Ghostly Traces of Immortals

Xu Ying had previously worried that cultivating the Taiyi Guiding Technique would create too obvious a celestial phenomenon and draw pursuit from the Stone Statue gods. Now, he simply decided to smash the jar and break it—he began cultivating openly and aboveboard.

The closer he drew to the great floating temple ahead, the more intense the Solar Essence contained in the sunlight became. His qi and blood gradually recovered, and he relaxed a little.

Xu Ying looked back at the five immortal mountains. The five peaks formed the layout of the Realm of Serenity, rising and falling at different heights, their shapes resembling the five organs.

Around the Five Peaks, there were also enormous rocks that had already transformed into flesh and blood, drifting here and there as they searched for people to eat. Several more Stone Statue gods came riding clouds of incense smoke to join Zhou Zheng and the various City Gods in battle, making the situation even more chaotic.

He raised his head and looked up. A sun hung above the great temple, and behind it, beyond the heavens, was another sun. Outside, the sun was already setting.

"Strange. Why haven't I felt hungry here?" Xu Ying asked in surprise.

Master Zhong said, "In the immortal realm, one lives on wind and dew, and food and drink are naturally transformed into primordial qi. Naturally, you won't feel hungry. This place truly has some of the immortal realm's charm, but unfortunately, it's only the Realm of Serenity."

A flash of inspiration suddenly crossed Xu Ying's mind. He cried out, "I know! Master Zhong, I've figured it out! This Evil Sword Immortal isn't a Qi Refiner—he's a Nu Master! We aren't in the immortal realm, nor are we in his Realm of Serenity. We're in his place of hidden transformation! He isn't a Sword Immortal—he's a Nuo Immortal!"

Master Zhong was stunned.

Xu Ying was indescribably excited. He had once heard the Maiden in the Coffin say that when Nu Masters cultivated hidden scenes to the highest level, they could refine a small immortal realm within their bodies, concealing their forms through hidden transformation!

This ruined temple world matched every characteristic she had described of a place of hidden transformation and concealed form!

In other words, this place was actually the small immortal realm within an Evil Nuo Immortal's body!

This was not the immortal realm, and those living here were not immortals at all, but a Nuo Immortal who had cultivated Nuo arts to their highest realm!

He had concealed his form here through hidden transformation, coexisting with the world while enslaving countless ancient gods as servants and refining Myriad Spirit Pills for his own consumption!

Master Zhong was silent for a moment before saying, "No wonder those Soul Summoning Incantations had so many words wrong. So he was a Nuo Immortal. This Nuo Immortal had probably obtained the incantations of an Ancient Qi Refiner but was himself ignorant and had written some of the words incorrectly. Clearly, he was another fellow who was ignorant and unlearned."

Xu Ying felt that its use of the word "another" carried a hint of mockery. He thought, Master Zhong couldn't be mocking Yuan Qi, could he?

He pondered. "This Nuo Immortal is ruthless and vicious, regarding people as ants. His methods are extremely evil. If we go to the great temple, I'm afraid we may have trouble escaping."

His eyes flickered as he looked toward the great temple ahead. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Master Zhong, let's not enter through the temple gate. Let's circle around from behind."

Master Zhong suggested, "Since you know it's dangerous, why seek your own death? Let's go back, set up a memorial tablet for that stinking snake, and offer it to him. We'll write 'hero' on the tablet and make up a few of his good deeds to trick people into worshiping him. Once he becomes a god, we'll have done everything humanity owes him."

Xu Ying refused.

Master Zhong had no choice but to fly hard toward the great temple, thinking, When one eats another's food, one's mouth goes soft; when one takes another's things, one's hands grow short. What can I do? I still need to borrow his qi and blood to heal my injuries. But then again, although A Ying is ignorant and unlearned, he's absolutely worth befriending. When it comes to his friends, he really does risk his life!

It suddenly remembered something and asked, "A Ying, you took a Myriad Spirit Pill. Did you feel anything strange?"

