"That imposter who took my name is stronger than I am!"
At Zhenwu Monastery, Chu Tiandu landed unsteadily and swallowed down the fresh blood welling up his throat. Seeing his state, the Turtle and Snake divine generals inside the monastery were startled and rushed to help suppress his injuries.
Chu Tiandu expressed his gratitude, his heart churning with suspicion and doubt. 'With such strength, why did he need to impersonate me? Who on earth is he? And when he took my name, he even looked rather reluctant.'
General Turtle and General Snake said, "Young Master Tiandu, now that you are injured, people will surely attempt to assassinate you. It is best that you go see the Little Celestial Venerable immediately. We fear we may not be able to protect your safety."
Chu Tiandu froze when he heard this. "Do you two mean to say my master is not at the Dao Revelation Ground?"
The Turtle and Snake generals nodded in unison.
Utterly astonished, Chu Tiandu blurted out, "If Master is not at the Dao Revelation Ground, then who was responsible for reviving the worldly Great Dao there?"
He had originally believed the revival of the Dao Revelation Ground's worldly Great Dao was the Little Celestial Venerable's doing, but only now did he learn that someone else had brought it about!
'Could it be that youth who impersonated me? No, impossible!' Chu Tiandu recalled Xu Ying and thought, 'How could he achieve something even my master, the Little Celestial Venerable, could not?'
***
In front of the Green Goat Palace monastery, Xu Ying was equally perplexed. Although he had manifested the Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace divine power as a seal art, severing another person's cave-heavens was normally no trouble for him.
Yet he had failed to sever that purple-robed man's six cave-heavens.
This could only mean that all six of the purple-robed man's secret cave-heavens had been opened using the ancestral method, rather than other orthodox or false techniques!
Still, how could that be possible?
The ancestral method was clearly the hallmark secret of the Xu family of Kunlun's Jade Void Peak. How could it have spread to the outside world?
Hu Zhuojun rushed out excitedly, nearly tumbling because her divine sense was still somewhat muddled.
"Where is the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis?"
She looked around in excitement, then suddenly caught sight of a wisp of purple vapor dissipating in the air. She could not help cheering, "The Purple-Robed Divine Marquis really was here! The Purple-Robed Divine Marquis saved us!"
Hearing her, Xu Ying's mind stirred. 'The direction that purple-robed man fled in was straight toward the demonic realm! If he hailed from the myriad worlds of the heavens, then after suffering such grievous wounds, he never should have run toward the demonic realm. Crossing paths with demonic Qi Refiners would easily cost him his life. Yet he fled into the demonic realm anyway. Could he be a demonic Qi Refiner?'
Recalling the clash carefully, he remembered that when that man had pushed his cultivation to the limit, faint markings had indeed surfaced on his skin. Although they vanished quickly, they were definitely there.
This meant the man was likely of demonic blood.
Even so, how had the ancestral method of the Xu family of Kunlun's Jade Void Peak reached the demonic realm and fallen into demonic hands?
'Purple-Robed Demon Marquis, Purple-Robed Divine Marquis... Dressed entirely in purple, could that person be...'
Xu Ying wore a strange expression, then shook his head, thinking, 'How could there be such a coincidence? Besides, both Li Pingsheng and Shen Baishu said Chu Tiandu wears a mask. That man wasn't wearing one just now; he was simply in purple robes. They also claimed Chu Tiandu was timid and only dared to operate deep within the demonic realm, never daring to come here.'
Beside him, the demonic girl leaped with joy.
Hu Zhuojun was utterly captivated by the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis Chu Tiandu, constantly pestering Xu Ying for details about how 'Chu Tiandu' had just fought the three supreme experts.
Xu Ying had no choice but to recount his battles against Shen Baifeng, Li Pingsheng, and the purple-robed man. Every time 'Chu Tiandu' defeated an opponent, Hu Zhuojun cheered, looking happier than if she had won a grand victory herself.
