Chapter 137 - On the Verge of Coming Out

Zhu Zhongquan looked up at Mount Dongting, his heart surging with ambition and excitement. He murmured, “Once I reach the Transmutation Stage, I can forge my cauldron and Golden Pill. Then, I’ll defeat him!”

To the men of the Divine Capital, Xu Ying was the mountain pressing down on nearly every Dao heart.

Three years ago, Xu Ying, along with a snake and a bell, stormed from the Guo residence to the Luo River, then to the Shi residence, crushing the Dao hearts of countless hot-blooded young men in the Divine Capital.

Xu Ying had become a legend in the eyes of the younger generation in the Divine Capital.

The emergence of new lands has left the imperial authority shattered and fractured. The Li clan can no longer rule the world. I need Xu Ying’s reputation. I’ll shatter his undefeated legend as the Ageless Immortal, build my own momentum, and make the Zhu clan support me fully! In the future, I might even claim the throne!

Zhu Zhongquan calmed the excitement in his heart and muttered, “Others only call him the Ageless Immortal, but I have a real immortal backing me! I’ve had my fortune read. The fortune teller said that I have the fortune of a General Star clashing with the Emperor Star. I’m destined to become an emperor! Xu Ying, I’ll borrow your name to achieve greatness!”

The Guo and Zhu clans set out, continuing their search through the Yunmeng Marsh for the dragon-headed, human-bodied divine being. Yuanqi carried Xu Ying and followed behind the Guo clan.

Xu Ying suddenly remembered something and asked Zhu Hongyi, “How come your younger brother has all six secrets unlocked? Those are the noble clans’ closely guarded secrets, and the Gushing Spring is even more mysterious and rare. How did he find it?”

Zhu Hongyi plucked a few notes to tune her strings. “Zhongquan is much more talented than I am. The old immortal locked inside the carriage took a liking to him and passed down his cultivation techniques and divine abilities. Now, his status in the Zhu clan is far above mine.”

Xu Ying’s gaze fell on the prisoner’s carriage, shrouded in black cloth. With a strange look, he asked, “Old immortal?”

Zhu Hongyi grinned. "That's right. When news about you being an undying person spread, the Divine Capital was in an uproar. However, no one cares about the Ageless Immortal now. If a noble clan doesn't have an old immortal now, they will probably be struck from the ranks of noble clans!”

Covering her mouth, she giggled. “In fact, noble clans like the Pei, Cui, and Li clans are keeping several old immortals! Major noble clans like theirs are truly formidable, far more powerful than smaller clans like ours.”

Guo Xiaodie explained, “Our old ancestor has loose lips and blabs about everything. Back then, you entered our ancestor’s grotto heaven and captured a little fairy, but she escaped. So, he joined hands with others to explore the grotto heaven again and captured another immortal from the Other Shore.

“Word of this spread and caused a sensation, prompting the major noble clans to find ways into the grotto heaven’s Other Shore in search of immortals.”

The little fairy she mentioned was Zhu Chanchan.

Yuanqi asked, “How did you treat those Other Shore immortals?”

Guo Xiaodie and Zhu Hongyi exchanged a glance. The latter remained silent.

Guo Xiaodie sighed. “We have no choice but to imprison the immortals of the Other Shore, shackle their limbs so they can’t escape, seal their ethereal void so they can’t recover their cultivation, and suppress their divine sense so they can’t sway people’s minds.”

Xu Ying looked toward the prisoner’s carriage in the Zhu clan’s procession, his heart stirring slightly.

The one inside the carriage is likely an immortal from the Other Shore.

Seeing that Guo Xiaodie had spoken openly, Zhu Hongyi also stopped hiding things. “If they cooperate and willingly explain their Qi cultivation methods, we won’t use torture. If they refuse, they’ll have to suffer a little punishment.”

A wave of sympathy washed over Yuanqi’s heart. He said to Xu Ying, “If Old Ancestor Chanchan had fallen into their hands, she would have suffered a fate worse than death.”

Dazhong sneered coldly, “Master Qi, you’re thinking too highly of the noble clans! The Other Shore immortals are Xu Ying’s replacements! If Ah Ying had fallen into their hands instead, he wouldn’t be much better!”

Zhu Hongyi smiled without showing her teeth. “There’s only one Ageless Immortal, so, of course, everyone must treat him carefully, afraid of killing him. But there are many immortals in the Other Shore Worlds. Even if we torture one to death, we can always find another.”