Only then did Xu Ying remember that he had eaten a Myriad Spirit Pill. This miraculous elixir for treating an immortal's Primordial Spirit had entered his stomach like a mud cow sinking into the sea, without causing the slightest reaction!

"Strange. Could this Evil Nuo Immortal even have gotten the pill formula for the Myriad Spirit Pill wrong? Otherwise, how could the Myriad Spirit Pill have no effect?" Master Zhong wondered.

It had hung on Little Stone Mountain until now, witnessing the disappearance of Qi Refiners and the rise of Nu Masters. However, because it had to suppress the Coffin in the Well, it had never left Little Stone Mountain, and it had no idea what had happened during that time.

At last, they arrived at the great temple. The temple was dazzlingly magnificent and imposing. Outside, a flying waterfall descended from beyond the heavens, scattering jade and spilling pearls. Xu Ying looked upward but could not even see where the waterfall originated.

"A Great Dao Manifestation?"

Xu Ying was slightly startled, then realized something was wrong. "It's a hidden scene formed from countless Great Dao Manifestations!"

He observed the waterfall with his heavenly eye and saw that every droplet was formed from a Great Dao Manifestation. The water-element manifestations included frost, great rivers, lakes, seas, and more, with changes in techniques concealed within them, displaying the utmost mastery of transformation!

With the heavenly eye, one could observe these Great Dao Manifestations. One could probably comprehend quite a few Dao arts from them!

"But isn't the Nuo Immortal living here a Nuo Sword Immortal?"

Xu Ying was utterly puzzled. Outside Shuikou Temple, he had seen Sword Qi and sword intent like the creation of the world, splitting the earth and breaking through space and time, opening a path between yin and yang to another world with a single sword.

Thus, he had assumed that the one living here must be an unparalleled master of the sword.

Yet after arriving at this place of hidden transformation formed from hidden scenes, he was somewhat disappointed. He found no trace of the sword Dao in the other party's Dao arts.

He turned to look at the flowers and trees outside the temple. They were all hidden scenes as well, profound beyond measure, yet there was still no trace of the sword Dao.

"You noticed it too?" a voice came from the other side of the waterfall.

Xu Ying turned around and saw the youth named Yuan Weiyang and his blue-robed old servant standing across the waterfall. When Xu Ying arrived, he had not seen them through this hidden scene.

Xu Ying walked over and saluted. "Outside the temple, I comprehended a Great Dao Manifestation called World Breaker. I thought the master here must certainly be a Sword Immortal. After seeing the hidden scenes here, I realized that the master was a Nuo Sword Immortal who had concealed his form through hidden transformation. Yet there is no sword intent or Sword Qi in the waterfall. I suspect that the person who performed that peerless sword technique and this Nuo Immortal are not the same person!"

Yuan Weiyang hurriedly returned the salute, somewhat surprised. He found himself feeling a trace of closeness toward Xu Ying and said, "I also noticed that something is strange here. You called that sword technique World Breaker? It fits the sword intent quite well."

After a pause, he continued, "I heard you call hidden scenes Great Dao Manifestations just now. Great Dao Manifestation is indeed a more fitting term. 'Hidden scene' is rather obscure."

Xu Ying smiled. "That was something a senior said. I was only parroting him. Brother Yuan, I plan to go behind the temple and see what tricks this Nuo Immortal is really up to! Would you like to come?"

The blue-robed old servant coughed and secretly shook his head, signaling Yuan Weiyang not to agree.

Yuan Weiyang hesitated. Xu Ying smiled. "It'll probably be fun."

Yuan Weiyang said, "I'll go with you."

The blue-robed old servant glared at Xu Ying, but Xu Ying paid him no mind. He called for Master Zhong, mounted the Great Bell, and flew toward the back of the great temple.

The blue-robed old servant said, "Young Master, a gentleman does not stand beneath a wall in danger of collapse. This place is strange beyond belief. We should leave as soon as possible."

Yuan Weiyang said, "We'll leave after taking a look."

The blue-robed old servant was helpless. He activated the power of the secret treasure, and an incomparably powerful divine sense immediately lifted him and Yuan Weiyang into the air. The two walked through empty space and followed Xu Ying.

