If You Don't Want to Die, Scram!

Imperial Monarch Cangtian could not tell what was wrong with him either. Every art had its specialists, and the Four Sages of the Northern Pole were originally patriarchs tasked with subduing demons and expelling fiends; they were not well-versed in immortal path seals and curses. Imperial Monarch Cangtian led Xu Ying to see Imperial Monarch Zhenwu and the others, asking in an undertone, "Did you see the immortal raft in the sky?" Imperial Monarch Zhenwu and the other two sages' eyes flickered. "We noticed it long ago. However, since the woman in red has made no suspicious moves, we haven't touched her." Imperial Monarch Cangtian nodded gently, maintaining his composure, and set off with Xu Ying toward the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court. Xu Ying, having returned to normal, said to Imperial Monarch Cangtian, "I have long heard of the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court. An Earth God hailing from there once came seeking me, saying the Ancestral God of the Heavenly Dao had invited me. It was just that I was burdened with many trivial affairs and lacked the time to go. Little did I expect that after declining back then, several years would pass before I finally journeyed there." Seeing that he spoke with such refined elegance, Imperial Monarch Cangtian was quite pleased and smiled. "The two of us are bound to get along splendidly on this journey. If there is anything about cultivation you don't understand, feel free to ask me." Xu Ying said delighted, "I only worry I might trouble Brother Dao." Two days after their departure, a travel-worn Jijue arrived at the Zhenwu Temple. Overjoyed to see Ningqing, he hurriedly asked about Xu Ying's whereabouts. Ningqing said, "He went with Imperial Monarch Cangtian to the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court." Buddhist Child Jijue stomped his feet in despair. "By now, his six-character seal has likely erupted completely! He will only grow more and more unhinged. If this drags on, the great curse will seep into his brain and become incurable!" Ningqing consoled him, "Imperial Monarch Cangtian is Marshal Tianpeng, Cangtian Shangdi, the head of the Four Sages. He is revered as the Ancestor of Myriad Gods and the Supreme Sovereign; his abilities surpass even my master's. You needn't worry." Hearing this, Buddhist Child Jijue stopped worrying. "Weren't you returning to the Immortal Realm, Young Master Ningqing? Why did you come to the Ancestral Court?" he asked curiously. Ningqing said, "During my ascension, I was ambushed by the one controlling the Returning Dao Jade Platter. Fortunately, Master Zhenwu rescued me. And why have you come to the Ancestral Court?" Buddhist Child Jijue said, "The Evil Buddha Ji Bodhi told me that if I wish to achieve Buddhahood, I must come to the Ancestral Court. Little Celestial Venerable's mending of the heavens is currently in full swing, and Ji Bodhi sent me here to achieve Buddhahood. I must go see this leader of the Ancestral Court!" Ningqing hesitated; he, too, wished to pay his respects to Little Celestial Venerable. Although Little Celestial Venerable held little fame in the Immortal Realm, once one arrived in the Ancestral Court, there was no one who did not know his name. Even the Divine Generals Turtle and Snake spoke of him with unending praise. Especially after witnessing the miraculous phenomena brought about by the revival of the Great Dao across the Ancestral Court, Ningqing felt boundless admiration for Little Celestial Venerable. Now that he had become a rebel himself, how could he miss the chance to meet such a magnificent hero? However, having only just been taken in as a disciple, he was unsure if Imperial Monarch Zhenwu would let him leave. Just as the thought crossed his mind, Imperial Monarch Zhenwu's voice reached his ears: "Ningqing, your mastery over the Returning Dao Jade Platter will be of great use to Little Celestial Venerable in reviving the Ancestral Court. Go with Buddhist Child Jijue to meet him." Ningqing was overjoyed and bowed in acknowledgment. Together with Jijue, he left the Zhenwu Temple and set off for the Ziwei Remnant Realm. Xu Ying and Imperial Monarch Cangtian traveled side by side. Imperial Monarch Cangtian currently took the form of a middle-aged Daoist with a full forehead, a square jaw, a neat mustache on his upper lip, and a small goatee on his chin. With single eyelids, his divine light turned inward, and he was always smiling, looking every bit like an