Ye Xiu did not immediately follow the trail of Liu Banxian to the so-called "Nine Poisons Fierce Array," as he still had an important matter to attend to: reporting his work progress to the High God. The High God was, amusingly, Ye Xiu's master among the Death Gods, who themselves had masters.

In the dim, dilapidated apartment building, the High God sat enthroned upon a slab of stone. Before Ye Xiu could even speak, he inquired, "Have you sensed the approach of some supernatural presence?"

Ye Xiu nodded. Indeed, guided by Liu Banxian's words, Ye Xiu knew that a suggestion he had given Chen Nan had directly contributed to his death. This meant that some of Ye Xiu's actions could cost lives, and Liu Banxian was clearly more than just a mere half-immortal.

"This world was once governed by us Death Gods; that is no legend," the High God tossed aside some discarded papers. "The rise of certain powers during the Primordial Era shook the status of the Death God lineage, driving us into a place called the Gate of the Death Kingdom. We were exiled, pursued, and now I can feel those powers rising again. They might very well spell the end for the Death Gods."

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu let out a long breath. He considered himself a curious Death God, thus feeling no reason to evade any destiny associated with his kind. "Are you referring to Liu Banxian's power, or the resentment within the Nine Poisons Fierce Array?"

The High God seemed to have discerned Ye Xiu's decision. He stood and gathered a ball of purple flame in his palm. "This is the Purple Flame of the Death Kingdom. Only a Death God of a higher rank can control it freely. I lend you my purple essence now; it can save your life at a crucial moment. Only if you return alive to report to me will you truly possess it."

Ye Xiu remained silent, yet his heart fluttered with excitement. He had long heard that Death Gods were not mere background characters; certain high-ranking ones possessed combat strength that transcended everything else, and he suspected that this power resided within the Purple Flame of the Death Kingdom.

"Besides the Purple Flame, you must find your own Soul Stone. Even I don't know what form or function a Soul Stone possessed by a low-ranking Death God like you might take, because every Death God's Soul Stone is unique. Only when you possess your own Soul Stone and cultivate to a certain level will you be worthy of being a true Death God." The High God's words began to dissipate as the purple essence drifted closer, gently hovering in the air before slowly settling into Ye Xiu's palm.

"Purple Flame, Soul Stone..." Ye Xiu clenched the flame tightly, his mind filled with questions regarding the former glory and decline of the Death God lineage, and why he himself had become a Death God.

(...)

Liu Banxian had informed Ye Xiu of the time to travel to the village from before. According to the mortal realm's time, Ye Xiu arrived just as the sun was setting. It was the same old elm tree, and in the distance, the faint smoke of cooking fires rose from the village. This harmonious atmosphere gave no sign of bloodthirsty, fierce birds.

"You came after all." A person of similar age to Ye Xiu stood coldly beneath the tree. His attire was somewhat peculiar—resembling martial arts garb, yet adorned with a small hempen pouch at his waist.

Ye Xiu thought his eyes were playing tricks; he did not recognize this individual at all.

The young man gave a slight smile. "My name is Liu Kai, the same Liu Banxian from yesterday. My peers call me Old Liu."

"You are Liu Banxian?" Ye Xiu felt a surge of confusion. Could a Daoist cultivator actually deceive a Death God with his appearance? "You mean you can disguise your age and voice using your Daoist arts?"

Liu Kai waved a hand dismissively. "I come from the Earth Vein Boundless Realm. While I also cultivate the Dao, I am a continuation of ancient, esoteric ways. I didn't explain it fully yesterday, fearing that ordinary people might misunderstand. Of course, I know your identity, Mr. Death God."

"Earth Vein Boundless Realm?" Ye Xiu took a sharp breath. He admitted his ignorance, but since this fellow could instantly recognize his peculiarity, he must also possess unique secrets. "Alright, Old Liu, so you aren't human?"

"Of course, I am human, just one who has cultivated some arcane arts. As for the relationship between the Boundless Realm and your Death Kingdom, we can discuss that later when we have time." Old Liu acted decisively despite his youthful appearance. He pointed toward the elm tree. "The fierce birds have already devastated this village. We must go deep into the core of the Fierce Array, or the resentment here will have no one to cleanse it."

"Devastated the village..." The moment Ye Xiu heard this, his mind grew hot. "Look at the scene over there—it's the same as yesterday! There's no sign of destruction."

Old Liu shook his head, adopting an air of profound concern for the world. He took out a small knife and carved deeply into the bark of the elm tree. Immediately, crimson blood oozed from beneath the bark, and a heavy, suffocating atmosphere assaulted the surroundings.

Ye Xiu waved his hand, attempting to ward off the noxious odor, but in that instant, he saw the once tranquil village behind him erupt in a bloody glow. Flocks of fierce birds wheeled overhead, shrieking incessantly. When Ye Xiu looked closer, he saw that some of the birds held severed human arms in their beaks—a truly horrifying sight.

"Certain scenes are not permitted to manifest in the mortal realm," Old Liu explained cryptically, sounding more familiar with these matters than Ye Xiu, a Death God who had frequented the mortal world for years. "Some things, some organizations or powers, do not allow common folk to be exposed to these realities. Even if a tragedy occurs, it can be concealed effectively. I lack the power to investigate those forces, but I know that if the resentment is not dispersed, this village is beyond saving."

"Let's do as you say." Ye Xiu had only just acquired a sliver of Death God power, and he was eager to test his abilities in further adventures—or perhaps, the more mysterious the location, the more secrets about the Death God lineage he might uncover.

The sun dipped lower, and sorrowful clouds gathered. The fierce birds, with their slender bodies, brandished human bones as they wheeled about, occasionally letting droplets of blood spatter around the base of the elm tree.

Old Liu offered no further explanation. He reached out and plunged his fingers deep into the soil beside the elm tree. His hands were surprisingly slender, yet his fingers were strong and robust; the crunching sound of stones being crushed within the earth was clearly audible.

Ye Xiu wasn't sure if what he witnessed was real, but at that moment, the ground surrounding the elm tree began to shake as if experiencing an earthquake, and gradually, the entire crust beneath them started to collapse. The moment the circle of earth around the tree sank away, Old Liu grabbed Ye Xiu and pulled him to safety onto one of the elm tree's branches.

"Your technique actually caused the earth to heave and shake," Ye Xiu exclaimed in surprise, for the entire area around the elm tree had now collapsed into a deep, black abyss. Standing on the branch, he peered down only to feel a dizzying sense of bottomlessness; the elm tree's roots must have run impossibly deep, as its main trunk was nowhere in sight.

Old Liu crouched beside Ye Xiu, releasing his grip and chuckling. "Are you deliberately hiding something from me? What just happened was merely me connecting two worlds; it wasn't a true earthquake. If you had fallen just then, even a Death God couldn't withstand the void between two realities. Didn't you know that?"

Ye Xiu felt a pang of guilt. Old Liu seemed to possess knowledge that his master, the High God, had never imparted to him. "I truly didn't know what was happening. As a Death God, my rank is still too low. I don't even have any magic arts to speak of."