"This Mirror Palace is nothing but a game; abilities outside of it are useless here," Hong Ling murmured, her massive head swaying constantly before Ye Xiu as the serpentine script appeared in the sky. "This writing explains things. I think you'll have to follow my instructions now to break this Mirror Palace puzzle."

"What in the hell is this? Are they messing with us?" Old Liu struggled to reach Ye Xiu's side, bearing visible wounds that still faintly glowed with blood. "That guy’s mouth is terrifyingly potent. Without the power of the Thin-Bladed Saber and Violet Flame, what are we supposed to do?"

Ye Xiu carefully monitored every movement of the grounded Vulture. The creature was flitting about with its three heads, and for the moment, it shouldn't be able to find him behind the massive boulder. Ye Xiu roared, "Hong Ling, did the mirror tell you what we need to do?"

"The Vulture fears magma," Hong Ling translated the script before the mirror verbatim, glancing at it thoughtfully as she spoke. "Judging by its appearance, this Vulture is likely the avian creature revered by the Esoteric Sect. Vultures are also natural enemies of the Crimson Snake, yet this one fears fire. Hurry to the cliff—beneath it lies a sea of fire."

"What nonsense, shouldn't there usually be a vast river beneath a cliff?" Old Liu complained.

Listening to Hong Ling, an idea struck Ye Xiu. The Vulture had already blocked their path toward the cliff, meaning one of them would have to draw its attention while the other reached the precipice safely. Ye Xiu decisively clapped Old Liu on the shoulder. "Even though my Violet Flame can't attack, it gives me a speed advantage. I'll lure the Vulture away. You sneak to the cliff and figure out how to get some magma."

Old Liu said nothing more, just nodded, and circled around to the opposite side of the boulder, ready to spring into action at any moment.

Ye Xiu focused on the Vulture, the Violet Flames already rising around his hands. As Ye Xiu blasted the Vulture with the brilliance of his Violet Flame, he himself bolted out from behind the boulder. At that exact moment, Old Liu also darted out from the other side.

The Vulture, which had been stationary, seemed momentarily blinded by the flash of Ye Xiu's Violet Flame and abruptly launched itself into the air. Its talons were enormous, vastly more formidable than Hong Ling's tiny sand-like powers.

"Rumble." Ye Xiu's Violet Flames relentlessly struck the surrounding rocks, churning up thick mist, while he maneuvered along the cliff face. This kept the Vulture from swooping down easily to attack. Ye Xiu retreated while fighting, shouting back to Hong Ling, "Hong Ling, any more hints from the mirror? Or can you see anything else?"

Seeing the critical situation inside, Hong Ling lost her composure. She pressed against the mirror and cried out, "Be careful! This mirror has no more hints, and I can't get in anymore. You might be trapped inside!"

"Damn it!" Ye Xiu cursed, using the recoil force of a single-handed Violet Flame burst to propel himself high into the air. From above, his vision was much clearer, and he could see Old Liu successfully sprinting toward the edge of the cliff. "Got it, wait for me!"

"Whoa!" The Vulture, seeing its prey expose itself, was ecstatic. After a burst of shrieks, it dove toward Ye Xiu in an aerial assault. The beak of one of its heads, sharp as a long blade, clearly intended to impale Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu bombarded its body with the Violet Flames from both hands, generating counter-force. Just as the blade-like beak lunged down, he flipped, narrowly evading the strike. However, its other spoon-shaped mouth was already waiting near Ye Xiu's anticipated landing spot.

Ye Xiu thought, Not good, and attempted to use the Violet Flame's power again to alter his descent. But the Vulture had a third head, and its movements were infinitely faster than his own. It struck down like a trident, pinning Ye Xiu's body in the center. Now, no matter how Ye Xiu used his Violet Flame, he couldn't escape the confines of the trident's prongs—his chances were slim.

"Swoosh..." Suddenly, a rush of wind whistled past his ear. Ye Xiu felt his body ensnared by a strand of fine thread, the end of which was connected to the Thin-Bladed Saber he knew so well.

"Don't underestimate my blade skills," Old Liu called from a distance, gripping the thread with both hands. With a sudden, powerful yank, Old Liu used the Thin-Bladed Saber and the thread to pull Ye Xiu steadily to the edge of the cliff. "No magic needed, I can save you just fine."

"Hoo..." A surge of gratitude washed over Ye Xiu. Had Old Liu not pulled him, he couldn't imagine what it would have been like to land inside that spoon-like mouth. Before the Vulture could react, Ye Xiu scrambled around to the cliff edge, struck silent by the magnificent view below.

Beneath the cliff, as predicted, was a surging ocean of flames. The fire churned like a devil, baring its fangs. Compared to this inferno, the Vulture looked utterly insignificant.

"Hong Ling, what do we do now?"

"Step across the sea of fire on stone slabs, but be careful—the slabs collapse rapidly after being stepped on..." Hong Ling’s voice remained perfectly clear.

"Seriously? Can we stop playing games?" Old Liu grumbled, walking to the edge. The heat radiating up from the abyss lashed at his sides, making large beads of sweat pour down his face. "Hong Ling! Is there any other way? Do we really have to cross this sea of fire?"

"Stop griping; the Vulture is coming," Ye Xiu pointed to the enraged, three-headed creature behind them. He glanced down at his feet, swallowed hard, clenched his jaw, and leaped down along the cliff face.

"Wait for me!" Old Liu, cornered, was forced into action. He used his thread to loop around the Thin-Bladed Saber, descending in segments like a figure from a Wuxia novel, eventually reaching the bank of the fire sea.

Ye Xiu activated his Violet Flame just before impact to slow his descent, but upon reaching the fiery shore, he realized traversing this area wouldn't be simple. Rising above the flames were carved stone structures, standing one after another. From their distance, they were clearly beyond the reach of ordinary human leaps. Ye Xiu glanced at the wildly circling Vulture above, then at Old Liu. "Brother, this is it—we gamble everything. Remember what Hong Ling said: those stone carvings can only be touched once. We'll have to improvise then; fate decides the rest."

Old Liu took a deep breath and presented the Thin-Bladed Saber entwined with silk thread in his hand. "Even though I cultivate the Dao, I’m a master at games. For the anchoring artifact, I’ll risk it all."

Ye Xiu tried to reassure himself that he could pass this trial. Regardless of who set up this adventurous maze in the Mirror Palace, he had to embrace the courage of the Death God to advance to the next Dao Realm. Yet, his heart suddenly felt bound by something: this Nine Paths Poisonous Fierce Array seemed tied only to the Bone Gatherer faction. Why was Old Liu so concerned? What exactly was the 'anchoring artifact'? And what was the secret to the longevity pursued by the Esoteric Sect? If the Bone Sect sought immortality through incorruptible bones, what did the Death God lineage rely on to maintain their undying nature? These were the mysteries Ye Xiu needed to unravel.