What Lies Beyond the Door Another Young Arrival at the Heavenly Palace

The twenty-four Supreme Beings of the Celestial Pivot Star Domain had perished.

They died outside the Immortal Gate, concluding lives that were both glorious and bleak.

Throughout their existence, they had merits, but their sins outweighed them—unbalanced scales that could only be absolved by their heroic sacrifice in the throes of sublimation!

And before their lamps of life flickered out, they had tasted the wonders of the Immortal Realm. Though fleeting, as their decayed imperial bodies could not withstand such immense power, it fulfilled their lifelong aspiration. With smiles, they departed in their final moments.

Chen Yi ferried their primordial souls back to the Celestial Pivot Star Domain, burying them in their homeland—a small compensation for their cooperation in his experiment.

Yet the experiment had failed. The desired outcome eluded him, leaving him too disheartened to entertain the Celestial Pivot Heavenly Dao’s insistence on addressing him as "foster father." After erasing all traces of his involvement, he returned despondently to the Purple Star Continent.

For one reason alone...

The Immortal Ascension Tribulation had truly been sealed behind the gate!

Had that vile Wuji discovered something amiss with the tribulation? It had once lingered outside the gate, easily stirred to life with the slightest provocation, granting him fleeting joy.

But now, even after hijacking the Celestial Pivot Supreme’s form to violently assault the gate, the tribulation remained unresponsive. Only an unfathomable, oppressive force seeped from beyond.

What lay behind that gate?

It had to be that damned Wuji!

First, you strengthened the Immortal Ascension Tribulation—fine, I endured it.

Now, just as I’ve grown accustomed to its presence, you’re blocking my path to revelry with it?

Just you wait!

Returning to the Illusory Star Grotto, Chen Yi suppressed his indignation and cautiously activated the Chaos Pearls linked to his followers.

His boldness stemmed from the recent gate-smashing incident.

He had keenly sensed Wuji’s hesitation!

Even after such blatant provocation, the Immortal Emperor still cowered behind the gate—why? What was he afraid of?

Ling Xiao?

Impossible!

That fool Ling Xiao was already a stray dog, scurrying in desperation, even willing to abandon the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk and his treasure vault. Would Wuji fear him?

Then what was Wuji afraid of?!

Surely not... me?

Who the hell did I think I was?

Chen Yi couldn’t fathom it, but he didn’t care. All he knew was that Wuji’s retreat meant he could push further.

Plunder and flee—leave no trace!

If Wuji wouldn’t release the tribulation, he’d take the backdoor path with Ling Xiao!

The Purple Star Celestial Court.

After a decade of rapid development, the Celestial Palace Joint Administrative Office had grown into a structured institution with standardized procedures.

Yet on this day, another young man arrived at the Celestial Palace.

Needless to say, his background was extraordinary—so much so that Fang Zheng, the Celestial Pivot Academy’s Chief Deity overseeing morality and rites, personally came to greet him!

According to an anonymous Sky Inspector, he overheard the youth address Fang Zheng as "Father!"

Though Fang Zheng sternly corrected him to use formal titles during official duties and tried to distance himself, he still unabashedly escorted his son to the Treasury Department, shutting the door for a private discussion...

"Brother Ye, this is my unworthy son, Fang Fan. Once the chosen Child of Fortune in the Celestial Pivot Star Domain, his senses are sharp—always digging treasures from trash heaps. But his knack for stumbling upon opportunities also brings trouble. No matter how often I warn him to keep a low profile, he never listens. Truly a headache..."

Inside the Treasury’s main hall, Fang Zheng smoothly introduced his son with practiced diplomacy.

He could’ve simply stated that Fang Fan had caught Chen Yi’s eye and was personally brought back, ensuring Ye Wuchen would grant him an internship without question.

But that wouldn’t be Fang Zheng’s style.

Fang Fan watched his father with admiration. Truly, age brought wisdom. Though his words seemed self-deprecating, they subtly elevated his worth, aligning perfectly with the Treasury’s requirements. If it were him, he’d never have spun such a masterful pitch!

He’d probably have been bogged down in bureaucratic red tape.

Compared to his father, he still had much to learn!

