Hearing his words, Yuan Weiyang understood what he meant. After a moment of quiet reflection, she turned to Uncle Xiao and said, "There will soon be upheaval on Mount Jiuyi. Be ready to escape at any moment!"
Uncle Xiao's expression grew solemn, and he nodded in silence.
Over the next several days, Xu Ying maintained his normal routine. By day, he went to cultivate in the Chaozhen Taixu Cave-Heaven, and by night, he returned to Wutong Palace to sleep. Whenever he had spare moments, he used them to decipher the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mysterious Altar Technique.
Time flew by in this manner, and more than ten days slipped past before they knew it. By now, Zhou Qiyun's injuries had likely healed. During these days, Emperor Shengshen surprisingly refrained from sending people down to the Netherworld to harvest yang qi, nor did the sounds of furious smashing echo from the Cangwu Sect's grand hall. Everything was exceedingly quiet.
Having fully deciphered the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mysterious Altar Technique, Xu Ying copied out the first half and handed it to Eunuch Chen, saying, "Tell His Majesty that I have the latter half here. If His Majesty wants it, he can exchange it for the Jade Capital secret depository's Dragon-Seeking Locating Art."
Eunuch Chen hurried off at once.
Xu Ying immediately notified Yuan Weiyang. Before long, she had packed everything and arrived alongside Uncle Xiao.
Qi shrank his body down to the size of a noodle and coiled inside Xu Ying's collar, while the bronze bell remained tucked inside Xu Ying's mind.
With everyone ready, Xu Ying suddenly thought of Guo Xiaodie and reflected, *She's from the Guo clan. By now, the Guo clan must have received word as well. When we meet later, I wonder if we will be friends or foes.*
Not long after, Eunuch Chen came hurrying back with a broad smile. "His Majesty has instructed me to bring the Dragon-Seeking Locating Art of the Jade Capital secret depository. Master Xu, where are the scripture's second volume and the gold book?"
Xu Ying took out the second half of the scripture along with the gold book recording the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit technique and handed them to Eunuch Chen. The eunuch passed over a thin booklet and said with a grin, "This is the Jade Capital secret depository's Dragon-Seeking Locating Art, penned by His Majesty's own hand. Master Xu, His Majesty also wishes to grant you an audience and bestow rewards in person."
Accepting the Dragon-Seeking Locating Art, Xu Ying bowed in gratitude. "Please lead the way, Eunuch."
Eunuch Chen led from the front, heading toward the Cangwu Sect's grand hall halfway up the mountain. Looking around, Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang noticed that far more Jinwu Guards were stationed at the treacherous mountain passes than before.
Descending further down the mountain, they saw several dozen Nuo masters being marched uphill under the escort of two Jinwu Guards. One guard carried a sword casket on his back, while the other leaned on a white streamer.
As Xu Ying and the others walked past, the Jinwu Guards ordered those Nuo masters to kneel in a long row. One of the Jinwu Guards tapped his sword casket, and sword qi flew out, decapitating the Nuo masters one after another!
Yet among those dozens of Nuo masters were skilled experts after all. Three of them realized things had gone south, immediately channeling their Nuo arts to resist the sword qi and leaping away to flee.
The Jinwu Guard shouted, "Think of your families! If only you die, that's the end of it; if you run, your entire clan will be executed!"
Two of the powerful Nuo masters hesitated for a split second, only to have their foreheads pierced by sword qi, dying on the spot. The remaining Nuo master was ruthless and decisive, paying no heed to the threat and focusing solely on fleeing. He leaped up violently, his vitality condensing behind him into a white crane with a wingspan of several rods, beating its wings and taking to the air!
However, Jinwu Guards were already stationed at the other checkpoints. Streaks of sword qi sliced through the empty air, beheading the Nuo master in mid-flight and sending his severed body tumbling from the sky.
"Ah-Ying..." Hidden inside Xu Ying's collar, Qi trembled to his very soul, his voice shaking.
The bronze bell also let out a muffled clang.
Steeling his mind, Xu Ying kept pace behind Eunuch Chen. Yuan Weiyang acted as if she had seen nothing, while Uncle Xiao clenched his fists tightly before slowly uncurling them.
Continuing down the mountain for less than half a li, they saw other Jinwu Guards executing dozens more Nuo masters along the path. Another half a li further, yet another batch was being put to the sword; some Nuo masters wept and wailed to the heavens, while others bolted desperately for their lives.
