Chapter 16: Sealing and Attributes

“Wait, you just said you encountered real angels and died at the hands of their master! That means you’ve seen an actual god!” Yuri suddenly realized what Ye Chen had just revealed—the master of genuine angels could only be a god! Up until now, confirming the existence of gods had relied on speculation and deduction, but this newcomer had met a true god, offering the first direct evidence of their reality.

She had no reason to doubt Ye Chen’s words. Nothing was more convincing than someone who commanded a divine beast, and the power Xiaobai displayed earlier had thoroughly proved her identity.

“A god? If that person really were a god, things would have been much simpler for me. Even if I couldn’t defeat them, I’d at least be confident I could escape unscathed.” Ye Chen spoke with absolute certainty. In his original world, he had been one of the most formidable people in the cultivation world, having slain the Demon King. He also knew that the so-called gods who appeared in history were merely beings who cultivated by gathering faith, and the strongest among them were, at best, his equal before his split. Even they had perished in the endless chaos of battle.

After speaking, Ye Chen noticed the strange looks the people around him were giving him—as if he were some delusional adolescent. He instantly realized they thought he was a madman. It was a bit exasperating; after all, he had been one of the most powerful figures in his previous world, now an unmatched existence in this afterlife, yet here he was, being looked down upon by a bunch of idiots.

“If you don’t believe me, I can prove it to you. But first, I’ll need a piano.” Ye Chen, with his gentle temperament, didn’t take offense at their scorn, but being stared at like a lunatic was always a little irritating.

“All right!” Though she was skeptical, Yuri agreed without really knowing why. Deep down, she had a nagging feeling that he was telling the truth.

And so, she led a large group of Afterlife Battlefront members in a grand procession toward the music classroom. Arriving at their destination, Ye Chen couldn’t help but feel a sense of fate; he’d spent his first night here, learned to play piano in this very room, and now was about to prove his abilities here as well.

He pressed his index and middle fingers together, forming a sword sign. As the twilight sky shimmered with impossible starlight gathering at his fingertips, an unbelievable scene unfolded before the eyes of Yuri and the others. Yet, to Ye Chen, it was far from perfect. Since the split, neither he nor Ye Xing could wield the full power of Ye Xingchen; perhaps only by merging again could they truly return to their former strength.

“Stellar River!” Even without accessing his complete power, just a fraction was enough to make his point. Calmly, Ye Chen uttered two words, then slashed upward with his fingers. A dazzling river of light shot forth, obliterating the wall before him into nothingness. The river surged out in a straight line from beneath his feet, piercing through the entire academy and vanishing into the surrounding forest, disappearing finally at the horizon.

“Ding. Host’s berserk curse has changed: after using the Nightshadow Star Art three times in any world, it will be sealed. Currently, the host may use it one more time. One hundred virtue and one hundred sin points can unlock one use. The system advises the host not to rely on past power, but to begin cultivation anew.”

“Did I overdo it?” The system’s abrupt notification caught Ye Chen off guard. He hadn’t expected a usage limit—whoever cursed him must have harbored a deep grudge. The berserk nature of the curse was bad enough, but the added sealing also provided him with motivation to train harder. As the berserk killing intent flared again, every member of the Battlefront suddenly felt as if they had entered hell itself, death lurking at every moment. Though they knew that death in this world meant resurrection, their instincts screamed that this time, dying would mean never coming back.

Ye Chen, composed as ever, walked over to the piano and began to play the piece he had learned from Kanade Tachibana. Though he lacked her immediate, magical effect, the murderous aura slowly faded with each repetition of the melody, until finally, with the music echoing through the room, the violent urge subsided.

Noticing the lingering fear on the faces of the Battlefront members, Ye Chen explained calmly, “Because I was defeated by that person, he cursed me. Every time I use my power, this happens, and it seems only music can settle it.”

“The rest you can figure out yourselves. I haven’t eaten all day—do you know where the cafeteria is?” Ye Chen realized his stomach was growling; he hadn’t eaten since arriving in this world the previous night, which explained his hunger. He turned to Yuri and asked.

“Leave the principal's office, go downstairs, turn left at the path, and you’ll find it!” The events just now had shaken Yuri to her core. She even began to wonder if this newcomer, Ye Chen, was in fact a god. Seeing him head for the cafeteria, she quickly rattled off directions, then fell silent, needing time to process everything that had happened.

“Ding. The Twin Fantasy Swords have been forged.” With the system’s prompt, a sword with a silver-blue hilt gleamed with a dreamy light, sheathed in a deep purple scabbard conveniently fitted with a strap for carrying across the back.

Twin Fantasy Sword (Chen): Sealed (1/3 unlocks available). Current trait: Perception field—completely senses everything within a ten-meter radius, triples defensive ability, exposes flaws in any attack entering this range.

Twin Fantasy Sword (Xing): Sealed (1/3 unlocks available). Current trait: Slaughter field—increases damage to everything within a ten-meter radius threefold, exposes the weaknesses of anything entering this range.

Twin Fantasy Sword (Stellar): The fusion of (Xing) and (Chen), possessing all their traits; universal trait: indestructibility. Once fully unsealed, the Twin Fantasy Swords can fuse into Stellar, assisting the re-merging of Ye Xingchen’s split soul.

The final bit of information filled Ye Chen with excitement. What he and Ye Xing wanted most—besides rescuing C.C.—was to rejoin and become the original Ye Xingchen again. This last trait was the perfect goal to strive for.

Character Panel:

Ye Xingchen

Status: Split, Cursed (Berserk, Sealed)
Level: 96 (Ye Xing: 35) (Ye Chen: 39)
Combat Power: 87,495 (Ye Xing: 3,259) (Ye Chen: 3,776)
Cultivation Technique: Nightshadow Star Art, comprehended while observing the stars. An immense ability with many branches; most powers can be understood through this art.
Skills: Geass, Stellar River, Star Guide, Starburst, Starflash, Star Arc, Star Scar, …
Talent: Command of the Stars, ???
Luck: 10 (MAX)

According to the system’s panel, Ye Chen and Ye Xue combined were still no match for the original Ye Xingchen, which struck Ye Chen as only natural. Slinging the Twin Fantasy Swords over his back, he set off toward the direction Yuri had indicated.