A sudden ray of radiant light flashed before the two, and the Red Cliff Heavenly Scroll resting atop the fleshy mound split in two, instantly drifting towards the Nine Heavens. The scene that had just appeared intact dissolved into a puff of golden dust.

"Hey, how can that thing leave at the crucial moment!" Old Liu leaped forward, trying to snatch it, but the Heavenly Scroll darted away and vanished into the top of the gorge. A figure clad in emerald green leaped out from the undergrowth, clutching it tightly. "Ye Xiu, look quickly at that person! They look like the one from inside that skeletal carriage."

Ye Xiu's eyes widened. The figure in the Nine Heavens was moving at incredible speed. He vaulted down into the gorge in one bound: "It's that guy! We need to hurry and chase!"

"Mm." Old Liu agreed and immediately pulled Ye Xiu onto the Demon-Breaking Sword. Twisting his body, he shot after the green silhouette at top speed. Below the gorge now, layers of mist and clouds churned, making it impossible to distinguish heaven from earth. "This guy seems to be deliberately leading us. Is he guiding us into the next secret mechanism?"

"Watch the clouds ahead, that guy is gone!" Ye Xiu pointed forward. By now, the Demon-Breaking Sword had plunged entirely into the cloud layer. He looked up, and the green figure had vanished without a trace. Behind them, the green grass was no longer visible. They were now suspended within a sea of black, oppressive mist, a scene both ethereal and daunting.

Old Liu donned his dark glasses and carefully scrutinized the surrounding clouds. The layers shifted between dense and wispy, gradually morphing into the shape of a soaring eagle with outstretched wings. "Look at the cloud over there, it turned into an eagle!"

"An eagle." Ye Xiu stared into the distance. Indeed, an eagle, massive as a fortress, glided through the cloud cover. He tugged at Old Liu, "That's not a cloud; that’s a real eagle."

"What!"

With a piercing shriek, the eagle swooped from afar, attacking the Demon-Breaking Sword directly. Its eyes were intensely focused, and its sharp beak twitched incessantly, as if it had spotted prey.

Seeing the eagle attack, Old Liu bent low, maneuvering the Demon-Breaking Sword downward to narrowly evade the strike. But the eagle did not relent. He instinctively turned his body, and to his astonishment, a human face was visible beneath its feathers.

"Something similar to a bird-man—it’s a Sun-Blind race member!" Ye Xiu realized. Before he could pull Old Liu down, a flurry of feathers shot past, instantly transforming into sharp blades. "Dodge quickly!"

"Ah!" Old Liu was preoccupied with evading the eagle's pursuit and never expected this creature to be a person. He spun the Demon-Breaking Sword but couldn't completely avoid the feather-blades. He and the sword were knocked downward, plummeting toward the abyss. "It seems we've reached the territory of the Sun-Blind. Think of a way out, quickly."

"What way is there!" Ye Xiu, positioned on Old Liu's back, fell first into a layer of cloud. He hadn't expected the cloud to be so substantial, capable of supporting a person's weight. "This cloud... this cloud is a platform."

Old Liu landed flat on his back, tumbling clumsily before managing to grasp the Demon-Breaking Sword. He felt groggy: "These clouds are tough. The Sun-Blind race’s domain isn't lacking, it seems."

"Pff..." At that moment, a strong gust of wind swept through the Nine Heavens. The Sun-Blind member from before had transformed into human shape and landed on the cloud layer. He stood with his arms crossed, looking disdainfully at Ye Xiu and Old Liu. "Who are you people, daring to trespass into the Red Cliff Graveyard? Don't you know the Red Cliff Graveyard is full of hidden masters?"

Ye Xiu stood up, studying the Sun-Blind man. This person was also covered entirely in gray feathers, the only difference from a bird-man being the strange, intricate markings painted on his face. "You are from the Sun-Blind race!"

The man nodded and introduced himself: "My name is Yi Tianxing. I guard the Red Cliff Graveyard under orders from the Clan Leader. The Red Cliff Graveyard is a perilous place; I strongly advise you not to proceed further."

"Another dead bird-man," Old Liu yawned. He was familiar with the fighting style of the Sun-Blind race; their abilities lay in their feathers and the spirit beasts, the Divine Eagles, attached to their bodies. "We are friends with your Sun-Blind race. If you know what's good for you, don't obstruct us."

Hearing this, Yi Tianxing couldn't help but raise the feathers on his body, licking them slightly. "I am obstructing you for your own good. Since you claim friendship with the Sun-Blind race, I should advise you to turn back even more strongly. Even I don't know what lies ahead."

Ye Xiu looked at Yi Tianxing's demeanor and sensed no malice. He lowered his head and asked, "A green figure passed through here earlier. Did you see them?"

Yi Tianxing nodded, looking toward the clouds. "Of course, I saw him. That’s why I told you not to go on. That fellow is not someone you two can handle."

"If we don't understand the true origins of the Red Cliff Graveyard, we probably won't be able to enter the Boundless Realm," Old Liu said, naturally uninterested in pursuing the green figure, but that object had carried away half of the Red Cliff Heavenly Scroll. "Unless you can tell us the method to enter the Boundless Realm, you won't be able to stop us two."

