Swept along by the torrent of geomagnetic primal force toward Yingzhou, Xu Ying sat as though atop a spray of luminous foam, his eyes fixed unwaveringly upon the Sea of Chaos without budging an inch.
"I really am useless, aren't I?"
Without his realizing it, the Buddhist light behind Xu Ying's head had dimmed considerably. The character for "Grief" among the curse's six—Desolation, Death, Malevolence, Grief, Violence, and Tyranny—had taken effect. He stood up and shook his head. "I never managed to comprehend the Mud Pill Palace's Immortal Realm cave-heaven in my first life, so why force it now?"
His spirits thoroughly dampened, he shook his head; treading upon the geomagnetic torrent, he walked toward Yingzhou.
Having slain so many corpse immortals and ghost immortals, Buddhist Child Jijue was currently being surrounded and harassed by several corpse monarchs. Earlier, there had still been room to maneuver, but now that the geomagnetic torrent had severed and was growing shorter by the moment, he found himself in dire straits.
Fighting as he fled, Jijue caught sight of Xu Ying and hurriedly yelled, "Benefactor Ah Ying, save me—!"
Xu Ying shot him a sideways glance, his eyes steeped in world-weary pessimism. Shaking his head, he said, "Buddhist Child, you and I must die sooner or later. What difference does it make whether it is earlier or later?"
Jijue stared blankly, only to be struck tumbling and rolling across the ground by a corpse monarch.
Fortunately, his golden body was exceedingly formidable; even this blow from a corpse monarch failed to finish him off.
The other corpse monarchs sprinted forward at full tilt, boxing him in and flinging all manner of supernatural arts with reckless abandon. Jijue shrieked in panic, scurrying this way and that.
Xu Ying remained entirely blind and deaf to it all. Before he knew it, he stepped out of the geomagnetic torrent and returned to Yingzhou.
Arriving at Xujiaping, he sat down upon the stone steps in utter listlessness. He felt no desire to strive, no desire for vengeance, and even less desire to unseal the final cave-heaven.
He could not even summon the energy to cultivate his Sword Dao Primordial Spirit.
Jijue's voice drifted over from afar: "Benefactor Ah Ying, hurry and save me! The Buddhist dharma on you has worn off! Only if you save me can I save you!"
*Dong!*
Jijue was sent flying by a corpse monarch, smashing into a distant mountain range. The corpse monarchs leapt up and slammed down viciously after him; sturdy though the immortal mountains were, the impact set the earth quaking and cracked open the mountainsides!
Xu Ying withdrew his gaze and sank back into his daze.
Not long after, hearty laughter suddenly echoed from the distance: "Heaven has truly treated me well! I have finally gained the approval of the Returning Dao Jade Platter and obtained the Supreme inheritance!"
The source of that laughter was none other than Young Master Ningqing.
He had been hiding inside an immortal mountain on Yingzhou, employing the methods taught by the Returning Dao Jade Platter to lay down a seal. Even when Heavenly Lord Pingnan led the corpse immortals and ghost immortals of the Corpse Ghost Immortal Domain in a sweep, they had failed to ferret him out.
During this time, Young Master Ningqing had refined the Returning Dao Jade Platter and acquired the Supreme cultivation technique recorded within it. Upon practicing it, he had achieved minor success; his cultivation and strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, leaving him wild with joy!
Catching sight of Xu Ying sitting on the stone steps of Xujiaping, he gave a start and made to flee.
Xu Ying rested his chin on both hands, casting him a languid glance without making the slightest move.
Seeing that Xu Ying was not charging over to seize the Returning Dao Jade Platter, Young Master Ningqing breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, *Why should I fear him? When he defeated me last time, it was only because of a flaw hidden within my father's technique that he managed to exploit. He merely won by a stroke of luck. Now that I possess a Supreme cultivation technique, the Great Cavern Creation Returning to Origin Scripture, he is no longer my match!*
Seeing Xu Ying sitting there motionlessly only piqued Young Master Ningqing's interest, and he flew straight over.
"Xu Ying, now that I have obtained the Returning Dao Jade Platter, aren't you envious?"
Landing before Xu Ying, Young Master Ningqing summoned the Returning Dao Jade Platter and said leisurely, "This treasure is a Supreme artifact, a treasure you failed to obtain even after leaping into the platter yourself. You never expected it would end up in my hands, did you?"
