Ye Xiu glanced at Old Liu's companion, Ghost Execution. The blade's shape was incredibly cool, a strange chill emanating from the points of its teeth, making even him, a Death God, shiver: "It's been a long time since I sparred with you. I truly don't know the subtleties of that sword of yours."

"So, I must go to the Demon Extinguishing Pavilion," Old Liu snatched the apple from Ye Xiu's hand, biting deeply into the other half. "Speaking of which, it's been ages since I accompanied you searching for a magic treasure. How about it, Mr. Death God, interested?"

"Is that even a question!" Ye Xiu unleashed Tian Miao Sword, instantly stabbing down toward the apple in Old Liu’s hand. "But I need to test how much you’ve improved, brat."

Old Liu was completely unprepared. He only felt the red light of Tian Miao Sword flash blindingly. He brought Ghost Execution up to meet the blow, and where the red and black swords intersected, golden flames erupted. "Brat, don't forget we are on Myriad Dao Mountain. If Long Xuan finds out, our plan will be ruined."

"I know. You think that fellow Ghost Mask doesn't know about the two of us?" Ye Xiu chuckled lightly, sliding Tian Miao Sword down to aim at Old Liu’s abdomen. "You should worry about your swordsmanship; I can take you down without even using my Death God power."

"Easier said than done!" Old Liu flipped backward, tossing Ghost Execution into the air. Yet, the sword seemed to seek its master, forcibly batting Tian Miao Sword away. "You mean Ghost Mask knew where you were and deliberately sent us both to the Demon Extinguishing Pavilion to find the Grand Profound Dao Incantation for him?"

Ye Xiu’s Hundred Insect Soul allowed him to move far more gracefully than Old Liu. He grinned, his entire body adhering to the ceiling. "What do you think? Given Ghost Mask's power back then, wouldn't that room have been saturated with talismans already?"

"So?" Old Liu retreated rapidly, trying to put distance between himself and Ye Xiu, knowing that the current Ye Xiu possessed not only miraculous cultivation but also extraordinary sword techniques. "Are you telling me you plan to use your ultimate move!"

"Try Tian Miao Divine Sense!" Ye Xiu was determined to test Ghost Execution in Old Liu’s grasp. His eyes lit up, and the Divine Sense sword technique activated. That moment, killing intent flared, aimed directly at Old Liu.

Old Liu's eyes widened, but he calmly drew a formation in the air with Ghost Execution. A swastika-like symbol rose from the ground, directly blocking Ye Xiu's sword strike. "Talisman Swastika One!"

"Dong…" Tian Miao Sword fiercely struck the halo of the spell. The black halo trembled violently, shaking off wisps of black mist. As Tian Miao Sword pressed deeper, the spell flickered, clearly showing signs of fragility.

"Master, flee this talisman quickly! Your soul energy is leaking!" At that moment, the long-absent Susu suddenly awoke. She coiled around Tian Miao Sword, her expression filled with terror. "Old Liu's talisman is absorbing your soul energy—how is this possible?"

"What!" Ye Xiu was so startled he let go of Tian Miao Sword. At that moment, struck by the Swastika One spell, the sword clanged against the ground. "Old Liu, what exactly is that Ghost Execution?"

Old Liu hadn't used Ghost Execution much himself, and Ye Xiu's reaction made him suspicious. "It seems the Demon-Breaking Sword, tempered in the Demon Pool, has indeed changed significantly. I only used a few simple talismans; the absorption of others' power was likely Ghost Execution’s own decision."

Susu circled a few times before returning to the Jade Ring on her own. Within the Boundless Realm, various energies existed, but soul energy seemed uncommon. She was bound to Ye Xiu and thus had remained hidden.

"Now I understand why Yan Shangcheng went mad after only a few exchanges with you!" Ye Xiu picked up Tian Miao Sword and slid it onto his back. He called out to the black-toothed Ghost Execution in astonishment. "The Mad Pulse Heavenly Pivot already provided endless power to his body, but your Ghost Execution destabilized that power. It’s a miracle he didn't suffer a cultivation deviation."

