Young Master Xiang rolled and crawled away, fleeing dozens of miles before he finally could no longer suppress his injuries. He fell flat on his back and gasped for breath.
After a while, the beautiful woman Thirteen Niang came limping over, blood dripping from her mouth.
The two great experts looked at each other, both feeling rather awkward.
"I never expected this person's cultivation to be unfathomably deep. We've been utterly beaten."
Young Master Xiang caught his breath, sat up, and said, "Luckily, we ran fast. Otherwise, we would undoubtedly be dead."
Thirteen Niang collapsed to the ground and said, "I couldn't discern the depth of his cultivation. He was merely sitting there, making a few casual taps in the air, yet he gravely wounded us. Could he be a Qi Refiner from the ancient Pre-Qin era, deliberately pretending to be a youth?"
She felt extremely ashamed. When Xu Ying dealt with the two of them, he had not even fully raised his hands, yet they had been beaten half to death. They had not even seen how Xu Ying had attacked!
Young Master Xiang shook his head. "We've searched for Ancient Qi Refiners for so many years and only found one at Stone Mountain. Where did this Ancient Qi Refiner come from?"
Thirteen Niang was equally unable to make sense of it.
On the River of Oblivion, the wind had stopped and the moon shone brightly. Even the usually rowdy ghosts and spirits in the river were utterly silent. Aside from Xu Ying, not a single one dared even breathe loudly.
After gravely wounding the two experts, Xu Ying's gaze grew deep and distant, as though he had become a great expert himself.
After a while, the youth came to his senses from his smugness and thought, If I become arrogant and conceited, someone might inexplicably kill me. It's like those old snake catchers who think they're extraordinarily skilled, only to accidentally take a bite of snake venom and kick their legs up at the sky.
The Bronze Basin was truly astonishing. It had disguised this little Qi Refiner as an unrivaled expert, beating Young Master Xiang and Thirteen Niang until they spat blood and fled in disarray. Xu Ying could not help liking the Bronze Basin more and more.
"The Maiden in the Coffin gave me the Bronze Basin, but she never said I had to return it. So I won't."
The youth thought, This Bronze Basin might be the token of love she gave me. For the sake of the basin, even if she's a Female Ghost, I'll reluctantly...
The Maple Leaf skiff traveled east for several thousand miles overnight and finally arrived near Mount Wu Wang. Suddenly, the sky brightened. Morning sunlight poured down, and Xu Ying sensed trouble. He immediately hugged the Bronze Basin.
Beneath the Maple Leaf skiff, the entire River of Oblivion suddenly vanished without a trace. The Maple Leaf skiff became a leaf with nothing to rely on, drifting down from the sky.
Xu Ying fell from the sky. Though he was unhurt, the bottom of the Bronze Basin had been knocked open, leaving a crack through which water continuously leaked!
Xu Ying's heart broke. He hurriedly carried the basin and ran at full speed, shouting, "People of the Hu Family! People of the Hu Family! Lend me a bar of silver! Gold would be even better!"
The fox demons lived in a town at the foot of Mount Wu Wang. Dawn had only just begun to break, and many fox demons had not yet risen when they saw Xu Ying charge into town carrying the Bronze Basin.
An elder of the Hu Family came out and hurriedly asked, "Demon King Xu, what brings you here?"
The water in the Bronze Basin was nearly gone. Xu Ying had no time to explain. Seeing a gold ring on the elder's finger, he yanked it off and tossed it into the basin.
The water in the basin had already reached the bottom. When the gold ring fell in, it made a clattering sound.
Xu Ying hurriedly looked up. Suddenly, the sky split open, and a gigantic Golden Ring descended from above. It was roughly three or four miles in diameter, plunging down from beyond the heavens.
"Rumble!"
A violent tremor rolled over them. The three-mile Golden Ring tore through the atmosphere amid blazing fire and smashed toward Mount Wu Wang, startling the demons great and small in the mountain into fleeing in all directions, crying out in terror.
Xu Ying had been poor for far too long. He gazed upward expectantly, only to see the Golden Ring growing smaller as it fell. It had been two or three miles across, but soon shrank to roughly a hundred zhang.
By the time it reached Mount Wu Wang, it was only five or six zhang across.
"Clang!"
The Golden Ring spun as it crashed down, embedding itself in the mountainside.
Xu Ying ran over and pulled the Golden Ring out of the cliff. It was only four chi wide, but it was countless times larger than the gold ring—fully a thousand jin!
"I won't have to work for the rest of my life..." Xu Ying's voice trembled.
He looked at the broken Bronze Basin. The water inside had all flowed away, and the Maiden in the Coffin's divine ability had vanished along with it.
Xu Ying tossed a small stone into the basin. It only made a clunking sound; no stone mountain fell from beyond the heavens.
"What a pity. This treasure is countless times more powerful than the legendary cornucopia, but it's simply too fragile."
