Li Ruowang paid no heed to Red Luan’s calls outside. She stared anxiously at Ye Yu. How had he become a mere soul fragment? What on earth had happened? Sensing her worry, Ye Yu shook his head slightly, then said softly, “It’s nothing. To come to the mortal realm, I had to descend in this form. In three days I must return to the Celestial Realm. This time I merely wanted to see why none of you have ascended after so long. Especially you—you should have ascended ages ago.”
At those words, Li Ruowang’s cheeks flamed red. Not from shyness, but from embarrassment! It had been months since his last visit, and he greeted her with such hurtful words. Husband, how presumptuous of you! Was it that I don’t want to ascend? I simply couldn’t! He had hit the sore spot. Recalling how Red Luan and she were mocked as the slowpokes of Five-Finger Peak, Li Ruowang bristled with anger and turned her head away with a cold snort.
Meanwhile, outside, Red Luan could no longer contain herself and burst through the door. Catching sight of Ye Yu, she froze for a moment—then impulsively gulped down a mouthful of spirit wine. Incredible, her husband had returned again?
“What’s going on?” Red Luan blurted the same question Li Ruowang had asked. Yet Li Ruowang’s reply nearly choked her: “Our husband came to ask why you still haven’t ascended.”
“I...” Red Luan found herself speechless, hurt and embarrassed. It was a painful question—please, never say that again! To avoid repeating herself, Ye Yu asked Li Ruowang and Red Luan to summon the other consorts. He had much to explain.
At their summons, all the ladies left their seclusion caves—including his daughter Ye Nian. The moment she saw him, she rushed forward, wanting a hug. Moved, Ye Yu solidified his soul-body, scooped her up, and held her tight. Then, finding it awkward with one hand, he reached to steady the Soul-Calming Heaven-Screen Umbrella with the other. To his surprise, the umbrella slipped into automatic mode and hovered above his head, freeing his hand! Setting aside its looks, he had to admit Feng Yingzhi’s craftsmanship was impressive.
Before all the consorts, Ye Yu revealed his soul’s descent and his purpose. Hearing this, many ladies looked disappointed. It wasn’t the real Ye Yu, and he’d be back in three days—hardly enough time for each to spend more than a fleeting moment with him. This was nothing like his last visit!
Ye Yu frowned. “What are you thinking? Aren’t you curious why none of you have ascended after reaching the pinnacle of Ascension Realm?”
Tuoba Qiyue, Xie Muling, and Yun Roumu shook their heads decisively. They were second-generation disciples of Qingyun Sect; even their master Red Luan hadn’t ascended yet. Why rush? Perhaps ascension truly was very difficult. Others—Fu Wangdai, Su Yao, Lan Lianyan—felt the same: no ascension meant their cultivation wasn’t yet complete, so they simply needed to continue cultivating.
Ye Yu found their answers absurd. Except for Ye Nian, who was Tribulation-Transcender Realm, every consort stood at Ascension Realm’s summit. How could not a single one ascend—and for months? Something was clearly wrong. His analysis made the women realize the anomaly. Red Luan and Li Ruowang were convinced: it wasn’t their fault; some external force was interfering.
What force? Ye Yu’s expression darkened as he looked overhead at the protectorates of each lady’s Divine Abode. No sign of any Heaven-Fishing Immortal’s luck lines. Nothing. Puzzled, he searched the ladies’ secluded caverns for clues but found nothing.
Night fell. The women advised Ye Yu to rest and investigate tomorrow—after all, he had three days. Ye Yu narrowed his eyes. “Enough tricks. I’m a soul-fragment—pay attention to that!” The ladies could only pout.
When the moon rose high, Ye Yu remained restless. He arrived at Five-Finger Peak’s center, surveyed the various Divine Abodes, and frowned. What could be wrong? As he prepared to return, every consort’s chamber suddenly emitted a golden beam of light shooting off into the distance.
Without hesitation, Ye Yu chased the lights. He traversed a thousand li in moments and arrived at a hidden valley. Around him, the umbrella’s edge showed scorch marks—no doubt from his cautious use of immortal power. If he pushed any harder, the umbrella would have burned to ashes. Coming to «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» the mortal realm at Immortal King level was too risky!
He sighed but pressed on into the valley. In a dense thicket, he paused by a serene lake. Golden filaments trickled into its waters. Ye Yu knew something was concealed here—and that “thing” was preventing the consorts’ ascension.
He stepped forward, gazing at the mirror-like surface. Suddenly, a pair of golden eyes appeared beneath the water. Ye Yu’s eyes widened, and he sprang back. Those golden eyes were all too familiar! In the shared dreamscape with Ying Naiyan and Dong Kui, Ye Yu had fallen upon discovering a massive egg at that lake’s bottom. Though he’d never seen the creature, those golden eyes had stayed with him ever since. He never expected to meet them again—here, in the mortal realm.
