Mingluo Sheng certainly understood Liao Wujun’s meaning. Back then, during the contest for the Four Master titles, Liao Wujun had stolen the spotlight; it was only because the Lord of the Underworld had already internally decided on the Four Master positions that Liao Wujun was edged out. He spun the Bloodlight Gorgeous Blade in his hand, gripping it tightly, and the scent of blood in the air grew increasingly pungent. “Today, half of your power is sealed by the Ksitigarbha Sarira, while I was reborn from the essence of Leng Shuangxin. This arrangement is quite unfair to you.”

“Hmph, after millions of years, Mingluo Sheng, you are still soft-hearted!” With a flick of Liao Wujun’s Phoenix White Fan, the entire scene transformed. The previously shattered platform morphed into a landscape of picturesque mountains and flowing water. “Do you still remember how you angered the Lord of the Underworld back then for the sake of a mortal Daoist? The once-glorious Blood Master lineage was consequently marginalized because of you.”

“Those matters are no longer within the scope of my concerns.” Mingluo Sheng circulated his energy, shattering one of his own fingertips. Droplets of blood fell onto the Bloodlight Gorgeous Blade, and the crimson markings on his face began to glow. At this moment, both man and blade shone with dazzling brilliance.

Liao Wujun brandished the Phoenix White Fan again, and from the highest heavens, a single, soft, white phoenix descended, circling around. The white phoenix let out a soft cry, instantly manifesting as a torrent of water that rushed toward Mingluo Sheng.

“Heavenly Sea Illusory Matter, how dare you act so aggressively!” Mingluo Sheng unleashed the Gorgeous Blade, sending a burst of scarlet energy toward Liao Wujun. Red and blue mixed light flickered erratically across the ground and sky. In the woods, the blade’s fierce gleam was blocked by the Phoenix White Fan; by the water’s edge, the blade was pressed down by the fan’s direct force. In mid-air, Mingluo Sheng delivered a spinning kick, which Liao Wujun neutralized with a palm strike. The two interwove across the land, water, and air, battling fiercely, perfectly matched, neither gaining an advantage.

“Hey, are we just going to leave Ye Xiu like this?” Old Liu looked up at Ye Xiu, who was suspended inertly in the air, feeling helpless. He stared into the vast sky. “What on earth drove this guy mad?”

“If not for Liao Wujun’s formation, the rest of us would likely have been slain by the Death God,” Changkong understood a bit, but regarding this newly manifested being before him, he couldn't be entirely certain of his words. “Based on my deduction, the blood coating Ye Xiu’s body surface should originate from the Death Kingdom. However, the deep crimson blood seems connected to the Styx River. Yet, Guan Si Yan firmly insists he is related to the Ksitigarbha King. Does this mean his blood contains the Buddha-force of the Ksitigarbha King?”

“Damn it, this fellow’s anomalous life essence is more layered than just one!” Old Liu gasped, sucking in a sharp breath. He had known Ye Xiu for a long time, believing him to be merely an unambitious, low-level Death God. Now, it turned out this wretch had such deep ties with the Ksitigarbha King.

“If this fight continues, by the time Liao Wujun is successfully subdued, the Rulai Gate might not even be able to close,” Birdman wanted to intervene, but the sheer magnitude of the power displayed in their duel suggested no one else could survive in that space.

“Blood Sea Overturning Dragon!” Mingluo Sheng raised his great blade and pulled a torrent of blood water from the wound on his own arm. At that instant, a colossal wave of blood surged across the nine heavens. The monstrous wave crashed down upon Liao Wujun below, resembling a gigantic dragon opening its gaping maw of blood.

“Truly worthy of a Blood Master who commands the power of the Styx Blood Sea; is the entire Blood Sea contained within your body?” Liao Wujun’s Phoenix White Fan had transformed into a conical shape. He charged straight ahead, resembling a white phoenix ascending to the heavens, plunging directly into the sea of blood.

“Swish!” When the Gorgeous Blade met the Phoenix White Fan, the preceding dragon qi and the white phoenix vanished into nothingness. The two figures, one red and one white, glided past each other, leaving behind a faint, pale mist in the sky. The victor was uncertain, but the overwhelming sense of murderous intent had dramatically lessened.

