The landscape resembled spilled ink, the forests like painted silks; this was a sanctuary yet laced with the entanglement of several Daoist Bagua swirling in the mid-air, spinning haphazardly, symbolizing the myriad variables of the Great Dao.

Ye Xiu and Old Liu passed through the mirror's surface, arriving instantly at the base of the ten-thousand-step stairway. He looked up towards the summit, where a Daoist mansion dominated the view: "We have finally reached the final layer, the Tai Xuan Dao."

Old Liu let out a long breath. Thick clouds gathered here, entirely devoid of killing intent. He stepped onto the Ghost Slaying Sword, preparing to ascend: "The plaque before the gate reads Tai Xuan Dao, meaning this Tai Xuan Dao is not the same sect as Ten Thousand Dao Mountain."

"The Tai Xuan Dao Incantation, which can harness the unstable power of the Fire Diagram Purgatory, naturally possesses more profound mysteries than your Oddity Arts," Ye Xiu said, arriving below the steps. These stairs were formed of white jade, seeming to vanish within the white clouds. "Even so, we must be cautious; there are too many strange occurrences within the Boundless Realm."

"Hahahaha!" Just as Ye Xiu finished speaking, a black silhouette tore through the shimmering reflection of the mirror. The sound of iron chains was powerful, like steel bars, and Long Xuan, his face grim, now blocked the path on the ten-thousand-step stairway: "I truly chose the right pair of fools to break through the Demon Pool's power."

"So you were trailing us the entire time." Old Liu ground his teeth upon seeing Long Xuan. Thankfully, Ye Xiu had warned him about this possibility. He sighed, looking at Ye Xiu, "You were right after all; this guy really is despicable."

Ye Xiu looked at Long Xuan’s stiff expression: "What Long Xuan, what Long Xuan? If I’m not mistaken, you are the one wearing the Ghost Mask back at the Red Cliff Graveyard."

"Heh, worthy of the name Death God!" Suddenly, a hand shot out from within Long Xuan's body, and immediately, a figure in a black cloak stepped forth. He wore a hideous mask, and his voice turned raspy, "It took you two to open the passage to the second level of the Demon Quelling Pavilion for me; how else could I have gotten here!"

Old Liu, mixing new and old grievances, immediately activated the Ghost Slaying Dao: "We even saved you once back at the Red Cliff Graveyard; is this how you repay us?"

"Repay?" The Ghost Mask laughed, and the chains around his body shook. "Guiding you through the Red Cliff Graveyard was already the best repayment. Seeing as you saved me once, I might spare you. How about you two become my right and left hands?"

Ye Xiu smiled, holding the Heaven's Gate in his left hand and the Heaven's Scorn Sword in his right: "My apologies, both of my hands are currently occupied!"

"Then test my true strength." The Ghost Mask had long since gauged their personalities. As his Dao Arts surged, the iron chains on either side began to writhe down the ten-thousand-step stairway, resembling two giant, fiercely aggressive serpents.

"Boom!" Ye Xiu leaped away forcefully to dodge one chain's entanglement, but the white jade steps couldn't withstand such force and shattered halfway. Ye Xiu spun his body, bringing both swords down to cleave the chain, sparks flying wildly. "Things born of Dao Arts—ordinary moves seem useless."

"Ice Curse!" Old Liu attempted to halt the chains' movement with a spell, but even when completely frozen, the chains moved through the ice as if it weren't there. "Dodge the chains and strike the Ghost Mask directly!"

"Shadowfall Divine Sense!" Ye Xiu unleashed the full might of the Heaven's Scorn Sword. Nine Black Flames now clung to the blade, and his shadow materialized above the entire white jade stairway. With a fierce shout, myriad sword shadows of crimson light blasted towards the Ghost Mask.

"Heavenly Profound Turn!" The Ghost Mask muttered, and the two chains immediately retracted, forming a barrier beside him. Myriad swords met the chain wall; under the sparks, neither side suffered any damage. "It has been many days, Death God; your power seems to have progressed too much."

"Shall we add another strike!" Old Liu grasped the Ghost Slaying Sword with one hand and rushed forward with the speed of the Oddity Meridian Dao. His sword struck the center of the chain, immediately halting its rotation. "Cold Ice Dragon Qi!"

"Roar..." An ice-colored long dragon erupted, coiling around both chains. At the same time, Ye Xiu’s Black Flame Nine Dragons burst forth, fiercely attacking the Ghost Mask. The Ghost Mask roared, spitting blood, and retreated to the very top layer of the stairs. "Pah... I hadn't expected both of your cultivation levels to be this formidable."

Old Liu swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said coldly, "Don't forget you gave me the Ghost Slaying Sword; I should even thank you for bestowing upon me some power in the Dao Arts."

"Enough, Ghost Mask, what else do you have to say!" Ye Xiu pointed the Heaven's Scorn Sword at him. "It seems you won't be obtaining the Tai Xuan Dao Incantation. You can still leave if you wish."

The Ghost Mask hung his head, his surrounding chains swaying listlessly amidst the white clouds. "The Tai Xuan Dao Incantation collects the unstable power from the Fire Diagram Purgatory in the lower regions of the Boundless Realm; ordinary people simply cannot absorb it. I cultivated the Acquired Profound Root Dao Body for it; if it's not mine, whose will it be!"

