Xu Ying felt his scalp tingle with dread. Seventeen Nuo immortals had secluded themselves within their lands of Hidden Scenery latent transformation, hoping to dwell as immortals in the mortal world, yet not a single one had survived!
If that was the case, did the path of cultivation for a Nuo master still hold any meaning or value?
"They suffered immense horrors before they died," Zhou Qiyun said as he thoroughly inspected the white-robed Nuo immortal's human skin, unwilling to overlook a single detail. "When I examined their corpses, most were just like this ghost Nuo immortal—nothing left but a hollow skin bag. Some of their bodies were relatively intact, merely missing parts. For instance, a Nuo immortal who cultivated the Mud Pill secret depository was missing the Mud Pill Palace in his brain. A Nuo immortal who cultivated the Crimson Palace secret depository had his heart carved out. Others had their feet severed, their heads lopped off, and so forth."
Both Xu Ying and Yuan Qi could not help but shudder.
According to their deductions, the person who had killed these Nuo immortals was the very person who had taught them their techniques—their master!
Yet judging from Zhou Qiyun's description, they were treated more like livestock raised for food. A discerning gourmand would pick and savor only the most delectable portions: some fancied the Mud Pill, others preferred the heart, and thus they ate only those parts.
Yuan Qi could not help but say, "I read in a book that for some people, ascension is like a golden cicada shedding its husk. The mortal body is like a cicada's molt, merely a skin bag—a vulgar encumbrance weighing us down. Only by sloughing off that skin can one ascend. Could it be possible that the Nuo immortals left with only their skins have actually ascended?"
Zhou Qiyun looked at him in surprise. "You have read quite a few books."
Yuan Qi lifted his head proudly, though his tone carried a sliver of modesty. "My venerable Niu family comes from a scholarly lineage with an extensive collection of books. Whenever I had idle time, I read through a good number of them."
Then he remembered that his home was gone now, and those books were most likely buried at the bottom of the water. The glory of three generations of the Niu family had all washed away down the river, and grief welled in his heart.
When Zhou Qiyun heard the words "Niu family," he could not help but furrow his brows, wondering why on earth this family bore the surname Niu. Little did he know that it was entirely the fault of the Elephant-Strength Bull Demon Fist scroll he had carelessly left behind all those years ago.
"I am aware of that theory," Zhou Qiyun said. "There is also the notion of feathering ascension, which claims that they molt their old shells to emerge like butterflies, transforming into another state of existence beyond our comprehension. But I have closely studied the skin bags left behind by these supposed ascendants, and I discovered that they were actually devoured. There was no ascension whatsoever."
Yuan Qi said, "There is another method of ascension called calamity fire ascension. When a Nuo immortal passes away, calamity fire erupts over their body, reducing the flesh to a pile of ashes, while their true soul ascends to the Immortal Realm."
Zhou Qiyun could not resist glancing at him twice, praising, "You truly have read widely. Do you know of another saying, ascension through martial dissolution?"
Yuan Qi nodded. "I do. Legend has it that when a Nuo immortal dies or is slain, they are laid in a coffin. Yet when the coffin is opened, there is no corpse inside, only garments, fingernails, and the like. It is rumored to be ascension through martial dissolution or ascension through corpse dissolution. They leave behind their fingernails and clothes merely to pull the wool over people's eyes, so as not to shock the world."
Xu Ying had been unable to get a word in, listening quietly as they talked. He thought to himself, *It seems reading books really is of some use. I can't even join this conversation.*
Zhou Qiyun said, "What if all of that is a lie? What if those Nuo immortals never ascended at all, but were eaten until nothing remained except their clothes and fingernails?"
Yuan Qi's face darkened, and he fumed, "Could it be that everything in the books is a lie?"
Zhou Qiyun chuckled. "It depends on who wrote the book. If I were to write one, I would expose every bit of this deceitful trickery and lay out the bloody, gruesome truth, lest future generations be led astray!"
He cast aside the white-robed Nuo immortal's human skin and stepped out of the great temple. "The culprit behind the deaths of these seventeen Nuo immortals was none other than their master! The purpose of those old bastards passing down their arts was never to carry on a heritage—it was to harvest chives!"
He sneered, "They treat the heroes of the world as a patch of chives, reaping crop after crop! But I refuse to be harvested! I will turn my blade against them!"
Xu Ying followed him out, only to find the area outside the great temple packed with people, forming a dense, black mass of figures.
These individuals radiated immense, formidable auras. Behind them, the Sea of Chaos surged and churned, and radiant cave-heavens warped time and space, plunging into the sea to siphon energy.
The dazzling light radiating from the cave-heavens even eclipsed the radiance of the sun within the temple world!
*The experts of the Zhou clan are as numerous as the stars in the sky!* Xu Ying could not help but marvel inwardly.
What an immense aristocratic clan! What an overwhelming power!
