Lie merely smiled, brushing off Sisi’s words without much thought. As Jiuyou had pointed out, Lie and the Sword Emperor followed paths vastly different from theirs. Although their divine senses did extend quite far, they were far from omnipresent. Most of the time, they still had to rely on updates in the Rankings of Troubled Times to glean distant developments. Judging from the recent announcements made through the Tome of Troubled Times, Zhao Changhe had been locked in fierce conflict across Kunlun. His plate was full. He had vanquished the Frost Chi, hunted the White Tiger, and cut down Papiyas. And now, Kunlun still held within it the chaotic presence of Ye Jiuyou, a demon of unmatched caliber. That alone would be more than enough to keep Zhao Changhe occupied. Who knew whether Zhao Changhe was even aware of the optimal time for the resurgence of the Spirit Tribe’s land? And even if he did know, would he make it in time? That would depend on whether he could survive his bout with Ye Jiuyou. Since parting ways in Saibei, Lie had been probing the Spirit Tribe’s secret realm, slowly piecing together its mysteries. Seeing as Zhao Changhe himself was not here, Lie felt that there was no reason to assume he could know anything. “I don’t know if he’s afraid of me, but the time draws near. At the very least, I must place some safeguards around you. Don’t be alarmed, this is purely precautionary. It’s more about protecting you. There are plenty with their eyes set on you.” As his voice faded, a wisp of vicious qi silently curled around Sisi. But before it could fully take shape, the qi collapsed as though slamming into an invisible wall. It dissipated in an instant. From the void came Zhao Changhe’s voice, “She’s my woman. Her protection is my responsibility, not yours, senior.” Deep within the Spirit Tribe’s secret realm, Lie’s eyes opened wide in shock. Sisi, stunned, broke into a radiant smile. The Heart-Bonding Gu had not transmitted any signal of shared thought or feeling. And yet, the two were unmistakably in sync. At least half of Zhao Changhe’s sense of impending peril had stemmed from the possible dangers surrounding Sisi. It was because of these dangers that he had arrived early. As for Sisi, there had been no sign or omen, yet she had felt certain that Zhao Changhe would appear the moment her crisis arose. No gu was needed; their hearts were already as one. “I can’t believe you all showed up,” Sisi muttered, pouting. “So what am I even here for?” Her closest confidante, Yue Hongling, was left speechless. “What is going on in that head of yours? Is this really the time to be saying that?” Zhao Changhe bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “It was my fault. I thought I had to prioritize everyone’s breakthroughs, but when I felt that tremor in my heart, I realized that I’ve been away from you for way, way too long. I almost made a terrible mistake.” Sisi replied, “Well, if they’re at a critical stage in their cultivation, let them break through. You could’ve come on your own first...” Lady Three and the others looked at the flirtatious little queen with a mix of wonder and exasperation. At a moment , she was still in the mood to engage in romantic banter. Was there any queen like her in the world? Then again, Empress Zhao of the Great Han was not any better. Perhaps, to sit at the same table with Zhao Changhe, one had to be cut from a very particular cloth. Zhao Changhe could only chuckle helplessly. “We’re here because there’s work to be done...” With that, he tapped the void once more. A ripple shimmered, and in the blink of an eye, Yue Hongling and the others who had been gathered around Sisi vanished. Sisi asked in bewilderment, “Where did they go?” Zhao Changhe smiled faintly and said, “Lie isn’t the only one lurking in this realm. But now, no movement escapes my notice. I’ve left someone here to keep watch over you. I’m going to speak with Lie. We’ll talk after.” Then he, too, disappeared. Sisi turned to look, and standing behind her was a celestial beauty, ethereal and graceful. Her gaze, while distant, carried a subtle warmth and silent admiration. Sisi bowed. “And you are...?” The woman smiled. “Just earlier this year, you prayed to me for good harvests and favorable winds. And now, you don’t recognize me?” Sisi’s eyes nearly bulged. “You’re the ancestral god? No... You don’t match our god’s image at all.” “The one you prayed to was not only your ancestral god,” the woman said softly. “These days, your safety is of great consequence to many. I’ve been guarding you, never once leaving your side.” Sisi opened her mouth, uncertain whether to feel touched or to burst into tears. How am I supposed to enjoy my man’s company when there’s such a beautiful big sister hovering around me? While she appears gentle, her presence is utterly overwhelming. She feels