Xu Ying looked up and saw Zhou Qiyun's severed soul-head rise into the air, Samadhi True Fire shooting forth to incinerate the curved blade. His soul-fragments reconnected, restoring him whole once more.
Xu Ying's mind shook. If Zhou Qiyun could regenerate even from soul destruction—if he ever formed a Primordial Spirit—wouldn't he become truly immortal and indestructible?
The Colossal Being blotted out the sky, arriving before Zhou Qiyun, its titanic form contrasting sharply with the diminutive figure of the Ancestor. When they collided, the sky became unstable—fragile as a mirror about to shatter.
Xu Ying watched as bolts of thunder-fire escaped through the fractured space, one after another scurrying along the cracks before exploding in bursts more dazzling than any firework.
In the instant the Colossal Being struck, the Skeleton rose and thrust its sword. That single thrust seemed to carry even greater threat than the Colossal Being's blow. Behind Zhou Qiyun, the Sea of Chaos surged. Nine Grotto-Heavens erupted simultaneously, plunging into the depths of the sea, channeling every last reserve of power to counter the strike.
Suddenly, the blazing sphere in the sky detonated. Immortal light of every conceivable color poured down through the opened heavens, and Xu Ying saw within it the impossible clarity of colors found only in the Domain of the Ineffable—colors that had no place in the mortal world.
Wherever the light touched, the Underworld realm surrounding the Great Scholar Tree convulsed violently. It was the dead of night—the period when the Underworld's incursion was at its most severe—yet under the immortal radiance, the Underworld retreated in haste. Even the River Nai was cut off mid-flow!
The unstable space between Yin and Yang grew even more turbulent. This immortal light descending from the heavens possessed power enough to influence the war between two realms!
Xu Ying traced the source of the light and saw it emanating from within Zhou Qiyun's own body. The Ancestor floated like the legendary ascended immortals, ethereal and transcendent, apart from all worldly things.
A celestial realm unfurled outward from his center.
Xu Ying beheld the mountains and rivers of the Divine Continent spreading like a painted scroll in every direction—a landscape more wondrous than any immortal paradise!
The Colossal Being and the Master of the Pagoda Tree Palace were pulled instantaneously into this Divine Continent realm. Atop the Colossal Being's head, the Skeleton leaped up, a streak of light darting toward the edge of the celestial realm, desperately trying to escape before the landscape fully materialized.
But the Divine Continent expanded faster than it could fly. After covering several hundred li, the mountains and rivers merged completely with heaven and earth. There was no longer any boundary.
The Skeleton halted in midair, gazing outward. No new land. No Great Scholar Tree. No River Nai. It understood that without killing Zhou Qiyun, there would be no escape.
It turned and flew back to the Colossal Being, landing atop its head. Rather than separating, combining their strength gave them a fighting chance.
Their previous battle at Wuwang Mountain had been rushed for both sides. Neither had fully prepared, and neither had unleashed their ultimate techniques before withdrawing.
Who could have guessed that in what seemed a guaranteed victory, Zhou Qiyun would reveal the final form of Hidden Vision Latent Transformation, dragging them into his own celestial realm for the decisive battle?
Xu Ying gazed upward and saw the White Bone Emperor also pulled into that Divine Continent paradise. He couldn't help but be moved.
The Place of Latent Transformation was a unique cultivation method of the Nuo Shamans—everything in service of reaching the end of one's lifespan with a pocket of immortal territory to dwell in, concealing one's form and living forever.
But Zhou Qiyun's approach was different. His Place of Latent Transformation didn't aim to hide or conceal at all!
He intended to merge his latent realm completely with the entire Divine Continent, transforming the mortal world into an immortal paradise—no need to lurk in the cracks between Yin and Yang like the White-Robed Nuo Immortal!
He wanted to live openly among mortals, to be an immortal in plain sight!
On this single point alone, he surpassed the White-Robed Nuo Immortal beyond measure!
As Zhou Qiyun's Divine Continent paradise bloomed open, the flesh grown upon the ghost soldiers of the Underworld immediately rotted and fell away. One by one, the spectral soldiers regained clarity, howled, and charged toward the Pagoda Tree Palace.
Thirteen Zhou family elders surged into the sky to meet them.
These thirteen elders were extraordinarily powerful. Behind each, their Grotto-Heavens blazed with blinding light, warping the space around them. One's Hidden Vision manifested as a vast river, churning through midair, sweeping hundreds of ghost soldiers aside. Another's Hidden Vision took the form of mountains—heavy and immovable—flying high before crashing down, crushing spectral soldiers into oblivion. Yet another stood atop a rainbow, wielding devastating power.
But the Underworld's forces were simply too numerous. Many ghost soldiers broke through and rushed toward the Pagoda Tree Palace.
"Demon King Xu, now is our best chance to leave."