Zhou Qiyun stood before the temple gates, his voice echoing across the mountains: "Disciples and students of the Zhou clan, hear my command! Tear down every door you find, strip the tiles from every roof, pry out every last coffin nail! Clear out this land of Hidden Scenery latent transformation until it is completely bare!"
The crowd of Zhou clan experts bowed in unison. "Understood!"
They fanned out in all directions. Anything useful was dismantled and carted away; even the Hidden Scenery left behind by the white-robed Nuo immortal was refined by powerful Nuo masters and sealed into peculiar vessels.
Xu Ying saw them roll up the white-robed Nuo immortal's human skin as well.
Some even went to the Five Sacred Peaks immortal mountain, slicing off chunks of flesh and placing them into vessels for cultivation, though he had no idea what they planned to do with them.
As for the deities that had turned to stone, they were carried away on shoulders, leaving not a single one behind.
Judging by their orderly, practiced efficiency, this was certainly not the first time they had done such a thing; they must have done it many times before.
Zhou Qiyun continued to walk at the head of the group. Beneath Xu Ying and Yuan Qi's feet, clouds and mist spontaneously gathered, carrying the boy and the snake along behind him whether they wished it or not.
"Senior Zhou, you spent over eighty years searching for so many Nuo immortals. Was there truly not a single survivor?" Xu Ying inquired.
Zhou Qiyun halted his steps, pondered for a moment, and replied, "I found seventeen dead Nuo immortals, but there were also lands of Hidden Scenery latent transformation that were completely empty. There were neither corpses nor ashes of Nuo immortals within them. I cannot say for certain whether they are alive, but the hope is slim."
Xu Ying understood what he meant.
Nuo immortals who entered a land of Hidden Scenery latent transformation had essentially exhausted their lifespans. Even if they saw through the trap and escaped, they likely would not live more than a few years.
"After seeing through the trap in the cultivation techniques, I searched the Five Sacred Peaks and the Three Mountains, tracking down these Nuo immortals who died in their lands of Hidden Scenery latent transformation. Although I was disappointed, it was not without harvest."
Zhou Qiyun walked toward the entrance of the ruined temple world, continuing where he had left off. "None who attained the realm of Nuo immortal were mediocre talents. To varying degrees, they too had realized the problems existing within the Nuo master techniques. Some had even traveled quite far along that path, attempting to seek a resolution from older cultivation systems. Among their relics, I found a few monster arts."
Yuan Qi opened his mouth to speak, but held back from voicing his hypothesis regarding the monster race as an advance civilization. He thought to himself, *This man named Zhou is human after all. Even if I expose the conspiracy of the humans, it will only alert the enemy. Better to let sleeping dogs lie.*
Xu Ying said, "The so-called monster arts are actually the arts of ancient Qi Refiners, which somehow became lost to mankind and ended up as techniques practiced by monsters. Did their pursuit of this path give Senior Zhou an idea?"
Zhou Qiyun said leisurely, "Though they failed, their experiences were invaluable."
Xu Ying's eyes flickered, and he probed, "And your purpose in coming to the new territory of Yongzhou was to find me, so I could help you decipher the Qi Refiner techniques and resolve the trap in your cultivation?"
Zhou Qiyun burst into hearty laughter and shook his head. "The trap in my cultivation was resolved by me long ago; otherwise, I would never have dared to break through and open the ninth tier of the secret depository one hundred and seventy years ago."
His voice carried tremendous conviction and pride as he declared, "I came to the new territory for only three things! The first and smallest matter is to slay the master of the Mud Pill Palace, eliminating future trouble once and for all!"
Xu Ying was profoundly shaken, his eyes fixed on the man's back.
Zhou Qiyun was by no means a good person, yet for some reason, he possessed an extraordinary charisma.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Zhou Qiyun looked up at the sky, his eyes bright. "Although he was a master to me, he harbored the intention to devour me. I cannot simply sit by and wait for death. In the past, I lacked the confidence to eliminate him, but now I have it. The battle at Mount Wuwang was merely our opening bout; because I had to be on guard against another individual, he managed to slip away. But he will certainly come again."
He remained composed and unhurried, speaking placidly, "Next time, I will not give him any chance at all."
Xu Ying asked, "What about the second matter?"
Zhou Qiyun smiled faintly. "For the second matter, I intend to emulate Emperor Zhidao Dasheng Mingxiao and personally make a journey to the Netherworld to have a talk with the Son of Heaven of the Nether Court. When I go all out, I do not want anyone stabbing me in the back."
Xu Ying stared at him in disbelief. Traveling to the Nether Court to negotiate with its Son of Heaven—did Zhou Qiyun truly possess combat strength on par with Emperor Zhidao Dasheng Mingxiao?
Zhou Qiyun smiled slightly. "The third matter is the utmost priority. The first two are merely paving the way for it."
Xu Ying collected his thoughts and asked, "Then what is the third matter?"
Zhou Qiyun chuckled. "We can talk about that after I slay the master of the Mud Pill Palace; it is still too early. Xu Ying, stay by my side and help me decipher Granny Tuo's Immortal Scripture."
