Chapter 67: Logging Off

With the Grandmaster’s arrival, the once-darkened sky brightened again. The evil miasma around them scattered as if fleeing its natural predator. Even the towering, mountain-like evil god began to tremble in fear.

Yet Ye Yuan didn’t move. He didn’t so much as glance at the massive evil god beside him. His gaze swept coolly across the gathered mortals—and then stopped on Yun Jiao. He stared straight at her, unblinking. His face was calm and distant, yet somehow she could read a hint of… wounded grievance in his eyes.

It practically screamed: Where’s my chicken soup speech?—in big, invisible letters.

Yun Jiao’s mouth twitched. “…”

Chicken soup your sister. Is this really the time for that? Can’t you see the situation? Maybe spare Qingyang Temple some dignity, huh?

(╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻

“You… you’re the Guangji Heavenly Venerable!” the evil god stammered, its enormous body quivering harder, as if about to fall apart. Pure terror radiated from it. There was no mistaking that only the founder of the Mystic Gate could wield such crushing might.

Guangji Heavenly Venerable!

The Celestial Masters were stunned. Summoning any immortal was already unheard of, but to call down the founding ancestor himself? Even ascended patriarchs from countless sects had rarely glimpsed him.

And Daoist Yun… had just casually summoned him?!

(⊙_⊙)

Ye Yuan finally turned his head to the evil god. His brows creased slightly, expression darkening. This filthy lump of trash? My little disciple called me out for this? His eyes dropped briefly to the bowl and chopsticks in his hand.

For some reason… he felt very, very displeased.

(╰_╯)#

“N-no… impossible!” the evil god shrieked, trembling violently. “You cannot appear here… you were supposed to be—”

“Noise,” Ye Yuan said coldly.

So noisy. Can’t you see people are annoyed here?

Without another word, he hurled the bowl.

It streaked like a falling star and struck the evil god with a deafening BOOM. An overwhelming divine pressure cascaded down, slamming the monstrous body into the earth before it could even scream.

At the same time, countless wailing souls burst out of its form—weak, tattered, paper-thin. These were the spirits it had devoured; its very strength was stolen from them.

With the Grandmaster’s single casual strike, the “god” deflated like a punctured balloon, shrinking visibly, powerless to resist. It could only collapse and watch helplessly as the trapped souls fled its body.

…That was it? Over already?

The Celestial Masters and disciples stood frozen. The battle had ended so abruptly they could hardly process it. Their gazes all drifted to the lone object pinning the fallen “god”—that unassuming bowl.

“What a powerful artifact!” Hall Master Xu was the first to exclaim. One strike to crush a god!

“No wonder—it’s surely an immortal weapon,” Elder Jiao murmured, awe in his voice. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“To think we have witnessed the true Guangji Heavenly Venerable. I never dreamed to see such divine might in my lifetime.”

“Does anyone have a memory stone? Quick, record this! Even one trace of such a weapon’s power would be priceless!”

“I don’t have a memory stone, but I’ve got a mirage talisman—wait, let me find it!”

“Quickly, use it—!”

Bai Yu: “…”

Yun Jiao: “…”

Bowl: “…”

MDZZ!

That was just an ordinary soup bowl from Qingyang Temple! Bai Yu bought it at the market—two copper coins each, buy one get one free!

w(Д)w

The evil god’s stolen souls had all been forced out. Its once-mountainous body vanished completely, leaving behind only a knot of fading black smoke, unable to even hold shape.

“No! You can’t kill me!” it wailed, voice breaking with panic. “I hold a godhood—recognized by heaven and earth! Even you, founder of the Mystic Gate, will face heavenly punishment if you destroy me!”

Within the swirling blackness, a faint golden glow sparked to life—weak, but enough to block the Grandmaster’s crushing force for a heartbeat.

Ye Yuan didn’t even glance at it. He merely raised a hand, and his pressure doubled, voice cold and dismissive:

“Filth tainted by scraps of faith dares call itself a god?”

“No—!” the creature managed one last scream before the golden light and black fog were shattered utterly, erased as if they had never been.

It had gained a shred of godhood through centuries of villagers’ worship and their devotion-fed faith, but to Ye Yuan… it meant nothing.

With the false god destroyed, all evil qi dissolved. Sunlight poured down, warm and brilliant. The oppressive chill faded from everyone’s bones.

Above, Ye Yuan looked down once more—straight at Yun Jiao. His face was still calm and remote, but an unmistakable aura of resentful hunger clung to him.

Yun Jiao’s face darkened. After a beat, she nodded slightly.

Only then did Ye Yuan seem appeased. His form turned to golden light and slowly dissipated into the sky.

The disciples and elders finally snapped out of their stunned awe. Realizing the founder was departing, they dropped to their knees in unison, voices rising in reverence:

“Disciples of the Mystic Gate bid farewell to the Ancestor—thank you, Venerable, for descending and saving us!”

Before they could finish, the shining figure had vanished.

At that same moment, a small bamboo tube appeared beside Yun Jiao—palm-sized, unassuming, and twitching lightly as if trying to get her attention.

Yun Jiao quickly pressed it down with her hand to stop the movement.

—Yes, yes, I know you’re empty. Can’t you wait a minute?

_-|||

Meanwhile, everyone else remained kneeling, faces alight with excitement, staring at the empty sky until the sun’s glare made them squint. Finally they turned their eyes toward where the evil god had been vanquished.

“Huh?” one elder suddenly blinked, rubbed his eyes, and then pointed. “Am I seeing things? Look there—is that… the Ancestor’s artifact still on the ground?”

Everyone froze, then swiveled their heads as one.

“It’s real! That’s the very weapon the Ancestor used!”

“Could it be a gift left for us?”

“Perhaps the Venerable intends to pass on some divine teaching through this relic!” Excitement surged. “Truly worthy of the Guangji Heavenly Venerable!”

“Quick, bring it back to the Celestial Masters Hall with care!”

“The Ancestor’s will is beyond mortal comprehension—we must summon all sect leaders to study it!”

They bustled over, wiping their hands nervously before reverently lifting the “artifact.” Their faces glowed with discovery, thrilled beyond measure—completely forgetting the exam was still underway.

Bai Yu: “…”

Yun Jiao: “…”

Bowl: “…”

Suddenly… the upper-volume exam doesn’t feel worth taking anymore. I think my IQ just dropped.

(End of Chapter)