Xu Ying asked, “What is that divine being in Yunmeng Marsh with a dragon’s head and a human’s body? Why are both your clans pursuing Him?”

Zhu Hongyi and Guo Xiaodie both hesitated. Xu Ying smiled. “If it’s inconvenient for you to answer, you don’t have to.”

“What is there that cannot be said?” Li Yingzhu drifted gracefully toward them on the wind, which pressed her thin dress tight against her, revealing her beautiful figure. She smiled.

“The Other Shore immortal that our Guo clan suppressed said that the divine being in the marsh isn’t a real living creature, but the transformation of a Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact.”

“Demoness who doesn’t keep her word!” Dazhong was very displeased with her.

Witnessing her display, Xu Ying secretly performed visualization to steady his divine sense. “Second Aunt, could you explain in detail?”

When Li Yingzhu joined them, she immediately outshone the two inexperienced girls. Her eyes and smile were truly captivating. “This isn't actually some huge secret. Most of the noble clans already know about it; it’s just that no one has spoken of it yet.

“Our Guo clan’s old immortal said that the Divine Being is a Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact. It was left behind in the mortal realm when the Heavenly Dao World punished it, and it was unable to return to the heavens.

“Thus, it hid within the Yunmeng Marsh. In the old immortal’s era, many entered the marsh to find it, but no one succeeded.”

She paused for a moment, then continued, “Rumor has it that when this treasure is on the move, heavenly lightning and rolling thunder accompany it. The divine being could be seen within. If one wields this treasure while facing heavenly tribulation, one can resist it and ascend to the Immortal Realm!

“I don’t know why the Zhu clan entered Yunmeng Marsh, but our Li and Guo clans came for this treasure. Since I married into the Guo clan, I didn’t go with the Li clan.”

Covering half her face with the pipa in her arms, Zhu Hongyi smiled softly. “Our clan came for the same reason, and we brought the old immortal here because of this.”

Li Yingzhu’s gaze fell on her, and she chuckled. “You not only brought the old immortal, but you’re also trying to drag the Ageless Immortal onto your Zhu clan’s chariot. Girl from the Zhu clan, your neckline is too low; your bunnies are on the verge of popping out!”

Zhu Hongyi had never dealt with such a situation before. Her face flushed red. She hurriedly covered herself with her pipa and fled from Yuanqi’s forehead in panic, likely to change her clothes.

Then Li Yingzhu secretly nudged Guo Xiaodie with her elbow and whispered, “I’ve driven off the obstacle for you. The rest depends on you. This is all I can do to help.”

With that, she pulled Xiaodie’s clothes down slightly.

“Second Aunt, it will spill out if you pull any more!” Guo Xiaodie cried out in a fit of furious embarrassment and sent Li Yingzhu flying away with a punch.

With tears in her eyes, Li Yingzhu flew off into the distance.

Splash!

Suddenly, the waters of Yunmeng Marsh ahead churned violently. A massive creature flew out of the water. It was an enormous fish. Its two pairs of fleshy fins flapped fiercely like wings as it soared across the water, its mouth wide open to bite down on the Exorcists scouting ahead!

Boom!

Its huge mouth snapped shut with a heavy thud. The dozen or so Exorcists from the Guo clan ahead were swallowed without even getting a chance to struggle.

Behind them, the rest of the Guo clan’s Exorcists charged forward and unleashed a storm of attacks on the enormous fish, yet they failed to shatter even its scales.

“It’s a mature archaic beast!”

Li Yingzhu and Guo Yue rushed forward together, fully unleashing their grotto heavens to fight the enormous fish in close combat. The other Great Exorcists of the Guo clan also charged forward to attack, but it let out a deafening roar, sending the crowd flying backward in all directions with invisible sonic waves.

An elder of the Guo clan unleashed his eight grotto heavens, barely blocking the enormous fish’s shockwave. The group closed in to swarm the beast, covering it in wounds, yet they couldn’t kill it.

Realizing it could not win against them, the enormous fish lashed out with its tail, sweeping dozens of Great Exorcists away before diving into the water and vanishing without a trace.

The encounter left more than a hundred Guo Exorcists dead or wounded, severely dampening their morale.

The Zhu clan was also ambushed by an archaic beast before long. This one was also mature; its bloodline had fully awakened, and it sprawled across the landscape like a small island.

