As the one-eyed Serpent-man suddenly shook his head, his chartreuse eye emitted faint, ghostly luminescence. These cold rays washed over the wounded Eagle and soldiers, instantly dissolving their injuries.

"Damn it, I thought we might get a straight-up clash of Bao Mian Dao," Old Liu muttered, rapping his knuckles against his own cheek. "Turns out this guy is a fraud."

"Ye Xiu, go!" The Bird-man soared aloft once more, becoming entangled with the two screeching Eagles.

Ye Xiu naturally didn't hesitate. With his scythe in hand, he spun and leaped before the Serpent-man. Before the light in the creature's eyes could fully dissipate, he brought his blade down in a swift strike aimed directly at its head.

"Rumble!" The Serpent-man's lower half, a serpentine coil, twisted rapidly, instantly retreating. Between its hands, a stream of purple energy formed, gradually coalescing into violet flames that slammed heavily into Ye Xiu.

"Damn it!" Ye Xiu hadn't anticipated this move from the Serpent-man. He and his scythe were driven back several paces. The searing sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced. "How can this be? Isn't that Zi Yan of the Dead Kingdom in its hands?"

"Aren't the Reapers immune to fire?" Old Liu moved quickly. After deflecting a few slashes from a soldier, he darted to Ye Xiu's side. While the Serpent-man was still roaring in fury, he flung his Bao Mian Dao attached to a silken thread, piercing its abdomen directly. "See? Only my blade can actually wound it."

"Aargh!" The soldier who had been relentlessly pursuing Old Liu roared in anger and dropped from the sky, knocking Ye Xiu back. Seeing the Serpent-man wounded, the soldier glanced at Old Liu and also hurled the Bao Mian Dao in his hand.

"Clang! Clang!" Old Liu swung his arm, attempting to block the incoming Bao Mian Dao. To his surprise, upon impact, the soldier's blade fragmented into several projectiles that assaulted him from all directions. "The Bao Mian Dao split itself..."

"Run!" At this critical moment, the Bird-man plummeted rapidly, using his tough feathers to intercept the soldier's Bao Mian Dao. However, he wasn't as fortunate; a wound was torn into him by the pursuing Eagle. "Hurry and go..."

Old Liu was shaken by the chaotic melee. He nodded, shot a look at the Bird-man, and launched himself back onto the wall, the thread connected to the Bao Mian Dao still firmly embedded in the Serpent-man's abdomen. "Ye Xiu, are you alright? Quickly, help me ensnare that soldier."

Ye Xiu stumbled up from the ground, disoriented, but he understood Old Liu's intent. The soldier before him was already preparing to lunge at Old Liu scrambling along the wall. Ye Xiu raised both hands, locking onto his target. Just as the soldier leaped toward the wall, Ye Xiu struck him heavily with purple flames, driving him crashing back to the floor. "Old Liu, toss the thread to me!"

Old Liu's momentum was limited. He leaped swiftly beside Ye Xiu, and in the moment they crossed paths, he transferred the line in his hand to Ye Xiu. Once he landed steadily, he pulled out a talisman, chanted an incantation, and swallowed the ignited paper. "Shang Gu Qi Jing Mai (Ancient Meridian Scripture)!"

The Bird-man was stretched thin, unable to divide his focus, but his Heavenly Eye was fixed on Old Liu. At that moment, he murmured coldly, "All his meridians are unnaturally swelling... What kind of Daoist magic is this!"

"Hah!" At this instant, Ye Xiu channeled his purple flames, running back and forth across the four corners of the hall. The silken thread in his hand danced and writhed along with his movements, wrapping the struggling Serpent-man tightly in its confines.

"Give it to me!" A puff of smoke instantly blanketed the area. Old Liu's speed returned to its absolute peak. He snatched the thread from Ye Xiu's hand before the latter could react. In moments, the Serpent-man before them was bound fast by the lines. "Ye Xiu, finish him quickly! I can't hold this much longer!"

"Owww... Ah..." The Serpent-man, tightly bound and unable to move, thrashed its head and tail violently, clearly enraged.

Seeing his chance arrive, Ye Xiu unleashed his purple flames fully. Before the surrounding smoke could even clear, he stood with his scythe resting against the Serpent-man's neck. In that instant, time seemed to freeze; the previously active Eagles and soldiers stood motionless.

Above and below, the world had never been so silent. In the entire grand hall, there was nothing but a dazzling yellow radiance.

"Another illusion..." The Bird-man's voice remained steady. Facing such intense light, only his Heavenly Eye could discern the truth. "It really is the effect of Soul Energy."

Ye Xiu, closest to the source of light, felt a searing pain behind his eyes. When the brightness finally faded, he looked up. Before him was no longer a Serpent-man, but a green crystal floating in mid-air. It was crystal clear, sharply faceted, and more pure than any gem in existence.

"What kind of Dharma Treasure is this!" Old Liu was the first to reach out upon seeing such an object, but as he neared the gem, he stiffened and collapsed as if electrocuted. "I... damn it..."

Ye Xiu was startled by Old Liu's pathetic state and instinctively tried to back away from the crystal. However, the farther he retreated, the closer the gem drifted toward him, much like a playful butterfly drawn to a flower.

"Heck, no way, this Dharma Treasure is choosing a master again!" Old Liu, still trembling, rubbed the dust off himself, glaring at Ye Xiu. "My Lord Reaper, this treasure must be yours again! Making me work for nothing!"

"What is this..." Ye Xiu felt helpless as the object danced before him. He raised his hand, intending to grasp the crystal, but as the little flitting thing brushed against his finger, it transformed into an inky-green jade ring. It seemed to grow limbs and tightly coiled itself around Ye Xiu's index finger, the exposed part forming the unmistakable shape of a skull.

"I don't know what this thing is, but I can tell you I feel immense Soul Energy..." The Bird-man's Heavenly Eye rotated repeatedly, his tone far from optimistic. "Ye Xiu, don't you think this Jiu Dao Du Xiong Zhen (Nine Paths Vicious Formation) was set up specifically for you?"

"Nonsense, he got a weapon and now an accessory..." Old Liu grumbled, dusting himself off with annoyance.

Ye Xiu examined the jade ring, murmuring to himself, "Soul Energy. Is this the Soul Stone that every Reaper should possess? Why can't I feel any power in it?"

"The Soul Stone that represents a Reaper's cultivation level and power?" Old Liu had heard of this from Ye Xiu, but he knew that given Ye Xiu's current state, he likely couldn't even beat Old Liu himself.

"Splash, splash, splash!" As the three discussed, the entire hall was suddenly filled with the sound of running water. Shortly after the water noise began, the scene abruptly shifted. Gone were the magnificent palace, the thrones, and the carpets. What materialized before them was a long, dark waterway—a subterranean river, no! More precisely, it was the River Styx itself.