like a god who descended from the clouds, untouchable and unreachable. Just how many have gathered to his side in this short time I haven’t seen him? Elsewhere in the Spirit Tribe’s secret realm, atop the deserted holy mountain, Lie sat cross-legged in the temple, frowning. His expression was dark. I never would have thought that Zhao Changhe would get here this fast... How did he get here? Is Ye Jiuyou some paper tiger? A broad saber suddenly slashed out from the void, coming straight for his head. Lie twisted his wrist, drawing a blood-red blade that met the attack with a resounding clash. The surrounding air shattered. The sacred temple collapsed. Mountains crumbled. All that remained was a solitary pillar of rock beneath Lie’s feet. Lie sighed. “Zhao Changhe... I truly didn’t expect you would come.” Zhao Changhe hovered in midair, studying the scene. He suddenly grinned. “Old Xue couldn’t hold onto the Blood God Saber, huh? That means the array plate must be with you, too.” Far off in the frontier, Xue Canghai sneezed. He sat cross-legged atop a peak, warming himself in the sun. As the leader of the Blood God Cult, he had lost all his symbols of authority; the ancestor had taken them all away from him. It was a wonder whether he could even still be considered the cult leader? Still, in his hands, the Blood God Saber was nothing more than a sharp blade. In Lie’s hands, it wielded terrifying might. If it had always displayed that level of power, maybe I wouldn’t have been defeated so easily... Well, it’s all in the past now... Xue Canghai looked up at the sky. Lie had no interest in what Xue Canghai might be thinking. His gaze remained fixed on Zhao Changhe, and his eyes were filled with astonishment. “Your cultivation...” It was absurd. When they had last met in Saibei, Zhao Changhe had yet to break into the second layer of Profound Control. And now, scarcely a few months later, he had already reached the third. Across two eras, Lie had never seen anything like it. Even accounting solely for the accumulation of raw energy, how could Zhao Changhe have gathered so much in so little time? Is the Heavenly Dao itself pouring its blessings upon him? Zhao Changhe’s smile faded. He replied coolly, “Isn’t it a joy, senior, to see your lineage shine so brightly?” Lie gave a short laugh. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken. What you’re drawing on is no longer my lineage. If there were anyone still qualified to be regarded as part of my lineage, then it would be Xue Canghai.” “Not necessarily,” Zhao Changhe said lightly. “You are the Blood God, not the Vicious God. You once urged me to discard vicious qi and retain only blood qi. Who’s to say there wasn’t a deeper intention behind that advice? In truth, I didn’t wish to control vicious qi anymore, so I followed your suggestion and set that path aside. Thus far, it has served me well. I owe you thanks for the guidance.” Lie raised an eyebrow. “You caught on to that back then?” Zhao Changhe nodded. “I also noticed something else... that you don’t have a physical body.” He smiled faintly. “The stronger and more refined the body, whether it be mine or Xue Canghai’s, the more suitable it becomes as a vessel for you to possess. That wasn’t just a matter of suppressing vicious qi; you had your eye on a new host. It’s clear you once intended to take over my body, but gave up on the idea. As for Xue Canghai and the others... you found their bodies lacking.” He narrowed his gaze. “Even now, you remain in a soul state. What kind of vessel are you still seeking?” Lie’s expression did not change. “Why assume I need a body at all?” “If someone else said that, I might believe them,” Zhao Changhe said coldly. “But you and I both know that in your cultivation path, blood and qi are everything. Our levels of strength with and without a body aren’t even comparable. So no, I don’t believe you can do without one.” When it came to someone like Piaomiao, it indeed did not matter too much whether she had a body. Even without a body, she could still storm across the ancient era, battle the Sea Emperor, or invade the Night Palace without missing a step. Her painstakingly reconstructed body offered little in terms of raw power; it was, at most, a gift to her beloved. She needed a body to prevent her soul from dispersing, but not for power. Lie was different. His entire foundation lay in the cultivation of blood and qi. Without a physical vessel, his combat power would plummet. Zhao Changhe, now vastly more experienced, understood it all from the moment he laid eyes on Lie. He was targeting the body of the Spirit Tribe’s ancient god. The method he employed had nothing to do with the Vermillion Bird or the White Tiger as stated in the prophecy. It was something else entirely—a so-called blood sacrifice of all beings. Such a method likely would not