The moment Yuan Qi said those words, Xu Ying, Jin Buyi, and the big bell all stopped in their tracks. Mother Insect perked up as well, her eyes bright as she stared intently at Yuan Qi.
Xu Ying tilted his head. "Lord Bell, it's been quite a while since Master Qi was beaten, hasn't it?"
The big bell replied in an unruffled manner, "Indeed. Ever since I could no longer defeat him, he hasn't suffered a single beating."
Mother Insect fluttered her wings twice, clearly looking forward to seeing Yuan Qi get thrashed.
Yuan Qi stood tall and dignified, stirring his vital essence and blood. Behind him, six great cave-heavens rotated, displaying six distinct hues.
Between the six cave-heavens, a serpentine Primordial Spirit emerged over a thousand li long, coiling through the void. Its eyes flashed like lightning, and its scales resembled colorless dragon scales, reflecting seven-colored radiance. Between the two horns behind its head, yin and yang converged to form a Taiji diagram, quietly harboring the wonders of creation!
Xu Ying cheered in admiration. "Master Qi cuts quite a dashing figure!"
Yuan Qi beamed with self-satisfaction and declared to Ling Siyi, "Demoness, I said I would give you three moves, and I never go back on my word!"
Ling Siyi let out a sharp cry and soared into the air. Mists and clouds swirled behind her, revealing a Primordial Spirit like a dragon and a serpent—even more colossal than Yuan Qi's—lurking in the depths of the void.
Her magic power was far more profound than that of Yuan Qi, even with his six secret depositories opened. Clearly, her realm far surpassed his. Unleashing a divine ability inherited from the Demon Ancestor, she closed the distance in a single stride before he could utter another word, bringing down a palm print that seemed entwined by tens of thousands of dragons!
Yuan Qi refused to yield. Mustering all his power, he met the strike head-on, thinking to himself, *I might not be able to take this...*
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he felt his own offensive technique shatter. His vital essence, divine sense, yin and yang qi, and all his cultivated strength collapsed, rebounding back upon him.
Ling Siyi called out, "First move!"
*Boom!*
Ling Siyi's palm struck home. Yuan Qi hit the ground, his eyes rolling back as he fell flat on his back, dead to the world.
The young woman leaped forward. While still midair, she hammered another massive palm print onto Yuan Qi's body, shouting, "Second move!"
All around the ancient Fusang tree, the surrounding mountains shuddered violently. The demons dwelling among them panicked, birds taking to the skies and beasts fleeing in terror.
The earth and boulders around Yuan Qi churned, giving way to a giant crater. A stream of clear vapor rose from Xu Ying's crown, transforming into the Three Purities Primordial Spirits to peer downward. Yuan Qi was foaming at the mouth and twitching in all limbs; fortunately, his six cave-heavens were still operating, so he was in no danger of dying anytime soon.
Being taller, Jin Buyi craned his neck to look down.
The big bell floated into the air, and Mother Insect took flight alongside it, both peering downward.
"Third move!"
Ling Siyi cried out, unleashing another mighty divine ability that crashed down with brutal force. A dull thud rang out, evidencing the sheer depth of the impact, followed immediately by an erupting gale. The ground rippled and surged violently, trembling for a long while before finally settling.
"Alright, disperse, disperse. Nothing more to see," Xu Ying chuckled, recalling his Primordial Spirit.
The others also drew back their gazes in satisfaction, continuing forward while chatting and laughing.
The big bell drifted to Xu Ying's side and whispered, "Ah Ying, have you comprehended anything good lately? Brand a few onto me. Floating among these demons, I feel completely out of place. Even Master Qi has grown stronger than me. Seeing him thrashed so terribly—if it were me instead, it would have been even worse."
"Do you admit your mistake yet?" Ling Siyi's voice echoed from behind. Having hauled Yuan Qi out of the crater and revived him, she was now gripping him by the collar and demanding answers.
"I was wrong!"
"Will you dare do it again?"
"Never again!"
The big bell shuddered, feeling as though it were looking at its own future through Yuan Qi.
Xu Ying pondered for a moment and said, "Lord Bell, you are a magic treasure, not a demon. No one has ever paved a path for magic treasures to cultivate on their own. Treasures typically rely on their masters to brand Dao methods upon them, and everything they use belongs to their masters' Dao. But you are different. Without a master, you are free of shackles. Why not try carving out a path of your own?"
The big bell was momentarily stunned. Xu Ying's words struck it like the peal of a grand bronze bell ringing right beside it, even more resonant than its own chime—deafening, illuminating, and shaking its very core.