"Old Fang, we’re all family here. I’ll help where I can, but you know the Treasury’s standards are strict. If he doesn’t meet the bar, he won’t last. Don’t pin all your hopes on me—Yuan Zi’s Celestial Law Academy and Chu Nan’s Shaking Light Division are good alternatives."

Ye Wuchen was happy to oblige Fang Zheng, but he had to set expectations upfront to avoid awkwardness later.

Fang Zheng nodded slightly. "Just a trial opportunity is already a blessing for this boy. Many dream of interning here but lack the qualifications!"

"You..." Ye Wuchen chuckled, pointing at him. "Fine, let’s test your son’s abilities."

With a flourish of his golden Treasury robes, he summoned ten unremarkable objects, suspending them midair.

"Kid, pick out the one you believe holds the greatest value!"

Fang Fan tensed, scrutinizing the items intently.

A tarnished bronze mirror, a frayed ancient scroll, a plain black ring, a dull jade bead, a stone wrapped in worn red string, a bamboo hairpin, a rusted broken blade, a scratched bronze compass, a bloodstained cloth pouch, and a small iron cauldron with a dark golden sheen.

The ten items hovered silently, each seemingly ordinary yet exuding an undercurrent of terrifying power, as if any could unleash cataclysmic destruction.

A bead of sweat rolled down Fang Fan’s forehead.

Which one was truly the most valuable?

They all looked equally mundane yet infinitely different!

He couldn’t tell—he really couldn’t!

Noticing Fang Fan’s hesitation, Ye Wuchen glanced at Fang Zheng, who remained unperturbed, even smug. With a smile, he offered a hint:

"Kid, follow your instincts. In our line of work, eyesight is useless!"

Normally, he wouldn’t give such advice, but for Old Fang’s son? A small favor among friends.

With the prompt, Fang Fan stopped overthinking and let his intuition guide him—choosing the bloodstained pouch.

At this, even the composed Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow.

Fang Fan’s current cultivation was still low, his insight limited. He couldn’t see past the surface.

But Fang Zheng was different. After a decade of refinement, having broken through to the Tribulation Transcendence Realm and officially ascended as a Sky Official, bathed in Heavenly Dao’s power, his cultivation had soared. Now at the mid-stage of Pseudo-Immortality, his discernment was incomparable.

He could clearly gauge the worth of these ten test items.

The most valuable was undoubtedly the dark golden iron cauldron—it housed a minor secret realm with five upper-grade spirit veins!

As for the bloodstained pouch Fang Fan chose... Ye Wuchen had likely picked it up somewhere. Though the blood might’ve belonged to a Pseudo-Immortal or higher, its spiritual essence had long faded. The pouch was empty, its material utterly mundane—worthless, a mere decoy!

Why would Fang Fan pick that?

Could it be... that after leaving the Celestial Pivot Star Domain, he had become just another ordinary man?!

"Old Fang, you saw it yourself. It's not that I won't help you, but this kid..." Ye Wuchen shook his head with a hint of regret as he announced the optimal result.

Fang Zheng let out a helpless sigh. "Ah, well, what isn't meant to be cannot be forced. Brother Ye, are you free after duty? I recently got my hands on a jar of supreme immortal wine..."

"Hey, between friends, no need for formalities! I’ll definitely join you after work!" Ye Wuchen replied with a laugh.

He wasn’t originally fond of alcohol, but after becoming the God of Wealth, life had grown rather vexing—so he’d grown fond of that tipsy feeling, forgetting his troubles, living for the moment: drink today, worry tomorrow!

As the two high-ranking celestial officials chatted about work, the neglected Fang Fan felt increasingly uneasy.

Truthfully, his first choice hadn’t been the bloodstained cloth pouch, but the small iron cauldron—the optimal answer.

Yet, just as he was about to make his selection, a sudden divine inspiration struck, and as if guided by unseen forces, he chose the bloodstained pouch instead!

Had he truly made the wrong choice?

Fang Fan furrowed his brows, hesitating between speaking and holding back. Finally, he gathered his resolve and said, "My lord, I still believe this pouch holds the greatest value. I trust my intuition—please allow me to study it further!"