Ye Yu muttered to himself, “The contest of the Great Dao—fighting Heaven, fighting Earth, fighting men—is far too exhausting!”
He had battled for over a million years, even tens of millions, and had already become a god—why couldn’t he take a break?
“I have but one wish: to make this village the sole pure land of the Six Realms, free of conflict, tranquil and harmonious. To help one another without intrigue or betrayal, so we may all strive for true strength together!”
Chu Ge had spoken these three sentences to every god in the village.
Moved by his sincerity, they all chose to remain.
Shen Fuse Xin was no exception.
After fighting countless lifetimes, she was utterly weary.
Like the others, she built herself a thatched hut to rest and recover, enjoying the time in the Celestial Realm.
As Chu Ge had promised, the gods here coexisted peacefully—no schemes, each one warm and open.
It was an ideal environment for cultivation.
After explaining the situation, Shen Fuse Xin paused and softly said, “Actually, if you haven’t decided on your future path, you’re welcome to stay here for a while. Senior Chu is very welcoming—there’s no worry that he’d refuse.”
Ye Yu smiled but did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze outward.
A soothing flute melody drifted through the air, carrying a strange power that calmed the mind.
Shen Fuse Xin whispered, “Whenever that happens, Senior Chu plays his flute to soothe a Demon God’s mind. Legend says he acquired a demonic instrument in the Demon Realm. Though it helped him slaughter countless foes, it also let inner demons take root, driving him into fits of madness and violence. Only the flute can free him from that torment.”
“But in recent times,” she continued, “its effect has waned—his inner demon has grown too strong to tame.”
Ye Yu raised an eyebrow.
“A flute to soothe a mind demon—Chu Ge truly is a master flautist!”
He paused. “Wait... inner demon? Violence? That counts as negative emotion points!”
He couldn’t let that opportunity slip.
“I also have a technique to restore calm,” Ye Yu said eagerly. “Would you allow me to try? Perhaps it will work even better.”
Shen Fuse Xin looked surprised, but she did not hesitate.
“In a world of boundless wonders, it’s not odd for you to possess a unique skill,” she said. “In just half a month, you rose from Half-Step Ghost Emperor to Shenren in the Celestial Realm. A strange art fits you well.”
She led Ye Yu to a thatched hut at the village’s southern edge.
Though it appeared ordinary, the hut was protected by over a hundred formation talismans—defenses that were awe-inspiring.
A roar sounded from within, a savage shockwave bursting forth. All the talismans activated at once, shining with layers of runes that circled the hut.
Yet Ye Yu still felt a terrifying pressure.
A muffled pounding echoed from inside—each strike shattering another layer of formation.
Shen Fuse Xin’s face grew pale. “Be careful. The Demon God inside is at Dashen level—terrifyingly strong. Even Senior Chu alone subdued him. We can’t handle this; we should leave at once!”
Before they could move, the flute melody stopped and Chu Ge appeared, his expression uncharacteristically grave.
He swept his sleeve and began casting a divine technique to reinforce the formations.
Multicolored lights swirled around him, drawn by his will to converge above the hut.
The pounding inside grew more frantic.
Chu Ge raised a single hand and called out, “Xiao Shen, young friend, you two must leave now! The barrier won’t hold much longer!”
Before Ye Yu and Shen Fuse Xin could answer, every formation shattered.
A colossal figure, three zhang tall, emerged. Backlit by the sun, its features were cloaked in shadow, yet its oppressive aura pressed down on them.
Shen Fuse Xin trembled. “It’s too late!”
Ye Yu, however, remained calm. He formed a sword finger and thrust it forward.
Purple qi peeled away from the giant, converging at Ye Yu’s fingertip.
Chu Ge and Shen Fuse Xin watched in bewilderment.
In the next instant, the towering form rapidly shrank to normal height.
Ye Yu paid it no mind—instead, he harvested the negative emotions it had produced.
Since he had not directly caused the turmoil, he could not collect its resentment through ordinary means. But by wielding the Great Dao of Negative as King, he absorbed the Demon God’s anguish into himself.
No wonder a Dashen’s negative energy could match all he’d gathered thus far. It was a fruitful day indeed.
Lowering his hand, Ye Yu saw a sweat-drenched woman standing before him. She pressed one hand to her shoulder and panted, “How did you do that?”
Ye Yu’s expression turned puzzled. Where had this woman come from? He’d never seen her before.
She repeated, “Tell me—how did you do it?”
Shen Fuse Xin hurried to explain: “This is Senior Gu Ji—a Dashen-level predecessor.”
Recognition sharpened in Ye Yu’s eyes. This was the same figure who’d towered above them—yet he had thought her a male demon. A lion’s roar from Hedong... how fitting, a wild beauty.
He cleared his throat. “Please—retract those claws. You’re ripping my celestial robe.”