A faint humming resonated continuously from within its bell body.
Xu Ying continued, "Transcribing my Dao methods onto yourself—how is that any different from me branding them onto you? But if you comprehend the various wonders of the Dao on your own, taking that stride will make you a grandmaster unlike any before."
These words shook the big bell even deeper. It felt as though all the long years it had lived until now had been a muddled, ignorant stupor; now, a beam of light had pierced through, illuminating a clear road ahead!
Ling Siyi caught up with brisk steps, her voice soft and gentle as she said, "Forgive me, Young Master Xu. The Old Ancestor instructed me to arrange your accommodations. Please follow me."
Xu Ying smiled. "No need for special arrangements. I'll simply stay with Master Jin."
Ling Siyi hesitated for a moment and glanced at Jin Buyi. Jin Buyi nodded gently.
Yuan Qi slouched over in dejection, wiping away his tears and sniffling, "Master Ying, Lord Bell, Master Jin, Mother Insect... I've brought shame upon all snakes. I couldn't beat her!"
Xu Ying consoled him, "It's not that your Dao methods are inferior to hers, but that your cultivation is shallower and you haven't cultivated as long. Once your cultivation catches up to hers, there's no telling who will prevail."
"Really?" Yuan Qi's eyes lit up.
Looking into his clear, hopeful eyes, Xu Ying hesitated, then said, "Not really. Not only is your cultivation inferior, but your Dao methods are as well. What's more, her techniques are better than yours, and she has a master like the Demon Ancestor, so her cultivation will certainly advance faster than yours."
Yuan Qi's face fell, looking ready to burst into tears.
Xu Ying chuckled. "However, I have a method that can help you surpass her. Lend me your ear."
Yuan Qi leaned in close. Xu Ying whispered a few instructions, and Yuan Qi's eyes sparkled with mischievous delight as he nodded repeatedly.
Seeing the two of them whispering in secret where only she was left out, Ling Siyi grew insatiably curious. Her neck silently stretched out quite a distance, bringing her head right between the two to listen intently, but all she managed to catch was the word "bracelet."
Xu Ying abruptly stopped talking.
Ling Siyi turned her head, only to find Xu Ying and Yuan Qi staring back at her with strange looks.
She quickly pulled her neck back, offering an innocent smile. "I didn't hear a thing."
As an Imperial Son, Jin Buyi resided upon a fragment of the Demon Immortal Court, which held an intact palace complex—a remnant from the era of the Demon Immortal Court.
The palaces drifted among clouds and mist, tethered by chains to prevent them from floating higher into the sky.
As Xu Ying drew near, he saw two characters inscribed on the plaque of this ancient palatial residence: *Daoji*.
Thus, Xu Ying settled into Daoji Palace, where Yuan Qi, the big bell, and Mother Insect also stayed. Jin Buyi brought over the Ancestral God's wooden bucket and returned it to Xu Ying.
Xu Ying toured the palace grounds. The structure was ancient beyond measure, its walls adorned with numerous murals depicting the grand achievements of the Demon Immortal Court.
As he walked, he noticed that the palace was staffed by many demon maidservants. All of them were strikingly beautiful and graceful, veritable enchantresses.
Puzzled by this, Xu Ying asked Yuan Qi about it. Yuan Qi explained, "The Imperial Clan has few descendants, so each clan sends their prettiest daughters over, purely to borrow seed in hopes of improving their own lineage with imperial blood."
Xu Ying was astonished. "There's such a good deal?"
"A good deal?"
Ling Siyi walked over and sneered upon hearing this. "This is hardly a good deal! The various clans merely wish to steal the Imperial Clan's secret methods. The primordial bloodlines of the demon race are different from those of other races; certain memories are stored within the bloodline itself, awakening alongside it. If an Imperial Son were to fool around with these women, it would be tantamount to leaking the Imperial Clan's secret methods. Without their secrets, the Imperial Clan's doom would not be far off."
Xu Ying looked toward Jin Buyi and teased, "So, has Master Jin leaked any secret methods?"
Jin Buyi quickly pulled out his little notebook, flipped through it back and forth, and gave an arrogant grin. "In their dreams!"
Xu Ying praised, "Master Jin is a true hero!"
Jin Buyi snapped the booklet shut, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
Xu Ying had his own quarters within Daoji Palace. Calling over a maidservant, he instructed, "Tonight will not be peaceful. Hang up this cleansing bucket."
