The edge of the Thin-Face Blade sank almost entirely into the crimson bud. At that moment, the only sound was a burst of bubbles, and a plume of green gas immediately erupted.

“Damn, it stinks…” Ye Xiu hastily pinched his nose, nearly vomiting. The odor was unbearable, reminiscent of something someone with severe intestinal sickness had regurgitated.

“Blast it, it seems useless.” Old Liu’s eyes were already bloodshot, clearly overwhelmed by the gas. “How is this possible? The Thin-Face Blade can’t pierce it! Look.”

Ye Xiu waved his hand, suppressing his nausea, and peered toward the ruptured spot on the bud. The Thin-Face Blade’s edge was indeed sharp, having sliced off a piece, but as the gas escaped, the wound rapidly healed as if nothing had happened. “The Thin-Face Blade isn't working, or what?”

Old Liu shook his head, standing up to inspect his blade. The edge of the Thin-Face Blade was perfectly smooth, showing no trace of having cut anything. He looked puzzled. “Could it be that the red light enveloping the branch isn't solid matter? Perhaps these things are nothing more than foul, acidic gas?”

“Stop overthinking things. Is there any way to break through and get inside, my expert?” Ye Xiu admitted that his entry here was entirely thanks to Old Liu’s esoteric arts; without him, he hadn't the faintest idea what use he even was down here.

Old Liu, frustrated that his signature weapon had failed, snapped when Ye Xiu spoke: “Don’t give me that. As a God of Death, you must possess some essential skills. You can’t rely on me for everything. If that were the case, I’d rather come alone—any magic treasures found would be mine alone.”

Ye Xiu felt a touch of guilt, but in his anxiety, he could only think of his ability to observe mortal deaths. “Wait, yes! My Master, the High God, gave me something when he left—the Netherworld Purple Flame! Since this stuff is all gas, can’t I just incinerate it with the Purple Flame?”

“You have that and you didn't use it sooner?” Old Liu saw a flicker of hope. He had heard tales of the Netherworld Purple Flame’s might. He immediately retreated behind Ye Xiu. “I heard fellow Daoists say that the Netherworld Purple Flame can instantly vaporize vast rivers. Use it carefully, don't burn down this Ninefold Malignant Formation along with it.”

Ye Xiu nodded to show he knew discretion, but the High God had only passed the Purple Flame to him; Ye Xiu only knew the flames had entered his palm. He hadn't the slightest clue how to wield it or control its intensity.

“Hurry up! What are you waiting for?” Old Liu was intensely curious about the item and impulsively grabbed Ye Xiu’s shoulders like a young girl.

Ye Xiu slowly raised his right hand, concentrating hard on the memory of the High God transferring the Purple Flame to him. As he focused his attention on his palm, a small wisp of purple fire slowly ascended into the air. Ye Xiu was overjoyed: “I didn't expect controlling it to be this simple!”

“Aim it down!” Old Liu was too impatient. He backed away while scrambling back onto the original elm root.

Ye Xiu took a deep breath. As he gathered his energy, the purple flame in his hand shot toward the ground. In an instant, waves of purple light erupted beneath his feet.

“Damn it! You burned me!” For some unknown reason, Old Liu, while climbing the root, had one foot touched by the stray embers flying back, which instantly ignited. He staggered, tumbling off the root, and then reverted to his familiar posture of rolling wildly on the ground to extinguish the flames. “Do you even know how to use it? Why is the fire shooting everywhere?”

Ye Xiu’s attention was naturally fixed on the ground below him. Under the explosive assault of the Purple Flame, the roots beneath his feet and the surrounding red gas instantly combusted. However, the errant sparks that scattered could not harm Ye Xiu in the slightest; this meant the God of Death was immune to his own Purple Flame.

Old Liu finally smothered the fire on himself and rushed toward Ye Xiu in annoyance, only to be arrested by the sight beneath his own feet at that moment. He patted Ye Xiu’s shoulder. “Mr. God of Death, your Purple Flame is truly formidable. You’ve actually burned a passage right through the bottom.”

“A passage?” Ye Xiu cautiously walked to the edge of the opening to observe. Inside was indeed a narrow passage, but its walls were full of folds, and the red light still flickered weakly, making it look eerily like the inside of a human intestine. “I only burned away the sealed branch structure. This passage was probably already here.”

“Every formation is linked to the main formation via an eye. I believe this passage is the route leading to the formation gate, similar to a yongdao in an ancient tomb.” Old Liu regained his composure. He gently took out his Thin-Face Blade and drew it across the passage wall. Unexpectedly, blood seeped out from the folds. “This truly isn't an ordinary tunnel. Look at that blood color, and the foul, sour stench. If Ye Xiu didn't guess wrong…”

“It’s a human intestine!” Both confirmed their terrifying suspicion with certainty. But this realization was too horrifying. They had to enter the malevolent formation by first passing through a human intestine. So, whose intestine was this immense organ?

“Hoo…” Old Liu glanced back at Ye Xiu and began sorting through the contents of his waist pouch. He hadn't expected to encounter something like this at the very first checkpoint of the Ninefold Malignant Formation. “What would it feel like walking in there? Do you dare take the first step?”

Since the Netherworld Purple Flame had proven effective moments ago, Ye Xiu’s confidence surged. If he wasn't afraid of fire, what was there to fear inside an intestine? Ye Xiu stepped forward: “Expert, follow behind me.”

“I smell the same baleful energy here as in the village outside. It might be related to the Vicious Bird. We need to keep our weapons ready at all times,” Old Liu said with a grave expression, sticking closely behind Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu let out a long breath and stepped into the intestinal tract without hesitation. Immediately, a soft, sickening sensation assaulted him from beneath his feet, almost making him gag. “It’s fine, just a little dizzy. Let’s go.”

Old Liu followed him into the passage. His steps were slow, and his Thin-Face Blade was already gripped tightly in his hand.

Inside the intestinal tract, the two moved stealthily. The passage swayed rhythmically with their movements, much like a swing. Suddenly, a swing was too vigorous, nearly causing Old Liu to fall into the gut. A “swish, swish” sound echoed throughout the passage as Old Liu shifted his weight.

“What is it?” Ye Xiu turned back vigilantly.

Old Liu’s expression was even tenser than Ye Xiu’s: “This is bad. When I nearly slipped just now, my Thin-Face Blade seems to have scratched the intestinal wall quite a bit.”