Only then did they notice her right hand still sported razor-sharp talons. Five slash marks marred Ye Yu’s shoulder.
A moment later, the four of them—Ye Yu, Shen Fuse Xin, Gu Ji, and Chu Ge—gathered in a circle.
Chu Ge looked at Ye Yu with a strange glint in his eye. “So you possess an art that can calm a Dashen-level god?”
In the Celestial Realm, each god was fiercely independent and almost never influenced by outsiders—especially not a newly minted god who’d bridged two realms. An ability to pacify a Dashen’s mind demon was unheard of.
“It’s truly astonishing. In any case, thank you,” Gu Ji said, tossing Ye Yu a slightly small tiger pelt. Cold killing intent radiated from it, and it felt weighty in his hand.
Ye Yu sensed it was not an ordinary artifact but steeped in divine power.
Gu Ji lifted her chin proudly. “I claimed this tiger’s pelt in my ninth year in the Celestial Realm. That brute’s power was immense—his hide nearly invulnerable. After I felled him, I fashioned the pelt into a defensive treasure. The craftsmanship may be rough, but its protection is absolute.”
Ye Yu’s heart leapt. A divine treasure at last! Such fortune took him by surprise. Gu Ji seemed boisterous but knew how to show gratitude—quite admirable.
His joy was short lived.
As he unfurled the pelt, he realized with horror that it was a tiny tiger-skin skirt—cinched at the waist!
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” he thought. “A ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ tiger-skin miniskirt for a full-grown ghost? That’s a bit much!”
Shen Fuse Xin and Chu Ge stared in astonishment.
“Are you serious?” Ye Yu looked at Gu Ji, bewildered. “If you were male, I’d drag you into combat over this!”
“Oops—wrong one!” Gu Ji’s right hand flicked, and the skirt in Ye Yu’s grasp transformed into a tiger-skin coat.
She blushed. “Sorry, I grabbed the skirt I wore earlier—it was too bright. I’d stashed it in my Ring of Holding and mixed them up.”
Ye Yu graciously accepted the coat. Mistakes happened, and with a divine treasure in hand, all was forgiven.
Gu Ji insisted he try it on, offering to tailor it if it didn’t fit—a testament to her dexterity.
Ye Yu hesitated but Gu Ji’s enthusiasm won out. He donned the coat.
To his surprise, it lent him an air of authority—more suited to a bureaucrat than a cultivator.
Yet the coat’s enchantment allowed it to remain invisible under his celestial robe, leaving no hint of its presence.
Seeing Ye Yu and Gu Ji so at ease, Chu Ge smiled and prepared to speak—but before he could, Gu Ji looped her arm through Ye Yu’s.
“Now that you wear my coat, you belong to me,” she declared. “Stay by my side—don’t stray!”
Ye Yu froze. Shen Fuse Xin and Chu Ge looked on in confusion.
“Gu Ji, what are you doing?” they asked.
“I’m thinking of our future,” she replied. “For millions of years I’ve been tormented. Now that I’ve found my remedy, I won’t let you go. Ye Yu, this coat is part of my bridal dowry. Anything else you want, I’ll get for you. In short—I adore you!” She squeezed his arm and winked.
Though her gaze was alluring, Ye Yu was mortified. They’d known each other barely a breath’s time and she was already talking of marriage and dowries.
Shen Fuse Xin cleared her throat. “Sister, that may be unnecessary. If Ye Yu can help you, just request his aid. There’s no need to wed.”
Chu Ge nodded in agreement.
Gu Ji merely leaned in to Shen Fuse Xin and asked, “Do you like him?”
Shen Fuse Xin flinched. “No! We’ve known each other too briefly to feel that.”
Gu Ji laughed. “If you don’t want him, I will! A good man must be seized. Ye Yu not only solved my problem, he appeals to me. I intend to claim him—no regrets!” She lifted a jade finger to Ye Yu’s chin.
The scene felt more like a kept mistress than a divine pairing. Shen Fuse Xin opened her mouth to object but found no words. Gu Ji’s logic, however wild, held some merit.
Chu Ge clapped. “Handle your matters as you wish. If you truly wed, I’ll arrange a simple ceremony. I have business—farewell!” He vanished.
Shen Fuse Xin sighed. “I’m an outsider; I won’t interfere. If you two unite, you’ll have my blessings.” She, too, departed.
Only Ye Yu and Gu Ji remained.
Ye Yu felt awkward. Gu Ji’s wild passion clashed with Shen Fuse Xin’s cool reserve—both stunning, but the pace was overwhelming.
He gently tried to withdraw his arm. “We’ve met only moments ago. It’s too soon to speak of union. Can we take it slowly?”
“No,” Gu Ji declared, pulling him close. “Once I’ve chosen, I do not change. It’s you!” She held him firmly, letting him feel the might of a Demon God.