Xu Ying turned to see Yuan Weiyang and Xiao Bo standing nearby. Yuan Weiyang's gaze was clear and calm: "The Zhou family's strong ones are occupied, and the rest will soon be unable to protect themselves. No one can stop us from leaving. If you're willing, Xiao Bo can escort us out."
Xu Ying hesitated, then shook his head. "Thank you for the offer. I still have two friends in the Great Scholar Tree. I can't leave just like that."
Xiao Bo sneered: "He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened. Xu Ying, you know neither others nor yourself. I fear you'll die here. Come with me, and I'll see you out!"
A faint, barely perceptible smile crossed Yuan Weiyang's face: "Truly worthy of being Demon King Xu. Xiao Bo, let's go."
The two charged out of the Pagoda Tree Palace. The blue-robed elder cut through the encirclement with astonishing power, slaying dozens of ghost soldiers before vanishing into the night.
Zhou family disciples also surged outward, clashing with the Underworld forces. Xu Ying didn't engage the ghost soldiers. Instead, he slipped back into the Pagoda Tree Palace amid the chaos, rummaging through for anything valuable.
He had witnessed the Zhou family's ruthless efficiency at stripping the Water-Entrance Temple, and the memory had left a deep impression. The thought of scavenging some wealth during the commotion was irresistible.
Xu Ying sneaked into Zhou Qiyun's private study, hoping to find treasures. On the desk sat a jade seal. Recognizing it as valuable, he snatched it up.
At that moment, a tremendous tremor shook the sky, as if a colossal mountain had been hurled from the heavens, sending the ground shuddering.
Xu Ying rushed to the window. A mountain range stretching a hundred li had crashed into the Underworld's peaks—its undulating form unmistakably the body of the Colossal Being!
Looking up, he saw the head of the Colossal Being falling from Zhou Qiyun's celestial realm!
Even as he watched, the magnificent canopy spanning several acres snapped and hurtled backward, its brilliant light shattering into pieces.
The next instant, the White Bone Emperor crumbled. Its tattered Primordial Spirit burst into flame, escaping amid the fire.
Xu Ying saw this, closed the window, returned the jade seal to its place, wiped away his fingerprints, and backed out of the study, pulling the door shut behind him.
"Looting only works if you can actually get away with it," the simple-minded youth thought to himself.
In the sky above, the Colossal Being's head crashed down wreathed in flames, rolling several times across the ground. Just a few rolls carried it over ten li, landing directly in the path of the fleeing Yuan Weiyang and Xiao Bo.
An entire mountain range had materialized before them. Its base still gurgled blood, forming a river five or six zhang wide.
Xiao Bo moved to carry Yuan Weiyang over the mountain, but Yuan Weiyang stopped. Xiao Bo turned back, confused.
Yuan Weiyang's expression was calm: "Xiao Bo, we can't escape. Let's go back."
Xiao Bo shouted: "Young Master Yuan, if we cross this mountain, we can get out!"
Yuan Weiyang shook his head: "The Zhou Family Ancestor is now the foremost being in the Divine Continent. He has grown far, far beyond the level that defeated our ancestor Yuan Wuji."
Xiao Bo was bewildered.
Yuan Weiyang continued: "Rather than fleeing and being dragged back, we should stay willingly. Remaining by his side, we can learn much from him."
Xiao Bo said gravely: "But once he's done with you, he'll dispose of you! Staying can only bring calamity!"
"Xiao Bo, don't you understand? His casting down of the Master of the Mud Pill Palace's head was a warning."
Yuan Weiyang turned and walked back toward the Pagoda Tree Palace. "He could hurl that head to form a mountain blocking our path—or he could have hurled it directly at us. Neither you nor I could have stopped it. We would have simply been crushed."
Xiao Bo's mind reeled. He staggered back to Yuan Weiyang's side, murmuring: "The Zhou Family Ancestor couldn't possibly be this powerful. He can't have been watching our every move while simultaneously fighting two supreme beings..."
Yuan Weiyang gazed up at the battle within the celestial realm, his expression serene: "He is already an immortal walking the earth. As long as he makes no mistakes, he is invincible among mortals—immortal and eternal. But..."
He frowned slightly, lowering his voice: "Zhou Family Ancestor, what more are you seeking? Why do you still need us to decipher the qi refiners' techniques?"
Yuan Weiyang returned to the Pagoda Tree Palace to find the chaos had subsided. Xu Ying was already waiting for them.
Xiao Bo saw Xu Ying and his weathered face reddened. He raised a sleeve to cover his face, inwardly ashamed: "I told him he who knows others is wise and he who knows himself is enlightened. Who would have guessed he'd predicted we'd return and be waiting here."
Xu Ying didn't seem to mind. He gazed upward at the final confrontation between Zhou Qiyun and the Skeleton within the celestial realm, his expression worried: "Zhou Family Ancestor's strength is beyond anything I anticipated. I expected at least mutual destruction."
