Xu Ying stepped out of the imperial carriage, only to see that the Eastern King had already vanished into the distance, leaving no trace behind.
"He only sent an avatar inside this time, and its calculating power falls far short of his true body's. Otherwise, with a little calculation... he still wouldn't be able to deduce it."
Xu Ying glanced up at Yingzhou. Divine Mother was seated within the Amitabha Palace, her face glowing ruddy and her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Two of a trade never agree. Unwilling to concede to the Eastern King, this woman had long yearned to compete with him and see who was truly the world's foremost diviner. There was no way the Eastern King's avatar would divine any accurate information here!
"With Divine Mother around, no matter how he calculates, he will only see me as being in league with Qingfeng and Mingyue. But I am still a man of my word; I will still lend the Eastern King a helping hand."
Xu Ying secretly thought it a pity. If the Eastern King's avatar had stayed, Xu Ying could have helped treat his three limbs, which would count as lending a hand and fulfilling his promise.
Once the Ginseng Fruit Tree appeared, killing him while seizing the Dao fruits would not violate the camaraderie of their alliance.
"Immortal Master, the person who activated the Supreme artifact is carrying out a massacre! We must leave quickly!" Divine Mother urged.
Xu Ying returned to the imperial carriage, which immediately shot through the void. He asked in puzzlement, "Who on earth activated that Supreme artifact and ambushed so many experts?"
Divine Mother shook her head. "I cannot divine it accurately. That person's cultivation and attainment in the Dao must have touched the brink of a Supreme."
Xu Ying pondered, "The ones whom you cannot divine accurately should nominally only be three people: the Imperial Monarch, the Heavenly Venerable, and the Eastern King. That Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler must have come from either the Imperial Monarch or the Heavenly Venerable. Both of them indeed harbor schemes to seize this opportunity to wipe everyone else out and claim the Ginseng Fruit Tree for themselves. Still, it cannot be ruled out that the Immortal Realm has hidden experts. And of course, it could also be the Eastern King."
The Eastern King possessed miraculous foresight; since he could stealthily seize the Returning Dao Jade Platter without anyone noticing, he could naturally seize the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler as well.
Xu Ying's eyes flickered. This person's use of a Supreme artifact seemed astute, but was actually overconfident.
"He used a Supreme artifact to make a bid for the Ginseng Fruit Tree, but he only dispatched an incarnation or avatar, whose cultivation and strength are naturally far inferior to his true body. In that case, killing him and snatching the Supreme artifact becomes a possibility."
Xu Ying's eyes gleamed with a predatory glint as he muttered under his breath, "Wuzhuang Temple is also a realm of its own. Once inside, maintaining contact with one's true body is difficult. If this person's avatar dies here and the Supreme artifact is snatched away, he won't even know whose hands it fell into..."
The imperial carriage sped toward the Twelve-Storyed Mansions. Suddenly, experts fled out of the Jade Pool one after another, heading in this direction.
Xu Ying's heart leaped, and he hurriedly picked up speed. A terrifying tremor surged from behind. Looking back, Xu Ying saw the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler reappear before his eyes.
The Supreme artifact suddenly unfolded to both sides, but this time not in the shape of an open fan. Instead, it was like an inked stamp: originally a single heaven-measuring ruler imprinted with a landscape painting, with a gentle shake it split to the left and right, and two more landscape paintings appeared in midair.
The Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler clattered rhythmically as it continuously spread sideways. In the blink of an eye, the sky across Xu Ying's vision was completely filled by landscape scrolls!
"Not good!"
His hair stood on end. Without a second thought, he seized Qingfeng in one hand and Mingyue in the other, hurling them both into his Yingzhou cave abyss.
Xu Ying stowed away the imperial carriage, leaped up, and jumped into another world of the heavens contained within the canopy, tearing through the void and vanishing!
Concealed within that canopy was a world akin to a cave heaven, designed as an escape route for the Immortal Emperor in case of assassination. Xu Ying had never thought he would need to use this function of the canopy, but the assault of a Supreme artifact forced his hand!
The very instant he jumped into the canopy's world, the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler had already blanketed the heavens. Its might erupted, and in an instant, every immortal and god beneath it was reduced to fine powder. Not a single soul escaped!
Xu Ying's canopy was likewise pulverized beneath the ruler, and the world inside suffered a catastrophic strike!
In the next moment, Xu Ying materialized within an ancient bronze great hall. He walked out of the hall and looked all around, finding that this was neither the Yanzhu Yuankang World nor Wuzhuang Temple, but an unfamiliar world.
