Immortal Realm, the Imperial Monarch's manor.
The Imperial Monarch was leisurely sipping tea when his eldest disciple, Jiang Zhongfu, rushed in flustered to report, "Imperial Monarch! The demon-quelling runes sealing Xu Ying suddenly fell into chaos, burst into flames, and burned to ashes!"
*Crack!*
The teacup in the Imperial Monarch's hand shattered. Shocked, he demanded, "What? Could Sword Lord Jinhe be crossing me again? What insolence!"
Jiang Zhongfu wore a strange look. "In your disciple's estimation, it does not seem to be Sword Lord Jinhe."
He hesitated, words catching in his throat.
The Imperial Monarch shot him a glare and said in a heavy voice, "Speak."
Summoning his courage, Jiang Zhongfu said, "While guarding the demon-quelling runes, your disciple felt saber qi emanate from them, which obliterated the remaining six blood curses all at once. Within that saber qi drifted purple qi, remarkably resembling your Purple Nether Saber..."
At this, the Imperial Monarch's face turned livid. His terrifying aura bore down so heavily that Jiang Zhongfu could no longer speak.
"Using my own saber to break my grand sealing curse? What audacity!"
Only after a long while did the Imperial Monarch suppress his rage. He severed a few more demonic thoughts that disturbed his mind, tossed them down into the Ghost Ruins, and muttered in a low voice, "The Eight-Character Seal is broken. Now only the five Immortal Mountain Dao seals of the Sixteen-Character Seal remain. I fear even these five Immortal Dao runes will not hold him for long."
He flew up to the Ascending Immortals Platform, gazing down upon the heavens and the myriad realms.
The Three Realms tide was drawing nearer and nearer. Portions of the Heavenly River linking the three realms had already been restored, its waters surging. It would not be long before the waterways connecting the Yin and Yang realms to the Immortal Realm were fully reestablished.
"The Three Realms tide is near, very near... Xu Ying, how much longer can you run free?"
***
Weixu, Heavenly Fiend Immortal Domain.
The heavenly fiends of the Heavenly Venerable, the Primordial Monarch, and others arrived one after another. Cupping their hands in congratulations, they laughed. "Imperial Monarch, you truly have a knack for this! How long has it been, and your cultivation has made another leap? We are green with envy!"
"With your cultivation and strength rising so rapidly, are you preparing to seize power from the Supreme Sovereign?"
"Do not jest, everyone,"
the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch mused. "My original body in the Immortal Realm must have had another epiphany, severing his impurities to make his spirit even purer. His cultivation and strength have surged, and I am happy for him as well."
The assembled heavenly fiends nodded in succession.
An immortal had to maintain an utterly pure heart at all times, free of stray thoughts and untainted by demonic nature. Before making a breakthrough, one had to sever and cast away all such elements.
Lately, the Imperial Monarch had been severing all sorts of evil inclinations and demonic thoughts, which clearly proved that a massive leap in his cultivation was imminent!
***
At the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court, Imperial Sons Jin Daoli, Jin Yiqi, and Jin Lan were still shaken by their narrow brush with death.
The three of them struggled to their feet and leaned on one another as they made their way to the Ancestral God's thatched cottage, intending to lodge a complaint. Suddenly, Xu Ying's voice drifted from behind: "Imperial Sons, please wait."
A chill ran through their hearts as they stiffly turned their heads.
In that previous battle, Xu Ying had battered them into deep psychological trauma. Seeing him now still filled them with dread.
Xu Ying strolled over carrying a chamber pot, his expression gentle as he offered a sincere apology: "Over these past days, I was clouded by the Imperial Monarch's blood curse and muddleheaded, which led to my grievous mistake. Fortunately, your injuries are not severe. Please forgive my offense."
Jin Yiqi sneered, "You beat the three of us bloody, and you think an apology settles it? We are Imperial Sons of the demon race—we will settle this score in due time!"
Xu Ying said mild-manneredly, "Little brother, perhaps you misheard. What I meant was, because your injuries are not severe, I offered you an apology. If you refuse to accept my apology, then I will simply have to beat you to death. Only the dead have no need for apologies."
