Chapter Fifty-Four: Is This Called the Fruit of the Underworld?

The Celestial Tome—was it really just gone like that?

Ye Qiu stood there in a daze, the corners of his mouth twitching, feeling as if he were in some absurd dream. He had just prepared himself to put on a grand performance, ready to slap faces as the crooked-mouthed war god, only for that so-called Celestial Tome trial card to last no more than a second?

Wasn’t that far too quick? He hadn’t even felt anything before it vanished. Was this some kind of joke?

“Strange. The energy within me seemed to stir just now! That Celestial Tome—I think it was triggered by that power. Could it be… Am I truly someone extraordinary?”

Ye Qiu was baffled. No, something didn’t add up. If he really was so powerful, why couldn’t he wield any abilities? And why were there active and passive skills?

The more he thought, the more confused he became. Earlier, when Yuechan was attacked and he’d shouted “How dare you,” the force within him clearly rippled. Then, a mysterious tome had appeared in his hand. Though its presence was brief, in that fleeting second, everyone had been left in awe.

“Did you see it clearly? What book was that?”

The crowd began to murmur, unsettled by how terrifying that book in Ye Qiu’s hand had seemed.

“I only saw two characters: Celestial Tome!”

“The Celestial Tome? Could it be… the Will of Heaven itself?”

Everyone gasped, shocked to discover Ye Qiu possessed a Celestial Tome, one seemingly even more formidable than the Classic of Mountains and Seas they’d seen before.

“Inconceivable! What sort of being is he, to command the Will of Heaven? Doesn’t that make him one who stands above the heavens themselves?”

At that moment, no one dared doubt Ye Qiu’s power any longer. They were all stunned witless. Even Yuechan was shaken.

She coughed, her face ashen, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth—a clear sign of serious injury. Yet she paid little heed to her wounds, her mind more occupied with Ye Qiu’s abilities.

She murmured to herself, “The Will of Heaven itself! To have been forcibly suppressed… I never expected the gap between us to be so vast. I thought… I thought we had grown so close.”

Her gaze dimmed. All these years of pursuit now seemed utterly meaningless. From the moment she received the painting Ye Qiu had given her, she’d set herself a goal: one day, she would dazzle him. But now, it was clear she was still far from that mark.

Ye Qiu’s strength was unprecedented—unrealized only by himself.

“I can’t figure it out. No matter how I think about it, it makes no sense! But one thing is clear: I must be pretty formidable. No wonder they all keep calling me ‘senior.’ So that’s the reason! Ha… Turns out I’m the clown here, playing as a newbie with an invincible main account!”

The thought made Ye Qiu laugh at himself. He had always assumed that energy within him was useless, but now it seemed the problem wasn’t its power—it was that he had no idea how to use it!

And Ye Qiu was certain: this force was no ordinary thing. If he could master it, he might well suppress all the enemies in the world. The pity was he simply didn’t know how, which was endlessly frustrating.

It was like having nuclear weapons at your disposal but no clue how to launch them; all you could do was let them sit and rust.

Strength aside, not knowing how to use his power was another matter entirely, so Ye Qiu remained weak in practical terms—thick-skinned and heavily defended, but nothing more.

“Are you alright?” Ye Qiu asked, glancing at Yuechan with a hint of concern. Though this girl had always seemed intent on opposing him, she had just thrown herself in harm’s way to shield him.

He felt a surge of emotion—how touching!

Wait… This is such a moving scene, and you people are laughing? Come on, at least shed a tear!

Yuechan, pale as a ghost, replied, “I’m fine, just—” Before she could finish, she plummeted from the sky, fainting dead away.

Good grief, even now she was still trying to hold on? How stubborn could she be?

Ye Qiu quickly urged the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow to fly over, catching Yuechan just in time and lifting her gently in his arms.

“So soft…”

Wait… Is this really the right time for such thoughts? She’s gravely injured—shouldn’t he be focused on healing her?

Slap.

What am I thinking? How could I let my mind wander at a time like this!

“Ahem… Little Red, how is she? Can she be saved?” Ye Qiu asked anxiously. He had no medical skills, as was evident from his earlier attempts to treat Fuyao.

The Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow glanced at Yuechan, speaking with lazy indifference: “Of course she can! With you around, is there anyone in this world you can’t save?”

The sparrow was too dismissive to elaborate—this guy was such a showoff, even at a time like this.

Didn’t he realize the treasures he’d packed before leaving? Was he really going to claim all those elixirs of immortality were just for snacking on the road?

Well, actually… that really was Ye Qiu’s original plan.

“How do I save her? Hurry up, no more nonsense…”

Ye Qiu had no time for idle chatter; Yuechan’s breathing was growing weaker. That blow from the God of Darkness had wounded her at her very core. Without swift intervention, she might soon perish, her very soul dissipating.

Under pressure, the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow reluctantly replied, “Master, why not try feeding her a Yellow Springs Fruit?”

It truly couldn’t tell whether Ye Qiu was clueless or just pretending. With a trove of life-restoring treasures at his disposal, did he not recognize a single one?

“Yellow Springs Fruit? What’s that? Do you have one? Bring it here…”

Ye Qiu blinked in confusion. The name sounded impressive—surely it must be powerful.

After a moment’s hesitation, fearing another beating, the sparrow quickly produced a bright red fruit from the treasure chest Ye Qiu had entrusted to it.

Smack.

Ye Qiu gave it a slap. “What the hell, I asked for a Yellow Springs Fruit, and you give me an apple?”

The sparrow protested its innocence, “Master, this is a Yellow Springs Fruit…”

What?!

Did they call apples Yellow Springs Fruit here?

Ye Qiu was stunned. After eating apples for over a decade, he was being told they were actually Yellow Springs Fruit?

Impossible! He might not know what immortal fruits looked like in this world, but the name alone sounded too formidable for a mere apple. And besides, he’d grown these himself—was this some kind of joke?

“Are you sure this is a Yellow Springs Fruit?”

Ye Qiu couldn’t be sure—illiterate as he was—so he asked again.

The sparrow replied, aggrieved, “It really is, master. You do know what a Yellow Springs Fruit is, don’t you?”

Faced with such skepticism, Ye Qiu paused, then blurted out, “Of course I know! How could I not? Who am I? A master! Is there anything in this world I don’t recognize? Besides, I grew this myself—how could I not know? Impossible…”

He put on a forced smile. In truth, he had no idea what a Yellow Springs Fruit was, but saving face was paramount.

Even if he didn’t know, he had to pretend he did. It wouldn’t do to embarrass himself in front of so many people!

Ah, life is hard. I have to keep up this act every day. If I don’t, I feel uncomfortable all over…