The Ghost Mask raised the Ghost-Subduing Chain, and at that moment, a surge of dark gold energy flowed from his palm. This energy enveloped the chain and ascended towards the Ghost Dao Eight Trigrams above his head. Where the Ghost-Subduing Chain met the earth, it instantly collapsed, giving rise to a vortex crackling with lightning and thunder.

"The Tai Xuan Dao Curse is a peerless incantation from the ancient esoteric path of curses. Its variations are infinite, its mysteries profound. After I failed to steal the forbidden spell, the Wuji Dao Master cast me into the Tai Xuan Dao Curse, binding me with the Ghost-Subduing Chain extended from the Daoist magic. Over these many years, though I cannot personally break the spell, I have come to know the essence of its creation. Once you enter, just follow my instructions, and everything will be fine."

"Why should we trust you?" Ye Xiu was no fool. The Ghost Mask had been expelled by the Daoist sects; how could he be someone trustworthy? "What if we can break through the Ghost Dao Eight Trigrams without your power?"

"Hmph. The Ghost Dao Eight Trigrams are controlled entirely by the Ghost-Subduing Chain. If the chain remains, the Eight Trigrams will regenerate endlessly. Try it yourselves if you don't believe me!" The Ghost Mask was deeply cunning, having already discerned Ye Xiu's suspicion. "Try flying up and see just how mysterious this Ghost Dao Eight Trigrams truly is."

Ye Xiu gave Old Liu a meaningful glance. With a surge of his Black Flame, he leaped vertically, his body arcing wildly until he touched the dense, vibrant green tree canopy overhead. Yet, as he tried to make physical contact, he realized the tree was not actually beside him. Ignoring this oddity, he pressed upward, fully expecting to reach the soil above. But in that instant, his vision went black, and he inexplicably reappeared on the ground: "This..."

"Is it an illusion? Or are heaven and earth connected after all?" Old Liu sucked in a sharp breath. Watching Ye Xiu seemingly travel up and down only to reappear beside him, his eyes widened. "What did you feel?"

Ye Xiu could not accept his experience. He looked at the Ghost Mask and asked, "Is this the Ghost Dao Eight Trigrams you spoke of? Why is it like this?"

"The entire space is unified, but because of the Ghost Dao Eight Trigrams, you fundamentally cannot distinguish whether you are standing upright or upside down." As the Ghost Mask spoke, he was once again suspended overhead. "This feels more real than reality itself. Trust me, the moment the Tai Xuan Dao Curse is broken, everything here will return to normal."

Old Liu was helpless in the face of this situation. He nodded to Ye Xiu. "Let's do it this way. Since we are already inside, we can't give up halfway, can we?"

"If you succeed in breaking the curse, I will certainly reward you beyond your imagination." The Ghost Mask’s voice became sycophantic. All he thought of was revenge; once free, he would bring unrest to the entire Wan Dao Mountain and make the Wuji Dao Master pay the price.

Ye Xiu sighed, following the Ghost-Subduing Chain, and was the first to jump into the swirling vortex. Inside was a world of soil, where flying yellow sand stung his face painfully. Old Liu followed close behind, and the two were thrust into yet another domain.

The wind howled, scattering specks of yellow sand. On a cliff edge stood a house built of earth. Outside, an old woman was pushing a millstone—a scene both ethereal and heartbreakingly compelling, making one want to rush over and help.

"Is this the world of the Tai Xuan Dao Curse?" Old Liu watched the old woman from afar. Her figure was stooped, and the massive millstone seemed impossible for her to turn, yet the moment she pushed, the stone spun with terrifying speed. "Ghost Mask, what exactly do you want us to do?"

"Kill that old woman and destroy the millstone!" The Ghost Mask's voice drifted through the sand. "That millstone is the core connecting to the Ghost-Subduing Chain. Its rotation controls the chain's tension. That old woman is a manifestation of the Earth Spirit Curse, and this entire stone mountain you are on is her power."

Ye Xiu listened and carefully observed the old woman. Her movements were mechanical, and her face bore no expression. The earth-shaking millstone must have weighed several tons; she had no physical ability to move it. After thinking for a long time, he nurtured a Black Flame in his hand. As soon as the flame appeared, he blasted it towards the millstone, but it failed to shatter. "It seems we have to start with the old lady. Kill her? Is she a stone golem?"

"Hey, what are you doing? Don't make her angry!" Old Liu was startled. Because of Ye Xiu's Black Flame attack, the old woman suddenly turned around. Her cheeks were devoid of features, showing only constantly flaking stones. Seeing someone approach, she instantly spun her body and hurled the massive millstone toward them. "Damn it, this thing..."

"Hurry up and move!" Ye Xiu was equally shocked by this method of attack. The giant millstone was now descending directly from overhead, obscuring his vision. Dodging, he drew his Tian Miao Sword and slashed across the stone, sending sparks flying everywhere. "It's too big! Even the Tian Miao Sword can't cut through it!"

"Watch out for that old hag!" Old Liu rode his sword into the sky. Looking down, he saw the old woman's hands, feet, and head sinking into the mountain body. This indeed resembled the stone-controlling behavior of the Earth Sovereigns, but this was far more extreme; the entire mountain was her weapon. "Below! Watch the bottom, the millstone is coming up again."

"Didn't she throw it down the cliff?" Ye Xiu moved around the mountaintop, piercing the old woman's body with a sword strike, but it was useless, as he saw a colossal stone arm already lifting the millstone and bringing it down upon him. "Quickly, get me up there!"

Old Liu swooped down and carried Ye Xiu into the air. At that moment, the millstone smashed onto the peak, sending countless rocks flying. He rubbed his head, temporarily at a loss. "Ghost Mask, what do we do now? This thing is clearly a mountain; how can we break it!"