Yi Tianxing gave a cold laugh, not taking the pair seriously. "For people from the Mortal Realm to enter the Infinite Realm, they must pass through this Red Cliff Graveyard. This has somehow become an unwritten rule for the Boundless Realm, but in truth, it was merely an artificial regulation jointly established by the four clan leaders."

"An artificial regulation!" Ye Xiu was stunned by those four words. He asked, somewhat angrily, "Are you saying this Red Cliff Graveyard is just a facade, designed to reduce communication between the Mortal Realm and the Boundless Realm?"

"Not to reduce communication, but to reduce unnecessary casualties." Yi Tianxing tilted his head smugly. "Do you know what that green figure from earlier was?"

"What was it?" Old Liu had been preoccupied with that silhouette. He had seen the figure’s true appearance and knew they were wearing a dragon robe. In the Red Cliff Graveyard, wearing a dragon robe could only mean one thing: this person was Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Yunwen.

Yi Tianxing took two steps toward them, and the eagle beside him moved too. "That fellow is a God of Death!"

"God of Death!" Ye Xiu flinched upon hearing that terrifying word. He also knew who the God of Death in the Red Cliff Graveyard was—that same Zhu Yunwen.

"Precisely. That fellow is a God of Death, or more accurately, a Soul-Body God of Death!" Yi Tianxing pointed to the deep cloud layer where a faint green light flickered again. "This is a dead God of Death, and also an undying one. His soul body deeply envelops the Red Cliff Graveyard, so external people attempting to pass through the Graveyard to enter the Boundless Realm will have the majority of their original strength and cultivation sucked away by this soul body."

Old Liu's jaw dropped. He looked at Ye Xiu in a panic: "He says this is the soul body of a God of Death. Does that mean this God of Death is dead?"

Ye Xiu was confused. He looked at the flashing green light and pressed, "If we pass through here to enter the Boundless Realm, what will happen?"

"Your strength and cultivation will be reduced by at least half. Meaning, if you count as a top-tier master here, upon entering the Boundless Realm, you will barely be able to cope with ordinary cultivators," Yi Tianxing said, glancing at Old Liu. "Judging by the Taoist's power just now, in the Boundless Realm, he would at best be considered a peripheral disciple of the Nine Gates. Thus, I advise you not to go."

"This..." Old Liu hesitated upon hearing this. If his strength were weakened, what purpose would entering the Boundless Realm truly serve? Was it merely out of curiosity? "You mean this soul body absorbs our power? Is there no way to avoid it?"

Yi Tianxing shook his head. The green light was now darting around erratically, forming a green net within the clouds. "There is no way to avoid it. However, you can choose to leave the Boundless Realm. Your cultivation will recover as you return to the Mortal Realm, provided you don't die in the Boundless Realm."

"How was this thing formed—I mean, this dead God of Death?" Ye Xiu stared intently at the green light. Only the upper half of the figure was visible as it continually zipped around the clouds without pause. "Who killed him? Who is he?"

"I am only here to tell you the implications of entering the Boundless Realm. As for the fate of that dead God of Death, I know nothing myself. Even knowing this, do you still intend to proceed?"

Ye Xiu turned to look at Old Liu and smiled, slapping his hand. "Well, Taoist, he asks if you still intend to press forward even knowing this?"

"We’ve already... come this far. We should at least go see the scenery of the Boundless Realm," Old Liu appeared completely relaxed. He slapped Ye Xiu back. "Besides, I'm still curious about that Ten Thousand Paths Mountain. Maybe it could even improve my Daoist cultivation? Look at Dao Wan Deng, whom we met near the Heavenly Scroll; he seemed quite powerful."

Yi Tianxing was somewhat impressed by the courage of these two young men. Although he didn't know their objective in entering the Boundless Realm, as a guardian, he wouldn't let them pass easily. "Since you have decided, let me see your abilities. Though our Sun-Blind race is not a sect that seeks grand righteousness, we are not reckless people either. If you two cannot even pass my trial, you will surely die as soon as you enter. What do you say?"

"Bring it on." Ye Xiu had long wanted to gauge the strength of those in the Boundless Realm. Intense dark flames instantly covered his hands, but as soon as the Black Flame rose, it was sucked away by the green light nearby. He looked over; the green figure continued to dart about, clearly unconcerned by the Black Flame. "How can this be?"

"You are a God of Death!" The Purple Flame of the Dead Kingdom was inherently the symbol of the God of Death, and Black Flame that had attained cultivation levels was astonishing. He retracted his feathers and coldly stated, "Why would a God of Death wish to enter the Boundless Realm? If an ancient, primordial God of Death steps into the Boundless Realm, it brings only endless war and the disintegration of the four clans. Will history repeat itself?"

Ye Xiu hadn't clearly heard Yi Tianxing's words. He gathered soul energy in his palm again, but as the Black Flame rose, it was immediately absorbed by the green light. "Is this the soul-body absorption you mentioned?"

"By what right can this thing do that?" Old Liu saw Ye Xiu struggling and decided to act. He raised the Icy Dragon Qi from his Demon-Breaking Sword. A plume of white frost emerged, only to be instantly vaporized as if sucked into an exhaust fan. "This thing really can absorb our power."