Immortal Traces, Ghostly Shadows

Xu Ying had previously worried that his cultivation of the Taiyi Guiding Technique would create too obvious celestial phenomena, attracting the pursuit of stone deities. Now, he decided to throw caution to the wind and cultivate openly.

The closer they got to the floating great temple ahead, the more potent the solar essence within the sunlight became. His Blood Essence gradually recovered, putting him slightly at ease.

Xu Ying looked back at the five great immortal mountains. These mountains were arranged in the style of the Realm of Serenity, with varying heights and forms, resembling the five internal organs.

Around the five peaks, colossal, flesh-like rocks drifted about, searching for prey. Several stone deities, standing on clouds of incense and fire, joined the battle between Zhou Zheng and the various City Gods, further complicating the situation.

He looked up. A sun hung in the sky above the great temple. Behind that sun, another sun hovered in the void beyond the heavens. Outside, the sun was already setting.

"Strange, I don't feel hungry here at all," Xu Ying exclaimed in surprise.

The Great Bell said, "In the Immortal Realm, one can subsist on wind and dew; food and drink are self-sufficient, all transformable into Primordial Spirit, so one naturally doesn't feel hunger. This place truly has some of the charm of the Immortal Realm, a pity it's merely the Realm of Serenity."

A flash of inspiration suddenly struck Xu Ying's mind, and he blurted out, "I know! Grandpa Bell, I've figured it out! This Evil Sword Immortal isn't a Qi Refiner, but a Nuo Master! We aren't in the Immortal Realm, nor are we in his Realm of Serenity, but in his place of Sublimation! He's not a Sword Immortal, he's a Nuo Immortal!"

The Great Bell was stunned.

Xu Ying was inexplicably excited. He had once heard the Maiden in the Coffin say that Nuo Masters cultivate Hidden Scenery, and upon reaching the highest level, they could forge a small immortal realm within themselves, allowing them to sublimate and conceal their form!

This world of broken temples possessed all the characteristics of the place of sublimation and concealment she had described!

In other words, this was actually a small immortal realm within a malevolent Nuo Immortal!

This was not the Immortal Realm, and the inhabitants here were not immortals at all, but a Nuo Immortal who had cultivated to the highest realm of Nuo magic!

He had sublimated and concealed his form in this place, coexisting with the world, enslaving numerous ancient deities as servants, and refining Myriad Spirit Pills for his own consumption!

The Great Bell was silent for a moment, then said, "No wonder those soul-summoning incantations had so many miswritten characters; it turns out it's a Nuo Immortal. This Nuo Immortal likely obtained the incantations of ancient Qi Refiners and, being ignorant himself, miswrote some characters. It seems he's also an unlettered fellow."

Xu Ying felt a hint of irony in its use of "also," thinking, Is Grandpa Bell mocking Yuan Qi?

He pondered, "This Nuo Immortal is ruthless and cruel, viewing humans as ants, and his methods are extremely wicked. It will be difficult for us to escape if we go to the great temple."

His eyes flickered as he looked at the great temple ahead. Suddenly, he had an idea and said, "Grandpa Bell, let's not enter through the temple gate. Let's go around from the back."

The Great Bell suggested, "Since you know the danger, why court death? Let's go back and set up a memorial tablet for that stinking snake, write 'hero' on it, and fabricate some of his good deeds to trick people into worshipping him. If he becomes a deity, we will have fulfilled our duty."

Xu Ying refused.

The Great Bell had no choice but to fly towards the great temple, thinking, I've benefited from him, so I'm indebted. Who told me I still need to borrow his Blood Essence to heal? However, speaking of which, although A Ying is unlettered, he is definitely someone worth befriending. He truly risks his life for his friends!

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

Xu Ying then remembered he had eaten a Myriad Spirit Pill. This elixir, meant to heal the Primordial Spirit of deities, had entered his stomach like a clay ox entering the sea, without the slightest reaction!

"Strange, could it be that this Evil Nuo Immortal also got the formula for the Myriad Spirit Pill wrong? Otherwise, why wouldn't the Myriad Spirit Pill work?" the Great Bell wondered.

It had been suspended on the small stone mountain until now, witnessing the disappearance of Qi Refiners and the rise of Nuo Masters. However, because it had to suppress the Coffin in the Well, it had never left the small stone mountain, and it had no idea what had transpired during this time.

Finally, they arrived at the great temple. The temple was magnificent and resplendent, with a waterfall cascading from beyond the heavens, like flowing jade and splashing pearls. Xu Ying looked up, unable to discern the source of the waterfall.

"Great Dao Manifestation?"

Xu Ying was slightly startled, then realized something was amiss. "It's a Hidden Scenery composed of countless Great Dao Manifestations!"