When Xu Ying mentioned 'Chu Tiandu' defeating the purple-robed man, Hu Zhuojun did not notice anything amiss and simply kept cheering.
"Little Brother Ying, you must cultivate diligently and strive to become Chu Tiandu's disciple so you can toughen up soon!" Hu Zhuojun urged him.
Xu Ying replied amiably, "Sister Zhuojun, don't call me Brother Ying. I only look young; I'm actually very old."
Hu Zhuojun reached out and tousled his hair into a mess, chuckling. "Your wings haven't even hardened yet, and already you don't want to be a little brother? Children always love talking about how grown-up and mature they are, but you're really just a little squirt!"
A fierce glint flashed in Xu Ying's eyes before he reined it in. He thought, 'I'm a stranger in a strange land here in the demonic realm and need a guide. It's just that this girl is so overbearing and always bullies me. Yet I can't very well beat her to death...'
He stepped aside to smooth down his hair.
The other demonic Qi Refiners inside the monastery woke one after another. Hu Zhuojun told them, "When the power of the demon immortal's artifact erupted, Little Brother Ying saved all of you and brought you to the Dao Revelation Ground."
The demonic Qi Refiners were astonished and hurried to thank Xu Ying. "We will never forget Little Brother Ying's life-saving grace!"
Xu Ying gave a low grunt, his expression shifting unsteadily. 'Little brother...'
Hu Zhuojun paid no mind to his reaction and continued, "While we were unconscious, the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis appeared and took on three wicked Qi Refiners from the myriad worlds of the heavens right here at the Dao Revelation Ground, scoring a complete victory!"
The demonic Qi Refiners were pleasantly surprised, and Hu Zhuojun's eyes sparkled. "Little Brother Ying, tell them the story of how the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis battled the three wicked cultivators one more time!"
Seeing their expectant gazes, Xu Ying had no choice but to repeat it.
The demonic Qi Refiners listened with rapt fascination, regretting only that they had been unconscious and missed the spectacle.
Even though it was Hu Zhuojun's second time hearing it, she listened with relish. "In my daze, I thought I caught a glimpse of the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis performing his valiant Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace outside the monastery! But then I passed out again."
The others sighed on her behalf. "If only we could meet him once and beg him to teach us a few divine powers—that would be enough to benefit us for a lifetime!"
Hu Zhuojun asked, "Little Brother Ying, did you ask the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis to teach you any divine powers?"
Xu Ying hesitated, recalling Yuan Qi's teachings about being humble with others, so he said, "I didn't think his divine powers were anything special, so I didn't ask."
The crowd stomped their feet in dismay.
Hu Zhuojun said regretfully, "You should have seized the opportunity! The Purple-Robed Divine Marquis studied under the Little Celestial Venerable, and all his divine powers were passed down by him. If you could learn even half a move, it would be enough for you to make a name for yourself! Because of your shallow perspective, the chance slipped right away!"
Changing the subject with a smile, Xu Ying said, "The worldly Great Dao of the Dao Revelation Ground has revived. If you cultivate here, it will awaken the wisdom of the Dao within you."
Everyone's eyes lit up, and Hu Zhuojun pressed eagerly, "Was it the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis who awakened the suppressed worldly Great Dao of the Dao Revelation Ground?"
Xu Ying smiled. "He was the one who did it."
The group was moved beyond words.
As they meditated and comprehended at the Dao Revelation Ground, Xu Ying—whose very purpose here was to understand the demonic dao—sat down cross-legged once more, attempting to re-enter that state of resonance between his divine sense and the worldly Great Dao.
This time, however, although his connection with the worldly Great Dao felt even deeper, he could not enter that selfless state where man and the Dao were one.
His previous state of unity had been exceedingly rare: the worldly Great Dao of the Dao Revelation Ground had been suppressed by one thousand three hundred immortal artifacts, and his divine sense had completed the characters of the seal, thereby suppressing those artifacts.
