Perhaps there really is a buff to one’s strength from ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ good food.
Only a few hours later, Feng Yingzhi had already finished crafting the celestial implement that would allow an immortal to descend to the mortal world.
It was, in Ye Yu’s words, a rosy-pink parasol!
Of course, in Feng Yingzhi’s terminology, it was the Soul-Calming Heaven-Screen Umbrella (Zhènhún Píngtiān Sǎn). An immortal could bind a thread of his soul to it and enter the human realm. Once opened, the umbrella would block the Heavenly Dao’s detection for three days. During that time, provided the cultivator didn’t emit massive fluctuations of spiritual energy, they would remain invisible to Heaven’s notice. After three days, the umbrella would automatically return the soul to the Celestial Realm.
That single deploy-and-retrieve function was a revolutionary innovation!
Whenever Feng Yingzhi introduced her creations, she would tilt her chin upward ever so slightly, as if begging to be praised. Ye Yu, however, could only stare at the umbrella and groan in despair.
“Why on earth pink?” he said, pointing at the canopy. “I told you I’m the user. A male immortal should have a black or blue one. At the very least, make it white. A grown man carrying a pink parasol—are you sure that looks good? Or is there some... special meaning?”
“In fact,” Feng Yingzhi said earnestly, “there is special meaning. Because your cultivation is so powerful, even a soul-fragment descending to the mortal realm can exert one percent of your true strength. You’re at Celestial Immortal Realm or even Golden Immortal Realm level, right? If you lose control and attract the Heavenly Dao’s attention—when it sends down world-annihilating lightning to strike you—perhaps seeing the pink, healing-style parasol will soften its heart and it’ll dial back the force!”
When she said this so seriously, Ye Yu felt murderous rage swelling in his chest. “So the Heavenly Dao is your best friend?” he snarled inwardly.
No, don’t be angry. What’s the use of getting mad at a straight-forward, obsessive creator? Her thought process was never like a normal person’s. Maybe she really believed it!
Still, Ye Yu’s discomfort grew. He gritted his teeth, grabbed Feng Yingzhi by the collar, and hauled her close.
“I’m rigid of character,” he said through gritted teeth, “I don’t fear lightning. So strip off your cute pink healing theme and change it to white. Understood?”
“But—”
Feng Yingzhi opened her mouth, intending to defend her pink motif. Before she could speak, Ye Yu cut her off.
“No buts! Make it as I say, or don’t even think about eating roast goose ever again.”
Faced with the temptation of delicacies, Feng Yingzhi wisely chose silence and set to work altering the umbrella.
Meanwhile, Ye Yu used the lull in activity to summon all his consorts and inform them that he would soon journey to the mortal realm.
Most of the ladies objected fiercely. After all, the mortal realm’s barrier was strongest—it repelled all cultivators above the Ascension stage. Ye Yu, already at the peak of the Immortal King Realm and only one step from entering the Celestial Realm’s heights, would inevitably attract the Heavenly Dao’s scrutiny if he went there. That would be a huge mess!
Ye Yu insisted the trip was necessary. No immortal consort had ascended for months—something must have gone wrong in the mortal realm. He had to investigate. As for the Heavenly Dao’s power, they needn’t worry: Feng Yingzhi had prepared everything. With her celestial implement as guarantee, surely... probably... maybe there’d be no problem!
Just then, Feng Yingzhi presented her revised creation. The Soul-Calming Heaven-Screen Umbrella was indeed now white—but what were all those red little hearts doing on it?
No, Feng Yingzhi, seriously, what are you playing at?
Moments later, a white umbrella studded with red hearts drifted into the mortal world. Just before it landed, the canopy slowly opened—and a figure emerged. It was Ye Yu’s soul-fragment, his form entirely enveloped by the umbrella. In the sweltering heat below, a cool breeze wafted from the ribs of the parasol, and Ye Yu’s spirit felt surprisingly comfortable.
One must admit, although Feng Yingzhi’s aesthetic sense was... unconventional, her craftsmanship in celestial implements remained unparalleled!
Ye Yu dared not overuse his immortal power, lest he alert the Heavenly Dao. He drifted slowly toward Qingyun Sect. Luckily, the landing spot wasn’t far—it took him only half an hour to reach the sect’s entrance.
The disciples on guard were the same ones from last time. Recognizing Ye Yu immediately, they let him pass without a second thought. After all, it would be absurd to have the sect leader come out again to receive him!
Ye Yu made his way up to Five-Finger Peak as if he’d strolled this path a hundred times before—but found the surroundings eerily silent. Probing with his divine sense, he discovered all his consorts deeply immersed in cultivation. Even his daughter, Ye Nian, was in meditation.
Something was wrong. Why hadn’t any of his consorts ascended, despite all of them being at the pinnacle of the Ascension stage?
Ye Yu hurried to Li Ruowang’s door and knocked softly. Hearing the noise, she came to open it. When she saw Ye Yu, Li Ruowang was both stunned and overjoyed—she never expected her husband to tread the mortal realm again after so many months.
But her first reaction wasn’t to call the other ladies in. She looked around quickly, saw no one nearby, and pulled Ye Yu inside! Sharing was simply not in this empress’s dictionary—after so long, she would seize this chance to pour out her longing.
Perhaps from excitement, Li Ruowang hadn’t closed the door quietly, and the clap startled her. She tensed immediately, glancing at the door, wishing silently that her sisters remain so engrossed in cultivation they wouldn’t notice the noise!
Her wish went unfulfilled. Soon, Red Luan’s voice called out from outside: “What are you two doing in there?”
Li Ruowang’s reflex was to cover Ye Yu’s mouth—only to find her hand grasping thin air. It was then she realized something was off: Ye Yu had been holding that umbrella the entire time.
“What... what’s going on?”
Hearing this, Red Luan outside grew alert. “What are you doing in the room? Open the door, or I’ll break it down!”
She wasn’t worried for Li Ruowang’s safety. As two senior elders stuck at the Ascension peak, the competition and rivalry between them was fierce. Failure was frightening, but a sister’s success was even more terrifying—Red Luan suspected Li Ruowang might be secretly consuming some divine material to ascend ahead of her. If that happened, she’d be the last one left trailing behind—and that was unacceptable.
