The moment the door opened, everyone involved felt a jolt—both those standing inside and the one waiting outside. For an instant, no one knew quite how to react.

In fact, the tall, handsome young man standing outside seemed even more startled. After a brief flash of shock, a rich array of emotions danced across his face. Clearly, his life was passing before his eyes, and judging by his expression, the memories surfacing weren’t pleasant. Images of ceiling beams, copper-headed belts, spinning like a human top, and the grim vision of a head within an alchemy furnace appeared vividly in his mind.

Seeing the young man’s distant stare, Yu Sheng also felt a jolt. His memories mirrored those of the youth, though from a more comfortable third-person viewpoint.

Almost simultaneously, the two men came back to reality, each taking a half-step backward in an oddly synchronized manner. Separated by the threshold, they stood rigidly, solemnly reflecting upon life and gathering their thoughts.

To be honest, Yu Sheng had an immediate urge to close the door. When the Four Thousand Wicked Disciples had informed him they’d send someone for a visit, he’d certainly imagined all sorts of bizarre possibilities—but having their “Eldest Senior Brother” show up directly on his doorstep at the crack of dawn was still beyond his expectations. Yet, the impulse only lasted a second before his remarkable sense of responsibility, unyielding determination, calm acceptance of life, and—most importantly—fearlessness quelled the urge to shut the door in the visitor’s face.

Mostly, it was fearlessness.

But the situation soon took another unexpected turn.

The handsome youth outside the door finally snapped out of his daze (though it was unclear precisely what he’d realized). He took another slight step back, lifted his hands respectfully, and bowed deeply, offering a formal greeting that left Yu Sheng utterly stunned.

“This humble junior, Xuan Che of the Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain, disciple under Immortal Yuan Ling, greets… uh, greets the Eminent One.”

He clearly hesitated when deciding how to address Yu Sheng, finally settling on “Eminent One”—a simple yet oddly ambiguous title.

Yu Sheng’s response was even simpler—he was still frozen in confusion.

Thankfully, someone at his side had quicker reflexes. Irene (probably the lotus-root one) poked Yu Sheng gently behind the knee, whispering urgently, “Hey hey hey, there’s no killing intent!”

“Oh, oh right,” Yu Sheng jolted awake, his mind racing to form an appropriate reply, while his mouth automatically greeted the newcomer. “Xuan Che, was it? I heard your master mention your name before. Well, come in, come in first.”

Then Yu Sheng noticed two other people standing a bit further away: the two Special Affairs Bureau operatives from the courier station. They were observing the scene curiously yet warily, clearly sensing something unusual but unsure whether they should approach. Yu Sheng waved awkwardly toward them, calling out, “…Would you two like to come in and sit too?”

One operative hastily shook his head. “Ah, no, no! We still have work.”

The other quickly added, “Right, our instant noodles are already soaking…”

They promptly scurried off, jogging away without looking back.

Irene poked Yu Sheng’s leg again, grumbling softly, “Does Special Affairs Bureau skimp on meal allowances or something? Why do those two keep eating instant noodles every day?”

“How would I know!” Yu Sheng muttered back, then turned again with a forced, polite smile, ushering the handsome fellow named Xuan Che into the house.

The entire atmosphere remained strangely awkward, yet the guest had at least entered the premises.

But as soon as he stepped inside, Yu Sheng realized this “Xuan Che” seemed even more tense than himself.

Indeed, Xuan Che was exceedingly nervous. The moment he entered, he knew his initial respectful behavior had been correct.

It was a self-contained universe.

Separated by a seemingly ordinary door, this home was entirely its own independent realm. His Divine Sense, which usually extended effortlessly across mountains, forests, cities, and illusions, was instantly blocked, cut off completely from the outside world. Even the flow of spiritual energy here felt isolated, circulating only within this small dwelling—never mind the eerie feeling permeating every corner. Some doors looked close yet felt infinitely distant when he closed his eyes; the sitting room appeared small, yet blinking his eyes gave him the sensation of standing upon endless plains stretching to the horizons.

Truthfully, the place reminded him of an Otherworld. However, this “Otherworld” was unnaturally complete, unnaturally independent—already far beyond what could be considered normal. What troubled him even more were the strange sensations coming from deeper within.

He vaguely sensed that this visible “immortal abode” was not the entirety. Everything he saw seemed merely a tiny “extension,” a small facet of something vastly larger and utterly incomprehensible hidden right beneath his nose.

Suddenly, the warning his master gave before he set out echoed clearly in his mind:

“Xuan Che, your talent is extraordinary, yet your cultivation is still shallow. Once you arrive before the Eminent One—do not casually observe or listen to anything unnecessary.”

In an instant, Xuan Che felt a shiver race down his spine. His gaze drew inward, mind guarded, breath careful. He quickly withdrew his Divine Sense, and his demeanor turned even more cautious.

