Ye Yu keenly picked up on the emphasis in Demon Sovereign Tian’s words: he, too, was on the verge of shattering the void—and thus would soon ascend to the Divine Realm.
Sure enough, after a brief exchange, Ye Yu learned that Tian had come to the Demon Realm to inform him of his imminent breakthrough—and to offer cultivation advice so that Ye Yu might break the void and join him in the Divine Realm. In hindsight, Tian’s concern seemed excessive: Ye Yu himself was now poised to enter the Divine Realm!
Overjoyed at the prospect of companionship in the heavens, Demon Sovereign Tian produced a jade pendant from his breast, split it in two, and presented one half to Ye Yu. “This is called the Hexin Jade,” he explained. “Infuse it with your energy, and it will automatically locate its counterpart. I had one of my subordinates forge it. It’s small but practical—communication stones won’t function in the vastness of the Divine Realm, but with this, you can find your partner wherever they go.”
Ye Yu felt a twinge of disgust. Two grown men using matching pendants like a pair of lovers? The thought made him squirm—until he realized how perfect it would be for his wives in the Mortal Realm. If they each held one half, then after they ascended, they’d find him at once. In fact, he ought to give one to every wife, so he’d never worry about losing track of them!
“Give me five—no, a hundred of these Hexin Jades,” he said.
Tian blinked. “A hundred? Do you think I’m running a wholesale business?” But he restrained his impatience and asked why Ye Yu needed so many.
“One might break. A hundred gives me options!” Ye Yu replied, shrugging.
Though speechless, Demon Sovereign Tian agreed. Two days later, a hundred Hexin Jade halves arrived in Ye Yu’s storage ring. Yet instead of elation, Ye Yu found himself uneasy. With only Demon Lord–Realm cultivation, he surely could not enter the Divine Realm yet—and even if he could, handing the jades to his wives offered no guarantee they’d emerge with them once their dream-realms shattered. His only hope was that the pendants would manifest in the waking world.
Sighing, Ye Yu stowed the pendants carefully. He toyed with the half that Tian had given him, pondering the enigmatic sovereign’s dual nature: courteous and refined one moment, yet head of the Three Corps Hall of the Heavenly Immortals the next. Friend or foe? It mattered little. Power trumped all. And if Tian betrayed him, death would follow.
Half a month later, as Ye Yu accompanied Xu Nanqiao on a stroll through the Lotus Province Demon Palace, an unprecedented sensation struck him. He looked up to see a brilliant white beam descending from the sky, enveloping his form. Xu Nanqiao sensed it too and gripped his arm.
Only now did she notice that Ye Yu’s hands had become translucent. Mo Geilian, having detected the disturbance, hurried over. His eyes reddened as he watched Ye Yu’s body fade into nothingness. “Big Brother...” he whispered.
Was the day to shatter the void and ascend to the Divine Realm finally at hand?
Memories of their years together flooded Mo Geilian’s mind—from their trio’s early days, to Arui’s fall, to the bond of the remaining brothers forged through countless trials. He had believed their friendship eternal—but now only he remained. Overcome with helplessness, tears streamed down his face.
Ye Yu smiled gently. “Enough, big man—no crying. Hurry and break the void yourself, then come find me. Qiao’er, you must cultivate diligently. We will meet again. Remember what I told you: when everything is over, come to the Divine Realm to find me.”
Though her heart trembled, Xu Nanqiao nodded bravely. In moments, Ye Yu’s form had fully dissolved from sight—but the beam endured. Unseen, he still hovered in midair, transparent as a feather, rising slowly.
Time passed in stillness until an invisible barrier halted his ascent. Frowning, Ye Yu clenched his fist and struck forward with all his might. In an instant, the bottleneck shattered, and unbound, he rocketed upward—surpassing all limits of speed.