result in a true resurrection but rather the reanimation of flesh for the purpose of possession. Jiuyou had her own approach as well. She originally intended to turn the body into a corpse puppet, which was, again, unrelated to the prophecy. Just like in the case of the White Tiger, everyone had their own agenda. If Lie succeeded in his method, his power might explode in an instant. But why was he so certain of his plan? On what grounds did he believe it would work? Whatever was the case, it had to be stopped. Using the flesh and blood of members of the Spirit Tribe as sacrificial material... How could such an evil rite be allowed? Lie studied him in silence for a long while before finally speaking. “It seems there’s nothing left to be said between us.” “Indeed,” Zhao Changhe sighed. “I’ve long respected your bearing and appreciated your teachings. Much of my philosophy still draws upon your former ideals... But in the end, you are an evil god. Your very way of thinking is too far removed from ours. We can’t walk the same road.” “Then we must fight.” Lie rose to his feet, eyes glinting with rising bloodlust. “Let me tell you the truth. When I didn’t seize your body back then, it wasn’t because I didn’t want to. I was simply too weak. I couldn’t do it. But now... if you fall to me, your body will be mine. With your vessel, the Spirit Tribe will bend to my will. Everything I plan will become infinitely easier.” “Then you’re dreaming. You couldn’t take it then, and you still can’t take it now.” As the words left Zhao Changhe’s lips, he sprang forward. A devastating arc of saber light cleaved down from the sky. Scattering the Gods and Buddhas.... Lie’s expression flickered with a hint of distraction. There was no mistaking the sheer force of intent behind this strike. It was righteous and resolute, a declaration that he was the false god meant to be scattered. And the worst part? It fit. It was as if fate itself was mocking him. When Lie had first created this technique, even he had once questioned whether the world needed a being like himself. And now, here it was, turned against him. Yet, some things still had to be done. The Blood God Saber flicked up once more. The sabers collided with a resounding crash, sending a surge of blood and vicious qi roiling through the heavens. Thunder cracked, and winds screamed. In an instant, the sacred mountain was swallowed by a vast crimson sea, the stench of blood and killing intent permeating the land. Bloodied Mountains and Rivers! Although Lie’s soul body remained the size of a normal man, in Zhao Changhe’s eyes at this moment, he appeared as a towering giant, filling the entire horizon. This sensation was one that Zhao Changhe’s former enemies knew all too well. It was the disorienting terror of having one’s consciousness disturbed by vicious qi, a mounting pressure that grew until panic set in. Again and again, they had seen the illusion of a giant appear behind him, each time feeling as if the heavens themselves were about to be cleaved apart by his saber. Lose focus for even a moment, and your head would part from your shoulders. Now it was his turn to taste that fear, and at the highest tier, no less. The experience was oddly interesting. Meanwhile, the blood in his veins surged uncontrollably, madly stirred into chaos, threatening to tear his body apart. Zhao Changhe grinned. Dragon Bird shivered in his hand, and he slashed diagonally along the side of the Blood God Saber. The vast sea of blood vanished, dissolving into a deep and murky night. The acrid stench of blood became nothing more than the ambient air of the underworld; the churning vicious qi was but ordinary dust rising from the depths of hell. Even Lie, who had created the move, stood dumbfounded. Is this still my Hell on Earth? No, this is Ye Jiuyou’s death and darkness... “You can’t command the blood and qi of my body,” Zhao Changhe said with a smile. “Because you yourself don’t have a body. I told you before, without a physical vessel, your combat power is heavily diminished. Even if you’ve reached the late stages of the third layer of the Profound Control Realm, while I’ve only just broken through, you’ll still lose.” Vicious Blood Saber Art versus Vicious Blood Saber Art. Lie was astonished to find that he could not overpower Zhao Changhe. Zhao Changhe had renounced vicious qi, yet what he controlled now seemed even more outrageous. What the hell are you wielding? Ye Jiuyou herself? Another blood-red arc of saber light tore through the darkness. It was as if the heavens themselves were rent apart by that strike. A massive rift cracked across the sky, and the blood sea surged backward, threatening to drown the world. Annihilation of All Life. This was the move Zhao Changhe had only ever glimpsed but never fully learned. It was precisely this blade that had led him to abandon