Jun Bugu’s right cheek twisted into a grin as he looked at Qi'er again. "Miss, you must be looking for directions. This is the Blood Maple River. If you’re searching for Master Tianzhen, you should head towards Blood Maple Mountain; he should be at the summit, though perhaps not. I’m waiting for the old man myself."

Qi'er’s heart fluttered, unsure whether to feel gratitude or relief. Just as she was about to bow and depart, Jun Bugu turned his left cheek toward her. "You knew she was looking for someone? She might not be looking for anyone. If you send her to Master Tianzhen, she might kill him, and then none of us will get cured."

"Ugh, my head is throbbing from your incessant chatter." Qi'er felt a surge of irritation; this young man named Jun Bugu was clearly playing games with her. She blurted out, "What is wrong with you? Talking to yourself for all this time!"

"Qi'er, what's wrong?" Ye Xiu sensed the tension from afar. The closer he got, the brighter the light emanating from the jade ring grew. Could this fellow harbor the soul energy of a Death God? He approached cautiously, intending to investigate closely, but he didn't anticipate Jun Bugu’s sudden, sharp movement. With a swift palm strike aimed directly at Qi'er, Jun Bugu moved so fast that Qi'er’s wide eyes couldn't follow, leaving her no chance to evade.

"Qi'er, watch out!" Ye Xiu tried to summon his strength, but the mere act of gathering his qi sent a searing pain through his chest, paralyzing him. He watched the strike descend.

"Stop! What are you doing? Are you trying to kill someone?" Just as the palm was about to slam into Qi'er’s chest, Jun Bugu pivoted again, his demeanor suddenly gentle. "Miss, I apologize. My brother is ill-tempered and has offended you. I’ll take him away immediately!"

"Are you also a Death God?" Ye Xiu was stunned, having witnessed the switch firsthand. Was this legendary Dissociative Identity Disorder? Or did two souls inhabit this body? He focused intensely on Jun Bugu as he walked past, the energy radiating from him causing the jade ring to flash violently.

"Death God? What Death God? Do you want to spar with me?" Jun Bugu’s gaze was grave, locking onto Ye Xiu, a scorching heat brewing in his palm. "Or should we play a little game?"

"Susu, did you see the black flame in his left hand?" Ye Xiu whispered, watching the fierce, burning black flame. He had every reason to believe this person was connected to the Death Gods.

Boom... Seeing a plume of violet smoke suddenly rise, Jun Bugu leaped away. However, as he fled, he didn't forget to unleash the black flame, lunging toward Qi'er like a raging tiger. The attack looked powerful enough to claim the lives of both of them.

"Qi'er, be careful," Ye Xiu countered, meeting the black flame with his own burst of black fire, then swiftly moving to shield her. "The energy inside this fellow is also abnormal. I truly don't understand it."

Susu twisted, watching Jun Bugu disappear, equally puzzled. "Judging by the flow of soul energy in that black flame, he is indeed a Death God, but..."

"...But he has another identity!" Ye Xiu soothed Qi'er, while the chaotic forces within his own body knotted up again, causing intense agony.

"It’s quite strange that your ring can generate a humanoid energy," Qi'er finally managed to breathe, complaining slightly. "I still can’t make sense of him talking to himself; he wanted to attack me over two mismatched sentences. It's a good thing he didn't head up the mountain to trouble Master."

"Is your Master really on the mountain?" Ye Xiu felt a glimmer of hope. The conflict of forces ravaging his body was not something Qi'er’s few needles of Reverse Fate could easily resolve.

Qi'er gazed toward the distant red peak and smiled. "That is Blood Maple Mountain. As long as my Master hasn't gone out, he will certainly be up there."

"Good, let's hurry!" Ye Xiu rallied, shaking off thoughts of Jun Bugu. Clutching his stomach, weary and haggard, he admitted that the initial days in the Boundless Realm were proving difficult.

Meanwhile, Blood Maple Mountain was covered in red leaves, beautiful indeed, but the winding paths gave one the distinct feeling of being lost. After every nine sharp turns, there was a fork in the road, and looking toward the sky, every path seemed to lead to the summit. The entire landscape was dominated by maple leaves, staining the sky crimson and dressing the earth in a blood-like, bewitching scarlet.

"My Master really chose to settle on this mountain of all places," Qi'er grumbled, wondering how they would ever reach the top of this small peak.

Ye Xiu wiped the sweat from his brow, looking perplexed. "Walking like this won't work. Did your Master lay down an Illusory Maze here?"

"Since he is a Sage of Medicine, my Master surely knows more than just healing arts. I recall my father mentioning his mastery of the Mystical Gates and Hidden Paths. It seems that is indeed the case," Qi'er recalled, a flicker of understanding dawning. "It's just that Master never taught me much about breaking formations."

"Then what did you learn? Just needlework?" Ye Xiu hadn't intended to mock her. "If all else fails, let me just burn all the red leaves on this mountain; the path will surely appear."

Qi'er stopped Ye Xiu’s hand. At that moment, she produced her Heavenly Needle—a slender, delicate instrument much like any ordinary needle, except a ring of white mist suddenly enveloped it. "The Divine Needle eases pain because it contains the power of the Ten Thousand Year Ice Soul, so..."

"So you plan to freeze the maple branches and leaves?" Ye Xiu saw the chill rising from Qi'er's hand, no less potent than the Dragon Qi emanating from Old Liu’s Demon-Slaying Sword.

