"Master..." A cry of absolute agony ripped from Ye Jingyu's lips... He felt as if his heart had been savagely torn out, a pain far exceeding that of the sword thrust moments before. It was an ineffable agony, a suffering that pierced the very marrow of his bones. Memories of his time with Dugu Ba-chen flooded his mind involuntarily. The first encounter, in that dark cave—he had initially taken his Master for a dried corpse! Yet, inexplicably, he learned his Saber Arts from him and became his disciple, feeling only a slight degree of reverence then.

But later, when his Eldest Brother was nearly killed and he was captured by the Bai family, it was him, Dugu Ba-chen alone, who stormed into White Emperor City. With overwhelming force and imposing dominance, he cleansed all the shame Ye Jingyu had endured. Yes, in that moment, Ye Jingyu truly felt the protective love of a Master, and from that instant forward, he regarded him as his true Master, a figure akin to a father. For all these years, Dugu Ba-chen had supported him silently from the shadows, using his characteristically biased methods to shield him and everyone around him.

But now? Now he had cultivated the foremost divine ability of the Three Realms, manifested the Pangu True Body, and achieved the Chaos Constitution. He possessed power sufficient to shake the heavens, so why could he not even protect him? He could not even safeguard the one closest to him... Ye Jingyu’s heart felt utterly shattered in that moment, filled with helplessness, profound bitterness, searing self-reproach, and surging fury... a wrath that hated everything, an anger impossible to suppress... A towering rage erupted from his form, accompanied by a potent killing intent—a murderous will forged through life, death, and rebirth. Sensing Ye Jingyu’s immense killing intent, the shadowy figure instantly retreated toward Wenshu. He knew too well the terrifying extent of Ye Jingyu’s power. Although his earlier sword strike had gravely wounded the youth, killing him would prove incredibly, devastatingly difficult.

Their current objective was simply to stall, allowing Ye Jingyu’s internal injuries to worsen steadily, awaiting the arrival of those few others... Wenshu also perceived the intense killing aura emanating from Ye Jingyu. He turned and glared at the Shadow, clearly blaming him for squandering such a trump card so early. However, seeing Ye Jingyu’s still-bleeding wound, Wenshu did not press the issue further. Though Ye Jingyu had achieved the Chaos Constitution and possessed tremendous might, this did not equate to infinite energy. If he were truly that invincible, he would have long since smashed through the Celestial Realm to settle accounts with those few individuals, rather than lingering here.

Every portion of vital blood he lost would diminish his strength, tipping the scales further in their favor. Calculated this way, even sacrificing Dugu Ba-chen, a crucial asset, was deemed worthwhile. Although Ye Jingyu’s power would surge under extreme rage, Wenshu was confident in his assessment of the situation: as long as Bing Ming remained in their custody, Ye Jingyu would never act recklessly. He was a man bound by deep loyalty and righteousness; he would never stand by while his comrade was killed because of him.

Wenshu’s confidence proved justified. Despite the explosive fury and radiating murderous intent, Ye Jingyu remained motionless, standing silently in the void, allowing the scarlet blood to flow unchecked. Jiu Feng, Yao Rao, Gongsun Xiangyi, Hu Yanmeng, Hei Ming Shixuan, Xi Yang, and the others watched Ye Jingyu with profound worry. They dared not move rashly at this juncture. Ye Jingyu possessed the Chaos Constitution; once his body was damaged, even Gongsun Xiangyi was powerless, as she had yet to refine an elixir capable of healing the Chaos Constitution—that was a realm beyond her current mastery. Liang Xiaoke stared at Wenshu, his face contorted in rage, his fangs constantly scraping together, wishing he could tear Wenshu’s throat out and drain him dry. Bing Ming simply looked at Ye Jingyu, offering no futile pleas for him to proceed regardless. He knew Ye Jingyu would never abandon him, rendering any words useless. That was simply the nature of the man—devoted to his bonds.

Seeing the shadow of wrath on Ye Jingyu’s face and the helplessness in his eyes, a faint smile touched Bing Ming’s lips. He was still the same Ye Jingyu, the one who valued loyalty above all else. Even though his cultivation reached astonishing heights and he could now challenge the Sages, his heart remained fundamentally human. To have such a companion was the greatest fortune of his life; what more could he ask for? “A’Yu, strike without hesitation!” Bing Ming suddenly grinned, his smile warm and gentle... “No...” Hearing Bing Ming utter those words, a dreadful premonition struck Ye Jingyu’s heart. He cried out, his body already lunging desperately toward Bing Ming.

