At Invincible Sect.

　　After walking some distance, Shen Ying suddenly remembered that a certain family still needed her help. So she once again turned back to settle the matter. After that was done, all she could think of were food recipes. She had far too much exercise today. Would Father Niu agree to an additional meal of supper? Had he awakened?

　　She was still hesitating about whether to to look in on him when she heard a timid voice behind her.

　　“Exalted… Exalted Immortal,” Bitao called after Shen Ying. He had been surrounded by a big group of female disciples the moment he touched down. Inexplicably, he felt a shiver down his spine. There was something weird in the way they looked at him. Their eyes were shining a little too… brightly.

　　Had he done anything wrong?

　　All the disciples: Master has brought back another immortal punching bag!

　　(.♥ᴗ♥.)

　　“Exalted… Exalted Immortal!” Bitao could not help calling out again. Hadn’t he been acknowledged as one of their own? Explain the situation to them!

　　Shen Ying turned to look at him and was about to speak when Yu Hong rushed in hurriedly.

　　“Master, bad news. There’s something wrong with Elder Lonemoon.”

　　Supper!

　　Eyes widening in anticipation, she instructed, “Let’s go!” She stepped forwards, but suddenly turned around and lifted Floaty up. Then carrying Floaty with her, she left with Yu Hong for Father Niu’s room.

　　Not only had Father Niu not awakened, he looked much worse than before she left. His face was covered in sweat and a rivulet of blood flowed down the corner of his mouth.

　　“Take a look, what’s wrong with him?” asked Shen Ying, letting go of Floaty.

　　“Isn’t this…” Eyes widening in surprise, Bitao stepped forwards to look at the person on the bed. “Did he… did he just go through the Immortal Ascension?”

　　“Yes.” Shen Ying nodded.

　　Sucking in his breath, Bitao immediately took the pulse of the man on the bed, the expression on his face growing increasingly grave as he assessed Lonemoon’s condition. “His immortal bones are formed but why isn’t there a single shred of Immortal Qi in his body?” Bitao asked as he started transmitting Immortal Qi to Lonemoon, whose pallor then immediately improved.

　　“To withstand the eighty-third bolt divine lightning.” Yi Qing stepped forward to explain, “He used up all the Immortal Qi of the Lightning Tribulation in overcoming the last bolt of divine lightning.”

　　“Eighty-three? Bitao looked even more astounded.

　　“Then what were the extra bolts of Lightning Tribulation for?” Yi Qing continued, “If nourishing the immortal meridian was the purpose, why prevent everyone from Immortal Ascension?” Were they afraid that the Upper World would discover the Azure World’s secret? But if even he, Yi Qing, knew this, it is evident that this was no longer a secret in the Immortal Realm.

　　“Because… of the laws, ” answered Bi Tao with a frown. Pausing for a moment, he continued, “Although this place is called the Azure World, to the Upper World it is no more than a tiny mystic realm created by the Abode Master. So he can do whatever he wants with it without interference. But Immortal Ascension is a different matter…”

　　Pointing at the sky he said, “If someone ascends from this realm, the Heavenly Dao will send a heavenly beam down to receive him, activating the laws to receive him to the Upper World. Once a person ascends, this place will become an small independent world, equal in status to the other three thousand worlds. When that happens, the gate to the mystic realm controlled by the Abode Master will close. Unless the gate is forced opened, even the immortals from the Upper World cannot enter.”

　　“So, to prevent people from this part of the world from Immortal Ascension…” Yi Qing expression darkened even more as he continued, “The Abode Master added another bolt to the Nine Nine Lightning Tribulation.”

　　Bitao nodded. “That’s right. The Abode Master instructed that divine lightning be used to destroy the newly formed immortal bones of anyone attempting the Immortal Ascension. This is to prevent the person from activating the Heavenly Beam to receive him, just like … what happened to me previously.”

　　“You… aren’t you already an immortal?” Yu Hong could not help asking. Everyone could see that he was covered in Immortal Qi.

　　“Was it because of the Immortal Formation Pill?” asked Yi Qing, suddenly recalling.