Xu Ying looked back, greatly surprised. "You flew using divine sense? How did you do that?"

Yuan Weiyang said, "The secret treasure of the Yuan Family is the Huang Ting Secret Treasure. Huang Ting contains boundless divine sense, and with the Yuan Family's cultivation method, one can fly using divine sense. But I can't do it yet."

Xu Ying said, "I've been experimenting with stepping on a sword and flying these past few days, but I haven't succeeded. Perhaps I'm not as skillful as you in using divine sense. I'm the Demon King of Mount Wu Wang. Come visit me when you have time, and we can study it together."

A trace of delight appeared on Yuan Weiyang's face. He looked toward the blue-robed old servant, whose expression darkened as he slowly shook his head.

Yuan Weiyang looked dejected.

Master Zhong carried Xu Ying to the back of the temple. The wall there was vermilion. Just as Master Zhong was about to fly upward, the wall behind the great temple suddenly split open into a huge mouth filled with sharp teeth, some thirty or forty meters wide!

The enormous mouth opened and spat out more than a dozen human and beast bones. Then a scarlet tongue extended, reluctantly licking one of the dry bones before dropping it and slowly closing.

Xu Ying's heart pounded in shock. He looked toward Yuan Weiyang, but Yuan Weiyang's expression had not changed, as if he had noticed nothing.

Xu Ying whispered, "Brother Yuan, aren't you afraid?"

Yuan Weiyang said, "My family has always taught me that when Mount Tai collapses before you, you must not change expression. No matter how frightened you are, you cannot show it."

Xu Ying laughed. "What fun is there in that? Have you ever gone into a river to catch fish or dug for loaches?"

Yuan Weiyang shook his head.

"Some other day, I'll take you into a river. I'm the Demon King of Mount Wu Wang, so when you have time..."

The blue-robed old servant's expression turned gloomy as he glared fiercely at Xu Ying, afraid that the Yuan Family's painstakingly cultivated Yuan Weiyang would be led astray by a few words from Xu Ying.

Above the wall at the back of the temple was the roof of the immortal hall within. Master Zhong flew up, and Xu Ying jumped down from the bell. He stepped across the glazed tiles to the ridge, then gripped the ridge and looked down.

Seeing this, Yuan Weiyang was about to imitate him and lie behind the ridge, but the blue-robed old servant hurriedly stopped him. He spread a strip of blue gauze over the ridge before finally nodding in approval.

Yuan Weiyang lay on the blue gauze to avoid soiling his clothes, gripping the ridge as he looked down.

Below, Immortal Light filled the sky and dazzled the eyes. After a moment, the two youths' vision recovered. They saw several hundred people in the great temple, all sitting upright and practicing a strange method.

Beneath the immortal hall, layer upon layer of Immortal Light swirled like swords, enveloping a majestic Nuo Immortal.

This Nuo Immortal was gentle as jade and carefree as drifting clouds, possessing a bearing that Gods and Devils lacked and a poise that Nu Masters did not have.

He gave people a feeling of pristine clarity, like the water in Little Stone Pool, unstained by anything and untouched by a speck of dust. Just one glance at him made Xu Ying feel as though his heart had become a wilderness after the rain, overgrown with weeds—his distracting thoughts, filthy and muddled.

Only when standing before a Bright Mirror unstained by a speck of dust did one realize that one's heart was filled with filth and stench. Xu Ying now felt that his heart was so ugly that he could not help feeling deeply ashamed.

"This Nuo Immortal senior has a lofty state of mind, free of worldly distractions. He possesses only an immortal's state of mind, far beyond what ordinary mortals can hope to reach." Xu Ying could not help sighing. He had actually criticized the Nuo Immortal as an Evil Nuo Immortal together with Master Zhong just now. That was truly an unforgivable crime.

Below, the Nuo Immortal's refined and amiable voice rang out. "You don't even understand this? How have you been cultivating... You fool! I said this, not that! Are you trying to anger me to death? I told you to circulate the technique in reverse and run it for two and a half cycles. How did you do it? You ran it forward for two cycles—where's the half? Where's your half? ... Is this how I taught you? What a fool!"