Yet with every choke point locked down, where could they possibly run?
Covering more than ten li, Xu Ying and his companions witnessed over a thousand Nuo masters being executed along the way. Some were disciples and elders of the Cangwu Sect, while others had been abducted from various Jianghu sects.
Originally, they had been useful, capable of descending into the Netherworld to harvest yang qi for the Emperor's elixir concoctions. But now, their usefulness was gone.
To be useless was to have no reason to live. For the sake of the Emperor's glorious reputation, they had to die.
As they moved onward, the sounds of battle echoed ahead. It was the Cangwu Sect's sect master, under siege by three Jinwu Guards. The sect master's abilities were formidable; cultivating some unknown secret depository, his vitality raged behind him, and he had already opened six great cave-heavens—truly a Grand Nuo of the martial world!
Yet beneath the combined assault of the three Jinwu Guards, he teetered on the brink, his life hanging by a thread.
Ahead, the Cangwu Sect's grand hall came into view.
Eunuch Chen suddenly let out a soft sigh and whispered, "Young Master Xu, the book His Majesty gave you contains nothing but blank paper. Haven't you realized that yet? Hurry and run!"
Uncle Xiao lowered his voice. "Thank you."
He struck out abruptly, hitting Eunuch Chen on the back of his shoulder. Eunuch Chen spat blood, tumbling and rolling down the cliff face. Even as he fell through midair, he shrieked at the top of his lungs, "Quick, seize the rebels!"
Uncle Xiao was dumbfounded. "I didn't hit him that hard... Why did he vomit so much blood?"
"Run!"
Xu Ying shouted. Taking a stride forward, sword qi whirled beneath his feet and instantly enveloped him. With a sharp whoosh, he transformed into a streak of sword light, piercing the sky!
Another streak of sword light shot up to match his pace—it was Yuan Weiyang.
Neither dared take to the open sky, skimming close to the ground instead. Their surging sword qi churned furiously, shredding vegetation and gravel into dust wherever it spilled!
Jinwu Guards had spotted them immediately. Tapping their sword caskets, over a dozen streaks of sword qi slashed toward the two thick beams of sword light.
Enclosed within their own sword qi, Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang could not actively retaliate. The collision of those dozen streaks of sword qi with their protective barriers dramatically slashed their flight speed.
Suddenly, the sword light around Xu Ying dispersed, and he leaped into the air.
A cloud ladder materialized beneath his feet. Using it for leverage, he leaped once more. At the same time, the sword casket on his back clicked open down the center, parting to reveal seven hidden slots, each harboring a streak of sword qi.
With a flick of Xu Ying's sword fingers, the seven streaks of sword qi shot out in rapid succession—*clang, clang, clang, clang!*—shattering every incoming attack!
His sword casket was a treasure of Yuan Tiangang's; the sword qi nurtured within it for a thousand years was incomparably sharp, far beyond anything the Jinwu Guards' sword caskets could match!
Meanwhile, the sword qi guarding Yuan Weiyang grew thin. She leaped high into the air, her divine sense surging to give her a foothold in empty space as she brandished her sword to sever the attacks besieging her.
On the other flank, Uncle Xiao sprinted through the mountain forests like a ferocious tiger descending from the peaks, charging through the checkpoints along the way, either striking the stationed Jinwu Guards dead or hurling them off the cliffs!
The seven streaks of sword qi returned to the sword casket, and its twin compartments clicked shut, sliding together once more.
With sword qi wrapping around his body again, Xu Ying turned back into a thick beam of sword light skimming low to the ground. Another beam cut across at an angle to join him—it was Yuan Weiyang, weaving closely past him.
The two rays of sword qi abruptly vanished into the forest. With a simultaneous shout, they dispatched the powerful foes guarding the path in an instant, taking to their flying swords once more.
Battle cries erupted across the mountain as Jinwu Guards and Guo clan experts mobilized in full force, severing every possible avenue of retreat.
At last, Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang reached the cliff overlooking the Cangwu Abyss. Experts from the Guo clan were already standing guard at its edge, led by Guo Yue and Li Yingzhu, with Guo Xiaodie among them.
Brimming with murderous intent, they stood arrayed in strict battle formation.
The Guo clan was a great patrician family. Though not as vast as the Zhou clan, it was far more ancient and deeply rooted. Having already established their tactical formation, anyone trapped by them faced certain death!
