The gulf between the two was simply too vast. To such an extent that he no longer felt the slightest will to fight, nor any impulse for revenge.

If he could, he would certainly have fled. But he was locked down by that overwhelming sword intent, unable to move an inch.

Beneath his terror, his gaze grew increasingly confused, and then even more venomous. "Are you the only one allowed to be arrogant, while others must conceal their true strength?"

Wuyingzi spoke softly as the dozens of iron frames in the distance flew toward him. First, they twisted into a knot before him, then collapsed inward, condensing finally into the shape of a sword. Even unrefined, a sharp, dominant sword intent enveloped it. Wuyingzi’s pupils contracted slightly at that moment. "No! Ye Xuan, Ye Xuan—you are that person, Xiaoyao Xuan—"

Before the words could fully escape, Ye Xuan frowned, then let out a brief, dismissive laugh: "You know too much! The name Xiaoyao is one Ye Xuan no longer uses."

The hastily formed sword swung once, lightly, severing Wuyingzi’s head from his body.

Ye Xuan then turned his attention to the surroundings.

The entire conflict between the two had concluded in mere breaths.

The Divine Realm experts who had been freed from confinement watched with stunned silence. It seemed unbelievable that the outcome was such; the usually arbitrary and unrestrained Wuyingzi was defeated by Ye Xuan’s single strike. A flicker of apprehension soon crossed their faces, followed by an immediate, unquestioning flight. They tore through the barrier of the formation, weakened by the World-Burning Flames, and poured all their effort into escaping toward the distant void.

Ye Xuan felt not the slightest interest in these fugitives. He watched them leave with cold eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "Fools! Do they not know these invisible fires are the Lu family's World-Burning Flames?"

The Nether Prison was shattered; did they truly believe they could escape? Only the supreme Sky-Burning Bloodline possessed the true World-Burning Fire. If they were at the pinnacle realm, the potency of these flames should have been far greater, burning them all to ash by now. Yet, this fire was undeniably the ultimate, peak-level Sky-Burning divine ability! The only possibility was that a descendant of the Lu family had advanced to possess the pinnacle bloodline! For such a monumental event, the Sky-Burning Lu family would surely have a Venerable Saint existing at the peak level nearby. To flee now, how far could they possibly get?

Looking unwillingly towards the heavens, Ye Xuan’s eyes were filled with helplessness. Truly worthy of a clan with tens of thousands of years of legacy; just showing slight signs of decline, and such an outstanding junior rises abruptly, inspiring despair—

Musing silently, Ye Xuan paused to sense his surroundings for a moment. Then, he hitched the crudely forged sword onto his waist and strode toward the south.

That was the direction of the Abyss Gate. If his guess was correct, that location was likely his only chance at survival. He stepped through the void, covering a hundred miles in an instant. In just a moment, he arrived near the vicinity of the Eighth Layer Abyss Gate. Observing from afar, when he discerned two figures, one old and one young, locked in confrontation just two hundred miles from the Gate, Ye Xuan's pupils contracted sharply!

The elder was clearly a Saint Realm Venerable, yet Ye Xuan did not spare him a glance. His focus narrowed entirely onto the youth. Was this not the same boy he had encountered scores of days ago? Those blood-red eyes—they must be the World-Burning Blood Pupils, without a doubt! Was this youth, who ventured alone into the Nine Desolations Death Prison searching for his mother, the one who had advanced to possess the highest tier of the Sky-Burning Lu family bloodline? This child was Lu Hanyan’s son; in other words, he was not yet thirty years old and currently only in the Immortal Realm. It was truly surprising, and profoundly humbling to Ye Xuan.

His heart stirred again, and a subtle change appeared on his face. Hanyan’s son? That made him the direct descendant of the current Sky-Burning Sacred Emperor, holding the supreme World-Burning Blood. If so, he must also be the legitimate primary heir of the entire Sky-Burning Lu family, the rightful First Crown Prince of the Sacred Court? Or, perhaps, he could—

The thought flashed across his mind, only to be immediately suppressed again. Gazing at the scene before him, he noticed the subtle shift in the vital energies moments ago. Ye Xuan's gaze then shifted to the crimson-robed elder, his right hand involuntarily gripping his own sword. The elder was clearly harboring murderous intent!

At that moment, Lu Tianqing was gasping for breath, sweat drenching his heavy robes. The Five Decays of the Celestial Being—the first decay of soiled garments, the second of withered hair, the third of underarm perspiration. He was already exhibiting the symptoms of the first three decays! Maintaining the Eighth Layer Nether Prison against complete collapse had nearly exhausted all his magic power and true essence. Now, it was ruthlessly draining his precious vital essence. Yet, it still failed to halt the collapsing force, and worse, his own soul consciousness was constantly retreating under the scorching of the formless fire. A series of cracking sounds echoed around him. Fragments of space and time were breaking apart, scattering into the outer void. He understood with agonizing clarity: he could not stop it. This Nether Death Prison was fated to perish imminently! But how could this be? How could this happen? How could Lu Tianqing be destroyed here? Should he release everything and flee immediately? But vast as this domain was, where could he possibly run? Losing the Lu family and any chance of advancement, he would only live another two hundred years at most. His descendants would likely be implicated, reduced to being slaves and criminals.

