How was this possible?!

In this instant, Lord Qin Guang’s pupils contracted violently, almost unable to believe what he was seeing—this was no longer Jian Chou’s ghost axe of old. After being refined in the Rebirth Pool for over eighty years, infused with Pangu’s ancient power, and transformed by the yin and yang energies of heaven and earth into the Two Extremes Pearl to restore its ability to connect yin and yang. Jian Chou was merely a being of mortal flesh and blood. When she had simultaneously reached out with Him to grasp this axe just now, she hadn’t been able to shake it even slightly. At this moment, with just one reaching palm, by what means could she make it tremble?

What seemed like an ordinary detail struck His eyes like thunder!

A sense of foreboding suddenly appeared.

Lord Qin Guang’s mind raced, all the details from beginning to end flashing through His mind, finally forming a dangerous flash of inspiration…

It was because of blood oath recognition!

This axe had originally been created when a weapon-crafting master from the Yin-Yang Sect had accidentally obtained fragments of Pangu’s Heaven-Opening Divine Axe that had fallen to this realm, then gathered yin and yang energies to form the Two Extremes Pearl, embedding it in the axe body. After years of refinement, the “Ghost Axe” was completed.

Though He had re-refined this axe now, the weapon’s core remained unchanged!

Even though He had expended considerable effort infusing the axe body with Pangu’s ancient power from the Rebirth Pool, even erasing the soul imprints branded upon it, what could not be erased was the recognition bond that had once been formed and was deeply hidden within the weapon’s core!

It was like taking a lump of clay to shape into a blank, then firing it in fierce flames, carefully glazing it to become porcelain. It seemed to have undergone qualitative change, completely transformed from its former self.

But how could one deny—

That its original state had been clay?!

Lord Qin Guang didn’t know what fortune Jian Chou had encountered in those days to actually gain this axe’s favor. But at this moment when the soul imprints had already been erased, there could still be some connection between this axe and her. Even if it was just a thread, it was already terrifying beyond description!

After all, the former master of this axe was Pangu!

On ordinary days, such a thread of connection could hardly achieve any effect. Because the laws of reincarnation were originally established by Pangu, and He was the law itself—taking control of this axe was naturally His right. But at this moment on the battlefield, the situation changed in an instant—how could He afford to be careless?

With this thought, Lord Qin Guang’s eyes filled with intense murderous intent, like snow in bitter winter. The Book of Life and Death shook, and countless golden lights crawled out like ants, rolling into a mass, attacking the barely surviving Jian Chou like a locust plague!

The power of fate was truly frightening.

This was already without reservation, using the power of reincarnation laws as authority to shatter her already fragile life force!

“Crack crack crack…”

Before the ant-like golden characters from the Book of Life and Death could even arrive, the remaining intact bones on Jian Chou’s broken frame had all shattered!

Her throat was voiceless, unable to emit screams.

Only from the depths of her soul, the pain and threat of being torn apart by fate’s power swept through all her senses with unstoppable momentum!

Each ray of golden light devoured a piece of her bones.

Having lost the protection of her external shell, her glazed purple translucent Nascent Soul wrapped around her divine soul had nowhere to hide.

The Book of Life and Death covered her from afar, already making her unable to move!

The crisis of soul annihilation arrived in an instant, not even giving her time to verify whether that moment of connection with the ghost axe truly existed.

In this moment, Jian Chou clearly smelled the scent of death…

But destruction ultimately never came.

From the moment she had suddenly appeared on this Bafang City battlefield, Fudao Shanren and Master Hengxu had noticed her, only they were hindered by fighting the deity Shaoji—the opponent’s strength was formidable, and they truly couldn’t break away to rescue her.

But at this critical moment, how could they worry about such things?

The Swordless swept its hilt, towering tree shadows swayed, divine light burst forth—he forcibly changed from attack to defense, using the Fusang Divine Wood sword to block Shaoji’s attack!

No words needed, no hints required.

The massive deity’s power struck his seemingly withered frame. Fudao Shanren only clenched his teeth and glanced at Master Hengxu.

Kunwu and Yashan were both first-rate sects of Jiushijiu Zhou. In the cultivator’s world where might makes right, without real ability, relying only on clever tricks wouldn’t convince others, even if one sat in the high positions of these two sects’ leadership.

Master Hengxu was naturally the same!

When Fudao Shanren’s gaze came to him, the understanding between them was suddenly incomparable—

He didn’t fly forward to help Fudao, nor did he turn to attack Lord Qin Guang. Instead, his form rode the wind, and from afar he raised his hand and waved toward Jian Chou, who was on the verge of complete destruction!

“Go!”

As his voice rose, fierce wind blew and spiritual power surged!

Master Hengxu’s wide sleeves billowed like containing the universe. A sharp, clear cry was heard, and a white shadow had already flown from his sleeves!

“Cry—”

Snow-like wings carried several points of ethereal illusion.

When it emerged, it was just a small white shadow, but when it swooped above the Rebirth Pool, its size could already cover half the range of the former Bafang City!

Ten necks and nine heads, wings rolled like clouds!

“Nine-Head!!!”

