Chapter 1197

Inside the Wuliang Hall Alliance,

Ye Yu reopened the alliance manual and began to read.

On the final page there was indeed a carved stone portrait of a woman. From her features, it could only be Xie Buyu. Yet her hairstyle and expression were completely different. In the photo she smiled gently, her eyes brimming with unshakable confidence, as if she held the entire world in her grasp.

Recalling the Xie Buyu he’d just met, the contrast was staggering. The greatest difference lay in her gaze. One looked like a fresh graduate convinced the world revolved around her; the other resembled a top executive hardened by over a decade in the field, indifferent to everything. Truly, the real Xie Buyu and her portrait were like two different people. No wonder Ye Yu hadn’t recognized her.

It was clear that the position of Wuliang Hall Alliance leader was no easy seat—look what it had done to this woman.

“Shangshen, you’ve returned? I knew you’d be fine!”

Hong Zhencheng’s familiar voice rang out ahead. He bounded over, beaming with unrestrained joy. Ye Yu regarded him calmly and asked softly, “Zhencheng, do you really want me to die?”

“Shangshen, how could I say that?” Hong Zhencheng blurted, waving his hands. “You’re my idol—I respect you more than I can say. Why would I want you dead?”

Ye Yu had returned to Wuliang Hall chiefly to see Hong Zhencheng. Reflecting on his antics, Ye Yu suspected there’d been some hidden trap. He’d vowed to press Hong Zhencheng for any clue—and even kill him if necessary. But in the end he sighed. With the dream system’s aid, Ye Yu truly understood people: the eyes were the windows to the soul. After so many experiences, he could almost tell a lie by a glance. Hong Zhencheng sounded sincere. His past behavior must have been thoughtless rather than malicious—call it genuine honesty or total lack of foresight. He simply underestimated Ye Yu’s power, and his cheeky jibes had yielded surprising results.

“Silly brat, you pass,” Ye Yu muttered, shaking his head.

Hong Zhencheng pressed anxiously, “Shangshen, what’s wrong? Why the sighs and headshakes?”

“Nothing—just stay back. My mother told me not to play with fools.” Ye Yu waved him off.

Hong Zhencheng frowned, “Fools? And... who’s your mother?”

Before he could finish, a massive boot loomed before him, slamming into his face with earthshaking force.

“Get lost!”

Stunned and sporting a boot print, Hong Zhencheng spun to leave. Then he paused. Shangshen had told him to get lost—but hadn’t said to go away. So, with unwavering sincerity, he obeyed literally and rolled along the ground like a tumbling pebble.

Watching the absurd sight, Ye Yu couldn’t help but laugh. How had such an honest demon entered the Divine Realm? By sheer earnestness?

Ye Yu raised his hand and collected the over thirty thousand subjugation points above Hong Zhencheng’s head. As expected, on the second harvest a person’s points plummeted. Even so, Ye Yu reminded himself, every bit counted.

The next day he harvested over a million subjugation points and numerous celestial resources. Half came from the dozen or so gods who’d luckily survived—they were grateful for his lone stand and spread the tale throughout Wuliang Hall. Their astonished glances yielded the remaining points—a delightful bonus.

With these treasures in hand, Ye Yu wasted no time ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) and headed for Elder Ge’s annex. The quality was merely above average; even if he consumed them himself, his cultivation wouldn’t rise much. Better to curry favor—perhaps Elder Ge would gift him a true divine artifact for protection. From yesterday’s battle it was clear that a single fine artifact could turn the tide—like the

Nine Nether Soul-Seizing Umbrella

.

But after only a few steps, Ye Yu stopped short, surprise flashing in his eyes. Nangong Yantian stood not far off, smiling warmly as he waited. A scar now marked his cheek—not marring his looks but lending him a mature air.

That he’d survived was no shock—Wuliang Hall’s top provocateur. Without genuine skill, he’d have been cut down long ago. Yet what amazed Ye Yu was the black umbrella at his hip: the

Nine Nether Soul-Seizing Umbrella

!

So this fellow had faced three enraged Burial Gods Alliance elders, escaped unscathed, and even claimed their artifact? Incredible—especially since their cultivations far exceeded Nangong Yantian’s.

“Tsk, tsk—Ye Yu, I heard from Hong Zhencheng that you single-handedly held off dozens of Burial Gods yesterday. Impressive. Why haven’t I seen you before?”

Nangong Yantian approached when Ye Yu halted, his bright smile slightly forced as if wrenched into place.

Ye Yu replied softly, “I only joined the alliance two days ago. It’s natural the elders haven’t met me. As for stopping dozens alone—it’s true. But if the alliance leader hadn’t intervened, I’d have died. My strength is too low. That’s an indisputable fact.”

He then deliberately revealed his true cultivation: Early True God Realm.