He observed the waterfall with his Heavenly Eye. He saw that every drop of water in the waterfall was composed of Great Dao Manifestations. The water-element Great Dao Manifestations included frost, long rivers, lakes, oceans, and so on. They also contained variations in techniques, exhibiting extreme changeability!

With the Heavenly Eye, one could observe these Great Dao Manifestations and perhaps comprehend many Daoist techniques!

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

Xu Ying was greatly perplexed. Outside the Shuikou Temple, he had seen sword qi and sword intent as if the heavens and earth were being split apart, rending the earth and shattering space-time. A single sword strike between yin and yang had opened a path to another world.

He had assumed that the one hiding here must be an unparalleled sword dao expert.

However, upon arriving in this place of Sublimation, composed of Hidden Scenery, he was somewhat disappointed. In the other party's Dao techniques, he found no trace of the sword dao.

He turned to look at the flowers and trees outside the temple. They too were all Hidden Scenery, filled with infinite mystery, yet still, there was no trace of the sword dao.

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

Xu Ying turned his head and saw the young man named Yuan Weiyang and his old servant in green standing on the opposite side of the waterfall. When Xu Ying arrived, he hadn't seen them through this Hidden Scenery.

Xu Ying walked forward and bowed, "I comprehended a Great Dao Manifestation outside the temple, called World Breaker, and thought the master of this place must be a Sword Immortal. Upon arriving here and seeing this Hidden Scenery, I realized the master of this place is a Nuo Sword Immortal who has sublimated and concealed his form. However, there is no sword intent or sword qi in the waterfall. I suspect the person who executed that peerless sword technique is not the same as this Nuo Immortal!"

Yuan Weiyang quickly returned the bow, somewhat surprised, and felt a sense of closeness towards Xu Ying. "I also sensed that something was strange here. You call that sword technique World Breaker? It quite fits the sword intent."

He paused and said, "I just heard you refer to Hidden Scenery as Great Dao Manifestation. The term Great Dao Manifestation is more fitting, while Hidden Scenery sounds rather obscure."

Xu Ying smiled, "These are the words of a senior; I am merely repeating them. Brother Yuan, I plan to go behind the temple to see what tricks this Nuo Immortal is up to! Do you want to come along?"

The old servant in green coughed and subtly 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 old servant in green glared at Xu Ying, who paid him no mind. He called out, "Grandpa Bell," and rode the Great Bell towards the rear of the great temple.

The old servant in green said, "Young Master, a wise person does not stand under a tottering wall. This place is extremely bizarre; it's best we leave as soon as possible."

Yuan Weiyang said, "We'll take a look and then leave."

The old servant in green was helpless. He activated the power of his Secret Treasure, and an immensely powerful divine sense lifted him and Yuan Weiyang. They walked on air, following Xu Ying.

Xu Ying looked back and was greatly surprised. "You're flying with divine sense? How did you do that?"

Yuan Weiyang replied, "My Yuan family's Secret Treasure is the Huang Ting Secret Treasure. The Huang Ting contains immeasurable divine sense, and combined with the Yuan family's cultivation techniques, one can achieve divine sense flight. However, I cannot do it yet."

Xu Ying said, "I've been trying to fly with my sword these past few days, but I haven't succeeded. My divine sense might not be as refined as yours. I'm a Demon King on Mount Wu Wang. You should visit me when you have time, and we can study together."

Yuan Weiyang showed a hint of joy and looked at the old servant in green. The old servant's expression sank, and he slowly shook his head.

Yuan Weiyang looked dejected.

The Great Bell carried Xu Ying to the back of the temple. The wall behind the temple was vermilion. Just as the Great Bell was about to fly up, Xu Ying suddenly saw a large mouth open in the wall behind the temple, filled with sharp teeth, about ten zhang wide!

The giant mouth opened and spat out more than a dozen human and animal bones. Then, a scarlet tongue stretched out and licked one of the dry bones reluctantly before dropping it and slowly closing.

Xu Ying's heart pounded with shock as he looked at Yuan Weiyang, but Yuan Weiyang's expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn't noticed anything.

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

Yuan Weiyang replied, "My family has always taught me to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses before me. Even if I'm terrified, I mustn't show it."

Xu Ying chuckled, "What's the fun in that? Have you ever fished or dug for loaches in the river?"

Yuan Weiyang shook his head.

"I'll take you to the river sometime. I'm a Demon King on Mount Wu Wang. If you have time..."

The old servant in green stared fiercely at Xu Ying, fearing that Yuan Weiyang, whom the Yuan family had painstakingly cultivated, would be led astray by Xu Ying's few words.

Above the temple wall was the roof of the immortal hall. The Great Bell flew up, and Xu Ying jumped off the bell, stepping on the glazed tiles to the ridge of the roof, and looked down.

Seeing this, Yuan Weiyang was about to imitate him and crouch on the ridge. The old servant in green quickly stopped him, spread a piece of green gauze on the ridge, and then nodded in approval.