Old Liu made a face and carefully put Ghost Execution away. "Does that mean the match just now was my victory?"

"Let’s go, you won," Ye Xiu headed toward the door. With such a mysterious weapon as Ghost Execution, he had to go to the Demon Extinguishing Pavilion to find answers. "Ghost Mask is trying to use us to find the Grand Profound Dao Incantation because he’s certain neither of us possesses any Profound Root Dao Body."

"Oh? You’re confident you can obtain the Grand Profound Dao Incantation then?" Old Liu picked up his fruit and continued to bite. Only the fruit was truly delicious on Myriad Dao Mountain. "I wonder if there’s anything I want in the Demon Extinguishing Pavilion. I’ve been in the Boundless Realm for so long, and Ghost Execution is my only magic treasure—it’s boring."

Ye Xiu turned and shot Old Liu a look. "I only have confidence in you, my brother."

...

In a single day, Desolate Bone City suffered a massive upheaval. The poisonous mist from the Myriad Poison Pearl had not dissipated for days. The battle outside Desolate Bone City between the Fierce Beasts and the Demon Insects had concluded. The Fierce Beast Sect suffered heavy losses, and Elder Beast, under the protection of several high-ranking beast experts, successfully retreated to the Fierce Beast territory.

The Masked Man descended in a rage, showing no deference to Elder Beast. "I only want to ask you: where is Yan Shangcheng?"

"Yan Shangcheng? Hmph, I almost failed to save the entire Fierce Beast Sect." Elder Beast was suffering from poison wounds. He hadn't expected the Demon Insect Sovereign's cultivation to contain so many venomous elements; he had suffered a great loss this time. "Despite all my calculations, we ultimately lost ground to the Demon Insect Sect. How could I possibly worry about Yan Shangcheng? Besides, don't you have matters to attend to?"

The Masked Man, whose true identity was Canaan, felt it was not yet time to reveal his true face. "What if I told you I have already succeeded in killing the Grand Sect Master, Jiaye?"

"What? You succeeded!" Elder Beast was slightly surprised. Jiaye's death was not great news for the entire Fierce Beast Sect; what he desired was the fall of the entire Desolate Bone City imperial family. "Is that true? You could kill Jiaye—just how high is your cultivation?"

"What is one Jiaye? I only care about Yan Shangcheng's whereabouts. That fellow’s Mad Pulse Heavenly Pivot has already suffered a cultivation deviation. If we cannot control him, I fear…" The Masked Man was extremely cautious, even in front of his partner, Elder Beast. "You know the Mad Pulse Heavenly Pivot originated from the Ancient War God. Once Yan Shangcheng loses control of that power, the Ancient War God might awaken. How can we consolidate the victory we worked so hard for then?"

Elder Beast looked at the battered remnants under his command and questioned the Masked Man angrily. "Consolidate victory? You call this devastating loss for the Fierce Beast Sect a victory? What did you do during this entire ordeal? You kept your mask on from start to finish; how can I trust you anymore?"

"Me?" The Masked Man had not expected that the ambush on Elder Beast's generals would leave the Fierce Beast forces so depleted. Such a force didn't require his personal intervention to be crushed; the Fierce Beast Sect was like a small boat in a storm, ready to capsize at any moment.

Elder Beast waved his hands, and at that moment, all the fierce beasts in the hall rose up to surround the Masked Man. With his iron staff in hand, he pressed the issue. "Disrupting the Boundless Realm and forcing Grand Sect Master Jiaye to act against you benefited you greatly. How will you fulfill the interests you promised me? If you don't clarify things today, I doubt you’ll leave the Fierce Beast Sect alive."

"Whoosh, whoosh…" The Masked Man’s White Jade Bone Sword moved instantly, unleashing the eighth level of the Heavenly Bone Sword Art—Killing Intent in All Directions. At that moment, the bone sword pierced out, forcing the surrounding fierce beasts to their knees. He turned the sword and pointed directly at Elder Beast. "You cannot possibly understand my ambition right now. As long as Elder Beast follows my path, I will ensure the Fierce Beast Sect receives the glory it deserves."

