Ye Yu immediately grew wary.
âWhy are you following me?â he asked.
Hong Zhencheng gave an awkward smile and lowered his voice. âBrotherâno, Supreme God, you and I share the same lineage. As demons, we revere those stronger than us. I sensed your great power and hoped to stay close to learn from you. If you could teach me just a little, it would be my greatest honor.â
At that, Ye Yuâs mind raced. Teaching others was an excellent way to harvest vast amounts of Loyalty Points. After all, his rapid rise from the Demon Realm to the Divine Realm had relied on that very strategy at Jumo Peak. Yet when he met Hong Zhenchengâs earnest gaze, Ye Yu declined.
He had already harvested from him onceâany second attempt would yield at best half as many points, perhaps even less. Moreover, Hong Zhencheng stood at Great God Realm; not so easily fooled as the demons of the Demon Realm. If he sensed no real gain in cultivation, suspicion would followâand Ye Yu had no interest in needless complications.
Besides, a sermon that truly impressed needed an audience. One or two students brought no benefit: no epiphany, no genuine conviction.
âYour path is not mine,â Ye Yu said decisively. âSince you have already entered the Divine Realm, it means you are walking your own path. Only you can guide yourself on it. Do you understand?â
Hong Zhencheng nodded thoughtfully, as if realizing the truth of those words. âIndeed, that makes sense.â He clasped his hands. âThank you, Supreme God, for enlightening me. I spoke rashly. Before we part, please allow one piece of advice: do not crush those storage rings yet. Leave them intact for a whileâperhaps three or five yearsâthen open them one by one. That will be safest.â
Curious, Ye Yu raised an eyebrow. âWhat do you mean?â
In a low voice, Hong Zhencheng explained, âYou have just arrived in the northern Divine Realmâyou may not know this. The gods in purple robes belong to the Funeral Burial Divine Alliance, and those in blue robes to the Seven Treasures Divine Alliance. The latter pose no problem, but each storage ring issued by the Funeral Burial Divine Alliance carries a sealing talisman. If you attempt to force one open, the alliance will immediately detect it and lock onto your location. They even claim thereâs a FiveâSecond Projection Stone functionâthough Iâm not sure if thatâs true.â
He paused, then continued earnestly, âOf course, I believe you fear no god alliance. But the Funeral Burial Divine Alliance is notorious for acting like rabid dogs. You do not want to be harried by themâso I offer this warning in good faith.â
Ye Yuâs expression flickered with amusement. âThey really go that far?â He shook his head. âTheir method is deviousâbut effective, I admit. At least it gives their members a measure of security. Even if they fall, their alliance avenges them. But for newcomers like meâvery unfriendly. Had you not warned me, I might have walked right into it. Being hunted by a divine alliance would be far from worth it.â
He feigned regret. âAlas, I have been in seclusion too long and lost touch with the Divine Realm. Tell me, young friend, will you also wait three or five years before opening yours? Or is there a shortcut?â
Hong Zhencheng beamed. âMe? I am of Wuliang Hallâbitter enemies of the Funeral Burial Divine Alliance. I can return to them and ask someone to remove the seal without hesitation.â
Ye Yuâs lips twitched. What a slap in the face! Why not say so earlier?
Suppressing his irritation with a forced smile, Ye Yu handed the storage rings back. âThen please, help me. Return to the alliance and break their seals. I will owe you my thanks.â
Hong Zhencheng examined the rings, then laughed. âIn that case, Supreme God, why not accompany me back to the alliance as my guest? Once the seals are lifted, I can hand everything directly to you.â
Ye Yu glanced indifferently at the rings. These gods he had just fought against were no higher than Heavenly God Realm. They should possess few resources. Was Hong Zhencheng so foolish as to risk enmity over such meager spoils?
Yet he agreed to visit Wuliang Hall.
Along the journey, Hong Zhencheng assumed Ye Yuâs long seclusion had dulled his awareness and eagerly filled him in on current Divine Realm affairsâinformation Ye Yu found quite valuable. He also grew intrigued by Wuliang Hall. A divine alliance whose motto amounted to âIf you donât yield, we fightââhow had they survived? They sparred with one group after another, and none of them were topâtier powers.
Night fell. Under Hong Zhenchengâs guidance, Ye Yu arrived at Wuliang Hall. It was far smaller than Wuzhong Mountain and its architecture lacked the flashy designs of those selfâaggrandizing sects. Yet it brimmed with godsâand each one clutching a Communication Stone â NĐŸvĐ”lŃĐłht â (Donât copy, read here) spoke as though delivering a battle proclamation.
âDamn! If you wonât yield, letâs settle this now!â
âName your target and Iâll go crush them!â
âLooking for someone? Donât make me laugh. You forgot Iâm of Wuliang Hall!â
Hong Zhencheng blushed at their bluntness and whispered, âTheyâre all combatants, Supreme God, but sincere in their own wayâthat I guarantee!â
Ye Yu merely smiled and nodded.
Soon they reached a side hall, where an elder stood with his back to them. His remaining strands of hair fluttered in the breeze.
Hong Zhencheng bowed respectfully. âElder Ge, please assist with these matters.â
The old man slowly turned, his gaze locking onto Ye Yu.