The Blood God also turned his head at this moment. The boiling blood energy within Him showed signs of extinguishing under this sword strike.

"It's you?"

This old man was utterly ordinary—even after transforming into a minotaur, he remained unremarkable.

How could he take on the form of a demon?

And how could he wield the Celestial Godslayer Sword?

Jiang Yu had treated the warriors of the Celestial Clan and the Earth City as bargaining chips, yet this old man had used Jiang Yu himself as a chip to ensure the success of this sword strike.

But fortunately...

The opponent was merely a mortal.

The Blood God had no time to ponder further. His painstakingly restored body was already on the verge of collapse once more.

Not only had He failed to expel the divine sword embedded in His chest, but His flesh had instead writhed, trapping half the blade within. A powerful suction force made it impossible to pull the sword free.

Beside Him, a crimson shadow descended from the sky like a vengeful ghost, clinging like a parasite as it surged into Dong Changtian's body.

The Blood Spirit's power corroded the divine sword while also consuming Dong Changtian.

His already waning vitality now drained at an even faster rate, like a riverbed on the verge of drying up under the scorching sun.

Dong Changtian grew even more withered, his gaunt face resembling dead wood, his white hair as lifeless as withered weeds—a candle flickering in the wind.

The Blood God spoke then:

"To think a special existence like you could emerge in this era of the Heavenly Phoenix Domain. How amusing. It stirs My hunting spirit, even igniting a rare desire to nurture talent."

"You’ve seen for yourself—I can wither your vitality, bringing you to the brink of death. But I can also restore your vigor, returning you to your peak, freeing you from the blade of time."

"Join My ranks, and you may accompany Me beyond these borders, no longer a prisoner confined to this meager land."

The Blood God spoke casually, yet His efforts to corrode the Celestial Godslayer Sword never ceased.

Dong Changtian was indeed at death's door, but his eyes remained bright and resolute:

"And what makes you any less a prisoner?"

"Tsk. Unmoved, are you? But... it matters not."

Dong Changtian narrowed his eyes.

Thud—

He severed his own wrist, releasing the Celestial Godslayer Sword.

Holding the sword any longer would only hasten the end of his dwindling lifespan. Moreover, the corrupted blade had lost much of its power in his grasp.

Without hesitation, he severed his right arm.

With his left hand, he drew a fire poker—a simple, straight wooden rod that now radiated an edge rivaling that of a divine sword.

An unremarkable motion, like a child swinging a stick to cut grass. No sword energy, no gleaming light—just a slash that tore through illusion, aimed straight at the Blood God’s body.

The Blood God regarded this strike with even greater caution than He had Jiang Yu’s.

From the crimson depths beneath His feet, countless blood shadows emerged, among them the face of Han Zhen—though no one spared him a glance now.

The Blood God’s form had long vanished among the writhing shadows, only to reappear moments later as a blurred visage amidst the seething mass.

"What I said earlier... may not have been entirely false."

A voice rolled forth, composed of countless overlapping tones.

To Dong Changtian in this moment, it made no difference.

He remained silent, only swinging his sword.

For he was already dead—his will unbroken, his obsession driving this final strike.

Within the temple, two forces collided.

Scattered blood energy and rampant sword energy intertwined, scouring the alien earth down to its roots and tearing through the black clouds in the sky.

The sea of blood and the void shattered simultaneously.

Then—

A voice filled with fury and shock rang out.

"So it really was you!"

For the first time, the Blood God’s voice carried genuine emotion—rage, laced with weakness.

......

"Where... is this?"

After delivering that final strike, Dong Erniu felt his consciousness sink into chaos, a darkness where not even his own hand was visible. Only emptiness remained.

This, perhaps, was the sensation of death.

An unknowable span of time later, he felt a strange summons—and before him, light emerged.

His vision cleared to reveal a snow-white mountainside, where countless swords were haphazardly embedded into the stone.

Upon the only bare rock sat an old man, his features faintly resembling Dong Erniu’s own, a wooden sword resting across his knees.