Xu Ying lacked all interest and did not even look at him.
Young Master Ningqing continued, "I originally cultivated my father's Supreme Xuan Yuan Jade Hall Great Method, believing it invincible under heaven. After being defeated by you, I realized the flaws within my father's technique. I had intended to consult you on the Heavenly Dao to mend those flaws. But after obtaining the Returning Dao Jade Platter, I realized: what does the Jade Hall Great Method amount to?"
He gave a conceited smile. "I now possess something even better! The Great Cavern Creation Returning to Origin Scripture is a Supreme-grade technique; with this method in hand, I can achieve the realm of Imperial Monarch! But in the Immortal Realm, every position is occupied. If I wish to cultivate to higher realms, the best path forward is undoubtedly to have my father vacate his seat and yield the position of Tai Sui Heavenly Venerable to me. Only then can I acquire sufficient resources to cultivate to even greater heights!"
Xu Ying raised his head to glance at him, murmuring indifferently, "Your father won't yield his position to you."
"He must!" Young Master Ningqing brimmed with confidence. "He'll yield whether he wants to or not!"
Curious, Xu Ying asked, "The Great Cavern Creation Returning to Origin Scripture belongs to someone else. You are studying another's technique without treading your own path—do you feel no shame?"
"Shame? Not at all!" Young Master Ningqing sneered. "When someone else has already built a carriage, am I supposed to reinvent the wheel? If it exists, I'll use it; there's no need to obsess over originality. No matter whose shoulders I stand upon, as long as I stand high enough, everyone else is beneath my feet."
Xu Ying fell into contemplation, murmuring under his breath, "He isn't ashamed of it; he's proud of it. If even he can be this shameless, why should I bother clinging to high moral ground? If I can't comprehend it, why should I feel ashamed?"
At this realization, his eyes sparkled, and the gloom brought on by the character "Grief" vanished in an instant.
Young Master Ningqing declared, "Xu Ying, I lost to you in Weixu, but this time I won't lose! Get up, and let us fight once more! I'll show you what a Supreme technique looks like!"
Xu Ying rose. Suddenly, a ferocious glint flashed across his face, and a surge of brutal violence welled within his heart. "How would I dare look upon a Supreme technique? Surely Young Master Ningqing is joking."
Young Master Ningqing was immensely pleased and smiled. "Fret not, I won't strike to kill. After all, you didn't ruthlessly finish me off last time either..."
"Then let's strike ruthlessly this time!" Xu Ying roared savagely. His voice fell like thunder, woven with the resonance of the Dao and channeling his divine consciousness to blast directly into Young Master Ningqing's mind.
Young Master Ningqing's head buzzed violently as Xu Ying slammed a palm over his face. Pushing against his face, pinning his head down, and dragging his body, Xu Ying hurtled in a straight line from this immortal mountain straight toward another!
A distance of a hundred li flashed past in a blink!
*Boom!*
Young Master Ningqing's head was the first to smash into the immortal mountain, the impact jarring the mountain so hard that it plunged from the sky, dropping a full dozen li before steadying itself!
His entire body sank into the mountainside. Xu Ying laughed heartily, pummeling him with punch after crazed punch. Dull, heavy thuds echoed continuously from within the mountain's interior, and in the next instant, the mountain's opposite slope blew wide open!
With both knees planted squarely upon Young Master Ningqing's chest, Xu Ying bore down on him as they plummeted from the heavens, slamming into the earth with a deafening crash!
Waves of earth churned and boulders shattered, carving out a crater spanning dozens of mu and tens of fathoms deep.
Laughing uproariously, Xu Ying flipped back into the sky. All five of his great cave-heavens opened behind him, pushing his primal qi, divine consciousness, heart power, Primordial Spirit, and yin and yang qi to their absolute limits. Bolstered by the Five Sacred Immortal Mountains, the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron, the Twelve-Storyed Mansions, the Immortal Dao Jade Pool, and the Third Heavenly Pass, his Heavenly Dao domain expanded completely, and with a single shift of his footwork, he manifested the realm of the five immortals!
*Chii—!*
With a flick of his hand, he unleashed the Zhuxian sword qi. Murderous intent brimmed across the sky, and a sword qi that promised absolute extinction appeared before Young Master Ningqing at the bottom of the crater in the very next breath!