　　“That’s right!” Bitao nodded his head vigorously. “It was because of this pill. I was a core cultivator. My immortal bones were smashed during Immortal Ascension and I turned into a traveling immortal. Since then I’ve been researching how to regenerate immortal bones. After spending almost ten thousand years, I managed to refine the Immortal Formation Pill just before my life span ran out.”

　　Bitao’s expression was sombre, as if recalling the events of the past. Trembling a little, he said, “My immortal bones were already formed when I came out of seclusion. When the Heavenly Beam was descending to receive me, the Abode Master Xun Li, in an effort to conceal this matter from the Heavenly Dao, extracted my life soul, sealed it in the pill repository and banished it to the mystic realm of the Azure World.”

　　Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Bi Tao continued, “He took my almost soulless, puppet-like shell of a body back to the Immortal World, thinking to cut my ties with the Azure World. As the life soul in the pill repository was incomplete, its memories were chaotic, the only thing it could remember were the pill formulas. Due to that, it thought that it was already dead.”

　　So that was why Bitao had insisted on passing the formulas to them; this was the only thing he could remember.

　　“Exalted Immortal…” Turning to look at Shen Ying with a serious expression, Bitao said, “This friend of yours doesn’t have any Immortal Qi. So he won’t be able to trigger the laws and activate the Heavenly Beam that will take him to the Immortal World. Moreover, his immortal bones are formed, if he doesn’t get to the Immortal World, I’m afraid…”

　　“How do we ascend?” asked Shen Ying, frowning.

　　“There’s an entrance to the Immortal World in this realm.” Bitao continued, “It’s the one we immortals use to descend to this realm. It should still be open…”

　　“Is that the one?” Shen Ying opened the window, pointing to a particular spot in the sky.

　　“It’s closed!” How could this be? Bitao was taken aback. “The Day of Re-Harvest has not passed. The entrance is usually guarded by the Earth Immortal, but it should not be…”

　　Shen Ying vanished in a flash. Before long, she returned carrying a person whom she flung onto the ground. “You mean this person?”

　　Bitao: “…”

　　Why is the Earth Immortal entrance guard here!

　　!!!∑(゚Д゚ノ)ノ

　　Shouldn’t the guard be at the eye of the array formation in front of the entrance? Even the Mystic Immortal could not break that array formation, how could it be…

　　“This… This… What to do, what to do? A flustered Bitao whirled around like an ant on a hot pan. “Since the Earth Immortal entrance guard is here, the Qing Tong Immortal Abode will immediately know something is amiss and send other immortals down here to investigate. And this time there will be more of them, maybe even the Abode Master himself will come down personally… We’re doomed, doomed!”

　　“How can the gate be opened?” Shen Ying continued to question.

　　“Exalted Immortal, you still don’t understand!” Bitao explained anxiously, “Apart from the fact that the gate can only be opened from the Immortal World, even if it could, we can’t open it now!” No matter how powerful she was, how could she stand up to the Perfected Stygian Immortal Abode Master?

　　Although the Azure World was just a tiny world, it was nevertheless a mortal world that could not withstand the entry of too many immortals. So usually, only the Earth Immortal can enter at will. Others could only enter once every thousand years, when the Immortal Meridian was at its peak strength and the gate opened. The Day of Re-Harvest being such a day.

　　Bitao had thought that once they got past this day, with his and Shen Ying’s combined efforts, they would not have to worry about the Azure World being annihilated. When the time came, they would find some way to deal with it. But as the Earth Immortal entrance guard was here, the gate had automatically closed as there was nobody watching over the entrance. Someone at the immortal abode would be sure to notice this. If the Abode Master really came down personally…

　　We’re done for, we’re done for!…

　　“Can the entrance really only be opened from the Immortal World?”

　　“Of course.”

　　“Then…” Glancing at the man on the bed once again, Shen Ying abruptly turned to Yi Qing and asked, “Chef, why don’t you try ascending?”

　　Yi Qing: “…”

　　Bitao: “…”

　　Yu Hong: “…”

　　All the disciples: “…”

　　!!!∑(゚Д゚ノ)ノ