Xu Ying had the creeping sensation that eyes were fixed on him. He glanced around, but there were simply too many stone statues here, and most looked alike; he had no idea who was watching him.
Just then, the sound of scraping stone came once more.
Xu Ying looked toward the noise, yet he could not tell which statue had produced it.
"Lord Bell, the Plague God doesn't hold grudges, right?" he asked in a low voice.
"He does!"
The bronze bell also recalled Xu Ying whipping the Plague God, and whispered, "Remember last time after you lashed Him, how He immediately stabbed you with a finger? He not only holds grudges, but He remembers them vividly!"
Xu Ying felt an itch spread across his back. "Can I open my Heavenly Eye to look behind me? I'm worried the Plague God's tentacles have already stabbed into my back."
The bronze bell hurriedly warned, "You mustn't! Have you forgotten what just happened? If you open your Heavenly Eye, every one of these heavenly gods will take notice of you, and their divine wills will cram your head till it bursts! You'll end up just like the skeletons beneath the cliff!"
They were walking along a winding sheep path through the mountains. Below them fell sheer precipices, where countless skeletons—unaware that they had already died—not only climbed upward but often fought viciously over treasures. Beneath that cliff, treasures of every kind were piled as high as mountains, tempting mortal desire without end.
They were people influenced by the will of the heavenly gods, dead yet ignorant of their demise, doomed to linger in such a daze forever.
Yuan Qi felt a slight itch on his back and raised his tail to scratch it.
Seeing this made Xu Ying's skin crawl, and the itch on his own back grew even worse.
Another harsh scraping of grinding stone echoed, heavy and grating. Xu Ying looked up and saw a colossal stone statue turning its head like an owl, looking down at him from above!
That statue had a triangular head, pointed at the top, with a bizarre countenance.
*Is that the Plague God's statue?*
Just as the thought crossed Xu Ying's mind, the scraping sounds multiplied. One statue after another slowly turned its head, and pairs of eerie gazes fixed upon him.
The statues stood a thousand zhang tall, looming in complete silence.
Faced with such a bizarre spectacle, even Zhou Qiyun grew tense. He looked up and declared in a clear voice, "Following the example of Emperor Zhidao Dasheng, I am visiting the Nether Court and merely passing through this precious realm. I beseech the exalted gods to show a measure of accommodation!"
In the sky, an ancient will rolled across the air; its slightest stir sounded like a crack of thunder, booming and rumbling.
That was a heavenly god whispering.
His words were unimaginably ancient, differing from the language of humans and the tongue of ghosts. Obscure yet grand, the syllables were simple, but they harbored profound meaning.
Though Xu Ying, Zhou Qiyun, and the others could not understand the language of the heavenly gods, the moment they made contact with that thunderous will, they could perceive the boundless thoughts of the other party.
The heavenly god whispered, stating that among them was a blasphemer. One who profaned a heavenly god violated heavenly law and must face the judgment of heavenly principle and receive punishment under heavenly rule.
Uncertain and wary, Zhou Qiyun looked back toward Xu Ying.
Xu Ying's heart tightened. He whispered, "Lord Bell, can you block the Plague God?"
The bronze bell knew the gravity of the situation as well and said in a grave voice, "Though I can't beat the Plague God right now, holding Him off for a moment is still within my power! What a pity the giant locust tree died. Otherwise, if you had cultivated there a bit longer and let me siphon more vitality, I could hold out for longer."
Zhou Qiyun looked toward the sky and called out, "Exalted gods, could you grant some accommodation?"
Above the Palace of Heavenly Gods, the ancient will roiled—a divine might proclaiming that heavenly principle allowed no room for personal sentiment. For those who violated heavenly law, no one would be granted leniency or favor; there was only the acceptance of heavenly retribution.
Zhou Qiyun turned around. "Xu Ying, I have done all that benevolence requires. Forgive me, but I am powerless to help. Yuan Weiyang, let us go."
Yuan Weiyang hesitated. The green-robed old servant Uncle Xiao gave a gentle shake of his head and whispered, "Young Master, think of the Yuan clan."
