Ye Xiu sheathed his twin swords, having already rolled up his right sleeve. He took a deep breath and pressed a palm against the ground. At that moment, the entire Demon Pool space shuddered. The ice shards unleashed by Old Liu were instantly repelled, and a blue radiance ignited beneath the character 'Demon,' shooting directly toward the tip of the character: "As expected, it senses it. It seems the cultivation of Tian Dao Yi is already nearing that of the Daoist who originally created this place."

"Rumble!" Sensing the Daoist power within Ye Xiu, the enormous character 'Demon' began to crack open. The fissure gradually widened until, when it fully unfurled, everything beneath the second floor of the Demon-Extinguishing Pavilion dissolved into nothingness.

The Watchman bowed low toward Ye Xiu. "Master, I cannot leave the confines of the Demon Pool realm. The world below must be ventured into by yourselves."

Ye Xiu nodded and stepped into the void. His footfalls immediately transformed into fragments of shattered glass, and instantly, his entire body vanished from the second level. "Let's go, Old Liu. Let's see what this Tai Xuan Dao Charm truly is."

"Don't you dare try to snatch that magic treasure from me," Old Liu responded, stepping in after him. As the Ghost Executioner on his back also vanished into the distance, the two were completely submerged within the illusory realm of the third floor of the Demon-Extinguishing Pavilion.

The Watchman watched their departure with a sigh. "If nothing unexpected occurs, the Tai Xuan Dao Charm might be fully manifested within the Boundless Realm. The entire lower world, the Fire Map Purgatory, is likely to be shaken by this."

……

By the edge of the Sorrowful Water River, a woman dressed in thin silk walked slowly. The painted barge on the river was empty; the Priestess was not in this location. Thus, this woman was the Ghost Maiden of Infancy, concealing her identity, followed closely by a plainly dressed servant behind her.

"Jia Yunxin, I shall take you now to the City of Desolate Bones you yearn for so deeply." The Ghost Maiden of Infancy kept her head covered by a veil, revealing only two eerie eyes. Her voice carried a smug satisfaction. "I will let you experience what true despair is."

Jia Yunxin had long since shed her opulent robes. She, who was once surrounded by thousands, was now lesser than a commoner. Her heart was deeply troubled, not just by the threats of the Ghost Maiden of Infancy, but by the persistence of her own faith. "Though Big Brother is dead, Second Brother and Third Brother will surely hold the City of Desolate Bones. They will still care for me as they always have."

"Care?" The Ghost Maiden of Infancy swept her sleeve, and she and Jia Yunxin vanished together within a white aura. Her cultivation was profound; in an instant, they traveled from the bank of the Sorrowful Water River to the Forest of Burial outside the Ancient Desolate City—the very spot where Jianan had intercepted Jiaye, and where Jia Yunxin had buried the fragmented bones of her elder brother.

"Big... Big Brother..." Jia Yunxin knew every blade of grass and every stone here. She immediately spotted the small mound she had carefully arranged for her brother. After several days, weeds had sprouted atop it, giving it a desolate appearance. "Big Brother, who killed you? Was it the Fierce Beast Sect, the Demon Insect Sect, or that Ye Xiu..."

The Ghost Maiden of Infancy extended her palm. Upon it rested a transparent crystal sphere, blue as turquoise. She blew a breath onto the sphere, and illusory dust motes began to emerge. "This is the Corpse Reflection Heaven. It can reflect the scene of your Big Brother Jiaye's bones suffering a fatal blow. You can see for yourself!"

"What!" Jia Yunxin collapsed onto the ground, already weeping uncontrollably. She stared intently at the crystal sphere. As the dust settled, a waterfall of sword light descended from the heavens. A surging mist of blood erupted from Jiaye's chest, and he fell heavily to the ground, his residual bone power flaring up instantly. "Big Brother! Big Brother!"

The Ghost Maiden of Infancy did not stop Jia Yunxin’s emotional collapse. She cast a disdainful glance at the young girl and spoke sharply, "Open your eyes wide and look clearly! See who truly killed your Big Brother!"

Jia Yunxin held her breath. The person who killed her dearest relative must be connected to the Corpse Demon Forest. She watched the subsequent scene through gritted teeth, already tearing away the weeds on the ground with her hands.

Beyond the sword energy, a purple figure stood proudly. That tyrannical aura and stern countenance only served to emphasize Jianan’s sinister smile. Words were murmured from his mouth, too indistinct to hear, but the one clear sight was the Blood Fiend Treasure Sword dripping fresh blood in his hand.

"Se... Second Brother!" Jia Yunxin staggered back several steps, sinking onto the grass. She crawled backward helplessly, as if everything before her was as terrifying as a nightmare. "Impossible! How could this be? How could it be Second Brother!"

The Ghost Maiden of Infancy thrust the Corpse Reflection Heaven before Jia Yunxin, smiling coldly as she pointed at Jianan. "This is the relative you rely upon, your Second Brother Jianan? Look at what he has done!"

"Liar! You absolute liar!" Jia Yunxin tried to swipe the crystal sphere away, but when her hand moved toward it, it only stirred up a patch of blurred, misty dust. "I won't believe you! You are trying to trick me!"

The Ghost Maiden of Infancy retracted the Corpse Reflection Heaven and began dragging Jia Yunxin toward the City of Desolate Bones, her eyes fierce, as if Jia Yunxin's suffering was her own. "If you don't believe it, you can go to the City of Desolate Bones yourself and confront your Second Brother Jianan. Do you have the courage?"

Jia Yunxin’s skin was abraded, bleeding freely. The resolve in her eyes regarding her home had not diminished after witnessing this scene. With a stubborn retort, she declared, "Don't worry, I will certainly question my Second Brother and get the truth."

"Good, I'll take you now." The Ghost Maiden of Infancy unleashed her cultivation once more, pulling Jia Yunxin directly into the City of Desolate Bones. It was the dead of midnight. In the Heavenly Ladder Pavilion, Jianan was contemplating how to mobilize troops to secure the Corpse Demon Forest territory.

"Second Brother! Second Brother!" Jia Yunxin was carried by the Ghost Maiden of Infancy's power right to Jianan's doorstep. She glanced back; the Ghost Maiden of Infancy had already vanished. "Second Brother!"

Jianan was naturally bewildered by Jia Yunxin's sudden appearance. He stood up, looking puzzled. "Yunxin, why are you dressed like this? Where have you been all this time?"

It was rare for Jia Yunxin to see her Second Brother, yet the images from the Ghost Maiden of Infancy's Corpse Reflection Heaven still lingered in her mind. She dared not approach Jianan, but there were words she had to speak. "Second Brother, Big Brother is dead! Did you kill him?"

"Nonsense!" Jianan’s heart jolted, but his expression remained composed. He extended his hand in a gesture meant to welcome Yunxin. "Little sister, you must have suffered greatly during these days. Who told you I killed Big Brother? That is pure fabrication!"

Jia Yunxin hesitated. Her Second Brother was still as resolute as ever. She simply did not know if she should trust this person. "No one told me. I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Nonsense!" Jianan glared, his face immediately showing displeasure. "How did you get up to the Heavenly Ladder without alerting the guards? Who brought you up here!"