âImmortal Friend Ye, is this solution acceptable? And I guarantee you, no one will ever harass the Evil-Slaying Immortal Sect again. How about that?â
A smile never left Mo Tianjunâs face. He still appeared as refined and courteous as ever.
Ye Yu gently shook his head. âNo. I already said they laid hands on my wife. This matter cannot be settled.â
From Zhang Baijiuâs memories, he knew that Chu Jiaolin had been sent to the sect not merely to investigate, but to cause trouble. If Bai Xichu and the others hadnât arrived in time, Hong Luan might very well have been captured.
Anyone who attacked my wifeâwhether intentionally or by accidentâmust die. So donât offer apologies or excuses. Just be more careful in your next life!
Chu Jiaolin clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles whitened, fury blazing in his eyes. How arrogant! Iâve already been slappedâwhat more do you want? Your wife did nothing, yet you keep demanding satisfaction. Do you want me dead?
He opened his mouth to protest, but the next moment a streak of blood-red light flashed across the courtyard. The half-step Emperor-Realm cultivator who had done great service for the Three Corpses Hall collapsed instantly, his life extinguished on the spot.
Mo Tianjun spoke softly, âImmortal Friend Ye, is it acceptable now?â
Ye Yuâs brow furrowed, his expression growing serious. He found Mo Tianjun increasingly inscrutable. Without a word, he had simply slain Chu Jiaolinâsecond only to himself in the Three Corpses Hallâs hierarchy? Why so casually dispatch him? What is Mo Tianjunâs aim?
Seemingly reading his doubts, Mo Tianjun chuckled. âImmortal Friend Ye, donât look at me like that. Are you curious why I did it? The reason is simpleâone day we will join forces to ascend to the Divine Realm. Chu Jiaolin is nothing but a dog I raised. When a dog errs, it must be punished. Understand?â
Ye Yu forced a smile. Calling someone who has stood by him for years a dogâwho in their right mind would join you in the Divine Realm? Iâd watch my back if I were you!
He inclined his head and prepared to turn away. He would keep his distance from a man like Mo Tianjun.
But Mo Tianjun called after him, âWait, Immortal Friend Ye. Thereâs something I havenât yet told you.â
He continued, âThe Demon Realm has been restless. Soonâat the earliest within days, at the latest within a monthâthey will wage war on Heaven again. Youâd best prepare in advance.â
Ye Yu was surprised. War on Heaven? The Demon Emperor Ling Qiansha had already been slain by him. With only a few regional Demon Lords remaining, how dare they attack Heaven?
He asked softly, âWhere did you hear this? Is it credible?â
Mo Tianjun nodded firmly. âCredible. I have informants in the Demon Realm. The Demon Lords are already gathering their strongest warriors. This campaign against Heaven is a must-win for them. Their confidence lies in a False Deity.â
He then explained what he knew of the False Deity. According to his source, a man named Hua Jiuming had once broken the void and stepped into the Divine Realm a million years ago. But after offending other divine clans, he was grievously wounded in battle and survived only by secret arts. He thus fell from the Divine Realm back into the Underworld. He slept in the Ghost Sea for ages and has only recently awakened. It was he who proposed this war on Heaven.
As Mo Tianjun spoke, Ye Yuâs expression became unreadable. How could this be? According to the timeline, it was true the demons would soon attack Heaven, but he had never heard of any Hua Jiuming. Where had this figure come from? And if he truly made it to the Divine Realm, could he really return to the Underworld so easily? It all sounded preposterous.
Mo Tianjun laughed wryly. âIt sounds like a fairy tale, I know. But my informant wouldnât lie. I told you because I trust you. When the time comes, do you want to see this False Deityâs prowess for yourself?â
Ye Yu asked, âWhere would we go to see him? Back to the Underworld?â
âBetter not,â Mo Tianjun replied. âIf he truly is a False Deity, going there directly could cost us our lives. Weâll watch from a distance once they start the campaign. Ascending to the Divine Realm is my greatest goalâI donât intend to die before I achieve it.â
With that, the two men parted ways after setting their pact.
Inside the Evil-Slaying Immortal Sect, Bai Xichu and Banxia hurried to greet Ye Yu. âWhat happened? Why did you leave without a word?â
Ye Yu replied quietly, âDo you believe there is a â NĐŸvĐ”lÎčght â (Read the full story) False Deity in the Underworld?â
Halfxia and Zheng Nuanxiu exchanged strange looks. After Ye Yu recounted Mo Tianjunâs tale, Halfxia burst into laughter. âBelieve it or not, I donât. The Divine Realm is but a distant legend. Without a channel between realms, I cannot believe anyone could return from it. Itâs like saying someone can come down from the Celestial Realm before the Five Realmsâ passage opened!â
Bai Xichu and Zheng Nuanxiu both nodded in agreement. It made sense.
Ye Yu understood their skepticism but trusted Mo Tianjunâs information. Often the most unbelievable things are the ones that happen.
He then used his divine sense to probe the sect. Chu Jiaolin had spoken so confidently of a missing cloaked figure who had perished within the sectâYe Yu intended to verify it. Soon he sensed an anomaly: traces of a concealed formation.
With Banxia and Zheng Nuanxiu, he approached the sectâs boundary and shattered the hidden array. He scraped away the soil above with his immortal power. Before them lay a fallen immortal corpse, a bundle at its sideâdressed exactly like Zhang Baijiu and the others.
Halfxia and Bai Xichuâs faces turned pale. âNo way, Nuanxiuâdid you really kill an immortal of the Three Corpses Hall?â
Zheng Nuanxiu went ashen. She had no idea her sect concealed the corpse of a Three Corpses Hall immortal.
Meanwhile, in the Underworld, a lone figure draped in white mink looked up at the blood-red sky, eyes glinting with hate.