"*Granny Tuo's Immortal Scripture*?" Xu Ying was puzzled.
"My Zhou clan obtained a volume of an immortal scripture from an ancient cave-heaven at Mount Doujiao. It is extraordinarily profound and obscure. The master of that cave-heaven was named Granny Tuo, which is why it is called Granny Tuo's Immortal Scripture,"
Zhou Qiyun said, "Many of the Zhou clan's brightest talents have already been deciphering it, unraveling quite a bit of useful content. Xu Ying, you possess the talent to decipher immortal scriptures; my Zhou clan will not treat you poorly."
Xu Ying's eyelids twitched slightly. "Senior Zhou invites me with such hospitality, and you are my elder—naturally, I cannot refuse. However, I have killed Zhou Yang and Zhou Yihang. I fear there might be some misunderstandings once I arrive at the Zhou clan."
Zhou Qiyun shook his head. "They will not dare go too far with you."
"Senior misunderstands."
Xu Ying's expression was calm as he said, "What I mean is, I will fight back."
Zhou Qiyun took a deep look at him and chuckled. "A person who dares to slay a deity is indeed lawless. By all means, fight back as you please."
They stepped out of the ruined temple world and returned to Shuikou Temple, only to find that people were already there. Leading them was a fair, handsome youth dressed in white with an indigo undertone—none other than Yuan Weiyang. Behind him stood the green-robed old servant, Uncle Xiao.
The two had originally been near Shuikou Temple. In an attempt to rescue Xu Ying, they had clashed with Granny Yu, but she had managed to flee. They had pursued her for a long time without locating Xu Ying or Granny Yu.
It was only when Zhou Qiyun forcefully tore through Shuikou Temple's concealment to reveal the Five Sacred Peaks immortal mountain that the two had hurried to the temple, completely unexpecting to run into Xu Ying's group.
Yuan Weiyang's gaze fell upon Zhou Qiyun, his brow furrowing slightly, before shifting toward Xu Ying.
Uncle Xiao, standing behind him, looked at Zhou Qiyun but failed to recognize him as the Zhou clan ancestor.
Zhou Qiyun had achieved fame and power over two hundred years ago and had lived in secluded simplicity ever since, rarely showing his face in public. Thus, Uncle Xiao had never seen him.
Just as Yuan Weiyang was about to speak, Xu Ying suddenly laughed heartily. "Weiyang, you came too? It's been so long!"
He stepped forward, took Yuan Weiyang's hand, and squeezed it subtly, smiling as he said, "Senior Zhou, this is an old acquaintance of mine from Lingling City. Weiyang, this is Senior Zhou of the Zhou clan, a preeminent figure among them."
He squeezed Yuan Weiyang's hand again, feeling perplexed in his heart: *Why is his hand so soft? His skin is much more delicate than mine, so smooth. City boys really take care of themselves—nothing like us rough country lads.*
Uncle Xiao glared at their hands, his eyes nearly spitting fire.
Xu Ying squeezed once more to confirm: it really was exceedingly smooth.
Yuan Weiyang calmly withdrew his hand and said softly, "Since it is inconvenient for you, Weiyang will take his leave."
He turned to depart. Uncle Xiao shot two vicious glares at Xu Ying and quickly followed him.
Just then, Zhou Qiyun's voice rang out: "Your surname is Yuan? Yuan Wuji of your Yuan clan is quite capable; I once exchanged moves with him, and he narrowly lost to me by a single technique."
Yuan Weiyang stopped in his tracks, and Uncle Xiao's expression instantly changed, only now realizing that Xu Ying's actions had been well-intentioned.
Yuan Wuji was the venerable ancestor of the Yuan clan, whose cultivation reached the heavens and earth, unfathomably profound—a living myth within the clan!
Yet this white-browed youth claimed that Yuan Wuji had narrowly lost to him. That meant this person could only be the Zhou clan ancestor!
Zhou Qiyun's voice brooked no argument as he said, "Deciphering Granny Tuo's Immortal Scripture requires someone of extraordinary talent. The members of your Yuan clan are all highly gifted. You stay as well."
Uncle Xiao was about to flare up in anger, but Yuan Weiyang raised a hand to stop him. Yuan Weiyang bowed and said, "How could I dare disobey?"
He came over to Xu Ying's side and stood there quietly without a word, acting as if what had just happened had nothing to do with him.
Yuan Qi suddenly noticed that Xu Ying kept sniffing his right hand with a bizarre look on his face. The snake quickly whispered, "Ah Ying, what's wrong with your hand?"
Xu Ying sniffed his fingertips once more and murmured, "Odd. I squeezed Brother Yuan's hand just now, and now a fragrance has rubbed off on my hand. Smell it!"
Yuan Qi took a sniff and said disdainfully, "What a sissy of a grown man, having hands that smell so sweet!"
Chapter 47