A gaunt silhouette drifted ahead, its wide white robe billowing in the wind, a hideous mask covering its face.
Such a guise belonged to an old acquaintance of Ye Yu: the God of Inner Demons.
Damn it.
He had barely arrived in the Celestial Realm and already run into that old bastard.
His luck was almost too strong.
Sensing Ye Yu’s watchful gaze, the God of Inner Demons turned his head slightly and glanced at him.
Just as he was about to turn away, suddenly violet demonic runes flared all around him, and he vanished without a trace.
Such a scene left Ye Yu baffled.
What was going on?
Could that have been an illusion?
Impossible—such intense pressure could only come from the true body.
Had something urgent come up, forcing «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» him to leave in haste?
Whatever the reason, it was good for Ye Yu.
After all, at his current strength he was still no match for such an ancient god-clan member; it was wiser to stay safe for now.
After this encounter, Ye Yu became all the more cautious.
He began to search the surroundings with his divine sense, advancing carefully.
Half an hour later, Ye Yu arrived in front of a village.
Yes, it was a simple, rustic village composed of a dozen thatched huts.
Buildings like these existed only in the Mortal Realm; nowhere else—not even among the common folk of the Underworld or the Demon Realm, let alone the Celestial Realm!
Seeing this here felt wildly out of place.
Most astonishing of all, thin wisps of smoke rose from some of the huts.
It was so ordinary!
A grave expression appeared on Ye Yu’s face as he momentarily wondered if he had unwittingly fallen under some illusion!
At that moment, an unfamiliar voice sounded from behind:
“Surprised to see such thatched huts in the Celestial Realm?”
Ye Yu turned his head and saw a man in a gray robe suddenly appear five meters away. He looked barely over twenty, but his eyes were extraordinarily wise, as if those of an elder who had seen through everything, neither joyful nor sorrowful.
“Let me introduce myself,” the man said. “I am Chu Ge, master of this place. You must have arrived in the Celestial Realm not long ago.”
This man called Chu Ge seemed talkative and warm. Faced with such unsolicited friendliness, Ye Yu usually remained on guard. So while nodding, he readied himself to retreat at any moment.
However, Chu Ge seemed to have seen through all of Ye Yu’s thoughts and let out a soft laugh:
“No need to be so tense. The gods of the Celestial Realm are quite amiable. If you have nothing pressing, you’re welcome to visit my village.”
Ye Yu felt conflicted. His chief aim in entering the Celestial Realm was to learn more about this place and prepare himself for eventually delving deeper. He urgently needed a reliable god to question about the situation here. This man named Chu Ge seemed to fit the bill: kind, enthusiastic. He was sure to yield plenty of answers. Yet Ye Yu couldn’t shake the feeling that this fellow was overly enthusiastic. Did he have ulterior motives, or was Ye Yu simply too defensive?
Just as Ye Yu wrestled with indecision, a figure came rushing over. On seeing Ye Yu and Chu Ge, she halted abruptly and exclaimed in surprise:
“It’s you?”
Ye Yu turned to see it was the female ghost he had encountered in the Underworld not long ago—Shen Fuse Xin. He hadn’t expected to meet so soon. In any case, it was like meeting an old friend in a strange land! Ye Yu’s tension eased considerably, and he softly said:
“Surprised? I’m a bit surprised myself. Are you just passing through?”
“No,” she replied. “This is my home in the Celestial Realm. Are you here to seek refuge with Senior Chu as well?”
Perhaps because she hadn’t met anyone of her kind since arriving in the Celestial Realm, Shen Fuse Xin also grew more cordial. Ye Yu raised an eyebrow.
“Senior...”
Chu Ge clasped his hands behind his back and said calmly:
“I chanced upon this young friend here and found him agreeable, so I struck up a conversation. Didn’t expect you two to know each other—what a coincidence.”
Ye Yu forced a smile and lowered his head slightly, though his gaze remained fixed on the village ahead. In the end, he accepted Chu Ge’s invitation to tour the village. One had to admit the latter’s emotional intelligence was very high. Sensing Ye Yu’s lingering caution, he didn’t press further, instead having Shen Fuse Xin accompany Ye Yu to look around, saying that if he needed anything, he could call on him at any time. After saying this, Chu Ge walked away. He knew when to advance and retreat, and acted with consideration—hardly someone one could dislike! Yet Ye Yu still felt uneasy. He felt more at ease with Shen Fuse Xin.
The village was not large; a quick glance was enough to take it all in. But Shen Fuse Xin told Ye Yu not to underestimate the place: seventeen gods resided here, and the village chief was the very Chu Ge they had just met. Most of the inhabitants had been moved by his enthusiasm and had chosen to stay. Ye Yu nodded slightly. Indeed, he was warm enough, but not sufficiently persuasive for Ye Yu himself.
Then Ye Yu inquired of Shen Fuse Xin about the situation in the Celestial Realm. She held nothing back, telling him everything she knew. The Celestial Realm was vast—larger even than the other five Realms combined. To date, Shen Fuse Xin had no idea where its boundaries lay. But that mattered little; having arrived not long ago, there was plenty of time to explore.
Furthermore, the gods of the Celestial Realm were divided into eight Great Realms: from lowest to highest: Shren, Zhen Shen, Da Shen, Tian Shen, Jin Shen, Gu Shen, Shen Jun, and Shen Zun. The gods here were fiercely independent. Anyone able to come to this place was without doubt a prodigy of their era. Each was full of pride, so they rarely gathered in groups. Most carved out their own Blessed Lands and lived there alone, cultivating alone, growing stronger alone. A village like Chu Ge’s was as rare in the Celestial Realm as a pearl in the desert. One could say these seventeen gods had gathered together solely by virtue of Chu Ge’s efforts!
When Shen Fuse Xin first shattered the void and stepped into the Celestial Realm, she too had been wary of everything around her. But after meeting Chu Ge, his warmth gradually dispelled her vigilance and let her begin to integrate into this place.
