At Three Corpses Hall in the central Celestial Realm, Ye Yu and Mo Tianjun were both pondering Hua Jiuming’s recent words.
Old fellow? Which immortal in the Celestial Realm could he mean? For a false god to deem someone so important was most unusual.
Ye Yu tried to ask Mo Tianjun, but the latter only shook his head. Even after so many years roaming the Celestial Realm, three words “old fellow” would not reveal an ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) identity unless one were divine.
After a moment’s hesitation, Mo Tianjun whispered, “Immortal Ye, what do you think we should do next?”
Ye Yu arched an eyebrow and replied nonchalantly, “Of course we have someone test this false god’s real power. Send a few experts from your Three Corpses Hall—pretend they’re enraged immortals—and have them attempt to assassinate Qu Congchun. Then Qu Congchun will summon Hua Jiuming to the field. Didn’t we already agree on this plan? Why ask me again?”
Mo Tianjun forced a smile. He had his own agenda: under the principle of ‘if I must die then so be it,’ he’d meant to use his evil immortals to probe Hua Jiuming’s might. If things went awry, they could slip away and hide. Eggs could not hope to shatter stone. Mo Tianjun was confident he would fracture the void and ascend to the Heavenly Realm within a century. He did not wish any mishaps now. Steady progress was the lesson he had learned over ten thousand years.
But after hearing Hua Jiuming’s words today, Mo Tianjun suddenly hesitated to use his own men. If Hua Jiuming sensed the attack was staged, extracted their souls, and learned they were from Three Corpses Hall, his own greatest enemy label would never be erased. And the strong among Three Corpses Hall were not fodder to be sacrificed in waves. Each death weakened the hall’s power.
Now he regretted ordering the strike—but he could not admit it. His awkward smile was all he could manage. Ye Yu, reading his expression, guessed his regret but cared little. The plan stood. Whether he used legions or a single agent made no difference—Wu Wei Pagoda would send none.
“I miss my madams a bit,” Ye Yu said, clapping Mo Tianjun on the shoulder. “I’ll go check in with them. You keep at it and update me on any progress.” With that, he strode off carefree.
Mo Tianjun remained, troubled over how best to execute the plan. Truly a headache.
Two days later, Qu Congchun presented Hua Jiuming with dossiers on Three Corpses Hall. They contained much information, but details on the hall’s main sanctuary and Mo Tianjun’s whereabouts were blank. Qu Congchun promised he would uncover the truth within five days. Hua Jiuming nodded his approval, then habitually looked southwards as though awaiting someone. Qu Congchun dared not linger and withdrew to marshal all the demon clans in the Celestial Realm for an advance toward the southern reaches—acting on Hua Jiuming’s orders to seize the realm.
He was grateful to Bai Qingsong. After so many Demon Lords fell, the clans had lost heart and wished to retreat. Qu Congchun had fretted over this. Only when Bai Qingsong stood forth, rallied them with stirring oratory, did the demons regain their fighting spirit. Together, Bai Qingsong and Qu Congchun had begun to dominate the demon forces. Of course, Bai Qingsong’s newfound courage was Ye Yu’s doing—Ye Yu had simply shifted his control from Mo Tianjun’s subjects to Bai Qingsong’s.
Under the grand offensive by Bai Qingsong and Qu Congchun, the Celestial immortals united to oppose the demons. Blood debt must be repaid in blood. Four Emperor-rank immortals and many higher-up Celestial Realm warriors formed an army and struck the demons before they could fully penetrate south.
Mo Tianjun was delighted when he learned of this. Finally he need not arrange any strike himself; Hua Jiuming’s public action had drawn out the Celestial might. Under Mo Tianjun’s control, Qu Congchun immediately begged Hua Jiuming for aid. Hua Jiuming didn’t mince words—when he acted, he truly acted. Alone he faced Qu Congchun’s petition and in two breaths slew all four Emperor-rank immortals with a single technique, Falling Petals.
After witnessing the battle, both Mo Tianjun and Ye Yu fell silent. Mo Tianjun’s silence came from fear of Hua Jiuming’s overwhelming power—he felt like changing his name and fleeing. Ye Yu’s silence sprang from excitement. So divine arts could be wielded even in the Celestial Realm! Though using immortal strength dulled them, divine arts remained divine, incomparable to any immortal technique. This proved that Hua Jiuming truly hailed from the Divine Realm. But how had he returned? And how did he convert divine power to immortal strength? That was a question worth pondering.
With a sweep of his sleeve, Mo Tianjun dispelled the lingering vision and said gravely, “Immortal Ye, what should we do now?”
“Why don’t you share your thoughts first?” Ye Yu tossed the question back.
Mo Tianjun opened his mouth, then hesitated. He longed to say, Let’s avoid his sharp edge, but found it hard to speak—especially under Ye Yu’s amused gaze. It felt as though Ye Yu waited for him to show weakness. Fleeing would only make Ye Yu safer, after all; in Hua Jiuming’s eyes, Mo Tianjun, not Ye Yu, was murderer of Qu Zhengding. How infuriating!
Just as Mo Tianjun mulled this over, his face suddenly changed. He exclaimed in disbelief, “Impossible!”
Ye Yu looked up. “What happened?”
“The Demon Lord of Niepan Prefecture, Nie Wang, hidden in the shadows, suddenly attacked and killed Qu Congchun. They had no grievance!” Mo Tianjun frowned and searched his mind for Nie Wang’s motive, but none came.
At that moment, the mink-clad figure of Hua Jiuming appeared in the hall.
“I ordered Nie Wang to kill Qu Congchun,” Hua Jiuming declared. “I already told him never to trust his subordinates completely. Naturally, I do not trust them entirely myself.”