Xu Ying felt rather regretful. Still, with a gigantic Golden Ring in hand, Young Master Xu would presumably never have to worry about food or drink again, and even the betrothal gifts would no longer be a problem.
The Great Bell floated quietly behind him and thought, That brat thinks the Bronze Basin is the treasure. In truth, the treasure is merely the demoness's spatial divine ability. Yet those capable of cultivating such a divine ability are usually immortals or beings of that ilk. For the demoness to refine such a method is extraordinary. Now that she has escaped, it's like a dragon emerging from shallow waters.
It suddenly recalled that the demoness was not evil and might even resolve the Plague God's invasion. If so, would suppressing the demoness make it guilty?
Could I be a bad bell?
It could not help becoming dispirited and muttered, "Could it be that my master and I are the villains? No, my master is upright, brilliant, and mighty. How could he be a villain? It must be that the demoness is pretending to be benevolent and deliberately deceiving us!"
Xu Ying returned the gold ring to the elder of the Hu Family and carried the gigantic Golden Ring back to Qin Yan Cave, only to see a huge serpent coiled at the cave entrance.
The serpent's head was over a zhang wide. Horns grew from it, each splitting like newly sprouted deer antlers. They were covered in soft fuzz, one black and one white, with even the blood vessels visible.
The huge serpent was over ten zhang long and coiled before the cave. Its scales were like Bright Mirrors, reflecting the spring sunlight in a golden-red glow.
The serpent raised its head three or four zhang high. Its body was wrapped in thick Demonic Energy, and its deep gaze quietly watched the rising sun.
It was facing the sun, breathing in and out as it cultivated the Guiding Technique. When it inhaled, its enormous body expanded, its scales rubbing together with crisp sounds like clashing metal.
Countless particles of light surged through the sunlight, forming a vortex before tumbling into the serpent's mouth.
Inside the serpent's body, a great sun could be seen traveling through it. Its radiance even shone through the scales, illuminating its internal organs.
In only a short while, that great sun traveled from the throat to the tip of the tail. Wherever it passed, the body bulged and swelled until it was two or three times thicker than a farmer's water jar.
When the serpent exhaled, flying sand and rolling stones filled the air. Poisonous breath formed clouds and mist in its mouth, which the sunlight dyed into rainbow-hued clouds that rose into the sky.
Xu Ying had encountered quite a few demon kings and Demon Gods, but none had possessed Demonic Energy or an aura as thick as this giant serpent's.
"Are you... Yuan Qi?" Xu Ying approached and asked tentatively.
The giant serpent gazed deeply at him without speaking.
Xu Ying said, "Yuan Qi, whose poison ranks Fifth Under Heaven?"
The giant serpent opened its mouth. A child's voice, like that of a three- or four-year-old, came from within as it angrily said, "Before my transformation, I was still Fifth Under Heaven. How did I become Seventh Under Heaven after transforming? I'm at least among the top three under heaven now!"
Xu Ying asked in confusion, "Yuan Qi, weren't you supposed to take human form? How did you end up like this?"
The giant serpent closed its mouth and remained silent, its gaze deep and unfathomable.
Xu Ying stared at him. After a long while, the giant serpent could only speak. A clear child's voice came from its mouth. "I thought I would take human form too. The power of transformation grew inside me—that was a sign of transformation. I never expected that after I entered seclusion, the power of transformation would gather at the back of my head, and then two horns would grow out."
Xu Ying noticed it too. Yuan Qi was fine when he remained silent, but the moment he spoke, his voice was as crisp as a child's. He thought, No wonder he always keeps quiet.
Yuan Qi's cultivation had matured. During this seclusion to transform, he had not only cultivated the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist to the seventh level and become a demon king, he had also succeeded in inner observation, cultivated spiritual perception, entered the Realm of Serenity, regulated the five qi, and achieved Five Qi Towards Origin.
His accomplishments over the past few days were truly extraordinary!
Xu Ying walked closer and said, "Yuan Qi, let me see how much progress you've made these past few days!"
He stirred his qi and blood. The Elephant King Divine Body instantly appeared behind him, and he threw a punch, unleashing a storm of wind and thunder!
Over the past few days, Xu Ying had slain Zhou Yang and whipped the Plague God, encountering extraordinary circumstances. Though this punch contained the essence of the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist, it was already very different.
His fist intent had broken free from the Bull Demon's frenzy. Instead, it carried more of the sharpness and fluid grace of swordsmanship.
Yuan Qi likewise stirred his qi and blood. An Elephant King Divine Body over a zhang tall formed behind him, but compared to his enormous body, it looked extremely small.
He struck with the tip of his tail, using his tail as a fist, and met Xu Ying's punch.
The tip of his tail was blunt, like a massive steelyard weight. When he punched with it, its might was no weaker than Xu Ying's—in fact, it was even stronger!
"Boom!"
Fist and tail collided. Force erupted, and surging waves of air roared. Xu Ying's clothes snapped in the wind, while the long mane on Yuan Qi's back billowed wildly, resembling a string of feathered banners.
