Chapter 27: The Divine Being

Entering the Ruined Palace

Guided by instinct, Yu Li stepped into the palace’s interior. The place was riddled with signs of destruction. What shocked her most was the sight of a girl at the center of the hall.

Bound by countless chains leading to unknown destinations, the girl knelt in the middle of the palace. Her golden eyes radiated indifference, but they lifted slightly as she noticed Yu Li’s arrival.

When their gazes met, Yu Li felt an overwhelming sense of oppression. The girl was enveloped in a torrent of hatred, so intense it nearly engulfed her form.

“Ugh…”

The sheer force of that hatred affected Yu Li, making it difficult for her to control her emotions for the first time.

Yu Li quickly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her vertical pupils had reverted to their normal state, no longer able to perceive the girl’s emotions.

The girl appeared calm, a stark contrast to the raging hatred Yu Li had seen through her vertical pupils. Without the veil of hatred, Yu Li noticed Liuli trembling on the girl’s lap.

[Yu Li!!! Waaah! Save me, save me!]

Liuli, finally noticing Yu Li’s presence, cried out through their mental link as if she’d seen a savior. She seemed to sense the girl’s hatred too, frozen in fear.

A Moment of Contemplation

Yu Li didn’t respond to Liuli’s pleas or flee. Instead, she stood still, frowning in thought.

[Yu Li? Yu Li?! Can you hear me?!]

Liuli’s mental voice grew more frantic.

[It’s over… she can’t hear me…]

Ignoring Liuli, Yu Li fixed her gaze on the girl’s eyes. The girl, as if sensing something, returned her stare.

“So…”

Yu Li suddenly spoke softly to the terrifying girl:

“Are you the god who brought me to this world?”

[What? A god?? Huh??]

Liuli blurted out, stunned by Yu Li’s words. Who in their right mind would encounter a god in their lifetime?

But… hadn’t she become like this because of a wish made to a god?

Liuli pondered.

Could this actually be a god…?

Unable to suppress her curiosity, Liuli cautiously lifted her head to glance at the girl, only to meet her golden eyes.

[Eek!]

Liuli immediately ducked her fox head, curling into a ball, seeking safety through denial.

The girl glanced at the frightened Liuli, a fleeting trace of guilt in her eyes before it vanished. She then turned to Yu Li, who had posed the question.

In an instant, Yu Li felt as if she’d been seen through completely. The sensation of being laid bare made her uneasy, and she instinctively frowned.

The Weight of Emotions

“You’ve grown stronger… but it’s not enough.”

The girl’s ethereal voice rang out, devoid of any emotion.

Her golden eyes glowed faintly, and Yu Li’s ability activated uncontrollably, her right eye turning fully golden.

“Ugh… urgh…”

Yu Li felt a splitting headache as countless voices screamed in her mind. Every emotion she had ever manipulated or felt erupted within her.

From Yu Quan’s murderous intent to Lin Mu’s fear, from Ai Xinglan’s羞愤 to Lan Yi’s sorrow—each person’s emotions echoed in her heart.

“Ugh… ah!!”

Feelings that weren’t hers invaded Yu Li, overwhelming her sense of self.

Clutching her throbbing head, Yu Li collapsed to her knees, her other hand barely supporting her body to keep from falling completely.

Under the immense pressure, her silver vertical pupils glowed again, as if bearing the pain for her. Silver scales appeared on the back of her hand, shimmering with light.

“Stop… ugh, aah!!”

Yu Li knew she couldn’t let this continue—she wouldn’t be able to withstand it. Instinctively, she tried to summon flames to attack the girl who might be a god.

But a sharp pain shot through her arm, and her ability became uncontrollable. Black flames enveloped her body, wrapping her entirely.

Yet the flames didn’t burn. Instead, Yu Li felt a strange comfort as the foreign emotions in her mind began to fade.

Her black flames were slowly consuming those emotions until they vanished completely.

The girl watched silently, unmoving. On her lap, Liuli was similarly enveloped in flames, mirroring Yu Li.

A Divine Command

“You must… become stronger…”

The girl murmured, a hint of regret in her eyes, before looking at Yu Li, now collapsed on the ground.

Yu Li struggled to keep her eyes open, her consciousness fading. Before her eyes closed, she heard the girl say:

“My other half… has awakened… You must destroy the Child of God before They do.”

Yu Li lost consciousness completely. The girl made no further movements, slowly closing her eyes.

A Fragile Recovery

“It’s alright now, Miss. Miss Yu Li will be fine. She’ll wake up soon.”

After calming Ai Xinglan, Feng removed the syringe from Yu Li’s arm. The stabilizer could suppress an out-of-control ability, and it was effective in this situation as well.

“Mm…”

Ai Xinglan nodded, but her gaze never left Yu Li. Her cherry-red eyes were filled with worry.

When they arrived home, Liuli had suddenly been engulfed in flames, forming a cocoon as if evolving.

Yu Li, too, was covered in black flames. She lay there, brows furrowed, beads of sweat on her skin, curled up in pain.

Only after the injection did Yu Li’s expression gradually relax, her breathing steadying as the black flames on her body faded.

Even knowing Yu Li was likely fine, Ai Xinglan couldn’t relax.

Yu Li had only been away from her for an afternoon, and she’d ended up like this. Ai Xinglan feared that if she left, something else might happen to Yu Li.

Knowing her young miss wouldn’t listen to anyone in this state, Feng stood silently by their side, not interfering.

For a moment, both fell silent.

A Stir of Consciousness

“Mm…”

Yu Li let out a soft whimper from the bed, her eyelids trembling slightly.

“Yu Li!”

Hearing her, Ai Xinglan rushed to the bedside, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Yu Li.

Yu Li slowly opened her eyes, immediately seeing Ai Xinglan’s worried face.

Seeing Ai Xinglan’s expression, entirely focused on her, Yu Li suddenly covered her mouth and coughed.

“Cough… cough, Xiao Ai… I’m in so much pain…”

Yu Li’s voice trembled, her face contorted in pain as she reached out weakly, as if trying to touch Ai Xinglan.

“Yu Li?!”

Ai Xinglan grabbed Yu Li’s hand, panic in her voice. Then, as if remembering something, she whipped her head around:

“Feng! What’s wrong with Yu Li?!”

Unlike the frantic Ai Xinglan, Feng glanced at Yu Li calmly:

“Miss Yu Li, if you keep playing like this, I won’t help you.”