Xu Ying felt the prickling sensation of being watched. He glanced around, but the stone statues were so numerous and so alike that he could not determine which one had turned its gaze upon him.
Then came the grinding sound of stone shifting.
Xu Ying looked toward the source but could not identify which statue had made the noise.
"Grandpa Bell," he whispered, "the Plague God doesn't hold grudges, does it?"
"It does!" The Great Bell recalled the incident as well. It whispered back, "Remember what happened last time you struck it? It immediately poked you with a finger! Not only does it hold grudges—it remembers with perfect clarity!"
Xu Ying's back began to itch. "Can I open my Celestial Eye to check my own back? I'm afraid the Plague God's tentacles have already bored into my heart."
The Great Bell said sharply, "You must not! Have you forgotten what just happened? If you open your Celestial Eye, all these Heavenly Gods will notice you. Their wills would flood directly into your skull! You would end up just like those skeletons below the cliff!"
They walked along a narrow goat path carved into the mountainside. Below them yawned a sheer cliff face, and countless skeletons—unaware they were already dead—clambered upward, some fighting over treasures that lay scattered in heaps at the bottom, luring them with their endless, insatiable greed.
These were people whose minds had been warped by the will of the Heavenly Gods. They had died without realizing it, trapped forever in this aimless, maddening eternity.
Yuan Qi felt his own back itch and raised his tail to scratch it.
Xu Ying watched and felt his skin crawl, the itch on his back intensifying.
The grinding sound of stone grew louder—heavier, more grating. Xu Ying looked up and saw an enormous stone statue rotating its head like an owl, peering down at him from high above.
The statue had a triangular head, tapered to a sharp point at the top, its face bizarre and unsettling.
*Is that the Plague God's statue?*
The thought had barely formed when the scraping sounds multiplied. One by one, the statues turned their heads in sluggish, ponderous movements, and a thousand alien gazes fixed upon him.
The statues towered a thousand zhang high, utterly silent.
Even Zhou Qiyun grew tense in the face of this eerie scene. He raised his voice toward the heavens: "I follow the example of the Most Illustrious Emperor to pay a visit to the Yin Court! I am merely passing through this sacred ground—I humbly ask the Honored Gods for their understanding!"
Above, ancient wills churned through the sky. When they moved, it was as though thunder had detonated—deep, rolling, reverberating.
The Heavenly Gods were whispering.
Their speech was impossibly ancient, unlike any human tongue and unlike the language of ghosts. It was arcane and vast, its syllables simple yet brimming with profound meaning.
Though Xu Ying, Zhou Qiyun, and the others could not understand the language of the Heavenly Gods, the moment that thunderous will touched them, they perceived the enormity of the thoughts behind it.
The Heavenly Gods whispered. Among them, they declared, there was a blasphemer. One who had profaned the Heavenly Gods, violated the Heavenly Code, and must face the judgment of Heavenly Principles and the punishment of Heavenly Law.
Zhou Qiyun's expression shifted with alarm. He turned and looked back at Xu Ying.
A chill ran through Xu Ying. He whispered, "Grandpa Bell, can you hold off the Plague God?"
The Great Bell understood the gravity of the situation. Its voice was somber: "I cannot defeat the Plague God as I am now, but I can stall it for a time. It is a pity Great Pagoda is dead. If you had trained there longer and I had stolen more qi and blood, I could have held out longer."
Zhou Qiyun raised his eyes to the heavens. "Honored Gods, I humbly ask for your understanding!"
Above the Hall of Heavenly Gods, ancient wills surged in unrest. This was the Heavenly Mandate, declaring that Heavenly Principles allowed no favoritism. The Heavenly Code had been violated, and no one—no matter who—would be granted clemency. Only Heavenly Punishment awaited.
Zhou Qiyun turned. "Xu Ying, I have done all I can. Forgive me—I am powerless to help you further. Yuan Weiyang, let us go."
Yuan Weiyang hesitated. The blue-robed elder Xiao Bo shook his head gently and whispered, "Young Master, think of the Yuan family."
Yuan Weiyang fell silent and followed Xiao Bo.
Xu Ying called out, "Brother Yuan, look after Yuan Qi for me! Xiao Qi, you should go as well."
Yuan Qi hesitated. Xu Ying whispered, "If you stay, I cannot protect you. You will only distract me. Zhou Qiyun is an old acquaintance of your Ox family—he will treat you fairly if you go with him."
Yuan Qi slithered forward. "A-Ying, I will wait for you outside!"
They departed swiftly. The long mountain path was left with only Xu Ying standing alone, cliffs rising on both sides, a bottomless abyss below.
The Hall of Heavenly Gods plunged into total darkness. Only a single beam of celestial light shone down from above, falling directly upon Xu Ying. He could not see the surroundings—only tilt his head upward, where the light revealed the shadowy outlines of colossal stone statues hidden in the darkness, flickering in and out of view.
The grinding of stone continued. The Heavenly Mandate grew heavier and heavier, and the thousand-zhang statues turned their gaze upon Xu Ying, one after another. Above the Hall of Heavenly Gods, ancient wills churned ceaselessly—more than ten thousand Heavenly Gods scrutinizing the sins of Xu Ying.