Young Master Ningqing had been battered until the bones throughout his body were shattered, and his Primordial Spirit had been shaken so violently that his soul nearly separated from it. Lying dazed at the bottom of the pit, he could only watch helplessly as that fragmented blade descended right before his eyes!
The world-destroying sword intent crushed his Dao heart, leaving his mind utterly blank. The Returning Dao Jade Platter, the Great Cavern Creation Returning to Origin Scripture—all of it was cast aside; he couldn't recall a shred of it.
*I am going to die...* That was the single thought left in his head.
Just as the Zhuxian sword qi was about to run him through, Xu Ying's expression shifted drastically. He forcefully dispersed the sword qi and stood groggily in midair, muttering, "I'm not like this... this isn't me... I've been influenced..."
With a sharp cry, he leaped away and vanished.
Having narrowly escaped death, Young Master Ningqing only came to his senses after a good while. Struggling to heal his injuries, he crawled out of the crater, his legs still trembling.
He summoned the Returning Dao Jade Platter and circulated the Great Cavern Creation Returning to Origin Scripture. The platter's vital qi of creation took effect, restoring his physical body and Primordial Spirit to their original state without leaving the slightest flaw.
Yet the mental trauma inflicted by Xu Ying's frenzied madness was something even the Returning Dao Jade Platter could not heal.
"That wretched bastard... I must defeat him!"
Young Master Ningqing ground his teeth, his voice venomous. "This time, I won't fall for his deceit. I'll attack directly and finish him! Xu Ying, come out!"
His voice was loud and shrill, ringing through the mountains.
After a moment, Young Master Ningqing sent his divine consciousness sweeping across the surroundings, finally locating Xu Ying's trace.
Leaping into the air, he arrived at Xujiaping. Inside a ruined residence, he found Xu Ying huddled in a corner, curled into a ball with his arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, seemingly terrified of something.
Young Master Ningqing's fury flared to the heavens. He barked, "Xu Ying, I sought a fair duel with you to exchange insights on our Dao methods, yet you ambushed me! What kind of skill is that? Let us determine who is superior once more! This time, I won't give you the first move!"
"I'm sorry," Xu Ying said, keeping his head down.
Young Master Ningqing froze, wondering if he had heard correctly. "What did you say?"
"I'm sorry," Xu Ying choked out, lifting his head. Tears streamed from his eyes as he wept. "I know what I did just now went too far. I was cursed by the Imperial Monarch. He used the six characters—Desolation, Death, Malevolence, Grief, Violence, and Tyranny—to corrupt my mind. I must have been so violent just now, wasn't I? It was my fault. I'm sorry. I wanted so badly to control myself, but I couldn't..."
Young Master Ningqing's heart softened. "So that's how it is. I misunderstood you. But this state of yours looks very much like you've been affected by the character for 'Death.'"
"Let me kowtow to apologize to you!" Xu Ying bowed and stepped forward.
Young Master Ningqing hurried to support him, stomping his foot in dismay. "How could I let you do that—"
*Bang!*
Xu Ying drove his right knee savagely into Young Master Ningqing's lower abdomen. Young Master Ningqing bent double like a boiled shrimp, his eyes bulging so wide they seemed ready to pop from their sockets.
*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Xu Ying grabbed his head and delivered knee strike after knee strike, ramming him from this immortal mountain all the way to another. The agony grew so intense that Young Master Ningqing went numb to pain, a high-pitched ringing buzzing in his ears.
Xu Ying laughed wildly, suddenly invoking the Gourd Heaven Dao Verification Scripture. Colossal hands dropped from the sky, swatting down with brutal force to slam Young Master Ningqing from the air straight into the earth!
Staring lifelessly toward the sky, Young Master Ningqing watched as Xu Ying summoned five immortal mountains, sending them crashing down one after another with rumbling roars.
*This beast...* he thought feebly.
Suddenly, the immortal mountains halted. From above the crater came Xu Ying's voice: "We can't do this! We're being influenced! Deep down, we aren't bad people!"
Then, another vicious voice snarled, "Bah! What's wrong with being a bad person? Only villains survive! Have you forgotten what you've suffered over these forty thousand-plus years? How many good people did you ever encounter? In my opinion, if you're going to be a villain, be an honest, upright one! Let's start by slaughtering this kid!"
