Xu Ying sighed inwardly, knowing escape was now impossible. Zhou Qiyun, the Zhou family ancestor, was a legendary figure—the most powerful being in the world today.
There was no hope of fleeing from him.
He felt the absurdity of it all. Zhou Qiyun, three hundred years ago, had been a snake catcher like him. He had entered the Qinyan Cave while pursuing a strange serpent and obtained the inheritance of the Mud-Pellet Palace Master.
Three hundred years later, another snake catcher—Xu Ying—had entered the same cave for the same reason.
Fate had bound them together in some mysterious way.
Zhou Qiyun waved his hand. The five Ox Demons floated silently aside. Zhou Yu Po struggled to rise, standing meekly without a word.
A strange force washed over Xu Ying, undoing the Sowing-Beans art. His body returned to normal. Yuan Qi's size was restored as well.
Zhou Qiyun approached, studying him. "You opened the Mud-Pellet Repository but did not practice his techniques? Of course—the scriptures he left in the Mud-Pellet Palace, I took everything I could carry and burned the rest. So you received none of his inheritance."
Xu Ying blinked. This was clearly a shameful act, yet Zhou Qiyun spoke of it so openly—almost proudly.
"Senior Zhou—why did you destroy the Mud-Pellet Palace Master's legacy?"
Zhou Qiyun walked ahead. "Three hundred years ago, I entered the Qinyan Cave chasing a strange serpent, stumbled into the stone chamber, and obtained the Mud-Pellet Palace Master's inheritance. I was overjoyed—kowtowed to the skeleton, thinking my life of snake-catching was over. But the stone chamber held more scriptures than any library—martial arts, divine techniques, everything imaginable. I couldn't carry them all, and I didn't want them left for others. I certainly didn't want someone else finding the same inheritance. So I burned everything I couldn't take."
Xu Ying frowned, following close behind.
Zhou Qiyun smiled, clearly not ashamed of his actions but rather quite proud of them.
He continued: "I knew the Qinyan Cave was too significant. If anyone discovered there was a grotto-heaven within and such a mysterious inheritance, they would trace it to me eventually. So I left behind one scroll of scripture and a gourd of spirit pills."
Xu Ying's heart lurched. "The spirit pills that Yuan Qi's grandfather found—you left them there!"
"Yuan Qi's grandfather?"
Zhou Qiyun looked at Yuan Qi with surprise. "You're the grandson of that strange serpent? Haha—fate is truly odd."
Yuan Qi was equally shocked. "You're the one who chased my grandfather into the Qinyan Cave? Before he died, he often mentioned you—said if not for you, he would never have discovered the cave's inner chamber, and never have become a demon."
Zhou Qiyun smiled. "Your grandfather's transformation into a demon was my doing. The Mud-Pellet Palace Master left many spirit medicines in the stone chamber, which I used to build my foundation. I left a gourd of pills for the serpent that led me there. After swallowing the pills, your grandfather awakened his intelligence. I recall the scripture I left was the Great Sun Guiding Art—one of the few demon techniques in the Mud-Pellet Palace Master's collection."
Yuan Qi spoke quickly: "The Great Sun Guiding Art also contains a martial technique called the Elephant-Force Ox-Demon Fist!"
Zhou Qiyun considered. "It should contain that. I didn't act with good intentions—thinking that if I could find the cave, others could too. If they discovered the Mud-Pellet Palace Master's treasures in my possession, they would do anything to kill me and take them. So I gave the serpent the spirit pills and the Great Sun Guiding Art."
Yuan Qi still didn't understand, but Xu Ying did. "A clever stratagem, Senior Zhou. Even if others found the cave, they would assume the serpent had inherited the Mud-Pellet Palace Master's legacy. They would think the inheritance was nothing special and stop investigating."
Yuan Qi's eyes widened. "You framed my grandfather!"
