Within the Grand Hall of Lieyang Gate, Ye Yu stood alone, curiously surveying his surroundings. The goddess Xiao Cui had guided him here—and then vanished without a trace. The contrast was striking: her cold temperament at odds with her sweet appearance.
Ye Yu wondered why the Gate Lord of Lieyang Gate had summoned him. They should never have met before! As he pondered, his gaze fell on a displayed painting—a court lady rendered by a true master. Every subtle smile and frown was captured in exquisite detail, and the splashed-ink landscape behind her only enhanced the beauty.
“Do you like it?” a low voice asked.
Ye Yu turned. A massive flame rose from the main seat, and a woman in red-and-white robes emerged. Unlike the usual light makeup of the divine realm, her face was lavishly made up, and a flame-shaped pattern on her forehead flickered as if alive. She was not the woman in the painting, yet their brows and eyes bore a strong resemblance—likely mother and daughter.
“It’s beautiful,” Ye Yu replied.
“I think it’s ugly. I hate the woman in that painting!” The woman strode to his side. Mere proximity to her unleashed a wave of intense heat—far beyond what a low-grade divine artifact could generate against Ye Yu’s resilient demon body. She truly was blazing hot.
She studied the portrait for a moment, then turned toward the main seat and spoke as she walked:
“I am Gate Lord Zhu Xin Cheng of Lieyang Gate. You, Ye Yu, are the newest—and most mysterious—member of Wuliang Hall. Your exact strength is unknown, but you’re rumored to be in the early Divine Lord Realm. When the Divine Alliance fell, you vanished without a trace. The surviving souls believe that if you’d been present, Shen Mu Rong Bihuai would surely have died. Others say you fled out of fear, placing your true power somewhere between the early Divine Lord Realm and the pinnacle of the Ancient God Realm. I agree.
“I’m very interested in you. I even had someone divinate your fate—but they perished instantly. I dismissed them as incompetent and tried again; five died and eleven were gravely injured. Such a record convinces me you are extraordinary. I planned to meet you elsewhere, but then discovered you were here at Lieyang Gate—so here we are.
“I hear you wish to join Lieyang Gate?”
Ye Yu nodded. “That’s right. Wuliang Hall is gone; I want to join another alliance.”
Zhu Xin Cheng spoke softly: “As far as I know, although Wuliang Hall fell, its lord Xie Buyu still lives. That old bastard hired the Medical God; he should arrive in a day or two. With his help, curing Xie Buyu won’t be hard. Have you considered rebuilding the alliance with him?”
Ye Yu tilted his head. “So you don’t want me in Lieyang Gate?”
Zhu Xin Cheng smiled and nodded. “Both yes and no. Xiao Cui reports you’re close to that old bastard. I loathe him—so I loathe anyone close to him. Yet I’m fascinated by you, so I’m torn.
“Moreover, there’s risk: Dongfang Yelai has posted a bounty of ten thousand divine stones for your head. Anyone sheltering you becomes his—and Bai Shuang’s—enemy. Remember, Bai Shuang is backed by Shen Mu Rong Bihuai. That woman is insane.”
Ye Yu raised an eyebrow. He never expected ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) matters to escalate so far. “Dongfang Yelai hates me—that’s fair; I did slap him twice. But what does Bai Shuang have to do with me? I bear him no grudge. Why target me?”
Zhu Xin Cheng’s eyes glinted. “Absurd, isn’t it? So you’ll leave?”
Ye Yu asked. She flicked her wide sleeves. “Stay. When my true body returns, I will summon you again.” In an instant, she dissolved into a pillar of flame.
Xiao Cui reappeared. “Fellow cultivator Ye Yu, from now on we are senior brothers. Please look after me. The Gate Lord is occupied; I will inform her of your arrival.”
Ye Yu nodded and gazed at the empty main seat. His eyes shone. Run away now? Probably unnecessary.
Two days later, Ye Yu was in Elder Ge’s room, loudly spouting coarse, audacious remarks—yet Elder Ge remained silent, sitting upright like a chastised student. The reason was simple: Elder Ge had broken his promise.
When Ye Yu met Zhu Xin Cheng, Elder Ge had asked him to speak kindly of him and to help resolve matters regarding a high-grade divine artifact afterward. Ye Yu said nothing about Elder Ge, yet Zhu Xin Cheng said nothing against him—so Ye Yu reported his “success.” He claimed that, thanks to him, Zhu Xin Cheng had not told Elder Ge to get lost.
Elder Ge was stunned with joy—and it was true! Overjoyed, he ordered Ye Yu to bring out the high-grade divine artifact Soul Severance and begin operating it. He had promised that in two days the spirit would be returned docile and obedient. Yet when the two days passed, Soul Severance had become completely transparent—and its spirit seemed to have vanished entirely.