"This Nuo Immortal's temper seems a little explosive. Who managed to anger him like this?" Xu Ying leaned forward, trying to see what was happening below.

Suddenly, a giant snake with horns on its head raised its head in bewilderment. The snake was thicker than a water vat, its head larger than an Eight-Immortals table, and when it lifted its head three or four meters into the air, it met Xu Ying's gaze.

Xu Ying gestured for silence. Yuan Qi understood, drew his head back, and said, "Immortal Master, my aptitude is somewhat dull, but I'm very patient. I'll definitely learn it!"

The White-robed Nuo Immortal's breathing heaved violently. After a moment, he calmed down and continued lecturing on the Dao.

Xu Ying used his divine sense to operate the lens and quietly activated his heavenly eye, looking down at the White-robed Nuo Immortal.

The White-robed Nuo Immortal seemed to sense something. He suddenly turned his head upward. Xu Ying saw the Nuo Immortal's face clearly and felt that no gentleman could be more like jade than this.

The White-robed Nuo Immortal smiled at him. Under Xu Ying's heavenly eye, the White-robed Nuo Immortal looked at him with a smile, when suddenly blood began gushing from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose!

The White-robed Nuo Immortal's originally gentle, jade-like face instantly became savage and terrifying, like a vengeful ghost from the netherworld!

A vengeful ghost with an unbearably tragic death!

Xu Ying immediately sensed resentment and hatred surging like a vast tide, twisting the mind and driving people mad!

He felt a chill invade him, as if it were about to freeze his flesh and soul solid!

Xu Ying's eyes filled with blood, and his divine sense descended into chaos. Even the sky of the Realm of Serenity began pouring down surging blood plasma, like one blood waterfall after another!

At that moment, the Pure Yang Strange Fire left within him by the Maiden in the Coffin burst into brilliant radiance. The firelight shone fiercely, and the foul blood in the sky of the Realm of Serenity immediately sizzled as it was refined, sending up streams of smoke before vanishing!

Only then did the resentment and hatred Xu Ying had sensed dissipate.

"A dead man! He's a dead man!"

Xu Ying stared wide-eyed at the White-robed Nuo Immortal, roaring inwardly in madness. This Nuo Immortal is dead! He's a dead man overflowing with resentment!

At that moment, the White-robed Nuo Immortal smiled and said, "Little friend from outside, why hide up there? I'm opening an altar to transmit the Dao. No matter what race you are or what cultivation you possess, you can come and learn."

Xu Ying steadied himself and said through clenched teeth, "Immortal Master, I'm quite comfortable up here. I can hear more clearly."

"Good, good." The White-robed Nuo Master said no more and turned his head away.

At the instant he turned, Xu Ying saw a gleam of light behind his head, extending from the back of his skull to his neck.

A faint radiance also shone from beneath the clothing on his back!

Xu Ying looked through the radiance. His heart thudded violently, and he felt dizzy, his lips and mouth dry.

The White-robed Nuo Immortal was actually an empty shell, with only a layer of skin and his clothes remaining!

That radiance came from the skin at the back of his skull splitting open, with sword light within his body leaking out through it!

There was no flesh beneath that skin. It was as if someone had cut open the back of his skull, poured flesh-eating worms into his body, and let them consume his flesh, internal organs, and bones until nothing remained!

It was also as if someone had seized him, used a sharp blade to cut from the back of his skull down to his coccyx, peeled off his skin, removed his flesh, then dressed the skin again and placed it here, making him look as if he were still alive!

Xu Ying struggled to maintain a smile. His voice trembled as he said, "Little Seven, stop learning and come out quickly. The sun is about to set..."

"I still haven't learned the Immortal Master's Detailed Explanation of Dao Truth and Jade Pivot."

Yuan Qi raised his head and said, "The Immortal Master said he must teach me. A Ying, you're clever. Come down and learn it too!"