"Oh?" Yun Xiao raised an eyebrow.

Feng Yao was a breathtaking beauty, and when she played the part of a coy young girl, he found himself at a loss.

"Where do you want to go shopping?" Yun Xiao asked.

"Let's head to the Heavenly Deity Star Street," Feng Yao said eagerly.

"Isn't that still going to the banquet?" Yun Xiao said, smiling wryly.

"Who said so? The Heavenly Deity Star Street is huge, you know! It's the largest marketplace in the Heavenly Deity Stellar River. Hundreds of thousands of shops and buildings, built by all sorts of powers. They say you can buy any kind of celestial treasure there, as long as you have the money... And that Southern Divine Dragon's banquet is just at a place called the Sun Moon Star Tower," Feng Yao said, her eyes shining with anticipation.

She couldn't help herself; after all, she was still a girl at heart. Following Yun Xiao into this ultimate path of immortality by chance, she was far from being free of worldly desires.

The dazzling array of goods was too tempting to resist.

"Is this Heavenly Deity Star Street far from here?" Yun Xiao asked.

"Not far at all. It's right next to the Grand Assembly Arena. That's the most bustling place now! There's also the Million Starlight Palace nearby. They say that later, hundreds of millions of Immortals will gather there to watch the battles!" Feng Yao said excitedly.

The Category 1 world Yun Xiao and Feng Yao had come from was too secluded and closed off. Places like the Samsara Galaxy and Heavenly Deity Star Street were truly novel and exciting to Feng Yao.

"So, are we going or not? No one knows us there," Feng Yao pleaded.

"Aren't you quite brave? You can go on your own," Yun Xiao teased with a grin.

"Bastard, just come with me! If I could've done it alone, I wouldn't have asked you!" Feng Yao retorted, rolling her eyes.

She had been coasting along all this time, only recently starting to put in effort. Where would she find the courage?

"Come on, let's go, please." She tugged at Yun Xiao's sleeve, her eyes pleading.

"If you promise me one thing, I'll go," Yun Xiao suddenly said.

"What is it?" Feng Yao asked.

"Ahem." Yun Xiao cleared his throat and whispered something into her ear.

"...!" Feng Yao quickly covered her mouth, stumbling back several steps in shock. She stared at Yun Xiao, her face turning a deep shade of red. Shaking her head vigorously, she said, "No way, absolutely not! Y-you're too much..." 𐍂

"If you don't want to, then forget it," Yun Xiao said lightly.

"Dirty scoundrel." She pouted, her heart in turmoil, flustered beyond words.

Seeing her so crestfallen, Yun Xiao felt a pang of guilt. He said, "All right, let's go. I was only teasing you."

"Really? We're going?" Feng Yao lit up, the disappointment in her face disappearing in a flash.

After so long, how could she not know Yun Xiao's heart by now. It was clear she'd been playing him this whole time, and he'd fallen hook, line, and sinker.

Still, Yun Xiao kept his word and said generously, "Fine, we'll go. Buy whatever you like today; it's on me."

"Do you actually have any money? They use Supreme Immortal Jades here, and prices run into thousands, even tens of thousands," Feng Yao asked skeptically.

"Supreme Immortal Jades?" Yun Xiao checked and found he was indeed broke. "I don't have any. Do you?"

"No money, and you're still asking me out on a date?" Feng Yao said, exasperated. She patted the Bag of Holding at her chest with a smug grin. "Lucky for us, the Snow Lineage Diva gave me 100,000 Supreme Immortal Jades!"

"Well, darn." Yun Xiao regretted not asking the Snow Lineage Diva for some extra payment for his

services

. He'd missed the chance.

"Today we'll spend my money. Consider it a loan. And don't ask for something so dirty again," Feng Yao snorted.

"You know it's bound to happen sometime," Yun Xiao said suddenly.

Feng Yao bit her lip, her cheeks flushing. She knew he was telling the truth, but she wasn't ready yet. So she changed the subject. "Come on, let's go. The battles will start soon."

Since they were heading out alone, Yun Xiao didn't bother informing the three Divas. He had left flying talismans; if they needed him, they could use them.

Besides, explaining would be troublesome—he had three different identities in their eyes.

"Shopping time!" Feng Yao was clearly delighted to be out on a solo trip.

Her feelings for Yun Xiao weren't just simple affection. She was like a little fox he'd raised, following and guarding him. Even though she had a maiden's heart with its shyness and sensitivity, it didn't change the fact that Yun Xiao had become the most important person in her life.