Behind him, Jin Buyi, Ling Siyi, and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. Ling Siyi whispered, "Has Young Master Xu truly recovered? Should we stab him with the saber again?"
The big bell was somewhat doubtful as well.
Jin Yiqi felt his hair stand on end and stammered, "Is this how you apologize?!"
Xu Ying said impassively, "You came seeking me with ill intentions in the first place. I injured you and apologized; that was my courtesy. Refusing to accept my apology is your wrongdoing."
Not daring to say another word, Jin Yiqi and the other two hurried off to find the Ancestral God. They found the deity wearing a bamboo conical hat, quietly angling by the riverbank.
The three broke into tears and poured out their grievances.
The Ancestral God summoned Xu Ying and said, "Injuring them is one matter, but why did you banish the three Demon Sovereigns? Dumping them into the Waste Pool to be swept away by the void—what is to be done about that?"
Xu Ying argued, "Ancestral God, they brought it upon themselves. They were going to strike at me, so I had no choice but to use the chamber pot to capture them."
The Ancestral God said, "Though they brought it upon themselves, they came here to seek my guidance after all. You cannot simply discard them into the Waste Pool. That pool is perilous; casting them into it may well cost them their lives."
Just as he spoke, something seemed to tug at the hook in the river. The Ancestral God pulled hard on his rod, and the ground beneath everyone shook violently. The river suddenly expanded into an unfathomable expanse, its waters roaring tempestuously.
In the next instant, the entire river transformed into a river of stars! Countless celestial bodies surged through the stream like a thundering deluge; a single splashing wave carried tens of thousands of suns and constellations rushing past!
Xu Ying, Jin Buyi, Jin Yiqi, and the others found themselves standing on a tiny patch of ground just a zhang wide. Beneath their feet raged that terrifying river of stars, and falling into it would surely grind them to dust. Their hearts leapt into their throats.
Xu Ying was especially shaken. Only now did he realize that the place where he washed the chamber pot every day was actually so majestic and terrifying!
Yet the Ancestral God remained seated before them, hauling the rod with force to drag a colossal entity out from the river of stars.
Hooked on the line was an unknown pitch-black monster larger than the sun, moon, and stars combined! Radiating an overwhelming savage aura, it began clawing its way up along the fishing line!
"Caught the wrong one."
Seeing the dark monstrosity about to climb onto the shore, the Ancestral God gave the rod a vigorous flick, shaking the creature back into the depths.
Xu Ying and the others watched with bated breath, their hearts pounding.
The Ancestral God cast his line again, giving it a light tug. Suddenly pleased, he smiled. "Got it right this time!"
He reeled in the line. After a moment, a nine-headed, four-winged phoenix emerged, caught on the hook, hauled up from the starry river.
That nine-headed, four-winged phoenix was none other than Demon Sovereign Feng!
Xu Ying hurriedly called out, "Wait! Ancestral God, if you fish them out, what if they seek revenge against me? I am no match for them!"
The Ancestral God continued to reel the line in, saying, "I will resolve your feud for you."
Xu Ying asked, "What if they refuse to let it go?"
The Ancestral God chuckled. "They will."
He pulled Demon Sovereign Feng up from the starry river and asked, "Demon Sovereign Feng, you intended harm toward young friend Xu, so he took you into his chamber pot. This was a consequence of cause and effect; you must not hold it against him. Will you bury the hatchet before me?"
Demon Sovereign Feng was covered in wounds, torn by unknown terrors. Grinding her teeth, she spat, "This boy stuffed me into a chamber pot and threw me into the Waste Pool! How can I let this egregious humiliation rest?!"
The Ancestral God simply left her dangling on the hook and moved to cast her back into the river of stars.
Demon Sovereign Feng dropped to her knees in panic, kowtowing repeatedly. "Ancestral God, wait! Your disciple is willing to bury the hatchet!"
The Ancestral God smiled. "Now that is sensible."
He cast the hook into the river of stars once more. Before long, Demon Sovereign Han and Demon Sovereign Kun were fished up one after the other. These two Demon Sovereigns looked even more wretched than Demon Sovereign Feng—battered all over, barely breathing, as though gnawed on by countless ravenous beasts.