"What exactly is this Profound Root Dao Body?" Old Liu, a Dao practitioner, had never studied the Profound Root Dao Body in detail. He pointed his sword at the Ghost Mask and asked, "You should be from Ten Thousand Dao Mountain; how did you cultivate yourself into this state, neither man nor ghost?"

The Ghost Mask sighed softly and removed the mask covering his face. He had no head. "To cultivate the Acquired Profound Root Dao Body requires a tremendous price. The Limitless Dao Master understood the power of the Tai Xuan Dao Incantation but refused to sacrifice himself to cultivate the higher Dao Arts. I am different; I would sacrifice everything to obtain it."

"Scary... truly a ghost." Old Liu gasped, retreating to Ye Xiu's side. "What should we do? Kill him?"

Ye Xiu was also deeply startled by the sight before him. "What is this Tai Xuan Dao Incantation you speak of?"

"Hahaha, I believe you know the power of the Demon Pool." The Ghost Mask walked a few steps back, his limbs gradually regressing until his whole form slowly condensed into a tiny blue ball of light, leaving only countless iron chains swaying in the air. "The power within the Demon Pool is too immense; ordinary people cannot absorb it all at once. But the Tai Xuan Dao Incantation is different; it can be infused into the Profound Root Dao Body, allowing for steady cultivation of the Fire Diagram Purgatory's power."

"If that's the case, you absolutely cannot be allowed to live!" Old Liu glided across the steps, trying to thrust his sword into the light mass, but the surrounding chains wildly enveloped him, binding him instantly. "Damn it!"

"Old Liu!" Ye Xiu attacked with both swords, drawing his left hand back like an archer to strike down the chains. However, the chains surged forward and entangled him too, pulling him toward the ball of light. "Is this the Profound Root Dao Body?"

"Wahaha!" The Ghost Mask had now completely transformed into a blue halo. He flew toward the Daoist mansion at the top of the stairs, his voice echoing across the wilderness. "The Tai Xuan Dao Incantation will soon enter my body. Only the formless and intangible can become the master of this world."

Ye Xiu bombarded the light mass with Black Flame, but it was merely transparent light. No matter how he attacked, it was useless. "Old Liu, use your Dao Arts!"

"It's useless. Just as he said, the Ghost Mask has already cultivated to the state of being formless and intangible." Old Liu activated his Ice Crystal, yet he couldn't break free from the myriad chains' entanglement. "If this continues, while he devours the power of the Tai Xuan Dao Incantation, we might be swallowed too."

"Damn it! Look ahead." Ye Xiu arrived with the light mass inside the pinnacle Daoist hall. Within the great hall, a coiled dragon circled a nine-legged massive cauldron. Strange divine beast patterns were carved onto the cauldron, from which billowing flames of various dazzling colors rose. "Is there any other way?"

Old Liu struggled desperately, and the chains, keeping pace with the light mass's cultivation, reached the state of being formless and intangible. He couldn't even grasp what had trapped them. "Ah... No, no! I can't shake them off at all."

"Hahaha, Tai Xuan Dao Incantation!" The blue light mass gently circled the flames. It dipped one iron chain into the great cauldron. A stream of netherworld fire burned along the chain up to the light mass. At that moment, several flashes of light shimmered, and the Ghost Mask let out a cry of excitement. "Whoa! I finally have the Tai Xuan Dao Incantation; it is mine!"

"Whirrr..." As more chains were inserted into the cauldron, the entire mountaintop became enveloped by countless sparks. Streams of intense, varied heat flowed through the bodies of Ye Xiu and Old Liu, a pain so sharp it felt as if ten thousand rats were tunneling through them.

"Yeeow!" Old Liu vomited blood, unable to bear the pressure. He turned his head toward Ye Xiu and saw a profound radiance beginning to emerge from him. "Ye... Ye Xiu, what is inside you..."

"Ahhh!" Ye Xiu was already semi-conscious. His body was slowly lifted by the chains toward the blue light mass. Just then, an even more powerful light erupted from his skull, directly countering the energies present.

"This... this is impossible..." the Ghost Mask shrieked. The power of the Tai Xuan Dao Incantation, which had been surging toward him through the chains, was now entirely transferring into Ye Xiu's body; the pull was now stronger than his own. "Could the Death God possess a congenital Profound Root Dao Body!"

"It's the power of the Heavenly Dao One!" Old Liu, spitting blood, finally saw hope. He gazed at Ye Xiu, sighing in awe. "How many impossibilities does this guy still hide? He is simply a mixture of miracles."

"The Tai Xuan Dao Incantation is mine!" How could the Ghost Mask surrender so easily? He pushed his power higher, trying to vie with the Heavenly Dao One's ability within Ye Xiu. But no matter how hard he tried, that power began to flow steadily toward Ye Xiu. "Impossible! Impossible! How could someone from the Death Realm possess such a pure Profound Root Dao Body, Yaah!"

As the energy intensified, other powers within Ye Xiu's body began to spiral into chaos. The Life-Sustaining Celestial Needles in his abdomen shot out instantly, unleashing an epoch-shattering force throughout his entire body. He raised his head high, a crimson glow flashing in his eyes that shot straight toward the heavens.