Xu Ying had previously worried that circulating the Taiyi Guiding Technique would produce astronomical phenomena too conspicuous to hide, inviting the stone deities to hunt him down. Now, throwing caution to the wind, he practiced it openly and without reserve.
The closer he drew to the grand temple floating in the sky ahead, the denser the solar true essence contained within the sunlight became. His qi and blood gradually restored themselves, easing his worries a little.
Looking back at the five immortal mountains, Xu Ying noticed they mirrored the layout of the Realm of Xiyi, rising and falling in staggered heights, their shapes remarkably resembling the five viscera.
Around the five peaks, massive boulders that had already turned to flesh and blood drifted to and fro, searching everywhere for people to devour. Several more stone deities trod on clouds of incense qi, joining the melee between Zhou Zheng and the local City Gods, throwing the situation into even greater chaos.
He looked up. Suspended above the grand temple was a sun; behind that sun, beyond the sky, hung another sun. In the outside world, the sun was already setting in the west.
"Strange. I haven't felt the slightest hunger here," Xu Ying said in surprise.
The bronze bell said, "In the Immortal Realm, one dines on wind and sips dew; nourishment is self-contained, and everything can be converted into primordial qi. Naturally, one feels no hunger. This place truly possesses a touch of the Immortal Realm's elegance, though unfortunately it is merely a Realm of Xiyi."
A sudden flash of inspiration struck Xu Ying's mind, and he blurted out, "I know! Lord Bell, I've figured it out! This evil sword immortal isn't a Qi Refiner at all—he's a Nuo master! We aren't in the Immortal Realm, nor are we inside his Realm of Xiyi. We are in his place of latent transformation! He isn't a sword immortal; he's a Nuo immortal!"
The bronze bell was stunned.
Xu Ying felt an inexplicable surge of excitement. He had once heard the maiden in the coffin say that when a Nuo master cultivated the Hidden Scenery to the highest tier, they could forge a minor Immortal Realm within their body, achieving latent transformation to conceal their form!
This ruined temple world matched every single characteristic of the place of latent transformation she had described!
In other words, this was actually the inner minor Immortal Realm of an evil Nuo immortal!
This was no Immortal Realm, and the one dwelling here was by no means an immortal. It was a Nuo immortal who had cultivated the Nuo arts to their supreme realm!
He had undergone latent transformation to conceal his form here, coexisting with the world, while enslaving countless ancient deities as servants to refine Myriad Spirits Pills for his consumption!
The bronze bell fell silent for a moment before speaking. "No wonder those soul-beckoning sacrificial texts had several wrong characters. So he's a Nuo immortal. This Nuo immortal most likely obtained sacrificial texts from ancient Qi Refiners, but lacking learning and scholarship himself, he wrote some characters incorrectly. It seems he's quite the uneducated fellow as well."
Xu Ying felt that the bell's "as well" carried a subtle bite of sarcasm. He wondered, *Lord Bell wouldn't be mocking Yuan Qi, would it?*
Pondering, he said, "This Nuo immortal is ruthless and treats human lives like ants. His methods are exceedingly sinister. If we head to the grand temple, I fear we might not escape."
His eyes flickered as he looked at the grand temple ahead. Suddenly struck with an idea, he said, "Lord Bell, let's not enter through the temple gate. We'll circle around from behind."
The bronze bell suggested, "Since you know how perilous it is, why seek your own death? Let's head back and set up an ancestral tablet to worship that stinking snake. We can carve the words 'Brave Warrior' upon it, fabricate a few of his good deeds to trick people into worshipping him, and once he becomes a deity, our duty to him will be done."
Xu Ying refused.
The bronze bell had no choice but to strain itself flying toward the grand temple, thinking, *One who eats another's food must speak kindly, and one who takes another's gifts must stay humble. Who told me to rely on his qi and blood to heal my wounds? But then again, Ah Ying may be uneducated, but he is a friend worth having. He truly risks his life for his friends!*
Suddenly recalling something, it asked, "Ah Ying, you swallowed a Myriad Spirits Pill. Do you feel anything unusual?"
