Chapter 72: Fires Break Out in Both Camps’ Backyards. A Victorious Reunion? Or a Backyard Fire…

Chapter 72: Fires Break Out in Both Camps' Backyards. A Victorious Reunion? Or a Backyard Fire...

Mountain peak. Diwu City.

Looking out, battle-ready warriors in black armor stretched as far as the eye could see, like a tide, reflecting shimmering light.

The dark red clouds were darkened.

Behind the clouds, the black-glinting "Sun Shuttle" blended seamlessly with the solemn, murderous atmosphere everywhere.

Length after length of black-gold dragon bones were being transported from all directions.

After thousands of years of brutal struggle against the Evil Demon God, the Divine Dragon Clan had successfully devised some methods to restrict and weaken Him.

The dragon bones deep within the earth's strata, tempered and forged over long ages by underground magma and fire, had become the hardest material; the indomitable will of the dragon souls within the bones was precisely a powerful force capable of resisting the Evil Demon God.

The Great Shaman led the people in gathering the dragon bones to construct magic arrays.

One after another, dragon bone arrays stood tall on the front lines, like unbreachable dikes, blocking the divine descent.

The dragon race had long vanished into the dust of history, but the precious legacy they left behind still protected the clans living on this land.

By the way, the so-called Evil Spirits clan, of course, did not call themselves "Evil Spirits."

Now they called themselves the Divine Dragon Clan.

The warriors of the Divine Dragon Clan looked up and saw the Great Shaman once again seal the Evil Demon God's will back into the abyss.

He would not descend for now.

Seizing this precious and brief opportunity, the Divine Dragon Clan people swiftly transported dragon bones and built dense defensive lines at the border between the two realms.

One after another, arrays gleaming with black-gold luster sprang up from the ground in the blink of an eye, transforming with crisp, clean precision with every passing moment—it was simply miraculous.

The two Dharma Protectors whispered to each other.

Round-faced Dharma Protector: "If we let the Evil Demon God pass, the Great Shaman will get beaten by the Fate Master."

Although they called their own clan the Divine Dragon Clan, the Evil Demon God was still the Evil Demon God.

Tiger-Fang Dharma Protector warned: "Remember to maintain discipline in the ranks, reiterate the rules. The closer we get to this critical juncture, the more we cannot slack off for a moment."

Round-faced Dharma Protector drawled: "The soldiers all know that—"

The two of them looked out together over the boundless land.

"The Great Shaman rescued us all, but he himself is always so lonely."

"Now it's good. The Great Shaman and the Fate Master are finally about to reunite."

"Even though the Fate Master is now a man, it's still better than being dead."

"Probably... right."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit made a triumphant return, fighting more fiercely the longer the battle went.

Any part of its body could sprout branch-like long arms, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, impossible to guard against.

To prevent the shockwaves of battle from leaking out and harming the innocent, it let out bizarre howls, its branches growing wildly, trapping that plump, pale divine official of the Dongxuan Cultivators within the courtyard ruins.

Wu He watched, dumbfounded.

Li Xueke was the Human Emperor's reincarnation, and now even this weird foxtail thing had become so powerful.

They and he were no longer in the same world.

He smiled self-deprecatingly: "Not everyone gets the chance to be the protagonist."

An ordinary person like him was now separated from his former companions by an unbridgeable chasm.

"Pat."

A hand landed on his shoulder.

Fu Yu stepped calmly up beside him: "You mustn't think that way."

Wu He was visibly shaken, his heart couldn't help but pound faster: "..."

What did she mean by that?

Was he not ordinary? Could it be that he, too, had an unusual destiny? Someone as low-energy, drifting and waiting for death as him, could he also...

Wu He's pupils trembled, his heart suspended, holding his breath, he looked nervously at Fu Yu.

Fu Yu wore an expression of utter certainty: "Of course there's only one protagonist, and that's me."

Wu He: "...? ...? ...?"

A surge of agitated, pent-up breath that had risen to his throat was forcibly swallowed back, choking him until his eyes rolled.

Fine, fine. In her eyes, everyone present was trash.

He understood. 🙂

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The plump white divine official unleashed spell after spell. White-hot glowing palm prints blasted toward the Foxtail Grass Spirit.