Zhou Qiyun replied coolly: "If I hadn't left those pills and techniques, you wouldn't exist."
Yuan Qi fell silent.
Xu Ying asked: "Senior Zhou, how old were you then?"
Zhou Qiyun glanced at him. "About your age."
Xu Ying marveled: "I couldn't have devised such a plan. Senior Zhou's mind was far too thorough."
Zhou Qiyun sighed. "I later realized I had been overly cautious. No one ever went to the Qinyan Cave. No one cared about a serpent becoming a demon. And I rose steadily in Lingling—four years later, at the age of maturity, I was already the foremost figure in Yongzhou."
* * *
A ruined temple appeared ahead. Xu Ying's heart jumped—it was the Water-Entrance Temple.
It was no longer on the great fissure but had moved thirty li to the south.
Xu Ying's mind raced. The temple was moving toward Wuwang Mountain. The white-robed Nuo Immortal must know he lived there—but he didn't know Wuwang Mountain had already been destroyed.
Zhou Qiyun strode toward the temple, continuing: "At fifty-seven, I opened the eighth grotto-heaven—the eighth layer of the repository. I was the most dazzling Nuo shaman of my generation. The Emperor himself touched my head and praised me as a prodigy. I was indeed worthy of the title."
Xu Ying's heart stirred. A genius recognized by the world—that was something to be proud of.
Zhou Qiyun entered the Water-Entrance Temple. The temple was no longer a gateway between worlds—it appeared ordinary, no different from any common shrine.
"At fifty-seven I opened the eighth layer, yet I did not open the ninth until I was a hundred and forty-three. The world mocked me, saying my talent had run dry. But the truth was—I had discovered a trap hidden in the Mud-Pellet Palace Master's techniques." Zhou Qiyun walked to the central hall, his expression turning sorrowful.
Xu Ying frowned. "A trap? What trap?"
He thought of how he had opened his own repository and suddenly understood. "Senior Zhou—did the Mud-Pellet Palace Master help you open your Mud-Pellet Repository?"
Zhou Qiyun reached the central hall and swept his sleeve. The space shuddered. The hall and the trembling void parted to either side.
Space convulsed. Thunder raged. The turbulence produced rolling columns of fire—boundless energy erupting in every direction.
Xu Ying watched in horror. The hidden world within the Water-Entrance Temple was forced open before them—Five-Mountain Peaks and the great temple, fully revealed.
"The Zhou ancestor is terrifying!" Yuan Qi exclaimed.
Zhou Yu Po glared at the serpent. Yuan Qi retorted: "Look again and I'll have Ah Ying's ox demons whip you!"
Zhou Yu Po shuddered, glancing fearfully at the Ox Demons behind Xu Ying.
* * *
Xu Ying looked around. The Temple World had changed greatly from his last visit. The floating boulders were gone. The grotesque meat-masses wielding blood-vessel tentacles had vanished.
But the Five-Mountain Peaks now bore crawling crimson flesh—thick muscle fibers climbing the mountainsides like blood-red serpentine dragons, still growing.
Xu Ying's blood ran cold. "This evil Nuo Immortal has devoured more flesh! After being consumed himself, he tried to steal others' flesh. He wants to resurrect!"
Zhou Qiyun stepped onto clouds that formed beneath his feet, lifting everyone into the sky. He walked casually toward the great temple between the Five-Mountain Peaks, speaking as he went: "When I kowtowed to the skeleton in the stone chamber, its hand suddenly rose and touched my brow. One touch opened my Mud-Pellet Repository. It was a trap—I realized it when I reached the fifth layer. So I destroyed five grotto-heavens and started over. I nearly died."
Xu Ying stared, equal parts shocked and admiring. "Senior, you possess extraordinary courage and will. Opening five layers and cultivating five grotto-heavens already made you one of the finest—a regional governor at minimum. To destroy them all and rebuild from nothing... that is truly a genius's path."