As Qi'er finished speaking, an intense cold rose from the ground. The Heavenly Needle flew up, gradually encircling all the maple trees. Within its range, every tree from the trunk up was coated in a thin layer of white mist. As the cold spread, the true nature of the illusion revealed itself: some red maples remained untouched by the frost, standing vibrant and stark. The exit from the maze was suddenly clear before them.

"So that’s the principle," Ye Xiu admired Qi'er, surprised that the fox-spirit woman possessed such cleverness.

"Principle, schminciple! We just follow the frozen branches. Those un-iced red leaves are all illusions. This old ghost of a Master really loves deceiving people," Qi'er declared triumphantly, leading the way. The string of Heavenly Needles danced with her movements, leaving a trail of white mist in their wake.

The mountain path was treacherous, yet the surrounding scenery was uniquely beautiful. The pair soon reached the summit of Blood Maple Mountain. Indeed, a thatched hut stood atop the peak, with vine trellises beside it, heavy gourds hanging thick upon them.

Qi'er finally caught her breath, playfully wiping the sweat from her brow. "Master, Master, where are you? I'm Qi'er, please come out!"

Ye Xiu dared not be as casual as Qi'er. He respectfully approached and knocked on the door. "I am Ye Xiu. May I ask if Master Tianzhen is here?"

Whoosh... A sudden gust of wind swept through, swirling the surrounding maple leaves onto the roof of the house. As the leaves settled, an aged figure materialized before them. The person was clad entirely in white, his face benevolent, like an immortal. "What's all the noise? Can't you see I'm in seclusion studying gourds?"

"Master, Master!" Qi'er ignored Ye Xiu and threw herself into Master Tianzhen's embrace. The presence of an elder brought back the overwhelming grief of losing her father. "My father, he... he died..."

Master Tianzhen started, but could only shake his head. He patted Qi'er’s shoulder with paternal affection. "Qi'er, do not grieve too deeply. Your father was a Death God after all; the Boundless Realm cannot tolerate outsiders."

Qi'er understood this reality. Wiping her tears, she looked up at Master Tianzhen. "Master, this is Ye Xiu. He is the one who saved me."

"Ye Xiu?" Master Tianzhen’s attention shifted to Ye Xiu as Qi'er gestured. Upon seeing the vitality in Ye Xiu's face, he immediately seized his wrist to check his pulse. "Are you also a Death God?"

"Yes!" Ye Xiu was momentarily flustered by the strong grip. He felt a wave of warmth spreading from the Master’s fingers, bringing immediate relief. "Senior, what are you doing..."

Master Tianzhen checked the pulse while studying Ye Xiu. Stroking his beard, he spoke slowly, "Remarkable. A Death God's body containing five different types of power. Astonishingly, these five powers are inherently mutually restrictive. They tangle and consume each other within you—how is this possible?"

"Is there a cure, Master?" Qi'er, realizing the gravity of the situation, leaned in. "Master, you must help him."

Swish, swish, swish! Master Tianzhen swiftly drew his Divine Needles and plunged them into Ye Xiu’s body, circulating them around him until all ten needles were inserted. "All I can do is use the Life-Extending Heavenly Needles to temporarily separate the five powers within you. To truly suppress their entanglement, you must obtain the Three Primeval Needles."

"The Three Primeval Needles..." Ye Xiu had never heard of such a thing, but thanks to the Master’s treatment, he felt his mobility improving significantly. With this, who in the Boundless Realm could he fear?

"Master, what are the Three Primeval Needles?" Qi'er held up her own long needles, knowing only that her set was called the Reverse Fate Heavenly Needles.

Master Tianzhen took the needles from Qi'er. "The Three Primeval Needles have been passed down since ancient times to defy fate and change destiny. Those remaining today include my Life-Extending Heavenly Needles, which relieve suffering and prolong life, and your Reverse Fate Heavenly Needles, which create boundless miracles. There is also a set called the Fate-Seizing Heavenly Needles—bloodthirsty and slaughtering. Only by gathering all three can you fundamentally separate the five powers within you."

Ye Xiu scratched his head, bewildered. He raised his hand and forcefully drove the black flame into the maple forest, scattering countless leaves. "Senior, I feel fine, perhaps even stronger than before."

"The Life-Extending Needles only temporarily divide your power. If any one power breaks its limit, it will trigger a violent physical reaction, and no one can save you then," Master Tianzhen warned, his expression grave. He pointed to Ye Xiu’s abdomen. "This one needle has already entered your core acupoint. If you feel severe stabbing pain in your abdomen, it means the limit is reached. Under no circumstances should you use your martial power then, or your life will be in danger—even a Death God cannot escape that fate. Remember this!"

"This..." Ye Xiu had always believed Death Gods possessed eternal life in the Mortal Realm. Now, having entered the Boundless Realm, he faced the threat of death. Biting his lip, his mind went completely blank.

"Master, whose hands are the Fate-Seizing Heavenly Needles in? We can just go find them!" Qi'er, hearing a glimmer of hope, tried to comfort Ye Xiu. "Don't worry, I do understand medicine after all; I’ll go with you."

Master Tianzhen watched Qi'er regain her former spirited self and chuckled, shaking his head. "Silly girl. The Fate-Seizing Needles entered the mortal world ages ago; who knows which corner of the Boundless Realm they scattered to. They aren't something you can just find. Most of the time, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate."

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