Evidently, when the Heavenly Craftsman of the Last Lord of Ziwei forged the canopy back then, he had linked the world inside it to the bronze immortal palace of this world. The bronze immortal palace was the Last Lord of Ziwei's refuge.
"What a terrifying foe. He destroyed one of my canopies—thankfully, I have another! I dread to think how many people who entered Wuzhuang Temple have perished! Deploying a Supreme artifact to slaughter so many, this person surely intends to exterminate everyone and swallow the Ginseng Fruit Tree all for himself."
Xu Ying exhaled a breath of turbid air. Instead of returning to the Yanzhu World, he entered Yingzhou to check on the injuries of Qingfeng and Mingyue.
The two were gravely wounded. Mingyue had previously been injured by the Dao light of the Ginseng Fruit Tree; the flesh on his face and hands was completely gone, leaving only white bone. Qingfeng's injuries were somewhat lighter.
However, both suffered from shattered, deficient souls, leaving them muddled and foolish. Moreover, their Dao fruits had been damaged by the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler, growing faint and phantom-like, on the verge of dispersing at any moment.
Xu Ying gathered some Jade Pool Immortal Dew and fed it to them first. Then, he mobilized the vitality of the Chaos Sea phenomenon within Great Luo Heaven to treat their wounds.
He then drew upon the Undying True Spirit phenomenon within Great Luo Heaven to fish out soul power, attempting to mend their souls. Strangely, however, once the soul power entered their bodies, it vanished like a clay ox plunging into the sea, doing nothing to restore their souls.
Xu Ying examined them closely and found a peculiar force inside their remnant souls—like a cloud of gray mist that devoured any soul power entering it, rendering it completely useless.
The power of the gray mist was stronger in Mingyue's remnant soul and slightly weaker in Qingfeng's.
It was this bizarre power that warped the minds of the two Daoist boys and corroded their souls.
In a daze, Xu Ying seemed to hear strange weeping emanating from the gray mist.
"What is this thing? It can even swallow soul power—how bizarre!"
Pushing aside his doubts for the moment, he examined the Dao wounds inflicted by the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler and could not help but frown. Dao wounds caused by a Supreme artifact were beyond his ability to heal.
"Senior Brother, there is no need to trouble yourself," Qingfeng said. Having recovered slightly from his injuries, he struggled to sit up and bowed deeply toward Xu Ying's Primordial Spirit. "Our souls were damaged by the Dao weeping; more than half of our souls were melted away. Junior Brother Mingyue's seven mortal souls were dissolved completely, while I have only retained a few remnant mortal souls. Some Dao weeping remains concealed within our remnant souls as well."
He bowed deeply, adding, "Thank you, Senior Brother of the Shangqing Dao Sect, for saving our lives!"
As he kowtowed, the Daoist boy Mingyue followed suit, mechanically imitating him.
Xu Ying's Primordial Spirit hurriedly supported him up and looked closely at the two boys. They appeared eleven or twelve years old, short in stature—two heads shorter than Xu Ying—with bodies that had not yet matured.
Thanks to his treatment, Mingyue's face and hands had restored their flesh, though the Dao wounds left by the heaven-measuring ruler still remained.
"I am Xu Ying. I cultivated in the Shangqing Great Cave Abyss for a year and a half, where I received guidance from Daoist Yuqing. I also cultivated in the Tushita Palace of Lihen Heaven for a year and a half, receiving guidance from Daoist Taiqing."
Xu Ying asked, "How old are you two little Dao friends? Could you be disciples of the Ancestor of Earth Immortals?"
Hearing Xu Ying introduce his background, Qingfeng realized that Xu Ying was clearly a disciple instructed by Patriarch Yuqing and Patriarch Taiqing. His generational status was exceedingly high, even above their own. Qingfeng hurriedly replied, "Senior Brother, I am Qingfeng, and this is my junior brother Mingyue. We are not disciples of the Old Ancestor, but boys who attended to the Old Ancestor's daily life. I am somewhat older, only eight hundred and thirty thousand years old this year. Mingyue is younger than me, a mere seven hundred and ninety thousand years old."
Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat, and he chuckled. "You two Dao friends are quite a bit older than me. If anything, I should be calling you senior brothers."
Qingfeng quickly replied, "We would not dare. Patriarch Yuqing and Patriarch Taiqing are of the same generation as the Old Ancestor. Calling you Senior Brother is already exalting ourselves."
Xu Ying inquired, "The strange power inside your souls is the Dao weeping?"
