Ge Lao lightly tapped his fingertip, and the Water Moon Mirror Flower appeared on the ground. Before them lay Xie Buyu, quietly resting on a smooth jade slab, her eyes closed and her face pale.
Ye Yu could not help but feel surprised. “This woman actually survived? Weren’t humanoid tyrannosaurs supposed to be unbeatable?”
Before he could speak, Ge Lao said, “The moment the Grand Limit Hall’s array was destroyed, I sensed it and rushed over. Although I couldn’t save the others, she held on long enough. I drove off Rong Bihuai and brought her back. But the Xuanba Shitian Axe was lost there.”
At those words, Ye Yu froze. In his eyes, Ge Lao suddenly seemed towering, his distinctive slit eyes shining brightly. To claim he had driven back Rong Bihuai—what an understatement! Could Ge Lao himself be a Divine Monarch–level powerhouse? Truly, great masters hid in plain sight.
Ye Yu cupped his hands. “I never imagined you were a Divine Monarch–level expert.”
“Who told you I was?” Ge Lao smirked with confidence. “If cultivation falls short, use a divine artifact. Have you forgotten who I am?”
Ye Yu realized this master indeed lacked no artifacts. A superior divine weapon at his whim—never sparing even a bit. By contrast, Dongfang Yelai became obsessed over a single artifact, betraying father and brothers in the process. Pitiful indeed.
Ye Yu frowned as he thought of his own Slaying Soul Blade, still intangible and unusable. Like an old man window-shopping at the Pleasure Pavilion—able only to look, never to wield.
He wracked his brains, then grabbed Ge Lao’s sleeve. “Senior, I still can’t master that wooden blade. Please give me some guidance.”
Ge Lao flicked his sleeve to break free. “Didn’t I tell you? Superior artifacts have the quirkiest spirits. I never pamper their bad habits. Either you tame them and force them to serve you, or don’t use them at all.”
Ye Yu’s brow furrowed. Tame an artifact’s spirit? He truly did not understand.
Just as he was about to ask again, a sweet-faced goddess approached. She bowed to Ge Lao and spoke in the softest voice, “Senior Ge, our Alliance Lord has sent me to ask when you will be leaving Lieyang Gate.”
Ye Yu’s expression grew peculiar. This didn’t make sense. With Ge Lao’s mastery of divine artifacts, he should be a guest of honor anywhere. Why was he being ordered to leave? Had he sinned somehow? Yet the reverence others showed him suggested otherwise. A contradiction.
Ge Lao glanced at Ye Yu, his face awkward—as embarrassing among friends as a blatant blunder. Clearing his throat, he said, “Don’t you see I have a guest? Whatever you need, I’ll speak to our Alliance Lord later.”
The goddess bowed again and walked away without hesitation. After she left, Ge Lao shrugged carelessly. “We’re close; we speak informally. Pardon her rudeness.”
Ye Yu’s lips curved. Indeed, it was embarrassing—being told to leave and still maintaining calm. His cheeks must be thick as mud.
Ge Lao’s gaze flickered. He feared the sudden silence more than open mockery. To save face, he straightened and said, “What, you don’t believe me?”
Ye Yu only smiled without answering.
Ge Lao blustered, “If you doubt it, let’s go inside and ask the Alliance Lord ourselves. No exaggeration—whatever I order her to do, she must obey. That’s the rule!”
Ge Lao’s veins pulsed, his stubborn pride visible.
At that moment, the sweet-faced goddess reappeared at the gate, pen and paper in hand. As she wrote, she said, “Senior Ge told me that when he commands the Alliance Lord, she must obey—that is the rule.”
Hearing this, Ge Lao’s swagger evaporated. He hurried forward, waving his hands. “Xiaocui, you can’t write that! I was just joking. Look, I have a divine bracelet that matches your attire—beautiful and strong. Just tear up that page.”
He produced a jade bracelet from his storage ring and offered it to the goddess, Xiaocui. She glanced at it, pushed it aside, and continued writing, “Senior Ge offered a low-grade divine artifact as a bribe to make me tear up the truth.”
Ge Lao looked on the verge of tears. “Xiaocui, you can’t do this! If your Lord finds out, I really will be kicked out. Then we’ll never ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ see each other again!”
Despite his pleas, Xiaocui remained unmoved. Once she finished recording everything, she folded the page, stowed it away, and bowed to Ye Yu. “You must be Daoist Ye. Our Alliance Lord wishes to see you.”
This left Ye Yu baffled—and gave Ge Lao a lifeline. He leaned close and whispered, “Kid, when you meet my daughter, remember to say a good word for me. Make sure I stay in Lieyang Gate. If you succeed, I’ll even help you tame your artifact’s spirit.”
Ye Yu’s eyes widened. “What? The Alliance Lord is your daughter?”
No wonder he was here. Yet their relationship seemed strained—surely some melodramatic reason. Wait—had Ye Yu overlooked something crucial? That sly old man promised he couldn’t tame spirits, then suddenly offered to help? What a duplicitous double standard!
