The True Void Grotto-Heaven of Zhenzhen had four suns. One had already set, two others approached the meridian, and the fourth glowed as a sunset. Strangely, these suns lacked the scorching fire of the outside world—their warmth was gentle, and the vital essence they transformed into carried no risk of qi deviation. One could cultivate here without worry.
"A single day in the Grotto-Heaven equals half a year or even a full year in the mortal world," Yuan Qi remarked with a sigh.
While Xu Ying cultivated, Yuan Qi seized the opportunity to practice the Dragon Snake Hibernation Art. Though the technique was of modest grade, Xu Ying's cultivation allowed him to siphon Dao Seeds, accelerating his own progress. His dragon-snake bloodline awakened further with each breath, manifesting as mist and thunder.
The Great Bell also refined its own guiding-breath method, intercepting some of the Dao Seeds that erupted from Xu Ying's Field of Light. Cultivating here was indeed equivalent to half a year outside—and harvesting Dao Seeds was even more thrilling than stealing Xu Ying's vital essence!
Guo Xiaodie knew no cultivation techniques, but Yuan Weiyang patiently explained the Scripture of Tuoyu to her, helping her gather qi. She proved a quick study, mastering the basics in no time. The two women sat together, exchanging techniques while cultivating. Guo Xiaodie felt a warm sweetness, forgetting her brief interest in Demon King Xu. Only this gentle companionship mattered.
Xiao Bo watched from the side, anxious but unable to reveal that Yuan Weiyang was also a woman.
Another sun sank below the horizon. The remaining two also descended as sunset, and darkness gradually fell.
At that moment, an elderly man with a cane approached from the mountain peak, chuckling from afar: "You children—the sun is setting! Why aren't you running?"
Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang, and the others were startled. *Others are in this Grotto-Heaven?*
Xu Ying stepped forward and bowed. "Elder, why must we flee when darkness falls?"
The old man halted, tapping his cane. "When the sun sets, the Underworld blankets this place. Cultivators who died unjustly in heavenly tribulations will appear—vengeful ghosts with endless resentment. I couldn't bear to watch you perish, so I came to warn you. Leave quickly!"
The group's hearts lurched. They looked up to see another sun sink, and the last sunset crest the mountain ridge.
Guo Xiaodie thanked him. "Elder, won't you leave with us?"
"I am a wild ghost bound here, unable to depart. I merely acted out of lingering conscience." With that, the old man vanished.
Stunned, the group hurried down the mountain to the Demon-Suppressing Hall. Night deepened, and cold yin winds rose. They jumped into the water jar one by one, returning to the Cangwu Abyss.
Xu Ying was last. As he leaped in, a flash of blood-red light streaked past his vision. "Master Bell! Elder Yuan! Did you see that blood light?"
Neither the Great Bell nor Yuan Qi had seen anything. Xu Ying touched his forehead and found a bloodstain no larger than a mosquito bite.
He sensed nothing amiss internally, so he let it be.
Back in the Demon-Suppressing Hall, the old man with the cane reappeared—but Xu Ying and the others were gone. He stamped his foot, cursing: "Slippery as eels! Not even a chance for me to feast alone! No matter—they'll return for the Grotto-Heaven's gifts!"
In the Cangwu Abyss, night had already fallen. Many Nuo shamans wearing Ghost-Faced Deity masks descended from Mount Jiuyi into the Underworld. Ghost children ran rampant through graveyards, stealing the yang fire from newly deceased souls to harvest yang essence.
Some ghost children even infiltrated human villages to steal living people's yang essence.
As the Underworld invaded, the two realms gradually merged. Many human villages became isolated in the new territory. Ghost children gathered in nearby mass graves, emerging at dusk to hunt.
Yet the yang essence they collected was harvested in turn by Wuchang ghosts, leaving them perpetually starving.
Among the Wuchang ghosts were also human Nuo shamans who exploited them.
Xu Ying watched the shamans enter the Underworld, pondering: If Wuchang ghosts extort ghost children for yang essence, could there be a higher authority? Could someone control the Wuchang ghosts, harvesting their collected essence and leaving only scraps?
Yuan Qi had read obscure histories. "The *Records of the Divine and Strange* says Wuchang ghosts harvest yang essence to tribute to the Underworld's emperor. A scholar, frustrated by official corruption, hanged himself. His ghost entered the Underworld and encountered an emperor with grand retinue, just like a living emperor. The scholar knelt, and the emperor laughed: 'I am the emperor某某 from thousands of years ago—even in death, I still reign!'"
Xu Ying was captivated. "Did the scholar achieve his wish and become an official?"
Yuan Qi replied: "He sought a position, but the emperor said: 'I can rule because my officials also died. They supported me as emperor. But even village clerks have positions reserved ten thousand years ahead!' The scholar, disillusioned, chose to return to life."
Xu Ying, Guo Xiaodie, and Yuan Weiyang were shocked. "Even the Underworld is so competitive?"
"Even fiercer."
They seized the fishing line and were pulled from the Abyss. Exhausted from following Zhou Qiyun into the Underworld without rest, they were utterly spent.
Guo Xiaodie arranged rooms for them to rest, then sought out the beautiful couple.
The woman was Li Yingzhu, her aunt—a princess of the imperial Li family, though not a reigning princess. The handsome young man was Guo Yue, her fourth uncle. The Li and Guo families had long been bound by marriage, intertwining their interests.
Guo Xiaodie produced the two-hundred-character Sword-Flying Art and handed it to Li Yingzhu. "Aunt, you are learned and a sword prodigy—please examine this. I truly don't understand it."
Li Yingzhu glanced casually, then her eyes widened. She snatched it, exclaiming: "Where did you get this Sword-Flying Art?"
