Liu turned his gaze toward the Priestess, that enigmatic and bewitching woman. "Are you the Priestess of the Bleakwater River that Ye Xiu spoke of?"

The Priestess offered no distinct reaction; her features were delicate, and an air of elegance radiated from her as she spoke. "The power of the entire Boundless Realm is hidden within the Heavenly Emperor's Cycle. To save the Boundless Realm, one must drag Sha Jun Tianxia into the Heavenly Emperor's Cycle."

"Another realm? Where exactly is it?" Liu had heard whispers of things within the Heavenly Emperor's Cycle ever since entering the Boundless Realm. "The Heavenly List Saint War is indeed a matter of great concern for all Sect Masters. What benefit comes from winning the Heavenly List Saint War?"

"To inherit the power of the Heavenly Emperor's Spiritual Body, the Creator Lord of the Boundless Realm!" the Priestess stated with a light voice. "To control the ultimate power of the Boundless Realm, and then..."

"And then proceed to unify the various realms?" Liu had already guessed the Priestess's intent. This woman, whom Ye Xiu called the Holy Empress of Myriad Demons, was clearly not simple. "Priestess, why did you seek me out? Could it be you wish to assist me in winning victory in the Heavenly Emperor's Cycle?"

"I simply do not wish for the Heavenly List Saint War to be so dull," the Priestess steadied herself and chuckled. "The Heavenly List Saint War is a battle of the strong. All I am doing is helping you filter out the so-called dross. Since you govern Myriad Dao Mountain and cultivate Dao techniques, all you need to do is lure Sha Jun Tianxia into the Heavenly Emperor's Cycle."

Liu didn't entirely grasp the Priestess's meaning, yet the prospect of fighting Sha Jun Tianxia in another, unknown realm was indeed a positive development for the entire Boundless Realm. "Where exactly is this Heavenly Emperor's Cycle?"

"Sha Jun Tianxia will be unfrozen in thirty days. I anticipate that the masters of the Boundless Realm will once again gather at Mount Sumeru then, and the entrance to the Heavenly Emperor's Cycle will open the day after the thaw. The struggles of the first day will only spell one fate for those undeserving riffraff. As long as you can hold out until the second day, when the entrance to the Heavenly Emperor's Cycle opens atop Mount Sumeru, everyone present will be thrust into a different situation," the Priestess slowly approached Liu.

"Heh heh, interesting. What is the situation like inside the Heavenly Emperor's Cycle?" Liu's thirst for battle reached a peak he hadn't felt before. Though the Grand Profound Dao Curse hadn't reached its peak under his command, it had achieved minor success. "Why tell me all this? Is it merely a piece of news?"

The Priestess nodded, her form once again dissolving into the wind and snow. "The Heavenly Emperor's Cycle is a victory achieved through battle—a place where there is no reason, only slaughter; a cruel world."

Liu sighed. The Holy Empress of Myriad Demons traversed the ancient mandate of life; what was the purpose of her existence? Could Ye Xiu truly be so curious about this woman, who was undeniably extraordinary?

Before the contingent from the Demon Insect Sect could return to the Thousand Cave Insect Palace, the Plague Zombie Insect Emperor's eyes instantly flared with awareness of a threat. "Those fellows from the Bone Sect are truly despicable, setting up an ambush in the Sinister Barrier Forest while my great army is away from our territory."

Everyone was still moving stealthily on the ground, seeing nothing, and they felt bewildered upon hearing the Insect Emperor's words.

"Insect Emperor, how did you know the Bone Sect ambushed us in the Sinister Barrier Forest?" Ye Xiu felt strange about the Emperor's expression from the start. "Oh, right, Insect Emperor, when I looked at your eyes earlier, dark mist was swirling—what is going on?"

The Ant Army Strategist slyly leaned close to Ye Xiu and explained, "The Three Fiends of the Heavenly Emperor's Evil Body have pledged fealty. The Insect Emperor unexpectedly obtained the Evil Eye, which allows him to perceive all movements in the world."

Ye Xiu gasped, a chill running down his spine. Such a thing existed in this world? No wonder his and Jun Bugu's movements had been tracked. "This truly calls for congratulations, Insect Emperor. With such a treasure, dominating the Boundless Realm should be imminent."

The Plague Zombie Insect Emperor shook his head, looking pained. "My body cannot yet fully bear the power of the Evil Eye. I must find a way to gather the Three Fiends of the Evil Body."

Ye Xiu had some understanding of the Heavenly Emperor's Evil Body power. Jia Yunxin had obtained that power previously, likely opening the Gate of the Fire Purgatory. Perhaps these Three Fiends of the Evil Body were what she needed, and he worried about how he would face her again.

The Demon Insect Sect forces had arrived beneath the Sinister Barrier Forest. Ant One, having scouted the situation above, reported back to the Insect Emperor. "Reporting to the Insect Emperor, the Bone Sect forces are numerous and have completely encircled the Sinister Barrier Forest. What are our orders?"

"It seems the Bone Sect is here to demand an explanation this time. Do they think surrounding the entire Sinister Barrier Forest will cut off our path?" The Plague Zombie Insect Emperor glanced at the Demon Ant and inquired, "How much time remains for the Myriad Poison Pearl's power to recover?"

"It was just used once; it will likely take several more days," the Demon Ant said, flashing a green radiance from the Myriad Poison Pearl in his hand. "In my subordinate's view, we should first return beneath the Thousand Cave Insect Palace and wait for the Myriad Poison Pearl's toxic aura to recover before wiping out the Bone Sect in one go."

The Insect Emperor nodded. "There is no need for us to clash with the Bone Sect here, but we cannot simply skulk away either. How about this, Elder Ye."

"Yes!" Ye Xiu knew from the Emperor's look that nothing good was coming.

"You lead the Flying and Earth Insect Sects to confront the Bone Sect—just enough for minor attrition, no need for a decisive battle." The Insect Emperor commanded before probing underground with his trusted entourage. "Oh, by the way, Elder Ye, you have handled these few matters exceptionally well. Once it is done, I will impart to you the greatest secret of the Soul of the Hundred Insects."

"Yes! Thank you, Insect Emperor." Ye Xiu knew the benefits of the Soul of the Hundred Insects; being able to move freely by borrowing the power of the demon insects was certainly excellent. He never expected this item also held a final secret—truly exciting.

"Elder Ye, what should we do?" Ant One lowered his head, looking at a loss. "The leader of the Bone Sect seems to be the newly promoted Sect Master, Jianan. The Great Sect Master of the Bone Sect is dead, and the Third Sect Master is missing; Jianan's cultivation must not be underestimated."

Ye Xiu certainly knew Jianan's cultivation level and hadn't expected him to make a move so quickly. "What else can we do? Bring the troops out; I will face him head-on."

"But..." Ant One wanted to say more, but seeing Ye Xiu's resolute expression, he could only comply.

The Sinister Barrier Forest was thick with miasma, the trees twisted and clawing like monsters ready to devour flesh. Under Jianan's command, the Bone Sect members looked imposing, and behind them were arrayed tens of millions of skeletons and crimson snakes.

Left Prime Minister Hou grew anxious when he saw no reaction from the Demon Insect Sect Hall. He reported to Jianan, "Sect Master, we have been surrounding them for two days and haven't seen a single insect figure. Could the intelligence be wrong?"

"The scout reported that the Insect Emperor has led his forces out of our territory. We will wait for their return and strike them down then," Jianan declared with savage intent. His first target was, as expected, the Demon Insect Sect responsible for releasing the poison mist. "I still remember the shame of that day. That poison mist killed so many of the Bone Sect. I want blood repayment from the Demon Insect Sect."