Because Ye Xiu saw the descending heavenly fire and considered it Han Xin's good fortune, Han Xin immediately promoted him to Deputy General the next day while marching, keeping him close by. This was arguably the fastest promotion during the late Qin period.

The great army marched swiftly, flanking the enemy city by using the Chencang Ancient Road. Since the enemy never expected the Han forces to approach from there, they captured the city with ease, resulting in city-wide jubilation that night. The revelry lasted late into the night, and both Han Xin and Ye Xiu eventually passed out in the main hall. Han Xin was genuinely drunk, whereas Ye Xiu had barely touched his wine.

“General Han, are you confident about the upcoming campaigns? Do you believe our army can achieve victory in every battle?” Ye Xiu, emboldened by the wine, sought to probe Han Xin, as he always suspected the general was deliberately concealing his true capabilities.

Han Xin yawned and replied haphazardly, “How can one win every single battle in a military campaign? Not unless the heavens themselves intervene. What is going on tonight? There’s a constant sound of partridges calling, keeping me awake! Go out and see; kill it for me.”

Ye Xiu looked at the drunken man before him, finding it difficult to reconcile him with the imposing figure he’d met by the riverbank. He had no choice but to leave the hall. Strangely enough, the partridge had been calling incessantly since nightfall. Even with his Death God abilities, he couldn't pinpoint its exact location. Instead, the creature seemed to sense it was being sought, calling out ever more excitedly.

“Susu, Susu, hurry and come out!” Ye Xiu beckoned with his finger, rousing her. “Why aren’t you responding at all today? You saw that Han Xin guy just now; can you sense his power?”

When Susu awoke, she lacked her usual vibrant energy, appearing listless instead. “What power? This wretched world has absolutely no Soul Energy; I truly have no interest.”

Ye Xiu waved his hand, signaling Susu to retreat. He continued searching back and forth without finding any trace of the partridge. “If I can’t find it soon, I’ll just burn this entire forest down.”

Just as Ye Xiu grew restless, a beam of golden light suddenly projected out from the main hall. In that instant, a profound sense of unease and terror gripped his deepest self—a fear akin to witnessing Han Xin, clad in black armor and trailed by an ancient divine beast.

Ye Xiu rushed rapidly to the side of the hall, hiding beneath a window to quietly observe the anomaly within.

Han Xin remained semi-reclined on the throne, still tipsy. Hovering in the air before him was a minuscule object radiating golden brilliance. Not far from Han Xin, a woman with a slender waist, clad in a red skirt, stood facing the golden object.

“Mei Xi?” Of course, Ye Xiu remembered that silhouette. He vividly recalled Mei Xi’s form before she transformed into a white lotus. It was indeed her. She was the one who granted Han Xin absolute power. Could that glowing object be the Soul War Talisman?

“I am Ji Jiang, a mortal.” The woman in red extended a hand to gently touch the suspended golden trinket. She seemed to be lecturing Han Xin. “As long as you willingly accept the Nether King’s Heart Blood, I shall bestow upon you inhuman power.”

“Nether King’s Heart Blood?” Ye Xiu focused more intently on the shining object. It wasn't a Soul War Talisman after all, but a drop of blood—though it appeared awfully large for a mere drop.

“As long as I can gain power, I will agree to any other condition.” Upon hearing this, Han Xin sobered up considerably. He managed to stand up, also extending his hand, as if shaking hands with Ji Jiang. Perhaps he never imagined that this transaction would alter the entire Chu-Han contention and rewrite history.

“Ah… ah…” The golden radiance swept across Han Xin’s arm. As it pierced down from above his head and entered his body, Han Xin let out a roar of agony. A fierce blaze ignited all over him. He was being tortured but could no longer choose. The intense fire burned away his skin, incinerated his flesh and blood, and he slowly collapsed onto the ground, completely immobilized.

Was Han Xin transformed into a Death God only after being remolded by the Nether King’s Heart Blood? Ye Xiu pondered why Ji Jiang called Han Xin the Nether King. Was it because a drop of the Nether King’s Heart Blood resided within Han Xin? But Mei Xi had once claimed to have achieved co-existence with Xia Jie and also called him the Nether King. Did he, too, possess the Nether King’s Heart Blood?

Ji Jiang waved her deep crimson sleeve. At that moment, dim red light illuminated Han Xin’s scorched body. The black flesh began to slowly mend, recovering and eventually forming a suit of black armor made of superior material. However, the armor stopped extending when it reached Han Xin’s head. Various different faces flickered across his face—Han Xin’s face became like a television screen displaying only human faces, showcasing a parade of different visages.

“Like all those who possess the Nether King’s Heart Blood, you have become a Death God!” Ji Jiang explained everything coldly. “You have inherited part of the Nether King’s strength and also attained your own Death God cultivation. In this era, even a sliver of Death God power is enough to make you the King of History.”

Han Xin took deep, rasping breaths, lowering his head, utterly bewildered by his new appearance and identity. Black flames slid down his body to his toes; he could feel his power surging.

Ji Jiang’s tone was grave, devoid of elation or pity. “This is the Soul War Talisman. You must use it to conquer this era, and incidentally, observe if anyone appears in this time who dares to oppose the Nether King.”

“Yes!” Han Xin accepted the Soul War Talisman bestowed by Ji Jiang, raising his head and roaring with laughter. “Ahahahaha, ahahahaha! Since this is the power of a Death God, I will turn this entire place into the world of the Death Gods—my world!”

This was the real Han Xin, the one Ye Xiu had encountered by the riverbank. Ye Xiu sucked in a sharp breath, preparing to flee the scene. Unexpectedly, just as he turned to run, the entire hall was instantly vaporized by Han Xin’s power, instantly exposing him fully to both Han Xin and Ji Jiang.

“You!” Ji Jiang looked at Ye Xiu in alarm, recoiling several steps as if she had seen a ghost. “How is this possible? How are you here? How could you possibly be here?”

“Mei Xi? Hong Ling!” Ye Xiu was uncertain of Ji Jiang’s meaning and tried to step forward to ask for clarity, but at that moment, a stream of black flame struck directly in front of him.

“Boom!” Ye Xiu countered Han Xin’s attack with Purple Flame, but Han Xin’s cultivation was clearly much higher than his own. Ye Xiu’s body was still hurled back a great distance.

“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before,” Han Xin said, inexplicably picking up a long sword from somewhere. His speed was terrifying; in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Ye Xiu. “The aura on you is so familiar, or perhaps, the same as the one on me?”