Xu Ying was stunned. "What kind of place lies beneath this river of stars? Why are they so grievously injured?"
The Ancestral God replied, "A waste pool is naturally a place to discard waste."
The Earth God of the Ancestral Court whispered, "The master does not know what that place is either. But back in his era, the powerhouses loved tossing things they disliked into it. Once thrown in, nothing ever escapes."
Xu Ying's eyes lit up. He thought to himself, *If I encounter enemies in the future, I can just toss them in as well—far simpler than destroying the corpses to hide the evidence. But how do I open this river of stars?*
The Ancestral God handled Demon Sovereigns Han and Kun in the same manner, making them resolve their grievances with Xu Ying.
The visions before them faded, and they returned once more to the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court.
Putting away his fishing rod, the Ancestral God chuckled. "Jin Buyi followed Xu Ying in taking a shortcut and has already seen my true form. I cannot show favoritism and let the other three Imperial Sons leave empty-handed. Watch closely."
As he sat by the riverbank, the sky behind him suddenly stretched out into boundless infinity. The heavens, myriad realms, and countless stars, constellations, and celestial rivers rushed toward them. In an instant, they were enveloped within the cosmic expanse!
Boundless starlight rippled, and cosmic primordial qi circulated. In a daze, they seemed to behold an unmatched titan.
The spectacle was beyond awe-inspiring.
Xu Ying immediately whispered into Jin Buyi's ear: "Observe His essence! He is a mass of innate qi; watch the circulation of qi. He is an undying spiritual light; observe the movement of light!"
Jin Buyi's mind shook, and he hurried to examine carefully, gradually comprehending marvelous truths from the Ancestral God's true form.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xu Ying compared the Heavenly Dao principles he had contemplated over the past half-year against the Ancestral God's true form, deepening his own insights.
The three Imperial Sons, Yuan Qi, the big bell, and even the Brood Mother gained immense revelations.
After a long while, the starry cosmos vanished, and they found themselves back in the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court. The Ancestral God was no longer by the river; He had returned to his thatched cottage at some unknown moment.
Over the following days, everyone absorbed their insights from the Ancestral God's Primordial Spirit. Each made extraordinary progress, their Primordial Spirits and cultivations rising sharply.
Xu Ying had reached the Jade Pool stage, the very phase where the Primordial Spirit underwent rebirth. Through this comprehension, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. Rolling immortal spiritual qi fished from the Immortal Realm by his six cave-heavens poured in, elevating his Primordial Spirit to ever greater heights.
On this day, as Xu Ying carried the chamber pot toward the Waste Pool, he activated his six cave-heavens and tempered his Primordial Spirit.
Suddenly, he entered a wondrous state, as though he had become the Ancestral God—like the void, like primal breath, like light.
He felt his divine consciousness become vast as the universe, his primordial qi boundless as the starry sky, his Primordial Spirit akin to the void, encompassing all creation.
Without realizing it, he came to a halt. His Primordial Spirit emptied, seemingly merging with the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court until they were indistinguishable.
At that moment, his consciousness appeared to project into the sky above the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court, connecting with the heavens and the myriad realms.
His awareness seemed to permeate every corner of the universe, gazing upon stars, mountains, drifting clouds, and all living beings.
His consciousness moved like a gentle breeze in the air, a wisp of drifting cloud, rushing rivers and seas, the brilliance of the scorching sun. The people and affairs of the myriad realms fell under his gaze; every whisper reached his ears.
His comprehension of the Heavenly Dao grew profoundly deep, yet exquisitely minute and detailed.
Unconsciously, the primordial qi within him circulated according to the Taiyi Inborn Technique, yet diverged from its original form. The operation of his primordial qi, yin and yang, divine consciousness, soul power, heart power, and physical vitality all differed from the Taiyi Inborn Technique of old.
He had not intentionally altered the technique; it simply adapted of its own accord. Yet the new art grew ever more potent, refining the six secret depositories with breathtaking speed.
His Primordial Spirit flourished at an equally astonishing pace.
On that day, all those cultivating in the Ancestral Court—whether Jin Buyi, Jin Daoli, the four Demon Sovereigns, Yuan Qi, or the big bell—could not help but halt their practice.
