Chapter Forty-Five: Have I Become an Immortal Again?

"The God of Darkness! How can this be? Is darkness truly about to descend?"
For a moment, everyone was at a loss. If darkness were to arrive, what would become of this world?
This seemed even more terrifying than previous calamities, akin to an apocalypse...
"Only a true Celestial can resist! Doesn't that mean, in all the world, only the elder can offer any opposition?"
At that moment, someone suddenly voiced this concern, and instantly—all eyes turned to Ye Qiu.
"That's right! The elder is an unrivaled Celestial! With him here, what demon god isn't easily slain?"
Everyone came to a sudden realization, as if hope had dawned. After all, Ye Qiu had just casually suppressed eighteen demon gods, a display of supreme power that stunned all present.
Moreover, he hadn’t even acted personally—he had relied solely on his immortal treasures to destroy those demon gods. If he were to act himself, surely it would be even more frightening.
"A Celestial! What nonsense are these demon gods? In the elder's presence, they are but weeds, utterly insignificant..."
Voices rang out in unison, and the scene grew lively.
Ye Qiu was left momentarily speechless...
What the...?
How did this end up involving me?
Please, when you boast, could you leave me out of it? Brag about yourselves if you must!
I’m really not some Celestial! How did you all end up calling me that?
Ye Qiu was completely bewildered. Were they all mad? He was just an ordinary man. Though he had a bit of cultivation, to have him face the God of Darkness? Wasn’t that sending him to his death?
No way would he do something so suicidal.
Of what use was that little bit of cultivation? If it was just a little more, perhaps he could accept it, but it was truly only a tiny bit, and worst of all—
Even that little bit, he didn’t know how to use. And they expected him to go up and fight head-on?
He had no combat skills at all. Except for fighting, he was skilled in everything else. Could they not ask him to do something different? Why pick his weakest area?
Ye Qiu was in a complete panic now. He had overdone the act, and now he had even been made out to be a real Celestial.
Apart from playing the zither, writing, and painting, he truly knew nothing else. He could hardly even kill a chicken, and these people—were they insane?
A Celestial? Celestial, my foot. He only had a smidge of cultivation—how could he be a Celestial?
Was this what they called "cloud cultivation," becoming a legend out of thin air?
Just bluffing to the extreme?

"Elder, please, take action and suppress the demon gods—deliver all beings from disaster..."
"Elder’s cultivation is without peer! Surely a true Celestial has descended. Our lives are all in your hands..."
One after another, people knelt halfway, begging Ye Qiu to subdue the demon gods. Inside, Ye Qiu was a nervous wreck.
"Oh no... At this rate, even a lie will become reality! I really can’t do this. Looks like I have no choice but to come clean..."
With a heavy heart, Ye Qiu realized he could no longer keep up the act—if he did, people would really die...
He didn’t want to die! He hadn’t married, and still had so many dreams unfulfilled. He hadn’t even experienced all those show-off moments the transmigrators did—how could he just die like this?
No, he couldn’t die; he had to confess...
Having made up his mind, Ye Qiu was about to admit he was useless, when Yuechan suddenly spoke: "Elder... could it be that you’re afraid?"
Instinctively, Ye Qiu replied, "Huh? How is that possible? Who am I? Is there anything in this world I fear? Absolutely not..."
Goodness, dying for the sake of face?
He instantly regretted his words and wished he could slap himself.
Why the need to keep up appearances, to keep up this act—now he was doomed...
That was the legendary place of doom—what was he showing off for? Why act tough?
This girl—she was clearly setting him up!
Ye Qiu rolled his eyes at her and found her secretly suppressing a laugh. At once, he understood—she had done it on purpose.
He heard her continue, "Oh! Then perhaps I misunderstood. I thought you were afraid, Elder..."
After speaking, Yuechan nearly laughed aloud, thinking, "Serves you right for showing off! Let’s see how you get out of this now..."
She was suddenly unsure—was Ye Qiu truly timid, or was he pretending?
Clearly, he possessed unrivaled cultivation, yet acted so cowardly—nothing like a master should behave.
Just like back then, when he casually produced a painting imbued with supreme immortal arts, and sold it for only ten copper coins...
It was like tossing away a priceless treasure as if it were garbage...
To this day, Yuechan couldn’t understand such behavior, and for years she had pondered this question.
But now, she seemed to glimpse a reason. She glanced at Liu Jianchen, then at herself.
Could it be, she wondered, that he was laying out a grand plan? Was he deliberately spreading these supreme immortal arts to create some peerless talents? But for what purpose?
She couldn’t figure it out! The more she thought, the more baffled she became by Ye Qiu’s motives.
How could she know that Ye Qiu acted this way simply because he was clueless!
He had no idea those paintings he casually made contained supreme immortal arts!
Had Ye Qiu known, he never would have sold them. He acted as he did only because he was unaware.
He was even proud of himself, thinking he was clever for fooling so many people.
He didn’t realize he had accidentally created so many peerless masters...
Hearing Yuechan’s words, and seeing the sly look in her eyes, Ye Qiu realized she had set him up on purpose.
Though annoyed, Ye Qiu could only go along with it.
"Very well! Since it’s come to this, I have to keep up the pretense. If I’m exposed now, I’ll be infamous for all time!
No, I’d rather die a hero than live in disgrace! I can’t back down..."
With resolve, Ye Qiu made up his mind to head to the Forbidden Zone of Darkness, see what was really happening, and look for a chance to slip away...
What!!
Slip away?
Weren’t you just saying you wanted to preserve your honor?
Ye Qiu decided that worries about reputation could wait. First, he’d bluff them, then go to the Forbidden Zone of Darkness himself—if he could solve the problem, all the better; if not, he’d make a hasty retreat.
No one would know, so it wouldn’t be embarrassing. He could find a new place to live well. What was wrong with that?
This Yuechan was clearly set on making things difficult for him. He’d have to keep his distance from her in the future, or risk being set up again.
So beautiful, yet never doing anything beautiful...
So ruthless! All for a single kiss—was it necessary to hold a grudge all these years, never letting it go?
Truly, in these times, you can provoke anyone except a woman—she’ll remember for a lifetime...
Liu Jianchen couldn’t quite figure out the relationship between these two, but didn’t dwell on it. He only said, "Elder, the shattered taboo is still there—we must seal the breach before the God of Darkness awakens, or more demon gods will pour forth from the depths..."
"Yes, you’re right,"
Ye Qiu’s scalp tingled—he wanted to say, what does this have to do with me?
Suddenly his gaze fell upon the two old men, Tian Yifeng and Xiao. At once, Ye Qiu brightened.
Aren’t these the calamity-mongers? Why not send them in first to test the enemy’s strength?
In his heart, Ye Qiu thought: after all, better them than me. He wasn’t one to play the saint—when it came to sacrificing teammates, he was always thorough and merciless.