Its sudden attack inflicted heavy casualties among the Zhu clan’s Exorcists. Ultimately, several clan elders joined hands and summoned their immature Primordial Spirits to repel it.

After these two fierce battles, Xu Ying saw that the two noble clans had indeed made significant progress.

Earlier, when the Guo and Zhu clans’ Exorcists charged into battle, almost every Exorcist had unlocked two or three Secret Troves. It seems that unifying the six secrets with Qi cultivation techniques has already spread among Exorcists.

Xu Ying felt gratified. Zhou Qiyun had pioneered the dual cultivation of Qi and Exorcism, and he refined it further. Eventually, it spread throughout the Divine Capital.

In this, Zhou Qiyun deserved credit as the pioneer, but Xu Ying had also contributed immensely!

Xu Ying was reminded of Xu Fu. When you run out of options, you change. When you change, you find a way through. Stubbornly clinging to ancestral teachings without change would only leave them on display on a shelf like an antique, forgotten by the world.

Realizing that relying on the strength of a single clan alone would make it difficult to explore the Yunmeng Marsh, the Guo and Zhu clans joined forces and advanced side by side, supporting one another and alleviating some of the pressure.

The deeper they ventured into the Yunmeng Marsh, the more dangerous it became.

A strange breed of birds lay hidden across the landscape, covered in iron feathers. They flew even faster than a flying sword. Whenever a bird swooped down and snatched someone away, the others rushed in and fought over the prey, ripping the victim apart in midair before devouring them.

After suffering multiple losses, the Guo and Zhu clans were forced to activate their artifacts to guard them in the air.

Seeing those strange birds flying toward them once more, Yuanqi cried out, “Ah Ying, I’m hungry!”

Xu Ying soared into the air and saw Yuanqi fly out with a whistle, enveloped in sword qi. He hunted down the strange birds and swallowed them one by one. The Exorcists of the Guo and Zhu clans erupted into cheers.

Then Xu Ying landed lightly on the water’s surface and walked across the calm lake, which was like a mirror, following the two clans.

Over the past two days, he had finally completed the true technique of the Yellow Springs Scripture. He performed Dragon Tracking and found his Gushing-Spring Secret Trove.

“Master Zhong, guard me!” Xu Ying called out. Dazhong immediately flew out and hovered over his head.

Xu Ying followed closely behind the main group as they ventured deeper into the marsh. Meanwhile, a Golden Core radiated brilliant light within his ethereal void, rose from his cauldron, and descended from the sky.

The myriad rays of light seemed to possess actual substance, producing light-bell chimes and illuminating the continent in the ethereal void.

The Golden Core flew over the continent’s mountains and rivers, lighting up every corner of the land. Not long after, Xu Ying pinpointed the location of the Yellow Springs.

The Golden Core sank into the Yellow Springs, shining straight down as it descended deeper underground. A network of thick conduits filled the Yellow Springs. Vital energy flowed through them, flashing with a pulsing light and filling the place with mystery.

The Yellow Springs lay hidden, its interior filled with countless twists and turns, like a path descending into the eighteen layers of hell.

At the very bottom was the sea of the netherworld. A single lotus flower floated on its surface, on the verge of blooming.

That unbloomed lotus was precisely the Gushing-Spring Secret Trove!

According to the records in the Yellow Springs Scripture, there are two of these Secret Troves: one in the left leg and the other in the right leg. Only by opening both could one truly consider this Secret Trove unlocked. The six secrets of the human body were actually composed of seven Secret Troves!

As Xu Ying thought this, his heart stirred slightly. That’s not right. Zhu Zhongquan has opened only one of his Gushing-Spring Secret Troves. Could it be that the old immortal who taught him held something back? If that’s the case, that old immortal must harbor ill intentions!

Aside from Zhu Zhongquan, the Shi clan’s old ancestor Shi Mole had also opened only one Gushing-Spring Secret Trove.

Without pausing to think, he channeled his Golden Core. Its swirling light descended into the lotus flower.

A moment later, the lotus on the sea of the netherworld suddenly burst into radiance. Layers of petals unfurled outward. Lotus leaves grew out of the water, and the lotus flower rose higher and higher.

It was a lotus-shaped grotto heaven, rooted in the sea of the netherworld, drawing immortal herbs from within. The lotus leaves and flower absorbed and purified the immortal herbs, then surged forth from the lotus-shaped grotto heaven.

The energy contained within these immortal herbs was extremely unique, unlike that of the immortal herbs from the other Secret Troves.