Stirred by an inexplicable premonition, they raised their heads to look at the sky.
Radiant auroras erupted across the sky of the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court like streams of glowing mist, converging toward a single point.
The Earth God of the Ancestral Court paused his chores and looked up at the sky. Just then, the Ancestral God walked out of his thatched cottage and gazed toward where the glowing mist gathered.
"Forty-eight thousand years ago, I asked him to stay here for one year. If he had been willing to stay, he would have achieved this back then, wouldn't he?" the Ancestral God murmured softly.
The Earth God beside his feet said, "Alas, he was too busy. He always felt he had so many things to do. After staying half a year, he hurried off."
In his first life, Xu Ying had possessed peerless brilliance, pioneering the cultivation of the Undying True Spirit. Yet on that path, the first-life Xu Ying had not ventured far.
He had merely scratched the surface, later suffering dearly for it. Only by leaning on that slight comprehension of the Ancestral God's Primordial Spirit had he managed to preserve his life.
Now, forty-eight thousand years had passed. Xu Ying had returned to the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court, settled his mind, and finally attained the Dao.
Carrying the chamber pot, Xu Ying ran his profound art. Behind him manifested the Jade Pool. His Primordial Spirit stood towering above it, interwoven with thousands of undying spiritual lights to forge his Undying Primordial Spirit!
After a long time, the celestial anomalies dispersed, and Xu Ying awakened from his epiphany in the Ancestral Court.
That sensation—where he was the starry sky, all creation, and all living beings—was simply too wondrous. Yet entering that profound and ethereal realm a second time would be impossible.
Achieving that state just now had relied firstly on his deep contemplation of the Dao, and secondly on the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court itself. Neither could be lacked.
Xu Ying emptied the chamber pot, walked to the riverbank, scrubbed the wooden bucket clean inside and out, and carried it back toward the cottage.
Upon arriving, he saw Jin Buyi, Yuan Qi, and the others packing their belongings. Mythical beasts like the Baxia, the Tianpeng, and the Bifang were also preparing to depart.
Surprised, Xu Ying hurried over to Jin Buyi and asked, "Why the rush to leave?"
Just then, the Ancestral God's voice drifted out from the thatched cottage: "Earth God, I am weary. See the guests out on my behalf."
The Earth God of the Ancestral Court hopped onto the war drum, gesturing toward everyone. "Esteemed guests, this way."
Each person had gained their own harvest. Though reluctant to depart, having witnessed the Ancestral God's true form made the journey worthwhile. Having gathered their gear, they walked outward to leave the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court.
Xu Ying walked alongside the Earth God to see them off, but the Earth God shook his head. "Ah Ying, you should leave as well."
Xu Ying blinked. "I haven't stayed a full year yet."
The Earth God shook his head. "This is the Ancestral God's will. You have learned what you came to learn; staying longer serves no purpose. You may go."
Xu Ying composed himself, set down the wooden bucket, and bowed toward the thatched cottage.
The Earth God felt a wave of sentiment, thinking to himself, *This boy truly values loyalty and affection. Even though the Ancestral God taught him nothing, he still treats the Ancestral God like an eld—eld... Put down the Ancestral God's chamber pot!*
Hearing this, Xu Ying grabbed the chamber pot and bolted!
Furious, the Earth God stamped on the war drum and gave chase, shouting, "Little thief, halt!"
Running for his life with the chamber pot in hand, Xu Ying looked back and barked, "I've served the old man for over half a year! Even if there's no merit, there's hard labor! Consider this bucket my wages!"
The Earth God beat the war drum, unleashing shockwaves. That drum could rattle the Primordial Spirits of Immortal Kings and Immortal Monarchs, jarring their souls right out of their flesh. Yet when struck by the blast, Xu Ying merely swayed slightly and kept sprinting ahead with the bucket.
"This kid tempered his Primordial Spirit to such a degree?!"
The Earth God flew into a rage and hollered, "You stole the chamber pot—how is the Ancestral God supposed to relieve himself tonight?! Leave the bucket behind! Senior Brother Heaven, Senior Brother Heaven, wake up!"
Chapter 462