Yuan Weiyang fell silent and followed Uncle Xiao.
Xu Ying called out loudly, "Brother Yuan, look after Yuan Qi for me! Xiao Qi, you go too."
Yuan Qi hesitated. Xu Ying whispered, "If you stay, I won't be able to protect you, and you'll only distract me. Zhou Qiyun is an old acquaintance of your Niu family. If you follow him, he won't mistreat you."
Yuan Qi slithered forward. "Ah Ying, I'll wait for you outside!"
They swiftly departed into the distance, leaving Xu Ying alone on the long mountain path, flanked by sheer cliffs with a bottomless abyss beneath his feet.
The Palace of Heavenly Gods suddenly plunged into pitch darkness, leaving only a single beam of celestial light shining from above to fall upon Xu Ying. Unable to see his surroundings, Xu Ying could only lift his head to see gigantic stone statues vaguely concealed in the shadows around the light, fading in and out of sight.
The scraping sound of moving stone continued to echo as the divine might grew ever more oppressive. One thousand-zhang statue after another turned its gaze to Xu Ying. The ancient will roiled ceaselessly above the Palace of Heavenly Gods—over ten thousand heavenly gods auditing Xu Ying's offenses.
Xu Ying looked up to see the celestial light gradually forming a scroll of a book in the air. A brush moved across it without a hand, recording his sins on the pages.
"On the first of the third month, reported by the Nether Court: the perpetrator, surnamed Xu, slew a god at Jiangjiatian of Lingling; sentenced to execution;"
"On the second of the third month, reported by the government: the perpetrator, surnamed Xu, killed men at Stone Mountain of Lingling; sentenced to execution;"
"On the third of the third month, reported by the Nether Court: the perpetrator, surnamed Xu, slew a god at Jianshan Village of Lingling; sentenced to execution;"
"On the fourth of the third month, reported by the Nether Court: the perpetrator, surnamed Xu, slew twelve gods at Mount Xiao of Lingling; sentenced to execution;"
"On the fourth of the third month, reported by the government: the perpetrator, surnamed Xu, killed four men at Mount Xiao of Lingling; sentenced to execution;"
...
Xu Ying raised his head and shouted, "No need to read on! I did all of it, and my conscience is clear in every matter! You gods governing the Heavenly Dao only want to punish me because I whipped and burned the Plague God, so what does that have to do with what I did before? My life is cheap. If you want to kill me, just come at me! There's no need to put on such hypocritical airs!"
The faces of those thousand-zhang stone statues remained utterly devoid of expression as they sat motionless upon the branches. The ancient wills continued to rumble above the Palace of Heavenly Gods, listing each and every crime Xu Ying had committed, only halting after recounting his flogging of the Netherworld bull demon.
In the sky, an even older will detonated with a thunderous roar: "This child's sins are heavy. Check his Book of Three Lifetimes and settle everything together."
The ancient wills surged, seeking out Xu Ying's deeds across his previous three lifetimes.
"Previous lifetime: unauthorized to view."
"Two lifetimes prior: unauthorized to view."
"Three lifetimes prior: unauthorized to view."
A dreadful silence descended upon the Palace of Heavenly Gods. The expressionless stone statues each showed looks of astonishment. A delicate, subtle atmosphere gradually rippled through the ten thousand divine statues within the palace.
The bronze bell had been ready to burst out at any moment, risking everything to escort Xu Ying out of the Palace of Heavenly Gods to fulfill their bond of brotherhood. Yet at this moment, even the bell was stunned.
"The Heavenly Dao world... Even the heavenly gods who control the Heavenly Dao don't have the authority to view Xu Ying's previous three lifetimes?" It was completely bewildered, unable to wrap its mind around it.
Right then, a profound will descended from the Heavenly Dao world. This will was vastly more powerful than all the others, exuding an even more ancient presence that coalesced into rolling thunder, crashing above the Palace of Heavenly Gods.
