Jun Bugu flashed a grin, but in an instant, a murderous glint sparked in his eyes: "Care to sample the taste of Blood Maple Autumnal Severance?"

Ye Xiu was currently grappling with the members of the Demon Peak Sect. Who could have predicted that Jun Bugu’s very first move would be the ultimate technique, "Blood Maple Autumnal Severance"? Wasn't this the same technique he used during his self-duel, the one that stained the entire Blood Maple River crimson?

"Kill!" Those figures clinging to their beasts and birds saw only the Myriad Poison Stone, utterly oblivious to their surroundings. At this moment, the mists atop Cloud Mist Peak were forcefully dispersed by Jun Bugu's power. Those graceful yet melancholic maple leaves drifted in from nowhere, ushering in a storm of gore and utter carnage.

"Damn it, leave some alive!" Ye Xiu barely managed to hold on, shielded by the soul energy lightning protecting his body. However, several of the Demon Peak Sect members beside him were instantly shredded and swept away by the barrage of leaves. "Jun Bugu, stop your move! I haven't even interrogated anyone about the Demon Peak Sect's location yet."

With intense killing intent blazing in his eyes, Jun Bugu couldn't possibly heed Ye Xiu’s words. But this ultimate move was overwhelmingly absolute; the moment the blade-like maple leaves appeared, they annihilated most of the forces present. His technique didn't cease; the swirling winds of the firmament continued to unleash their might. By the time those maple leaves transformed once more into gushing sprays of blood, aimed toward the crowd, not a single soul remained below.

"Everyone's dead. Now who knows where the Demon Peak Sect is?" Ye Xiu looked at Jun Bugu with utter helplessness, but it was too late. By then, those crimson streaks of sword light had already stunned the surrounding wilderness, dyeing the small summit of Cloud Mist Peak a sea of blood. Those who had come to seize the Myriad Poison Stone were utterly erased from existence.

"Hoo…" Jun Bugu, having slaughtered everyone in sight, slowly allowed the fierce aura enveloping him to dissipate. He descended slightly, smiling as he handed the Myriad Poison Stone in his grasp to Ye Xiu. "Didn't we still have so many Myriad Poison Stones? It wasn't a wasted trip after all."

Ye Xiu opened his palm, looking at the crystalline Myriad Poison Stones, and managed a wry smile. "What use are these stones to me? This Corpse Demon Forest is vast, and the Demon Peak Sect is so mysterious. How am I supposed to find them?"

"The Demon Peak Sect might be mysterious, but if you consider which sect has the largest number of disciples, it would likely be the Demon Insect Sect," Jun Bugu suddenly had an idea, seemingly finding an alternative path. "The Demon Insect Sect members are spread throughout the entire Boundless Realm. With their help, finding the Demon Peak Sect shouldn't be a major issue."

Ye Xiu found some merit in that, but upon closer thought, there were drawbacks. "How about we capture a Demon Insect Sect member and interrogate them? Why would anyone cooperate with me? By forcing them at sword point?"

"Relax, we have so many Myriad Poison Stones now. The Demon Insect Sect Master, Drought Demon Insect Emperor, will certainly be interested. I heard he's been cultivating the Myriad Poison Pearl and requires a massive quantity of these stones," Jun Bugu chuckled to himself, already envisioning it. "I'm also curious to see the world of the Demon Insects."

Hearing this, Ye Xiu understood Jun Bugu’s intention. He carefully stowed the Myriad Poison Stones away. "Appeasing the Drought Demon Insect Emperor—perhaps he can mobilize the power of the Demon Insect Sect to help me deal with the Demon Peak Sect. That’s actually not a bad idea. Shall we go now?"

"Go where? The Demon Insect Sect? Why on earth would I take you there!" Jun Bugu’s gaze turned grim, and his tone suddenly became savage. "What sort of insignificant thing are you, that I should listen to you!"

"..." The summit of Cloud Mist Peak returned to a tranquil silence. Ye Xiu was stunned by this sudden outburst and stumbled back two paces, looking at the Jun Bugu before him. The man had turned his face away, entirely devoid of his previous childish air. "You are the other one?"