It was not just Ye Jingyu; Wenshu and the others also felt a chilling unease. But Bing Ming’s power had been sealed, his very soul restricted. He lacked even the ability to self-detonate. What could he possibly mean by those words? But Wenshu soon realized the truth. He felt the vitality in the Bing Ming before him vanish abruptly. In the blink of an eye, the body became a cold, lifeless shell. “The Nether King’s Annihilation Curse...” Di Zang Wang exclaimed from the side. Only he understood what had truly befallen Bing Ming. The Nether King’s Annihilation Curse was a venomous, self-destructive spell. Its power was immense, capable of instantly cursing a person into non-existence, scattering their soul utterly, but it could only be cast upon the self.

It was, essentially, a suicide curse, a failed technique devised by the Primordial Divine Beings. No one bothered to learn it; only the Ten Yama Kings of old retained fragmented knowledge of it. Who would have imagined he actually learned such a useless spell? Did he foresee this end? His internal power sealed, his soul imprisoned, yet nothing could halt the spell’s completion? Only the absolute sealing of his consciousness could have prevented it.

Upon hearing Di Zang Wang’s cry, Xuan Ming’s eyes lit up. As a grandmaster of all manner of curses, he knew the Nether King’s Annihilation Curse well. It sounded formidable, but in reality, it was largely impractical. Why would anyone learn it? For others, it was merely a source of astonishment, but for Ye Jingyu, Bing Ming’s death was like acid being poured onto his already wounded heart, the piercing pain nearly causing him to faint on the spot. “Ahhh...” A cry of grief and indignation that shook the heavens erupted from his throat. His body began to inflate violently, boundless power exploding outward. In this state of extreme fury, he disregarded his grievous injuries and manifested the Pangu True Body once more. Seeing Ye Jingyu transform into the Pangu True Body at this moment, Di Zang Wang, Wenshu, and even Jue and the Shadow figure all changed expression.

“Retreat...” The four understood the terror of the Pangu True Body. Now, staying was impossible; they spun around, preparing to flee. “Where do you think you’re going?” Not only Ye Jingyu, but even Liang Xiaoke and the others were consumed by rage. The Four Immortal Slaying Swords shot out simultaneously, aimed directly at the nearest figure, Jue, as his body hurtled forward. Jiu Feng brandished the Chi You Banner, and the Twelve Heavenly Shamans emerged from the Grand Array to assault their respective foes. Hu Yanmeng raised a hand, transforming the Golden Jiao Scissors into two serpentine dragons that lunged to shear Wenshu. Xi Yang let out a cold hum; the Eastern Emperor Bell shot forth from her body, plummeting toward Wenshu as well. Hei Ming Shixuan flicked the Purple Moon Saber in her hand, unleashing a blinding streak of purple moonlight... Luo Ling’er directly hurled the two massive cauldrons Ye Jingyu had gifted her, and even Gongsun Xiangyi unhesitatingly summoned her Supreme Purity Furnace.

Chi Yi Xiu cleaved out with his great axe. In an instant, the sky flashed with light as arrays of multicolored magical treasures erupted onto the scene. Ye Jingyu’s body had already swelled to tens of millions of feet in size, and he brought one colossal hand down toward the Shadow figure and Wenshu. One had killed his Master; the other had caused his sworn brother’s death. Such hatred could not be tolerated. Faced with this overwhelming assault, the expressions of Wenshu and the others shifted drastically, particularly Wenshu, who was bearing the brunt of so many attacks alone.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he delivered a powerful kick, sending the azure lion he had cultivated for untold years flying backward. It collided squarely with the Eastern Emperor Bell, and the lion’s body was instantly pulverized by the Bell’s emerald light. The Eastern Emperor Bell was forced back, and Wenshu produced a string of Buddhist beads in his other hand, immediately tossing them into the void. They wrapped around the two dragons formed by the Golden Jiao Scissors. Then, the kasaya he wore—a garment personally blessed by Amitabha Buddha—burst forth with golden radiance, forming a golden cloud above his head, seemingly preparing to ward off Ye Jingyu’s tyrannical palm strike. “Thunder Eruption...” But at this moment, Ye Jingyu, who had previously relied solely on pure physical power, unleashed the might of Thunder. Instantly, his enormous palm erupted with crackling lightning, shattering the golden cloud in a single blow. Wenshu’s kasaya exploded as well... Just then, the Eye of Reincarnation between Ye Jingyu’s brows shot out a blinding beam of light, striking Wenshu directly... “Six Paths of Reincarnation, Reincarnation Overthrown, Go!” A low chant issued from Ye Jingyu’s lips. As his voice faded, Wenshu’s body began to dissipate within the golden light...