Xu Ying raised his head. The celestial light above intensified, gradually coalescing into a scroll of parchment. A brush, wielded by no visible hand, began writing upon it.
"On the first day of the third month—the Yin Court reports: The suspect Xu committed deicide at Jiang Family Fields in Lingling. Sentence: execution."
"On the second day of the third month—the government reports: The suspect Xu killed at Stone Mountain in Lingling. Sentence: execution."
"On the third day of the third month—the Yin Court reports: The suspect Xu committed deicide at Jianshan Village in Lingling. Sentence: execution."
"On the fourth day of the third month—the Yin Court reports: The suspect Xu committed deicide against twelve gods at Xiaoshan in Lingling. Sentence: execution."
"On the fourth day of the third month—the government reports: The suspect Xu killed four persons at Xiaoshan in Lingling. Sentence: execution."
...
Xu Ying raised his voice. "There is no need to read further! I did all of it, and every act was done with a clear conscience! You Heavenly Gods who govern the Heavenly Dao—your only grievance is that I whipped and burned the Plague God. What does any of this have to do with my past deeds? My life is worthless. If you want to kill me, come and take it. Do not stand there putting on a show!"
The thousand-zhang stone statues remained expressionless, still perched upon their branches, utterly motionless. The ancient wills continued to rumble above the Hall of Heavenly Gods, reciting Xu Ying's catalogue of crimes, one after another, until they reached the incident where he had flogged the ox demon of the Netherworld. Only then did the litany cease.
From the sky, an even more ancient will boomed like thunder: "This boy's sins are grave. Examine his Records of Three Lives. Settle all accounts."
One by one, the ancient wills stirred, calling forth the records of Xu Ying's three previous incarnations.
"Previous life: no authorization to view."
"Two lives past: no authorization to view."
"Three lives past: no authorization to view."
The Hall of Heavenly Gods fell into a silence so deep it was terrifying. The expressionless stone statues seemed, each in their own way, to reveal a flicker of astonishment. A strange, delicate tension spread among the ten thousand statues like a whisper.
The Great Bell had been poised to explode into action, ready to risk everything to blast Xu Ying out of the Hall of Heavenly Gods in a final act of brotherhood—but now even it was stunned.
"The Heavenly Gods of the Heavenly Dao World—the very gods who command the Heavenly Dao—have no authority to view Xu Ying's three past lives?" It could barely process what it had witnessed.
Then a heavier, more potent will descended from the Heavenly Dao World. This will was mightier than the others, emanating an even more ancient aura. It manifested as rolling thunder that detonated above the Hall of Heavenly Gods.
That ancient will, speaking in the tongue of the Heavenly Dao, rendered its verdict in thunderous tones: "Do not pursue three lives. Examine only this life. Seek his evil in this life and impose Heavenly Punishment to uphold the Heavenly Code and Heavenly Law!"
Immediately, the wills above the Hall of Heavenly Gods erupted in rapid succession:
"Heavenly Code: no authority to impose punishment."
"Heavenly Mandate: no authority to impose punishment."
"Heavenly Principles: no authority to impose punishment."
"Heavenly Reason: no authority to impose punishment."
"Heavenly Law: no authority to impose punishment."
"Heavenly Authority: no authority to impose punishment."
...
The thunderous proclamations fell silent, and once again the Hall of Heavenly Gods was swallowed by silence.
A terrible silence.
At last, a still more ancient will rolled across the heavens: "Dismiss the case."
Above the Hall of Heavenly Gods, the words upon the celestial scroll vanished with breathtaking speed. In moments, the entire record of sins had disappeared, gone without a trace. The scroll and the brush alike flew back into the Heavenly Dao World and vanished.
That same ancient will spoke once more, its thunderous voice reverberating: "Escort the young master from the hall."
A beam of celestial light pierced downward, illuminating the path before Xu Ying, marking the way out.
Xu Ying stumbled forward, one foot higher than the other, his mind in a daze. He did not understand what had just happened. The Great Bell was equally bewildered. During their trial, the Hall of Heavenly Gods had petitioned upward three times, each time summoning a god of higher standing than the last. The final god summoned must have been the leader of the Heavenly Dao World itself!
And that leader had uttered the words "Dismiss the case," wiping clean all the charges of deicide and murder in a single stroke!
"Even the gods of the Heavenly Dao World have no authority to view his three past lives, much less impose Heavenly Punishment. Something must have happened to A-Ying!"
The Great Bell paused, then ventured, "A-Ying, tell me—how do you compare the Grand Unity Daoyin Art to the Supreme Yin Cultivation Art?"
Xu Ying snapped out of his stupor, uncertain why the topic had shifted so abruptly. "The Supreme Yin Cultivation Art refines the physical body, the soul, origin qi, spirit sense, and bloodlines in the simplest possible manner—it even transcends the boundaries of cultivation stages. Practicing it can elevate one's natural talent and break through every realm with ease. The Grand Unity Daoyin Art, though incomplete, is in no way inferior. The longer I practice both arts, the more I sense the Grand Unity Daoyin Art's extraordinary nature."