"I am the true Jun Bugu, but I am not as weak as him." It turned out the agreed-upon day for the two personalities had arrived. The Jun Bugu standing here was clearly the fierce persona represented by his left cheek—the Jun Bugu possessing the Death God's Black Flame. "I am an invincible swordsman. I will kill every powerhouse in the Boundless Realm. You use a sword too, I presume."

Ye Xiu felt a chill in his heart. Jun Bugu’s inherent swordsmanship was already supreme; adding this surge of Death God power meant he might be difficult to handle. "I considered that other you a friend. I won't raise a sword against a friend. I only wish to ask what is going on with the Black Flame on your body?"

"Nonsense! You are his friend, that has nothing to do with me!" Jun Bugu flicked a hand, stirring up an endless tide of maple leaves, which now bore a fierce flame. This fire instantly scorched the Cloud Mist Peak summit, making it unbearably hot.

"You really are the Death God!" Ye Xiu had no desire to clash head-on. He coldly focused on the Black Flame in the air. "The Black Flame in your hand is the best proof. What exactly happened to you?"

"Hmph! You parasite clinging to life, how dare someone like you wield a sword!" Seeing Ye Xiu completely lacking the will to fight, Jun Bugu sneered coldly and instantly spun around, leaping away. "It’s rare to have a full day of control; I must find the masters of this realm and slay them one by one. Hahahaha!"

"Hey! Where are you going? Where is the Demon Insect Sect?" Ye Xiu naturally refused to let go of his only lead. Firstly, the Corpse Demon Forest map was too complex for him to find the so-called Demon Insect Sect; secondly, he found this Jun Bugu’s identity highly suspicious and perhaps capable of unraveling the secrets of the Death God and the Boundless Realm.

"Hmph, if you can keep up with my speed, I'll take you," Jun Bugu’s footwork intensified as he vaulted off the ten-thousand-foot peak. Ye Xiu’s internal power, previously restrained and chaotic by the Heavenly Needles, had naturally improved, especially his legwork, which seemed to have inherited some of the Demon Shadow Thousand Years’ skill. This mere mountain peak was nothing to fear. He followed with a leap, but the moment he looked down, he realized the sheer steepness and biting cold of Cloud Mist Peak.

Though Jun Bugu’s strength was mysterious, he couldn't exactly fly or burrow underground. He resorted to sprinting rapidly along the mountain wall, his feet seemingly planted firmly on flat ground. Occasionally, when vegetation blocked his path, a flash of maple leaves around him instantly incinerated the obstruction.

Ye Xiu maintained his own rhythm following behind, clearly struggling to control the speed of his steps. Moss on the cliff occasionally slipped beneath his footing, causing him to slide and tumble. Fortunately, the Black Flame and the Heavenly Scythe sword in his hand provided some cover, slowing his descent.

"Hmph, your strength truly is pathetic. But what’s that flame you possess? It actually contends with my power," Jun Bugu spoke while clearly facing Ye Xiu, using his feet to propel himself backward along the cliff face. "Is this the Death God cultivation you spoke of?"

Ye Xiu certainly wouldn't admit defeat easily. Gritting his teeth, he stabilized his footing and sped down again. He swung the Heavenly Scythe, grinding it against the cliff wall, and used the friction of his own feet to glide down, managing to catch up to Jun Bugu’s speed. "Don't you find your cultivation utterly incompatible with the Boundless Realm? That Black Flame is distinctly unique to the Death God."

"I am indeed different, but sadly, I remember nothing," Jun Bugu expressed a slight surprise, then chuckled lightly before suddenly leaping into the air, accelerating toward the ground like a cannonball. "I only know the pleasure of killing!"

"Hey! What are you doing?" Ye Xiu was shocked by Jun Bugu's dramatic maneuver, and for a moment, he too soared upward, abandoning the support of the cliff wall and yielding his body to the sky.

