"I've only seen her, but I don't know what that woman does!" Blade Man was not particularly familiar with that woman. "Because of her, Yan Luo transformed from an ordinary smith into an immensely powerful divine being. If it weren't for his fondness for forging, he would certainly have become a hegemon of that era."

Old Liu had heard the tale of Hong Ling from Ye Xiu, and he also knew of a woman named the Myriad Demon Empress who had remade Han Xin into a Death God. "Why would this woman seek out Ou Yezi to grant him such power? What is she plotting?"

"Hoo... Forget the women for now; perhaps we'll gain some insight once Ye Xiu emerges," Mei Yi disliked these rambling stories. At this moment, her greater concern was for Ye Xiu, trapped within the Fourth Layered Tower. ...

The words 'Gate of the Dead Kingdom' shimmered like neon above the massive doorway. This was a courtyard, yet its perimeter was shrouded in absolute blackness. The sky was dim, starless and moonless, but for some inexplicable reason, the flagstones on the ground reflected a chilling luminescence. Ye Xiu stood gasping outside the gate. He felt a profound sense of bewilderment, for he knew the Gate of the Dead Kingdom was legendarily the final boundary where even the Death Gods retreated. In the Primordial Era, the Death Kingdom's Pluto was unmatched, but due to the coalition of various clans, the Death God lineage was forced back to their ultimate bulwark—this Gate of the Dead Kingdom.

"Ah... My head!" Suddenly, a sharp pain assaulted Ye Xiu's mind. He felt as though countless insects were gnawing at his entire body, causing him to collapse immediately onto the ground, convulsing violently. "Susu, something is trying to emerge from my body! Quick! Quick!"

Susu panicked upon seeing this and floated swiftly to the side of Ye Xiu's head. Her purple mist swirled around him, and for a moment, she was utterly distraught. "Master! No, you are not my Master. Who are you?"

"Rumble... Boom..." At that moment, the massive, suspended gate suddenly swung open, projecting a beam of profound light from within. A wave of energy surged out, reducing the beast-shaped architecture in the courtyard to dust. This was a power capable of startling the heavens and earth, yet within its dominance, there was a hint of restraint.

"Eight Directions Solitude!" A heavy voice boomed from within the radiant light. It was utterly natural yet stirred up clouds of dust and earth. Even the oppressively dark sky slowly brightened because of this single utterance. "Do you truly intend to depart from me at this juncture!"

"Th-this..." Susu, previously in the form of purple mist, was violently shaken by the sound into human form, causing her to collapse onto the ground. She had never encountered such immense Soul Energy, even though this surge had not reached its peak release. "This is the true power of the Death God. How can it be here?"

"Wooo..." At this instant, a mournful cry echoed from within Ye Xiu's body. A streak of crimson light radiated from the outline of his form—it was the former Heavenly Scythe Sword Soul, radiating the color of its true essence.

"Yaaah!" Ye Xiu threw his head back, and instantaneously, several crimson laser beams shot from his eyes, mouth, nostrils, and ears. A deep crimson, humanoid silhouette pierced through his body and stood firmly before the Gate of the Dead Kingdom.

"Master!" Susu tried to rush to Ye Xiu, but at that moment, a thick mist rose from the Gate of the Dead Kingdom, pressing both her and Ye Xiu flat against the ground, rendering even the ability to crawl impossible. "Are... are you alright?"

Ye Xiu felt his heart leap into his throat, plunging him into a state of intense excitement yet utter suppression. Tilting his eyes, he could barely make out the shape of the red figure. "Heavenly Scythe Sword Soul! Could this red figure be the Master of the Sword Soul, the Death Kingdom Sword Demon, Eight Directions Solitude?"

"Indeed!" The voice from behind the Gate of the Dead Kingdom resonated again, shaking the surroundings. A figure of pure blackness stood indistinctly behind the dazzling light. "Can you bear to abandon all your subjects in the Dead Kingdom? Can you bear to see the Death God become a laughingstock for outsiders?"

"From the moment I saved you and sent you back to the Gate of the Dead Kingdom, my title as Death God concluded," Eight Directions Solitude's voice was faint, devoid of defeat or resentment. "I only wish to be a simple swordsman. Therefore, I bid you farewell here, Your Highness Pluto!"

"He is Pluto!" Ye Xiu gasped, sucking in a sharp breath. He struggled to push himself up to see the black shadow clearly, but the radiant light was too intense; even his eyes blurred when he looked in that direction. "Why are Pluto and Eight Directions Solitude here? Is this scene the memory of the Heavenly Scythe Sword Soul?"

"Nonsense! Did you think my Dead Kingdom was finished just like that?" Pluto’s voice was stern. The Death God lost because he was outnumbered; Pluto lost because of his stubborn resolve. "The great affairs of the world, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. This is the cycle of reincarnation, and this is my plan, Pluto! Trust me, everything is still under control."