Only then did Xu Ying notice another row of flowing mane behind Yuan Qi's head. It was somewhat like feathers and somewhat like a horse's mane, looking soft and fluffy.
Could drinking those few mouthfuls of dragon blood have prevented him from transforming into a human? Xu Ying thought.
He remembered Yuan Tian Gang saying that Yuan Qi's greed for a few mouthfuls of dragon blood had added several obstacles to his transformation into human form. Clearly, Yuan Tian Gang had been referring to this situation.
Yuan Qi attacked again with his tail as a fist. Xu Ying met him with fists and feet. The qi and blood of man and serpent surged as windblown sand and rolling stones filled the area outside Qin Yan Cave.
Suddenly, Yuan Qi unleashed the move White Elephant Whips Its Trunk. The tip of his tail tore through the air with a thunderous boom. Xu Ying hurriedly dodged instead of taking it head-on.
Yuan Qi's tail swept across a boulder, instantly shattering it into fragments scattered across the ground.
This was Yuan Qi's strongest move. The tip of his tail surpassed the speed of sound, and the force contained within was simply too great. Even Xu Ying did not dare casually take it head-on, lest he be injured.
"Little Seven, the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist no longer suits you." Xu Ying looked at the small elephant-headed divine being behind the giant serpent and said.
Yuan Qi nodded. He, too, felt that the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist did not harmonize with him. The Elephant King Divine Body formed by this fist technique could not contain all his qi and blood. Instead, it restricted the display of his strength.
"A Ying, where's the Great Bell?" Yuan Qi asked.
Xu Ying jerked his chin toward the foot of the mountain and said, "I don't know why he's sitting there in a daze. He may have something on his mind. Go and talk him out of it."
Yuan Qi slithered down the mountain. His body, over ten zhang long, moved slowly, crushing thorns and grass and forcing the trees of the forest to lean crookedly. The beasts and demons in the forest fell silent and prostrated themselves, not daring to raise their heads.
Yuan Qi passed silently through the beasts and demons and arrived beside the Great Bell. Looking down at it, he waited a moment before asking, "Master Zhong, why are you tormenting yourself?"
The Great Bell's spiritual perception fluctuated. "I don't know whether I'm good or evil. For a moment, I was overwhelmed by my emotions... Hmm? It's you! Yuan Qi, why has your voice become that of a child?"
Yuan Qi was both embarrassed and furious. "A Ying said you had something on your mind and sent me to persuade you, yet you insult me! What exactly is troubling you?"
The Great Bell explained its worries. Yuan Qi had read considerably more books and said, "Since you suspect you're a bad bell, why not ask the Female Ghost in the Coffin? Explain the situation to her and you'll understand. Why torment yourself here?"
How could the Great Bell lower its head and apologize to the Maiden in the Coffin? It sneered. "I suppress her under my master's orders. She is a bad person, and my master can never be wrong. Besides, I'm seriously injured. If I went to see her, wouldn't it be unjust if she killed me on the spot?"
Yuan Qi said, "You're just a coward."
The Great Bell flew into a rage. It pressed the giant serpent's head toward the ground and shouted, "I'm a coward? I'm merely injured! If I were in perfect condition, would I fear her? Once I recover, I'll personally suppress her and stuff her back into the ancient well in the stone mountain!"
Although Yuan Qi's head had been smashed into more than a dozen bloody lumps, he still refused to yield and shouted, "When you weren't injured before, weren't you still beaten half to death and forced to flee in disgrace? Even if you healed your injuries and went looking for revenge, you'd only be beaten even worse!"
The Great Bell was enraged beyond measure. "Dead snake, today your old Bell will send you to the underworld beside this River of Oblivion!"
"We're already in the underworld. There's no need for you to send me!"
"Stinking snake, I'll beat you to death!"
"Master Zhong, spare my life!"
Xu Ying breathed in and out before Qin Yan Cave, cultivating the Taiyi Guiding Technique. Hearing the commotion below, he looked down and saw the Great Bell and Yuan Qi roughhousing. One moment the Great Bell was pressing Yuan Qi's head into the ground, and the next Yuan Qi was wrapping around the Great Bell and trying to squeeze it apart. Their bond was excellent.
"The spring sunlight is wonderful." Xu Ying smiled, his heart tranquil. Sunlight gathered above his head, gradually forming a Light Field half an acre in size.
The weather was warm and pleasant, and all things stretched themselves awake.
Zhou Yihang was walking toward Mount Wu Wang. When he saw the towering mountain from afar, his expression darkened.
The old man's body was covered in injuries and illnesses. Over the past two days, he had crossed forty miles of the underworld, walking from Yilin Temple to this place. He had encountered all kinds of dangers and witnessed the underworld's myriad inconceivable phenomena, but at last he had arrived at Mount Wu Wang alive.
"Yang'er, today your father will cut off Xu Ying's head and place it on your altar as the first sacrifice for you to enjoy after becoming a god!"
Before you continue