Zhou Qiyun nodded. "You also opened your Mud-Pellet Repository. Was it the same—did the skeleton touch your brow?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "Why would I bow to him? I opened my Mud-Pellet Repository on my own. I needed no one's help."
His tone carried its own pride.
Zhou Qiyun studied him in surprise, then continued: "The trap I speak of lies in the techniques themselves. Without corresponding cultivation methods, the repository's power cannot be fully unleashed. At fifty-eight, I was preparing to assault the ninth layer when I discovered this flaw. I broke into a cold sweat."
They had arrived at the great temple. Its doors stood open. Before it, the hidden waterfall raged—its countless divine powers poised to explode. Several hundred divine beings, seven or eight zhang tall, stood guard, killing intent thick in the air. The scent of incense and the roar of chanting filled the space like thunder.
Through the open doors, the white-robed Nuo Immortal sat before the celestial hall—white hair whipping in an invisible wind, fairy light circling like swords around him, his stance one of absolute vigilance.
He had sensed Zhou Qiyun's arrival the moment the ancestor stepped into the temple. Recognizing an enemy of extraordinary power, he had long since laid his traps, waiting.
Zhou Qiyun ignored the display entirely. He bowed slightly toward Xu Ying. "Excuse me."
Then his figure flickered—becoming a streak of immortal light that pierced through the erupting waterfall and the hundreds of divine beings.
In the next instant, he stood within the temple, before the celestial hall.
The white-robed Nuo Immortal Chen Mianzhu had not even risen before a finger touched his brow. His skin burst open, his essence erupting outward, and his body withered instantly into a deflated skin that drifted backward.
Slap!
The skin struck the great hall's wall and stuck fast.
Xu Ying's heart hammered. The Great Bell's voice came from within: "Ah Ying—this man is terrifying! That single strike shattered the evil Nuo Immortal's resentment, erasing him completely!"
At that moment, Zhou Qiyun seemed to sense something. He turned to look at Xu Ying.
The Great Bell stiffened: "He's detected me!"
Xu Ying forced a smile and walked forward. Just before he reached the temple entrance, the hidden waterfall—charged with endless Dao forms—collapsed entirely. The hundreds of mighty divine beings' skulls burst open, one after another.
Before Xu Ying reached the door, it was over.
"I only saw him move like lightning—but I never saw him strike." Xu Ying was shaken to his core.
* * *
"This Nuo Immortal was a pitiful figure."
Zhou Qiyun stood in the great hall with his back to Xu Ying, hands clasped behind him, gazing up at the skin pinned to the wall, waiting for Xu Ying to approach. "I discovered that Nuo shaman techniques contained a fatal flaw. He did not. So he hid in his Hidden Vision Latent Transformation, and someone took advantage—drained him dry. Hmph. Inferior skill, fitting death."
Xu Ying arrived behind him. "You mean his Nuo art contained a trap that allowed someone to consume him? But who would know about a trap in his techniques?"
As he spoke, realization struck.
The one who knew about the trap would naturally be the creator of the technique.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. If the Mud-Pellet Palace Master's inheritance was obtained through the skeleton's touch, and one then practiced the Mud-Pellet Palace Master's techniques—wasn't that walking straight into the trap, handing one's life to the creator?
* * *
Zhou Qiyun beckoned. The skin drifted down.
He examined it carefully. "Do you know how I escaped the Mud-Pellet Palace Master's trap?"
Xu Ying was about to shake his head when inspiration struck. "Demon arts—no, Qi-Refining techniques!"
Zhou Qiyun looked up in surprise, his eye twitching. After a long pause, he said: "You're so clever that I'm suddenly tempted to kill you. I'm not accustomed to meeting anyone sharper than myself."
He paused, then continued: "You're right—Qi-Refining techniques. After discovering the trap, I agonized for years. For eighty-six years I roamed the land, seeking out Nuo Immortals. During those years, I found seventeen Hidden Vision Latent Transformations."
