My Path Is Not Solitary

Xu Ying shook his head and said, "I don't want to be that different. I still prefer to blend in with everyone."

The Great Bell tentatively asked, "When you say 'blend in,' do you mean literally blend in, or truly blend in?"

He felt that this young man's way of blending in seemed different from others.

Xu Ying said, "The Ni Wan Secret Treasury must be opened. I believe that since Qi Refiners and Nu Masters are two completely different cultivation systems, wouldn't cultivating both be mutually beneficial? If that's the case, I want both."

The Great Bell was stunned.

Shouldn't Qi Refiners and Nu Masters be compared to determine superiority or inferiority? How could one want both?

And wouldn't wanting both lead to conflict?

Xu Ying walked into Qin Yan Cave, his expression puzzled, and pondered, "Strange, with the Underworld invading and the surrounding geography greatly altered, how did Magistrate Zhou find this place?"

Not long after he left, the forest suddenly rustled, and countless small figures, only about a foot tall, ran all over the mountains.

These small figures wore green clothes, were slender, and had pointed hats and straw shoes. They were all astute and capable, looking around and searching wherever they went.

This was the Zhou family's Nu Art, the Grass and Tree Soldier Art.

The small green-clothed figures were soldiers made from grass and trees, brought to life by Nu Art, used for assassination or scouting.

The Zhou family's Great Nu Master could even use this Nu Art to create an army and march onto the battlefield, overwhelming enemies with sheer numbers.

Suddenly, one of the small green-clothed figures inadvertently looked up and saw Zhou Yang nailed to the cliff. It couldn't help but cry out in surprise. The other small green-clothed figures immediately swarmed over. They chattered in an unintelligible language, piled on top of each other, and climbed the cliff.

They cooperated, pulled out the swords pinning Zhou Yang, and carried his body into the forest.

By evening, the small green-clothed figures carried Zhou Yang's body over mountains and across ridges to Yilin Temple. Yilin Temple was originally very close to Mount Wu Wang, but the invasion of the River of Oblivion, the collision between the Underworld and the Mortal Realm, created many mountains and rivers out of nowhere. Not only did Mount Wu Wang become Mount Wu Wang, but Yilin Temple was also moved forty miles away.

Between the two locations lay mostly Underworld territory, with difficult and dangerous paths, making it hard to traverse.

The small green-clothed figures carried Zhou Yang's body into Yilin Temple. Zhou Yihang, with tears in his old eyes, trembled as he reached out to close Zhou Yang's eyes.

"Let there be no wind to disturb my son's spirit," he instructed the surrounding officials, ordering them to close the doors and windows.

When night fell, the River of Oblivion invaded. Zhou Yang's ghost drifted and stood before his corpse, his spectral feet connected to the corpse's feet.

Originally, ghosts were invisible to the naked eye, but after the invasion of the River of Oblivion, reality was disturbed, and ghosts could be seen at night.

Zhou Yang's ghost cried out, "Xu Ying killed me! Father, avenge me!"

Zhou Yihang's tears flowed, and he choked, "Don't worry, my son. Your father will go now and kill that scoundrel, no matter what, and offer his head as a sacrifice to you!"

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

Zhou Yihang wiped away his tears and said, "I have already ordered people to make an idol. Once the idol is made, I will gild it with gold leaf to create a Golden Body for you. After your seventh day memorial, your father will have the lowly people of Lingling City worship you. In just a few years, you can become a Deity! Then, my son and I can see each other again!"

Zhou Yang wailed and bowed.

Zhou Yihang closed the door, his face grim. He looked towards Mount Wu Wang and whispered, "Wu Wang means disaster and change. 'Wu Wang' itself means calamity and chaos. Xu Ying, even if you have heaven-defying talent, I will still take your life to avenge my son! The name 'Wu Wang' will signify that disaster is upon you!"

At the foot of Mount Wu Wang, Xu Ying saw Yuan Qi still undergoing transformation. He slipped out of Qin Yan Cave to look at the River of Oblivion.

As the sun set, the River of Oblivion reappeared, flowing mightily. For a time, the air was filled with ghostly energy. Many things in Mount Wu Wang came out and flew around everywhere. Some things crawled out of desolate graves, calling friends, drinking, and having fun.

Xu Ying saw a village at the foot of the mountain, brightly lit, with a wealthy family hosting a banquet for guests. He was surprised, "Why didn't I see this village here during the day?"

There was no food in Qin Yan Cave. He ate fish he caught in the water and fruit he picked from trees for his three meals a day. Although he could eat his fill, without grains, he always felt an emptiness in his stomach.

He walked forward. The villagers had no ghostly energy and were very hospitable, inviting him to join their feast. The village was full of handsome men and beautiful women. An elder acted as a matchmaker, wanting to arrange a marriage for him with a stunning and charming young woman.

