Old Liu brought his hands together, slamming them suddenly against the back of the big man's neck, this blow purely for the dead E Qian.

Though the bearded man was powerful, such a heavy strike made him stagger backward, his long saber flying from his grasp and falling into the pit below.

"Damn you, you will get nothing!" Old Liu strode forward, snatching the Golden Elixir from the box, and swallowed it instantly without a second thought. "Whatever treasures there were, everyone who came with you is dead, all dead! And those innocent natives too!"

"I'll kill you!" Seeing the last Golden Elixir consumed by Old Liu, the bearded man erupted in fury, leaping up from the ground and flying towards him, locking his hands around Old Liu's throat. "If I die anyway, I'll drag you down with me."

Old Liu was no match for the big man's strength, and on top of that, the elixir made his body burn as if consumed by fire. Facing the bearded man's powerful arms, there was no room to break free; he felt the air suddenly thin, the whole world tilting violently.

With a chch sound, a sharp object covered in shimmering scales pierced through the bearded man’s chest from behind. When the object was withdrawn, his intestines spilled out beside Old Liu.

"Haa... haa..." Old Liu gasped, rolling painfully to the side. Dazed, he saw a long, slender vine swaying in mid-air, and two old, thorny claws suddenly grasped the edge of the ground.

Following a sharp roar, a familiar face appeared above the ground—her features delicate, her skin smooth. It was E Qian! But E Qian was no longer truly human; where her lower body should have been, there was now a serpentine tail covered in scales. It turned out the thing that killed the big man was not the vine, but E Qian herself.

Old Liu painfully pushed himself over and struggled to rise. The fire within him had reached his heart, preventing him from standing straight. "E Qian, E Qian, how are you..."

"Aow... aow..." The snake-bodied E Qian seemed no longer to recognize Old Liu. She slithered closer and whipped her tail, her sharp claws slowly moving downwards, clearly intending to finish Old Liu off.

"E Qian!" Old Liu cried out loudly. He wanted to flee but couldn't move his limbs. "E Qian, are you still alive? Is that you?"

"No!" Suddenly, E Qian seemed awakened by Old Liu’s voice. She reared her head back and shrieked towards the sky, as if conversing with someone. "Empress Wu, no! He is a good man!"

Old Liu let out a long breath and crawled away from E Qian, watching intently as she swayed her tail back and forth before him. At that moment, the surrounding vines began to rise as well, mirroring E Qian’s movements. Was this the Inactive Empress Wu?

"Old Liu, don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." After a series of roars, E Qian finally calmed down. She slowly crawled over and helped Old Liu up. "I have merged with the Inactive Empress Wu. I believe this is the Empress Wu's eternal life!"

Old Liu dared not approach, yet E Qian’s expression was profoundly serene. "It's a blessing you didn't die!"

"I will not die," E Qian smiled faintly, but in the instant the smile faded, a strange hatred flashed in the corner of her eyes. Her voice turned sharp again. "Ah! Old Liu, hurry and go, I can't control Wu Hou..."

"What!" Old Liu was shoved far away by E Qian. He watched in horror as E Qian’s face continuously contorted. "What's happening? What's going on?"

E Qian’s body began to convulse again, alternating between calmness and struggle, as if fighting someone within her. She managed to speak with difficulty: "The Empress Wu's memories are merging with mine, Old Liu, go quickly! Wu Hou will kill you."

"I..." Old Liu’s usual nature would never involve himself in such matters, but now, facing the loyal E Qian, he didn't know what to do.

"The box just now contained the Ancient Golden Elixir, which can open the channels for your Strange Path cultivation meridians. Inside is also a copy of the Compendium of the Ancient Strange Path of Tian Yuan. As long as you follow the instructions to find the Eight Divisions of the Ancient Strange Path, you will achieve success." E Qian struggled to crawl to the very edge of the ground. She did not wish to harm Old Liu, but with the manifestation of Empress Wu, she was determined to avenge her people. "You gave me a life, and I will return that life to you."

The burning sensation in Old Liu’s body had already subsided. Seeing E Qian entrust him with such a heavy burden, he felt compelled to retrieve the box and take out the scroll. It turned out this Compendium of the Ancient Strange Path of Tian Yuan was the most vital treasure of these natives. He carefully tucked it into his chest and wanted to go comfort E Qian, but she had already leaped down to the ground, once again merging into the dense vine-covered forest.

"E Qian!" Old Liu lay on the ground watching the scene below. At that moment, the entire ground began to shake once more. It descended rapidly, finally kicking up an infinite cloud of dust around them with an earth-shattering impact.

"Ah..." Old Liu screamed in terror as he returned to the blue void realm. He dropped to his knees, sweat beading on his forehead. What was this? This was no illusion. He knew that in this story, he had played the role of Liu Yunzong. He finally recalled who this Liu Yunzong was: the founder of the Strange Path in the mortal world, the one who, relying on a single Golden Elixir and a copy of the Compendium of the Ancient Strange Path of Tian Yuan, spurred the rise of a great sect in later generations. But why was he playing him?

"This is a historical regression; you are you, you are not playing anyone!" At this moment, a man who looked exactly like Old Liu stood opposite him in the void. "Cultivators, regardless of past or present lives, only need to ensure the expansion and glory of the Strange Path Sect."

"Who are you!" Old Liu cautiously drew his Thin Veil Saber. He glanced back; his Seven Swords of Demon Breaking were still there. This time, he took no notice of whomever this person was.

"The past and present of the Dao Sect are held in your hands!" The man said this while walking towards Old Liu. His steps were steady, his figure ethereal, and he gradually merged into Old Liu’s body. "Shallow cultivation, disaster arises from a restless heart—everything lies in the origin."

"Hey, hey!" Old Liu tried to struggle free of this entity, but he couldn't touch him at all. The figure vanished completely inside his body. In that instant, the scenes just performed replayed in his mind: the demise of the natives, the arrogance of the big man, E Qian’s despair, the Empress Wu’s rage—all flooded Old Liu’s heart. The name Liu Yunzong was now utterly branded into his memory.

"The Big Dipper Seven Stars Stone Tablet is only two stars short of being connected!" Within the Ascending and Descending Steps, a stooped, mysterious elder leaned on a skull-topped staff, coldly observing the stone tablet. His unkempt hair did not diminish his imposing aura; he was clearly no ordinary person. He slowly raised his hand, and the ground beside him suddenly cracked open, revealing a small skeleton that crawled out. The elder completely controlled the skeleton, directing it towards a door made of light. In a flash, it was shattered by the electricity within the light sphere. "It seems those not chosen by the Big Dipper Seven Stars Stone Tablet cannot enter the formation."