Ge Lao lightly tapped his fingertip, and the Water Moon Mirror Flower appeared on the ground. Before them lay Xie Buyu, quietly resting on a smooth jade slab, her eyes closed and her face pale.
Ye Yu could not help but feel surprised. âThis woman actually survived? Werenât humanoid tyrannosaurs supposed to be unbeatable?â
Before he could speak, Ge Lao said, âThe moment the Grand Limit Hallâs array was destroyed, I sensed it and rushed over. Although I couldnât save the others, she held on long enough. I drove off Rong Bihuai and brought her back. But the Xuanba Shitian Axe was lost there.â
At those words, Ye Yu froze. In his eyes, Ge Lao suddenly seemed towering, his distinctive slit eyes shining brightly. To claim he had driven back Rong Bihuaiâwhat an understatement! Could Ge Lao himself be a Divine Monarchâlevel powerhouse? Truly, great masters hid in plain sight.
Ye Yu cupped his hands. âI never imagined you were a Divine Monarchâlevel expert.â
âWho told you I was?â Ge Lao smirked with confidence. âIf cultivation falls short, use a divine artifact. Have you forgotten who I am?â
Ye Yu realized this master indeed lacked no artifacts. A superior divine weapon at his whimânever sparing even a bit. By contrast, Dongfang Yelai became obsessed over a single artifact, betraying father and brothers in the process. Pitiful indeed.
Ye Yu frowned as he thought of his own Slaying Soul Blade, still intangible and unusable. Like an old man window-shopping at the Pleasure Pavilionâable only to look, never to wield.
He wracked his brains, then grabbed Ge Laoâs sleeve. âSenior, I still canât master that wooden blade. Please give me some guidance.â
Ge Lao flicked his sleeve to break free. âDidnât I tell you? Superior artifacts have the quirkiest spirits. I never pamper their bad habits. Either you tame them and force them to serve you, or donât use them at all.â
Ye Yuâs brow furrowed. Tame an artifactâs spirit? He truly did not understand.
Just as he was about to ask again, a sweet-faced goddess approached. She bowed to Ge Lao and spoke in the softest voice, âSenior Ge, our Alliance Lord has sent me to ask when you will be leaving Lieyang Gate.â
Ye Yuâs expression grew peculiar. This didnât make sense. With Ge Laoâs mastery of divine artifacts, he should be a guest of honor anywhere. Why was he being ordered to leave? Had he sinned somehow? Yet the reverence others showed him suggested otherwise. A contradiction.
Ge Lao glanced at Ye Yu, his face awkwardâas embarrassing among friends as a blatant blunder. Clearing his throat, he said, âDonât you see I have a guest? Whatever you need, Iâll speak to our Alliance Lord later.â
The goddess bowed again and walked away without hesitation. After she left, Ge Lao shrugged carelessly. âWeâre close; we speak informally. Pardon her rudeness.â
Ye Yuâs lips curved. Indeed, it was embarrassingâbeing told to leave and still maintaining calm. His cheeks must be thick as mud.
Ge Laoâs gaze flickered. He feared the sudden silence more than open mockery. To save face, he straightened and said, âWhat, you donât believe me?â
Ye Yu only smiled without answering.
Ge Lao blustered, âIf you doubt it, letâs go inside and ask the Alliance Lord ourselves. No exaggerationâwhatever I order her to do, she must obey. Thatâs the rule!â
Ge Laoâs veins pulsed, his stubborn pride visible.
At that moment, the sweet-faced goddess reappeared at the gate, pen and paper in hand. As she wrote, she said, âSenior Ge told me that when he commands the Alliance Lord, she must obeyâthat is the rule.â
Hearing this, Ge Laoâs swagger evaporated. He hurried forward, waving his hands. âXiaocui, you canât write that! I was just joking. Look, I have a divine bracelet that matches your attireâbeautiful and strong. Just tear up that page.â
He produced a jade bracelet from his storage ring and offered it to the goddess, Xiaocui. She glanced at it, pushed it aside, and continued writing, âSenior Ge offered a low-grade divine artifact as a bribe to make me tear up the truth.â
Ge Lao looked on the verge of tears. âXiaocui, you canât do this! If your Lord finds out, I really will be kicked out. Then weâll never ~NĐŸvĐ”lđght~ see each other again!â
Despite his pleas, Xiaocui remained unmoved. Once she finished recording everything, she folded the page, stowed it away, and bowed to Ye Yu. âYou must be Daoist Ye. Our Alliance Lord wishes to see you.â
This left Ye Yu baffledâand gave Ge Lao a lifeline. He leaned close and whispered, âKid, when you meet my daughter, remember to say a good word for me. Make sure I stay in Lieyang Gate. If you succeed, Iâll even help you tame your artifactâs spirit.â
Ye Yuâs eyes widened. âWhat? The Alliance Lord is your daughter?â
No wonder he was here. Yet their relationship seemed strainedâsurely some melodramatic reason. Waitâhad Ye Yu overlooked something crucial? That sly old man promised he couldnât tame spirits, then suddenly offered to help? What a duplicitous double standard!