With thirty thousand Contribution Points, there were countless items he could redeem—even some lower-grade Artifacts were within reach. But Ye Yu didn’t choose that route. Artifacts were about quality, not quantity. Rather than buy a handful of mediocre treasures, it made far more sense to go all-in on divine pills and turn them into cultivation gains.
A Deity-realm cultivation level was simply too insufficient. So Ye Yu consolidated the dozens of divine pills he’d just purchased into a single Supreme Wumang Pill. The quality of this pill was so exceptional that it instantly triggered an otherworldly phenomenon—before vanishing just as quickly the next moment.
He knew well that if something outstanding lingered too long, it would draw envy and danger. So he swallowed the pill at once, then set up layered formations around the Outer Blessed Abyss to contain any lingering fragrance of its power.
Soon the pill’s effect activated within him. By the end of half an hour, Ye Yu had advanced into the early stage of the Celestial-God Realm. It fell short of his highest hopes, but it made sense: the higher one’s realm, the more energy required for breakthroughs.
He would need still more divine pills or heavenly treasures to continue ascending. Thus he planned to depart Wuzhong Mountain as soon as he claimed his promised Artifact the next day. First, however, he intended one more trip to Zangtian Pavilion—just in case any new divine techniques had arrived.
Meanwhile, Tà Shǐ Xiáxīn quietly left Wuzhong Mountain and stationed loyal subordinates to closely monitor every move Ye Yu made.
The next day, Wuzhong Mountain shed its recent mood of mournful grief. The white banners were all taken down, and the main hall was festooned with lanterns and streamers. Most of the external deities had returned, all for one purpose: to celebrate Ye Yu’s slaying of the Flesh-Blood Evil God and vengeance for the fallen predecessors.
A deity capable of killing a top-fifteen Evil God was exceedingly rare—whether by luck or by skill, it was fate. Word spread that the Alliance Lord would hold a grand victory banquet and personally bestow upon him a special Artifact. Naturally, everyone wanted to attend and see what treasure this would be.
When Ye Yu arrived at the main hall, every deity greeted him with enthusiastic smiles, offering congratulations and pledging future camaraderie as if they’d been long-time friends. Their familiarity made him uneasy. Though he’d spent years on Wuzhong Mountain, for deities that was but a blink of an eye. His relatively modest cultivation and solitary habits had left him all but invisible—a “white shadow” of the Alliance. Now, being hailed as an old friend by dozens of strangers was downright awkward.
In truth, none of this was spontaneous—Tà Shǐ Xiáxīn had ordered Elder Tián to broadcast Ye Yu’s deeds throughout the Alliance, declaring {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} him their hero. With the vice-leadership of the Alliance currently vacant, Ye Yu was even being touted as a likely candidate. Of course every deity wanted to cozy up to a future high-ranking figure.
Tà Shǐ Xiáxīn aimed to lull Ye Yu into complacency, bathing him in praise so he’d notice nothing amiss. But it was all unnecessary—Ye Yu had no need for comfort. He wasn’t going anywhere until he’d received that promised Artifact. Such ostentation was meaningless at best and counterproductive at worst.
Fortunately, the awkward display didn’t last long. As soon as Tà Shǐ Xiáxīn entered, the hall fell silent. The deities formed two lines and bowed in unison—the presence of their Alliance Lord still commanded respect. After the failed siege on Shen Kangren, Tà Shǐ Xiáxīn’s demeanor had hardened; he’d even executed several frivolous deities. Now, no one dared to misbehave.
Tà Shǐ Xiáxīn surveyed the assembly, then strode forward, tugging Ye Yu up the steps by the sleeve. He spoke aloud, “This is our great hero of Wuzhong Mountain, Ye Yu. I trust you’ve met each other already. From today on, I hope you will all look to Ye Yu as an example—slay more Evil Gods from the Blacklist, and make the Divine Realm the ideal we envision!”
“By the Alliance Lord’s command!” the deities replied, bowing again in such perfect synchronicity that it only deepened Ye Yu’s discomfort. Leaning close, he telepathically whispered, “Alliance Lord, I’m not fond of crowded ceremonies. Can we skip the theatrics and just give me the Artifact?”
Tà Shǐ Xiáxīn chuckled and nodded. From his storage ring he produced an arrow wreathed in blazing Celestial Flame and held it aloft for everyone to see. “This is a mid-grade Artifact—the Arrow of Heavenly Retribution. It’s enveloped in Divine Flame; when refined, it homes in on its target and incinerates all in its path. Ye Yu, I recall I gifted you the Reincarnation Longbow when you slew the Eightieth-Ranked Devourer. Used together, these two will double each other’s potency. Why not refine this arrow now and show everyone its might?”
Ye Yu hesitated. The Reincarnation Longbow? It had long since been reforged into the Evil-God Terminator, a repeating crossbow—there was no way to produce it now. He accepted the Flame-arrow with a light laugh. “Alliance Lord, you may not know: the Longbow was severely worn, so I entrusted it to a friend for repair. It hasn’t returned yet. Perhaps I’ll demonstrate it when it’s back. I have other matters—please excuse me. Enjoy the festivities!”
He turned to go, but Tà Shǐ Xiáxīn gripped his wrist. “Hey, today you’re the star. You can’t leave early—stay a bit longer!”
With that, he shot Elder Tián an urging glance. Tián hurried forward: “Since the Longbow isn’t here, why not refine the Arrow of Heavenly Retribution now? A demonstration would be splendid!”
Ye Yu took a steadying breath and prepared to comply, knowing that once the flames of Celestial Retribution danced in his hand, there would be no turning back.