Yet another sneaky, furtive voice piped up: "Shh. Careful, he might hear you. Let's not kill him all at once. Torture him slowly; hearing his shrieks brings such joy to my soul, heeheehee..."
Then came a voice dripping with murderous ferocity: "Sever his head and deliver it to his father, and let's see how the old man reacts!"
...
Young Master Ningqing gingerly controlled the Returning Dao Jade Platter, channeling its power so that its vital qi of creation enveloped his entire body, slowly mending his flesh and Primordial Spirit.
He took great care not to make the slightest sound, lest he alert Xu Ying above. He thought to himself, *What is going on? I seem to hear several of Xu Ying's voices. What kind of trick is he playing at? However...*
His expression darkened. *No matter what trick he plays this time, I won't believe another word out of his mouth! I'll sneak up silently, catch him off guard, and strike with the Great Cavern Creation Returning to Origin Scripture to kill him on the spot!*
He floated up quietly, his gaze flickering as he locked onto the source of the voices. He heard Xu Ying still speaking:
"We ought to kowtow and apologize to win his forgiveness..."
*I'd have to be a ghost to believe you!* Young Master Ningqing wore a savage grimace as he lunged forward without hesitation, channeling the Great Cavern Creation Returning to Origin Scripture and unleashing the Ten Thousand Daos Returning to Origin force in a sweeping palm strike.
The blow was ferociously mighty. Above the pit, Xu Ying had been crouching; hearing the sound behind him, he turned around with a joyful expression and smiled. "Young Master Ningqing, I sincerely apologize to you—"
*Bang!*
Young Master Ningqing's Ten Thousand Daos Returning to Origin palm force was dreadfully formidable. As the palm landed, Xu Ying didn't even have time to utter a groan before he was annihilated under the force, reduced to dust without a single bone remaining!
Having slain his powerful foe with a single blow, Young Master Ningqing felt completely hollow, uncertain whether he was joyful or sorrowful.
Recalling that sorrowful, somewhat ingratiating look in Xu Ying's eyes right before he died, Young Master Ningqing suddenly felt miserable inside. He shouldn't have killed an utterly defenseless person like that.
"Didn't I tell you? We showed him mercy, but he never shows us any."
Xu Ying's voice abruptly sounded behind him. Shocked and delighted, Young Master Ningqing whirled around, only to be met head-on by Xu Ying's Eight Desolations Sun Refining Seal!
Coughing up blood, Young Master Ningqing flew backward.
Vaguely, he saw two more Xu Yings spring out from behind the first, flanking him from left and right in a pincer attack.
Just as he was about to channel the Great Cavern Creation Returning to Origin Scripture to defend himself, the middle Xu Ying had already leapt into the air, raising a hand to bring down a palm seal carrying the might of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths!
With a heavy thud, Young Master Ningqing crashed onto the ground. The two Xu Yings on the flanks charged in, and all three Xu Yings set upon him with merciless blows.
After a while, Young Master Ningqing lay motionlessly on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, gazing blankly at the sky with all zest for life drained from his eyes.
Not far off, Xu Ying was still whispering to himself. It sounded as though five or six people were arguing there—some gruff, some shrill, some vicious, some brutal, and some dripping with malevolence.
Before long, the voices gradually dwindled.
A short while later, Xu Ying strolled over with a smile on his face. "Young Master Ningqing, I'm truly terribly sorry. Earlier, I was under the influence of the Imperial Monarch's Six-Character Great Curse, which led to many absurd words and deeds. But I have now devised a method to counter it."
Lying on the ground, Young Master Ningqing rolled his eyes, conveying total disbelief.
Xu Ying invoked One Qi Transforming into Three Purities. Three figures—attired in green, white, and yellow robes respectively—stepped down from the clouds above his head. Xu Ying smiled and said, "I used these three Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirits to gather the Imperial Monarch's great curse, sealing it within the Three Purities Primordial Spirits so it can no longer affect me."
Young Master Ningqing's eyes brightened. Struggling to sit up, he said, "I only wished to have a fair duel with you..."
Xu Ying's face beamed with a brilliant smile. "We would also love to experience Young Master's Supreme technique."
The corner of Young Master Ningqing's eye twitched violently. *'We'? Desolation, Death, Malevolence, Grief, Violence, and Tyranny make six characters in total, yet One Qi Transforming into Three Purities can only manifest three figures. What about the remaining three? Could it be...*
Chapter 436