Chapter 996

Earthly Realm.

Li Ruowang had already left Qingyun Sect and returned again to the Great Qian Dynasty. She simply could not stay any longer. On Five-Finger Peak, all her sisters had ascended to immortality except for her and Hong Luan, who remained hopelessly behind. Even her own daughter, Ye Nian, had already broken through into the Ascension Realm. At this rate, Ye Nian might well ascend before her. Li Ruowang, proud and unwilling to be outdone, found this unbearable. She decisively left the sorrowful grounds of Qingyun Sect’s Five-Finger Peak, determined to seek the secret of ascension within the Great Qian Dynasty itself.

At the same time, Hong Luan journeyed to the Northern Wilderness in search of new opportunities. She had grown weary of her lonely days in the mortal realm and longed to find Ye Yu in the Celestial Realm. Damn this mortal body—why would it not let her fly? Infuriating!

What neither of them realized was that the blessings upon them were far richer than those of ordinary immortals. They lacked only a single opportunity; once it arrived, their ascension would be extraordinary.

Meanwhile, in the Celestial Realm ...

Elder Chu Jiaolin of the Hall of Three Corpses stood outside the ruins of the Zhuxie Sect, eyes cold as he surveyed the site. Thanks to the special tracking on the packbearer’s ring, he was certain the missing items lay somewhere within. The Zhuxie Sect had once been a grand super-sect before the Celestial Cataclysm, but rumors said it had long since become a wasteland, guarded by the Hall’s evil immortals.

Of course, the Zhuxie Sect should never have been here. Survivors must have built a new sect among its ruins. How bold of them to rob the Hall’s packbearers! Chu Jiaolin did not attack immediately. He frowned—this ruined Zhuxie Sect was connected to Wuwei Tower. As a senior elder, he dared not move against anyone from Wuwei Tower, per the Grand Hall Lord’s orders. The Hall’s evil immortals had never dared plunder their resources before. Now perhaps he could uncover the truth while reclaiming the goods. But he would not charge in himself—better to leverage the tower’s power against itself. If successful, he would recover the items and probe Wuwei Tower’s defenses. He would need a careful plan.

Unaware of the danger lurking outside, Zheng Nanxiu continued her cultivation. Since she had broken through to the Earth Immortal stage, she felt thoroughly enlightened and her progress had soared. She spent each day in seclusion refining the techniques inscribed upon the Zhuxie Immortal Sword, convinced that her efforts would one day restore her sect’s former glory.

Her fellow disciples in Wuwei Tower, however, were puzzled. This new sister seemed nothing like the one Ye Yu had promised them. They feared they had been mistaken. But Dong Kui stubbornly held her belief that becoming true sisters was only a matter of time—perhaps Zheng Nanxiu’s behavior was merely a ruse. “Wait and see!” she declared.

All the while, Ye Yu prepared to enter the next dream. He wondered what Dream Talent he might receive this time—he hoped it would be strong.

[Each dream is a new life for you!]

[Loading map and characters ...]

[Selection confirmed!]

[Current Dream Talent: Negative Consumption! (Gold)]

[Feed on others’ negative emotions to grow stronger!]

[The higher the opponent’s power, the greater their negativity, the faster the host grows!]

[The more miserable they °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° are, the more exhilarated I become!]

At the system’s announcement, Ye Yu’s expression twisted in dismay. Damn! This time’s talent made him the scoundrel! This was not his forte. Could he change it?

Before he could ask, a powerful suction pulled him in.

[Age 0: Ye Yu was born in the Ghost-Thought City of the Netherworld.]

[A kind-faced middle-aged man stood before him, smiling and waving his hands to amuse him.]

[This was most likely his father in the Netherworld.]

[Normally, Ye Yu might have smiled back at such warmth—but not this time!]

[For the sake of his own power, this father would suffer!]

[Time to put on a show!]

[Ye Yu clenched his fists and strained upward.]

[As the man’s mouth opened, a stream of boy’s first urine shot straight in—hit the mark!]

[Though both were soul-forms, the revulsion was intense!]

[The man retched twice, his face a mix of fury and affection.]

[A “17” appeared above his head!]

[As the man turned, Ye Yu sucked in deeply, and his tiny soul-body solidified noticeably.]

[He sensed the change within. Two more times like this and he would reach the Qi Refinement stage!]

[More mischief was clearly needed!]

[Age 5: Ye Yu had fully learned this family’s situation!]

[His father’s name was Ye Tong, a late-stage Golden Core ghost cultivator. His mother was Du Lanxin, a mid-stage Golden Core ghost cultivator.]

[In Ghost-Thought City, such a family was bottom-tier.]

[Yet Ye Yu did not fret. With a Dream Talent in hand, growth was only a matter of time.]

[And no need to worry his parents venturing out and drawing mortal enemies.]

[This was safer than being born to a noble household.]

[The only drawback was that their low cultivation yielded too few negative-emotion points.]

[Thus Ye Yu’s progress remained slow—he had barely perfected Qi Refinement!]

[He realized he had been too merciful; now his family must brace for collapse!]

[His mother looked so gentle—he feared exhausting her soul. But his father, Ye Tong, was more reckless.]

[Then it was decided: “Old man, you’re up!”]

[Age 8: Ye Yu had become the city’s notorious troublemaker.]

[In his alley, one could hear Ye Tong’s roar almost daily!]