He carefully examined that bizarre power inside their souls. It was invading their souls, corrupting and reducing them to chaos.
Qingfeng said, "Because our souls were not completely dissolved, a portion of the Dao weeping bonded to our souls and has not dispersed to this day. When the Dao weeping arrived, our physical bodies and Primordial Spirits were both melted away, leaving only our bones behind. Fortunately, we once consumed Ginseng Dao Fruits and can be considered half-step Great Luo Golden Immortals, so we did not perish completely."
His expression turned desolate. There were other disciples in Wuzhuang Temple back then, but alas, none had escaped that catastrophe.
The big bell leaned close and asked curiously, "What exactly is Dao weeping? Can we hear it?"
Just as Qingfeng was about to speak, Mingyue seemed to understand. He opened his mouth, and suddenly, a bizarre Dao sound burst from within—shrill, piercing, and sharp!
With a deafening hum, the big bell nearly shattered. The Dao patterns and Dao phenomena across its surface spun wildly like a revolving lantern, throwing its Great Dao into disarray. Its bell body twisted out of shape, and in an instant, it was as if tens of thousands of years had passed—its walls were coated in thick rust!
Xu Ying felt dizzy and muddled, his three hun and seven po thrown into turmoil as his entire essence and vital energy rapidly unraveled!
Within Yingzhou, over two hundred immortals staggered and collapsed like drunkards. Their immortal energy went haywire, their immortal Daos collapsed, and even their Primordial Spirits and bodhimandas showed signs of disintegrating!
That Dao sound seemed possessed of a bizarre power, destroying their vital energy and divine consciousness, leaving them completely defenseless.
Qingfeng raised his hand, seized the big bell, and slammed it down onto the back of Mingyue's head with a resonant clang!
Mingyue collapsed rigidly to the ground, knocked out cold.
The Dao weeping faded away.
Xu Ying's legs trembled violently; he could barely keep his footing. His face was streaked with foul blood, black blood leaking from his eyes, nose, and mouth, with two trails of black blood trickling from his ears as well.
Within his Realm of Xiyi, the Five Sacred Mountains were thrown into chaos, the Heavenly River stopped flowing, water and fire clashed, the Jade Pool dried up, yin and yang fell into discord, and the Jade Capital decayed.
Trembling, he snatched up the big bell and smashed it onto Mingyue's head with another clang!
Qingfeng jumped in fright and hurriedly cried, "He's already unconscious! You don't need to hit him again!"
Xu Ying wanted to strike again, but lacked the strength. The big bell in his hand felt as if it had rotted for tens of thousands of years, encrusted with rust, its surface imprints blurred beyond recognition.
Inside Yingzhou, the two or three hundred Penglai immortals were nearly wiped out, sprawled and tangled on the ground in a state even more wretched than Xu Ying's.
This was not even true Dao weeping, but merely a lingering remnant trapped in Mingyue's soul. Yet that remnant alone had nearly cost them their lives!
Xu Ying calmed the chaotic vital energy and divine consciousness within him: the Five Sacred Mountains settled back into place, the Heavenly River reconnected, water and fire were calmed, yin and yang rebalanced, and after a moment, the Jade Pool returned to normal and the Jade Capital gleamed fresh and new once more.
He treated Divine Mother, Gushe, and the others, waking them up, though all had suffered severe loss of vitality.
The big bell also gradually recovered, still trembling with lingering dread.
"Is this the Dao weeping? It is terrifyingly ferocious!" Everyone's hair stood on end.
The Dao weeping that burst from the boy Mingyue was simply too ferocious. Falling victim to it without any power to resist, they had nearly perished within it!
Qingfeng said apologetically, "My junior brother Mingyue is affected by the Dao weeping. His soul is shattered, and he lacks basic awareness. He almost brought about your destruction; I apologize on his behalf."
Xu Ying hoisted the big bell, warily eyeing Mingyue sprawled on the ground, ready to smash him again at a moment's notice. Orally, he replied, "Qingfeng, you need not be so polite. For the two of you to endure the Dao weeping and survive to this day, your cultivation and strength are truly extraordinary."
Qingfeng hurriedly said, "Senior Brother, please put the bell down! He was only acting confused for a moment; it was not intentional. I will keep him in check."
Xu Ying hesitated briefly before putting down the big bell.
"Ah Ying, I think smashing his head to pieces is the only way to be safe," the big bell whispered.
