"Whoosh..." The battle was deadlocked when a streak of black light flashed in from the doorway. That single sword-finger strike pierced straight through Ming Luosheng's chest, an attack that astonished everyone present.

"It's the Lord of the Underworld!" Everyone immediately knelt down. Even Wen Wudi, locked in a life-and-death struggle with Ming Luosheng, bowed his body. They all knew the Lord of the Underworld had not physically arrived here; this strike, the Heavenly Finger of Ten Thousand Sins, originated from within the Nether Palace. The Lord of the Underworld commanded the highest martial arts of the Netherworld, possessing a cultivation realm closest to that of the founder of the Asura lineage, Patriarch Minghe. No one dared defy his decree; even his most trusted subordinate, the Blood Master, was fated to perish by his command at this moment.

"Ming Luosheng." Seeing blood erupting from Ming Luosheng’s body, Mei Lengshuang could no longer remain indifferent. Ming Luosheng was the man she loved; how could she bear to watch the one she deeply loved die before her eyes?

"Hoo... hoo..." Struck by a fatal blow, Ming Luosheng knew he had no chance to survive. He understood that the Lord of the Underworld's Heavenly Finger of No Sin possessed the power to contend with the Ksitigarbha Buddha. Faced with such immense might, he had no choice but to abandon any thought of survival.

A voice echoed immediately. The Lord of the Underworld spoke with weighty authority: "Blood Master Ming Luosheng, trading the mortal life for rebirth using the Minghe Blood Rank has violated the Netherworld's statutes. You are sentenced to execution, forbidden from ever re-entering the Minghe River for eternity!"

"Yes!" According to Netherworld law, any noble official above the rank of Five Marquises must have their execution carried out by the Martial Master, Wen Wudi. This is because his Dark Domain Silver Spear has the property of severing life force while preventing healing. This means that even those possessing Daoist cultivation and regenerative abilities, once wounded by the Dark Domain Silver Spear, would find their injuries permanently unable to mend, leading only to death.

At this moment, the stone hut fell silent. Ming Luosheng, grievously wounded, knelt before Wen Wudi. His crimson robes fluttered around him, and a Blood Light Brilliant Blade stood steady on the ground. Even his previously infinite aura of killing intent could offer no resistance before the Lord of the Underworld. Absolute strength symbolized absolute authority; he could only accept his fate. What was fear when dying for the one he loved?

Wen Wudi held his silver spear, stirring up surrounding winds of blood. Those surging waves of crimson perfectly matched the rotation of his spear. In that instant, a force capable of toppling mountains was unleashed; in that instant, a life was forfeit to the Minghe River. He thrust his spear forward, intending to end Ming Luosheng's life.

"No!" Mei Lengshuang, who had been watching coldly, instantly threw herself over Ming Luosheng's body. The silver spear passed cleanly through her back and pierced out of her chest before finally sinking into Ming Luosheng's heart. She knew her action was foolish; no one could defy the command of the Lord of the Underworld, but she simply had to do it. She wasn't doing this to atone for killing Yu Jiuhu; she did it purely because she wanted to.

Until this moment, Ming Luosheng had hated Mei Lengshuang. But after this single thrust, he realized he had been wrong. Just as he was willing to die for Yu Jiuhu, Mei Lengshuang was willing to die for him. He dropped the Blood Light Brilliant Blade and held Mei Lengshuang firmly in his embrace. In that instant, the waters of the sea of blood surged, and time itself seemed to halt.

"Marquess Xue, Mei Lengshuang." Wen Wudi ruthlessly withdrew his silver spear. He looked down upon the two ill-fated souls: one his sworn brother, the other his subordinate, yet both were now destined to die by his spear. "Blood Master, she did not deserve this from you."

"Lengshuang..." Ming Luosheng's hands trembled, and undeniable tears welled in his eyes. All the memories of the past flashed before him, yet they could not bring back such a vibrant life.

"If you die, my living holds no meaning," Mei Lengshuang, consumed by devoted love, had long held the intention of dying. She reached out to stroke the blood-light markings on Ming Luosheng's face. Her hand shook; her entire body convulsed. The relentless, unending pain inflicted by the Dark Domain Silver Spear was more than any person could endure.

"Lord of the Underworld, please allow me..." Ming Luosheng looked up, pleading for something. He gazed toward the heavens and pointed a finger at his own head. Unleashing his power, he once again summoned the sea of blood behind him.

"Whoosh!" A sound of surging spiritual power swept past the onlookers. The dissipation of that force eased the oppressive atmosphere weighing on everyone’s hearts.

Wen Wudi waved his hand, calming the entire scene. He knew the Lord of the Underworld had departed, tacitly approving the Blood Master Ming Luosheng's final request: "The Lord of the Underworld has shown mercy to both you and Mei Lengshuang. Mei Lengshuang's actions deserve my respect. I hope your Blood Body Technique can successfully extend her life."

"En." Ming Luosheng looked at Wen Wudi with eyes full of trust. At that moment, he transformed his palm into a claw and stabbed directly into his own heart. When his hand reappeared, he had extracted a glowing, crimson, spherical pillar. "This is the Blood Master's Danhai, the culmination of my life's energy. I hope it can extend Lengshuang's life."

"Extend her life?" Old Liu, utterly engrossed in the movie, jolted upright when he witnessed Ming Luosheng possessing such profound sorcery. This Ming Luosheng might very well be the progenitor of the Ancient Peculiar Blood Path Mei Lengshuang had spoken of. The fact that he could extend life through magic demonstrated the formidable power of the Peculiar Blood Way.

A brilliant light enveloped the surroundings. The Blood Master's Danhai floated and merged into Mei Lengshuang's wound. Ming Luosheng’s figure simultaneously turned to ash and vanished along with the Danhai. Mei Lengshuang's body twitched slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

...

Old Liu sighed. At this moment, the mass of red light gradually faded and retracted back into Mei Lengshuang's chest. She still lay there rigidly, motionless.

"This time, it's truly dead!" Old Liu stood up with a touch of regret. He picked up his Demon-Slaying Sword and slowly approached Mei Lengshuang. Suddenly, a red spiritual elixir shot out from Mei Lengshuang's heart. It spun in the air, and upon hitting the ground, it violently burst into a thick cloud of dust.

"Ptoo! Ptoo!" Old Liu was still weak. He fanned away the surrounding dust, trying to see the situation more clearly. As the smoke slowly dispersed, a figure emerged faintly within the field of vision—a person dressed in red and white robes, leaning on a blood-glowing long saber for support, kneeling halfway on the ground. His face was covered in blood-light markings, and the tenacious yet resentful gaze belonged to none other than the Blood Master, Ming Luosheng.

"Did you kill Lengshuang?" Ming Luosheng, having resided deeply within Mei Lengshuang’s heart, seemed to know everything about Old Liu's affair long ago. He retrieved his brilliant saber and walked from the dust cloud to Mei Lengshuang's corpse. "A life in the Netherworld is destined for unhappiness. What a pity."

"Whoa! I just... came to unseal the Ksitigarbha Sarira..." Old Liu had grasped the extent of Ming Luosheng's power through the images. In his current physical state, he stood no chance against him. Watching the situation, he replied quietly, "You are Ming Luosheng, the Blood Master of the Netherworld!"