Yuan Weiyang crouched on the green gauze to avoid soiling his clothes and looked down from the ridge.

Below, immortal light filled the sky, blinding their eyes. After a moment, the two youths' vision recovered. They saw hundreds of people in the great temple, all sitting upright and practicing a peculiar technique.

And below the immortal hall, layers of immortal light spun like swords, enveloping a majestic Nuo Immortal.

This Nuo Immortal was as gentle as jade, elegant and ethereal, possessing a divine aura unmatched by gods or demons, and a demeanor beyond that of any Nuo Master.

He exuded a clear and pure feeling, like the water in a small stone pond, unstained and unblemished. Just one glance at him made Xu Ying feel as if his own heart was a wild field after rain, overgrown with weeds, filled with his own distracting thoughts, chaotic and impure.

Only when standing before a spotless mirror did he realize how filthy his heart was, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed.

"This Senior Nuo Immortal has a lofty state of mind, free from worldly distractions, possessing only the state of mind of an immortal, far beyond the reach of ordinary mortals," Xu Ying couldn't help but sigh. He had actually criticized the Nuo Immortal as an evil Nuo Immortal with the Great Bell just now; it was a grave sin.

From below, the Nuo Immortal's refined and amicable voice could be heard: "You don't even understand this? How have you been cultivating... You scoundrel! I'm talking about this, not that! Are you trying to anger me to death... I told you to circulate the technique in reverse, to run it for two and a half cycles, how did you run it? You ran it for two cycles, where's the half? Where's your half?... Is this how I taught you? You scoundrel!"

"This Nuo Immortal's temper seems a bit volatile. Who angered him to this extent?" Xu Ying leaned forward, trying to get a clearer view of the situation below.

Suddenly, a snake with horns on its head raised its head in confusion. The snake was thicker than a water vat, its head larger than an eight-immortal table, and its head was raised three to four zhang high, directly meeting Xu Ying's gaze.

Xu Ying made a shushing gesture. Yuan Qi understood and retracted his head, saying, "Immortal Master, my aptitude may be a bit dull, but I have great patience and will definitely learn it!"

The white-robed Nuo Immortal's breathing was turbulent, but after a moment, he calmed down and continued his sermon.

Xu Ying used his divine sense to subtly activate his Heavenly Eye and looked at the white-robed Nuo Immortal below.

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

The white-robed Nuo Immortal smiled at him. Under Xu Ying's Heavenly Eye, the Nuo Immortal smiled at him, and suddenly, blood gushed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth!

The white-robed Nuo Immortal's originally jade-like face instantly became ferocious and terrifying, like a vengeful spirit from the Underworld!

A vengeful spirit with an incredibly tragic death!

Xu Ying immediately felt a monstrous wave of resentment and malevolence, twisting his mind and driving him mad!

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

Xu Ying's eyes became bloodshot, his divine sense in disarray, and even the sky in the Realm of Serenity seemed to be pouring down blood at this moment, like streams of bloody waterfalls!

Just then, the Pure Yang Strange Fire left by the Maiden in the Coffin within him blazed brightly. The firelight was incredibly brilliant, and the filthy blood in the sky of the Realm of Serenity began to sizzle and emit smoke, then dissipated!

The resentment and malevolence Xu Ying felt finally subsided.

"A dead person! It's a dead person!"

Xu Ying stared at the white-robed Nuo Immortal with wide eyes, his heart screaming, "This Nuo Immortal is a dead person! A dead person filled with immense resentment!"

At this moment, the white-robed Nuo Immortal smiled and said, "Little friend from outside, why hide up there? I am giving a sermon, and anyone, regardless of race or cultivation level, can come to learn."

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

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

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

Beneath his back clothes, a faint light also emanated!

Xu Ying looked through the light, his heart pounding, feeling dizzy and dry-mouthed.

The white-robed Nuo Immortal was actually an empty shell, with only his skin and clothes remaining!

That gleam of light was the skin on the back of his head splitting open, and the sword light from within seeping out to form the radiance!

Beneath the skin, there was no flesh and blood, as if someone had cut open the back of his head and poured flesh-eating insects into his body, devouring all his flesh, blood, internal organs, and bones!

It was as if someone had grabbed him, used a sharp blade to cut from the back of his head to his tailbone, peeled off his skin, removed his flesh, and then dressed his skin, placing him here to make it seem as if he were still alive!

Xu Ying forced a smile, his voice trembling, and said, "Little Qi, stop learning, let's go quickly, the sun is about to set..."

"I haven't learned the Immortal Master's Detailed Explanation of the True Vortex of the Dao yet."

Yuan Qi tilted his head and said, "The Immortal Master said he must teach me. A Ying, you're smart, come down and learn!"