The Scythe of Death’s blade plunged straight into the inferno-scorched boulder; with a dull crack, the sharp tip fused seamlessly with the stone. At that moment, as Ye Xiu felt his entire body temperature soar and thick smoke billowed up, he was hurled skyward along with the massive rock.

The Golden Lotus of the Vast Sky became useless, his body losing balance as he plummeted halfway down. He watched Ye Xiu, who had flown out with the boulder, realizing he was utterly helpless.

“Hey!” Ye Xiu felt as if his body were on fire, and his scythe was lodged too deeply in the boulder to be pulled free. At this juncture, he raised both hands, cloaking the stone’s surface in black flame. In that instant, the black flame collided with the towering, raging fire, successfully shattering the boulder's outer layer. Ye Xiu stared as one of his hands sank into the stone, letting out another roar of fury. The black dragons he had casually sent flying earlier instantaneously converged into his palm. Immediately, a black dragon coiled out from the hollow in the boulder and soared into the sky, wrapping itself tightly around the target.

Chang Kong drifted down with the wind, nearing the ground rapidly. He utilized the last reserves of his Buddhist power to cushion his descent, allowing him to float slowly onto one of the platforms. He surveyed his surroundings with extreme caution. There were only four towering platforms here. Below them, waves of heat constantly surged, and molten lava flowed ceaselessly. The sea of fire was separated from the platforms by a vast distance, yet it was enough to cause chunks of rock to repeatedly leap up and fall back down, forming rings of fire. It was clear this was indeed the domain of the East Nether Fire Marquis.

“Boom!” The black dragon’s eyes glowed crimson as its head tilted towards the heavens while its tail remained firmly grasped in Ye Xiu’s hand. Its black scales shimmered brilliantly. The moment it violently contracted, the mighty boulder instantly crumbled into dust. Following this, the smoke and ash from the heights of the sky seemed to surge outwards like breaking waves, spreading in all directions. Accompanying this was a tremor that shook the entire crust of the earth, and the area of the four platforms suddenly stood revealed before Ye Xiu.

“Hey, are you alright?” Ye Xiu retracted his scythe and swiftly leaped down to Chang Kong’s side. Seeing Chang Kong seated in meditation, Ye Xiu felt a measure of relief. “You didn’t engage the Water Marquis much earlier, yet you seem to have severely depleted your vital energy.”

Chang Kong spoke without opening his eyes, his voice subdued. “As a Soul Energy cultivator, the Reaper naturally doesn't feel physical fatigue. However, I heard that the Reaper’s combat strength isn't entirely infinite; it seems a specific realm must be reached to sustain endless fighting.”

Ye Xiu certainly knew of the Nether-Devouring Realm Chang Kong mentioned, where endless Soul Energy allowed the Reaper to maintain high combat efficacy. Yet, he now realized he could achieve something similar by relying on Su Su’s sudden flash of inspiration. Seeing Chang Kong unharmed, he walked to the edge of the platform. These four platforms were supported by four massive pillars, arranged in a perfect square, balancing each other out. He looked down; the bright red sea of fire was nothing new, but beneath the flames, there was always the unsettling impression of immense currents churning and rolling. It seemed something significant lay below.

Chang Kong sensed this and shook his head. “The East Nether Fire Marquis appears to be constantly attempting to break the seal of the Ksitigarbha King. Among the Five Marquises of the Netherworld, he has the most volatile temper. I fear his strength surpasses any of the previous ones.”

“Roar…” At that moment, a deafening, strange cry erupted from the molten lava. Giant rocks leaped out of the magma, only to crash back down and turn to ash. A surging trail repeatedly cut through the lava, resembling the tail of a massive dragon.

Ye Xiu watched, feeling the killing intent pressing in on the platform. Just then, an iron chain wreathed in fire shot out from the magma. Attached to the chain’s end was a massive, curved hook, which dove straight towards Ye Xiu’s head.

“Damn it!” Ye Xiu, caught entirely off guard, raised the Scythe of Death defensively. Unexpectedly, the moment his hand made contact with the chain, he was driven to his knees. The hook attached to the chain dragged down across his shoulder, digging fiercely into Ye Xiu’s flesh. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he gasped, “That thing is so heavy! Chang Kong, run!”

Chang Kong had not yet recovered his full Buddhist power. Seeing Ye Xiu pinned down by the chain, he prepared to sever it with a sword strike channeled through the Vast Sea Heavenly Seal. However, the lava shifted again. Three other chains, like fiery dragons, erupted upwards, hooking onto the other three platforms. As the iron chains tightened, the hooks dragged the platforms down, suggesting something intended to climb out of the lava using these chains.

“Ah…” Black blood streamed from Ye Xiu’s shoulder, instantly vaporizing upon contact with the scorching hot iron chain. Completely pinned by the hook, he was unable to use any powers. When he finally gathered the strength of his black flames to blast the chain, a horrific sound of tearing flesh echoed, and he rolled to the center of the platform, nursing a deep wound.

Clang! Clang! After Ye Xiu managed to wrench himself free, the hook snagged once more on the edge of the platform. All four iron chains were now firmly set. When they all emitted a shuddering sound simultaneously, a heart-rending shriek reverberated across the entire world.

Chang Kong mobilized his Buddhist power, yet his whole body remained immobilized. He watched Ye Xiu collapse in the center, a stream of deep crimson blood flowing from the severe wound, dripping along the platform’s edge into the lava. “Aren't the Reaper’s blood supposed to be black? Why was the blood from your shoulder black earlier, yet now red blood flows from your back? Reaper, what is wrong with you?”

“Hoo-ha…” Ye Xiu gasped heavily, kneeling in the platform’s center, using his scythe for support. He was acutely aware of the anomaly in his body. It seemed this injury had touched upon a secret within him. He glanced back at Chang Kong. “Is this what you meant by an Aberrant Body? What is happening to me? Am I the Reaper, or just a mortal?”

“I’m not entirely sure about that either. Be careful, something is coming up!” Chang Kong tried to channel energy to heal Ye Xiu, but at that moment, a massive claw rose from the magma, dragging flowing lava with it as it slammed down towards Ye Xiu’s head.

“Ya!” Ye Xiu narrowly dodged using a blast of black flame, but the rubble carried by the giant claw struck him heavily, causing agonizing pain.

“Great Vow Ksitigarbha! You’ve finally arrived, hahahaha!” A hazy yet profound voice echoed from the depths, a wail tinged with hysteria that made one’s scalp tingle. “I have waited many years for you. Did you truly believe a mere Sarira could seal the power of someone like me? Hahahaha!”

“Fire Marquis’s Quad-Flame?” Ye Xiu coldly stared at the burning, bloody claw. He now realized that beneath the decaying hand, a monstrous creature—its face rotten and its body immense—was climbing up the iron chains. The thing’s head was severely asymmetrical; one eye on its twisted visage resembled a fleshly tumor, while the other stared wide-eyed all around. Its eyebrows were covered in pustules. Most horrifyingly, its four claws were already gripping the four different platforms. Only half of its colossal form was visible above the lava. This was hardly the Quad-Flame of the Five Nether Marquises; it was clearly a mutated beast.