Dongxuan cultivators were terrifyingly powerful. The iron-hard palm prints were as solid as substance, with the force of ten thousand *jun*. With each palm print released, the surrounding space trembled faintly.

Wu He nervously clenched his fists.

He wanted to see this weird thing get its due, but he absolutely did not want to see it get its due at the enemy's hands.

Layer upon layer of palm prints surged toward the Foxtail Grass Spirit like giant waves.

It let out a strange laugh, swung its branches to block in front of itself. Where the palm prints exploded, the grass roots and branches were covered with a thick, hard cocoon of bark.

The sound of metal clashing reverberated in waves.

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"

A great burst of steam erupted among the ruins, along with the smell of scorched iron and sparks, dispersing in all directions.

Several streets away, a monkey dead asleep on a counter jolted awake, its nose twitching, craning its neck to look left and right.

"Huh?! Huh?!"

Suddenly, it really wanted to fight!

It bared its fangs, chittering as it bounded out.

The drowsy Yellow-robed Cultivators scrambled up: "Brother Monkey! Brother Monkey, where are you going? Wait for us!"

In the ruins, the mist gradually dissipated, and visibility cleared.

Ancient tree branches blotted out the sky, with roots deeply embedded even between the shattered floor tiles.

Wherever the palm strikes swept through, layers of roots snapped apart.

But in the blink of an eye, fresh, green shoots emerged from the broken ends, and in another moment, they shot up like summer weeds.

The portly, big-eared divine official was nearly drained of spiritual energy, bent over, hands on knees, and panting heavily.

Suddenly, he was enveloped in shadow.

He looked up in astonishment to see countless branches and leaves, like live snakes, had crawled to within less than a zhang of him.

His heart and courage shattered in an instant. His pupils shook as the thickest branch suddenly bulged!

Like a giant wave, like a massive serpent.

With a *boom*, it struck him squarely in the chest, piercing through layers of thick flesh and embedding itself into his soft, vital organs.

"Pfft."

The divine official's eyes bulged, his mouth forced wide open by the impact, and he choked up a few drops of blood.

Before he could react, the deeply embedded branch had already taken root and sprouted inside him, piercing through his meridians and dantian one by one.

"Aiya!"

His opponent suddenly shouted, avoiding his vital points, and hoisted him into the air.

The divine official's gaze grew unfocused, staring blankly as his body traced a long arc through the cold night wind.

He felt as if he had been placed on a platter, "offered" to someone.

Dark fear engulfed him.

He wanted to resist, but with the slightest struggle, the branches embedded deep in his body felt like thousands of steel needles piercing his flesh, making life worse than death.

"Hack... cough..."

"Bang!"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit mercilessly slammed him down in front of Fu Yu.

Its eyes gleamed brightly as it excitedly sought credit: "Master! Finishing blow!"

Fu Yu was delighted.

"Very good."

She looked down and saw the man's pupils trembling wildly, his soul already half-scared away.

How the world had gone downhill—that such a worthless creature could appear before her thousands of years later and become her opponent.

Fu Yu sincerely declared, "You should feel honored to die by my hand."

The dying divine official: "..."

The onlookers: "..."

The way she was acting was truly evil and brazen!

Fu Yu's hand left the divine official's head.

She used a Soul Search technique on him, ensuring his soul scattered, never to be reborn.

Just as she was withdrawing her hand, her arm was suddenly yanked down.

"Squeak—squeak-wah!"

The monkey dropped from the sky like a meteor, crashing onto Fu Yu's arm.

"Crack."

The sinister, arrogant expression froze on her face—her Foundation Establishment-level body couldn't bear the weight. Fu Yu's arm was fractured.

Before Fu Yu could speak, the Foxtail Grass Spirit bared its teeth in a snarl and leaped forward.

"You! You damned monkey!"

The monkey and the grass spirit tangled into a brawl.

"Speak! Hey! Speak!"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit poked the monkey hard. "What are you doing? Playing dumb? Speak!"

The monkey hunched into a crouch, like a furry cashew nut. With each poke, it shuffled sideways.

It muttered quietly, "Filthy evil creature."

Fu Yu's right arm was in a cast, slung in front of her. She raised her other intact hand and waved it.

"Forget it," she sighed, exhausted. "Let me catch my breath."

She was used to this being an ordinary monkey, and the monkey was used to pretending to be an ordinary monkey in front of her.