Using the language of the Heavenly Dao, that ancient will delivered a definitive decree, thunder booming: "Do not pursue the three lifetimes; consider only the present life. Seek out the evils of his current lifetime and mete out heavenly retribution to uphold the heavenly standards and statutes!"
Immediately, wills detonated across the expanse of the Palace of Heavenly Gods: "The heavenly code holds no authority to dispense punishment."
"The heavenly standards hold no authority to dispense punishment."
"The heavenly statutes hold no authority to dispense punishment."
"The heavenly principles hold no authority to dispense punishment."
"The heavenly laws hold no authority to dispense punishment."
"The heavenly authority holds no authority to dispense punishment."
...
After wave upon wave of rolling thunder subsided, the Palace of Heavenly Gods sank once more into silence.
A terrifying silence.
After a long time, an even more weathered will rolled across the sky: "Close the case."
Above the Palace of Heavenly Gods, the script on the celestial scroll vanished rapidly. Soon, the entire ledger of transgressions faded completely out of sight. The celestial scroll and celestial brush flew back into the Heavenly Dao world, vanishing without a trace.
Once again, that deeply weathered will spoke, thunder rumbling: "Escort the young master out of the palace."
A ray of celestial light shone down from above, illuminating the road ahead of Xu Ying and indicating the direction.
Xu Ying stumbled forward unsteadily, his mind completely blank, with no understanding of what had just transpired. The bronze bell was equally dazed. The gods of the Palace of Heavenly Gods had appealed upward three times in total, consulting gods of progressively higher status, and the final one appealed to was likely the ruler of the Heavenly Dao world!
Yet this supreme ruler of the Heavenly Dao world had actually uttered the words "close the case," wiping Xu Ying's past offenses of slaying gods and officials entirely clean with a single stroke!
*Even the gods of the Heavenly Dao world have no authority to inspect his past three lifetimes, much less impose heavenly retribution. Something extraordinary must have happened to Ah Ying!*
The bronze bell pondered for a moment and inquired, "Ah Ying, how do you think the Taiyin Primordial Nurturing Technique compares to your Taiyi Guiding Technique?"
Snapping out of his shock, Xu Ying wondered why it had suddenly brought up the subject of the Taiyin Primordial Nurturing Technique. "The Taiyin Primordial Nurturing Technique tempers the physical body, soul, vital qi, divine sense, and bloodline in the simplest manner, even disregarding cultivation realms. Cultivating that technique enhances innate talent, allowing one to break through realms as smoothly as water flowing through a channel. Although the Taiyi Guiding Technique is incomplete, it isn't the least bit inferior to the Taiyin Primordial Nurturing Technique. Now that I cultivate both simultaneously, the longer I train, the more extraordinary I find the Taiyi Guiding Technique to be."
The bronze bell coaxed him patiently, "Ah Ying, do you think the Taiyi Guiding Technique is hidden in your memory, or hidden in your bloodline? Why is it that whenever your cultivation reaches a certain level, memories of the Taiyi Guiding Technique awaken?"
Xu Ying froze. He had never considered that question before.
"Ah Ying, I think you should take a trip to Xujiaping," the bronze bell said.
Xu Ying's expression darkened with melancholy. "Xujiaping was just a small village near Yongzhou, destroyed in a fire. With this Netherworld invasion and the emergence of the new territory, I'm afraid Xujiaping can't even be found anymore."
"Do you still remember the road to Xujiaping?"
"How could I ever forget?"
"Then once we get rid of Zhou Qiyun, we'll go to Xujiaping. No matter what, we must find that place!"
Xu Ying agreed. After a moment of silence, he said, "Lord Bell, thank you."
The bronze bell was taken aback, then chuckled. "We're friends, what need is there for thanks? You've always quietly supported my recovery with your vital energy without a word of complaint, and you never asked for my gratitude. Why should you thank me?"
Xu Ying weighed his words before saying, "Lord Bell, don't you think my supporting you with vital energy was actually because you framed and coerced me?"
"Hahaha, that's a very funny joke. Don't make that kind of joke next time!"
