A few days later, Ye Yu sat in the newly rebuilt Demon Lord Hall, frowning slightly. He had asked Xun Nanqiao about any news of the Divine Realm, but still no satisfactory answers. In the Demon Realm—and indeed across all five realms—information about the Divine Realm was simply too scarce. Its mysteries ran too deep, and without any teleportation passages, no news could reach them. Was there truly no way to reach the Divine Realm? Ye Yu could not help but sigh.
Then suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind. Perhaps everyone else was ignorant of a route to the Divine Realm, but there was one person who certainly knew—because that person had once invited him to slay a god together! At the time it had sounded improbable, but now it seemed the proposal, while wildly insane, might not be entirely impossible to realize. That person was the true master of the Three-Corpse Hall: Mo Tianjun, the Elegant Demon Immortal!
With that resolution, Ye Yu rose and strode outside, encountering Xun Nanqiao.
“Darling, are you heading out? There’s something I wanted to discuss with you,” she said.
“Oh? What’s so urgent that you came looking for me?” Ye Yu asked with a smile.
In a quiet voice, Xun Nanqiao said, “Do you remember Kuang Mingkui?”
Ye Yu shook his head in bewilderment. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he could not place where he had heard it.
“Have you truly forgotten?” Xun Nanqiao chided lightly. “He was Tang Tianjia’s senior apprentice brother, the Celestial Emperor who counterattacked the Heavenly Realm a century ago—and the one who was dragged off by assassins!”
Her reminder finally jogged Ye Yu’s memory of that loquacious Celestial Emperor. He was curious why she brought him up after so long; their only meeting had been fleeting.
Xun Nanqiao smiled. “News came today from Qintian State: after a century-long battle, the Celestial Emperor Kuang Mingkui and the mysterious Demon Realm powerhouse Feng Kai finally reached a conclusion. Feng Kai narrowly landed the winning blow; Kuang Mingkui, gravely wounded, retreated back to the Heavenly Realm. The news has sent many demons into a frenzy—so it turns out there is at least one other strong figure in our Demon Realm besides you!”
Hearing this, Ye Yu felt equal parts amused and exasperated. “What do you mean ‘besides me’? Demon Emperors have existed before. In such a vast realm, how could there be no hidden powers?” He also wondered ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) why their duel had lasted a hundred years—did they not tire of the fight? And as for that Feng Kai, he was hardly impressive if he won but failed to detain his opponent. Pathetic!
Xun Nanqiao laughed. “You don’t assume everyone fights like you do—kill to win? By the way, darling, have you decided where to go?”
Ye Yu did not hide his plan. “I suddenly recalled that someone might know how to reach the Divine Realm. I intend to visit a friend in the Heavenly Realm.”
Xun Nanqiao paused. Visiting friends in the Heavenly Realm was such an obscure phrase—especially for demons, for whom the Heavenly Realm held only enemies, not allies. Except for Ye Yu, of course. That former Gan Zhizui had been a Celestial Immortal himself, hadn’t he?
She caught Ye Yu by the arm, feigning irritation. “You’re not taking me? Are you going to find Gan Zhizui? If so, no need to dance around—just say it!”
Ye Yu waved her off repeatedly. Honestly, encountering his wife in a dream had left him oddly unsettled, as though reality and dream were blurring. Even if he went to the Heavenly Realm, he did not plan to seek out any other consorts. He truly intended to visit the Three-Corpse Hall. Perhaps the elegant Mo Tianjun could finally give him an answer.
When Xun Nanqiao tried to follow, Ye Yu invoked “safety” as the excuse to refuse. After all, she was only at Demon Lord level—not even half a Sovereign yet. It would be too dangerous to bring her into the Heavenly Realm. He would travel alone.
Pouting slightly, Xun Nanqiao ultimately relented.
Ye Yu arrived at the Heavenly Realm’s passage, hesitated for a moment—should he alter his demon attire? The Elegant Demon Immortal would never expect him to be a true demon. Perhaps he could claim to be from a parallel world? No, nonsense—what right had Mo Tianjun to demand reasons any more than his wife?
Deciding not to bother, Ye Yu simply walked into the passage. Once his figure vanished, several demons peered out from a distant hillside.
“That was Demon Lord Ye Yu of Lotus State, wasn’t it?”
“Definitely him. Even from this distance I can smell the blood on his iron fists! He shattered seven Demon Lords with those blows—so awesome!”
“What is he doing alone in the Heavenly Realm? And why did he hesitate at the entrance so long? Is he planning a solo assault on Heaven? No sane person would attempt that...”
“No, you can’t measure this mad Demon Lord by sane standards. Who else would drag the Demon Lord Kuku to fight in the ascension? Even if Ye Yu attempts a solo assault on Heaven, it wouldn’t surprise me!”
“A one-man Heaven-slaying—what a headline! We could sell that as a short story and make a fortune!”
“And let’s do exactly that.”
...
The next day, news of Ye Yu’s solo Heaven-slaying mission echoed throughout the Demon Realm, igniting every demon’s imagination. Of course, Ye Yu himself knew nothing of these rumors.
Upon arriving in the Heavenly Realm, he suppressed his demonic aura and donned a cloak. He made his way to the entrance of the Three-Corpse Hall, its familiar gloom and chill clashing with the Heavenly Realm’s peaceful facade—but that did not matter. What mattered was discovering a way to the Divine Realm.
Ye Yu stepped inside and softly called, “May I ask if the Elegant Demon Immortal is present? It is Wu Wei Pagoda’s Ye Yu, here to pay respects.”
No sooner had the words fallen than Mo Tianjun appeared at the hall’s gate. He could not help but look upward—this height felt slightly off. Why must he look up?
With a puzzled gaze, Mo Tianjun watched as Ye Yu drew back his cloak, revealing his true face and the pair of demonic horns.