the path of blood and slaughter. Yet now, he raised his own saber and matched it with a near-identical strike. The heavens split open again, but this time in a perfect cross. And what poured down was not blood but the light of the Milky Way. A river of stars clashed against a sea of blood. Heaven and earth collided. The skies fell, and the earth collapsed. The Spirit Tribe’s secret realm trembled on the brink of complete collapse. This was no illusion. The force of the clash had reached the level of reality-breaking power, shattering space, sundering the world itself. Though this realm was but a minor plane, it proved a dire truth: with sufficient strength, one could indeed destroy entire worlds. This was how the heavenly realm once fell, how eras collapsed. Blood spilled from Zhao Changhe’s lips, but the fire in his eyes only burned ever hotter. He had not fought a battle this pure since entering Kunlun. And this fight, this exchange of sabers, was more useful in stabilizing his cultivation than a whole year of seclusion. “Senior, shall we have ourselves one last exchange?” Zhao Changhe flicked his wrist, forcing Lie back slightly as he raised his saber for a final strike. Lie’s fierce gaze softened into a smile. “Very well. Let me share a little secret. Your meeting with the Sword Emperor, the one said to take place in late autumn? That was a lie. The real date... is tonight. The fifteenth day of the eighth month, the Mid-Autumn Festival.” Before his words had even finished, the two sabers collided once more in perfect unison. The blood haze scattered. The sky blazed with renewed light. Heaven and earth were sundered; yin and yang spun in their eternal cycle. Lie was finally shaken. “Just now... weren’t you even a little shaken?” Zhao Changhe offered a faint smile. “I already knew.” The sacred mountain, which had collapsed moments before under the force of their clash, reassembled itself in a miraculous fashion. The ground reformed while the flowers and grasses quietly bloomed again, releasing their subtle fragrance. It was the final form of the Vicious Blood Saber Art, Restarting Creation. Yet this rebirth carried none of Lie’s essence. It was wholly Zhao Changhe’s; it was his time, his space, his karma converging into a divine, transcendent blade. As for Lie, that strike nearly shattered his soul entirely. His form disintegrated, scattered into a drifting mist of blood that fled into the distant sky. Only his laughter remained, echoing overhead: “Good, good... Truly, the new surpasses the old!” Zhao Changhe did not say anything in return. He fell to one knee, bracing himself against his saber, gasping for breath. He had completely dissolved Lie’s strike with his own, but its underlying damage to his body had not been neutralized. His insides churned like a raging sea, and he could hardly form words. However, his heart was at ease. He had not drawn on any of his supreme techniques, not even Severing Karma. He had faced Lie’s Vicious Blood Saber Art using the Vicious Blood Saber Art and had still emerged victorious. Even if that was partly due to Lie’s lack of a physical body, the sense of achievement was no less real. In a way, it was another kind of severing karma. As for Lie’s final attempt to unnerve him, Zhao Changhe had seen through it long before. When Yue Hongling mentioned her impending duel with the Sword Emperor, Zhao Changhe had already realized where his unease stemmed from. The time had been chosen by the Sword Emperor... But how had he known the exact date? Why was everyone following that timetable as though led by an invisible leash? If the Sword Emperor was not as noble as he seemed, if there were hidden motives behind his polished veneer, then his words had been a half-truth at best. The location might be correct, something easy to verify and believe. But the time was deliberately false. He had delayed Zhao Changhe and the troublesome Four Idols faction, entangling them with Jiuyou in Kunlun while quietly completing his own plans elsewhere. It was a simple lie, yet devastatingly effective. Just a few days ago, Zhao Changhe had not suspected a thing. He was still pondering how to meet at the agreed-upon time in late autumn. If he had actually waited until then, it would have been far too late. However, the Sword Emperor had surely never anticipated that Zhao Changhe and Jiuyou could resolve things within a matter of days. Anyone targeted by Ye Jiuyou was expected to be skinned alive, let alone two natural enemies who were supposed to fight to the death. At that very moment, atop Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the Sword Emperor stood gazing at the unexpected appearance of the Four Idols. Yue Hongling stepped forward, sword in hand, and gave a graceful bow. “Meeting you at this hour, senior... is it delight I see in your eyes, or surprise?”