"Let's handle the main business first. The fight can wait."

The battle's commotion was too loud to hide from the Divine Court.

The group left the city overnight.

As the flying vessel ascended, Fu Yu sat cross-legged in meditation, her fingers twitching slightly. "Head toward the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. I'll make He Yingkong's backyard catch fire."

The monkey was long accustomed to her ways.

It quietly squeezed over, nudging the Paper Effigy Boy aside, and slipped under Fu Yu's fingers, letting her stroke its soft, fine fur.

Paper Effigy Boy: "???"

You, an Ancient Demon Monkey, don't need to be so obsequious!!!

Fu Yu once again infiltrated Goddess Yuetong's dreams.

Finding the pampered woman trying on new clothes in front of a mirror, Fu Yu sneered coldly.

"Dream-Killing Incantation."

Dazed, Goddess Yuetong suddenly forgot the present moment.

She sat before a golden-threaded nanmu dressing table, a golden pearl floral ornament pinched between her fingertips, staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror.

A memory flooded her mind like a voiceover.

Ah… she remembered now. She was the prime minister’s daughter who had “secured” a handsome top scholar as her husband immediately after the imperial examination results were posted.

His name was He… His name was Qin Qianzhu.

An elderly servant approached with a bow. “Miss, the young master… he’s gone to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion again.”

Goddess Yuetong frowned, unconsciously raising a hand to stroke her flower-like, jade-like face.

“He’s gone to see that ugly woman again?”

She sprang to her feet and strode out.

She had to see for herself what was truly happening—to verify whether everyone was lying to her, and whether that woman was indeed neither old nor ugly.

Arriving outside the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Goddess Yuetong narrowed her eyes and looked up.

She saw a figure in cyan robes seated by a second-floor window—graceful as a gentle breeze, luminous as the bright moon.

Something felt off—was this really her husband? Why did he feel so familiar, yet so strange?

Then she spotted the Old Charlatan downstairs.

That woman was truly unremarkable in appearance; it was difficult to feel even the slightest sense of threat from her.

But when she saw the handsome top scholar upstairs quietly instruct a waiter to send a plate of duck meat to that woman, the flames in her heart instantly roared three zhang high.

“I want her dead.”

The elderly servant advised, “That woman once saved the young master’s life. If she dies, I fear it may only deepen his affection for her.”

“I don’t care,” Goddess Yuetong declared arrogantly. “Kill her.”

As expected, the ugly woman’s death caused no ripple whatsoever.

Goddess Yuetong sat before her dressing table, gazing at Qin Qianzhu’s subtly restrained expression reflected in the mirror, and couldn’t help curling her lips. In a delicate, coquettish voice, she said, “Husband, blend some incense for me.”

“Alright.” Qin Qianzhu rolled up his sleeves. His slender, writing-brush-holding fingers picked up the incense spoon, imbuing his entire being with an air of elegance.

Goddess Yuetong was thoroughly satisfied.

The two drew each other into the bed. Layer upon layer of gauze fell, yet clearly rhythmic shadows remained visible.

Fu Yu, Master of Dreams: “…”

Seething with impotent fury! Frustrated and exasperated!

Was *this* what she had come to witness?! Ah?!

With a flick of her sleeve, time flew like a shuttle.

Goddess Yuetong, immersed in deep affection and intimacy, suddenly found herself sitting before the dressing table once more.

Goddess Yuetong: “…”

They say a single night of spring passion is worth a fortune in gold—yet these nights passed so swiftly, it felt as though no time had elapsed at all.

“Qianzhu, Qianzhu,” she stroked her face and sighed softly. “Life is short. I truly wish to spend thousands—tens of thousands—of years with you.”

When it was time for him to return from his usual duties, Qin Qianzhu did not come back.

Goddess Yuetong rose, flicking her sleeve. “That woman is dead—where has he gone off to now?!”

A servant rushed in to report. “The young master, he, he, he…”

Goddess Yuetong grew greatly displeased. “Stop stammering! What about him?!”

The servant wiped his sweat. “He was taken away by an immortal!”

Goddess Yuetong was stunned.

The servant gasped for breath. “The young master is actually from an immortal clan—the Heying family! Miss! The young master is an immortal!”

Goddess Yuetong furrowed her two smoky-dark eyebrows.