The Great Bell pressed gently, "A-Ying, do you think the Grand Unity Daoyin Art is stored in your memory, or within your bloodline? Why do memories of the Grand Unity Daoyin Art awaken only after you reach a certain level of cultivation?"
Xu Ying froze. He had never considered this question.
"A-Ying, I believe you should make a trip to Xu Family Village," the Great Bell said.
Xu Ying's expression dimmed. A wistful sorrow entered his voice. "Xu Family Village was just a small town near Yongzhou. It burned to the ground. After the invasion of the Netherworld and the emergence of the New Land, Xu Family Village may well be gone."
"Do you still remember the way?"
"How could I forget?"
"Then once we have shaken off Zhou Qiyun, we go to Xu Family Village. No matter what it takes, we find that place!"
Xu Ying agreed. After a moment of silence, he said, "Grandpa Bell—thank you."
The Great Bell was taken aback. "We are friends—there is no need for thanks! You have been silently donating your qi and blood to help me heal, never complaining, never asking for gratitude. Why should you thank me?"
Xu Ying chose his words carefully. "Grandpa Bell, don't you think that the qi and blood I give you was essentially extorted through your manipulation?"
"Ha ha ha, that is a fine joke. Just do not make jokes like that again!"
Outside the Hall of Heavenly Gods, Zhou Qiyun, Yuan Weiyang, and the others emerged. Ahead lay the Yin Court, but both Yuan Weiyang and Yuan Qi stopped in their tracks and refused to follow Zhou Qiyun any further.
Zhou Qiyun frowned and halted. "There is no point in waiting. He will not be coming out. The Hall of Heavenly Gods is an Ascension Ground. Heavenly Gods can descend along an Ascension Ground, and they possess the power to judge all good and evil in the mortal world. With ten thousand gods assembled in one place, not even an immortal could save him."
Yuan Qi shook his head. "A-Ying is always clever. He will find a way out."
Zhou Qiyun shook his head as well. A trial by ten thousand gods—even he himself could not survive such a thing. Escape was impossible.
They stood outside the Hall of Heavenly Gods, waiting in silence.
Zhou Qiyun frowned, about to force them to leave, when Yuan Weiyang spoke softly, "Ancestor Zhou, I have heard that for Heavenly Gods to descend upon the mortal realm, someone in the lower world must offer a sacrifice to open a bridge to the Heavenly Dao World. Why have these Heavenly Gods descended here without any sacrifice?"
Zhou Qiyun set aside his intention to compel them. "That is the wonder of an Ascension Ground."
Yuan Qi looked intrigued. He, too, had heard of Ascension Grounds. Back at the Qin Rock Cave in Mount Wuwang, the girl in the coffin had chanted a passage facing the Jade Wall of the Mud Pill Palace, and the phrase "Ascension Ground" had been part of it.
The Ascension Ground in the girl's mouth likely referred to the Qin Rock Cave.
If Zhou Qiyun said this place was an Ascension Ground, then what exactly was an Ascension Ground?
Zhou Qiyun spoke. "While exploring the Hidden Landscape Sanctified Grounds of Nuo Immortals and the grotto-heavens of ancient qi refiners, I encountered several fascinating texts that record the existence of many Ascension Grounds in this world. Some say that Ascension Grounds are the places where qi refiners transcended the Heavenly Tribulation and ascended. Others say they are fragments of the Heavenly Dao World itself. Such places possess a wondrous power—the barriers between worlds grow thin, making them sacred grounds for cultivation. That is why Heavenly Gods can descend through the weakened barriers."
At that moment, a voice drifted out from the Hall of Heavenly Gods: "Ancestor Zhou, once Heavenly Gods descend to an Ascension Ground, they cannot leave it—correct?"
Zhou Qiyun's eye twitched. He lifted his head in disbelief and looked toward the rear exit of the Hall of Heavenly Gods, where a beam of celestial light illuminated the path. A familiar figure walked out along the light.
Zhou Qiyun's mind went blank for an instant, and he forgot to answer.
Xu Ying posed his second question: "Can an Ascension Ground deteriorate over time?"
He had overheard Zhou Qiyun's explanation inside the Hall and had thought of the Qin Rock Cave. A doubt nagged at him: if the Qin Rock Cave was an Ascension Ground, why had it shown no signs of weakened world barriers? When they had trained there, they had detected a mysterious energy capable of stimulating the Mud Pill Secret Treasury—but that energy had come from the master of the Mud Pill Palace, not from the Heavenly Dao World or any residual power left by ascended immortals!
*If Ascension Grounds are places where immortals ascended, or fragments of the Heavenly Dao World, then all Ascension Grounds should share the same characteristics. But the Mud Pill Palace in the Qin Rock Cave and the Hall of Heavenly Gods are completely different!*
Xu Ying sensed something was amiss, but he could not quite grasp it. He decided to set the matter aside for now.
"How did you get out?" Zhou Qiyun finally regained his composure and asked.
Xu Ying smiled faintly. "I walked out. The Hall of Heavenly Gods is impartial and fair in its judgments. They investigated, found that I had never committed any evil, and escorted me out."