Night fell, and the sea of stars was boundless.
Han Yuexi forcibly led Ye Yu into an unnamed gorge. She stopped before a Dao Hall in the distance but did not hurry inside. Instead, she turned and brought Ye Yu to a concealed corner, as if patiently awaiting something. Ye Yu, perplexed, sent a private thought: “Why have you brought me here?”
“Simple—to kill a deity. I probably can’t win—there’s an eighty percent chance I’ll die!” Han Yuexi’s reply was terse and to the point, both revealing her purpose and acknowledging her likely demise. Yet that “simple” didn’t feel simple at all.
Truly, upon hearing this, Ye Yu’s expression was priceless—he felt an urge to burst into song: “Believe me...” Ridiculous! Why could he never meet a deity with a normal brain? If you want to die, be my guest—but don’t drag me along! I’ve barely arrived in the Divine Realm, and you already plan to lead me to my death. How presumptuous!
Had Ye Yu possessed the strength to match Han Yuexi, he would have lectured her thoroughly, shaken her out of this suicidal whim. But perhaps sensing his gaze, Han Yuexi turned and asked, “What’s wrong—are you afraid?”
Ye Yu’s mouth twitched. Fear? Normally, after fracturing the void to enter the Divine Realm, even a one‐in‐a‐million prodigy would need at least a hundred thousand years—perhaps a million—to achieve such a feat. And here she was, offering herself as bait to die. Fear? Absolutely! He sent back: “Shouldn’t I be afraid?”
Her eyes shifted. Wait—he «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» answered so naturally. Was he afraid of death too? According to her guess, he should possess time‐rewinding ability. Could she have guessed wrong? Or was Ye Yu unable to reverse time under sudden peril? Her heart clenched. Whichever the case, she needed to know—otherwise if something happened, what would become of her brother?
Just as Han Yuexi opened her mouth to speak, the surroundings dimmed to utter blackness. The starry sky vanished, and the gorge became an independent void. A middle‐aged man in a gray Daoist robe strolled toward them from the distance, emanating white light—the sole source of illumination.
Han Yuexi pressed Ye Yu behind her and sent the thought: “Now there’s no hiding. You must rewind time to revive us—buy me time, or we’ll both die here!”
No turning back. She gambled on Ye Yu’s supposed power to reverse time and resurrect them, needing only a moment to prepare. But Ye Yu was completely bewildered. What time‐rewind? What resurrection? Yes, he had become a deity—but so had she. Where did he get the right to wield such powers?
At that moment, the gray‐robed man’s clear voice rang out: “I haven’t come looking for you, yet you dare to seek me? I’m curious—who gave you that courage? Was it the man behind you?” His tone dripped with scorn.
Han Yuexi sneered. “Lu Yuan, you guessed right—my courage did come from him. Let me introduce you: this is my Dao spouse, Ye Yu.”
Ye Yu was stunned. From their rancorous standoff, they clearly hated each other. Now she introduced him as her spouse? Was she dragging him into this mess?
He sensed their divine‐power fluctuations: Lu Yuan hovered around Early Ancient‐God Realm, while Han Yuexi stood near Peak Golden‐God Realm. (Aiding memory: New God, True God, Great God, Heavenly God, Golden God, Ancient God, Divine Lord, Divine Sovereign.)
Lady, you lied—eighty percent death chance? It’s more like ninety‐nine percent! The chasm between Ancient and Golden is vast! You’d drag me to certain death! Ye Yu opened his mouth to protest, but Han Yuexi whirled and clamped his mouth shut.
“Don’t speak. Prepare to rewind time! I’ll give you what you need!” Her voice echoed in his mind—and only then did Ye Yu grasp her meaning: in the dream, death awakened you back to the dream’s start—one could call it time‐rewind and resurrection. No wonder she faced near‐impossible odds. It wasn’t madness but faith in his help.
Alas, this was reality: die here, and there would be no revival. Ye Yu tried to explain, but a powerful force shoved him backward, smashing through a barrier and ejecting him from the pitch‐black void. In an instant, light returned. He found himself still in the unfamiliar gorge, but now a black barrier stood between him and Han Yuexi’s spot inside.
Staring at the goddess determined to court death, Ye Yu was dumbfounded. How could a deity act so recklessly? He instinctively wanted to flee—after all, Ancient‐God power was an insurmountable mountain for him. Without that protective array, even the residual energy of their clash could obliterate a newcomer like himself. Simply peeking would be a luxury. Better to run—and run fast!
Yet recalling their first meeting in the Divine Realm, Ye Yu’s heart softened. He could go, but at least he owed her a warning: “I don’t have time‐rewind or revival powers—please, don’t die here. It’s not worth it!”
The reckless goddess!
Before Ye Yu could find a way to reach Han Yuexi, the barrier shattered in a flash. A figure flew out and crashed heavily at Ye Yu’s side.