Xu Ying's face turned red, and he stammered, "I don't have a betrothal gift..."

"Why would we need a betrothal gift?"

The elder stroked his black beard and smiled. "If I asked for a betrothal gift, wouldn't I be selling my daughter? That would be a flaw in my virtue. My Hu family has always given a betrothal gift to the groom. If you are willing, I am willing to give you two shops and a house in the bustling streets of Yongzhou City, plus five hundred taels of silver."

Xu Ying was greatly tempted. He looked at the Hu family's daughter and felt she became even more radiant and lovely. Just as he was about to agree, a woman's voice suddenly came from outside the town: "A bunch of vixen-like creatures, daring to trick an ignorant young human! Do you really think no one can deal with you? Hurry up and get lost!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers' faces changed drastically. Yellow fur grew on their faces, and they all transformed into demon foxes, scurrying around the ground and hiding in their houses.

Xu Ying secretly thought it a pity. He thought, "If I could get two shops and a house, and marry a beautiful fox woman, what does it matter if I'm an ignorant young man?"

He managed to get a full meal. He bowed to the hiding demon foxes and thanked them, "Thank you all for your hospitality. I am Xu Ying, the Demon King of Mount Wu Wang. We are all neighbors, so there's no need to be nervous."

A demon fox emerged from a house, stood up like a human, and bowed. "So it's King Xu. Please forgive us. We are wild foxes from the mountains. Seeing King Xu's heroic display in killing enemies, we wanted to arrange a marriage."

"Ignorance is no crime. If the elder still wishes to marry off his daughter, I am willing." The young man's eyes sparkled.

The old demon fox meekly dared not mention it again.

Xu Ying secretly felt a pang of regret. He walked out of the town, following the woman's voice. After a while, he saw a black coffin standing by the River of Oblivion, with a long chain hanging down to the water's edge.

The maiden in the coffin sat before the black coffin, her hands cupped around her knees, gazing up at the moon.

Xu Ying looked up. A bright moon, as large as a bushel basket, hung on the opposite bank of the River of Oblivion. The moonlight was serene, unlike that of the mortal realm.

Under the moonlight, the maiden was even more beautiful.

Xu Ying's heart pounded. He quietly called out to Great Bell a couple of times. The Great Bell made no sound, as if it were dead. However, this great bell used to chatter incessantly, urging Xu Ying to cultivate so it could steal his Blood Essence, treating Xu Ying like a donkey pulling a millstone.

"Great Bell is being magnanimous again."

Xu Ying steadied himself, walked forward, and bowed. "Thank you, young lady, for speaking up. Otherwise, I wouldn't have realized they were a group of fox demons."

The maiden in the coffin's gaze was warm as it fell on his face. Her voice was also very gentle. "You didn't see through them because you haven't cultivated the Heavenly Eye yet. The secret to the Heavenly Eye is: 'Eyes hold divine light, observing the sun and moon within. Intent moves like a grinding mirror, gathering the three lights at the center of the eyebrows.'"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ying said, "The 'divine light contained in the eyes' refers to the spiritual sense. 'Observing the sun and moon internally' refers to the two eyes. 'The mind operates like a grinding stone' means the spiritual sense is like a mirror. The 'three lights' are the light of the sun and moon. What is the third light?"

The young girl was surprised and said, "Your comprehension is excellent. There is another light in the hollow of your brow, called the Heavenly Light. Concentrate your mind, place your spiritual sense between the sun and moon, and remember this: when your mind operates like a grinding stone, you will be able to open your Heavenly Eye and see through the transformations of demons."

As she spoke, Xu Ying followed her instructions.

Xu Ying concentrated his mind, and his spiritual sense entered the Realm of Serenity, floating between the sun and moon. He circulated his spiritual sense, and in just a moment, he had polished it into a bright mirror.

Suddenly, a light shone from beyond the heavens, the third light, the Heavenly Light!

At the same time, he opened his eyes. His left and right eyes reflected the external world, which was also mirrored in the Realm of Serenity. The light reflected by his eyes fell upon the mirror surface of his spiritual sense and came into contact with the Heavenly Light, causing an immediate change!

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

He saw that on the right bank of the River of Oblivion, a dividing line between the Underworld and the Mortal Realm appeared, much like the twilight line where night meets day.

Where these two worlds, the Underworld and the Mortal Realm, collided and overlapped, there was a massive rift. The spaces and lands of the two worlds crashed and squeezed against each other, creating a terrifying spectacle!

Xu Ying and the young girl in the coffin were currently at the edge of the great rift!

The rift was continuously expanding!

Loud noises emanated from the rift, like the bellows of oxen or the roars of dragons, like the cries of monsters. Xu Ying looked down and saw an incredibly vast, slippery body swimming within the rift, appearing and disappearing, as if some colossal living creature was trapped underground, trying to break free!