"Hah!" Jun Bugu cried out, plummeting headfirst with a stiff body, aimed directly for the ground. Such a height was instantaneous before him. Just before impact, he violently flipped, slamming both feet heavily onto the earth with a thunderous boom that sent dust and debris flying and tore countless fissures in the ground.

"Hmph." Ye Xiu had never experienced anything like this. He mimicked Jun Bugu's action, flipping mid-air. Just when he expected a bone-jarring crash, a buoyant, ethereal sensation suddenly bloomed from his soles. The sensation of landing was as tranquil as a feather drifting onto the surface of water.

"Hahahaha, the power within you is somewhat interesting," Jun Bugu laughed wildly, untamed and unrestrained. "Good! Since you enjoy following me so much, I’ll take you to meet someone."

Ye Xiu felt a shock regarding his own legs; it seemed the power of Demon Shadow Thousand Years needed further exploration. "Who do we need to see? I just want to know where the Demon Insect Sect is located."

"After I finish my business, I’ll take you to that wretched place," Jun Bugu pointed toward the horizon and leaped away, darting into the nearby woods. "Don't lose me, Ye Xiu."

"Take care of yourself," Ye Xiu patted the dust from his clothes and instantly pursued, plunging into the forest. What he hadn't expected was that the trees in this grove were bizarrely shaped—like blades or swords, seeming ready to stab downward. Every time he rushed past the foliage, he sensed waves of killing intent. By the time he chased Jun Bugu to a stone bridge, he saw an old fellow clad in a long black robe, clutching a book, standing on the opposite side of the span.

"You are far too slow. Don’t you know a good show is about to begin?" Jun Bugu turned back with a cold smile, disdainfully pointing toward the figure across the bridge. "You, stand beneath the bridge. Watch closely the gap between him and me. Don’t be scared senseless by my power."

"The gap between us? Boy, do you know whose territory you have trespassed upon?" The black-robed old man’s laugh was incredibly ancient, and in a mere snap of his fingers, a sickly, greenish evil energy suffused the entire forest.

Jun Bugu spat a mouthful of saliva toward Ye Xiu to clarify. "Don't misunderstand me. I wasn't talking about the difference between me and this old relic. I meant the difference between me and him—the other Jun Bugu."

"Please," Ye Xiu nodded, signaling him to be quick. He certainly understood that Jun Bugu referred to his alternate personality, yet the man opposite him looked sinister and clearly no paragon of virtue.

"You two brats? You actually dare intrude upon my Karma-Blocking Forest," the black-robed man drawled dismissively, waving the book in his hand. "Did no one tell you that once you enter the Karma-Blocking Forest, there is no path to survival?"

"I know you are that so-called Death Arbiter of the Karma-Blocking Forest?" Jun Bugu’s tone was utterly arrogant. "I heard this forest is riddled with mechanisms. You call these bizarre, rotten trees mechanisms?"

Hearing this, Ye Xiu began to pay attention to the surroundings. The Karma-Blocking Forest was heavy with yin energy, and the oddly shaped trees made it easy to get lost. He truly wondered where this brat Jun Bugu derived such intense confidence against such an opponent.

The Death Arbiter responded with a sneer, paying Jun Bugu due consideration. "Which brats are you, and what business brings you to the Karma-Blocking Forest?"

Jun Bugu turned and pointed at Ye Xiu with a laugh. "This useless fellow behind me is Ye Xiu, here to spectate the battle. As for me, I am Jun Bugu. I heard the Book of Death in your hand possesses some ability, so I have come to kill you."

"Scram!" Ye Xiu had never encountered such an audacious fellow. This persona was the complete extreme of his other self—one was eccentric and low-key, the other brimming with arrogant pride.

"You seek death!" The Death Arbiter became enraged. Rolling clouds of smoke erupted behind him as he slowly opened the thick tome in his hand, instantly scattering a dark green light in all directions. "The Book of Death records the date of your demise, Jun Bugu. It says you will perish by ten thousand woods piercing your heart. Do you believe it?"