Lu Ye fell into thought.
“Give me a moment to think it over.”
“I’m not in a rush,” Lin Chuyue replied with a smile.
Lu Ye had already started speaking with the System in his mind.
“What do I gain by joining this faction?”
He was a practical person now. In his past life, he and the Heavenly Gate had been enemies—not because one side was good or evil, but simply because their positions were incompatible.
Take this Lin Chuyue, for instance—he hadn’t seen her at all in his past life. Which meant she probably died in the aftermath of one of his battles.
He needed to understand what the System stood to gain by urging him to join the Heavenly Gate.
Ding! “If you join, I might be able to secure the top spot. Right now, this humble System is still pitifully stuck at number two.”
Lu Ye had never asked the System how it interacted with the Heavenly Dao. Now, hearing this, he finally had a general idea.
The System had used the power of the Heavenly Dao to help him reincarnate—that had burned through immense resources.
As a result, its authority level had dropped below that of the Heavenly Dao.
“Then why do you always act like such a big shot? I thought you made the Heavenly Dao your flunky or something.”
Ding! “This System’s wisdom is unmatched. That silly little Heavenly Dao may have the highest authority, but its IQ is in the negatives. I’ve been pulling the wool over Its eyes for a while now...”
Ding! “Anyway, if you join up, we’ll become a united front—us two running the show across all Ninefold Heavens, inside and out.”
Lu Ye understood now.
If he joined the Heavenly Gate, he’d become the System’s planted insider—someone who could help boost its permissions within the Dao.
He and the System had always been a team.
If the System grew stronger, that meant he was growing stronger.
“I’ll join the Heavenly Gate,” Lu Ye said aloud.
Lin Chuyue was visibly surprised.
“Really?”
“Of course it’s real.”
“That’s wonderful! Then I’ll help apply the Heavenly Dao Imprint. With this imprint, you’ll be able to vaguely sense the will of the Heavenly Dao, and the Dao can also bestow its power upon you through it.”
“Alright.”
Lin Chuyue raised her hands and began forming seals. A supreme and unparalleled ripple began to rise from her hands—Lu Ye immediately recognized the aura.
He had fought against this power in his past life.
It was the power of the Heavenly Dao.
Eventually, the mark transformed into a single, profoundly intricate imprint and flew toward Lu Ye.
The Heavenly Gate had ranks.
A one-line imprint was the lowest tier, granting the weakest authority. Nine lines marked the highest level.
The higher the rank, the closer one's connection with the Heavenly Dao.
Ding! Host!
A young, childlike voice echoed in Lu Ye’s mind as soon as the one-line imprint landed on his forehead.
Lu Ye: ???
Ding! “Why the hell did you come out? Weren’t you supposed to be watching the house?” Shen Xitong snapped in fury.
Ding! “Big Sis~”
Ding! “You’re acting up again, aren’t you?”
Ding! “Host~”
Ding! “That’s my host, not your host! Stop mimicking me!”
Ding! “Big Sis~”
Lu Ye: ...
Crap. Even the Heavenly Dao came crawling in.
What the hell was going on? Why was everyone cramming into his head? Did his brain smell like food or something?
His mouth twitched.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Chuyue asked, intrigued by his strange expression.
“It’s nothing. Just... the first time I’ve felt this close to the Heavenly Dao. It’s a bit... disorienting.”
“No worries—you’ll get used to it soon. Actually, there’s something I’ve been really curious about, though it might be a little rude to ask...”
“If you already think it’s rude, then don’t ask.”
Lin Chuyue was momentarily stunned.
Lu Ye stared into her eyes. In his memory, those eyes overlapped with another pair he remembered well.
Wait a second—Gossip Queen?
That look in her eyes—it was unmistakably the nosy melon-eater expression!
“All right... then I won’t ask for now...”
“Now that I’m in the Heavenly Gate, shouldn’t you explain how it works? Like—how many people are in the Fourth Heaven branch? What kinds of missions earn Heavenly Dao rewards?” Lu Ye asked.
“Of course!”
“The Heavenly Gate is a massive organization. It starts in the Fourth Heaven and has members all the way up through the Ninth Heaven.”
“As for the Fourth Heaven... with you included, there are only three of us. But don’t let the small number fool you—we’re elites! The Gate Master is unrivaled under heaven, I’m ranked second, and now that you’ve joined, you should be third.”
Lu Ye: ...
Go on. I dare you to keep talking.
“Most of the time, we don’t actually have much to do. After all, all realms are under the Heavenly Dao’s veil, and it’s very rare for anything truly dangerous to the Dao to emerge.”
“But once in a while, problems do show up.”
“For example—right now in the Southern Barbarian region, a Dark God Cult has appeared. But their ‘darkness’ isn’t the usual Dark Dao recognized by the Heavenly Dao. It’s a corruptive form of darkness, capable of contaminating pure Daos. It’s a real headache. The Gate Master has already gone to deal with it—we can head over and help.”
Lu Ye immediately understood—this had to be An Li’s doing.
“Can I go like this?” Lu Ye asked.
“You’re actually perfectly suited. Due to the nature of my cultivation method, I can temporarily resist the effects of the Fragrance of Enlightenment, but people like me are extremely rare. Even the Gate Master couldn’t handle it—he originally wanted to come himself, but ended up sending me instead.”
“When the time comes, you lure the enemies, we kill them. The sooner we wipe out this Dark God Cult, the better for everyone.”
Lu Ye hadn’t gone out for a proper stroll in a long time. A chance to stretch his legs was welcome.
“There are three areas in the Fourth Heaven that pose a risk to the Heavenly Dao,” Lin Chuyue continued. “The first is the Dark God Cult, which is relatively manageable.”
“The second is Kuling Cave. Because of its unique environment, and the fact that a powerful cultivator once perished there, it’s become an extremely sorrowful cave.”
“It absorbs and accumulates the grief and suffering of the Fourth Heaven over time—it never fades, only builds. But we haven’t found a good way to deal with it.”
“The third is Fallen Dao Star—a special star that the Dao cannot extend into. It exists beyond the Heavenly Dao’s control, and could become a major threat.”
“As long as we handle those three issues, the Gate Master and I will be able to ascend happily—and then you’ll become the new Gate Master, which will bump you up to a two-line imprint.”
Lin Chuyue, ever the passionate ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) gossip, explained everything to Lu Ye in an endless stream.
Honestly, it had been a long time since anyone had talked to him this much.
It actually felt... kind of nice.
Lu Ye, for his part, didn’t say much.
“Hey... can I ask you something? Are you really the reincarnation of an Emperor?” Lin Chuyue suddenly blurted out.
Lu Ye: ...
You already said it would be rude. I already turned you down. And you still asked?
Lin Chuyue looked a little embarrassed.
But she was just so curious!
A reincarnated Emperor! How rare was that? When would she ever get the chance to meet a living, breathing Great Emperor?
Honestly, she didn’t really believe it. But everyone else kept saying it—so she couldn’t hold back anymore.