He exhaled, his expression calm. "They were all dead. Every last one. Hmph—'ascending to a personal celestial realm within the body.' What a joke."
Xu Ying's scalp went numb. Seventeen Nuo Immortals had retreated into their personal worlds, hoping to become immortal—yet not one had survived.
Then what was the point of the Nuo shaman's path?
"They died in great terror. I examined their remains—most were like this one, nothing but skin. Some were more intact, missing only specific parts: those who cultivated the Mud-Pellet Repository lost their brains; those who cultivated the Crimson Palace lost their hearts. Others had their feet severed, their heads removed, and so on."
Xu Ying and Yuan Qi both shuddered.
By their reasoning, the one who killed these Nuo Immortals was their own teacher—the one who had passed down their techniques.
But from Zhou Qiyun's description, they seemed less like students and more like livestock. A discerning gourmand would select only the finest cuts: some preferred brains, some hearts—thus only those parts were taken.
Yuan Qi couldn't help but speak: "I've read that some immortals ascend through 'golden cicada shedding'—the body becomes nothing but a husk, a shell discarded on the path to ascension. Could it be that those Nuo Immortals who left only skin have in fact ascended?"
Zhou Qiyun studied him. "You've read quite a bit."
Yuan Qi lifted his chin with modest pride. "The Yuan family—er, the Ox family—has a distinguished scholarly tradition. Many books. I read a few in my spare time."
He thought of his home, now destroyed—those books likely buried beneath the floodwater. Three generations of Ox family glory, washed away in a moment. Grief welled up.
Zhou Qiyun frowned at the mention of "Ox family,"不知 why they would carry that surname. He had no idea his own abandoned scripture, the Elephant-Force Ox-Demon Fist, had caused the confusion.
"There is another theory—'plumage transformation.' They shed their original form and become something we cannot comprehend. But I examined these so-called ascended remains and found they had been consumed. There was no ascension."
Yuan Qi offered yet another possibility: "There is also the 'tribulation fire ascension'—the Nuo Immortal dies, and tribulation fire burns the body, leaving only ashes, while the true soul ascends to the Celestial Realm."
Zhou Qiyun looked at him with admiration. "You've truly read extensively. Do you know the 'weapon dissolution ascension'?"
Yuan Qi nodded. "Legend says a Nuo Immortal dies or is killed and buried in a coffin. When the coffin is opened, the body is gone—only clothing and fingernails remain. They say this is weapon dissolution or corpse dissolution ascension. The fingernails and clothing are left behind to avoid shocking the world."
Xu Ying listened without a word, thinking: "Reading has its uses after all—I couldn't have contributed to this conversation."
* * *
Zhou Qiyun continued: "But what if all of it is false? What if these Nuo Immortals didn't ascend—what if they were devoured, leaving nothing but clothing and nails?"
Yuan Qi's face darkened. "Are the books all lies?"
Zhou Qiyun laughed. "It depends on who wrote them. If I were writing, I would expose the deception and lay bare the bloody truth—so future generations would not be led astray."
He dropped the skin and strode out of the great temple. "These seventeen Nuo Immortals—their teachers are the true culprits! These old monsters didn't pass on their traditions to create heirs. They were harvesting crops!"
His voice turned cold. "Treating the world's finest as leeks, cutting one crop after another! But I refuse to be a leek! I will turn the blade!"
Xu Ying followed him outside. The temple entrance was packed with people—row upon row, a vast army.
Their auras were immense. Behind each figure, the Sea of Chaos churned. Bright grotto-heavens twisted space itself, plunging into the sea to draw energy. Their radiance was so fierce that even the Temple World's sun lost its brilliance.
"The Zhou family's experts are as numerous as the stars!" Xu Ying marveled.
Such a vast family—such a formidable power.