He had originally called the Ancestral God's wooden bucket a nightstool, but hearing Yuan Qi refer to it as a cleansing bucket, he realized that sounded far more refined.
The maidservant was horrified. "Hang it up? Where to?"
Xu Ying replied, "Just hang it somewhere high."
The maidservant leaped into the air and hung the cleansing bucket from a treetop, then whispered among the other maidservants, "That Young Master Xu has quite an eccentric temper. Fearing the cleansing bucket wouldn't smell far enough, he insisted on hanging it up high."
At the ancient Fusang tree, the Demon Ancestor stepped out from the firelight, standing alone upon a withered branch as he looked toward Daoji Palace.
"To become the Demon Emperor and lead the demon race to survive in this world, relying merely on my backing to ascend the imperial throne will never be enough,"
he murmured quietly. "Our demon race's Demon Emperor of this era must possess not only supreme martial might, but also thunderous methods capable of unifying every clan. Not only that, but this Demon Emperor must have a formidable ally."
Night fell over the Demon Ancestral Court, gradually blanketing the territories of the various clans.
Across those lands, lights began to twinkle, scattered like stars on a chessboard.
"Imperial Son Jin Daoli has Demon Sovereign Han as his supporter, and behind Demon Sovereign Han stands the Han clan, an aristocratic demon lineage. Imperial Son Jin Yiqi is backed by Demon Sovereign Kun, with the aristocratic Kun clan behind him. Imperial Son Jin Lan is supported by Demon Sovereign Feng, with the aristocratic Feng clan at her back. There are also the major demon aristocratic families, possessing deep foundations, who also aspire to claim the imperial throne. The Immortal Realm, too, secretly backs certain candidates. Only Imperial Son Jin Buyi has none other than Demon Sovereign Jinghong to support him."
He whispered, "Yet Jinghong lacks a physical body. Possessing only a Primordial Spirit, he cannot hold up the weight alone. Now, we shall see whether Xu Ying can become Jin Buyi's powerful reinforcement."
Originally, of all the imperial sons, Jin Buyi was the one he favored least. For even though Jin Buyi had acquired the Imperial Clan's authentic Eastern Emperor Pacifying Heaven Technique, his foundation in the demon race was far too shallow, making it utterly impossible for him to unify the clans.
Yet Xu Ying's arrival had slightly changed his view of Jin Buyi.
"Now it all depends on whether Xu Ying can survive tonight. Only by surviving tonight can he prove himself a worthy ally to Jin Buyi!"
***
In the Demon Capital, at the Han residence:
Demon Sovereign Han stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at a relief carved upon a jade wall. The relief depicted an enormous white bat soaring out of primordial purple qi, roaming across the pristine Earth Immortal Realm.
Imperial Son Jin Daoli, clad in white, stepped up behind him and said, "Demon Sovereign Han, upon arriving at the Ancestral Court, Xu Ying first slew Elder Liu Shengtao of the Liu clan to awe the demon race. Then he met with the Demon Ancestor for a lengthy discussion before moving into Daoji Palace to build momentum for Jin Buyi. Now the entire demon race is abuzz with discussion over this. Jin Buyi was once an unknown, yet now his fame resonates across the Ancestral Court."
Demon Sovereign Han gazed at the white bat, reminiscing about the glory of his ancestors. In a low voice, he said, "No matter. I shall make a move."
He turned around, a faint purple qi flickering within his eyes. "Last time, that boy Xu Ying caught me off guard by relying on the Ancestral God's cleansing bucket. Now that I am prepared, his death is at hand!"
Jin Daoli beamed with delight.
***
In Feng Capital, at the Feng residence:
Jin Lan looked toward Daoji Palace. From afar, she could see the palace lanterns being lit one by one, likely by the maidservants. The woman turned her head. "Demon Sovereign, the lights have come on at Daoji Palace."
Demon Sovereign Feng's eyes flickered, and he chuckled. "Imperial Son, your blood is stirring. Do you wish to launch a night raid on Daoji Palace?"
Jin Lan said, "I, too, harbor the ambition to claim the imperial throne. Among all the imperial candidates, Jin Buyi alone is my greatest rival. Now Xu Ying has arrived, brandishing his blade to establish authority and cow the demon race, before presenting the blade to him. Jin Buyi's prestige grows by the day; I fear he will become a thorn in my side."
Demon Sovereign Feng said leisurely, "So you want me to act tonight and kill Xu Ying, leaving Jin Buyi isolated and without aid."