“Do you know what the re-opening of the Five-Pointed Buddhist Burial Mound signifies?” Liao Wujun descended straight to the ground, his light steps barely touching a single lotus leaf floating on the water pool. He shook his fan, a trace of crimson already staining his lips.

Mingluo Sheng followed closely behind, unsteady on his feet. He leaned on the Gorgeous Blade, only managing to kneel halfway to the ground. “The power of the Heavenly Sea is indeed unfathomable.”

The white phoenix in the highest heavens had disappeared. When Liao Wujun moved the Phoenix White Fan again, it shattered into two pieces. A wave of scarlet light erupted from behind him, and he knew the tide had turned against him. “Even the Lord of the Underworld did not know that the Heavenly Sea Realm can be reached without relying on the Mortal Realm as a conduit. All the people of the Underworld thought I had merely visited the Heavenly Sea; little did they know, I myself am a native of the Heavenly Sea Realm.”

“What did you say?” Mingluo Sheng had never imagined Liao Wujun belonged to another realm entirely. He only knew this man’s strength was sealed by the Ksitigarbha Sarira, yet in today’s battle, they had fought to an almost even match. “Heavenly Sea beings infiltrating the Underworld—what exactly do you people intend to do?”

Liao Wujun offered a faint smile, a mouthful of fresh blood now staining his white robes, his figure beginning to flicker erratically. “The ancient realms are fractured and scattered; who among us does not wish for unification? The Death King of the Death Kingdom, the Lord of the Underworld, and the Tyrant of the Demon Realm—the powerful have risen, and chaos has begun. I intended to report back to the Lord of the Heavenly Sea, but unexpectedly, I was sealed here by the Ksitigarbha King under the guise of the Asura race. Speaking of which, today I must thank you, Blood Master, for allowing my primordial spirit to return to the Heavenly Sea.”

Mingluo Sheng stood up and sheathed the Gorgeous Blade at his waist, staring coldly at Liao Wujun. At this point, Liao Wujun had dissolved into a column of transparent, luminous flame. It ascended into the sky along with the final Ksitigarbha Sarira, and at that moment, the highest heavens were bathed in brilliant light.

“Look at the sky…” Changkong’s brow furrowed. What was destined would eventually occur. The previously clear sky suddenly erupted with lightning. Five radiant stars rushed in from the four cardinal directions and finally converged directly above his head. Instantly, a swirling, multicolored five-pointed star appeared before everyone. “Five stars align; the Ksitigarbha Sarira are gathered. The Five-Pointed Buddhist Burial Mound is about to reappear to the world.”

“Bad! The seal on the Rulai Gate is broken,” Birdman activated his Heavenly Eye and immediately perceived the impending disaster. A circle of profound waves emanated from the five-pointed star, impacting everything within the Rulai Gate. In an instant, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning mixed with snow, frost, and rapid seasonal changes. Towering mountains inverted black and white; chaos reigned and distinctions blurred.

“Hahahaha, people of all realms, await the arrival of my Heavenly Sea army!” The transparent light circle circled a few times before finally rushing out past the Rulai Gate. Liao Wujun’s voice was loud and arrogant, showing no regard for the sovereign about to descend upon the world. “What is the Demon Realm’s Ji Du Tyrant Killing the World? Just wait for despair to descend! Hahahaha…”

“Ye Xiu!” Once Liao Wujun vanished, the field of energy light that had enveloped Ye Xiu’s body dissipated, and his form crashed heavily downward, caught just in time by Old Liu. “Damn it, Changkong! What do we do now!”

Inside the Rulai Gate, the earth shook violently, and the five-pointed star in the heavens began to spin rapidly. A flesh-toned sphere started to materialize within it, drawing upon all surrounding energies from the mountains and waters, seemingly intending to drain all the vital essence of this place.

“The Demon Realm’s Primordial Embryo! Is Sha Jun Tian Xia truly planning to enter the world this way?” Changkong raised his hands across his chest in supplication for the first time. This was all predestined by the source of things, but witnessing it unfold before him was an oppressive force that was almost unbearable. “The Lord of the Demon Realm has arrived.”