Only then did Xu Ying remember that he had eaten a Myriad Spirits Pill. That miracle elixir, meant to heal an immortal's Primordial Spirit, had vanished into his belly like a clay ox plunging into the sea, without stirring up the slightest commotion!
"Odd. Could this evil Nuo immortal have gotten even the recipe for the Myriad Spirits Pill wrong? Otherwise, why would it have no effect?" the bronze bell wondered.
Hanging on Little Stone Mountain until now, it had witnessed the extinction of the Qi Refiners and the rise of the Nuo masters. Yet because it had to suppress the coffin in the well, it had never once left Little Stone Mountain, leaving it ignorant of what had transpired over the ages.
Finally, they reached the grand temple. Resplendent in gold and jade, it was magnificent and grand. Outside, a soaring waterfall cascaded from beyond the heavens, splattering like jasper and splashing like jade. Xu Ying looked upward, but could not discern the waterfall's source.
"An image of the Great Dao?"
Xu Ying was momentarily startled, but quickly realized something was amiss. "It's a Hidden Scenery composed of countless images of the Great Dao!"
Observing the waterfall with his Heavenly Eye, he saw that every single droplet of water within it was formed of images of the Great Dao. The Great Dao images of the water element took the forms of frost, rivers, lakes, oceans, and more, each harboring intricate martial transformations pushed to their utmost variations!
With the Heavenly Eye, one could observe these images of the Great Dao, and likely comprehend quite a few Dao methods from them!
"Still, isn't the Nuo immortal secluded here a Nuo sword immortal?"
Xu Ying was deeply puzzled. Outside the Shuikou Temple, he had witnessed sword qi and sword intent capable of cleaving heaven and earth, splitting the land and ripping through time and space—a sword strike that severed the boundary between yin and yang to open a path to another world.
Thus, he had assumed the one residing here was bound to be a peerless master of the sword dao.
Yet upon arriving in this realm of latent transformation formed of Hidden Sceneries, he felt somewhat disappointed. Amid the other's Dao methods, he could find not a single trace of the sword dao.
He turned to look at the flowers, plants, and trees outside the temple. Every single one was a Hidden Scenery, infinite in its subtlety, yet still devoid of any trace of the sword dao.
"You noticed it too?" At that moment, a voice sounded from the opposite side of the waterfall.
Xu Ying turned back and saw the youth named Yuan Weiyang standing across the waterfall with his green-robed old servant. When Xu Ying had arrived, this Hidden Scenery had obscured his view of them.
Xu Ying stepped forward and bowed in greeting. "Outside the temple, I comprehended an image of the Great Dao called Realm Breaker, and assumed the master of this place must be a sword immortal. Coming here and seeing the Hidden Sceneries, I realized the master was a Nuo sword immortal who had concealed his form through latent transformation. However, there isn't a shred of sword intent or sword qi in this waterfall. I suspect the person who unleashed that peerless sword technique and this Nuo immortal are not the same person!"
Yuan Weiyang hastily returned the greeting, somewhat surprised, and could not help feeling a sense of affinity toward Xu Ying. "I, too, sensed something strange here. You call that sword move Realm Breaker? It fits the sword intent quite well."
He paused, then added, "Just now, I heard you refer to the Hidden Scenery as an image of the Great Dao. Calling it an image of the Great Dao is indeed more fitting, whereas 'Hidden Scenery' seems much more obscure."
Xu Ying chuckled. "Those are the words of a senior; I am merely parroting them. Brother Yuan, I intend to head behind the temple to see what tricks this Nuo immortal is playing. Care to join me?"
The green-robed old servant coughed lightly, subtly shaking his head to signal Yuan Weiyang not to agree.
Yuan Weiyang hesitated, but Xu Ying grinned. "It will probably be quite fun."
Yuan Weiyang said, "I'll go with you."
The green-robed old servant glared at Xu Ying. Unbothered, Xu Ying called out to Lord Bell and rode the bronze bell as it flew toward the back of the grand temple.
The green-robed old servant said, "Young Master, a gentleman does not stand beneath a collapsing wall. This place is bizarre to the extreme. It would be best for us to leave as soon as possible."
"We'll just look and then leave," Yuan Weiyang replied.
