The sudden upheaval made everyone’s heart skip a beat.
The Envoy let out a cackling laugh.
“Bet you never saw that coming—I still had an ace up my sleeve. A wily old fox who’s lived for centuries can’t possibly lose to some snot-nosed kid who’s barely been around for twenty years, right?”
The Envoy’s original body was charred and mangled beyond recognition, his already aged form now even more hideous to behold.
“Yutaka Kamiyo, how pathetic—you actually forced me to step in myself!” the voice said coldly.
Su Mo furrowed his brow. Something about the soul inside the Envoy’s body felt deeply off—there was no way it was Gen Tianxiu.
“This humble servant welcomes the arrival of the Supreme God.”
Supreme God… Yamata-no-Orochi?
Yamata-no-Orochi ignored him entirely, locking his gaze onto Su Mo instead. Killing intent radiated from him like a tidal wave: “A mere mortal dares to wound me? Perfect—let’s settle old and new scores together.”
Only Su Mo and Ye Qingyi knew what the “old scores” referred to. Everyone else was utterly baffled.
However, Yamata-no-Orochi didn’t strike Su Mo. In fact, not only did he hold back, but he clutched his head in agony and roared: “You… you actually stabbed me in the back?!”
Then his expression turned resolute. “You don’t deserve to be a god—you’re nothing but a demon. I won’t let you hurt them.”
“This body is mine to command now. A mere human like you has no right to stop me.”
“I’m just a fragment of your soul. If I die, you can’t keep living either.”
“You lunatic! Why would you betray me for outsiders?! Argh—”
Amid a chaotic storm of twisted screams and roars, the scorched body suddenly fell still. Everyone held their breath, staring intently, waiting for the outcome.
After a long moment, the voice finally spoke: “I can’t hold on much longer. I’ll send you all out first.”
Only then did Su Mo and the others breathe a sigh of relief.
As the teleportation passageway opened, Blake slammed a heavy palm straight onto the Envoy’s head, only stopping when the man had completely stopped breathing.
Su Mo was the last to leave, with Ye Qingyi beside him.
He asked, “What are you planning to do?”
Gen Tianxiu gave a bitter smile. “I have to pay for the sins I’ve committed. My master long ago fused a sliver of Yamata-no-Orochi’s consciousness into my soul, all so he could be resurrected one day. So I’ll end this once and for all—by taking my own life!”
The moment Su Mo stepped through the passage, Gen Tianxiu drove his sword into his own heart, cutting and twisting repeatedly until he lost his very last ounce of strength.
…
A large crowd had gathered in the shrine’s plaza. Every single divine servant who hadn’t been taken into the secret realm by the Envoy had been rounded up here.
The Beast God stood like a raging bull—just glaring at them was enough to leave them paralyzed with fear.
Suddenly, the space above the plaza warped, and eight figures materialized out of nowhere.
The fastest to react was Ye Qingyu, who flashed to Su Mo and Ye Qingyi’s side in an instant, checking them for injuries.
By now, Su Mo had dropped his disguise, revealing his true appearance.
“Sis,” the two of them said in unison.
Ye Qingyu scolded Su Mo angrily: “That was a demigod-level existence, and you—a mere Snow Mountain realm cultivator—what were you thinking showing off like that?! What if something had happened to you, huh?”
Even though she was angry, Su Mo felt a warmth spread through his heart.
He hung his head like a child caught misbehaving, ready to accept whatever punishment came.
Ye Qingyu let out a long sigh, visibly more relaxed now. She pointed at the two of them and said teasingly, “I don’t care—I want emotional compensation. You two figure it out. If you don’t cheer me up properly, I’ll make sure you two break up.”
Su Mo and Ye Qingyi exchanged bewildered glances.
Is this really something a biological sister would say?
Suddenly, Su Mo felt a chill run down his spine. Turning his head, he saw Satō I, the leader of the Samurai Cult, cradling his injured sister Satō Mima in his arms, his gaze icy cold.
Su Mo didn’t linger on that look for long. He quickly shifted his attention back to the others as Ye Qingyu led them over to Yin Tianxi.
“This is Elder Tian Shu.”
“Greetings, Elder Tian Shu.”
Ye Qingyi had already met him before, but this was Su Mo’s first time. He hurriedly offered his respects, looking so well-behaved that anyone would take a liking to him.
“Ye Qingyi, is it? Excellent—you’re every bit as impressive as your sister. Xiao Xuanzi has mentioned you many times, which shows he holds you in high regard as well.”
Nangong Xuan coughed awkwardly beside them. “Master, cut me some slack…”
Yin Tianxi shot him a look. “I address Qin Xun as a brother, which makes you and Qingyi fellow disciples. Since we’re all family, why be so formal?”
Nangong Xuan’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. “Fine…”
As old as his master was, his sharp tongue was even sharper than before.
After the eight young people had been rescued and exchanged pleasantries with their own people, Fern called them together, mainly to ask about the fate of the Envoy and his crew, as well as Su Mo’s experiences inside.
Su Mo knew exactly what to say and what to keep to himself. After he finished, Fern nodded in satisfaction. “So now we have four Chosen Ones: the powerhouse Weier, the Night God Blake, the Serpentine Ye Qingyi, and the Mother God Su Mo.”
“Ye Qingyi showed both wisdom and courage—not only escaping from a demigod-level enemy but also saving so many young elites. Chairman Fern, aren’t you going to show some appreciation?” Yin Tianxi chimed in with a sly tone.
Fern shot him a resentful glance, then laughed heartily at Su Mo. “Of course. Here’s a special auction card—it’ll let you purchase any item directly at the Starlight Auction for just ten percent of its final price.”
Su Mo politely waved his hand in refusal. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly—that’s too generous. As young people, we should be doing our part. It’s all for the greater good of humanity…”
It wasn’t until Yin Tianxi said with a beaming smile, “Take it—you’ve earned it,” that Su Mo gratefully accepted the card with profuse thanks.
Almost all of the top experts from around the world witnessed this scene. They all came to know a girl named Ye Qingyi—just nineteen years old, yet she had accomplished something that others might not achieve even if they lived to ninety-one.
Over the next few days, various organizations used “cleansing the remnants of the shrine” as an excuse to plunder the wealth the shrine had accumulated over the years. But they came up empty-handed. Only Satō I wore a smirk of disdain.
Left with nothing, the powerhouses had no choice but to head home dejectedly.
When it came time to part, Sakurai Mei didn’t dare say goodbye to Su Mo directly. She could only convey her feelings through her eyes, and Su Mo returned the gesture.
Then he quickly glanced at Ye Qingyi, worried she might misunderstand. But to his surprise, she was all smiles, not a hint of displeasure on her face.
“Alright, let’s head back now.” Ye Qingyi’s spirits were high.
“Back where?”
“Home, of course! Your parents miss you so much.”
Su Mo pouted. “More like they miss their daughter-in-law, I bet—especially since I’m still wearing your face right now.”
Ye Qingyi didn’t deny it, but her ears turned red.
“Hey, hey, hey—her family is standing right here, you know. If I don’t give my blessing, you two aren’t getting together.” Ye Qingyu was thoroughly annoyed by them flaunting their relationship right in front of her. “And if you don’t leave now, I’m going ahead without you. Then you can take a plane back on your own.”
Ye Qingyi: “No, no, no—I want my sister to take me!”
Su Mo: “Same here!”
