The pollution wrought by the Immortal Dao continued its relentless onslaught. Xu Ying dared not look back, only feeling the "Three Purities Demon Gods" mobilizing the Great Dao of this world to contend with the Immortal Realm's Immortal Dao!
A clash of this magnitude was no longer something he could observe.
Its ferocity and scale reached heights Xu Ying could scarcely imagine. Even an entity of his caliber risked losing his life just by lingering on the fringes of the fallout!
He had only one thought in mind: rush to safety as fast as possible!
After all, when two elephants fight, neither notices how many ants get trampled to death, nor does either care to learn the names of the crushed ants.
Only an ant truly cares about its own life.
And Xu Ying was that very ant, sprinting for dear life.
Twisted, bizarre shadows stretched forward from behind him, grotesque like coiled nightmares. The Immortal Dao's invasion had clearly begun mutating every living thing in the Dao Revelation Ground—vegetation, birds, beasts, and people alike!
Such occurrences usually transpired where the Great Dao had mutated, such as where the demonic realm invaded the Yuanchu Great World—creatures also mutated along the border where the Heavenly Dao and the Demonic Dao collided.
Yet the mutation caused by the Immortal Dao's invasion was far more violent.
The higher and more unfathomable a Great Dao was—whether immortal or demonic—the greater the havoc and disturbance it wreaked upon the mortal world!
Behind Xu Ying, terrifying waves of power roared and shrieked with a deafening clamor, sending shockwaves that threatened to destroy all in their path.
He could only do everything in his power to protect himself, as well as Hu Zhuojun and the others.
Illuminated by the immortal light ahead, the mountain forest instantly warped, grew deformed, and swelled, sprouting in every direction like a grotesque, mutated giant.
Xu Ying flew swiftly over the expanding canopy. The trees seemed to transform into monsters with countless tentacles flailing toward the sky, clawing frantically.
At last, Zhenwu Monastery came into Xu Ying's view. The divine power of the two gods, Turtle and Snake, shielded the ancient halls, warding off the heterodox Dao's incursion.
Not only that, but Xu Ying also sensed another profound aura quietly emanating from within Zhenwu Monastery, assisting the two gods to collectively resist the encroaching forces.
Moving like the wind, Xu Ying hurled himself forward and leapt directly into the protective sanctuary of Zhenwu Monastery.
His body twisted and mutated in midair. The moment his feet touched down, he stumbled, unable to steady himself. The giant hand formed of his magic power behind him instantly crumbled, and Hu Zhuojun and the others tumbled out one after another.
In just those brief moments, Hu Zhuojun and the rest were already disfigured beyond recognition; one could hardly tell what species they were anymore!
They looked like beasts, yet also like plants. Teeth sprouted from their eyes, and portions of their bodies were even turning to stone!
Fortunately, once inside Zhenwu Monastery, the heterodox Dao's corrupting influence rapidly receded, and their physical bodies and Primordial Spirits gradually returned to normal.
Because Xu Ying had not sealed his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, he had suffered the greatest impact. Yet his cultivation was vastly superior to Hu Zhuojun and the others, so his flesh and Primordial Spirit recovered in the blink of an eye.
He looked back. The Primordial Spirits of the Turtle and Snake blotted out the sky, casting a dense divine radiance that kept the heterodox Dao at bay.
Seen through the buffer of the two divine generals' Primordial Spirits, the immortal light was no longer so lethal, and the faint echoes of the Dao voice were no longer as perilous.
Sensing the vast divine power of the Turtle and Snake divine generals, Xu Ying was filled with astonishment.
'The divine power of these two demons must be at the God King level! How could such terrifying Demon God Kings exist in the demonic realm?'
Upon deeper reflection, however, it made complete sense.
The Immortal Realm had repeatedly tried and failed to eradicate the demonic realm. Naturally, the demonic realm had to possess some exceptionally formidable beings.