Helpless, the green-robed old servant unsealed the power of his secret depository. Instantly, an immensely powerful divine sense lifted him and Yuan Weiyang, and the two strode through the void, keeping pace with Xu Ying.
Xu Ying glanced back, greatly surprised. "You're flying with divine sense? How do you do that?"
Yuan Weiyang said, "The secret depository of my Yuan family is the Yellow Court secret depository. The Yellow Court contains boundless divine sense, which, paired with the Yuan family's techniques, allows for flight via divine sense. However, I cannot manage it yet."
Xu Ying said, "These past few days, I've been experimenting with stepping on a sword to fly, but I haven't succeeded once. Perhaps my application of divine sense isn't as exquisite as yours. I'm a monster king over at Mount Wuwang. If you ever have free time, come visit my place, and we can study it together."
A flicker of joy showed on Yuan Weiyang's face as he looked toward the green-robed old servant. The servant's face darkened, and he slowly shook his head.
Yuan Weiyang's expression dimmed.
The bronze bell carried Xu Ying to the rear of the temple. The wall behind the temple was vermilion. Just as the bell was about to fly upward, a massive mouth suddenly split open along the temple's rear wall. Filled with razor-sharp teeth, it spanned over a hundred feet wide!
The colossal maw opened and spat out more than a dozen human and beast skeletons. It then extended a crimson tongue to affectionately lick one of the withered bones before casting it down and slowly closing shut.
Xu Ying's heart pounded with fright. He looked over at Yuan Weiyang, but the youth's expression remained unchanged, as though he hadn't noticed a thing.
Xu Ying whispered, "Brother Yuan, aren't you afraid?"
Yuan Weiyang replied, "My family has always taught me to remain unfazed even if Mount Tai collapses before me. Even if I am terrified, I must never let it show."
Xu Ying could not help but laugh. "What fun is there in that? Have you ever waded into a river to catch fish or dig for loaches?"
Yuan Weiyang shook his head.
"Some other day, I'll take you down to the river. I'm a monster king at Mount Wuwang, so if you're free..."
The green-robed old servant looked sullen, glaring viciously at Xu Ying, dreading that the Yuan family's painstaking cultivation of Yuan Weiyang would be led astray by a few casual words from Xu Ying.
Above the rear wall lay the roof of the temple's immortal hall. The bronze bell flew up, and Xu Ying hopped off. Treading on the glazed tiles, he approached the roof ridge and peered down, clinging to its edge.
Seeing this, Yuan Weiyang was about to lie behind the ridge in the same way, but the green-robed old servant hurriedly stopped him, spreading a sheet of green gauze over the roof ridge before nodding to indicate he could proceed.
Yuan Weiyang lay down atop the green gauze to keep his clothes from getting soiled, then gripped the roof ridge and peered down.
Below, immortal light filled the firmament, dazzling their eyes. Only after a moment did the two youths regain their vision. Inside the grand temple, several hundred people sat upright with solemn expressions, circulating a peculiar technique.
Beneath the immortal hall, layers of immortal light spun like swords, enveloping a towering Nuo immortal.
This Nuo immortal was gentle as jade and gracefully untamed, possessing a divine charm unseen in gods or demons, and a splendor unprecedented among Nuo masters.
He gave off a pure, translucent aura, like the water of a small rock pool, unstained by a single speck of dust. With just a glance, Xu Ying felt as though his own heart were an overgrown wilderness after rain, choked with weeds—all his own worldly thoughts, turgid and chaotic.
Only when standing before an immaculate mirror did one realize one's own heart was full of filth and foulness. Feeling that his inner self was so utterly wretched, he could not help but feel ashamed.
*This senior Nuo immortal possesses a lofty state of mind, free from mundane stray thoughts, bearing solely the mindset of an immortal—far beyond anything common mortals can attain,* Xu Ying thought with an inward sigh. To think that he and the bronze bell had slandered this Nuo immortal as evil earlier; it truly was an unforgivable offense.
From below came the Nuo immortal's refined and gentle voice: "You don't even understand this? Just how did you cultivate... Fool! I said this one, not that one! Are you trying to anger me to death... I told you to reverse the circulation of the technique, to run it two and a half cycles. How did you circulate it? You ran two cycles in forward order, but where's the half? Where is your half?... Did I teach you like this? Truly an utter fool!"