Jin Lan smiled. "Xu Ying flaunted his might, but in doing so, he offended the Liu clan, and the other clans are watching hungrily. I imagine quite a few will attempt to kill him tonight. If we add fuel to the flames..."
Demon Sovereign Feng cut her off. "The other imperial sons may conduct a night raid on Daoji Palace, but you may not."
Jin Lan was baffled.
Demon Sovereign Feng explained, "Because you are a woman of the Imperial Clan."
Jin Lan was deeply displeased. Naturally headstrong, she was about to argue when Demon Sovereign Feng raised a hand. "In your contest for the seat of Demon Emperor, if you prevail, you will be the Female Emperor. But if you fail, no matter which of the other three imperial sons ascends the throne, you will be the Empress! If Jin Buyi does not die tonight and ascends the throne in the future, and you force my hand tonight, the position of Empress will be lost to you forever. Are you certain you want me to strike?"
Jin Lan hesitated.
***
In Heaven Capital, at the Kun residence:
Demon Sovereign Kun looked toward Daoji Palace from afar and laughed. "Tonight, Daoji Palace is bound to be quite lively. Wouldn't you agree, Imperial Son?"
Jin Yiqi smiled. "Then will the Demon Sovereign act in person?"
Demon Sovereign Kun clasped his hands behind his back and laughed. "Perhaps before I even need to act, the dust will have already settled. The ones seeking Xu Ying's life this time are not just our demon race—there are also guests from the Immortal Realm."
***
Before anyone realized, the latter half of the night had arrived. Jin Buyi rose and, without a word, walked over to Xu Ying's courtyard. He sat cross-legged, plunged the Purple Nether Saber into the ground, and closed his eyes to rest his spirit, regulating his breath.
With each breath he took, the Purple Nether Saber before him vibrated faintly, emitting short, crisp hums.
Since practicing the Eastern Emperor Pacifying Heaven Technique, his wits had sharpened day by day. Well aware of the perils of tonight, he had hurried to Xu Ying's residence to guard his safety.
Meanwhile, in the inner hall, Xu Ying had not slept. He was reading by lamplight, studying the *Ten Cave-Heavens Comprehension Method*.
The author of this book had only set down the methods of comprehension; he had never opened them himself.
However, he had detailed the functions of the ten cave-heavens. The first six were similar to those of the ancestral methods of the six secret depositories, corresponding respectively to vital essence, physical vitality, divine sense, yin and yang, soul power, and heart power. The latter four cave-heavens corresponded to the power of life and death, Dao power, the void, and Primordial Chaos (Taiyi).
Xu Ying stared at the characters for "Taiyi" written beside "Primordial Chaos," feeling a surge of curiosity.
*How does this Taiyi differ from my Xu family's ancestral Taiyi Inborn Technique?*
He continued flipping through the pages. The book also noted that Kunlun possessed ten cave-heavens connecting to the Immortal Realm, and the powers within them corresponded precisely to these ten powers. Hence, it speculated that to attain the supreme realm of the immortal path, an immortal had to master these ten powers, gathering them in one body to achieve the realm of Taiyi.
The author of the book referred to someone who possessed all ten powers and achieved Primordial Chaos Taiyi as a Supreme.
*If an immortal at the Earth Immortal realm can already unify the six realms into one, then if they master the powers corresponding to the ten cave-heavens as they advance toward Heavenly Monarch, wouldn't they become a Supreme?*
Xu Ying thought to himself, *If one could open all ten cave-heavens, even without reaching the realm of Heavenly Monarch, wouldn't they become a Lesser Supreme?*
His eyes shone brighter and brighter.
However, opening ten cave-heavens was nearly impossible because the prerequisites were simply too demanding. First and foremost, one's Dao attainment had to reach the level of a Heavenly Monarch before there was even a chance to comprehend the ten cave-heavens.
This single requirement disqualified virtually everyone—except Xu Ying!
Dao attainment was one's understanding of the Dao, independent of cultivation base.
A profound Dao attainment indicated a deep and expansive comprehension of the Dao, while a shallow Dao attainment meant one's comprehension was superficial.
A person's Dao attainment could rarely outstrip their cultivation base. Thus, Dao attainment, cultivation base, and realm were almost always proportional.
Yet there were exceptions.
Xu Ying was one such exception.
Right at that moment, thunder suddenly crashed outside. Holding the golden classic, Xu Ying stood up and walked to the inner hall's doorway. Looking up at the sky, he saw two blood-red moons hanging low in the darkness.
They were a pair of colossal eyes.
"They're here," Xu Ying murmured, closing the golden book with a smile.
Chapter 478