"Hmph, I shouldn't be the enemy of the entire Boundless Realm now, should I?" Ye Xiu stood straight, once again sensing that Dao Wan Deng's curse was no longer as terrifying as before.

Dao Wan Deng retrieved his weapon and slowly walked to Ye Xiu's side. "I didn't expect a lone Death God in the Boundless Realm to not only survive without my interference but to grow so much stronger. Now, what is your purpose here on Mount Sumeru?"

"If I told you I was just looking for Old Liu, would you believe me?" Ye Xiu smiled at Old Liu and continued, "I have no interest in entering the Boundless Realm, but since you mentioned there are Dark Death Gods here, I happen to be interested in them too, so I came over."

"Ye Xiu, where is the Absolute Blade!" Flurries of snow scattered, and a long whip descended. A'Bi of the Fox Demon Palace, accompanied by several fox attendants, ascended swiftly from below the mountain. Without preamble, she lashed out with her whip towards Ye Xiu. "What a coincidence to meet an enemy! Tell me quickly where you've hidden Jun Bugu."

Ye Xiu dodged sideways with a light laugh. "Jun Bugu has hands and feet; how would I know where he went? It seems you lot are also here on Mount Sumeru to intercept Jun Bugu's entry."

Old Liu, having been in the Daoist sect for a long time, hadn't witnessed such exquisite young women, especially since A'Bi was a fox spirit. "My dear young lady, I am Old Liu. May I ask your name?"

A'Bi didn't even spare Old Liu a glance, heading straight for Ye Xiu and shouting angrily, "The Demon Empress may trust you, but I, A'Bi, do not! Speak now of Jun Bugu's whereabouts, or don't blame me for being impolite."

Dao Wan Deng felt uncomfortable caught in such a noisy situation. He nodded, temporarily setting aside the matter of Ye Xiu being a Death God. "Fellow cultivators from the Fox Demon Palace, please do not forget the mission of the Boundless Realm Alliance this time. We can discuss everything at the Mount Sumeru outpost. The Boundless Dao Master has been waiting for all of you on the mountain."

"Hmph, fine! I'll deal with you after this matter is concluded." A'Bi, radiant as fine jade, looked even more spirited in her green-collared robe against the snow.

"Please follow me!" Dao Wan Deng, always holding himself in high regard, looked down on the fox demons from the Corpse Demon Forest. If not for the alliance agreement, his habit would be to kill every single one he saw.

Old Liu walked at the rear, pulling Ye Xiu along. Seeing such a playful young woman depart, he teased Ye Xiu, "I didn't realize you have quite the romantic encounters when you're alone, kid. I haven't seen a woman in ages."

Speaking of women, a sense of confusion stirred in Ye Xiu once more. As he walked, he told Old Liu, "Do you know that the only reason I could find Mount Sumeru alone is because of a witch? That woman is very mysterious, and besides..."

"A witch? What does she look like?" Old Liu, still the same incorrigible flirt, perked up at the mention of a woman and started joking.

Ye Xiu made a boxing gesture, strongly tempted to land a punch on Old Liu's face. "She told me I could find you here. The most mysterious part is that she knows Disguise Arts. She managed to disguise herself almost perfectly as the appearance of the Saint Empress of Ten Thousand Demons!"

"What! Such a thing exists?" Old Liu gasped sharply, narrowing his eyes lost in thought. "This is the Non-Simple Realm. Is the Saint Empress of Ten Thousand Demons also here seeking strong individuals to bestow the Heart Blood of the Underworld King upon? You've met that witch, what did she look like?"

Ye Xiu shook his head, looking deeply pessimistic. "I suspect the same, but that witch's cultivation is so high I couldn't get close to her. Don't forget the Death Nation's Underworld King almost conquered the entire Boundless Realm, but for some unknown reason, the army withdrew. The secrets of the Desolate Bone City royalty must be involved; the intricacies are beyond what you or I can fathom."

Old Liu could only follow helplessly behind the main group, sighing. "It seems wherever you go, you can't escape the Saint Empress of Ten Thousand Demons. Following you is utterly disastrous."

"Watch where you step," Ye Xiu kicked up a spray of snow toward Old Liu. "If you truly haven't improved at all during this time, you'd probably no longer be my match."

"Keep blowing your own horn..."