Yu Sheng placed two cans of cold cola from the refrigerator onto the tea table.

“This is all I’ve got,” Yu Sheng said awkwardly as he set one in front of Xuan Che. “Maybe I should’ve prepared tea for someone like you—a Cultivator. You probably don’t drink things like this—”

Before Yu Sheng could finish, the young man politely thanked him, deftly popped open the can, and took a refreshing gulp, his expression instantly turning content.

“My Master does usually forbid us from drinking too much of this,” Xuan Che confessed after regaining his composure, visibly more relaxed now. “He says drinks like this affect the Alchemy Dao.”

Yu Sheng blinked in confusion. “Cola affects artillery?”

“It’s Alchemy Dao,” Xuan Che hurriedly explained. “It affects the crafting of medicinal pills. We’re forbidden from drinking it before entering the Alchemy Chamber.”

Yu Sheng’s curiosity piqued further. “Why’s that?”

“Because it makes you burp,” Xuan Che explained earnestly. “Your movements can go awry at crucial moments. Though personally, I don’t think the impact is that significant, Master’s teachings must be respected during Alchemy.”

Yu Sheng hadn’t anticipated such a practical reason, but oddly enough, it made the atmosphere between them instantly lighter.

With the mood relaxed, Yu Sheng finally brought up some awkward past matters: “Um, anyway… about the Alchemy Furnace incident last time—sorry about that. I never thought we’d meet again under these circumstances…”

As Yu Sheng spoke, he saw the young man’s expression twitch slightly.

Perhaps the trauma from that Copper Headed Belt hadn’t entirely faded yet.

Still, Xuan Che swiftly regained his polite composure. “Please, you don’t have to apologize. An Eminent One such as yourself surely acted with the world’s greater good in mind. How could I, a mere Junior, take offense…”

Hearing this, Yu Sheng felt even more embarrassed.

“You don’t need to keep calling yourself Junior—I might not even be older than you!” Yu Sheng quickly changed the topic. “Let’s just treat each other as peers…”

Even as he said this, Yu Sheng felt he might be taking advantage. After all, the young-looking Cultivator before him might well be a centuries-old Elder.

Unexpectedly, Xuan Che remained quite serious. “That wouldn’t be appropriate. You are a friend of my Esteemed Master; by all rights, I should treat you as a Senior.”

“Let’s just handle it separately—I’ll call you Xuan Che, you call me Yu Sheng,” Yu Sheng quickly interjected, leaving no room for further discussion, then swiftly introduced everyone else in the room. “The one beside me is Irene, and that one’s also Irene. The one squatting on the windowsill and the one sprawled on the TV cabinet—they’re all Irene, too. They’re her ‘clones.'”

Xuan Che had long noticed the multiple Irenes around the living room but had been too polite to ask. Now he quickly greeted the little dolls courteously.

At that moment, footsteps echoed from upstairs, and Foxy descended, yawning. She paused halfway down, eyes widening slightly upon seeing a stranger.

“Benefactor, do we have a guest?”

“Yes, a guest from Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain—the same one that previously investigated your origins,” Yu Sheng rose again to introduce, “His name is Xuan Che, disciple of Immortal Yuan Ling. This is Foxy, you probably know about her…”

“Yes, certainly,” Xuan Che smiled respectfully, raising his hand in a greeting. “Xuan Che of Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain greets the Otherworld Immortal Elder…”

“Why do you have to be so polite with everyone?” Yu Sheng finally couldn’t hold back. “Relax a bit.”

Upon hearing this, Xuan Che secretly smiled helplessly—[Easier said than done. There’s not one being here I can perceive clearly!] Even those little mechanical dolls, smaller than medicine jars, appeared in his Divine Sense as unfathomable, icy black mists. The fox girl who descended the stairs burned bright as molten fire, a presence he couldn’t even directly gaze upon with Divine Sense. As for Yu Sheng…

This Eminent One was even stranger.

Xuan Che couldn’t perceive him clearly at all. He could see Yu Sheng physically, but his Divine Sense encountered only a human-shaped black hole—an emptiness that seemed carved directly out of the world itself, neither alive nor dead. Something surely dwelled inside that void, but what it was, he couldn’t discern.

Yet here stood this mysterious “hole,” smiling warmly, telling him to relax.

Xuan Che again firmly suppressed his Divine Sense, resisting the habitual urge to explore the true nature of these enigmatic beings. Given his exceptional talent, constantly keeping his Divine Sense spread outward had become second nature. To rein it in was no small feat.

Still, he found solace in one thing:

These “not-quite-humans” were genuinely friendly.

Just as his Master had predicted before sending him here—

Those capable of directly confronting and defeating Dark Angels couldn’t possibly be ordinary humans.

Yet, it was clear they stood firmly by humanity’s side.

How fortunate indeed.