'The four God Kings of the Immortal Realm only recently ascended after the siege against me, absorbing the incense smoke qi from the subjects of the myriad worlds for forty thousand years. Given that the demonic realm has suffered repeated purges by the Immortal Realm, it couldn't possibly maintain a vast enough population to supply such abundant incense smoke qi. Therefore, the incense smoke qi accumulated by these two demon gods must span far longer than forty thousand years! Their history might extend to a hundred thousand years, or perhaps even longer!'
Xu Ying blinked. The demonic realm's history was likely ancient beyond imagination.
Without such a long history, it would have been impossible to give rise to such ancient demon gods.
Looking past the two demon gods' Primordial Spirits toward the Dao Revelation Ground, he caught faint glimpses of three towering silhouettes battling in the heavens. Braving the radiance pouring down from the Immortal Realm, they fought their way upward, as if trying to breach the Immortal Realm itself!
Obstructed by the Primordial Spirits of Generals Turtle and Snake, Xu Ying could not see clearly, catching only three majestic figures rendered in hues of azure, yellow, and white.
'They are the Three Purities Primordial Spirits, formed from three strands of yuan qi!' Xu Ying recalled Transforming One Qi into the Three Purities and realized in a flash. 'These three are actually one person. They are all Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirits, not true bodies. The real body is someone else!'
The true body behind the Three Purities Primordial Spirits had to be that eccentric Daoist who had appeared within his sea of consciousness!
Together with the Great Dao of the Dao Revelation Ground, that person had been suppressed by the Immortal Realm's one thousand three hundred immortal artifacts. The Little Celestial Venerable's aim in sealing those artifacts had likely been to restore the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth and rescue that man.
It was only because the Little Celestial Venerable lacked sufficient insight that Xu Ying had to complete the four seal characters—Ling, Yu, You, and Yu—before he was finally freed.
'The demonic realm is truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, unfathomably deep,' Xu Ying thought inwardly.
Suddenly, the rift between the immortal and demonic realms vanished. No further immortal light cascaded down, and the immortal hymns fell silent.
Generals Turtle and Snake withdrew their Primordial Spirits, and the deep, unfathomable ancient power within Zhenwu Monastery concealed itself once more, leaving no trace behind.
Xu Ying glanced into Zhenwu Monastery in astonishment. Having cultivated Yuan Weiyang's Yuan Dao Heavens Induction, his perception of anomalies was exceptionally sharp.
He had already felt the profound presence residing in the monastery, and now that it was retracted, its footprint became even more distinct.
'A mysterious being even more powerful than Generals Turtle and Snake is hiding within Zhenwu Monastery!'
Turning his eyes back to the sky, he noted that after the Immortal Realm failed in its strike on the Dao Revelation Ground's Green Goat Palace, it made no further moves. The atmosphere was stifling to the point of suffocation.
'Judging from the setup at Dao Weeping Pass, the Immortal Realm deployed at least one thousand three hundred immortals back then—and exceptionally formidable ones at that—just to secure the pass. Those one thousand three hundred were the survivors; countless more must have fallen. Most of those one thousand three hundred immortals from the Immortal Realm are likely still alive today, but in this assault on Dao Weeping Pass, not one of them was willing to sacrifice their life,' Xu Ying mused quietly. 'Hence, they won't attack Dao Weeping Pass again, unless they find a batch of teammates they can afford to expend.'
Just then, a figure clad in purple caught Xu Ying's eye. Xu Ying showed a look of surprise. "The purple-robed fellow who took a palm strike from me without dying!"
That purple-robed person was none other than Chu Tiandu. Seeing Xu Ying, he froze as well, suddenly looking rather embarrassed. Hurriedly covering his face with his sleeve, he bolted out of Zhenwu Monastery as if fleeing for his life, never looking back.
"Hey—"
Xu Ying raised his hand and called out loudly, "Brother, wait a moment!"
Yet Chu Tiandu moved with astonishing speed; in the span of a single sentence, he had already vanished without a trace.
"It's not like I want to kill you. I just wanted to ask about the origins of your ancestral method. Why run so fast?"
Xu Ying shook his head. Hu Zhuojun and the others' bodies had begun to mend, though it would still take some time for them to make a full recovery.
