With a tremor that shook the heavens and the earth, a cacophony of ghostly wails erupted, light and shadow flashed wildly, and the grand hall visibly strained. That serpentine form of golden dragon coiled with the might of a turning cosmos, poised to plunge into the sapphire wall. The serpentine shape of the blue wall writhed, its head rearing back to roar defiance at the lunging dragon. Gold met shadow; it was pure hatred colliding with absolute resolve.

Dragon claws ripped forth, unleashing an unending, piercing bloodlust; the serpent's maw, glistening with gore, spewed forth an inferno of savage, brutal force. The dragon’s body lunged, determined to shatter the wall with brute strength, while the serpent’s tail coiled tight, swearing by the name of the unyielding to withstand an assault spanning ages. This moment was the intersection of light and shade, the struggle of serpent against dragon, the confidence of Yama confronting the steadfastness of Maya—the ultimate offensive clashing against the final defense. Above and below, the contest reached its zenith.

“Rumble…” The shaking of the great hall nearly annihilated every surrounding structure. The vats filled with molten iron churned violently, pillars cracked and collapsed, and the entire scene became enveloped in a fiery cloud.

“This is bad! It’s collapsing! Run!” Old Liu shouted, and without a second thought for anyone else, he bolted. His dark talisman flared, and his figure vanished with the speed and subtlety of a scurrying rat. “Yexiu, hurry up!”

The hall had now taken on the consistency of jelly, every supporting pillar having already given way. Yexiu grabbed Mei Yi’s hand, activated his Black Flame art, and charged toward the exit. Unfortunately, a massive pillar lay directly in his path. He swung Tian Miao Sword, slicing through the golden column as easily as cutting clay. “Mei Yi, run!”

“Yexiu, you don’t blame me anymore?” Mei Yi’s heart churned with anxiety. Seeing Yexiu set aside past grievances to escape with her brought her immense joy. “Do you know? No matter who you are, I love you!”

“You…” Yexiu knew this was a confession born of crisis, yet he was utterly incapable of handling matters of romance. He leaped forward, pulling Mei Yi into an embrace, and smashed through the debris. “I’m only pulling you along incidentally; there’s no other meaning.”

“Clang-thud…” As the fires roared, the entire hall crumbled into a pile of ruins. The three barely escaped and turned to look back. The dazzling golden light and the somber blue shadow had completely vanished. Yet, the final wall of the palace remained perfectly intact. What did that signify?

“Look at that barrier wall!” Old Liu roared in astonishment. Embedded in the wall was still that exquisite shield, standing solitary as if the cataclysm around it had nothing to do with it. “Maya won? That shield withstood the attack of the Yu Yu Feng Dao!”

Mei Yi’s attention had been fixed on Yexiu. Though she knew the strength of the Dao Xuan Barrier, its opponent was, after all, a divine weapon rarely seen among ten thousand realms: “They… where are the two of them…”

Yexiu released Mei Yi’s hand. He stood coldly before the sea of fiery wreckage. This epoch-making confrontation had stirred a thousand emotions within him, especially that the victor was merely a shield.

“Hahahaha!” A burst of relieved laughter echoed. Yama leaped from the ruins and landed before the trio. He raised his head and violently plunged the Yu Yu Feng Dao into the ground; the blade was now dull and lifeless. “Maya, you succeeded. I never thought such a perfectly defensive barrier truly existed in this world.”

“Hoo… The Yu Yu Feng Dao still appears to have a flaw,” Maya said, leaning on his staff as he stepped out from behind a fallen column. From his demeanor, he was clearly not entirely satisfied. “The Dao Xuan Barrier certainly succeeded, but the impact from the Yu Yu Feng Dao was too severe. It requires immediate repair before it can function again.”

“Fine! I concede, hahahaha!” Yama suddenly raised the Yu Yu Feng Dao and tossed it before Maya. His gaze was resolute, showing no concern for his own life. “Aside from this divine weapon, I have long held no attachment to this world. I lost. Kill me now!”

“Heh, what a peerless divine blade,” Maya picked up the Yu Yu Feng Dao. This was a wager between two men, and he would certainly honor the terms of their bet. “I accept the Yu Yu Feng Dao and your life. However, I suspect your life might have other uses right now.”

Yama nodded and walked toward Yexiu, pointing at the Tian Miao Sword in Yexiu’s hand. “God of Death, your Tian Miao Sword has not been truly forged yet. Don’t forget that the forging of a divine weapon has four stages, and the most crucial and brutal stage is the Sacrifice of the Sword!”

Having passed through the Fourfold Tower, the three of them knew this eternal truth of weaponry crafting. Yexiu understood Yama’s meaning, but carrying this out was against his own will. “Are you asking me to use your blood to consecrate the Tian Miao Sword? We are both Gods of Death!”

“Clang…” At that moment, a magnificent coffin rolled out from beside the blue wall. A figure clad in imperial robes was shaken free and tumbled into the flames, immediately catching fire.

“What is that coffin?” Old Liu tried to rush over to inspect it, but the fire was too intense; it couldn't be extinguished without magic.

Mei Yi looked at the gleaming coffin and robes and laughed. “This was the underground palace of the First Emperor to begin with. It looks like that coffin belongs to Qin Shi Huang.”

Maya watched, sighing. “The First Emperor died during his imperial tour. Whether his body was returned here for burial has always been a mystery. When I embedded the Dao Xuan Barrier into the rear wall, I examined it; the remains were unrecognizable.”

“Heh, what if I told you the First Emperor was killed by a woman?” Yama lowered his head, lost in memory. He patted Yexiu. “I feel like I’ve seen you and a Daoist somewhere before, but that seems impossible. Perhaps you already know the cause of the First Emperor’s death?”