At that exact moment, his divine sense had merged with the newly revived worldly Great Dao, allowing him to attain the unity of man and Dao.
Only because of this had he managed to cultivate the Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit and master Transforming One Qi into the Three Purities so quickly!
Without that fortunate encounter, even if he had obtained the cultivation manual for Transforming One Qi into the Three Purities, he never could have mastered it so rapidly.
From now on, no matter how deeply he comprehended, reaching that state again would be impossible.
'Yet that eccentric Daoist who appeared in my consciousness could enter that state at any time; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to appear in my mind.'
Standing in the Three Purities Hall, Xu Ying looked toward the empty ground where the statues had once stood, his heart filled with unanswered questions.
'Is this master of the demonic dao a demon god, or a demon immortal? Could he be one of the three statues originally housed in the Three Purities Hall? Or perhaps all three statues were actually his Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit?'
Just then, Xu Ying sensed an unusual shift in the worldly Great Dao of the Dao Revelation Ground. As he prepared to investigate the source, a mysterious force surged forward. Within the Three Purities Hall of Green Goat Palace, the three shattered divine statues slowly drifted up, assembling themselves in midair.
Before long, the three statues were fully restored and settled back onto their original pedestals.
Hu Zhuojun and the others were still deep in comprehension, and none of them noticed.
While Xu Ying stood in astonishment, glowing clouds suddenly filled the sky. He looked up to see the bronze bo bell radiating dazzling immortal light as it tore through the heavens!
The immortal treasure reached extreme speed, becoming a streak of light that cleaved the sky. Thunder clapped, and through the fissure of lightning, another world was faintly visible!
The bronze bo bell crossed through the lightning rift and vanished.
'Someone in the Immortal Realm recalled the bronze bo bell!'
Just as this thought crossed Xu Ying's mind, another immortal artifact soared into the air—an immortal cauldron, likewise shining with brilliant immortal light as it tore through the sky amid thunder.
Across the Dao Revelation Ground, immortal artifacts rose one after another, returning to the Immortal Realm through flashes of thunder.
It seemed the immortals of the Immortal Realm knew the situation was beyond salvage and had chosen to retrieve their treasures that suppressed the demonic realm, preventing them from falling into enemy hands!
Beams of immortal light streaked through the sky in rapid succession, creating a bustling spectacle.
Suddenly, a colossal immortal axe swung, veering off course with a whoosh to chop down toward the Green Goat Palace monastery, its sharp immortal light instantly transforming into an axe blade hundreds of li across!
Xu Ying's hair stood on end. Yet before the axe could land, three beams of light—cyan, yellow, and white—rose to meet it!
The immortal axe shuddered with loud cracking sounds before suddenly bursting apart, showering debris in every direction.
Xu Ying watched in shock and disbelief, quickly turning back toward the Three Purities Hall. The three beams of light had originated from inside the hall!
After shattering the immortal axe, the three streams of pure qi descended once more. Xu Ying saw clearly that they sank straight into the three freshly restored statues!
Returning to the Three Purities Hall, Xu Ying scrutinized the three statues and whispered, "Which Fellow Daoist of the demonic dao imparted Transforming One Qi into the Three Purities to me? Please, show yourself."
The three statues did not respond in the slightest.
Xu Ying probed a few more times, but they still gave no reaction.
He thought quietly, 'One thousand three hundred immortal artifacts returning to the Immortal Realm will surely cause an enormous stir there. Who knows when the Immortal Realm's retaliation will arrive?'
A faint unease gnawed at his heart.
The Immortal Realm had been willing to invest one thousand three hundred immortal treasures to suppress this place, showing how crucial the Dao Revelation Ground was and how heavily it was valued!
Now that the artifacts had been driven back, the Immortal Realm certainly knew of the upheaval and would never give it up easily!
The Dao Revelation Ground was bound to become a battlefield!
'We must leave as soon as possible!'
By this point, Hu Zhuojun and the others had awoken one by one, each having gained tremendous insights and wearing satisfied expressions.