The summit of Mount Sumeru was clearly an icy expanse, with only occasional protrusions of black rock making the terrain look jagged and utterly grim. The Boundless Dao Master commanded everyone to set up camp. He held the roster of the allied sects, and after checking one by one, he found Ye Xiu, beside Old Liu, somewhat suspicious.

When night fell, the biting cold intensified, its piercing chill feeling like flesh being flayed. The faint yellow lamplight only emphasized Mount Sumeru's desolate loneliness. The Boundless Dao Master, clad in thick velvet robes, entered the tent where Old Liu and Ye Xiu stayed. He glanced coldly at Ye Xiu. "Are you Ye Xiu, the Death God Dao Wan Deng spoke of? Are you truly a Death God? I sense no Death God power."

Ye Xiu did not answer the Boundless Dao Master directly. The most potent forces currently within his body were the Souls of a Hundred Insects and the Eye of the Fox Demon. "My purpose here is the same as the Dao Master's. Since this is the Boundless Realm Alliance, there should be no division by sect, should there not?"

"Heh, that is true. In that case, I have reason to believe you are allied with Sha Jun Tianxia," the Boundless Dao Master was not as simple as he appeared. "What if you betray us at a critical moment? We would be attacked from front and back."

"Dao Master, Ye Xiu is my friend, he..." Old Liu dared not speak harshly, knowing the Boundless Dao Master likely trusted Dao Wan Deng more than himself. "I can guarantee he will not side with Sha Jun Tianxia."

The Boundless Dao Master pursed his lips and raised the blue-skinned book in his hand high. A blue light erupted from the book, enveloping the entire tent. "This curse barrier is enough to restrict your movements, and only I can dispel it. It is fair for both of us."

Ye Xiu nodded. With this curse barrier, he felt somewhat more at ease. "With the Boundless Dao Master's power protecting me, even if Sha Jun Tianxia arrives, I can rest easy."

"Watch yourself," the Boundless Dao Master had no mood for further talk with Ye Xiu. He stepped outside the tent and summoned all the disciples of the Ten Thousand Dao Mountain. "The celestial clouds above Mount Sumeru are in turmoil. The day Sha Jun Tianxia steps into the Boundless Realm is near. All disciples, form the Mount Tu Shan Dragon-Trapping Array atop the peak."

"Yes!" The crowd responded, led by Dao Wan Deng, and they leaped onto the snow. They formed ranks of two, plunging their ultimate moves into the snow beneath their feet, perfectly creating the shape of two Big Dipper constellations. Dao Wan Deng's Dotting Brush shone with golden light as he stood alone at the head of the two arrays, connecting them. Instantly, golden light blazed forth, forming a shape resembling a long dragon.

Ye Xiu watched the array formation leisurely, mocking Old Liu. "It seems the Boundless Dao Master doesn't trust you either; this array looks formidable, yet there's no place for you in it."

Old Liu was unconvinced and didn't take the matter to heart. "You and I both know Sha Jun Tianxia's strength. These fellows are throwing their lives away for nothing. It is only because the Boundless Dao Master's cultivation is peerless that there might be a world-shaking battle when he faces Sha Jun Tianxia."

The Boundless Dao Master, seeing the array take shape, commanded the members of other clans. "My Ten Thousand Dao Mountain's Mount Tu Shan Dragon-Trapping Array can only slightly restrain the enemy's movements; the rest will require your strong support."

"With the Dragon-Trapping Array ahead, the Feather Blades of my Sun-Blind Clan will never miss their mark," the Sun-Blind Clan members leaped into the sky; their thick pelts made them immune to the heavy snow.

The gathering of beasts and foxes from the Corpse Demon Forest below looked confident, but in truth, each harbored their own agenda.

Has the Plague Emperor only sent a few ants? Ye Xiu deliberately avoided the people from the Insect Sect. It seemed that in intercepting Sha Jun, only the Ten Thousand Dao Mountain was exerting its full strength; other clans seemed to be holding back, perhaps in preparation for the Heavenly Bone Mirror Stage in the future?

"Look at that patch of green mist on the snowy peak," Old Liu pointed to the night sky. That green mist was clearly the final checkpoint of the Red Cliff Cemetery. Since it was broken through by two people, it likely no longer served to block the passage between the two realms. "If we wait until dawn, Sha Jun Tianxia will have entered the Boundless Realm. The reign of blood and gore is coming again."

