Mingluo Sheng turned, his long crimson robes billowing in the wind, and in that instant, the entire scene was steeped in a deathly silence, thick as spilled blood. He stood before Mei Lengshuang, his eyes holding doubt, confusion, and, overwhelmingly, a sense of release. He raised one hand, palm down, sweeping it across Mei Lengshuang's form. At that moment, a wave of blood surged from within, engulfing and swallowing her whole. “Lengshuang, you and I have existed together for ten millennia. I will allow this bloody symbiosis to continue.”

“What are you doing?” Old Liu watched, dumbfounded, as a sphere of crimson blood rose from Mingluo Sheng’s hand. This sight was identical to the ancient vision he’d witnessed within the halo earlier—bizarre and utterly indelible.

“Fate has commanded my return to the living world, and your long slumber shall accompany me.” Mingluo Sheng coldly closed his eyes. With a sharp intake of his hand, the blood sphere dove directly into his chest cavity, vanishing for eternity.

Old Liu more or less grasped the essence of this sorcery. However, seeing Mingluo Sheng, the ancient Blood Master of the Underworld, manifesting before him in reality, he truly didn't know how to react.

“Hmph, so this is the Jizo Relic that sealed you?” At that moment, a fierce, crystalline light flashed across the surroundings, forcing even Mingluo Sheng to recoil several steps. Where Mei Lengshuang had vanished, a white crystal resembling the tip of one point of a five-pointed star ascended into the air. It spun continuously, radiating waves of chilling energy, until it reached its apex and hung motionless in place. “The Jizo Relic’s Buddhist power is truly boundless; to seal five levels of the strength of the Five Marquises of the Underworld—it’s no wonder a mere cultivator like you could gravely wound Mei Lengshuang.”

Old Liu’s heart clenched upon hearing this. In his view, Mingluo Sheng should be a servant of the Underworld Lord, just like the Five Marquises, and therefore an enemy of Ksitigarbha. The only thing he could do now was hold the Demon-Slaying Sword before him, ready for battle at any moment. “Blood Master Mingluo Sheng, a cultivator born from the Styx River. Heh heh!”

Mingluo Sheng turned to face the Demon-Slaying Sword in Old Liu’s hand and chuckled, “The deepest Yin and extreme evil of the Underworld fundamentally cannot provide the environment needed by cultivators. Yet, I succeeded. Cultivating Dao techniques through Underworld Blood, and controlling malignant blood with Daoist methods—all thanks to the guidance of one person.”

“The Beast Mother, Yu Jiuhu!” Old Liu remained calm. Yu Jiuhu was, after all, one of his own ancestral masters. If the reborn Mingluo Sheng still held feelings for Yu Jiuhu, he likely wouldn't harm Old Liu.

“Heh heh, it seems you know Er. It has been far too long since I last saw her. I truly wonder how she fares now?” Mingluo Sheng’s expression softened; there was absolutely no intent to harm Old Liu. “You are filled with Daoist power, yet you wield something inherently sinister. You are an inexplicable existence. Could it be that you also carry the Blood Echelon from my Blood Path techniques within you?”

Old Liu did not understand Mingluo Sheng’s terminology. He lowered the Demon-Slaying Sword and nodded. “I am also a successor of the Ancient Strange Path. Venerable Yu Jiuhu is the progenitor of the Ancient Beast Dao. The Blood Path techniques you founded were later integrated into the Ancient Strange Path by subsequent generations. I have not cultivated them.”

Mingluo Sheng gazed up at the endless sky, where the Jizo Relic continued to glitter high above. “The cycle of reincarnation and transformation between the Ancient Era and the current world is a destiny beyond the comprehension of you or me. I only wish to know where Er is now?”

“I have only seen her once, in the Snow-Melting Palace of the Three Abysses in Buxian Mountain,” Old Liu replied truthfully. “I cannot confirm if that place is modern-day Changbai Mountain, but I can confirm that she existed there.”

“So be it.” Mingluo Sheng appeared entirely relieved, the blood markings on his face seeming placid, devoid of any killing aura. He observed the scene in the sky, feeling a mist enveloping everything around them. “The Buddhist energy is heavy. It seems the Rulai Gate does not permit lingering vestiges of Underworld Blood to wander freely. Is your arrival intended to shatter the Rulai Gate’s seal?”

“Annihilate the Five Marquises of the Underworld, secure the Jizo Seal, and reopen the Five-Pointed Buddhist Burial Mound,” Old Liu nodded, though without great confidence. “I have companions heading to several key locations. The Five Marquises of the Underworld are truly formidable; I nearly died at Mei Lengshuang’s hands myself.”

“Lengshuang was already dead. I used my own Blood Echelon to sustain her life by breaking her physical body. Over these years, I have come to understand her guilt over Er’s death. Death was a release for her.” Mingluo Sheng, having returned to the mortal realm after so many years, possessed a detached and expansive air, as if the world of the Underworld held no relevance to him. “Furthermore, Lengshuang’s power was the weakest among the Five Marquises. Your friends may have to exert themselves considerably.”

“No, I must go help them…” Old Liu was often characterized by his desire to cling to life and avoid danger, but when faced with a true life-or-death moment, he could not bear to watch his companions walk to their doom. He snatched up his long sword, intending to fly off, but at that moment, his body refused to move in the slightest. “How can this be? You did something…”

Mingluo Sheng formed a claw with his hand in the air, making a gesture. He shook his head and chuckled softly, “You indeed carry the same Underworld Blood Echelon as I do within your body. No wonder you claim I am the progenitor of your Ancient Strange Path lineage. It seems Er integrated my life’s Dao arts into the worldly Dao techniques.”

“You can control my body?” Old Liu felt cold sweat drenching his back as he realized his own hand was unresponsive. “What is this Underworld Blood Echelon? Isn’t it what you Blood Masters use to resurrect the Lord of the Underworld?”

“That is the Innate Blood Echelon. The Echelon on us Blood Masters is achieved through acquired cultivation. The Innate Blood Echelon allows for resurrection after death; the Acquired Blood Echelon can only sustain another’s life by sacrificing oneself. The difference is vast,” Mingluo Sheng lowered his hand and explained slowly. “That explains why you could lift the Underworld Sacred Sword, Abi. Because you carry the Acquired Blood Echelon, and that Echelon originates from the Blood Sea of the Styx. Abi mistook you for one of the Underworld denizens.”

“But it tried to control my actions,” Old Liu recalled his final strike against Mei Lengshuang—the sword was fiercer than the man; the Demon-Slaying Sword had seized complete control over him.

“When you activate the Underworld Sacred Sword with Daoist arts, it will naturally trigger a backlash. If you were to drive it with Blood Path techniques, the results might be far superior,” Mingluo Sheng stepped closer and patted Old Liu’s shoulder. “Though I created the methods for cultivating the Blood Path, it requires the Blood Sea of the Styx as a training ground. If fate allows, I might impart a thing or two to you. The immediate concern is how to break through the Rulai Gate’s barrier?”

Old Liu’s heart leaped upon hearing Mingluo Sheng’s words, and he quickly replied, “My companions are no ordinary figures either. As long as they succeed in eliminating the remaining four Marquises, everything will look brighter.”

“Ten thousand years have passed. Even with half their power sealed by the Jizo Relic, the strength of the Five Marquises of the Underworld cannot be so easily overcome. However, I grew weary of the Underworld’s laws of power long ago. I will naturally assist you,” Mingluo Sheng finished speaking, and a blood-red, dazzling blade erupted from his palm. With a light, sweeping arc, the very earth beneath them was sliced open by a colossal fissure.