Walking into Zhenwu Monastery, Xu Ying saw Generals Turtle and Snake staring at him, both sporting looks of astonishment.
General Snake was about to speak when General Turtle nudged him subtly, signaling him to keep quiet.
"Have you forgotten the past? Quick, pretend you don't see him," General Turtle whispered.
General Snake scrutinized Xu Ying's face and took a sharp breath in shock. "That bane of trouble is still alive!"
He immediately fixed his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, remaining utterly motionless and silent, as if carved of stone.
Xu Ying wandered through Zhenwu Monastery, yet found no clue to the source of that profound presence. Even after searching carefully with his senses, he still couldn't locate its origin, which left him puzzled.
He circulated the Jade Pitcher Dao Attainment Scripture, activating his Jade Pitcher Heavenly Eye to scan all around in an attempt to see if any hidden folds of space-time were tucked away here, but found nothing.
'How bizarre. That mighty existence is definitely inside Zhenwu Monastery, but they're deliberately hiding and unwilling to see me.'
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the voices of Hu Zhuojun and the others drifted over: "Thanks to the protection of Emperor Zhenwu and the Turtle and Snake divine generals, we managed to survive! Brother Ah Ying, come over here quickly and offer incense to Grandpa Emperor Zhenwu and the Turtle and Snake divine generals!"
Xu Ying walked over and saw that Hu Zhuojun and the demonic Qi Refiners had recovered. Each held several sticks of incense, bowing in worship before the Turtle and Snake divine generals.
Hu Zhuojun lit a handful of incense sticks and shoved them into Xu Ying's hands, saying, "The Turtle and Snake divine generals are our guardian deities on this journey. Without them watching over this place, who knows how many people would have fallen to evil cultivators. We only survived just now thanks to their protection."
Following their lead, Xu Ying stepped forward with the incense, bowed respectfully to Generals Turtle and Snake, and inserted sticks into their respective incense burners.
Generals Turtle and Snake remained completely still, like statues of clay and wood.
Hu Zhuojun then led Xu Ying into the Grand Zhenwu Hall, saying, "We must pay our respects to Grandpa Emperor as well."
Taking another set of incense sticks from her, Xu Ying bowed to the statue of Emperor Zhenwu and placed the incense into the burner.
Suddenly, the bundle of incense shot out of the burner with a sharp swoosh, scattering all over the floor.
Startled, Xu Ying hurriedly gathered the sticks and inserted them into the burner once more, only for them to jump out again in unison.
Xu Ying picked them up, preparing to try a third time, but the incense in his hand suddenly went dark and extinguished, crumbling into fragments on the floor.
He stood there, somewhat at a loss.
Hu Zhuojun cried out in shock, "Emperor Zhenwu refuses your incense! Ah Ying, just what kind of wicked, unpardonable deeds have you committed?"
Xu Ying scratched his head and ventured hesitantly, "I might have done a few questionable things in my first life, but I definitely haven't..."
Seeing Emperor Zhenwu's statue reject Xu Ying's incense, Generals Turtle and Snake felt a chill run down their spines. Exchanging a glance, they thought silently, 'Even the Emperor dares not accept his incense, fearful of courting bad luck. If we accept his incense, wouldn't that be high disrespect toward the Emperor!'
The two gods quietly channeled their magic power and flicked Xu Ying's incense straight out of their own burners as well.
Hu Zhuojun exclaimed in dismay, "Even the Turtle and Snake divine generals detest you!"
Walking back outside, Xu Ying indeed saw that the incense he had offered moments ago was strewn across the ground.
"Ah Ying, you must have done something truly terrible!" Hu Zhuojun said to him with an utterly solemn expression.
Xu Ying vehemently denied it, arguing until his face flushed red.
Only after they left Zhenwu Monastery did Generals Turtle and Snake finally let out a long sigh of relief, dropping their statue guises. General Snake cried out, "Close, that was far too close! That fellow just now was the little monster from forty-eight thousand years ago!"