*This Nuo immortal's temper seems rather fiery. Who provoked him like this?* Xu Ying leaned forward, trying to see the scene below clearly.
Suddenly, a massive snake with a horn on its head looked up with a face full of bewilderment. The serpent was thicker than a water vat, with a head larger than an eight-immortals table. When it raised its head three to four fathoms high, it came face-to-face with Xu Ying.
Xu Ying made a shushing gesture. Yuan Qi caught his drift, shrank his head back down, and said, "Immortal Master, my natural aptitude is indeed rather dull, but your disciple has great patience. I can definitely learn it!"
The white-robed Nuo immortal's aura heaved violently for a moment before settling down, and he resumed expounding the scripture.
Xu Ying focused his divine sense into a mirror, quietly activating his Heavenly Eye to look toward the white-robed Nuo immortal below.
As if sensing something, the white-robed Nuo immortal suddenly turned his head upward. Xu Ying saw the Nuo immortal's face clearly, thinking that no gentleman could ever be more like fine jade than this.
The white-robed Nuo immortal smiled at him. Under the gaze of Xu Ying's Heavenly Eye, as the white-robed Nuo immortal watched him with a smile, blood suddenly began to gush from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose!
The white-robed Nuo immortal's face, originally gentle as jade, instantly warped into something hideous and terrifying, like a vengeful ghost from the Netherworld!
A vengeful ghost that had died an excruciating death!
Xu Ying immediately sensed a towering wave of resentment and malice, capable of twisting one's mind and driving a person mad!
He felt an icy chill invade him, as if it would freeze both his physical body and his soul solid!
Blood congested Xu Ying's eyes, his divine sense plunged into chaos, and even the sky within his Realm of Xiyi began to pour torrential waves of gore at that moment, like cascades of blood!
Right then, the Pure Yang anomalous fire that the maiden in the coffin had left inside him flared brilliantly. The blaze shone with blinding light, instantly causing the foul blood in the sky of the Realm of Xiyi to sizzle and hiss, sending up plumes of smoke before dispersing entirely!
Only then did the malice and resentment Xu Ying felt dissipate.
*A dead man! He's a dead man!*
Xu Ying stared wide-eyed at the white-robed Nuo immortal, screaming frantically in his heart, *This Nuo immortal is a dead man! A dead man filled with towering resentment!*
Just then, the white-robed Nuo immortal chuckled. "Young friend from outside, why hide up there? I hold court to preach the Dao; regardless of race or cultivation, all are welcome to learn."
Xu Ying composed himself and braced himself to reply, "Immortal Master, your disciple finds staying up here quite nice. I can hear more clearly."
"Good, good." The white-robed Nuo master spoke no further and turned his head away.
The moment he turned his head, Xu Ying caught sight of a gleam of light behind his skull, stretching from the back of his head down to his neck.
Beneath the clothes on his back, faint light could also be seen shining through!
Peering through the light, Xu Ying's heart pounded wildly. Dizziness washed over him, and his lips and mouth went completely dry.
The white-robed Nuo immortal was actually an empty husk, leaving behind nothing but a layer of skin and this set of clothes!
That light was the glow of sword light leaking from within his body where the skin at the back of his head had split open!
Beneath that skin, there was no flesh or blood at all. It was as if someone had sliced a slit into the back of his head and poured flesh-eating insects into his body, devouring his flesh, internal organs, and bones completely clean!
Or perhaps someone had captured him, used a sharp blade to slice from the back of his head down to his tailbone, peeled back his skin, scooped out his flesh and blood, and then dressed the skin in robes and propped him up here, making him appear as if he were still alive!
Straining to maintain a smiling expression, Xu Ying said with a trembling voice, "Xiao Qi, stop learning. Come out quickly, the sun is about to set..."
"I haven't learned the Immortal Master's Detailed Explanation of Daoist Truth and the Xuanji Mechanism yet," Yuan Qi said, lifting his head. "The Immortal Master said he must teach it to me. Ah Ying, you're smart. Come down and learn too!"
Chapter 36