The Mud-Pill Secret Trove’s immortal herbs were for vigor, enhancing the physique’s vigor and extending one’s lifespan. The Yellow-Court Secret Trove’s immortal herbs were for divine sense, strengthening the spirit and perception, allowing one to harmonize with the Dao.

The Crimson-Palace Secret Trove’s immortal herbs were for heart energy, strengthening the physique and increasing vital energy. The Jade-Pool Secret Trove’s immortal herbs were for primordial qi, nurturing the essence and improving one’s talent.

The Jade-Capital Secret Trove’s immortal herbs were the qi of yin and yang. Refining it into the eyes grants mastery over yin and yang, allowing one to perceive deception and transformation.

Xu Ying was already very familiar with the immortal herbs in these Secret Troves. However, for the Gushing-Spring Secret Trove’s immortal herbs, even if he drew them out of the sea of the netherworld, he didn’t know how to use them.

I should unlock the other Gushing-Spring Secret Trove first and see if there are any changes!

His Golden Core flew out of this Secret Trove and arrived at the corresponding one on the other side of the ethereal void.

As the lotus-shaped grotto heaven of this Secret Trove opened, Xu Ying sensed the immortal herbs from both Gushing-Spring Secret Troves rising from the Yellow Springs and gathering into a single mass.

The moment the immortal herbs merged, lotus flowers bloomed throughout the ethereal void, their light illuminating the surroundings.

He immediately sensed his soul gradually growing stronger as the immortal herbs nourished it.

Xu Ying came to a realization. The Gushing-Spring Secret Trove contains immortal herbs for the soul! It’s for tempering the soul!

He was both astonished and overjoyed. All this time, he had never felt any progress in cultivating his soul. Now that he had unlocked the Gushing-Spring Secret Trove, he could cultivate his soul to strengthen his Eternal True Spirit and soul!

At the second Gate-Knocking Stage, one had to open the Central Ridge Pass. Then the soul had to fuse with the Golden Core inside the Twelve-Story Pagoda, climb its height, transform into a Primordial Spirit, and ascend to the Jasper Pool for cleansing.

Only then could one step onto the Divine Bridge and knock on the Heavenly Pass to ascend to immortality!

With the immortal herbs from the Gushing-Spring Secret Trove to temper the soul, the path of cultivation would become much smoother!

Xu Ying opened his eyes and channeled the Grand Unity Guiding Method. Immortal herbs from the six Secret Troves surged forth continuously and were refined layer by layer before being injected into him.

He summoned his Golden Core and channeled the true techniques of the six secrets to open three grotto heavens of the Gushing-Spring Secret Trove. He finally stopped when the power of his Golden Core was exhausted, and he could not open the fourth grotto heaven.

Now, he possessed the six secrets and twenty-one grotto heavens within him. The various Secret Troves shone in harmony within the ethereal void, while his every acupoint connected to the myriad heavenly domains in the void, culminating in overwhelming power within him.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Yuanqi flew over, dove into the water, and surfaced beneath Xu Ying, lifting him onto his head.

He called out, “Ah Ying, I’m so full!”

“Master Qi, I’ve unlocked my Gushing-Spring Secret Trove and can perform Dragon Tracking for you to pinpoint its location.”

Yuanqi was both surprised and delighted. Three years ago, I was just a snake being hunted down by Ah Ying. Yet because of a single fleeting thought, I followed him for three years, and now I’m about to become a Qi Cultivator with all six secrets unlocked!

Elated, he thought, That stupid bell has only learned the Eight Sounds of Primordial Nurturing from Ah Ying. He’s far beneath me! As our strength shifts in my favor, the day will come when I can pin that stupid bell down and beat him up!

Just then, a commotion stirred ahead. Someone pointed forward and called out, “Look! Look!”

Yuanqi reared his head higher and higher into the air. Standing atop the snake’s head, Xu Ying looked into the distance and saw smoke rising ahead as a stone city came into view.

There were also several villages beside the stone city. As it was lunchtime, wisps of smoke rose from them as well.

Xu Ying was astonished. “How could there be people living in the Yunmeng Marsh?”

Just then, an aged voice drifted over from the Zhu clan’s prisoner’s carriage. “Zhu Zhongquan, they are the displaced citizens of Yunmeng Marsh. Legend has it they are migrants of the Heavenly Dao and can perceive Heavenly Dao Divine Artifacts!