Zhou Qiyun stood at the temple gate and addressed the crowd: "Zhou family disciples and associates—hear my command. Tear down every door, strip every roof, pry out every nail! This Hidden Vision Latent Transformation—strip it bare!"
The Zhou family experts bowed in unison. "Yes!"
They dispersed in all directions, dismantling everything of value. Even the white-robed Nuo Immortal's Hidden Vision was refined and collected in strange containers. Xu Ying saw the Nuo Immortal's skin rolled up and carried away as well.
Others cut flesh from the Five-Mountain Peaks, placing it in containers for purposes unknown.
Even the petrified divine beings were carried off—not one left behind.
Their methodical efficiency suggested this was not their first such operation.
* * *
Zhou Qiyun walked on. Xu Ying and Yuan Qi stood on clouds that rose of their own accord beneath their feet, floating along behind him.
"Senior Zhou—you searched for eighty years and found seventeen dead Nuo Immortals. Did none of them survive?"
Zhou Qiyun paused to consider. "I found seventeen dead. But there were also some Hidden Vision spaces that were empty—no body, no ashes. I cannot say whether they survived. The odds are slim."
Xu Ying understood. Nuo Immortals who retreated into their Hidden Visions had exhausted their lifespan. Even if they recognized the trap and escaped, they likely had only a few years left.
"After discovering the trap in the techniques, I searched across the five mountains and three sacred peaks. Though my findings were disheartening, they were not without value. Those who became Nuo Immortals were not fools—some had sensed the problems in Nuo shaman techniques. A few had even gone further, attempting to find a solution in more ancient cultivation systems. Among their relics, I found traces of demon arts."
Yuan Qi opened his mouth, then closed it—still unwilling to voice his theory about the demons' pioneer civilization. He thought: "The Zhou family is human after all. If I expose the human conspiracy, I'll only paint a target on my back. Better to stay quiet."
Xu Ying said: "The so-called demon arts are actually ancient Qi-Refining techniques, lost to time and becoming the arts of demonkind. Their approach gave you inspiration?"
Zhou Qiyun smiled. "They failed, but their experience was invaluable."
Xu Ying's eyes flickered. "And you came to Yongzhou's new land to find me—to help you decipher the Qi-Refining techniques and solve the trap in your cultivation?"
Zhou Qiyun laughed and shook his head. "The trap in my techniques was solved long ago—otherwise I would never have dared break through to the ninth layer one hundred and seventy years ago."
His voice carried the absolute conviction of one who had mastered himself. "I came to this new land for three purposes! The first and smallest: to kill the Mud-Pellet Palace Master, ending the threat once and for all!"
Xu Ying's heart trembled, watching his back.
Zhou Qiyun was no virtuous man—yet his charisma was undeniable.
Zhou Qiyun gazed at the sky, eyes bright. "He once treated me as a teacher, but he intended to consume me. I cannot wait for him to act. I lacked the power to destroy him before—but now I have it. The battle at Wuwang Mountain was our first engagement. I had to guard against another presence, and he escaped. But he will return."
His voice was calm. "Next time, I will give him no chance."
Xu Ying asked: "And the second purpose?"
Zhou Qiyun smiled. "I will follow the precedent of the Great Emperor of the Way and travel to the Underworld myself—to speak with the Underworld Emperor. I do not wish to be stabbed in the back while I am fully engaged."
Xu Ying could barely believe it. Journey to the Underworld to negotiate with the Underworld Emperor—did Zhou Qiyun possess the might of the Great Emperor of the Way?
Zhou Qiyun smiled. "The third purpose is the most important. The first two are merely paving the way."
Xu Ying steadied himself. "And what is the third?"
Zhou Qiyun laughed. "After I kill the Mud-Pellet Palace Master, then we'll speak. It is not yet time. Xu Ying—stay by my side and help me decipher the *Scripture of Tuoyu*."
"The Scripture of Tuoyu?"