"Lord Bell—!"
Before Xu Ying's shout could fade, the great bronze bell flew from the back of his head, humming and spinning as its walls radiated blinding radiance. In an instant, layers of light blossomed over its exterior, forming a colossal wall of light shaped like an enormous bell!
On the outer surface of this light wall, runes swirled; within it, all creation flourished and grew, boundless vitality morphing into terrifying destructive might!
*Bong—!*
The bronze bell shook, and the colossal outer wall of light vibrated along with it. The dreadful shockwave made the entire cliff tremble. The Guo clan experts had already activated their formation to withstand the bell's power; their unified aura stood firm as a fortress, meeting the bronze bell with an iron defense!
In the next instant, the bell's resonance tore into the fortress. Vitality churned violently within the Guo clan experts, forcing them to stagger back, yet their formation held!
*Bong!*
The bronze bell chimed a second time, crumbling the battlements and breaking their ramparts as the Guo clan experts coughed up mouthfuls of blood. Its momentum mounted ever higher, and with the third toll of the bell, the Guo clan's defensive formation shattered entirely, scattering their experts in all directions!
"Ah-Ying, I'm spent!" the bronze bell cried out. The wall of light snapped back inside, and the bell shrank, vanishing into the back of Xu Ying's head.
Seizing the opening, Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang dashed to the edge of the cliff. They only had to leap over the precipice to plunge into the lake below, dive into the Cangwu Abyss, and escape through the Netherworld!
Just then, the auspicious cloud floating above the Cangwu Sect's grand hall suddenly drifted toward them.
That auspicious cloud was the emblem of imperial authority. Even before it arrived, the reverberating prayers of myriad subjects left their heads spinning and their consciousness clouded!
Yet before the auspicious cloud could reach the cliff, it seemed to strike an invisible iron wall, stalling dead in midair, unable to advance another inch!
Beneath the cloud, a white-browed youth stood quietly, gazing toward the Cangwu Sect's grand hall. His eyes flickered as if weighing Xu Ying's worth, calculating whether the boy was worth an open breach with Emperor Shengshen.
"Old Ancestor Zhou, I left a copy of the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mysterious Altar Technique for you in Wutong Palace!" Xu Ying shouted at the top of his lungs. "This technique can resolve the flaws in Granny Tuo's Immortal Scripture, allowing you to cultivate without hindrance!"
Zhou Qiyun's mind was violently shaken. An expression of sheer disbelief crossed his face as he turned to look at Xu Ying.
"Xu Ying, this is the second time you've tried to run away."
Turning back to face the grand hall, Zhou Qiyun spoke in an indifferent voice: "Go, run. Just don't let me catch you."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Xu Ying hurled himself off the cliff, plummeting toward the jade-green lake below. At the same time, swarms of Jinwu Guards leaped from the cliff, while Guo clan experts took to the air one after another, deploying Heaven-Soaring Cloud Ladders to give chase to Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang in midair.
Uncle Xiao plunged down like a savage tiger, landing squarely on the back of a Jinwu Guard and obliterating him with a single punch. He seized the guard's sword casket and struck it hard. The casket exploded, sending stray sword qi blasting in every direction, forcing the pursuing Jinwu Guards and Guo clan experts to scramble into defense!
Suddenly, Guo Yue leaped through the air. With a wave of his hand, wind and clouds churned across the sky as he collided head-on with Uncle Xiao.
Uncle Xiao groaned in pain. Though five cave-heavens manifested behind him, the impact still caused him to spit blood and plummet down the gorge.
Just as Guo Yue moved to strike him dead, Xu Ying leaped forward and caught Uncle Xiao, shouting, "Lord Bell!"
The bronze bell flew out, wailing, "I have no strength left!"
Xu Ying swung the bronze bell with all his might, slamming it violently into Guo Yue. The bell let out a loud *clang* and complained, "I told you I was truly empty, but you wouldn't listen!"
Guo Yue blocked the bronze bell with a single hand. Feeling that its might was a shadow of its former self—clearly at the end of its rope—he was overjoyed. Without hesitation, his other hand darted forward, clawing toward Xu Ying's throat.
Right at that moment, a small snake emerged from Xu Ying's collar and bit Guo Yue right on the webbing of his thumb.