easygoing man. Yet over the past few days, he had not smiled once. Xu Ying had asked him for guidance on cultivation problems. Imperial Monarch Cangtian had initially assumed that no matter how advanced the questions might be, they would at most reach the level of a Heavenly Immortal or an Immortal King, nothing he couldn't handle. Instead, the moment Xu Ying opened his mouth, he brought up questions about the Great Dao of Lihen Heaven, the Great Dao of Yuxu Palace, and the Great Dao of the Void Sovereign, or matters such as unraveling an Imperial Monarch's immortal runes and methods for cultivating the Undying True Spirit. Imperial Monarch Cangtian could not answer a single one of them and could only stare back blankly. Over the following days, Xu Ying remained courteous to his face, but behind his back, Cangtian overheard several distinct voices speaking from Xu Ying's mouth, ridiculing him as an incompetent fraud who swindled his way through life. Imperial Monarch Cangtian was so furious his Three Corpses leaped in rage. He thought, *Are those even questions meant for mortals to ask? Even if a Supreme came, they might not be able to answer you! Besides, I'm not a Supreme!* Little did he know that the problems confounding Xu Ying were precisely questions of that caliber. In terms of Dao attainment, Xu Ying had essentially stepped onto the same level as Imperial Monarch Cangtian, even if his cultivation base remained far behind. At that moment, Imperial Monarch Cangtian inadvertently glanced back and saw that the immortal raft was still trailing them unhurriedly, gliding across the clouds. Looking away, he thought, *What are the intentions of that woman in red aboard the raft? Why does she follow us without approaching or speaking?* Xiao Xixian gazed faintly toward Xu Ying, thinking, *The strongest person among those who rode the immortal raft down to the lower realm this time was Ding Simu, the Frontier Immortal King. But the strongest of the previous batch of stowaways was Hao Kaiyang, head of the Four Fiends of the Hidden Lands. His Eight Gates Direct-Reverse Life and Death Art is renowned as peerless among Immortal Kings! He should already be waiting ahead, shouldn't he?* Suddenly, Xiao Xixian sensed something. Looking into the distance, she spotted Little Celestial Venerable, clad in snow-white robes, standing atop a Heaven-Mending Divine Artifact and inspecting its operation. Startled, Xiao Xixian steered the immortal raft, vanishing without a sound. Sensing a presence, Little Celestial Venerable turned to look, catching only a glimpse of fluttering red garments as the raft drifted away. He was surprised. "That figure from behind seems somewhat familiar... as though I have seen her somewhere before." He sank into thought, a crimson silhouette lingering in his memory. Mount Huai of the Ancestral Court. The mountain earned its name from its resemblance to a locust tree. Legend had it that an ancient divine tree had died and petrified into stone to form this peak. As Xu Ying and Imperial Monarch Cangtian flew past Mount Huai, Xu Ying marveled at how towering, majestic, and extraordinary this tree-shaped mountain was. Imperial Monarch Cangtian sighed with emotion. "This locust tree was once an old friend of mine who achieved remarkable cultivation. Alas, he could not escape the Dao weeping, and so he petrified and died." Xu Ying was visualizing the Zhuxian sword qi to resist the Imperial Monarch's seal. Upon hearing this, he asked, "Brother Dao, what is Dao weeping?" Imperial Monarch Cangtian replied, "When those who have attained the Dao hear the Great Dao mourn and see the heavens weep blood, that is Dao weeping. During the Dao weeping, myriad Daos fall silent. I heard the Dao weeping once, when the Great Tide arrived." Suddenly, his expression shifted slightly. Radiating natural authority without anger, he said calmly, "The Immortal Realm has sent people after me already!" Alerted by his words, Xu Ying finally sensed a faint trace of immortal aura lying in ambush in the sky ahead of Mount Huai. Circulating the Gourd Heaven Dao Verification Scripture, Xu Ying peered through the depths of the void ahead. Over forty immortals were concealed within the void, their magical treasures summoned and ready, waiting in tight formation! The moment Xu Ying and Cangtian stepped into the ambush, they would strike without mercy! In the sky, the immortal raft reappeared. Standing at the bow, Xiao Xixian looked down and thought, *Hao Kaiyang has already deployed the Eight Gates Direct-Reverse Life and Death Art. In this battle, he will succeed no matter what!