Qingfeng glanced at it and shielded Mingyue behind him, wary that Xu Ying might truly bludgeon Mingyue to death. He could not help feeling that although this Senior Brother of the Shangqing Dao Sect had received teachings from both Patriarchs Yuqing and Taiqing, his character seemed somewhat unorthodox.
Fortunately, Xu Ying truly put the bell down.
Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "True Dao weeping is a hundred times more perilous than what you just heard. That was merely a remnant of the Dao weeping tormenting Junior Brother Mingyue. When true Dao weeping arrives, even Dao trees decay, Dao flowers wither, bodhimandas collapse into ruin, and all things turn to nothingness. Had we not ingested Ginseng Dao Fruits, we could never have survived. Even with the Ginseng Dao Fruits, we have not truly lived."
His face fell. In that Dao weeping, their physical bodies were destroyed, their Primordial Spirits disintegrated, and their souls left broken. Now, they were neither truly alive nor truly dead.
Xu Ying said, "I have come this time for the Ginseng Fruit Tree. Now that the Ancestor of Earth Immortals is not here, the Ginseng Fruit Tree is ownerless. Could I collect it?"
Qingfeng shook his head. "Though the Patriarch is absent, the Ginseng Fruit Tree is not something anyone can take away. This treasured tree is the heaven-and-earth spirit root of the Earth Immortal Realm, holding the providence of the Earth Immortal Realm in its sway; it is the Tree of the Great Dao of the Earth Immortal Realm. The fruit that grows on this tree is the fruit of the Great Dao of the Earth Immortal Realm. To master this tree is to master the providence of the Earth Immortal Realm. Who could possess such vast capability, such immense providence? If one's providence is lacking, it will shorten one's lifespan instead, and one would simply be beaten to death by those fighting for the tree."
Xu Ying looked at Divine Mother. She shook her head. "I cannot even calculate the origins of the Ginseng Fruit Tree, nor do I know which space-time it conceals itself in."
Her unspoken implication was that this Ginseng Fruit Tree was on par with a Supreme.
With my strength, trying to collect a Supreme is undoubtedly seeking death.
Thinking this, Xu Ying settled for the next best thing and asked, "Then what about the Dao fruits on this Dao tree?"
Qingfeng said, "My junior brother and I also need Dao fruits to heal our wounds. If Senior Brother can escort us into the Ginseng Fruit Tree's bodhimanda, I can guide you inside. As for whether Senior Brother can pluck a Dao fruit, that will depend on your fortune."
Hearing this, Xu Ying hesitated slightly.
A supreme expert wielding a Supreme artifact was on a killing spree in Wuzhuang Temple; returning would be suicidal. Moreover, the Ginseng Fruit Tree's bodhimanda was naturally the bodhimanda of a Supreme—who could enter it?
Qingfeng said, "The bodhimanda of this tree is impenetrable to ordinary people. With your abilities, Senior Brother, getting in to pluck a Dao fruit would likely prove difficult. But we brothers are responsible for guarding Wuzhuang Temple and tending to the fruit tree, so naturally we have a way in."
Xu Ying hesitated no longer and smiled. "If that's the case, then I shall escort you both into that Dao tree's bodhimanda!"
Qingfeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Ying's eyes gleamed as he said, "Divine Mother, stay hidden within Yingzhou to keep anyone from divining my movements. It won't be convenient for me to ride the imperial carriage this time."
Divine Mother hesitated. "If it is the Eastern King who calculates, having the canopy would be the safest bet. However, the canopy was destroyed..."
Xu Ying produced a second canopy with a grin. "I prepared a spare."
Divine Mother let out a breath of relief and activated the artifact. A radiant glow draped down from Yingzhou, cloaking Xu Ying.
Xu Ying stepped out of the bronze immortal palace hidden inside the mountain and activated the Third Heavenly Pass. Suddenly, the bronze immortal palace creaked and groaned before twisting and collapsing, buried beneath the mountain!
The Dao weeping that had burst from Mingyue's mouth earlier had destroyed even this ancient immortal palace!
The Dao weeping is truly terrifying! Xu Ying felt a wave of lingering dread.
Opening the gateway of the Third Heavenly Pass, with the Yanzhu World lying beyond, he stepped through.
"Wait a moment!"
Xu Ying emerged in the sky above the Yanzhu World. As he walked toward Wuzhuang Temple, he suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"Every expert in Wuzhuang Temple has been wounded, and the only uninjured person is me! Even that being who wielded the Supreme artifact was injured by Qingfeng and Mingyue! In other words, in Wuzhuang Temple, I am invincible!"
Chapter 517