Guo Yue instantly lost all feeling in his hand, and the numbness rapidly spread through his arm. Overcome with terror, he shouted repeatedly, "Yingzhu, Yingzhu, save me! I've been poisoned by a strange snake!"
The beautiful woman, who was just about to capture Yuan Weiyang, panicked at his cry and rushed to his side. Seeing the black poison about to invade his shoulder—knowing that once it reached his heart, lungs, and brain, not even an immortal could save him—she gritted her teeth in tears and severed his entire arm!
"Don't worry, husband, I will kill that Demon King Xu to avenge you!"
Li Yingzhu helped him stem the bleeding. Looking down, the couple saw that Xu Ying had already carried Uncle Xiao into the jade lake and slipped into the Cangwu Abyss, so they plunged in after them.
Upon entering the Cangwu Abyss, the couple saw Jinwu Guards and Guo clan experts clashing all along the chasm. Sword light flashed relentlessly above the great abyss as corpses tumbled down, dying gruesome deaths.
Xu Ying's eyes had turned red with bloodlust as he summoned Yuan Tiangang's sword casket to kill. The casket soared through the air; at times, it flew open, letting loose streaks of sword qi whose surging might cleaved through foes like chopping vegetables; at other times, a flurry of sword qi whirled around Xu Ying, shielding him against incoming attacks as he tore through the crowds, leaving severed limbs and shattered bodies flying in his wake!
Watching this, Li Yingzhu and Guo Yue saw red. "Get out of the way!" they yelled fiercely.
Deploying the Heaven-Soaring Cloud Ladder, husband and wife closed the distance at high speed. Shaking off their pursuers, Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang transformed into two streaks of sword light and bolted away.
Gradually overtaking the rest of the pack, the couple closed in on their quarry. Suddenly, a streak of sword light flew toward them, blocking their path. From within the light came a voice—it was Guo Xiaodie, crying out, "Second Aunt, Fourth Uncle, stop chasing them!"
Seeing the sword qi circling her body, Li Yingzhu instantly realized that she had received the true transmission of Xu Ying's Sword Control Formula. Stomping her foot, she said, "Xiaodie, he taught you? What was the price?"
Guo Xiaodie bowed and replied, "There was no price! He saw that I didn't understand, so he just taught it to me!"
Li Yingzhu froze. Turning her gaze to Guo Yue's severed arm, she murmured dejectedly, "So this is the price our Guo clan paid for the Sword Control Formula..."
Pale with agony, his forehead drenched in cold sweat, Guo Yue whispered, "Wife, I know several masters from the Zhou clan. It can be regrown."
Li Yingzhu's expression softened slightly. "So our Guo clan obtained the Sword Control Formula for nothing?"
Guo Yue gave a gentle nod.
Her heart bloomed with joy, and Li Yingzhu smiled. "In that case, we truly shouldn't push them too far. Xiaodie, we still have to put on a show, or else we won't be able to answer to His Majesty. Just leave them a path of survival."
Guo Xiaodie was overjoyed. Looking back, she saw that Xu Ying and the others had already vanished into the boundless depths of the Netherworld, leaving no trace behind.
After surviving several more ambushes by pursuers, Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang, and Uncle Xiao finally used the terrain of the Netherworld to throw them off. Yet the Netherworld was vast and boundless, and they had no idea where they were.
Before they realized it, Xu Ying looked up and saw towering divine statues rising into the clouds among the surrounding mountains, their presence dwarfing the peaks, enveloped in curling incense smoke. He let out a long sigh of relief.
That was the Nether Court.
Now that they had reached the Nether Court, the Palace of Heavenly Gods could not be far!
Soon afterward, the three arrived at the Palace of Heavenly Gods. Under the watchful gaze of countless eyes, they tread carefully through this ancient temple, miraculously passing through in peace without facing any reprimand or interrogation.
Outside Guizailing, Yuan Weiyang stopped in her tracks, a radiant smile gracing her face. "Demon King Xu, let us part ways here. It's time I returned to report to my mother."
Xu Ying stopped as well, feeling reluctant to see her go. "I, too, must search for my origins. Now that we part, I do not know when we shall meet again."
Yuan Weiyang hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "I was very happy spending these days with you. If you ever come to the capital, I will introduce you to my younger sister."
Uncle Xiao stared blankly, looking at Yuan Weiyang in complete bewilderment. He thought to himself, *Isn't our young master an only daughter? Where did a younger sister come from?*
Chapter 79