Night fell, and the sea of stars was boundless.
Han Yuexi forcibly led Ye Yu into an unnamed gorge. She stopped before a Dao Hall in the distance but did not hurry inside. Instead, she turned and brought Ye Yu to a concealed corner, as if patiently awaiting something. Ye Yu, perplexed, sent a private thought: âWhy have you brought me here?â
âSimpleâto kill a deity. I probably canât winâthereâs an eighty percent chance Iâll die!â Han Yuexiâs reply was terse and to the point, both revealing her purpose and acknowledging her likely demise. Yet that âsimpleâ didnât feel simple at all.
Truly, upon hearing this, Ye Yuâs expression was pricelessâhe felt an urge to burst into song: âBelieve me...â Ridiculous! Why could he never meet a deity with a normal brain? If you want to die, be my guestâbut donât drag me along! Iâve barely arrived in the Divine Realm, and you already plan to lead me to my death. How presumptuous!
Had Ye Yu possessed the strength to match Han Yuexi, he would have lectured her thoroughly, shaken her out of this suicidal whim. But perhaps sensing his gaze, Han Yuexi turned and asked, âWhatâs wrongâare you afraid?â
Ye Yuâs mouth twitched. Fear? Normally, after fracturing the void to enter the Divine Realm, even a oneâinâaâmillion prodigy would need at least a hundred thousand yearsâperhaps a millionâto achieve such a feat. And here she was, offering herself as bait to die. Fear? Absolutely! He sent back: âShouldnât I be afraid?â
Her eyes shifted. Waitâhe «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» answered so naturally. Was he afraid of death too? According to her guess, he should possess timeârewinding ability. Could she have guessed wrong? Or was Ye Yu unable to reverse time under sudden peril? Her heart clenched. Whichever the case, she needed to knowâotherwise if something happened, what would become of her brother?
Just as Han Yuexi opened her mouth to speak, the surroundings dimmed to utter blackness. The starry sky vanished, and the gorge became an independent void. A middleâaged man in a gray Daoist robe strolled toward them from the distance, emanating white lightâthe sole source of illumination.
Han Yuexi pressed Ye Yu behind her and sent the thought: âNow thereâs no hiding. You must rewind time to revive usâbuy me time, or weâll both die here!â
No turning back. She gambled on Ye Yuâs supposed power to reverse time and resurrect them, needing only a moment to prepare. But Ye Yu was completely bewildered. What timeârewind? What resurrection? Yes, he had become a deityâbut so had she. Where did he get the right to wield such powers?
At that moment, the grayârobed manâs clear voice rang out: âI havenât come looking for you, yet you dare to seek me? Iâm curiousâwho gave you that courage? Was it the man behind you?â His tone dripped with scorn.
Han Yuexi sneered. âLu Yuan, you guessed rightâmy courage did come from him. Let me introduce you: this is my Dao spouse, Ye Yu.â
Ye Yu was stunned. From their rancorous standoff, they clearly hated each other. Now she introduced him as her spouse? Was she dragging him into this mess?
He sensed their divineâpower fluctuations: Lu Yuan hovered around Early AncientâGod Realm, while Han Yuexi stood near Peak GoldenâGod Realm. (Aiding memory: New God, True God, Great God, Heavenly God, Golden God, Ancient God, Divine Lord, Divine Sovereign.)
Lady, you liedâeighty percent death chance? Itâs more like ninetyânine percent! The chasm between Ancient and Golden is vast! Youâd drag me to certain death! Ye Yu opened his mouth to protest, but Han Yuexi whirled and clamped his mouth shut.
âDonât speak. Prepare to rewind time! Iâll give you what you need!â Her voice echoed in his mindâand only then did Ye Yu grasp her meaning: in the dream, death awakened you back to the dreamâs startâone could call it timeârewind and resurrection. No wonder she faced nearâimpossible odds. It wasnât madness but faith in his help.
Alas, this was reality: die here, and there would be no revival. Ye Yu tried to explain, but a powerful force shoved him backward, smashing through a barrier and ejecting him from the pitchâblack void. In an instant, light returned. He found himself still in the unfamiliar gorge, but now a black barrier stood between him and Han Yuexiâs spot inside.
Staring at the goddess determined to court death, Ye Yu was dumbfounded. How could a deity act so recklessly? He instinctively wanted to fleeâafter all, AncientâGod power was an insurmountable mountain for him. Without that protective array, even the residual energy of their clash could obliterate a newcomer like himself. Simply peeking would be a luxury. Better to runâand run fast!
Yet recalling their first meeting in the Divine Realm, Ye Yuâs heart softened. He could go, but at least he owed her a warning: âI donât have timeârewind or revival powersâplease, donât die here. Itâs not worth it!â
The reckless goddess!
Before Ye Yu could find a way to reach Han Yuexi, the barrier shattered in a flash. A figure flew out and crashed heavily at Ye Yuâs side.