General Turtle was far more weathered and prudent. He said gravely, "It really is him. Forty-odd thousand years have passed, yet the Immortal Realm hasn't managed to torture him to death. Truly, the good die young while scourges live forever."
General Snake remarked, "He didn't seem to recognize us!"
General Turtle could not fathom it either. "Back then, when he entered the Ancestral Court, he wrecked the entire place. Who would have thought he'd return? And the moment he comes back, he incites such a massive disaster with the Immortal Realm attacking that ancient existence!"
The two ancient deities looked in the direction Xu Ying and the others had departed. General Turtle murmured, "Though he caused endless trouble in the Ancestral Court, he was also the one who caused life to blossom anew here. His merits were boundless."
General Snake guessed, "Could it be that he returned this time because he squandered all those merits?"
General Turtle pondered, "I can't help feeling that he's somewhat different from before..."
From deep within the Zhenwu Hall, a low voice spoke:
"That is because he has suffered for over forty thousand years."
***
Xu Ying and the others hurried onward toward the heart of the Ancestral Court. The Demonic Dao had waned; though the Little Celestial Venerable and a host of demon gods maintained a presence, righteous cultivators from the myriad worlds would still launch incursions into the interior. Thus, even having passed Dao Weeping Pass, one still had to tread with great care.
Hu Zhuojun stared at Xu Ying with a face full of suspicion, suddenly asking, "Ah Ying, back in Dao Weeping Pass, someone triggered the one thousand three hundred immortal artifacts. All of us were struck down and knocked unconscious, yet you were completely unaffected. How do you explain that?"
At her words, the other demonic Qi Refiners turned their heads, their gazes locking onto Xu Ying.
Xu Ying remained unfazed and chuckled. "My comprehension is exceptionally high. Ordinary Immortal Dao pollution can't taint me."
Hu Zhuojun scoffed. "When the immortal light descended from the heavens, we were struck down again, yet you still walked away unscathed. How do you explain that?"
Xu Ying smiled. "I already told you, my comprehension is exceptionally high."
Hu Zhuojun's eyes flashed, and she suddenly shouted, "You are an evil cultivator!"
Xu Ying jumped in fright.
Hu Zhuojun declared loudly, "I knew it! You're an evil cultivator! What you cultivate is the so-called Immortal Dao, and you view us as the Demonic Dao! You deliberately hid among us, trying to sneak into the depths of the Ancestral Court! You're an evil cultivator spy!"
Xu Ying stood tongue-tied. Just as he was trying to figure out how to defend himself, a streak of twilight glow soared through the sky from afar. A voice reached their ears with crystal clarity, laughing, "Purple-Robed Demon Marquis Chu Tiandu, do you still remember me, Wei Changming? Back when you and I fought at Purple Cloud Cliff, your Ever-Changing Demonic Art opened my eyes. Twenty years have passed, and here we meet once more!"
The radiant light plunged from the heavens, instantly illuminating the surrounding forty to fifty li!
As the brilliance slowly faded, an elegantly dressed young master appeared before them, gazing at Xu Ying with a smile. He murmured softly, "Marquis in Purple, after twenty years, I have come to test your skills once again."
Hu Zhuojun and the others stared blankly at Xu Ying, stammering, "Pur... Purple-Robed Divine Marquis..."
Xu Ying let out a sigh, turned around, and offered the flabbergasted crowd a faint smile. "I only ever wanted to get along with you all as an ordinary person. I thought that by making friends this way, it would make things easier for everyone. I never expected that the tree craves peace, yet the wind will not subside..."
He shook his head ruefully, then straightened his spine like a spear.
Beneath the astonished gazes of Hu Zhuojun and the others, boundless flames suddenly surged from around Xu Ying. The sun and moon orbited, a dragon and phoenix danced, and a vast sea of fire rose higher and higher.
Gradually, an Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace hung high in the sky, inverted like a boundless ocean of flames suspended above their heads, exerting immense pressure upon them all.
"I'm done pretending."
Though Xu Ying looked profoundly sorrowful, his tone was entirely nonchalant. "That's right. I am the Purple-Robed Divine Marquis."
Chapter 336