Ye Yu’s expression grew puzzled.
Seeing that this deity named Ge Lao kept staring at him without blinking, he instinctively thought they must have met before—but no matter how long he searched his memory, he couldn’t recall. What on earth was happening?
Ge Lao looked at Ye Yu and said coldly, “You brat, you haven’t come to see me in ages. It’s rare that you still remember me!”
“Me?” Ye Yu raised a hand and tapped his chest, confusion deepening. “Elder Ge, you must be joking—how could I ever forget you?”
Hong Zhencheng chuckled softly, then transmitted a voice into Ye Yu’s mind: “Supreme God, this Elder Ge has a slanted gaze. Though it seems he’s looking at you, he’s actually watching me. He’s speaking to me—don’t mind it.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Yu’s lips twitched twice. Ha—so he’s just got a slanted eye. And here I was, thinking we’d met before and racking my brain. Ridiculous!
Hong Zhencheng wasted no time: he produced all the storage rings and laid them on the table. “Elder Ge, please remove the sealing talismans on these rings. As usual, ten spirit stones per ring.”
Ge Lao cast a sideways glance and said softly, “You’ve gotten wealthy, haven’t you?”
Hong Zhencheng grinned broadly without explanation, then whispered to Ye Yu: “This Elder Ge is our Wuliang Hall’s divine artifact master. Anything related to artifacts, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) he handles. Erasing a storage ring seal normally costs ten spirit stones; artifacts vary by tier and price. He can repair or even forge artifacts—his status here is very high, and he never asks about sources. We all respect him greatly.”
Ye Yu nodded thoughtfully. A master forger’s worth went without saying—such skill was invaluable.
Ge Lao worked swiftly. Twenty-eight storage rings in all, their seals all removed. But Hong Zhencheng lacked the two hundred eighty spirit stones required. He therefore took out one ring’s hoarded Frozen Heaven Leaf to make up the payment. Ge Lao silently nodded approval.
Hong Zhencheng handed the rings back to Ye Yu, and the two turned to leave. At that moment, Ge Lao suddenly spoke: “Wait!”
Hong Zhencheng paused. Ge Lao’s gaze was fixed on him—so now he was watching Ye Yu? Ye Yu raised an eyebrow and noticed the subtle shift.
Ge Lao raised his withered right hand and said softly, “One of the green storage rings you hold contains the shed shell of a Divine Armor Beetle. Give that to me, and I’ll save you another trouble.”
Ye Yu felt something off—this sounded like an old bridge-peddler trick from his childhood, a made-up story to swindle his pocket money. Clearly, Ge Lao wanted the shell and had invented a little tale.
Hong Zhencheng wore a pained expression, clearly thinking the same. He opened his mouth: “Elder Ge, this brother of mine is my sworn companion—”
He needn’t say more; the implication was clear: don’t fleece him here!
Ge Lao smiled slyly and lowered his hand. “Of course, you may choose not to give it. I don’t intend to strong-arm you.”
Ye Yu scanned the workbench behind Ge Lao, strewn with broken artifacts that still gleamed with value. After careful thought, he decided that such a respected master in Wuliang Hall would not stoop to petty deceit over this. If Ge Lao had ill intentions, he could have tampered with the ring seals rather than brazenly demand something.
So Ye Yu took out the beetle’s shed shell from the green ring and placed it before Ge Lao. “Please accept this, Supreme God.”
Ge Lao looked toward Hong Zhencheng and laughed. “Not bad—you understand courtesy.”
He then summoned a massive hammer and swung it down behind Ye Yu. A shrill wail pierced the air.
Ye Yu and Hong Zhencheng turned to see a shadowy figure fleeing in panic. Not fifty meters on, it shattered completely.
Ye Yu’s face turned grave. Ge Lao rested the hammer on his shoulder and said calmly, “This mid-tier artifact is the Unpredictable Life-Stealing Bell. Once activated, a small ghost comes to inhabit the victim’s shadow. Their concealment is superb—even Ancient God Realm masters would miss them upon cursory inspection. These ghosts hide within shadows, siphoning the host’s divine power little by little. After eighty-one days, they strike when the host is most vulnerable—delivering a fatal blow. I’ve removed that trouble for you, all for a single shell. You’ve made a great bargain.”
Recalling the fleeing figure, Ye Yu remembered a faint bell toll as it escaped—he had paid it no heed then. To think this scoundrel had laid a trap for him! What a disgraceful trick.
Ye Yu placed the green storage ring on Ge Lao’s table, stepped back, and clasped his hands. “Thank you, Supreme God, for your aid.”
A smile crossed Ge Lao’s face. “The younger generation isn’t so uncouth. If you ever face uncertainty, come to me again—your fee will be twenty-percent off.”
After bidding farewell, Ye Yu and Hong Zhencheng retired to a secluded spot and divided the rings—not in the previous eighty-twenty split, but twenty rings to Ye Yu and seven to Hong Zhencheng. The latter tried to refuse, but Ye Yu insisted. Without Wuliang Hall’s help, he couldn’t have broken the seals so swiftly or removed the Life-Stealing Bell’s threat. This share was already generous.
Hong Zhencheng accepted and asked, “Supreme God, what will you do next? Seek revenge on that vile scoundrel?”
Ye Yu shook his head. The trickster had concealed himself so well that neither face nor figure was clear. How could he track him down in the vast Divine Realm? Rather than waste effort, he would linger here with Wuliang Hall for a while. “I’m going to join the Divine Alliance.”
