Ye Xiu had never considered that Han Xin would see him; he had assumed this place, just like the Nine Poisonous Fierce Array back then, was merely an echo of the past. Hearing Han Xin speak, he appeared quite surprised.

Han Xin leveled his long sword and crouched slightly, shaking the Tiger Head Military Tally at his waist. "Whoever you are, I suspect you've come for this Soul Military Tally. Let me feel your strength, Death God..."

"What?" Ye Xiu was astonished that Han Xin, a historical figure, could know he was a Death God. He tried to flee, but there was no retreat; Han Xin's long sword was already before him in an instant.

"Clang!" With a sharp report, Han Xin's long sword pressed firmly against Ye Xiu's Death God Scythe. Though Han Xin's face was formless, he could sense the power emanating from the weapon in Ye Xiu's hand. "The Underworld Sacred Sword in the hands of someone at the Blood Vessel Primary Realm? Never mind. From now on, it belongs to me."

"Dream on..." Ye Xiu was certainly no saint. Purple flames now billowed from his hands, which he merged into the Scythe, intending to enhance its power with the searing heat of the Violet Flame.

Han Xin showed no surprise as the color of the Scythe before him shifted. At that moment, black flames erupted from the long sword in his hand, flames that also originated from his own hands. "So you are merely a Flame-elemental Death God. A pity—my Violet Flame cultivation surpasses yours!"

"Aargh!" The collision of the twin flames resulted in an explosion that flung both figures backward. Han Xin, being slightly stronger, managed to keep his footing, while Ye Xiu cried out as he was sent flying a great distance.

"Hoo!" Han Xin gasped lightly, the previous killing intent having diminished somewhat. Rarely encountering a Death God of his own clan, he felt a sliver of pity. "Hand over the Underworld Sacred Sword obediently. I have reached the Blood Vessel Advanced Realm; you won't be a match for me in raw strength."

Ye Xiu struggled to rise, looking at his hands, clearly burned by Han Xin's black flames. He was immediately filled with suspicion. "I never expected the revered General Han Xin to be a Death God. Getting my Scythe won't be so easy."

Han Xin hadn't expected Ye Xiu to be so obstinate. He pointed toward the throng of monsters behind him and smiled. "You've seen them, haven't you? The Soul Military Tally is with me; I can summon ancient divine beasts to fight for me. Killing you will be as easy as turning my hand."

Ye Xiu looked at the bloody carnage on the hillside above and clearly understood the might of the Soul Military Tally. But why was he entangled with Han Xin when he had only entered a ball of light? "We are both Flame-elemental Death Gods. At your time, were there no Dark-elemental Death Gods, or other clans, trying to kill you?"

"Of course there were. But how could they possibly know I am a Death God?" Han Xin boasted arrogantly, waving the Soul Military Tally. "Even if they found me, I could repel them. Not to mention, I am close to acquiring the Underworld Sacred Sword!"

As soon as Han Xin finished speaking, he charged at Ye Xiu again with accelerated speed. The Soul Energy within him was also Speed Soul, giving him a significant advantage in velocity. His sword swept forward, striking Ye Xiu directly in the shoulder. "How about it! Let go now!"

"Damn it!" Ye Xiu had no intention of letting go, even in death. He swung the Scythe to block Han Xin's long sword, but Han Xin's blade was infused with black flames, which instantly vaporized the black blood spurting from Ye Xiu's body.

Because the Force Soul previously imbued in the Scythe had not entirely dissipated, this strike sent Han Xin tumbling backward a great distance. Gritting his teeth, Ye Xiu held the Scythe with one hand and sprayed Violet Flames backward with the other, accelerating toward Han Xin. This swing aimed directly for Han Xin.

"Rumble!" Han Xin knew he couldn't match the brute force of the Death God Scythe. He leaped into the air, controlling his long sword, which carried the black flames, forming a black fiery halo. The halo descended from above, trapping Ye Xiu within it. "Give it to me now, or don't blame me for being impolite."

"Not yet." Ye Xiu paid him no mind. He struck the ground with Violet Flame to gain more speed. He shot toward the sky, expecting to injure Han Xin, but Han Xin's sword moved with incredible swiftness, bringing the black flame with it to form a three-dimensional cylindrical barrier. No matter how high Ye Xiu flew, the flames blocked him.

"Young man, give up. It's about cultivation level!" Han Xin repeatedly emphasized the issue of cultivation. "Blood Vessel Primary Realm can only augment weapons. The Blood Vessel Advanced Realm augmentation allows the weapon to possess a rudimentary fighting consciousness. I don't even need to exert myself."

This was Ye Xiu's second battle against a Death God, and one whose Flame elemental level surpassed his own. He had already lost the contest against the Violet Flame; in terms of Blood Vessel augmentation, he was powerless. But how could he surrender the Death God Scythe so easily? Belief came first; he had to test his own strength. "Death God Scythe, go!"

"Want to force it?" Han Xin felt the killing intent radiating from Ye Xiu. He commanded the black flames to engulf the entire riverbank; everything living within the black flames was doomed.

"Boom..." At this moment, the final remnants of the Force Soul on the Death God Scythe exerted their energy. As if possessing a will of its own, it carried Ye Xiu's body through the black flames, heading straight for Han Xin.

Han Xin watched coldly, raising one hand high to summon his long sword for a ferocious strike. "You brought this upon yourself, so don't blame me for killing my own kind!"

"Whoosh!" In an instant, Han Xin's long sword abandoned the black flame augmentation and shot out horizontally. Its speed and length were completely beyond Ye Xiu's imagination. The blade leaped into the air, causing a few sparks as it grazed the Death God Scythe, before driving directly into Ye Xiu's chest.

"Don't stop, Death God Scythe!" Ye Xiu endured the burning pain and agony, while the Death God Scythe in his hand, fully controlled by the Force Soul, showed no sign of stopping. The slightest movement of the Scythe merely drove Han Xin's sword deeper into his chest, intensifying the excruciating pain.

Han Xin was somewhat impressed by Ye Xiu's spirit, but this could not alter his determination to seize the Sacred Sword. He gripped the hilt of his long sword with one hand. At the far end, the tip of the sword had pierced completely through Ye Xiu's body. "Kid, even Death Gods can die!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Ye Xiu suddenly lifted his head, the Scythe in his grip still relentlessly driving toward Han Xin. All he could do was hold it tight and continue to endure the pain inflicted by Han Xin's sword. Time flew, the distance closed, and the black, foul stench in the air was nearly dried away by the river breeze. "I must do it! I absolutely can do it."