Hu Zhuojun asked, "Ah Ying, the Dao Revelation Ground has revived after so long—did you awaken the wisdom of the Dao?"
Suppressing his unease, Xu Ying smiled. "I comprehended the Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit."
At these words, everyone turned to look at him. "What is a Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit?"
Hu Zhuojun said, "Summon your Primordial Spirit and let me see."
Xu Ying summoned his Primordial Spirit; it remained only three inches tall.
Seeing this, the others were about to laugh, but Hu Zhuojun glared fiercely at them. Feeling a twinge of sympathy, she said softly, "Brother Ying, it doesn't matter if you can't take Chu Tiandu as your master. At worst, I'll go see my own master and make that stubborn old man accept you as a disciple no matter what!"
She had a good heart and could tell Xu Ying's Primordial Spirit had not grown in the slightest, clearly indicating he had gained nothing at the Dao Revelation Ground.
If the others mocked his Primordial Spirit, it would only deepen his feelings of inadequacy.
"My master might not be someone on the Little Celestial Venerable's level, but he's no ordinary figure either," Hu Zhuojun said with a smile. "You're good material, managing to form a Primordial Spirit even on the front line. We can't let your talent go to waste."
Seeing they did not believe him, Xu Ying did not insist and urged, "Everyone, this place is not safe to linger in. Let us depart at once."
The others had intended to continue meditating, but with Xu Ying's persistent urging, they left the Green Goat Palace monastery and set off toward Zhenwu Monastery.
Xu Ying looked back at the Dao Revelation Ground, thinking, 'The Immortal Realm's retaliation should be coming soon. I wonder if these Three Purities Demon Gods can withstand it.'
No sooner had the thought formed than the vault of heaven above the Dao Revelation Ground cracked open, and boundless immortal light beamed down from another world!
The immortal light fell at a slant upon the Green Goat Palace monastery, and in an instant, a deafening clamor of immortal tones erupted!
Without a second thought, Xu Ying grabbed the others and sprinted madly toward Zhenwu Monastery without daring to look back, shouting, "Close your eyes, seal your mouths, and shut down all your senses!"
The moment his words fell, the dazzling immortal light in the sky stretched his shadow long and far.
Around his shadow, the worldly Great Dao twisted, and countless tentacle-like monstrosities sprouted from the darkness, writhing and growing until they assumed human shapes!
The worldly Great Dao had been warped by the immortal dao, giving rise to such terrifying anomalies!
Guarding the Taiyi within, Xu Ying used his own true essence to forcibly seal the senses of Hu Zhuojun and the others, tearing forward at breakneck speed like a fleeting streak of light!
As he dashed past his own shadow, the grotesque things sprouting from it withered away rapidly, writhing and shrieking like dead human souls before dissolving into puddles of black water!
Yet in the new shadow cast ahead, eerie creatures were already breeding anew!
To hear what must not be heard, to see what must not be seen, to sense a Dao that must not be sensed—great misfortune follows!
This was the iron rule when facing an incomprehensible immortal dao!
Do not listen, do not look, do not perceive; seal oneself off, and there was still a chance of survival!
Xu Ying raced like lightning. At this moment, the immortal dao grew overwhelmingly dense—denser and more terrifying than even at the Wangxiang Platform—causing his very Primordial Spirit to warp!
If it was like this for him, Hu Zhuojun and the others would suffer even worse!
He had to reach safe ground ahead before undergoing a mutation himself!
He did not look back, yet he could see a colossal shadow surging toward him from within the immortal light, like a twisted mountain of flesh!
'To hurry along, I have to look and listen. I'm afraid I won't last much longer.'
Xu Ying's heart sank. But right then, he sensed three magnificent streams of qi soaring into the sky from the distant Green Goat Palace monastery!
'The Three Purities Demon Gods have made their move?' Xu Ying felt his burden lighten drastically, and joy surged within him.
Chapter 335