My Dao Is Not Alone

Xu Ying shook his head. "I don't want to be so different from everyone else. I'd still rather blend in with everyone."

Great Bell probed, "When you say 'blend in,' do you mean it literally—beating everyone into a pulp—or truly blending in?"

He felt that this boy's idea of "blending in" seemed rather different from everyone else's.

Xu Ying said, "The Ni Wan Secret Treasury must be opened. I think that since Qi Refiners and Nu Masters follow two completely different cultivation systems, wouldn't cultivating both be perfectly compatible? Since that's the case, I want both."

Great Bell was stunned.

Shouldn't Qi Refiners and Nu Masters have to determine which was superior and which was inferior? How could anyone want both?

And wouldn't cultivating both lead to conflict?

Xu Ying entered Qin Yan Cave, his face puzzled as he pondered, "Strange. After the Underworld Invasion, the local terrain changed drastically. How did Magistrate Zhou find this place?"

Not long after he left, the mountain forest suddenly rustled. Countless little people in green, barely a foot tall, came running from every direction.

These little people in green had slender bodies, wore jade-green clothes, pointed hats, and straw sandals. Each one was sharp and capable. Whenever they reached a place, they looked around and searched in every direction.

This was the Zhou Family's Nu Art—the Grass and Tree Soldier Art.

The little people in green were soldiers transformed from grass and trees. Given life by the Nu Art, they were used for assassination or scouting.

The Zhou Family's Great Nu Master could even use this Nu Art to create an army, send it onto the battlefield, and drown the enemy beneath overwhelming numbers.

Suddenly, one of the little people in green inadvertently raised its head and saw Zhou Yang nailed to the cliff. It let out a startled cry. The other little people in green immediately swarmed over. They chattered in an unintelligible language, piled atop one another, and climbed up the cliff.

Working together, they pulled out the swords one by one, carried Zhou Yang's corpse, and surged into the mountain forest.

By dusk, the little people in green carried Zhou Yang's corpse over mountains and ridges to Yilin Temple. Yilin Temple had originally been close to Mount Wu Wang, but after the River of Oblivion Invasion, when the Underworld collided with the Mortal Realm, countless mountains and rivers had appeared from thin air. Not only had Mount Wu Wang become Mount Wu Wang, but Yilin Temple had also been sent forty li away.

Most of the land between the two places belonged to the Underworld. The roads were difficult and perilous, making them nearly impossible to traverse.

The little people in green carried Zhou Yang's corpse into Yilin Temple. Magistrate Zhou's old eyes brimmed with tears as he reached out with trembling hands and closed Zhou Yang's eyes.

"Don't let there be any wind. It might disturb my son's Ghost Soul." He instructed the officials around him and ordered the doors and windows shut tight.

When night fell, the River of Oblivion Invasion began. Zhou Yang's Ghost Soul drifted over and stood before his corpse, its feet joined to those of the body.

Ghost Souls had originally been invisible to the naked eye, but after the River of Oblivion Invasion, reality was disturbed, and Ghost Souls could also be seen at night.

Zhou Yang's Ghost Soul cried, "Xu Ying killed me! Father, avenge me!"

Magistrate Zhou's tears streamed down his face. Choking back sobs, he said, "Rest easy, my son. No matter what, your old father will kill that fiend and offer his head as a sacrifice to you!"

Zhou Yang's resentment weakened slightly. "The cold wind hurts me so much."

Magistrate Zhou wiped away his tears. "I've already ordered people to make a divine statue. Once it's finished, we'll cover it in gold leaf and give you a golden body. After the seventh day following your death, your father will have the commoners of Lingling City worship you. In a few years, you'll become a deity! Then you and I, father and son, can meet again!"

Zhou Yang burst into tears and bowed down.

Magistrate Zhou shut the door, his face gloomy as he gazed toward Mount Wu Wang. In a low voice, he said, "Wu Wang means calamity and change. The so-called Wu Wang means unexpected disaster and upheaval. Xu Ying, even if you possess the talent to reach Heaven and penetrate the earth, this old man will still take your life to avenge my son! The name Wu Wang itself means that disaster is about to befall you!"

At the foot of Mount Wu Wang, Xu Ying saw that Yuan Qi was still undergoing transformation. He slipped out of Qin Yan Cave and went to see the River of Oblivion.

When the sun set, the River of Oblivion appeared once more, surging and roaring. For a time, ghostly energy filled the air. Many things in Mount Wu Wang came rushing out, flying all over the mountains. Some even crawled out of Desolate Graves, calling friends over to drink and make merry.

Xu Ying saw a village at the foot of the mountain, its lanterns shining brightly. A wealthy household had set out a feast to entertain guests. He wondered, "Why didn't I see a village here during the day?"

There was no food in Qin Yan Cave. He caught fish from the water and plucked fruit from the trees for all three meals each day. Although he could eat his fill, he had no rice or flour and always felt as if his stomach were hollow.

He walked over. The villagers had no ghostly energy about them and welcomed him warmly, inviting him to the feast. The village was full of handsome men and beautiful women. An elderly man acted as matchmaker and wanted to arrange a marriage for him with a maiden as beautiful as a flower and as alluring as jade.