Yexiu was stunned by the question. It was true; in the realm, he had fought alongside Yama, where the outcome was the Empress of Ten Thousand Demons killing Ying Zheng because she deemed him useless, while Yama seemed ready to fight against regicide with the Yu Yu Feng Dao.

“Maya, I have one more favor to ask of you,” Yama turned back and said solemnly. “The Yu Yu Feng Dao does indeed have a flaw, but I could never figure out how to fix it—how to make it truly the strongest divine weapon in the entire realm one day?”

“That is certainly no problem,” Maya chuckled lightly, stroking the edge of the long blade. “The Dao Xuan Barrier’s enhancement requires continuous testing against this strongest divine weapon. I will help you find that flaw.”

“Must it be done this way?” Mei Yi couldn't bear to watch. She knew this was a wager between men, the final wish of a soul unburdened by ties.

“Come, Death God, let me die beneath the Tian Miao Sword. Perhaps only the blood of a God of Death can awaken the Tian Miao Sword to its fullest perfection!” Yama knew Yexiu couldn't bring himself to strike. He glared, suddenly summoning the skeletal chains from the Yu Yu Feng Dao. The razor-sharp links rapidly wrapped around Yexiu’s arm, and with a sharp tug, the links forced the Tian Miao Sword straight into Yama’s own heart. “Hah, I can finally die. If I could, I truly wish to have died as Ouyezi, the master swordsmith, not as Yama of the Yu Yu Feng Dao Alliance…”

Yexiu was familiar with death, but this was the first time he was unwilling to kill. Yet, the Tian Miao Sword in his hand behaved like a desperately thirsty child, plunging deep into Yama’s body and greedily absorbing every drop of the surging black blood into itself. “Is this the demise of a God of Death?”

“Senior Yama…” Mei Yi wanted to rush forward to stop it, but at this critical juncture, all she could offer was grief and observation. This was a long-cherished wish, and a process everyone had to endure.

“Swish-swish-swish…” The chain links retracted, as if their mission were complete, snapping back onto the hilt of the Yu Yu Feng Dao. They jingled softly in the breeze, composing a final dirge for Yama.

“Drip…” As the last drop of blood fell from Yama’s body onto the ground, his entire form dissolved into a pile of golden powder. That powder rose with the flames behind him into the sky, vanishing silently into the world, without complaint or regret.

“Agh… Ahhh!” Yexiu’s furious roar shattered the scene of lamentation. At that moment, the Tian Miao Sword shot forth a blazing crimson light that enveloped Yexiu tightly. With this force, he shot toward the roof of the underground palace. The clouds floating above were pierced clean through by this power, and a massive vortex appeared in the Ninth Heaven. A powerful gale erupted, pulling the zombies, the ruined buildings, and the flames within the palace toward it.

“The underground palace is collapsing! This Dao Realm will be destroyed! Let’s get out quickly!” Maya spread his hands, drawing the Dao Xuan Barrier from the wall and the Yu Yu Feng Dao from the ground into his sleeve. He drew a blue circle with his staff. “Hurry and get in! This is the exit!”

“You can enter the Dao Realm freely?” Old Liu was astounded by the ability to conjure a realm portal with a single hand. “Isn't entering various Dao Realms supposed to require finding the nexus point and casting a spell there?”

“Who told you there was only one nexus point in a Dao Realm!” Maya smiled at Old Liu and warned, “The sword in the hands of the God of Death is enough to destroy this world. If you don’t take him away, he’ll be buried alive here too.”

Old Liu looked toward Yexiu. The heaven-shattering red light had faded, but Yexiu had collapsed directly into Mei Yi’s arms. “Damn it, this guy just faints whenever he wants, always leaving people to clean up his messes at critical moments.”

“Stop talking and help me,” Mei Yi supported Yexiu. With Old Liu’s assistance, the three successfully entered the blue halo. What other secrets remained in this place? Everything vanished with the destruction of the Yu Yu Feng Dao ruins and the Qin Shi Huang underground palace. Nothing in this world lasts forever; only firm beliefs, like those held by Maya and Yama, endure. ……

A flash of blue light shimmered onto an unknown plain in Lishan. It was deep night, and the color of the blue light illuminated the surroundings brilliantly.

Supported by Mei Yi and Old Liu, Yexiu finally regained consciousness. The Tian Miao Sword in his hand had changed from pure crimson to a dark red. He couldn't quite decipher what was contained within it. “This Tian Miao Sword is unlike ordinary weapons. I seemed to see countless sword stances flash in my mind just now. Is this sword transmitting information to me?”

“Sword stances? Divine weapons are truly different; they require specialized stances to cultivate?” Old Liu crouched down, carefully examining the Tian Miao Sword. Its appearance was cool and stylish, but that was its only striking feature.

Maya smiled at Yexiu. “How could an epoch-making divine weapon be understood by ordinary people? Just like Yama, though he forged the Yu Yu Feng Dao, he didn't know its flaw. Divine weapons have consciousness; everything requires the user to ponder it slowly.”

“We’ll take it slow then,” Mei Yi said, supporting Yexiu with deep concern. “Senior Maya, where are you heading next?”

“The Tian Gu Records detail that the Bone Sect will face utter annihilation in this era. I must bring the Dao Xuan Barrier back to the Earth Vein Wujian Realm. This has been my aspiration for a thousand years,” Maya said, momentarily agitated. “I have been in the Yu Yu Feng Dao ruins for too long; I no longer know the current situation of the Bone Sect in this world.”