"You’ve worked hard."

"Hahahaha! Today, I finally understand—I was always myself!"

Dong Erniu laughed heartily before merging into the wooden sword.

The blade, once devoid of spirit, now pulsed with life—a sign of its evolution into a Heaven’s Fortune Artifact.

"The riddle even Su Jun failed to solve has finally been answered."

"And the one who answered it... was a man who wielded a hammer."

The old man chuckled, his gaze shifting to the Rivers and Mountains Scroll.

Within its imagery, Jiang Yu’s true spirit had already been drawn away by the Heaven’s Fortune Artifact.

His trial had ended.

Yet not only had he left—he’d also left behind a mess.

Of the Celestial Clan members who had come, thirty percent had perished.

Lei Ze, for instance, could no longer sustain his Thunder Prison. In this prolonged battle, he had ultimately lost to Huang Lie, who stood firm on the alien soil.

Huang Lie hadn’t emerged unscathed either, but his nature was not one of flame. Just as he prepared to consume Lei Ze with black fire—

A voice echoed from the sea of blood:

"Cease."

"As you command."

Every revenant still clinging to existence did so by the Blood God’s will. None dared disobey.

"You all witnessed it—that mortal tore through the void into the true world."

"In time, I too shall break free from these shackles. For now, return."

"As for this sword..."

A dim streak of light flew from the blood sea, streaking toward Celestial City.

To everyone’s astonishment, He was letting the Celestial Clan go.

Not only that—He was even returning the divine sword.

......

Outside.

Those watching in the imperial capital were utterly baffled.

"What’s this? This eldritch being is... oddly kind?"

"If He’d wiped out those Celestial Clan members, wouldn’t Celestial City’s chances of surviving the next Heavenly Calamity be even slimmer?"

"Not necessarily..."

"I get it! This is meant to sow discord within Celestial City!"

Among the martial artists present, some were quick to grasp the implications.

Thanks to Jiang Yu, the Celestial Clan was no longer the harmonious faction it once was. And now, the Blood God had added fuel to the fire by speaking of an "outside world."

With Celestial City leaderless, whoever claimed the divine sword would not only gain the power to rend the void but also the right to lead the Celestial Clan.

Would its members remain united as before?

It seemed even the Blood God wasn’t confident in taking Celestial City outright—so He’d opted to stir the pot instead.

"What if Celestial City descends into chaos?"

"Will the Frost Fairy step in to restore order?"

"The divine sword’s been tainted by the Blood Spirit’s corruption. Its power won’t be what it once was... The situation grows even direr."

Similar discussions unfolded in the Hall of Ten Thousand Springs, where martial artists mingled with the imperial capital’s elite—including Minister Song and his faction.

"No matter. Little Li will handle it."

Murong Xiao had absolute faith in his young friend.

His words snapped everyone back to reality.

Right—the Frost Fairy stood by Young Hero Li’s side.

Faced with a crumbling edifice and raging tides, what choice would he make?

"As all know, Young Hero Li is the Sword Saint of the People. His character and deeds speak for themselves."

Minister Song nodded in agreement, and the officials swiftly echoed his sentiment.

"Exactly, Young Hero Li is the epitome of a noble gentleman—upright, honorable, and aboveboard."

"With him here, the crisis will surely be resolved fairly."

"At least you’ve finally said something sensible."

Shang Wu set down her gourd, pride swelling in her voice as a master:

"I know my precious disciple well. He learned from me, after all, so naturally..."

Before she could finish, $2ithin the Rivers and Mountains Scroll, Little Li, having received news from the frontlines, rose to his feet and addressed the gathered high-ranking officials of Mo City.

With a resolute expression, he raised his arm and declared:

"The old heavens are dead—the Phoenix Heaven shall rise!"

"The Celestial Clan cannot be relied upon, nor can the Earthly Cities. We can only depend on ourselves!"

"Will you join me in forging a new destiny?"