"The body's own constitution is simply too weak to withstand the endless power of the Demon Realm Primordial Fetus, which is why the Fetus had to endure such humiliation!" At this moment, a maple-red silhouette flickered behind the Miko. The blue-purple light in his eyes was enough to pierce the mist. "I only have one question: how do you know all the secrets of this world?"

The Miko did not turn around; she adjusted her long sleeves and sighed softly. "There is no 'why.' Only the future will know the outcome of everything that is happening now, and the future you seek is one only you can create. That is where your value lies."

"Hmph. What significance does a boy carrying the 'Mad Vein Celestial Pivot' hold for you?" The figure spoke with disdain, showing little deference even to the Miko. "What future can such trash possibly achieve?"

"Everyone has a reason for existing. I think you should leave now." As the Miko spoke, she slowly melted into the white snow. No one knew her past, nor her previous life. As the Holy Empress of Ten Thousand Demons, appearing throughout all of history, every unexpected event felt entirely orchestrated.

"Do you think I want to ascend to the summit of Mount Sumeru?" The maple-red figure strolled casually through the snow, showing no haste. "Take a good look at this final, pristine whiteness. Perhaps one day it will all be soaked in blood."

...

The land of boiling beast flame was strangely devoid of any trace of fire, replaced only by a surging lake of extremely shallow water. This water relentlessly flowed toward a sinkhole in the center, the slipping stones resembling a cavernous mouth that could never be quenched.

"Damn it!" As Ye Xiu landed on the shallow lake, he was immediately swept off his feet. The lakebed had a slight incline. Seeing the stones around him tumbling, he instantly plunged the Tianmiao Sword beneath the water to anchor himself. "It hasn't even covered my ankles, yet the force is this immense."

Jun Bugu was even more bewildered. He tumbled several times in the shallow water before stabilizing himself with his twin blades. He looked down: the bottomless pit was right at his feet. "If we get sucked in, we're finished!"

Ye Xiu looked into the distance. As far as his eyes could see, there were only these clear, shallow lakes. He glanced at the sky; some drifting blocks of stone were his only escape route. Those stones connected directly to the Nine Heavens, which, for those unable to fly with a sword, was harder than ascending to heaven. "See the floating stones above? Find a way up there."

"What way can I find!" Jun Bugu’s Death God cultivation level was still unknown. He raised the flame in his hand, but suddenly, a ferocious beast arm shot out from beneath the shallow lake, knocking his Jue Tian Blade away from the bottom. "Whoa... there's something under the water!"

Ye Xiu certainly knew. At that moment, a hideous beast face materialized from the mud and sand beneath the water, its bared fangs attempting to knock his Tianmiao Sword away. He instantly activated his Black Flame, propelling himself into the air to evade, but that mere thrust wasn't enough to reach the floating stones overhead. "Damn it, if Old Liu were here!"

Jun Bugu dodged the mysterious beast's attack by hopping left and right, but if this continued, he would be forced right into the pit. "That thing seems to be swimming beneath the lakebed. How did you manage to jump into the air just now?"

"Purple Flame of the Dead Nation, try using the flame within your body to blast the ground!" As Ye Xiu was about to land, he saw several beast heads emerging from under the lake surface. He moved his purple flame down again but couldn't harm them in the slightest. "Quickly!"

Jun Bugu mimicked Ye Xiu, igniting his own hands. Focusing intensely, he managed a powerful thrust that launched him into the air, but his aim was off, and he slammed right into Ye Xiu, knocking him down. "Whoa ah!"

"What the hell!" A monstrous, gaping maw suddenly appeared beneath the water surface, seemingly trying to swallow Ye Xiu whole. In desperation, he activated a move with his Tianmiao Sword, kicking up a heavy layer of sand and earth. "Ptoo! We need to coordinate to get out of this damned place!"

"Coordinate how!" Jun Bugu fell right next to Ye Xiu. "You tell me what to do."

Ye Xiu looked up. The height of the floating stones was incalculable. His own black flame recoil wasn't enough, but combining their strength should work. "Telling you won't help; you probably don't understand the concept of rocket escape velocity from Earth!"

"What!" Jun Bugu roared, now held by Ye Xiu as they hurtled toward the sky. "What are you doing!"

Ye Xiu glanced back; the distance seemed about right. He quickly shouted back at Jun Bugu, "Blast flames onto me! Use that recoil force to propel us up!"

"But... but you..."

"Don't worry, your flames can't hurt me!" Ye Xiu asserted firmly, tossing Jun Bugu away. "Now!"

"Boom!" Jun Bugu understood Ye Xiu's intention. He unleashed his flames again, but this time the force was exponentially greater than before. He blasted Ye Xiu backward, flinging him toward the cavern roof, while his own body easily surpassed the height of the floating stones. "Crap, I used too much power!"

"What the—!" Ye Xiu hadn't anticipated Jun Bugu's control was so poor. With such a powerful impact, he couldn't alter his trajectory at all. In an instant, he plunged toward the abyss beneath the pit. "In here..."

"Ye Xiu! Ye Xiu!" Jun Bugu landed on the floating stone, shouting Ye Xiu's name desperately, but Ye Xiu's figure had already vanished into the pit. "Damn it, what am I supposed to do alone!"

In the darkness, a piercing chill resonated. Unexpectedly, the place where the shallow river fell was filled with endless human shouts of rage and the roars of ferocious beasts—a battlefield now stirred up by Ye Xiu's descent.

"How can this be!" Ye Xiu stood up, clutching his head, on a transparent surface. Beneath his feet lay a massive map, upon which countless human and beast silhouettes brandished weapons. It was a world drenched in blood and fire.

"Kill!" Amidst the tumultuous atmosphere, masters from various factions crisscrossed—the ice-sealing arts of the Ten Thousand Mountains, the long bone spikes of the Bone Sect, blades made of endless feathers, savage shrieks from sharp fangs, and crowds wielding fire to burn everything. Their eyes were crimson, showing no mercy as they moved among the humanoids and beasts. Yet, wherever they passed, an intact body was reduced to ash. This group was known in the ancient realms as the Flame Death Gods.