Xu Ying's face flushed red. He stammered, "I don't have betrothal gifts..."

"Why would you need betrothal gifts?"

The elder stroked his black beard and laughed. "If I asked you for betrothal gifts, wouldn't that make me a man selling his daughter? That would be immoral. When the Hu Family marries off a daughter, we've always been the ones to give the groom betrothal gifts. If you're willing, this old man is prepared to give you two shops and a residence on the bustling streets of Yongzhou City, plus five hundred taels of silver."

Xu Ying was greatly tempted. He looked at the Hu Family maiden and felt that she had grown even more radiant and charming. Just as he was about to agree, a woman's voice suddenly came from outside the village: "A pack of fox temptresses! How dare you deceive an ignorant human boy! Do you truly think no one can deal with you? Hurry up and get lost!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers' expressions changed drastically. Yellow fur sprouted across their faces, and they transformed into demon foxes, scurrying wildly in every direction before hiding inside the houses.

Xu Ying sighed inwardly in regret. If I could get two shops and a residence, then marry a beautiful fox maiden, what would be wrong with being an ignorant boy?

At least he had gotten a full meal. He bowed toward the demon foxes hiding inside and thanked them. "Many thanks for the hospitality, everyone. I'm Xu Ying, the demon king of Mount Wu Wang. We're all neighbors, so there's no need to be nervous."

A demon fox came out of a house and stood upright like a human. It bowed and said, "So you're Demon King Xu. Please forgive us, please forgive us. We're wild foxes from the mountains. Seeing Demon King Xu's heroic bearing after slaying his enemies, we wanted to establish a marriage connection."

"Those who don't know are not guilty. If the old man still wants to marry off his daughter, I'm willing." The boy's eyes sparkled.

The old demon fox murmured assent and dared not bring the matter up again.

Xu Ying sighed inwardly in regret, left the village, and followed the woman's voice. Before long, he saw a Black Coffin by the River of Oblivion, its long chains hanging down to the water's edge.

The Maiden in the Coffin sat before the Black Coffin with her hands clasped around her knees, gazing up at the moon.

Xu Ying looked up. A full moon as large as a bushel hung on the opposite bank of the River of Oblivion. Its light was pure and tranquil, unlike anything in the Mortal Realm.

Under the moonlight, the Maiden was even more beautiful.

Xu Ying's heart pounded wildly. He quietly called out twice, "Master Zhong." Great Bell made no sound at all, as if it had died. Yet this Great Bell had always chattered incessantly, urging Xu Ying to cultivate so it could steal his qi and blood, treating Xu Ying like a donkey turning a millstone.

"Master Zhong has become open-minded again."

Xu Ying steadied himself, walked forward, and bowed in thanks. "Thank you for speaking up, miss. Otherwise, I wouldn't have realized that they were a group of demon foxes."

The Maiden in the Coffin's gaze was warm as it settled on his face, and her voice was equally gentle. "You failed to see through them because you haven't cultivated the heavenly eye. The eyes contain divine light and observe the sun and moon within. Move the mind as though polishing a mirror, and gather the Three Lights between the brows. Those are the secrets of the heavenly eye."

Xu Ying said, "The eyes containing divine light refers to divine consciousness, and observing the sun and moon within refers to the two eyes. Moving the mind as though polishing a mirror means divine consciousness is like a mirror. The Three Lights are the light of the sun and moon, but what is the third light?"

The Maiden was surprised. "Your comprehension is excellent. The third light lies in the hollow between your brows and is called heavenly light. Focus your mind. Let your divine consciousness remain between the sun and moon, remember this one point, and move the mind as though polishing a mirror. Then you can open the heavenly eye and see through the transformations of demons and monsters."

As she spoke, Xu Ying followed along.

Xu Ying focused his mind. His divine consciousness entered the Realm of Serenity and drifted between the sun and moon. He circulated his divine consciousness, and in only a moment, he had polished it into a bright mirror.

Suddenly, light shone in from beyond the heavens. It was the third light—the heavenly light!

At the same time, his eyes opened. His left and right eyes reflected the outside world, and their images also appeared in the Realm of Serenity. The light reflected by both eyes fell onto the mirror of his divine consciousness. When it touched the heavenly light, a sudden transformation occurred!

Xu Ying looked into the light, and the world instantly became different!

He saw a boundary line between the Underworld and the Mortal Realm appear on the right bank of the River of Oblivion, just like the line between night and day at dawn and dusk.

Where the two worlds of the Underworld and Mortal Realm collided and overlapped, there was also a massive rift. The spaces and earth of the two worlds collided and compressed against each other, creating a terrifying spectacle!

Xu Ying and the Maiden in the Coffin were currently at the edge of the enormous rift!

The rift continued to widen!

A tremendous sound came from within the rift, like a bull and a dragon, like the roar of a monster. Xu Ying looked down and saw an enormous, slick torso swimming through the rift, appearing and disappearing from view, as though some living behemoth were trapped beneath the earth and struggling to break free!

