The old woman’s body dissolved into the flock of black crows, which incessantly swept over the dark-red flower bud, completely enveloping it. Just as the crows finished carving away the bud’s skin and its tiny hands and feet, a blinding flash of light suddenly erupted across the world.

Ye Xiu shielded his eyes; that intense light was far beyond what one could look at directly, or even catch in their periphery.

“So, the natural enemy of the Corpse Flower is the crow. This detail was never recorded in the Ancient Strange Flower Arts. I've certainly broadened my horizons.” Old Liu spoke with an air of arrogance, wishing he had a notebook to jot everything down. “I, Liu Kai, am destined to be celebrated in the ancient strange arts; I have discovered the crow’s dominion over the Corpse Flower.”

When the strong light finally dissipated, Ye Xiu squinted, trying to locate the old woman’s trace, but now nothing remained before his eyes: no Night Crow Alley archway, no Elm Corpse Flower, and no human form or corpse. The earth and sky had been replaced by endless scattered petals and black crow feathers.

Old Liu walked up to Ye Xiu and removed his sunglasses, smirking triumphantly. “The eyes of the Death God are no match for a pair of my shades. You probably didn’t see the situation clearly, did you?”

Ye Xiu had no desire to argue with him; his only focus now was finding the old woman, as many mysteries still clung to her being.

Old Liu slowly moved into the drift of black crow feathers, gradually crouching down until his entire body was almost submerged within the downy terrain. When he reappeared, he was facing Ye Xiu, holding a blood-red gemstone in his outstretched palm. He chuckled slyly, “The vital essence of the Goddess Mèishū that the old hag mentioned must be this thing.”

Ye Xiu stepped forward, bowing his head to scrutinize the gem closely. It was translucent red, and one could clearly see the outer crimson crystal encasing a single drop of fresh blood within. He asked with a trace of doubt, “How did you find this? Why didn't we see it before?”

Old Liu adjusted his sunglasses once more. “That old woman was likely deceiving us all along. After I saw the crows carry her away, I noticed the string of prayer beads that fell from her hand.”

“This drop of vital essence was hidden inside the beads?” Ye Xiu recalled that whenever something catastrophic occurred in Night Crow Alley, the old woman would turn those beads. Now, it seemed those beads were indeed peculiar.

“That sudden flash of light originated from this drop of vital essence. I suspect the external structure of the beads was inhibiting its power, and it was only the crows’ appearance that caused this essence to reawaken,” Old Liu stated, gripping the essence tightly in his fist. With that grip, he managed to entirely smother the red glow emanating from the vital drop.

“This…” Ye Xiu anxiously watched the ground, because the instant the red glow vanished, the entirety of Night Crow Alley dissolved into a blank void. There were no houses, no structures, not even a sky—the only sight presented before them was the pool of thick, black liquid beneath their feet.

Old Liu was startled by the sudden scene. He immediately opened his hand to allow the gemstone's light to illuminate the ground again, and just as he did, Night Crow Alley reverted to its previous tranquil appearance. He sighed, looking at the essence, “This village truly is an image from the past, merely a memory held by this single drop of vital essence.”

Thinking of the pool of black liquid, Ye Xiu mused, “This must be the clear pool where the White Lotus of Heaven once rested. The bloodshed of war must have stained it pitch black, giving birth to the Black Lotus Mèishū.”

Old Liu paid no mind to such contemplation. His primary objective, gripping the essence, was to press onward toward the distant Everlasting Lotus Dream Palace. Solving mysteries was not his goal; the aim was to acquire the lynchpin treasure within these Nine Venomous Array Formations.

Ye Xiu followed behind him, struggling to piece together the old woman’s story. Why would the Goddess Mèishū go to such lengths to turn her own kin into zombies? How was all of this connected to history? Did the successful application of the Corpse Flower suggest there were many paths to immortality in this world? Why could the old woman achieve eternal life with only bones for legs? All these enigmas seemed to lie hidden within the Everlasting Lotus Dream Palace ahead.

“You dare take another step?” Old Liu stopped and blocked Ye Xiu’s path, pointing to the ground. “The Corpse Flowers are gone, but their fragrance hasn't entirely dissipated. This barrier is still active.”

Ye Xiu remembered the agonizing pain of kneeling moments before and looked helplessly at Old Liu. “I suspect you want to dismantle it even faster than I do.”

Old Liu shot Ye Xiu an irritated glance, then returned to rummaging frantically through his waist pouch.

“By the way, that talisman you used earlier was genuinely impressive. My eyes could barely keep up with your speed,” Ye Xiu admitted, unable to help but admire the Ancient Strange Arts, recognizing it was far more than just miraculous movement techniques—it contained countless historical elements.

“If you know it’s powerful, then stop bothering me. Damn it, where is my Wind Pouch?” Old Liu muttered to himself, squatting down to continue his search. He possessed many magical artifacts, but the most potent was likely the Ancient Strange Scripture Dao he had mentioned earlier.

Ye Xiu grew impatient waiting and teased him, “Old Liu, if you didn't have that bag of yours, would you die? Or would you just become a regular person?”

“Nonsense. You wouldn’t have made it this far without your Purple Flame and scythe,” Old Liu retorted, immediately relaxing his expression with a smile as he dragged a small sack from his pouch. “Found it—the Wind Pouch.”

“The Wind Pouch? What does that do?” Ye Xiu couldn't see how a simple canvas bag could be of any use.

Old Liu looked smug. He opened the mouth of the Wind Pouch wide and pointed it directly at the barrier ahead. After muttering a spell, the pouch began to slowly inhale the surrounding air like a living mouth, causing itself to swell.

Without needing an explanation, Ye Xiu grasped the principle: he was using this wind bag to completely siphon away the Corpse Flower fragrance within the barrier. Thus, the barrier, sustained by that scent, would naturally collapse.

“Now, take one step forward!” Old Liu commanded Ye Xiu, unwilling to risk the attempt himself.

To demonstrate his bravery and his faith in Old Liu’s magic, Ye Xiu stepped forward. As his right foot landed, it suddenly felt weak, and before he could curse, he was down on his knees again—this was the third time.

“Uh, my mistake. It seems the air hasn't been completely drawn out yet.” Old Liu casually lifted the Wind Pouch and repeated the previous action. It was clear he was merely toying with Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu got up, gritting his teeth, unable to find an opening to scold him. Only after Old Liu carefully secured his Wind Pouch did he, with a gentlemanly gesture, invite Ye Xiu forward.