Ye Xiu had been struck by the Thin-Face Blade ever since he first met Old Liu, and after taking the hilt, he examined it closely, unable to hide his surprise. "You once said that the thinner the blade became, the higher one's cultivation, until it vanished entirely. How did you achieve this in such a short time?"

Old Liu smirked, a flash of triumph crossing his face. With a burst of arcane energy, he materialized the Thin-Face Blade into a spiritual object. At that moment, the small, spiky squirrel floated animatedly in the air. Old Liu playfully prodded it. "This is a fusion divine beast—part Firelight Beast, part Earth Mole. I, Old Liu, encountered an unparalleled master within this creature."

Ye Xiu was genuinely happy for Old Liu, but he was even more curious about what Old Liu had encountered inside the light cluster. "What did you run into inside that thing? How did your cultivation even increase?"

Old Liu paused to consider before describing, "I met a predecessor from the path of the Ancient Strange Beasts—it seemed like the very founder of the Beast Path. His name was Yu Jiuhu."

"Yu Jiuhu?" Ye Xiu wasn't particularly focused on the name; something felt off. "I also ran into someone from the Death God lineage. Guess who I saw?"

"You met someone from your own clan, too?" Old Liu began to sense that things were taking a strange turn. "So, these seven light clusters let us encounter matters related to our own clans?"

Ye Xiu hesitated, an uneasy feeling settling in. "Not just matters—they were all mysteries. Do you know who I saw? It turns out the Great General Han Xin was also a Death God, and the Soul Soldier Talisman was right there in his hand! Every victory in his campaigns was won thanks to the divine beasts granted by that Talisman."

"You saw the Soul Soldier Talisman!" Old Liu instantly felt that Ye Xiu's experience trumped his own.

"More than just the Talisman; I saw Hong Ling, too!" Ye Xiu had many questions, especially concerning Hong Ling.

"Hong Ling is also Mo Xi!" Old Liu stuck out his tongue. This was something that could grind a person's mind to dust.

Ye Xiu shook his head, unsure himself. "She appeared, but this time her name was Ji Jiang. The Soul Soldier Talisman was brought to Han Xin by her. Heaven knows what the principle is behind this. Hong Ling transformed into Mo Xi's appearance, and in history, there was a woman named Ji Jiang who also looked exactly like Mo Xi. Are they the same person?"

"Oh, my head is going to explode! Does Mo Xi just wander this world non-stop after achieving immortality?" Old Liu abruptly shifted his focus back to Yu Jiuhu’s instructions. "That Yu Jiuhu from the Beast Path told me to return to the Snow Melting Palace in the Three Fissures of Changbai Mountain millions of years from now, saying I must go save the Ancient Strange Path!"

Save? Ye Xiu thought about Han Xin wanting to revive the Death God lineage. Ji Jiang had called Han Xin the Pluto King; the former Mo Xi had also called him the Pluto King. The Flame faction's Great Pluto King of the Death God lineage was once mightier than anyone. Could he have multiple reincarnated avatars? Ye Xiu tapped his temple with frustration. "It’s too complicated. It seems it’s not just us Death Gods; every single faction in this world holds far too many of its own enigmas. We can only take things one step at a time."

"Why worry about all that nonsense," Old Liu said, waving his hand dismissively after hearing Ye Xiu. "Wherever the treasures are, that's where we go. We're just idling around anyway."

"Boom!" As the two were talking, a slot in the stone tablet at the center of the courtyard lit up with white radiance, perfectly echoing the previously illuminated oval slot. The white line connecting the two slots formed a bright pathway.

Ye Xiu glanced over and offered Old Liu a knowing smile. "It looks like we have to traverse all seven light clusters before the Soul Soldier Talisman in the center lights up completely."

Old Liu glanced toward the light cluster where Huang Le’er had entered and chuckled slyly. "I wonder what experiences our Princess Le has gone through. I suspect there must be some hidden entanglement between our Ancient Strange Path and the Earth Royal Family."

"You mean like the Bone Sect and the Secret Sect? Like how the Bone Gatherers and the Sun-Blind Clan exist in a state of mutual dependence yet are also enemies?" Ye Xiu said flatly before sitting back down to rest. "Let's wait until Princess Le emerges."

...

"Isn't this Princess Le?" This world was one of abundant flora and lush forestry, with various beautiful and captivating flowers swirling all around, displaying exquisite layers and being extraordinarily alluring. It was this lifetime's haughty call that shattered Huang Le'er's contemplation.

"To know this Princess's name—are you one of the Earth Royal Family?" Le'er stood amidst the jungle flora and smiled toward a nearby rose. "I didn't expect to encounter someone from the Sacred lineage here. If you have the nerve, come out and speak to this Princess. Stop relying on your camouflage techniques; I know you are in every single flower."

"Heh heh, it seems your Royal Spiritual Eyes haven't reached a level where you can locate me." The voice drifted, sometimes near, sometimes far, making it impossible to discern its direction. "Princess Le was supposed to be punished guarding the Seven-Star Trapped Dragon Baleful Ground. How is it you’ve charged right into the formation's core?"

"Hmph, what Trapped Dragon Baleful Ground? The moment I saw the stone tablet outside, I knew this Baleful Ground was a trick orchestrated by your Sacred Royal Family!" Le'er’s mind was sharp. It was true she was tasked with guarding the ground, but when the Sacred lineage stone tablet appeared, she realized her clan had been deceived. "I don't know how your Sacred line managed to deceive us into making this a monitoring post for the Art lineage, but now that I am here, I will take this secret with me."

"With just you?" As the voice faded, some of the surrounding vines suddenly lashed out to attack Le'er. "I’d like to see what abilities a Royal Princess possesses."

Le'er watched the vines close in furiously and retreated several steps. Once the distance was sufficient, she slapped the ground with one palm. By the time she rose to one hand from the ground, several shimmering, thin lines hovered in the air before her chest. "Such petty tricks to deal with me?"

"Showing your Spirit Severing Threads so quickly?" The voice lost its previous ease but remained completely composed.

"Swish, swish, swish!" After a few sounds, Le'er expertly maneuvered the Spirit Severing Threads, weaving them rapidly through the attacking vines. In mere seconds, she reversed the situation. She spun her hand, and with another sweeping motion, used the threads to snag the surrounding trees, tearing them down one by one. "Show yourself now, Sacred Royal Family!"

"I'm behind you!" Suddenly, a flash of green shot out from the flower patch behind Le'er, accompanied by the sound of tiny bells as it sliced past her side.

"Ah!" Le'er was caught off guard, scraped slightly on her arm, which immediately drew a fine line of blood. She snatched up the Spirit Severing Threads and chased after it, but the green shadow quickly vanished into the woods. "Don't test my patience; this Princess has a terrible temper."

"Oh? Everyone says the Art lineage Princess, Huang Le'er, is quite petulant. Today, I, Qin Ye, shall see for myself," the voice declared. As the words fell, a composed woman in a deep green, curled-petal skirt sat down on a swaying tree branch. Her entire body was jade-green, and a vivid crimson rose was tattooed on her cheek. "A pleasure to meet you, Princess Le."