Yet whenever he looked closely, all he saw were enormous rocks covered in scales.

He could also clearly see the Underworld's invasion and the Ghost Souls wandering through the River of Oblivion!

Xu Ying's heart pounded with fright. "Being able to see ghosts and deities after cultivating the heavenly eye may not necessarily be a good thing."

Ghost Souls retained the appearance they had possessed at the moment of death. Some had died such horrifying deaths that they could easily startle their own Soul Spirits.

Therefore, those who cultivated the heavenly eye could not open it frequently. Aside from easily attracting Ghost Souls, it could also disturb themselves and leave their own Soul Spirits unable to rest.

More importantly, using the heavenly eye consumed too much divine consciousness. Xu Ying still did not know how to cultivate his divine consciousness and make it stronger, so he could not keep the heavenly eye open at all times.

While his divine consciousness could still endure, he looked toward the Maiden in the Coffin and was immediately shaken to his core.

The Maiden said, "You saw it?"

Xu Ying nodded. He saw that another divine maiden was sitting behind the Maiden in the Coffin, as enormous as a mountain and seated in midair, giving off a feeling of boundless vastness!

That divine maiden looked almost identical to the Maiden in the Coffin, with the same eyes and brows. Yet her entire body shone with brilliant divine light, dazzling the eyes!

The light shining through her body revealed individual strands, fine as hairs and no more than a foot long!

Her body did not touch the ground. Clouds drifted beneath her, keeping her suspended in midair. She seemed vast and boundless, yet occupied no space at all.

Behind her floated ribbons formed from divine light. They were not tied to her body but drifted freely in the air.

The Maiden in the Coffin possessed a sweet, alluring charm, while the divine maiden behind her was filled with solemn majesty and holiness, awe-inspiring and inviolable!

Suppressing his shock, Xu Ying asked, "What is that behind you?"

"Your Primordial Spirit. You'll have one in the future as well." The Maiden replied.

"I'll have one too?" Xu Ying was both startled and delighted.

"You're currently in the Qi Gathering Stage, gathering Solar Essence to nourish your physique, Soul Spirits, and primordial qi. Once you enter the Gate Knocking Stage, you'll open the Tail Gate Mystic Pass, unlock the gate of Qi Refining, and open the path to the Heaven-Connecting River. The next stage is the Inter-Refining Stage, in which water and fire are refined together to build the alchemical cauldron. After that comes the second knock on the gate: opening the spinal pass, adding fuel and extending your life, and increasing your own lifespan."

The Maiden spoke unhurriedly. "After that comes the Multi-Story Building Stage, in which you fly across the Twelve-Story Pagoda. Then comes the Jade Pond Stage, Rebirth and Transformation, and the cultivation of the Primordial Spirit. During the Divine Bridge Stage, you cross the divine bridge, then knock on the gate a third time, knocking on the Jade Pillow Heavenly Pass and receiving Heaven's mandate."

Xu Ying listened, spellbound. "And then?"

"Then you ascend and become an immortal. However, this path has already been severed."

Xu Ying was still lost in yearning when he heard this and could not help being startled. "Severed? What happened?"

"It was blocked by a Great Villain, cutting off the path to immortality."

A trace of melancholy showed in the Maiden's eyes. She quickly composed herself and looked toward Mount Wu Wang in the night. "Do you know what Wu Wang means?"

Without waiting for Xu Ying to answer, she continued, "Wu Wang means unexpectedness. The so-called Wu Wang means an unforeseen encounter. I thought I was the only Qi Refiner beneath Heaven. I never expected to meet you as well. You and I are of the same kind."

A smile appeared on her face. "I never thought that three thousand years later, someone would still walk the path of the Qi Refiner. My Dao is not alone."

She stood before the Black Coffin, her robes fluttering. "Three thousand years ago, I set sail upon the River of Oblivion. Three thousand years later, I came here to board the ship. My ship has already arrived."

As she spoke, the surface of the River of Oblivion suddenly churned with raging waves. Great waves rolled, and a tower ship suddenly burst through the water and leaped above the river!

On the deck of the tower ship, hundreds of skeletons wielding blades, swords, hooks, and forks were fighting among themselves. They had not expected the tower ship, which had sailed beneath the water for several thousand years, to suddenly emerge, and they all stood frozen.

The Maiden flicked her sleeve and said coldly, "You ghost thieves dared occupy my treasure ship? Get lost!"

As her sleeve swept out, the skeletons on the tower ship rose into the air against their will and fell into the River of Oblivion.

The Maiden's figure drifted upward and landed at the bow. Xu Ying stood on the bank of the River of Oblivion and saw the tower ship surging toward him. River water continued pouring off its deck like a waterfall, creating an extremely oppressive force.

The tower ship stopped. The Maiden leaned out from the bow and smiled. "I'm going to do something important tonight, but I'm still missing a helper. You and I met by chance at Mount Wu Wang—that means we're fated. Come with me to do this important thing. Don't worry. I'll send you back after dawn."

Xu Ying leaped up and landed on the ship. He smiled. "What is it?"

"Send Off Deity."