Ye Xiu was anxious to uncover the secrets of the Death God lineage, but the Lord of the Demon Realm's ambition was not limited to the Boundless Realm. The significance of this battle involved the entire realm and even the safety of the Mortal Realm.

...

In a spacious and luxurious room in Desolate Bone City, Jia Ye took out that strange military tally. A circle of green light flashed across it, and an ineffable power surged through his body. "Sha Jun Tianxia's objective should be this Soul Weapon Tally. The Soul Weapon Tally must not fall into others' hands."

"Big Brother, you aren't sending me for such an important matter!" A tall, capable figure stepped forward. He wore opulent golden clothing, his beard on his cheeks was neatly trimmed, and his brows held a hint of villainy. This was Jia Nan, the Second Master of Desolate Bone City. "My Bone Art of the Heavenly Skeleton has reached the eighth level. It's perfect for testing my sword against Sha Jun Tianxia, and only then can I truly display the prestige of our Bone Sect!"

Jia Ye sighed at Jia Nan's recklessness. "Second Brother is always so impulsive. We still don't know Sha Jun Tianxia's true strength; why risk it unnecessarily?"

"When did Big Brother become so timid!" Jia Nan, enraged, slammed his palm onto the desk. "The Boundless Dao Master has long held the title of the strongest cultivator in the Boundless Realm. Haven't we, the Bone Sect, suffered enough suppression from the Ten Thousand Dao Mountain? You can tolerate this insult, but I cannot!"

Jia Ye turned back and stared intently at Jia Nan, his voice steady. "Others may not know, but have you not witnessed the guidance of the Heavenly Bone Testament?"

"Big Brother, Second Brother, what are you arguing about?" At this moment, the Third Master, Jia Luo Luo, heard the noise and entered the room. He held nothing in his hands, appearing relaxed. "Second Brother, what's wrong?"

"Get lost, you good-for-nothing who never improves!" Jia Nan, consumed by rage, shoved Jia Luo Luo aside and roared fiercely at him. "Only you can open the Heavenly Bone Testament with blood! Does it really record that when the Death Gods entered, people from the Demon Realm also mixed in?"

Jia Luo Luo, always seen as achieving little by his two brothers, owed his ability to use the Heavenly Bone Testament purely to chance. Hearing Jia Nan's question, he said softly, "Sha Jun Tianxia's ascent to the position of Demon Realm Overlord was not achieved overnight. The passing of the Death Gods once ravaged the Demon Realm, and Sha Jun Tianxia only managed to secure the Demon Realm by forging an alliance with the Death Nation's Underworld King. But that doesn't mean Sha Jun Tianxia's strength is below the Underworld King's."

"Enough, everything is under my arrangement. You don't need to say any more," Jia Ye was mature and steady, feeling only pity for his two brothers—one impulsive and arrogant; the other weak-willed and neglecting his duties. If he hadn't supported Desolate Bone City through sheer effort, it would likely have been swallowed by other sects long ago.

"Hmph!" Jia Nan unleashed a blast of palm wind that split the desk in two. As he walked out, he nearly knocked Jia Luo Luo to the ground. "You are the Sect Master; everything you say goes."

"Second Brother," Jia Luo Luo stabilized himself and tried to reach out to Jia Nan. When he looked at Jia Ye, Jia Ye had already leaped out of the room. He sighed and shook his head. "With brothers not united, how can Desolate Bone City endure!"

"Third Brother, you all..." A faint female voice drifted in. She wore a flowing dress of pink silk, her long, flowing sleeves accentuating her graceful figure. Her flawless white face held a hint of seductive charm, and her tone was filled with gentleness. "Big Brother and Second Brother are quarreling again, aren't they?"

Her long black hair was styled in a bun adorned with flitting butterflies. This woman was indeed the Princess of Desolate Bone City, Jia Yun Xin. "Third Brother, stop trying to placate me. I know the three of you have always had... always had friction."

"Let's go, Little Sister. We'll go out to admire the moon and listen to some music," Jia Luo Luo had no desire to burden his younger sister with their troubles. He smiled tenderly and walked out of the room with Yun Xin, reminding himself repeatedly that Desolate Bone City would stand firm upon the continent of the Boundless Realm.