Chapter Seventy-One: I Will Ascend

"Another sleepless night?" After finishing the last bite on his plate, Old Ancestor Luo glanced at Gu, who sat in silence, and spoke with cool detachment.

This boy was the embodiment of the protagonist archetype. In some ancient tales, he would surely battle against the heavens and earth, eventually confronting Luo, the mastermind behind the scenes.

Gu nodded quietly.

He rarely spoke; he always possessed this withdrawn, reserved nature.

Just as Luo rose to leave, Gu suddenly opened his mouth.

"Boss, I want to..." Yet the words caught in his throat and he swallowed them back.

Luo saw through it easily—this was the age, the time.

"Think it over and tell me when you’re ready. Get to work." Luo patted him on the shoulder, knocking dust into the air.

"Mm... alright." Gu pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Luo didn’t keep him long. About a month later, Gu came to bid farewell. Luo knew persuasion was futile; he handed Gu a sum of money and let him go.

As the vessel for the Savage God's Hammer, Gu was destined to face countless tribulations. The world itself would be swept by disaster.

Luo would not stop him; he saw clearly—there were simply too many people, all crowded onto the land of the First Nation. Since its founding, the territory had never expanded. In ancient days, humanity pioneered in all directions, east to west, north to south, their presence everywhere. Now they had withdrawn to this small domain, though the world within the vessel kept growing, kept evolving...

Such retreat meant resources would become scarce, tensions would inevitably escalate. The system established by Cang in those years was now almost nominal, or rather, so many additions had dissolved the original laws.

With mounting contradictions came an atmosphere thick with disaster.

At such a moment, Gu entered the world—he was destined to stir up endless calamities.

"All things pass, returning to a handful of earth," Luo sighed.

Fortunately, there were still many with ambition—like Yang, the Ghost Immortal living his second life, now striving to reach the realm of the "True Immortal".

Luo shrugged helplessly. "You seek ascension as well?"

"Yes, I want to ascend," Yang replied, gazing at his old friend, Lord of the Five Viscera.

"The Immortal World has ever been shrouded in mist. It's too risky," the Lord frowned, intent on persuading him.

"In ancient times, the Martial God shed his golden body and merged with the Dao; later, the Wood Martial Sage soared as a rainbow. The path of ascension is no myth; the Immortal World is no fiction," Yang answered earnestly.

"Yang, messengers from Ta came yesterday, bringing news that the people’s hearts in the First Nation are changing. I fear calamity. If you ascend now, you may face disaster," the Lord warned.

But Yang’s resolve was unshaken. "The world—heaven and earth—remains unsettled. You and I both know how the current situation began."

"But do you know where the true disaster lies?" Yang asked in return.

The Lord of the Five Viscera shook his head with a wry smile. "It’s nothing but the savages and demons of the wilderness."

"Exactly—the demons," Yang’s eyes gleamed.

"Demons?" The Lord regarded him with surprise. "You believe that rumor?"

"Yes," Yang nodded.

"The demons have a master, in the far west. Though suppressed by the Martial God, they cannot escape," Yang said with rare seriousness.

Seeing his conviction, the Lord no longer doubted him. "You saw it yourself?"

Yang nodded firmly. "Three months ago, I ventured into the wilderness to investigate for humanity, hoping to open new territory and check on the remnants of the savage tribes. But the deeper I went, the stranger the demons became."

"They would bow westward three times daily, chanting fervently, exceedingly devout."

"Demons worshiping the west?" The Lord frowned deeply.

"So I went west. The further I traveled, the more demons I encountered—the stronger and more intelligent they became. I pressed on and finally found a mountain towering over three thousand feet. Beneath it, a great demon was suppressed, surrounded by countless demons, all bowing to it. It bestowed demon energy, making them even more formidable."

"There were seven demon kings—bear, wolf, giant, crocodile, tiger, python, eagle—all possessed the prowess of ancient savage lords. If they marched east, the First Nation might not withstand them."

"But they had no intention of going east, wholly devoted to freeing the demon master beneath the mountain."

"If that master escapes, who in the world could stand against him?"

The Lord’s brow creased into a grid of worry.

"Why didn’t you discuss such matters with us sooner?"

"De Yan wouldn’t believe it," Yang scoffed.

"Isn’t it easy enough to verify?" The Lord hesitated.

Yang merely looked at him in silence.

The Lord could only smile bitterly.

It was all old history. By their original agreement, he had given Ta’s position to De Yan. De Yan, upon taking the role, kept his promise—he maintained the Five Viscera God Ritual as orthodox practice, appointed the Lord as Governor of the Southwest, granting autonomy.

Later, he also practiced the Qi cultivation method, while De Yan adopted the Five Viscera God Ritual. Thus, they exchanged knowledge and deepened their bond.

But as time went on, De Yan remained in Ta’s seat and became Ta...

He was compassionate but stubborn, fair but egotistical, selfless yet suspicious. He grew conflicted, unable to help himself.

Now, he guarded against many, watchful lest upheaval rise again, especially from the savage tribes. He never ceased seeking vengeance, yet he also feared another savage lord would emerge.

If Yang brought up this matter now, De Yan would surely suspect Yang first—wonder if there was some hidden plot.

"My desire for ascension isn’t only because of the demon affair, but also bygone matters," Yang added.

"What matters?" The Lord grew more curious.

Yang replied, "All my learning was taught by the Martial God. I wish to follow in his footsteps."

The Lord’s eyes widened, feeling Yang was jesting—mad, even.

Martial God? What Martial God? It was mere legend, nothing but stories.

"Yang, don’t be foolish. I heard the Wood Martial Sage warned against ascension after he soared. Why insist on this? If you wish to summon the Martial God for aid, there’s no need. When the time comes, I’ll go with you to seek De Yan," the Lord pleaded.

"My mind is made up. I've prepared everything. In eighteen days, I will ascend from here in a blaze of clouds," Yang raised his hand.

The Lord shook his head helplessly. "How can I help you?"

He knew Yang had summoned him for a purpose; otherwise, the invitation to witness the ascension in eighteen days would not have come so soon.

Yang said, "I’d like you to enlighten the Five Viscera God for me."

"Oh?"

"That is indeed a fine idea." Luo, sitting beside the furnace, opened his eyes, pondering deeply.

With his insight into cultivation, his grasp of the current realm, and his collection of countless worldly methods, he instantly understood Yang’s intent.

Yang was a Ghost Immortal, lacking a physical body. Though his current cultivation had reached the stage where the shadow turns to light, he was not truly corporeal. He felt something missing.

So he wished for a set of five viscera and six organs, to fill the Ghost Immortal’s body. While he could manifest such organs within himself, they were but castles in the air. Thus, he thought of the Lord’s wondrous method for enlightening the Five Viscera God.