His gaze sharpened, and Lu Tianqing stared fiercely at his opponent. This boy was the source of everything. Those blood-red pupils still regarded him with detached disdain. This only fueled Lu Tianqing’s compounded fury and hatred! He longed to gouge out and destroy those World-Burning Blood Pupils, which the Sky-Burning Lu family had anticipated for thousands of years! Wait—destroy them?

Lu Tianqing’s eyes shifted, and his killing intent surged again. Since he was going to die anyway, he might as well take the culprit with him! He certainly couldn't stand by and watch the architect of his downfall return to the Lu family hale and hearty. To become the First Crown Prince, the next Sky-Burning Sacred Emperor, and oppress his own descendants! As this thought arose, he saw Zong Shou opposite him let out a silent, cold sneer. "Do you truly believe this isolation can prevent me from dealing with you? Are you thinking of dragging me to death with you?"

Lu Tianqing paused slightly. How could this brat have read his mind? After double-checking that no illusion spell was upon him, he chuckled darkly. This junior could only resort to verbal sparring now, buying time with mere words. No matter how bright his future, after this death, he would be nothing but a mound of yellow earth! Hesitating no longer, thousands of silver threads suddenly burst forth from his sleeve, shooting toward Zong Shou. Under the scrutiny of the blood pupils, strand after strand of silver thread was twisted and shattered, but more silver threads surged forth relentlessly.

Lu Tianqing couldn't help but want to laugh aloud just then, his expression brimming with a terrifying joy. Despair? Helplessness? He had felt exactly that moments ago! To have the First Crown Prince of the Sky-Burning Lu family accompany him in death today—Lu Tianqing felt his life was not in vain! But the next instant, he saw the expression of pity mixed with mockery in the blood pupils opposite him. BOOM!

With a deafening impact, both of Lu Tianqing’s knees were utterly pulverized. Unable to stand, he suddenly collapsed onto his knees before Zong Shou, and those silver threads instantly exploded into dust!

An incomparably majestic voice echoed from a distance simultaneously. "Attempting to murder the Sacred Court's First Crown Prince! Lu Tianqing, you possess extraordinary audacity—"

The tone was heavy and powerful, like tempered steel, arriving in sharp, resonant bursts—a fierce will so immense it seemed capable of shattering everything in the vicinity. As if reaching the pinnacle of fury, the surrounding thousand zhang of void scattered like shattered waves under the impact of the sound waves.

Under this crushing pressure, Lu Tianqing’s jaw ground so hard he tasted blood in his mouth. Yet, he could not suppress the terror rising in his chest, and he cried out involuntarily. "Venerable Shengzun Yanyuan!"

That voice, that mental pressure—it must be Venerable Shengzun Yanyuan! His expression instantly became one of bewildered confusion. Why had this Venerable Shengzun arrived so quickly? No, something about this entire affair had been bizarre from the start. Zong Shou's bloodline mutation, the awakening of the World-Burning Sacred Blood, and he himself was a member of the Sky-Burning Lu family. Though his rank was lower in the past, he was still part of the direct lineage. Why had he sensed nothing? No, it wasn't that there were no reactions. He had experienced several omens of the surging, backward-flowing bloodline. It was just that he had never paid heed, never considered it. It was a clear Veil of Cognition! He could see, but he could not know!

This realization burst into his mind, and instantly, all obstructions shattered. So that was it! So that was it! Venerable Shengzun Yanyuan had not rushed here instantly from hundreds of worlds away; he had been waiting here all along! Poor Lu Wushuang—he had fallen into this trap without even realizing it! Then, who was maneuvering against him?

Almost instinctively, a name sprang to mind. "Venerable Shengzun Jueyan! Lu Jueyan!"

A wild roar tore from Lu Wushuang's throat, hoarse and filled with bone-deep hatred. He could think of no one else capable of causing him to suffer the Veil of Cognition without awareness! How ridiculous that he had once pitied Lu Jueyan, viewing him and Lu Hanyan’s mother and son with cruelty. Yet, it turned out he was the truly pitiable one.

"You are truly infuriating! You failed to guard the Nine Desolations Death Prison. Knowing that the World-Burning Blood awakening must consume a world as a sacrifice, yet you remained unwarned, allowing the First Crown Prince of my Lu family to awaken his bloodline within the Death Prison and destroy this Nether Prison world—this is the first crime!"

Venerable Shengzun Yanyuan's voice delivered the verdict without emotion, sounding as if he were merely stating facts rather than judging. Lu Tianqing’s heart turned icy, and he looked up at the sky in resignation. It was destined; the moment Jueyan laid eyes on this child, his fate was sealed! He had walked into the trap from the very beginning.

Zong Shou’s awakening likely relied on the power of the Nether Prison's formation. However, if Jueyan had spoken up, for the Lu family, one Nether Prison was not an unbearable loss. —This Venerable Shengzun had likely decided to take Lu Tianqing's life ten days prior! But what was the use of hatred now?

Looking upward, he could see the sky fracturing, yet vaguely, he could almost glimpse Jueyan’s contemptuous smile.

At that moment, Venerable Shengzun Yanyuan's voice continued. "The second crime: after the incident, you sought no remedy but, in your rage, actually attempted to murder the Crown Prince! Both crimes are unforgivable! Do you have any defense to offer?"