"Find the core of the Earth Spirit Curse formation and attack it!" The Ghost Mask sounded as if he were watching their every move from high in the sky. After so many years, he knew the precise location of the core. "The formation relies on curse talismans for its creation. The talisman for this Earth Spirit Curse is within the mountain body. Your divine weapons should help you penetrate to the center of the mountain!"

"Nonsense. If we could pierce the entire mountain, wouldn't we have already cut that giant millstone to pieces?" Old Liu cursed, attempting to freeze the entire peak with his Ice Dragon Qi. "Let's try the same method we used against the Death Realm Giant Python."

Ye Xiu understood Old Liu’s intention. He leaped into the air, Tian Miao Sword Intent radiating from his chest. With agile hand movements, he propelled himself to the highest point, initiating a descent. "Tian Miao Sword, let me witness your might!"

"Demon-Breaking Sword, go!" Old Liu simultaneously launched his Demon-Breaking Sword. Seven streaks of light flashed, forming an ice dragon that coiled around the entire mountain, instantly halting the movement of those stone arms. "Ye Xiu, now is the time."

The Tian Miao Sword descended, its crimson light defying the heavens. Ye Xiu drove his sword into the ground, shattering the ice coating the summit and the mountain top beneath it. Ice shards and stones flew together in that moment, killing intent mingling with the vast sky. He charged downward with all his might, penetrating into the mountain's core, entering a world filled with warmth.

A campfire burned brightly, above which a floating piece of rock drifted up and down. After countless years, the stone had been thoroughly baked by the fire, making it translucent. Visible within the rock was a talisman floating up and down. The vivid red markings on the paper bore a slight resemblance to the script found on the Red Cliff Heavenly Scroll.

"Hmph, is this the curse inscription suppressing the formation core?" Old Liu was not well-versed in esoteric curse arts, but looking at the talisman, he grasped the crucial point. When he reached out to touch the stone block, he was sharply halted by the Ghost Mask's roar.

"Idiot! This is the Flame Heaven Fire. Any ordinary physical body touching it will be instantly vaporized."

Hearing this, Old Liu pulled his hand back in fright. He looked up and shouted, "Don't you know how to break it? Tell us quickly!"

"Heh heh, I just thought of it too," the Ghost Mask exclaimed with delight. "Wasn't your Thin-Faced Blade formed from the ancient divine beast, the Fire Light Beast? The Fire Light Beast is born in the lava of Mount Bu Xian and has absorbed the essence of the Flame Heaven Fire. It is also the purified form of the Earth Mole, so burrowing through stone and earth is no problem."

Ye Xiu listened to the Ghost Mask’s words and felt a doubt arise. "If we didn't have this Fire Light Beast, could this Earth Spirit Curse be broken?"

"Currently, there is no way."

"Damn it. So, it turns out only the arrival of us two could break this thing?" Old Liu also found it strange—was this coincidence or fate's arrangement? He took a deep breath, and at that moment, the Thin-Faced Blade transformed into the Fire Light Beast. The beast spun briefly before burrowing into the stone block. When it emerged, the talisman bearing the strange script floated out with it. All the stone blocks of the mountain began to shed and inexplicably vanish into the surroundings.

A cool breeze blew out, and the yellow-backed, red-lettered talisman drifted toward Ye Xiu. It writhed like an endless serpent; its sound was like incessant wailing cries; its glimmer was a captivating dim light, seemingly dragging the entire earth back into the era from which it originated.

"This... this is..." Ye Xiu saw only the endless movement of thousands of soldiers before his eyes—a war in human history. Although human history was filled with wars, this one was not as ordinary as imagined; this war forged an eternal emperor.

"This is an Image Reversion Scroll!" Old Liu was familiar with this item, as it had appeared in the Nine Poisonous Fiends Array. Its owner should be Mo Shu—no! It should be the Myriad Demon Sacred Empress.

The might of thousands of troops surged within the deep black realm—a world of absolute slaughter where only one victor could emerge. This person was unremarkable in appearance, yet he had once been a beggar. Now, clad in luxurious garments, this person was fishing by a riverbank.

"Why are all the fish swimming toward you and none toward me?" The nobleman glanced contemptuously at the attendant beside him, whose creel was already overflowing with fish.

The attendant, skilled in the art, dared not praise himself in front of the nobleman. He replied humbly, "Only someone as ordinary as I can catch such common little fish. How dare a common fish approach the Son of Heaven? After all, even the ten-thousand-year monarch only fishes for dragons."

"Good... Hahahaha."

Based on his knowledge of history, Ye Xiu clearly recognized the noble figure fishing. He glanced at Old Liu and explained, "The Ming Taizu, Zhu Yuanzhang!"

"How could a proper formation be connected to Zhu Yuanzhang?" Old Liu’s favorite pastime was watching movies, and the effect of the Image Reversion Scroll surpassed cinema by several times. "Did that Ghost Mask fellow deceive us?"

"Not entirely." Ye Xiu looked at this emperor, considered ugly in historical accounts, and felt apprehension rise. "Don't forget what the Ghost Mask said—this is the Red Cliff Tomb. Didn't I mention before that the Red Cliff Heavenly Scroll might have originated from Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Yunwen? This place is very likely a tomb, and it must be related to the Ming Dynasty. It must hold the power of the Myriad Demon Sacred Empress."

"Could Zhu Yuanzhang have been transformed into a Death God by the Myriad Demon Sacred Empress!" Having experienced so much, Old Liu now understood the Empress's objective: she scouts capable ordinary people in different eras who can create spatial chaos, implants the Heart of the Underworld into their bodies, and makes them conquer the mortal world as Death Gods.