Outside the Palace of Heavenly Gods, Zhou Qiyun, Yuan Weiyang, and the others had emerged. Further ahead lay the Nether Court, but Yuan Weiyang and Yuan Qi both stopped, refusing to continue following Zhou Qiyun.
Zhou Qiyun frowned and halted. "There is no need to wait; he won't make it out. The Palace of Heavenly Gods is an ascension site. Heavenly gods can descend along an ascension site, possessing the power to oversee worldly good, evil, rewards, and punishments. With ten thousand gods gathered together, not even an immortal could save him."
Yuan Qi shook his head. "Ah Ying has always been clever. He will definitely escape."
Zhou Qiyun shook his head. The judgment of ten thousand gods—in such a scenario, even he could not have survived. How could the boy possibly escape?
The group stood outside the Palace of Heavenly Gods, waiting in silence.
Zhou Qiyun frowned, preparing to take them away by force, when Yuan Weiyang spoke softly: "Old Ancestor Zhou, I have heard that for heavenly gods to descend, someone in the mortal realm must offer sacrifices to communicate with the Heavenly Dao world, using the offerings to open a bridge to it. Why can the heavenly gods descend here without any sacrifice?"
Setting aside his urge to drag them off, Zhou Qiyun explained, "That is the wonder of an ascension site."
Yuan Qi was somewhat surprised; he too had heard of ascension sites. Back in Qinyan Cave on Mount Wuwang, a line recited by the maiden in the coffin while facing the Mud Pill Palace jade wall had included the words 'ascension site.'
The ascension site she spoke of likely referred to Qinyan Cave on Mount Wuwang.
Zhou Qiyun said this place was an ascension site, so what exactly was an ascension site?
Zhou Qiyun continued, "While exploring the sites of Nuo immortal Hidden Scenery latent transformations and the ancient Qi Refiners' grotto-heavens and blessed lands, I encountered some intriguing ancient texts. They recorded that many ascension sites exist in this world. Some rumors claim an ascension site is where Qi Refiners undergo tribulations to ascend to immortality, while others claim ascension sites are formed from fragments of the Heavenly Dao world. Such places possess miraculous power, and the world's boundaries become thin there, making them sacred grounds for cultivation. That is why heavenly gods can descend through those weakened barriers."
Just then, a voice called out from within the Palace of Heavenly Gods: "Old Ancestor Zhou, when heavenly gods descend upon an ascension site, they shouldn't be able to step outside it, right?"
Zhou Qiyun's eyelids twitched. In disbelief, he looked toward the rear exit of the Palace of Heavenly Gods, only to see a beam of celestial light striking the threshold ahead. A familiar figure stepped out along that light.
Zhou Qiyun's mind went blank, forgetting to answer the question for a moment.
Xu Ying then voiced his second doubt: "Could an ascension site deteriorate over a long period of time?"
Having heard Zhou Qiyun discussing ascension sites while inside the palace, Xu Ying had also thought of Qinyan Cave and felt somewhat puzzled. If Qinyan Cave was an ascension site, why hadn't there been any thinning of the world barrier there?
When they cultivated inside Qinyan Cave, they had indeed sensed a mysterious energy within the cave that could stimulate the Mud Pill secret depository, but that mysterious energy came from the master of the Mud Pill Palace, not from the Heavenly Dao world or the remnants of an immortal's ascension!
*If an ascension site is a place where an immortal ascended or a fragment of the Heavenly Dao world, then the characteristics of all ascension sites ought to be the same. Yet the characteristics of Qinyan Cave's Mud Pill Palace and the Palace of Heavenly Gods are completely different!*
Xu Ying vaguely sensed that something was amiss, but unable to make sense of it, he could only shelve the thought for now.
"How did you get out?" Zhou Qiyun asked, having finally composed himself.
Xu Ying smiled faintly. "I walked out. The Palace of Heavenly Gods is impartial and strictly fair with rewards and penalties. After looking into my record, they found I had done nothing wicked, so they saw me out."
Chapter 59