As the Gate of Rulai returned to its former tranquility following Sha Jun's escape, Chang Kong slowly stood up, gazing upon the blood of his fellow Fo Xiang disciples around him, tears welling in his eyes. They had died for the sake of all beings, and in death, they had found their purpose.

“Ye Xiu, how are you?” Old Liu scrambled over, pulling Ye Xiu up in his arms, shaking him while roaring, “This damned fellow!”

Ye Xiu felt the previous flashes of light and shadow still flickering. He jolted awake to see the severed Death Scythe blade. He picked up the edge, shocked. “Just how powerful is Sha Jun Tianxia, to shatter the Holy Sword of the Underworld so easily.”

“Damn it, you’re finally awake!” Old Liu finally let out a great sigh of relief. But he had witnessed the recent brutal battle; the golden light emanating from the Yu Huang Zhan was still vivid in his memory.

Ming Luo Sheng picked up the other half of the scythe, lamenting, “I heard that Ksitigarbha King suppressed the Asura Clan. The Lord of the Underworld, in order to preserve the Twin Swords of the Underworld, melted them down into other divine weapons. Only that one craftsman in this world can forge the Swords of the Underworld!”

“We’ll likely have to discuss this another day,” Birdman Tianyan looked out beyond the Gate of Rulai, his expression somewhat tense. Ten thousand zhang below, within the Ksitigarbha King statue on Mount Jiuhua, waves of blood and gore were already spreading towards the Human Realm. He clapped Chang Kong on the shoulder. “The Ksitigarbha Sarira has been completely extracted. Has the convergence point of the Five-Pointed Burial Mound Array also been opened?”

“Indeed. This Five-Pointed Burial Mound is located within the Dao Realm inside the Ksitigarbha King statue. The statue was built to suppress the Styx Blood Sea within, cutting off the passage between the Underworld and the Human Realm. Now that the convergence point is open, the water of the Styx Blood Sea is surging upward madly. By the time it floods the top of the statue, Mount Jiuhua will collapse!” Chang Kong rose and sprinted ahead towards the Gate of Rulai. “The Gate of Rulai is about to close. By passing through it, we will return to the state we were in before we entered.”

“You mean all these injuries will vanish?” Old Liu found this utterly miraculous. He drew his Demon-Shattering Sword and dragged both himself and Ye Xiu out. Ming Luo Sheng and Birdman followed behind. The group passed through the tempestuous Gate of Rulai.

Stepping outside the Dao Realm, the group found themselves back on the plaza before the Ksitigarbha King statue. The Consecration Ceremony was reaching its climax; various high monks from around the world murmured incantations, none aware of the latent crisis engulfing the entire human world.

After passing through the Gate of Rulai, Ye Xiu’s body had completely recovered. Everything prior flashed wildly through his mind like a movie, some parts already faded: “Damn it, the Death Scythe is gone too. What do we do now!”

“Stop that chatter,” your Black Flame could shatter Sha Jun Tianxia’s mask. What are you afraid of!” Old Liu clapped Ye Xiu’s shoulder, looking highly optimistic. “You don’t need weapons anymore. When you go berserk, you are the best weapon in this world.”

Ming Luo Sheng had already enveloped the broken Death Scythe in a drop of vital blood using his Blood Stairs. He handed this drop of blood essence to Ye Xiu. “The Twin Swords of the Underworld were forged from the Blood Stairs in the Blood Sea, both brought forth by Yan Luo, the foremost smith of the Underworld. If we want to reforge the Yuantu, we can probably only find that elder!”

“Senior Brother, we should hurry and get into the convergence point,” just then, a group of Fo Xiang disciples surrounded them. Some held staves, others prayer beads, seemingly sensing the strangeness beneath the Ksitigarbha King statue. “Once the Styx Blood Sea surges to the top of the statue, the most immediate consequence will be the statue’s collapse. Countless people on this plaza will perish then.”

“There’s no time to waste, everyone quickly!” Chang Kong took the lead, guiding the Fo Xiang people straight toward the statue. He looked back at Ye Xiu and the others. “Perhaps the source of the alien life is also hidden in the Blood Sea. By destiny, you cannot escape it.”

“Damn it, let’s go!” Ye Xiu exchanged a look with Old Liu without further thought and rushed into the crowd. Since they were intermingled with the monks, the people in the plaza paid them little attention. However, at that moment, Mei Yi in the crowd spotted Ye Xiu.

“Hey, Ye Xiu!” Mei Yi thought Ye Xiu was acquainted with the high monks inside, genuinely believing a big news break had arrived. Holding her microphone, she grabbed Ye Xiu. “Are you going in there? Take me with you! I need an interview; maybe I can help you.”

Among those present, only Ming Luo Sheng’s attire was somewhat odd. He flashed away and instantly appeared behind the statue, unnoticed by anyone.

Ye Xiu was unable to deal with being accosted by a mere civilian. He stopped to tell Mei Yi, “I have urgent business. You had better leave here quickly, do you hear me!”

“Leave here? Why?” Mei Yi, being a reporter, truly detected a hint of something in Ye Xiu’s words. She said in alarm, “Are terrorists planning to cause trouble here?”

“Miss, look over there!” At that moment, Birdman fixed his gaze on Mei Yi. He could create illusions, which worked quite well on ordinary people. “The news angle is over there; hurry up and go!”

Mei Yi turned and glanced at the crowd, immediately energized. She looked back at Ye Xiu and said, “I’ll treat you to dinner tonight. I’m heading over now; work is important!”

Ye Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded toward Birdman. “What did you show her that made her run off like that?”

“We should hurry and go,” Birdman pulled Ye Xiu and Old Liu, rushing behind the statue. At this very moment, Chang Kong had already opened the convergence point. Behind the statue was clearly a cave glowing red, from which a stench of blood continuously rushed out—though ordinary people couldn't smell it at all.

Inside the convergence point was a winding, upward-sloping path of dark flagstones. On either side of the path flowed the rushing Styx Blood Sea. But strangely, the Styx Blood Sea flowed upward, while the flagstone path swayed back and forth like a suspension bridge keeping pace with the flowing sea.

“At this rate, we won’t be able to keep up with the flow of the Blood Sea!” Chang Kong hastily formed the Brahma Sea Gathering Heaven Seal. He transformed two strands of prayer beads into two golden lotuses that flew out into the Blood Sea on either side. The golden lotuses repeatedly flashed and grew larger, on the verge of blocking the path of the Blood Sea, but the water was not so simple; it moved as if alive, circumventing the blockage.

“Seal of Fo Xiang!” At this moment, numerous Fo Xiang members channeled their own Buddhist power into Chang Kong. As a result, the two golden lotuses became even larger, and the flow of the Blood Sea was effectively controlled.

“This works…” Old Liu stood in front, his heart tightening as he looked at the flagstone path soaring into the clouds. “By doing this, are you telling me that we have to travel the rest of the way on our own?”

“This is not enough!” Ming Luo Sheng was familiar with the nature of the Blood Sea. With a flourish, she spread her arms and leaped into the sea. At that instant, the water of the Blood Sea seemed to be drawn into her hands, and the flow rate slowly decelerated. “Let the water of the Blood Sea flow through my body once to slow their pace. The rest is truly up to you all.”