In a flash of lightning and thunder, Ye Xiu originally thought a simple turn would allow him to evade the flame's close-range bombardment. Unexpectedly, the platform behind him had already been dissolved by the green ichor. The moment the raging fire from Guan Si Yan's tongue entered his body, he felt as if he were about to explode, temporarily losing consciousness.

"Death God!" Chang Kong watched as Ye Xiu was about to plummet into the lava. He actually abandoned his own Gold Seal protection and activated the Vast Sea Heavenly Seal to form a shield around Ye Xiu, leaping himself to a previous platform. "Ye Xiu, wake up, damn it!"

Ye Xiu trembled slightly upon hearing a curse word. When he finally opened his eyes, he realized he was standing atop the lava, and the Golden Lotus beneath his feet was glowing once more. Knowing the Vast Sea Heavenly Seal was useless now, he immediately unleashed consecutive bursts of black flames, managing to reach the third platform. However, only upon landing did he realize his left leg was gone; the bloody, mangled state was more despair-inducing than the piercing pain.

"No! This..." Ye Xiu crashed heavily onto the platform. He had never practiced any training that required standing on one leg. Ever since he could remember, he believed the Death God was omnipotent. Yet here, a monster had destroyed the most crucial part of his body. Gritting his teeth, he stared at his vanished left leg. He couldn't stand, and he didn't even know how to react as Guan Si Yan turned around to face him.

"Death God, still one claw left!" Chang Kong was immersed in the lava, the surrounding flames searing his skin until it cracked, but he clearly saw the situation: one platform destroyed, and Guan Si Yan’s one claw severely burned by Ye Xiu’s black flames. If one more thing was destroyed, this Eastern Nether Fire Marquis would be annihilated. Yet, he never expected the Death God's limb to be crippled at this crucial juncture.

"Can't stand up? Ksitigarbha!" Guan Si Yan had always suspected a connection between Ye Xiu and Ksitigarbha. Since he only had two points of leverage, the motion of turning his head to face Ye Xiu was enormous, and the single claw climbing over caused the entire platform to shake violently for a long time.

Deep in his pool of blood, Ye Xiu tried to support himself with his scythe to stand, but the platform's shaking repeatedly sent him tumbling down. Looking at Guan Si Yan’s repulsive face, a rising frustration brewed in his heart. A surge of heat erupted from his core, and at that moment, the black blood around him mixed with the red, emitting sharp crackling lightning. He finally could not suppress this mania, controlling the black flames to propel his entire body toward the top of Guan Si Yan's head: "Never offend the Death God!"

"Stop! Are you trying to die?" Chang Kong watched Ye Xiu's tiny form rush toward the giant Guan Si Yan. He wanted to stop him but was powerless.

"Splash!" With a deafening sound, Ye Xiu was completely lodged onto the tumor on Guan Si Yan’s head. The blade of his scythe plunged deeply into that mass of flesh. Instantly, a thick, viscous green fluid enveloped his entire body.

"Ah! Ah..." Guan Si Yan lifted a claw, attempting to tear Ye Xiu off. But as he loosened one hand, his entire body lost balance. The scene, like a towering mountain collapsing, manifested right there. Guan Si Yan, taking Ye Xiu with him, was about to plummet into the lava. "Let go, or you die too!"

Ye Xiu was now tightly gripped by Guan Si Yan’s claw. A strange light shone in his eyes; the raging flames surrounding him intensified, and the golden-yellow soul-body emerging from Guan Si Yan's form swept over him. He recognized it as Fire Soul, and the key to victory was right before him: "Su Su, now!"

The Soul Stone Jade Ring seemed prepared; upon hearing Ye Xiu's summons, Su Su flashed with purple light, instantly forming a vortex in the air. Facing the endless influx of Fire Souls, the vortex became incredibly greedy. Now, not only the entire Jade Ring, but Ye Xiu himself was wreathed in a thick column of flame.

"Ah! Let go!" Although Guan Si Yan was the master of flames, playing with fire ultimately leads to self-immolation. He knew that the moment the subterranean lava merged with his body, everything would turn to ash. In a burst of anger, several fleshy barbs sprouted inexplicably from the claw gripping Ye Xiu. These barbs fiercely pierced Ye Xiu's physique before differentiating into more minute barbs, causing blood to erupt instantly from the claw. "If you don't let go now! You will die."

"Even the Death God, if his blood runs dry, should..." Chang Kong stood up and leaned on the platform, watching the tragic scene in the distance. Ye Xiu's body was surrounded by blood-red firelight, and half of Guan Si Yan’s head was submerged in the lava. His pain should be no less than Ye Xiu's. If this continued, both would be destroyed.

Ye Xiu's entire body was numb. The Fire Souls continuously injected into his scythe through his body. He could only stare, continuing to drive the scythe deeper into Guan Si Yan’s skull. As his body and Guan Si Yan’s head slowly sank into the lava, only the hilt of the long Death God Scythe remained grasped in his hand, as the rest had completely pierced through Guan Si Yan.

"You are not Ksitigarbha! Your power far surpasses his..." Guan Si Yan tried to open his mouth to utter something, but the surrounding lava was already flowing over his lips. At that moment, thick smoke enveloped his body; even for a Fire Marquis, the damage from the Hellfire of the Netherworld was unbearable.

"Boom... Clang..." The entire crust of the earth seemed to tremble with Guan Si Yan’s submergence. Those violent explosions unsettled the entire world within the Ru Shi Gate. Smoke and dust obscured Chang Kong’s vision entirely. He never imagined the battle against the Fire Marquis would be this devastating!

"Hahahaha! Wha hahahaha!" In the swirling fog, an arrogant and bizarre laugh abruptly shattered the silence. This laughter struck terror into Chang Kong’s heart, and it shook the entirety of the Ru Shi Gate. At this moment, Ye Xiu stood steady alone in the lava. His left leg, previously blown off by Guan Si Yan, had reappeared perfectly unharmed beneath him. He held one hand straight up in the air, laughing. He tilted his head back and laughed—his evil gaze and ferocious expression were no longer the familiar him.

"Came too late?" Two figures swiftly dropped from the platform. Old Liu and Ming Luo Sheng jumped to Chang Kong’s side. Looking at Ye Xiu standing firm within the Hellfire of the Netherworld, Ming Luo Sheng marveled, "What's wrong with this guy? I’ve never seen him so arrogant!"

Chang Kong glanced at Ming Luo Sheng beside Old Liu with some suspicion, but he had witnessed Ye Xiu’s fight against the Fire Marquis with his own eyes: "The mingling of Buddhist power and Netherworld magic within the Ru Shi Gate means Ye Xiu is inherently an anomalous being. I suspect this battle with Guan Si Yan stimulated the two powers within him, causing him to go completely berserk."

"Damn it, what should we do? What is he now..."