"The Zhou family obtained a celestial scripture from the ancient grotto-heaven of Dujiao Mountain. It is profoundly mysterious and exceedingly difficult to understand. The grotto-heaven's master was called Tuoyu, hence the name."
Zhou Qiyun continued: "The Zhou family already has several brilliant minds working on it, and they've deciphered some useful content. Xu Ying, you have the talent for this work. The Zhou family will not treat you poorly."
Xu Ying's eye twitched. "Senior Zhou's generous invitation honors me, and as my elder, I cannot refuse. However—I have killed Zhou Yang and Zhou Yihang. There may be some misunderstandings if I come to the Zhou family."
Zhou Qiyun shook his head. "They will not trouble you excessively."
"I think you misunderstand," Xu Ying said calmly. "I meant that I will fight back."
Zhou Qiyun studied him deeply, then laughed. "One who dared to slay a deity—naturally, you fear nothing. Fight back, then."
* * *
They emerged from the Temple World and returned to the Water-Entrance Temple—only to find someone already there. At their head stood a handsome youth in white robes trimmed with blue-green: Yuan Weiyang. Behind him was Xiao Bo, the blue-robed elder.
The two had been nearby and had clashed with Zhou Yu Po while trying to rescue Xu Ying. Zhou Yu Po had escaped; they had pursued but failed to find her.
When Zhou Qiyun had forcibly torn open the Water-Entrance Temple's disguise, revealing the Five-Mountain Peaks, they had rushed to the scene—and encountered Xu Ying's party.
Yuan Weiyang's gaze fell upon Zhou Qiyun. His brow furrowed slightly as he glanced at Xu Ying.
Xiao Bo stood behind him, studying Zhou Qiyun without recognizing him as the Zhou family ancestor. Zhou Qiyun had achieved fame over two centuries ago and had since lived in seclusion—Xiao Bo had never seen him.
Yuan Weiyang was about to speak when Xu Ying laughed: "Weiyang! You're here too? It's been too long!"
He stepped forward, seized Yuan Weiyang's hand, and gave it a squeeze. "Senior Zhou, this is my old friend from Lingling. Weiyang—this is Senior Zhou of the Zhou family, a leading figure."
He squeezed again, thinking: "Why are his hands so soft? His skin is smoother than mine. City boys really do take care of themselves—nothing like us rough country folk."
Xiao Bo stared at Xu Ying's hand, eyes nearly spitting fire.
Xu Ying squeezed once more to confirm: very smooth indeed.
Yuan Weiyang withdrew his hand without expression. "Since you are occupied, I shall take my leave."
He turned to go. Xiao Bo glared at Xu Ying and hurried after him.
Then Zhou Qiyun spoke: "You are surnamed Yuan? Your ancestor Yuan Wuji was a fine fighter—I crossed swords with him once, and he lost by a single move."
Yuan Weiyang froze. Xiao Bo's face drained of color—he now understood Xu Ying's intentions.
Yuan Wuji was the Yuan family ancestor—a figure of divine stature, long since a legend of the clan.
And this white-browed youth claimed Yuan Wuji had lost to him. There was only one person he could be: the Zhou family ancestor.
Zhou Qiyun's voice carried the weight of command: "Deciphering the Scripture of Tuoyu requires exceptional talent. The Yuan family produces such talent. You will stay."
Xiao Bo's anger surged, but Yuan Weiyang raised a hand to restrain him. Yuan Weiyang bowed. "As you command."
He came to stand beside Xu Ying and waited in silence, his own fate apparently of no concern to him.
* * *
Yuan Qi noticed that Xu Ying kept sniffing his right hand, a strange expression on his face. He whispered: "Ah Ying, what's wrong with your hand?"
Xu Ying sniffed his fingertips again. "Strange. When I held Yuan Weiyang's hand, a scent transferred to me. Smell this!"
Yuan Qi sniffed and scoffed. "That fellow is as delicate as a woman. His hands smell of flowers!"