Xiao Bai admired Yang Keqiang’s new form.
“You look far better now than before,” it remarked without teasing. That powerful physique was the mark of a true warrior. Privately, it even urged Ye Yu to fuse more beings—perhaps he’d grow stronger still. But Ye Yu ignored the suggestion and flicked Xiao Bai’s head instead, and after a while, Xiao Bai gave up mentioning it. Truly a headache.
Yang Keqiang smiled faintly, clenching his eight fists as ghost qi swirled around him, whipping winds and waves into being. Yet no joy shone in his eyes.
“Brother Ye, though I am now in the Emperor Realm, I still feel weak,” he confessed. “Could you fuse within me beings from other Realms—celestials, demons, or even?”
Ye Yu frowned, murmuring, “I’ve never tried cross-Realm Fusion... I’m not sure it will work.”
“It will work, I’m sure of it,” Yang Keqiang insisted. “Brother Ye, I only wish to grow stronger.” He feared imposing further labor on Xiao Bai and added, “I’ll find the candidates myself—no need to trouble Xiao Bai. You just wait here a moment.”
With that, Ye Yu agreed, and Yang Keqiang departed at once. After he left, Xiao Bai sighed, “Yang Keqiang’s ambition has grown. Should I fuse more or to see how that turns out?”
Ye Yu replied calmly, “No need. You’ve reached the peak of the Celestial-Emperor tier. If you fuse further, you might rupture the void and enter the Divine Realm at any moment. Better to wait for me.”
“Fair enough, Brother Ye,” Xiao Bai laughed. “By the way, have we heard any news of that body-seeker lately?”
“Perhaps she’s already left the Underworld,” Ye Yu said, gazing up at the blood moon with deep intensity.
Xiao Bai knitted its brows. “What should we do now? Stay here?”
Ye Yu shook his head. “Perhaps it’s time to move on. Some things only reveal themselves when you’ve reached a higher level.”
Xiao Bai tilted its head. “Can’t you speak plainly? Why the riddles?”
Ye Yu only thought of the mysterious box he’d obtained in the Mortal Realm—long assumed he’d open it effortlessly upon reaching the Celestial Realm. Yet even at Emperor Realm, he could not. Ancient script glowed faintly, unbreakable.
He refused to believe in impossibility. If he could not open it as Emperor, he would become a god. Surely then he could.
The next day, Yang Keqiang returned to the Underworld—this time bringing two Demon Emperors, two Celestial Emperors, and one妖 Emperor. Gathering such a lineup so quickly spoke volumes of his newfound strength.
He approached Ye Yu and bowed deeply, ghost qi thickening the air with chill dread. Without a word, Ye Yu set to work. The Fusion succeeded brilliantly, and Yang Keqiang survived once more. His three-zhang frame swelled to eight zhang, and his eight arms consolidated into six—but each bore distinct power: a [N O V E L I G H T] pair of gray, savage ghost-hands; a pair of robust, purple demon claws; and a pair of smooth, jade-like celestial palms. Twin妖 wings sprouted from his back. In that moment, he embodied the might of Ghost, Demon, Celestial, and妖 Realms united—a living harbinger of destruction.
Ye Yu nodded in approval. “Well done. Your power is now at its zenith. Once you stabilize, you’ll shatter the void and step into the Divine Realm.”
“All thanks to you, Brother Ye,” Yang Keqiang said. “I cannot repay you... so perhaps I should kill you.”
Before the words had fully left his lips, Yang Keqiang struck. He wove celestial seals to trap Xiao Bai in a magic array, while his four remaining arms and wings unleashed Ghost, Demon, and妖 arts in a simultaneous assault.
In an instant, the sky and earth were engulfed in thunder and flame, aided by a howling gale, as if heaven and earth themselves would shatter.
Xiao Bai roared in shock, “Yang Keqiang, you’ve gone mad! Do you know what you’re doing? Without Brother Ye, you wouldn’t even exist!”
“You’re right,” Yang Keqiang growled, “if not for Brother Ye, I wouldn’t be here—but that’s precisely why I must kill him. Then I’ll master his technique, and from that moment on, I alone will be the strongest!” He raised his fists, drunk on power.
Xiao Bai trembled with fury. “You bastard, you’re utterly insane!”
At that moment, Ye Yu’s voice echoed through the storm of thunder and flame: “You’re not insane—this was all part of my plan.”
Yang Keqiang stared, unbelieving. A gust of clear wind dispersed the storm completely, and Ye Yu emerged, mocking him with a wry smile.
“You think you can kill me with this patchwork of power?” Ye Yu asked.
Yang Keqiang charged without a word, intent on slaying him. But when he was mere five centimeters away, he collapsed to the ground, prostrating himself utterly—unable even to lift his head. He lay face-down in the cold Underworld soil, paralyzed.
Ye Yu had unleashed his new art—Fivefold Prostration.
He stepped forward and placed his foot atop Yang Keqiang’s head. In a low voice, he said, “You thought you could use me to grow strong. But haven’t I been using you for my own experiments?”
