Two days later, Ye Yu, leading the bound Gu Ji, followed Shen Fuxin to the Jiyue Pavilion in the northern reaches of the Divine Realm.
The place looked as though it had been ripped from myth, a sky of shifting clouds stretching endlessly overhead.
Countless divine cities floated upon auspicious clouds, encircling the main hall in majestic array.
Could this be the Divine Pact of the God Realm?
Ye Yu turned to Shen Fuxin at his side, about to speak, but held his tongue.
She had been weighed down by unspoken troubles ever since their journey began, her silence thick as stone.
Ye Yu sensed her desire to avoid him, yet could not fathom why.
He had tried probing gently, only to be met with Shen Fuxin’s forced smile and a slight shake of her head.
Their former closeness felt gone, replaced by an unbridgeable distance.
I’ll contact Senior Xue Hen now—I hope he can help Sister Gu Ji! Shen Fuxin murmured, drawing a communication stone from her pocket.
But at that moment, a figure materialized before the three of them—a middle-aged man in white robes.
“Miss Shen, when did you arrive? Why not let me know?” he called, stepping forward.
Shen Fuxin retreated half a pace, bowing her hands before him. “Senior Xue Hen, I’m afraid I must trouble you with a matter.”
She then recounted everything concerning Gu Ji’s plight and asked if there was any solution.
Hearing this, Xue Hen’s gaze shifted to Ye Yu and Gu Ji—but the warmth he’d shown before was gone, replaced by an icy aloofness.
“For Miss Shen’s sake, I will help—but only this once. You’re lucky to count Miss Shen as a friend.”
Frankly, Ye Yu’s first impression of Xue Hen was far from good. He was insufferably pompous. If not for needing his aid to purge Gu Ji’s mind-devil, Ye Yu would have liked nothing better than to slap him.
Perhaps noticing Ye Yu’s scowl, Shen Fuxin sent a mental whisper: Xue Hen may be arrogant, but he can cure Sister Gu Ji’s inner demon—just bear with him.
Ye Yu exhaled, saying nothing further.
Xue Hen did not lead them into the Jiyue Pavilion, but instead guided them to the edge of a divine mountain. Thunder rumbled constantly here, bolts of god-lightning striking distant peaks with heart-stopping force.
“This is Mount Falling Thunder,” Xue Hen explained. “The pure yang lightning here naturally suppresses inner devils. Eliminating Gu Ji’s will-devil here will be twice as effective.”
On paper, his reasoning made sense—but Ye Yu couldn’t shake the feeling that the lightning here was...off. Its power might be great, but purely yang and unyielding? He doubted it.
Inside the training hall’s entrance, Xue Hen bade Ye Yu and Gu Ji into a special chamber. The floor bore a glowing Bagua array. Ye Yu expected Xue Hen to begin at once, but to his surprise the old charlatan strode back outside—and both Ye Yu and Shen Fuxin trailed after him.
Outside the door, Xue Hen paused and narrowed his eyes at Ye Yu. Above his head appeared ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) the number seventy million—“negative emotion value: disgust.”
Ye Yu bristled with irritation. Damn, I haven’t insulted his whole family—does he have to loathe me this much?
Though Xue Hen never stated his realm, his divine-power fluctuations matched Gu Ji’s early Heavenly-God tier. Seventy million points of disgust—truly an extreme emotion. That was the one thing Ye Yu could not abide.
“Miss Shen, may I have a word?” Xue Hen gestured politely.
Shen Fuxin frowned—and Ye Yu saw three million appear above her head: “negative emotion value: resistance.”
Yet she did not refuse, instead following Xue Hen toward the front courtyard.
Why would she feel such strong resistance now? Puzzled, Ye Yu formed a Dao seal behind his back. A small array mark flickered on Shen Fuxin’s robe—now he could observe their words and deeds at will, like a mirage-mirror.
Xue Hen and Shen Fuxin reached the courtyard’s center, where a sound-proof array sprang to life. Undoubtedly placed by Xue Hen. Only then did he speak: “Miss Shen, you should understand my feelings. I fell in love at first sight with you. I truly admire you. Will you be with me?”
Shen Fuxin bowed her head, silent—clearly rejecting him.
Xue Hen was no fool and saw it too, but he remained undeterred, resorting to a familiar ploy.
“Miss Shen, I’ve seen your friend’s body overrun by an inner demon for some time now. To sever and destroy it is nearly impossible. Even if I give my all, I will harm her core and lose my cultivation. Yet I am willing to sacrifice so much for you—do you not understand my heart?”
In the rear courtyard, Ye Yu watched this exchange in his mind and felt his face darken. How low-brow, how base!
Though their lines were similar, the skill gap was vast. Xue Hen’s delivery was stiff and insincere, colored by the implication: if you don’t agree, I won’t bother.
By contrast, Ye Yu’s own approach was far more subtle and masterful—his acting instinct at full throttle, speaking only just enough to prompt the other to offer what he wanted, never resorting to blunt threats or demands.
Utter trash, he thought.
Having vented silently, Ye Yu prepared to step into the front courtyard and halt this crude transaction—he could not allow Shen Fuxin to pay such a price for his sake.
Moreover, that bastard Xue Hen had long annoyed him. Today he would teach him the true cost of love—and then extract his memories to purge the inner devil himself.
But as Xue Hen and Shen Fuxin continued speaking, Ye Yu froze in place!