Eight Directions Solitude was clearly unmoved by Pluto's words. He turned and replied, "None of that concerns me anymore. I only wish to contend with the powerhouses across all realms. Perhaps I won't live to see the day the Dead Kingdom rises again!"

"If you wish to leave, you must first ask the 'Doom's Legend' in my hand!" At that moment, a weapon of overwhelming majesty shot out from the dazzling light. It was longer than a spear by several times, yet more curved than a blade. This weapon was named 'Doom's Legend.' Its blade was crescent-moon curved, its body twisted like a serpent, and its hilt excessively long. As this weapon appeared, dark clouds pressed down across the vast sky for ten thousand miles, and a mournful, killing wind stirred restlessly. This was Pluto's ultimate move—the Doom's Passage, capable of cleaving mountains and splitting seas.

"Worthy of Pluto; to use an ultimate move even when his Soul Energy is nearly depleted!" Eight Directions Solitude's figure flashed. His hand, emitting red light like a falling star, swiftly plunged downward. Ignoring the arrogant advance of Doom's Legend, in a flash of lightning and fire, he won with speed, placing his hand directly upon the black cluster of light. "Your Highness Pluto, I doubt you can keep me now! I, Eight Directions Solitude, have dedicated my life to the Dead Kingdom. At this moment, I only wish to cast aside the mantle of the Dead Kingdom's Protector and enter the world as a true swordsman!"

"Damn..." The extreme clash between the two forced the surrounding sand and wind to lash violently against Ye Xiu's face, almost twisting his mouth askew. "These... two... people..."

"Heh, so be it," Pluto sighed. His voice had lost its previous commanding dominance; in that instant, he seemed like a deflating balloon, murmuring, "If I hadn't insisted on forcibly suppressing the other realms with the Dead Kingdom's power, we wouldn't have reached this outcome. However, Gu Ling, you must promise me: the day the Dead Kingdom rises again, authority shall return to the Protector!"

"Farewell." The red silhouette slightly bowed. This was the final parting between Eight Directions Solitude and the Pluto of the Dead Kingdom. He turned, implicitly accepting Pluto's pact. The vague red sword shadow in his hand slowly receded with him. This moment was the final tragedy of the Dead Kingdom, yet it exuded immense pathos and heroic abandon.

"Take care, brother!" As Pluto's voice faded, the surrounding radiant light began to contract toward the Gate of the Dead Kingdom. The light from the horizon vanished once more, and the gate closed heavily, like a seal. This once-invincible Dead Kingdom, this resolute Pluto, and the era when the Death God reigned supreme were all buried forever within history as that gate shut.

The oppressive aura vanished with the departure of Pluto and Eight Directions Solitude. Ye Xiu curled up on the ground, dizzy and gasping for air. The unsettling feeling was comparable to when the Killing Monarch descended upon the world. "Pluto of the Dead Kingdom, we met the Pluto of the Dead Kingdom!"

Susu also managed to catch her breath and hurriedly leaned over Ye Xiu's body, using her own purple energy to heal him. "Master, don't move. I can use my Soul Energy to mend your injuries."

Ye Xiu saw purple flames rising all around, yet Susu remained in human form. She was tall, with enchanting, delicate features. Especially her soft chest and slender waist were pressed flush against his body: "This..."

Susu was merely a spirit entity and paid little attention to such matters. As she caressed Ye Xiu, she said, "That Soul Energy from before hasn't left; it's still around us. That fellow should be the Heavenly Scythe Sword Soul. I need to use my Soul Energy to draw it back into your body, Master!"

Ye Xiu, being of a lower cultivation level in the Death God realm, currently felt a vortex-like current forming within his body. In that instant, as a great surge of power rose, Susu seemed to go mad, pressing her entire being deeply against his body. The frontal contact was bearable, but the deeper the adherence, the more profoundly their bodies merged, leading to natural, specific reactions in certain areas. "Susu, stop... this..."

"Ah... mmmph..." Susu emitted soft, captivating sounds, pulling at the soul. As her exclamations peaked, a flash of red light once again pierced the Nine Heavens.

"That's it, the Heavenly Scythe Sword Soul!" Ye Xiu barely managed to shift his focus from Susu's beautiful form to the Sword Soul. As he opened his mouth, the current within his body surged toward the Sword Soul, drawing it slowly in, almost completely absorbed into his body.

"Ah... ah!" Susu cried out sharply, as if transported to a realm of bliss, tilting her head back. At that moment, the Heavenly Scythe Sword Soul, previously external, returned to Ye Xiu's core. "Master, we did it!"

Seeing Susu lean back weakly into his embrace, Ye Xiu didn't know what to do. He held her steadily. Susu's entire body was now covered in purple perspiration. "You rest well. I can handle things from here!"

Hearing this, Susu offered a satisfied smile. She slowly dissolved into a purple mist, swirling around Ye Xiu, her voice becoming exceptionally sweet. "Master, the memories of the Heavenly Scythe Sword Soul have been unlocked. Everything that follows is very likely connected to it!"