However, whenever he looked closely, he only saw enormous, scale-like rocks.

He could also clearly see the invasion of the Underworld and the ghosts wandering in the River of Oblivion!

Xu Ying's heart pounded: "To cultivate the Heavenly Eye to see ghosts and deities may not be a good thing."

The ghosts retained their appearance at the moment of death. Some of their deaths were too gruesome, easily frightening one's own soul.

Therefore, those who cultivate the Heavenly Eye cannot open it frequently. Besides attracting ghosts, it can also easily disturb oneself, making one's soul restless.

More critically, using the Heavenly Eye consumed too much spiritual sense. Xu Ying did not yet know how to cultivate his spiritual sense to make it stronger, so he could not keep his Heavenly Eye open all the time.

He took advantage of the remaining strength of his spiritual sense to look at the young girl in the coffin, and his heart trembled.

The young girl said, "You saw it all?"

Xu Ying nodded. He saw that behind the young girl sat another divine maiden, as vast as a mountain, hovering in the air, giving an immeasurable sense of grandeur!

That divine maiden looked like the young girl, with the same eyes and brows, but she was bathed in radiant divine light, dazzling to behold!

The light shining through her body was so fine it could be seen strand by strand, as slender as a hair, and only about a foot long!

Her body did not touch the ground; there was a cloud beneath her, and she floated in the air. She appeared boundless, yet occupied no space.

Behind her were flowing ribbons of divine light, not tied to her body but drifting in the air.

The young girl in the coffin had a charming and coquettish aura, while the divine maiden behind her exuded majesty and sanctity, utterly unprofanable!

Xu Ying suppressed his shock and asked, "What is behind you?"

"Primordial Spirit. You will have one too in the future," the young girl replied.

"I will have one too?" Xu Ying was both surprised and delighted.

"You are currently in the Qi Gathering Stage, absorbing the essence of the sun to nourish your physique, soul, and vital energy. When you enter the Gate Knocking Stage, you will open the Tailbone Gate, opening the door to Qi refinement and the path to the Heavenly River. The next step is the Inter-Refining Stage, where water and fire are refined together to forge the alchemical cauldron. After that, you will knock on the gate a second time, opening the Spine Gate, adding oil to life, and extending your lifespan."

The young girl spoke unhurriedly, "Then comes the Multi-Story Building Stage, soaring through the twelve multi-story buildings. The Jade Pond Stage, where you will shed your mortal form and cultivate your Primordial Spirit. The Divine Bridge Stage, where you will cross the divine bridge, and knock on the gate for the third time, knocking on the Jade Pillow Heavenly Gate, receiving the mandate of heaven."

Xu Ying listened intently and said, "And then?"

The young girl said, "Then you will ascend to become an immortal. However, that path is now broken."

Xu Ying, who was still lost in thought, was stunned by her words: "Broken? What happened?"

"A great villain blocked it, cutting off the path to immortality."

A hint of sadness flickered in the young girl's eyes. She then composed herself and looked towards Mount Wu Wang in the night sky, saying, "Do you know what 'Wu Wang' means?"

Without waiting for Xu Ying's reply, she continued, "Wu Wang means unexpected. 'Wu Wang' means to meet by chance. I thought I was the only Qi Refiner in the world, but I didn't expect to meet you. You and I are of the same kind."

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

She stood before the black coffin, her robes fluttering, and said, "Three thousand years ago, I set my boat upon the River of Oblivion. Three thousand years later, I boarded a ship here to come. My ship has arrived."

As she spoke, the surface of the River of Oblivion suddenly churned, waves rolling. A multi-story boat suddenly broke through the water and leaped out of the river!

On the deck of the warship, hundreds of skeletons wielding swords, sabers, hooks, and forks were fighting amongst themselves. They did not expect this warship, which had sailed in the water for thousands of years, to suddenly emerge from the water, and they were all stunned.

The young girl waved her sleeve and said coldly, "You ghost pirates, how dare you occupy my treasure ship? Hurry and get lost!"

With a wave of her sleeve, the skeletons on the riverboat flew up involuntarily and fell into the River of Oblivion.

The young girl floated gracefully and landed on the bow of the ship. Xu Ying stood on the bank of the River of Oblivion and watched as the warship surged towards him. Water from the River of Oblivion continuously poured down from the deck like a rushing waterfall, creating an immense sense of pressure.

The warship stopped, and the young girl poked her head out from the bow, smiling. "I am going to do something big tonight, and I am in need of a helper. We met by chance at Mount Wu Wang, so we are fated. Come with me to do this big thing. Don't worry, I will send you back after dawn."

Xu Ying leaped up and landed on the ship, laughing, "What is it?"

"Send off a deity."