“This is the upper-grade divine artifact Zhanhun (Soul Severing), isn’t it?” he asked.
Han Gu spoke the name of the wooden blade with perfect clarity.
Ye Yu looked up. “Have you seen it before? Wait—where did you come from?” he asked.
“I haven’t laid eyes on this wooden blade in three million years, and yet here it is in your hands!” Han Gu exclaimed.
He didn’t answer Ye Yu’s question, for his entire attention was fixed on Zhanhun. His eyes shone with excitement and admiration, but above all, awe.
In the next moment, a diminutive old man appeared upon the blade’s edge—his face framed by a disorder of whiskers and his robes in shreds.
“You’ve heard of my story?” the little figure asked.
Ye Yu felt as though a buff had triggered in his body. He almost replied, “Your face alone tells a thousand stories,” but wisely held his tongue.
Han Gu nodded heavily. “I’ve seen Lord Zhanhun’s power firsthand. Shortly after I ascended to the Divine Realm, I watched you cleave through a hundred divine artifacts with a single stroke, crushing the North of the Divine Realm so completely that no one dared to lift their head. Your glory was unmatched, and I vowed then that if ever fortune smiled upon me, I would strive to earn your favor and uphold the name of Zhanhun.”
Han Gu’s chatter sounded like a starstruck schoolboy’s, overflowing with reverence for the mighty blade’s master. Ye Yu felt a surge of irritation—double standards, he thought. Flattery could slip through a thousand holes, but now?
The little old man’s expression brightened at the reminiscence. “Back then, under Huang Tian’s hand, I shone with unmatched brilliance. Alas, he died too soon, and I nearly shattered. I fell into the endless deep sea for ages...” His voice trailed off, his face darkening at the memory.
Quickly, he shifted his gaze to Ye Yu. “I’ve been wondering—how did I end up in your hands? Tell me exactly how you obtained me.”
Ye Yu’s heart clenched—how could he answer that? “Uh, I’m not entirely sure. I picked it up by chance. At first I couldn’t see its form, only sensed a transparent blade, so I slipped it into my storage ring. I suppose I was just very lucky.”
“No!” Zhanhun snapped, shaking his head earnestly. “It wasn’t luck—it was extraordinary fortune that brought me to you!”
Ye Yu sighed inwardly. Couldn’t he have just said “extraordinary fortune” at once? Instead he’d been left baffled. Perhaps the old blade had a contrarian personality.
“All right. There’s a great deal of soul energy here to digest. I need time. Enough talk. Boy—train hard. Your current realm is far too weak.”
With that, the apparition vanished, and the runes on the wooden blade faded away. Ye Yu’s strength receded from mid-Great-God back to his true cultivation.
Han Gu folded his hands, his admiring gaze vanishing. He very much wanted Zhanhun for himself—but he wasn’t shameless enough to wrest it from the hands of his future son-in-law. He would wait until he was certain Ye Yu wouldn’t wed his daughter, then swoop in.
Clearing his throat, he asked Ye Yu again how he had appeared here. Han Gu admitted plainly that he’d been nearby the whole time, waiting for the decisive moment to strike—accepting an inner-demonic trial was, in his eyes, part of Ye Yu’s cultivation. Though Zhanhun had ultimately saved him, Han Gu insisted that his vigilant support also deserved recognition.
Ye Yu suppressed a twitch at Han Gu’s shameless claim. When did this man’s face ever redden?
“Why are you staring at me? I tell you, it’s all out of respect for Yue Xi’s sake...” Han Gu began, trying to turn the conversation back to his beloved daughter.
Before he could finish, a figure leapt into Ye Yu’s arms.
“Hubby, you finally pierced the void to reach the Divine Realm?” Shen Fu Xin’s voice trembled with joy. She clung to him as if that alone proved this was no illusion.
Ye Yu stroked her hair and replied softly, “Yes. I’ve kept my promise to you—I’ve come.”
Back when they first met in the Demon Realm, the surge of ghost qi between them had burst open the void and brought them here. This reunion deepened their longing until Shen Fu Xin wept for joy.
Not everyone was pleased, however. Han Gu’s lips curled in exasperation. He’d planned to advise Ye Yu on his fidelity to Yue Xi—but before he could earn any favor points, the goddess herself hurled into Ye Yu’s embrace. Right before his eyes!
“Ye Yu, what’s going on? I demand an explanation—for Yue Xi’s sake!” Han Gu barked.
Ye ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) Yu’s brow furrowed. He’d tolerated Han Gu’s chatter when no one else was around, but now his righteous partner stood beside him, and this man spoke to him like he was still the suitor? “I owe you no explanation. Don’t speak to me that way. As for Yue Xi and me, I’ve explained enough. If you don’t believe me, ask her yourself. And stop following me.”
With that, he swept Shen Fu Xin into his arms and departed.
Han Gu watched their retreating figures, frowning. He felt Ye Yu’s anger—so righteous, as if he truly had no relationship with Yue Xi.
As he pondered, the Communication Stone in his hand vibrated. Infused with divine power, Yue Xi’s voice rang out: “Father, I saw you in the Divine City’s Communication Stone—have you emerged from the Secret Realm?”
“Yes, I’m out. Daughter, tell me—what about this Ye Yu?” Han Gu probed.
Yue Xi’s reply trembled with excitement: “Father, you’ve met Ye Yu? Where? I’ll come find you!”
Han Gu’s eyes narrowed. Such enthusiasm—were they truly mere friends? Boy, you’re hiding something!
Nearby, the statue of the fruitless warrior monk cracked, a fissure snaking across its surface.
