Jia Yunxin was startled by Jianan’s tone. She looked around wildly, searching for the silhouette of the Woman-Infant Ghost, but the hideous woman had vanished somewhere at this crucial moment: “It… it was a strange woman who told me. I clearly saw in her crystal ball that you killed Elder Brother!”

Jianan’s heart tightened; the matter of him killing Jiaye should have been known to no one. A strange woman who could know the truth just by looking into a crystal ball was highly suspicious. He softened his demeanor, walking toward Jia Yunxin with a gentle smile: “Little sister, what nonsense are you spouting? How could I possibly kill our eldest brother? Where is that woman, and who is she? Don’t let yourself be deceived by outsiders.”

“What about Third Brother? Where is he?” Jia Yunxin wasn't foolish and already harbored doubts about Jianan. She retreated as Jianan approached, watching him: “Why isn't Third Brother with you? What happened between you two?”

Jianan let out a strange laugh and spread his hands: “You know as well as I do that your third brother loves to wander. What could happen between us? You had better tell me quickly, where is this strange woman you mentioned!”

Jia Yunxin saw the subtle shifts in Jianan’s expression and understood everything in her heart. She nervously tried to back out of the room, but just then, Jianan’s figure flickered, appearing by the doorway: “Second Brother, you truly didn’t do it!”

“Where is that woman? Tell me quickly!” Jianan was growing impatient. It wasn't that he feared Jia Yunxin’s accusation; it was that the mysterious woman's ability to know everything via a crystal ball had a massive impact on his future plans. If the masses of the Bone Sect learned he was the one who killed Jiaye, all his power would vanish.

Jia Yunxin struggled to retreat but was violently seized by Jianan’s hands. She cried out mournfully: “Second Brother, what are you doing? You’re hurting me!”

Jianan, capable of slaying Jiaye with his own hands, naturally paid little attention to this insignificant sister of his. He grinned ferociously: “Tell me where that woman is, quickly! Otherwise, otherwise…”

“Otherwise, you’ll kill your own sister!” The Woman-Infant Ghost materialized, gliding through the palace like a phantom. She flashed past, snatching Jia Yunxin directly from Jianan’s grasp. “Heh, the Second Sect Master of Barren Bone City is indeed no ordinary figure. To be capable of laying hands on his own kin, he certainly qualifies as a formidable figure of his generation.”

Jianan watched the Woman-Infant Ghost land and immediately drew the Earthly Fiend sword from his waist. He held his long sword horizontally, unleashing the Eighth Stance of the Sky Bone Sword Art, aimed directly at Yunxin and the Ghost Woman: “Vile creature spreading delusions, neither of you shall remain!”

“Second Brother!” Jia Yunxin never expected her second brother to use such a powerful strike against her. She threw herself aside to dodge, but the sword Qi swept her up into the air. The flash of the blade startled her so much that the coarse cloth of her garments ripped apart. “Ah!”

“Pfft…” The Woman-Infant Ghost was protected by the mysterious realm's power, and at this moment, she gripped her hands, conjuring a layer of mist to shield Jia Yunxin. Yet, even with such ability, facing the Eighth Stance of the Sky Bone Sword Art proved taxing. “Jia Yunxin, did you see? The Second Brother you constantly called for now seeks to kill you!”

“Are… are you alright?” Jia Yunxin’s spirit momentarily collapsed. She rushed to support the injured Ghost Woman and shouted: “This isn’t real. How could Second Brother kill me? This isn’t real… It’s all an illusion you created.”

“Die!” Jianan, intensely alert, flashed toward the Ghost Woman. His eyes glared with disdain as his long sword swept down, aiming to take both their heads. “Yunxin, don't blame your Second Brother; this is the price required to unify the Boundless Realm! The deaths of you and Elder Brother both serve a purpose.”

“Whoosh…” As the long sword descended, the Woman-Infant Ghost pulled Yunxin along, and they dissolved into a puff of dust. The dust drifted upwards against the Earthly Fiend sword and vanished completely within Jianan’s palace hall.

“Swish, swish, swish!” At this moment, the surrounding attendants rushed over, startled like birds caught in a net, extremely wary of any assassin. “Sect Master, is there an assassin again?”

Jianan furiously plunged the Earthly Fiend into the ground. It seemed that strange woman possessed formidable strength. However, since both she and Yunxin knew too much, they had to be eliminated immediately: “Issue an order. A massive manhunt throughout the entire Boundless Realm for a woman dressed in plain white clothing with blue skin. Any Bone Sect member who encounters her is authorized to execute on sight—oh, and of course, her maidservant as well!”

“Yes, Sect Master!” The attendant received the order and departed. A fierce wind swept through the Heavenly Staircase Pavilion. They had no idea of the Sect Master Jianan’s true plan: in the entire Barren Ancient Royal Family, everyone besides himself deserved death!

“Wail… wail…” Jia Yunxin sobbed in despair. From the events just witnessed, her Second Brother Jianan was not only the murderer of Jiaye but also a fiend driven to madness; he had intended to kill her!

The Woman-Infant Ghost, bearing her wounds, carried Jia Yunxin away from Barren Bone City. Jianan’s single sword strike was still vivid in her memory: “Did you see it now? Your ruthless Second Brother wanted you dead!”

“It can’t be, how could this happen? How could Second Brother do such a thing?” Jia Yunxin tried to console herself verbally, but she had witnessed the reality, and she could not evade it. “Oh, right, there’s also Third Brother, Jiālóuluō. He has always been kind to me; he will certainly take care of me!”

Blood marks were already appearing on the Woman-Infant Ghost’s arm. She smiled faintly, enveloping herself in a haze of smoke, seemingly undergoing treatment: “In the end, you still refuse despair. What will you do if you discover your Third Brother also ignores you?”

“I will…” As Jia Yunxin recalled Jianan’s hideous visage, resentment sparked within her. She silently prayed that Jiālóuluō would care for her, but with a single thought, she also considered that if both of her only relatives failed her, she would wholeheartedly accept the power of the Woman-Infant Ghost and take revenge upon the entire Boundless Realm.

In the Ancient Barren Stagnant Stream territory, the water flowed sluggishly, yet this stream was saturated with the stench of blood and decay. Great rivers and mountains were thrown into chaos by a single lineage, a lineage residing within the human heart, yet far more perilous than the heart itself.

Yan Shangcheng breathed in the surrounding air with a cold restraint. This was the Ancient Barren Stagnant Stream, a secluded but intensely miasmatic place within the Boundless Realm. His fingers moved slowly, and the two weapons beside him were still stained with fresh blood: “What is this place? My power, the Raging Meridian Heavenly Pivot!”

Memories of the past still flashed before his eyes. He only recalled shattering Jiaye’s sword, believing he had already dealt Jiaye a fatal blow: “I killed Jiaye. Have I finally taken my revenge? Hahahaha! I have finally avenged the slaughter of the entire Yan family!”

“Ah! Ah!” At that moment, a streak of scarlet light erupted from Yan Shangcheng’s brow, and an evil energy began to gestate within it. He writhed in excruciating pain, his entire body convulsing wildly—this was the power of the Raging Meridian Heavenly Pivot.