Previously he had felt confident he could escape Zhou Qiyun's control. Now that confidence was entirely gone.
A similar worry gnawed at Yuan Weiyang's heart.
Zhou Qiyun would never allow them to continue idling. He would demand the deciphering of the Scripture of Tuoyu.
Refuse, and they would die.
Comply, and they would likely die as well.
"Then let's give him the Scripture of Tuoyu," Xu Ying said suddenly.
Yuan Weiyang looked at him in surprise. After a moment, she nodded silently.
The battle within the celestial realm ceased. Xu Ying looked up and saw the Skeleton standing in midair. The sword in its hand shattered with a clatter, yet the Skeleton remained upright.
Zhou Qiyun, his white brows still youthful, straightened his robes and lifted his hem, kneeling respectfully before the Skeleton. Both palms pressed to the ground, he bowed his forehead to the earth.
"You were my master after all. Though your intentions were malevolent, you still showed me kindness."
His expression unchanged: "Killing you is unfilial. I kneel and beg my master's forgiveness."
The Skeleton laughed heartily: "Good! Good! To have such a disciple brings me peace. I can depart without worry!"
The Skeleton burst apart, dissolving into powder.
Zhou Qiyun withdrew his celestial realm. The resplendent Divine Continent folded like a silk painting back into his body.
He descended from the sky, his steps steady, but upon landing he faltered for a moment. A trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, which he quickly swallowed.
Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang felt a surge of joy: "He is injured after all! He is not invincible!"
Yet Zhou Qiyun turned to look at the Great Scholar Tree with an uncanny gaze, his white brows lifting slightly: "You see me wounded, and still you won't strike?"
Hearing this, Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang's blood ran cold. Every hair on their bodies stood on end.
Zhou Qiyun's words carried multiple layers of meaning. Just thinking about it made them tremble—they dared not delve any deeper.
Zhou Qiyun walked over, his expression mild, giving them a slight nod: "In the next few days, I want to see the deciphered scrolls of the Scripture of Tuoyu. Prepare yourselves." With that, he entered the Pagoda Tree Palace.
Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang exchanged a glance, silent for a moment, then spoke simultaneously: "Was he truly wounded, or did he feign injury to lure out another enemy?"
Xiao Bo was bewildered and asked quickly: "What other enemy are you referring to?"
Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang both looked toward the Great Scholar Tree. Xiao Bo followed their gaze and said, confused: "Young Master, you mean this tree? Impossible—the Great Scholar Tree is just a tree..."
Xu Ying leaned close to Yuan Weiyang's ear and whispered: "Your steward isn't the sharpest. Don't follow his lead on everything—it'll rub off on you."
Yuan Weiyang's breath was soft as orchid: "I know. But sometimes I can't overrule him. My mother is very strict and told me to obey him while away."
Xu Ying said: "It'll make you dumber. Your earlobes are lovely—translucent, almost see-through, like they glow when light passes through them."
Yuan Weiyang's earlobes turned red.
Xiao Bo's face darkened. He stepped between them, shoving them apart with both hands.
Xu Ying laughed it off: "Let's go. Back to sleep. Tomorrow we decipher the Scripture of Tuoyu!"
The night passed calmly.
At the hour of the Ox, lightning and thunder erupted. The earth shook violently, and the room where Zhou Family Ancestor Zhou Qiyun rested exploded outward. Everyone rushed to the door and saw shadows flickering through the window lattice—within, the sound of axes and wavering candlelight.
Then came a series of thunderous cracks. Massive roots burst from the earth like great serpents, yet thicker and more gnarled, coiling and intertwining to encircle Zhou Qiyun's room in an unbreakable embrace.
After a moment, the Great Scholar Tree shuddered twice, then fell still.
Xu Ying stood among the crowd, uncertain what had transpired inside Zhou Qiyun's room.
Just as suspicion mounted, the layered roots parted and the door opened. Zhou Qiyun emerged, his complexion markedly improved: "I borrowed eight thousand years of vitality from our friend the Great Scholar Tree. I'm feeling much better now. Everyone, return to your quarters."
Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang felt their scalps tingle. They turned and walked away in silence.
After a moment, Yuan Weiyang whispered: "Grandpa Bell once said the Great Scholar Tree had eight thousand years left before it would burn to death."
Xu Ying nodded silently: "He feigned his injuries to lure the Great Scholar Tree into attacking. In truth, he coveted its vitality. The moment the tree made its move, it fell into his trap."
Yuan Weiyang said: "Actually, his injuries were very real."
Xu Ying's eyes flickered. When Zhou Qiyun had slain the Master of the Mud Pill Palace, he had indeed been gravely wounded. The Great Scholar Tree could have killed him then. But Zhou Qiyun deliberately feigned vulnerability, and the tree dared not strike.
Once Zhou Qiyun retreated to his room and completed his preparations, he baited the tree into attacking.
The moment it struck, it was dead.