Guo Xiaodie blinked. "Traded it with that peeping tom... Aunt, is something wrong?"
"Wrong? Of course something's wrong—it's extraordinary!"
Li Yingzhu paced excitedly, her spirit trembling within her body. "In the early empire, martial Nuo arts flourished—even the imperial family cultivated sword qi. A single surge of righteous sword qi could slice through half the flourishing Tang! But the empire's three founding heroes never deciphered the Sword-Flying Art! They searched ancient texts across sacred mountains for years before finding a dozen characters—identical to these on your paper!"
Guo Xiaodie froze, realizing the true value of what she'd traded for the Azure Sky Scripture.
"Later, sword qi declined because without the Sword-Flying Art, it could never reach its full potential—always inferior to other Nuo arts."
Li Yingzhu carefully unfolded the script, firelight dancing in her eyes. "With this, sword qi will never fade again. Wonderful, truly wonderful..."
She frowned. "The text is simple and clear—over two hundred characters—yet I can't comprehend it."
Guo Xiaodie ventured carefully: "Aunt, I traded the Guo family's Azure Sky Scripture for this. Was it worth it?"
"Worth it? Absolutely! If he could cultivate it, he'd possess something priceless. Even our ancestor would climb from his coffin to applaud you!"
Li Yingzhu laughed. "That peeping tom gave it to you? Who knew the boy had such treasures? Why didn't you let him watch longer? You might have obtained even better treasures!"
Guo Xiaodie flushed. "Aunt! What are you saying? A lady's modesty is not to be compromised—I'd die of shame!"
Li Yingzhu draped an arm around her, secretly adjusting her bodice lower. "Be a dear—seduce him into explaining these two hundred characters. Or better yet, bathe again, and take your time... You're not yet betrothed, are you?"
Guo Xiaodie grew wary. "Aunt! What are you planning? I have someone I like!"
"Young Master Yuan?"
Li Yingzhu shrugged. "He's handsome, clever, and well-born, but the Yuan family is in decline—of little benefit to the Li and Guo clans. But that peeping tom—with this two-hundred-character Sword-Flying Art alone, he could secure our families' prominence for another century! Xiaodie, why not... make the rice into cooked rice first?"
Guo Xiaodie yelped and escaped her aunt's arm.
Li Yingzhu laughed. "Marriages in great families are rarely autonomous. Even your uncle Yue and I were arranged by the elders—we met once and married, and now we live happily, wife singing while husband follows. That peeping tom may be a bit dark-skinned, but I observed his frame—broad and sturdy, definitely excellent bones. Many women in the city love training such youths!"
Guo Xiaodie fled, shouting: "Aunt, you're mad! I'm telling Uncle Yue!"
---
Soon after, Guo Yue entered the study. The couple studied the two-hundred-character Sword-Flying Art together. After a long while, Guo Yue sighed and stood. "I'll persuade Xiaodie."
Li Yingzhu said: "If that fails, we'll petition the clan elders to petition His Majesty for an imperial marriage decree. The girl won't have a choice."
Guo Yue nodded slowly. "There's more. I've learned that this peeping tom, Xu Ying, was originally from Lingling in Yongzhou—he's wanted by both realms for killing a deity. Both the Underworld's emperor and Zhou Qiyun are keenly interested, dispatching forces to capture him. Zhou Qiyun has kept him constantly by his side. Rumor has it—he can *read* demon arts!"
Li Yingzhu gasped, eyes wide. "Truly?"
Guo Yue confirmed: "Without doubt. And Zhou Qiyun is currently in these mountains. Every move Xu Ying makes is under his watch!"
Li Yingzhu steadied herself. "We must act quickly—make the rice into cooked rice while we can! Xiaodie doesn't understand now, but she will—and she'll thank us! Does His Majesty know?"
Guo Yue smiled. "The intelligence came from His Majesty himself. When he learned, so did I."
The couple exchanged a knowing smile.
Li Yingzhu said: "His Majesty is so focused on Xu Ying—it must be because of that immortal scripture?"
The smile on Guo Yue's face froze. Li Yingzhu sighed and dropped the subject.
---
Xu Ying slept soundly until midnight, when he felt warmth in his bed. He reached out and touched smooth, soft flesh—rosy and plump.
The youth jolted awake, threw back the covers, and found Guo Xiaodie lying in his bed—her black hair splayed across the pillow, completely undressed, not a stitch of clothing!
The girl slept soundly, unaware of what had happened.
"Master Bell! Master Bell! Elder Yuan! Elder Yuan!" Xu Ying whispered urgently.
Strange—the Great Bell and Yuan Qi had vanished. The Great Bell usually hovered above Xu Ying as he slept, guarding its iron rice bowl. But tonight, both were gone, off on their own adventures.
Xu Ying looked at the naked girl in his bed and felt a wicked thought stir. He lifted a corner of the blanket and saw a black mole. *So yesterday's entry into the Dao—when my consciousness merged with Mount Jiuyi—was real! And Elder Yuan saving me with his tail was real too!*
He sat up, dressed, and pondered: *That great terror during the Dao entry was also real. Something in the Cangwu Abyss nearly dragged me in—an ominous presence that blocks entry to the Dao and limits cultivation, risking death! What exactly lies in that abyss?*
A knock sounded at the window.
Xu Ying started. *Xiaodie hasn't left? If she's still here...*
His heart raced. A feeling he'd never known stirred within him.
The youth with stirring spring thoughts opened the window—not to find Guo Xiaodie, but a petite girl in colorful robes standing outside, smiling at him with eyes brimming with springtime.
"Young Master Xu, do you remember yesterday's promise? My wounds have healed. Please, follow me."
---
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