Without a doubt, this cloak was indeed a true divine artifact. Yet, having existed in the Heavenly Realm for so many aeons—and owing to damage—it had long since lost almost all its divine power. The energy remaining within was terribly impure.
The reason Mo Tianjun had only drawn a sliver of power wasn’t a flaw in the Treatise on Divine Theft—it was simply that the artifact itself held only that meager residue of divine force. Now that Ye Yu had fully exhausted it, the cloak’s “life” reached its end. Where he grasped it, faint cracks had already begun to spider across the fabric, threatening collapse at any moment.
Alas, what a disappointment! He had hoped, before shattering the void and stepping into the Divine Realm, to leave his Immortal Companions behind a true divine artifact as their guardian. But now that would be impossible.
With Mo Tianjun dealt with, Ye Yu led A-Kong and Xiao Meng back to the Wuwei Pagoda. When the Immortal Companions saw them return, playful glints danced in their eyes.
Ye Niantong, ever blunt, asked with concern, “A-Kong, are you all right?” That was exactly what the others wanted to know.
“I’m fine—thanks to Big Brother arriving just in time. But this ordeal taught me a lesson: I must cultivate harder in the future. Otherwise some demon monkey will try to carry me off again. How infuriating!”
Although A-Kong knew the demon monkey had not truly coveted him, being abducted by one of his own kind still felt shameful. His desire to grow stronger blazed within him.
Ye Yu did not hide the morning’s events from the Immortal Companions and recounted everything that had transpired. Then he returned Xiao Meng from his shoulder back into Banxia’s arms.
“From now on, you’re free—you’ll never see Mo Tianjun again!”
Banxia instinctively clasped her wrist, astonished. No wonder she had felt that surge of black qi from the inner side of her arm—it had eased her burden as if Xiao Meng’s binding doom had been undone. It was because Mo Tianjun had died! That scoundrel had even cast such a vicious Immortal Art on her. But now it was finally over.
“Xia-Xia, what are you doing? Ye Yu saved you from your greatest threat—you should be thanking him. Why are you just clutching your wrist in silence? What kind of new confession ritual is this? Usually it’s hand on heart, not hand on wrist!”
Feng Yingzhi poked his head through the crowd, firing off a soul-piercing question. At his words, the Immortal Companions’ expressions turned wickedly amused.
Indeed, something seemed off. Though not literally a confession, surely it was some secret signal. To send codes before so many people—that was romantic.
Banxia, who secretly harbored feelings for Ye Yu, felt her cheeks burn. Without a word, she clamped her palm over Feng Yingzhi’s mouth.
“What are you babbling about?! Y-You, Immortal Friend Ye, thank you!”
Her two sentences were worlds apart: the first full of murderous intent; the second soft and gentle. Such stark contrast! Before Ye Yu could reply, Banxia yanked Feng Yingzhi away, fleeing amid peals of laughter from the onlookers.
Zhu Diezhen stepped forward, nestled against Ye Yu’s side, and whispered, “Banxia likes you. Don’t tell me you can’t see it!”
Ye Yu forced a wry smile but said nothing. Having endured so many dream-world trials and met so many Immortal Companions, he was now a master of the heart’s labyrinth—of course he saw Banxia’s hidden affection. Yet, regrettably, time was short. At this pace, they would soon depart for the Divine Realm. The window to become an Immortal Pair with Banxia—and truly accompany her—was narrowing. After all, within the Wuwei Pagoda, meat was scarce and wolves many. Especially these newly ascended Immortals, who’d battled through heaven’s curtain from the mortal world—they deserved more time, not fewer!
Not only Ye Yu but Li Ruowang understood this fully. She would seize every moment to accompany her husband, even if she had to create the opportunity out of thin air.
She crossed to Ye Yu’s other side, looped her arm through his, and murmured affectionately, “Rescuing A-Kong must have been arduous for you, my husband. Niantong, let us support your father back to rest.”
Her lips curved in a faint, playful smile. She shot a challenging glance at Zhu Diezhen. And you—what will you do? Dare you vie with a child? If you can, then I’ll concede to you!
Zhu Diezhen frowned slightly. Li Ruowang—always the same, fighting for every advantage. Truly, some habits die hard. She did want to challenge Li Ruowang and refuse to yield. But before her rose the sweet innocence of Ye Niantong, and Zhu Diezhen finally relented.
“All right, you win,” she said ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) softly, stepping back to free a space. “Come, Niantong.”
“Thank you, Auntie!” Niantong’s voice was so sweet it banished all ill temper. Zhu Diezhen couldn’t help but smile.
As Zhu Diezhen led Ye Yu and Niantong away, Li Ruowang cast a backward glance at the sisters, her bright, assertive eyes seeming to declare: “By virtue of my daughter, I outrank you all—especially until the next heir is born.” That inflamed the fury of Zuo Yingchun, Bai Miaoleng, and the others who already resented her.
“Zhu Sister, you’re the eldest. What should we do?” Yun Roumu knew she couldn’t best Li Ruowang alone, so she appealed to Zhu Diezhen: “If you give the word, we can’t lose.”
She believed that once Zhu Diezhen rallied the others, not even Li Ruowang and “half-a-child” could win. Niantong was but a child, yet her presence was treated as a supreme taboo spell—effectively “one and a half,” plus Li Ruowang made two and a half.
Zhu Diezhen turned to the gathered sisters. Though most said nothing, the fervor in their eyes was unmistakable—including Tianjie Lansheng, Shangguan Jiujiu, Zhong Qin, and the rest. Li Ruowang truly was an upstart bully, charging in by her own rules. The sisters had once formed an orderly queue to accompany Ye Yu; now she had steamrolled that custom.
Clearly, something had to be done. Zhu Diezhen narrowed her eyes in resolve.
