Qin Zizhu’s face contorted in pain. The mental humiliation far surpassed the physical injury. He couldn’t even remember how long it had been since he’d felt such utter disgrace. If he could, Qin Zizhu would have given up everything just to set his own affairs in order first. But at that moment, the Zhan Ma Dao (the Executioner’s Blade) hovered less than an inch above his head—there was nowhere to dodge.
Fueled by grief and rage, Qin Zizhu channeled his anguish into strength and raised his hands to block. Countless peach blossoms sprang up, completely enveloping the Zhan Ma Dao. Then, with a shift of Qin Zizhu’s hands, brilliant peach blossoms blossomed beneath Ye Yu’s feet, scattering sparks of light. A murderous intent welled up.
Ye Yu dared not underestimate him and instantly unleashed Burn Nine Nether, incinerating the peach blossoms. At the same time, he activated Negative for King. A purple mist spread over all the peach blossoms and engulfed Qin Zizhu as well. Qin Zizhu’s eyes reddened; he grew unbearably restless and roared as he charged at Ye Yu. It was as if he’d abandoned all hope and was determined to perish together.
But Ye Yu had no such intention. First, he trapped the agitated Qin Zizhu in an illusion with his Thousand Dreams Illusion, then infused divine power into his Zhan Ma Dao to shatter the peach blossom seal. Finally, he delivered a single stroke. Qin Zizhu fell dead on the spot, and his blood was wholly absorbed by the Zhan Ma Dao.
In that instant, the blade seemed to drink deeply, its once-dull surface brightening once more. As its savage aura reemerged, it returned to the ranks of divine artifacts. Yet Ye Yu paid it no heed; he sheathed it and lifted the white jade flute from Qin Zizhu’s waist.
“Village Chief Chu, at a time like this, what are you waiting for? Are you abandoning the jade flute?” His words echoed through the thatched hut.
The next moment, the surroundings shifted in an instant. Ye Yu stood above the clouds, and Chu Ge stood not far off with his hands folded behind his back. Somehow, the jade flute was already in his hand.
“I’m curious—how did you know this was my jade flute? Mine was cyan, wasn’t it? You’ve seen it before!” Chu Ge challenged.
Ye Yu said coldly, “A flute’s appearance can change, but your ability to play it shows in your grip. Qin Zizhu was clearly an amateur—just posing. From the start, the flute sound was yours. You’re the only one in the village who can play!”
At these words, Chu Ge’s eyes lit up and he hurriedly asked, “So you understand flute music too?”
“A little,” Ye Yu replied—truly only a little, not feigned modesty. Su Yao was well versed in music and sometimes produced flute sounds, so Ye Yu had learned a few basics.
Of course, beyond that, he’d always been wary of the enthusiastic Chu Ge. After what had happened, suspicion naturally fell on him. And so far, Ye Yu’s doubts proved correct.
Ye Yu couldn’t help frowning slightly and softly asked, “Actually, I’ve always wondered—what was your purpose in doing this? Helping Qin Zizhu kill me—what did you gain? If you really didn’t want me with Bone Maiden, you could’ve interfered earlier. Why wait until now?”
Chu Ge inhaled deeply, his gaze tinged with resentment. “Don’t you know your arrival was disastrous for me? You almost ruined my plans laid over hundreds of thousands of years.”
Ye Yu pointed at himself with one hand, looking utterly innocent. He clearly had no idea what Chu Ge meant. Chu Ge raised his right hand, and a white stone appeared in his palm as white threads of energy converged around it.
Only then did Ye Yu finally understand everything—and gain a clearer introduction to the Divine Realm than Shen Fuxin had ever provided.
Whether in the Celestial Realm, the Underworld, the Demon Realm, or the Fiend Realm, the primary condition for reaching the Emperor Realm was to forge one’s own Path. This Path was crucial—it determined whether one could become a god.
In Chu Ge’s view, shattering the void and stepping into the Divine Realm required not only transcendent power but also a complete understanding of one’s own Path. Only with both could one enter the Divine Realm, later condense a divine form, and continually ascend to higher positions.
Within the Divine Realm, Chu Ge believed the greatest watershed began at the Golden God rank. Only upon reaching ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) that level could one truly begin to condense a divine form, establish a divine domain, and open one’s invincible world. As for the four earlier ranks, they were the foundational stages that had to be traversed step by step, with no room for error.
Chu Ge had followed this path exactly, each step solid and unhurried. His Path was the Power of Faith—the stronger the gods who believed in him, the stronger he became. Over countless years, Chu Ge had labored tirelessly—crafting personas, inventing ideas, seeking resonance. He had tricked sixteen gods into dwelling in his village, living among them as one of their own. His aim was to gather all their Faith Power for himself. Only then could he break the mid-stage bottleneck of Great God and surge forward.
And after all this time, ten gods in the village had already fully offered their Faith Power to Chu Ge. Though obedient, their strength was too weak to support Chu Ge’s breakthrough. Thus, the one he most desired was Bone Maiden’s Faith Power. The reason was simple: her power was great enough to propel him forward in a single leap. But sadly, Bone Maiden had yet to offer her faith. Her true reason for staying in the village was to hear Chu Ge’s flute sound—to ease some of her pain. Beyond that, she sought nothing else.
Though anxious, Chu Ge showed no outward hurry. Her flute indeed eased his pain, but it could not eradicate his inner demons. Chu Ge knew this better than anyone—but that was precisely the result he wanted.