And Yun Xiao's recent teasing showed he liked and respected her, proceeding step by step, waiting for the day she'd overcome her inner hesitance.

On the way to Heavenly Deity Star Street, it was evident she'd been pent up for a while. She transformed into a shadow of a blood dragon, racing ahead, urging Yun Xiao to chase her—no trace of the earlier panic during her refusal.

"This girl can really put on an act—not just pretending to be haughty and confident, but also playing innocent," Yun Xiao thought wryly, chasing after her.

Yun Xiao was a man who followed his heart. In her presence, he felt happiness, and that was all that mattered.

"Heavenly Deity Star Street, huh?" Yun Xiao muttered.

Breaking through the celestial mist that shrouded the Grand Assembly Arena, Yun Xiao gazed outward and saw two immense worlds unfolding before him.

They were similar to Naraka and the Six Paths of Reincarnation. But these Sourcecore Sanctuary worlds had been altered even more dramatically.

To the left stood a white sanctuary world. Its swirling entrance had become a circular gate, and beyond that gate, lights blazed brilliantly. There lay a colossal marketplace resembling a giant cavern.

This was the Heavenly Deity Star Street—a celestial marketplace forged from an entire world.

One could only imagine its vastness.

The other sanctuary world resembled a vast disk. Upon it stood an endless palace of gleaming platinum, and faintly, one could see the words

Million Starlight Palace

.

This was where all cultivators of the Samsara Galaxy gathered to watch the battles of the Grand Assembly Arena and Ancestor Immortal Grotto through giant projections. It was said that within the Million Starlight Palace, one could see everything.

For this reason, most non-participants and elders from various sects chose to watch the battles there.

However, the Three Divas of the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm seemed unwilling to attend such noisy and sycophantic gatherings. They disliked being the subject of gossip.

"Grand Assembly Arena, Ancestor Immortal Grotto, Heavenly Deity Star Street, Million Starlight Palace... battles, trading, spectating… all are here," Yun Xiao mused.

With all these elements, it was hard for the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects not to be lively.

Moreover, the Heavenly Deity Stellar River had no barriers to entry. So, it bustled even on ordinary days. It was said to be one of the largest hubs for trading celestial resources in the Samsara Galaxy.

Order was maintained by members of the Heavenly Deity Alliance, and for hundreds of thousands of years, there had been no mishaps.

"So lively..." Yun Xiao murmured.

As he stepped through the grand gate of the Heavenly Deity Star Street and looked ahead, he saw a splendid starry avenue stretching before him. Around it stood all sorts of marvelous buildings, floating in the void like dreams made real.

Some buildings were shaped like towers, others like cauldrons, and some were simply spheres.

In this starry marketplace, there was no ground beneath their feet. It was a three-dimensional bazaar; besides the wondrous celestial shops floating around, there was only the open expanse of the starry sky through which they could wander at will.

"So beautiful, such a magnificent place," Feng Yao said. She bathed in the radiant light, her eyes full of wonder.

"Thousands of palaces and countless sights aren't as grand as the breadth of your own heart," Yun Xiao said beside her.

"What are you talking about!" She rolled her eyes at him but couldn't hide the joy in her heart.

"Come on, Lil Yun, keep up." Feng Yao let herself go, like a bird freed from its cage, flying toward Heavenly Deity Star Street.

By rights, Yun Xiao, being more of a mortal, should have been overwhelmed by the splendor of this starry celestial marketplace. Yet his heart remained calm, without the bewilderment of a country bumpkin entering the city.

Perhaps it was because he possessed the vision of a Creator Immortal. Looking upon the bustling immortal path again, he held a transcendent calm.

Just as he had said, the thousands of palaces ahead were not as captivating as the lively and lovely figure of the beauty before him.

"Hurry up!

"Lil Yun, how about this celestial silk dress?

"Annoying. It won't fit; it's more suitable for your little pet.

"This one looks nice!"

Feng Yao floated among the nebulae, drifting past one celestial shop after another. The dazzling array of goods made her eyes sparkle. She felt that even 100,000 Supreme Immortal Jades weren't enough to buy much. So, she looked a lot but hardly bought anything.

Yun Xiao followed her patiently, for a long, long time.

She suddenly stopped beneath a towering building shaped like an overflowing pot, rich with fragrant aromas.

"Hmm?" Yun Xiao paused.

It was a liquor store. The aroma of Category 3 celestial wines was extraordinary, immediately catching his attention. His inner alcoholic was itching for a drink!

"Hey." Feng Yao suddenly took his arm and said, "You like to drink. Let me buy you some wine."