Heying… This surname—why did it feel so bone-deep familiar?

Dazedly, she felt her husband *should* have been called Heying… yet he was clearly Qin Qianzhu…

Qin Qianzhu… Heying… Heying… Kong?

She tilted her head slightly, pulling her lips into a smile. “That’s good news. If my husband is an immortal, he will surely take me to the immortal mountains. I wonder how immortal life differs from the mortal world?”

Another servant stumbled in frantically. “Miss! Miss! Terrible news! Terrible news! The young master has returned—with the immortals!”

Goddess Yuetong’s heart skipped a beat; fierce yet hollow anger rose on her face. “What’s all this fuss about?!”

The servant cried out shrilly. “He sealed the mansion—he said he wanted to—”

A flash of sword-light blazed before her eyes.

Goddess Yuetong felt warmth on her body—a spray of hot blood splashed all over her.

The servant was severed cleanly in two right before her.

She looked up in terror to see two teams of cultivators flanking her husband as he walked step by step toward her.

She had never seen such coldness on his face before.

“Husband…” she forced a smile. “What are you doing? Where’s Father? Where is my father?”

*Thud.*

A head rolled to her feet.

Goddess Yuetong looked down, clutched her own cheeks, and let out a scream—

Goddess Yuetong's body trembled, her gaze unsteady as she looked at him.

His expression was icy and unfamiliar, a trace of triumphant amusement curling at the corner of his lips. "A Prime Minister? What's that? In the eyes of an immortal, he's nothing but an ant."

The pain was so extreme she momentarily forgot her fear. "You said you loved me!"

"I lied. Did you actually believe that?" He chuckled softly. "Tell me, what about you is worthy of love? You're just a spoiled, overbearing brat who throws your weight around. You treated me like a dog—did you know that in my eyes, you're even less than a dog?"

It dawned on her. "You hate me... for that ugly woman... you hate me!"

"Correct," he admitted without hesitation. "A gentleman's revenge may wait ten years. I'll slaughter your entire family to honor her spirit."

Gnashing her teeth, her hatred surged like a tidal wave. "Qin Qianzhu... Qin Qianzhu!"

A sharp, piercing pain shot through her heart. Goddess Yuetong clutched her chest and screamed, jolted awake from the dream.

"Ahhh! Qin Qian—"

She was dumbstruck.

Qin Qianzhu?

It was just a dream.

She wasn't the Prime Minister's daughter, and her husband wasn't the top scholar Qin Qianzhu.

Goddess Yuetong pressed a hand to her chest and let out a long, shaky breath.

Just as her heart was settling back into place, her body trembled again.

No, wait! That's wrong, wrong, wrong!

Qin Qianzhu—wasn't that her husband He Yingkong's incarnation?

Hold on... husband, He Yingkong.

Qin Qianzhu was recognized by the immortal clan and became He Yingkong!

Before she could fully piece it together, her body jolted as if struck by lightning, a shock shooting up her spine with an icy, numbing chill.

Qin Qianzhu... He Yingkong.

Was this just a dream, or did it actually happen?

After Qin Qianzhu was acknowledged by the Crane Shadow Family and gained power, the first thing he did was mercilessly wipe out the Prime Minister's entire household.

A reflexive laugh almost escaped Goddess Yuetong—she liked it when her husband was ruthless toward other women.

But her smile vanished instantly.

What difference was there between herself and the Prime Minister's daughter?

She had woken from the dream, yet remembering the "herself" in it felt like looking into a mirror.

With a trembling voice, Goddess Yuetong summoned her divine attendant. "Go, find me that woman's portrait! The mistress his incarnation kept on the side! I want to know what she looks like, now! Immediately!"

The attendant obeyed, but was called back before crossing the threshold.

Turning, she saw Goddess Yuetong's face deathly pale, her voice shaking. "Yes, and Qin Qianzhu's portrait too. Bring me Qin Qianzhu's as well!"

Her husband had pampered her too well. Knowing he had an incarnation, knowing that incarnation kept a woman, he had coaxed her into never looking, never thinking about it.

Please... let it not be what she feared...

By the time she crushed the one hundred and thirtieth spirit incense, the attendant returned.

Goddess Yuetong's trembling hands took the two portraits.

"Rip—"

Moments later, a heart-wrenching scream echoed through the divine hall.