"Such a cultivation of the Heavenly Bone Sword Art... You... Who exactly are you?" Elder Beast saw the bone sword in the Masked Man's hand. The blade was incredibly sharp, and the sword body was engraved with magnificent royal markings. He had never seen this man draw his weapon before, and its initial deployment was so overwhelmingly dominant. "You are royalty from Desolate Bone City!"

The Masked Man stood against the wind and slowly removed the demonic mask. A mature, serious face, eyes brimming with the lust for power, immediately appeared in the yellow sand. Canaan lowered his voice and spoke heavily. "The promise of the Desolate Bone City Sect Master—do you still have doubts, Elder Beast?"

"Second Sect Master Canaan!" Elder Beast finally understood the whole affair. He realized he had been manipulated by Canaan all along, that the entire Fierce Beast Sect had been exploited by this venomous, fratricidal man. He sighed softly and knelt down. This kneel meant that from this moment on, the Fierce Beast Sect would submit to Canaan of the Bone Sect. For the Fierce Beast Sect, would this bring glory, or destruction?

Canaan swept his gaze over the kneeling members of the Fierce Beast Sect; his desire swelled to an inexpressible degree. He retracted the Earth Fiend Bone Sword and said coldly, "Don't worry, I will give you the chance to annihilate the Demon Insect Sect members. But before that, I will return to Desolate Bone City to rebuild the Bone Sect as the sole Sect Master. The only one—do you understand what I mean?"

"You want me to secretly find and kill the Third Sect Master, Jialuoluo?" Elder Beast admired Canaan’s ambition, but this man was currently the only power the Fierce Beast Sect could rely on. To seek revenge against the Demon Insect Sect, he had to comply. "I understand, Second... no, Sect Master!"

Canaan closed his eyes and nodded. His tone was softened but carried great unease. "There is one more thing I need you to do for me: find Yan Shangcheng. I need to transplant the Mad Pulse Heavenly Pivot."

"Yes, I understand." Elder Beast knew perfectly well that transplanting the Mad Pulse Heavenly Pivot was not something an ordinary person could endure. If Canaan’s high cultivation managed to integrate the Mad Pulse Heavenly Pivot, the entire Boundless Realm might see a completely different structure emerge.

...

The Wailing Water River had turned ghastly red, stained by the Blood Maple River upstream, which had been completely dyed. A single painted pleasure barge drifted silently by the riverbank. The dancing white veils seemed to designate this small area as a sanctuary.

Shui Yue helped the frail Jia Yunxin walk here. She pointed toward the barge and whispered, "The Shamaness is inside the barge. Anything you wish to accomplish, make sure she helps you complete it."

"Revenge!" Tears streamed down Jia Yunxin's cheeks. In one day, her spirit had endured too many shocks—the betrayal of the man she loved, the brutal death of her elder brother. For a weak woman, all of this was too cruel. "I only want revenge. I want to kill Ye Xiu, kill everyone in the Fierce Beast Sect and the Demon Insect Sect."

"Hoo…" A river wind blew, carrying a stench of blood everywhere. The white veils on the pleasure barge billowed as the veiled Shamaness slowly emerged.

Shui Yue owed her life to the Shamaness. She knelt down and bowed. "Esteemed Shamaness, I have brought her."

"Mhm." The Shamaness waved her hand lightly, dismissing Shui Yue. Her steps were graceful, her silhouette alluring. When she approached Yunxin, she firmly lifted the younger woman's chin. "You are the Princess of Desolate Bone City, Jia Yunxin!"

"Desolate Bone City is gone. Jia Yunxin's heart is dead. There is nothing left in this world worth cherishing," hatred flared in Jia Yunxin’s eyes. Her mind was entirely consumed with how to slaughter the members of the Fierce Beast Sect and the Demon Insect Sect. Of course, the main culprit was only one person: Ye Xiu.