly Dao. Heaven cherishes life. I shouldn't be like those illiterate heavenly gods who leave no room for survival. If he provokes me again next time, though, I'll just finish him off.'
He made his way into the monastery's main hall, only now noticing a couplet carved into the pillars to his left and right:
"Unfolding the Taiji Diagram, it goes no further than the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams;
Wielding supreme dharma power, one transforms the Primordial Void into the Three Purities."
'What grand words! These demonic cultivators boast louder than thunder, each trying to outdo the last!'
Xu Ying lifted his gaze, only to see the characters inscribed on the horizontal tablet: "Three Purities Hall of Green Goat Palace."
Chapter 332