Before the Demon Realm’s rebellion against Heaven, everything Hua Jiuming had done proceeded flawlessly.
This filled him with great joy.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before he could shatter the void anew and step into the Celestial Realm.
No—more precisely, once the Demon Realm’s rebellion was complete and he obtained the Tears of the Celestial River, he could go to the Celestial Realm at will.
To avoid wasting any time, after gathering the refining materials Hua Jiuming immediately began his cultivation, preparing for the void-shattering.
But gradually he sensed something was wrong.
His cultivation seemed to have been frozen—no matter how he practiced, he couldn’t advance even a fraction.
He remained stuck at the late Demon Emperor Realm, unable to progress.
This was not a matter of cultivation time.
Using his prior methods, aided by the celestial materials Qu Zhengding provided, he should at least have set one foot into the peak Demon Emperor Realm.
That he could not advance proved there must be more to the legend of Mount Wuwang.
Those fortunate enough to return to the Lower Five Realms could not re-enter the Celestial Realm.
That would never do!
If he could not return to the Celestial Realm, how could he exact his revenge? What, then, had all his efforts amounted to?
Fury welled in Hua Jiuming’s heart, yet not a trace of despair or defeat.
Since childhood he had endured the impossible—through every trial until his godhood.
So what was one more impossibility?
Hua Jiuming’s favorite feat was turning the impossible into the possible!
If the normal path to the Celestial Realm was closed, then he would take an abnormal one.
Hua Jiuming began scouring the Lower Five Realms for peak Emperor-Realm powerhouses, while launching a new round of material gathering.
His plan was simple: catch a free ride.
When an Emperor‐Realm warrior shattered the void and ascended to the Celestial Realm, he would seize the opportunity to go with them.
But his current body alone would not suffice—he needed an even stronger physique to breach the Celestial barrier.
Perhaps by luck, while searching the Underworld for body‐reinforcing materials, Hua Jiuming actually came upon an Emperor-Realm powerhouse ready at any moment to shatter the void and ascend.
Just the person he sought.
Her name was Shen Fuxin.
When Ye Yu saw this, his expression lit up with delight.
The world truly is round.
Even without a direct meeting, some people reconnect in the most unexpected ways.
As Ye Yu saw in Hua Jiuming’s memories, Shen Fuxin was still sitting where the two had first met in the Underworld.
By this point she should long since have shattered the void and entered the Celestial Realm.
Yet she had not gone—she even changed into a purple robe.
Ye Yu suddenly recalled that in the Celestial Realm, after he casually remarked, “You look beautiful in purple,” Shen Fuxin had worn purple robes ever since.
He hadn’t expected that even back here she would remember that moment.
Ye Yu smiled warmly.
In the memory, Hua Jiuming realized Shen Fuxin was waiting for someone.
With her cultivation, she could have entered the Celestial Realm whenever she pleased—but she chose instead to sit by the lake in quiet vigil.
This reminded Hua Jiuming of times past.
He too had once waited endlessly for someone—only to see his affections wasted, the love unrequited.
After a sigh, Hua Jiuming stepped forward and proposed a bargain to Shen Fuxin:
“Once I become lord of both the Demon Realm and Celestial Realm, I will help you find the person you seek. All I ask in return is a small favor in the future.”
Shen Fuxin agreed, and together they resumed gathering the remaining refining materials.
His reason was simple: he could not risk any mishap now.
A person like Shen Fuxin, able to enter the Celestial Realm at will, would be nearly impossible to replace.
If anything happened to her, Hua Jiuming would have to start the search anew—and that waiting would be interminable.
So he exercised extreme caution.
Gradually, he even found himself developing unusual feelings for Shen Fuxin.
Those who loved too deeply most appreciated others who loved deeply, too.
Before Hua Jiuming could confess these feelings, a despicable figure calling himself Mo Tianjun arrived, brandishing Qu Zhengding’s jade token.
He claimed “that useless Qu Zhengding” was dead—and brazenly challenged Hua Jiuming to come settle the score.
Fury boiled within Hua Jiuming.
After gathering nearby materials, he set out immediately to teach Mo Tianjun a lesson.
Originally he planned to bring Shen Fuxin into the Celestial Realm with him.
But she refused—insisting that once she collected two more materials she would return to the lakeside in the Underworld and wait.
Hua Jiuming tried to persuade her, but her resolve was firm, so he said no more.
Shortly thereafter, Hua Jiuming, brimming with energy, entered the Celestial Realm—but to his shock, even in the Lower Five Realms he had never imagined someone would truly kill him.
This betrayal surpassed even his enemies’ ambush.
In the end he died with bitter regret.
Ye Yu sighed deeply as he watched Hua Jiuming’s divine soul dissipate before him.
He had indeed been a great talent—but his soul had already been grievously wounded, and after successive battles it was riddled with damage.
Once subjected to the Soul Search Technique, he could hold on no longer and vanished utterly, leaving not even a chance for the Recalling Banner to summon him as an immortal.
What a pity—Ye Yu had planned to use him like a beast of burden for artifact-refining...
Wait—harboring feelings for Shen Fuxin?
Serves him right to be scattered to ash!
With matters here concluded, Ye Yu prepared to return to the Underworld to see Shen Fuxin.
At that moment, Bai Qingsong’s jade communicator rang.
“Brother, are you all right? I heard the Usurper God came to you?”
“I’m fine. There are no more Usurper Gods—he’s gone!”
Ye Yu intended to hang up, but then thought of something important, so he added, “Gather your people and head back to the Demon Realm. Forget about rebelling—while I’m here you can’t succeed.”
A gulp sounded through the communicator, then Bai Qingsong flatteringly said, “Yes, yes, Brother is right. You even defeated the Usurper God—how could I dare rebel? Still, I really want to be Demon Lord. What do you think?”
“Too simple. Nie Wang # Nоvеlight # of Nirvana Province was once Hua Jiuming’s underling. Kill him, and you can be Demon Lord. And don’t tell me you can’t win—feel free to ambush him, gang up on him, use poison, any dirty trick you like. I have no time—I’m heading to the Underworld, so don’t bother me! If anything comes up, wait until I get back!”
Ye Yu finished and slipped the communicator into his storage ring, ending the call.
As if he’d waste his time with an old coot!
He was going to see his lady—who would bother with you?