* Imperial Monarch Cangtian said apologetically, "Fellow Daoist Xu, I have burdened—" Before he could finish, Xu Ying cut him off: "Brother Dao, it is I who have burdened you. I never expected the Immortal Realm to pursue me all the way here. But rest assured, I won't let this drag you in." Imperial Monarch Cangtian stared slack-jawed, then quickly said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, you might be mistaken. I possess a modest reputation as one of the Ancestral Court's Four Sages of the Northern Pole. While I might not be universally renowned, my name shook the Immortal Realm. Those coming must be targeting me." Xu Ying thought for a moment and said, "How about this: Brother Dao, go ahead and ask them who they came for. If they're here for you, I naturally won't interfere." Imperial Monarch Cangtian laughed. "Does that even need asking? With the four of us resurrected, who knows how panicked the Immortal Realm must be?" Even so, he stepped forward, raising one palm to his chest in a Daoist greeting, and called out with a smile: "Forty-eight Daoist friends lying in wait within the void, might I ask whether you have come for me, Tianpeng, or for Xu—" "Piss off, you damn Daoist!" One of the unaffiliated cultivators jumped out of the void in fury and nerves, waving his hands frantically and roaring, "We laid a tribulation formation here! What the hell are you butting in for, you blasted priest? Now that you've called us out, how are we supposed to ambush anyone?" Imperial Monarch Cangtian's face flushed crimson, and he stammered, "I—I am Imperial Monarch Cangtian, whose might shakes the eight directions..." The other unaffiliated cultivators concealed in the void filed out one after another, irritation etched on their faces as they grumbled, "This blind Daoist ruined our layout. Fine, then! We'll just capture the rebel Xu Ying out in the open!" Imperial Monarch Cangtian still struggled to salvage his pride: "I am the Superior Father of the Nine Heavens—" The cultivators glared at him fiercely. "Scram! Or we'll slaughter you along with him!" Xu Ying walked up from behind and said calmly, "Brother Dao, this is a matter between the seven of us. It has nothing to do with you." Imperial Monarch Cangtian had no choice but to step aside, brooding silently, *Have I faded into obscurity so deeply that even the Immortal Realm doesn't know who I am?* Limping forward, Xu Ying summoned his eighteen-foot Primordial Spirit behind him. Without a word, the forty-eight unaffiliated cultivators hurled their immortal artifacts and unleashed their divine powers, surging toward him simultaneously. Xu Ying stomped down heavily. The entire world seemed to plummet abruptly, throwing every immortal artifact and divine power off course. Then, the might of a Heavenly Dao supreme treasure erupted: the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron engulfed the firmament and inverted, descending to form a Heavenly Dao domain! In an instant, nearly everyone fell into Xu Ying's domain, feeling an overwhelming dread as though they were facing a heavenly tribulation all over again. Three thousand Heavenly Daos blessed Xu Ying and his Primordial Spirit, making him resemble a God King of the ancient gods wielding the Heavenly Dao, possessing supreme tribulation power! "Kill!" They charged at Xu Ying, but the Primordial Spirit behind him sprang into motion, vanishing like a phantom. In the next breath, almost all of them were struck by his Primordial Spirit at the same instant! Xu Ying tapped the tip of an immortal sword with a single finger; with a sharp snap, it shattered, and the flying shards pierced right through its master's body, riddling him with holes in an instant. Another female immortal summoned an immortal gourd that spewed immortal fire. Xu Ying's Primordial Spirit plunged straight into the flames, impervious to the heat, and punched through the gourd, shattering the female immortal's bones and sinews along with it! One immortal artifact after another snapped and shattered; not a single opponent could withstand a single blow. In mere moments, more than half of the unaffiliated cultivators were dead or wounded! "The Immortal Court's number one hound truly lives up to his reputation!" A sneer suddenly rang out from among the unaffiliated cultivators. Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat, and his Primordial Spirit whipped back in time to stand behind him. Xu Ying raised his arms, and his Primordial Spirit mimicked the motion! At the same time, pure qi billowed from the crown of his head. One Qi Three Purities manifested, and the three Xu Yings—Huang, Shang, and Ai—wailed in chorus, "We can't do this!" Despite their cries, the three Xu Yings exerted every ounce of strength, surging with all their cultivation to thrust both palms upward! Above Xu Ying, a figure stepped out from the void, black robes flapping like the descent of night. With a deafening clang, the Heavenly Dao supreme treasure, the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron, was struck so hard its wall caved in, sending it flying away into the distance! Eight magnificent portals materialized behind the man, towering within the void. Each door was etched with bizarre immortal runes constructed from intricate bird script and worm seal characters. One portal after another slammed open, unleashing torrential immortal power! The black-robed man's palm force surged eightfold in an instant, crashing down from above! Had Xu Ying not sensed a truly horrifying mortal threat, he would never have called upon the three deadweight Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirits, Huang, Shang, and Ai. That terrifying palm force not only knocked away the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron, but also distorted the Heavenly Dao domain under its sheer weight, causing Heavenly Dao runes to burst and extinguish in rapid succession! Boom! Their palm strikes collided. Xu Ying stumbled backward, tumbling tens of li before steadying his footing. The six cave-heavens behind him flared brighter, and suddenly the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths manifested, nine tiers of heavens hanging high to meet the black-robed man's second palm strike. The fabric of the Ancestral Court's world was inherently unstable to begin with. As their palm forces clashed once more, the surrounding space tore open, and earth, water, wind, and fire surged violently in all directions! The two separated, only for the black-robed man to attack again. Xu Ying met yet another palm strike, his vitality churning. Then, instead of pressing the attack, the black-robed man soared into the air and drifted away, laughing heartily. "Celestial Venerable Xu, the Immortal Court's number one hound, is nothing special after all! I, Hao Kaiyang, have experienced it for myself!" His figure vanished into the distance. Xu Ying's expression shifted uncertainly, but he did not pursue. Suddenly, the immortal raft whooshed and vanished from the sky. Moments later, it intercepted Hao Kaiyang, blocking his path. Startled, Hao Kaiyang, the Chief Fiend of the Hidden Lands, halted and said calmly, "Why does Xiao Xixian bar my way?" Xiao Xixian stood gracefully upon the raft, her red garments trailing behind her. "There is one thing I don't understand. Why did Chief Hao, the head of the Four Fiends, leave instead of eliminating the rebel Xu Ying directly?" Hao Kaiyang said, "He withstood my long-premeditated opening strike. Having failed to kill him then, I had no confidence in slaying him no matter how many more attacks I launched. Leaving now at least spares me some face." Xiao Xixian nodded gently. "I see." Hao Kaiyang was about to step away when he stopped and glanced back. "There is something I don't understand either. You told me the path Xu Ying was bound to take, yet you did not strike yourself. With your hidden depths, even if you couldn't take him down, you should have been able to retreat unscathed, wouldn't you?" A sliver of murderous intent slipped from Xiao Xixian before she concealed it, and she giggled. "If I strike, I must have absolute certainty. I won't give him any chance to escape..." Hao Kaiyang cast her an odd look and turned to leave. Xiao Xixian murmured softly, "For that chance, I must wait a bit longer. Ahead, I've already arranged for a few of your old flames to wait for you... Xu Ying! This time, there will be no escape!" Xu Ying and Imperial Monarch Cangtian continued together, heading toward the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court. Xu Ying did not know where the court lay, but as the Ancestor of Myriad Gods, Imperial Monarch Cangtian naturally knew its location. Suddenly brightening, Imperial Monarch Cangtian grinned. "Fellow Daoist Xu, whoever's blocking the path ahead this time must be sent by the Immortal Realm to kill me!" Supremely confident, he strode forward, only to hear a roar from afar: "Stinking Daoist, if you don't want to die, scram!"