Qin Qianzhu was indeed Qin Qianzhu.

And the concubine looked exactly like that woman.

Many years later, he had used his incarnation to craft a dream for himself.

The flying ship headed for the territory of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.

Suddenly, an ethereal aura approached from the horizon. Where the void was torn, streaks of lightning crackled, held back but ready to strike.

The monkey bared its teeth, fur bristling.

Everyone's hearts sank into their stomachs. "...The Sage is chasing us! We truly shouldn't have gotten Lord involved!"

Fu Yu waved a hand. "It's fine."

Since the trouble had already been diverted eastward, it was up to Double Heaven to handle it.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than another vast, ethereal aura surged forward to meet it.

"Boom!"

Thunderous light tore across the sky!

The three Demi-gods had exchanged a blow before even revealing themselves.

"Skulking in the shadows..." Emperor Wugu's voice boomed like a bell, shaking heaven and earth. "Is that you, Little Yuqing?"

The Sage of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance remained silent, solely channeling the power of heaven and earth.

Strange phenomena erupted across the sky and land. This was his territory; leveraging the advantage of home ground, he openly blocked the two Sages from advancing.

Li Xueke struggled to steer the flying ship through the raging winds.

Though it rocked and swayed, they successfully navigated through the thunderstorm zone and drifted into safe territory.

A thousand miles away, Emperor Wugu and He Yingkong exchanged a glance.

Father-in-law and son-in-law joining forces might just be enough to slay this traitor.

Suppressing the heat in his heart, He Yingkong calmly spoke. "I'll cover you, Father-in-law."

Emperor Wugu knew a Diviner wasn't suited for direct combat and nodded. "Watch and learn."

He Yingkong smiled. "Yes."

Emperor Wugu raised his wide sleeves.

The vast firmament transformed into a sea.

The heavens and earth changed color, a cataclysmic tsunami surged as if a deity had reached out to grasp the stars and hurled them down with a thunderous crash!

"Hiss—"

The flying vessel, which had drifted outside the conflict zone, was pushed hundreds of miles away by the terrifying wall of energy in the time of a single breath.

Li Xueke, piloting the vessel: "Ho-ho-holy crap!"

Everyone felt as if they were being flattened by the wind.

The already flat Paper Effigy Boy simply plastered himself entirely onto the table, turning into a pattern with no thickness.

This roaring tidal wave crashed toward their side's Demi-god.

Suddenly, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth shifted.

A colossal black-and-white Taiji Diagram abruptly emerged.

It rotated slowly, and for a moment, even the stars in the sky seemed distorted, dizzying to behold.

The colossal wave of heaven and earth rushing toward them was reversed, dissolving into nothingness.

In an instant, the wind calmed and the waves stilled.

Everyone stared dumbfounded: "The might of a Saint is truly terrifying!"

Just as the other side prepared to strike again, they suddenly saw a meteor streak across the sky, hastily arriving before the two Divine Court Saints.

"Saint, the Divine Maiden is in trouble!"

The entire world seemed to hold its breath.

Immediately, the overwhelming battle intent receded like the tide.

Emperor Wugu's voice rumbled through: "Little Yuqing, next time we meet, I will surely execute you, traitor!"

After a long pause, a scornful sneer echoed in the wind: "Hah!"

The provocation was utterly unabashed.

All returned to tranquility.

"Huh? Huh? They left? They really left!" Li Xueke widened his eyes. "They just stopped fighting like that?!"

Fu Yu waved her hand: "As I said, their backyard is on fire."

Everyone was so impressed they could have prostrated themselves, showering Fu Yu with endless flattery that left her floating on air.

"Tap."

A deliberate footstep landed on the flying vessel.

Their ally had arrived.

The two groups of powerful figures successfully joined forces.

Fu Yu rose with unflappable calm, smiling as she welcomed the guest.

"?!!!"

The moment she saw the visitor's face, a thunderbolt of shock rolled through Fu Yu's mind.

Why him? How could it be him?

Fu Yu remained composed, maintaining a calm smile: "Double Heaven, please."

This immortal-like Demi-god before her was actually an old acquaintance with a grudge—Jun Bu Du's words, "I kill you for your own good," were originally addressed to this one's own mother.

He was actually Double Heaven!

The backyard is on fire! The backyard is on fire!