The moment it appeared, Lord Qin Guang, who had been single-mindedly trying to kill Jian Chou, had already changed color in shock!

A terrifying sense of crisis surged violently.

He almost unhesitatingly abandoned attacking Jian Chou, instead covering the Nine-Head Bird’s remnant soul with the Book of Life and Death in His hand as it suddenly swooped near!

As the rules established by Pangu, He knew the opponent’s capabilities too well.

After all, it had once been Pangu’s mount, accompanying Pangu to this realm, establishing reincarnation, overseeing the duty of ferrying living souls. Just seizing the power of reincarnation and killing it in those years had exhausted His efforts. But in the end, it had let a wisp of its remnant soul escape, and despite searching the entire polar region afterward, He had found no trace of it!

Who could have expected it would fly out from the sleeves of a Jiushijiu Zhou cultivator?!

In haste, even though Lord Qin Guang reacted quickly, He couldn’t catch up to the Nine-Head Bird’s prepared arrival! As early as the struggle in those years, it had already discovered that thread of hidden connection between Jian Chou and the ghost axe. Because it saw through her identity as a Yashan cultivator, it had helped her, forcibly helping her through the Jade Nirvana tribulation, transforming what had been only a thread of Imperial Purple into true Yama King fate!

This was what it had been waiting for—today!

At the same time that Lord Qin Guang’s Book of Life and Death covered its snow-clean feathered back, it had already reached the nearly collapsing Jian Chou. The three wishful feathers on its central bird head spread in the wind, and the bird head lowered, its beak reaching toward Jian Chou’s Nascent Soul, pecking deeply into her brow!

“Rumble!”

On the bird’s body, snow-white light suddenly scattered like a waterfall, yet seemed to encounter a whirlpool, pouring into Jian Chou’s brow!

Rivers flowing west!

All streams returning to the sea!

What kind of pure and awesome power was this?

Far exceeding so-called spiritual power and soul power, mysterious and distant, ethereal yet profound, as if coming from some unknown place. In just a short instant, it had all flowed into Jian Chou’s broken divine soul!

Under Lord Qin Guang’s earlier attack that gave no breathing room, Jian Chou could only rely on that thread of obsession to resist and fight, hoping to control the ghost axe and use it to counter Lord Qin Guang. After several exchanges, she was nearly at the end of her rope, her divine soul hovering between extinction and survival—already critical!

She could even clearly sense her soul scattering like stars.

But the moment the Nine-Head Bird’s sharp beak pecked into her brow, all collapse and scattering trends stopped, as if time no longer flowed at this moment, then generated a sense of flowing backward.

Snow-white divine light flowed from her brow throughout her entire Nascent Soul, actually reassembling those countless divine soul fragments that had been scattering outward!

Piece by piece, and another piece…

It seemed extremely slow, but was actually swift as lightning.

It was almost like the earlier collapse scene playing in reverse. Jian Chou’s Nascent Soul and divine soul had restored their original form in the blink of an eye, even faintly revealing an out-of-control fullness that seemed about to burst her due to this power’s domineering flow through her body!

As if even her consciousness was submerged in this mysterious and ancient power, she could only hear what seemed to come from ancient times, or even from primordial times, falling into the vast endless ocean, lying in billions of rushing time, drifting with the current…

She raised her palm, bones and flesh restored as before.

Yet her movements seemed to have forgotten herself.

At this moment, what reached toward the ghost axe was not Jian Chou herself, but accompanied by the Nine-Head Bird’s peck, a strand of supreme will that had been poured into her body!

The originally immovable ghost axe suddenly trembled violently.

As if it had already sensed some familiar aura, some nostalgic aura, some aura that could not be disobeyed, the blazing light that filled the sky collected like a great whale drinking water, already falling into Jian Chou’s palm, then blazing even brighter!

“Bang!”

Lord Qin Guang, who was extremely close to the ghost axe, was caught off guard, just like Fu Chaosheng who had earlier fallen into deity Shaoji’s trap, struck squarely by this ten-thousand-zhang blazing light!

He had been unharmed before because the ghost axe was masterless, and He belonged to reincarnation.

Now that Jian Chou had gained the Nine-Head Bird’s infusion of Pangu’s divine power through her body, having mastered this axe, being her enemy meant being the enemy of this axe!

No matter how strong Lord Qin Guang was, how could He escape?

His human form immediately vanished, the Book of Life and Death collapsed, the Judge’s Brush was destroyed, leaving only countless swirling ancient golden characters in a mass, exploding in mid-air!

He was actually beaten back to His original form as a law!

Simultaneously, the Rebirth Pool below shook violently!

From mid-air, looking down, one could see that with this pool as center, the surrounding ground collapsed zhang by zhang, following mysterious patterns, actually collapsing into a huge circular totem on this polar region earth!

With a rushing sound, the golden pool water quickly dried up.

The ancient prohibition in the pool, having lost the ghost axe’s suppression, had weakened by a layer. The moment the last drop of pool water disappeared, Fu Chaosheng, who had been trapped within, seized the opportunity to escape!

Black sand soared like dark clouds filling the sky!

And a wisp of ethereal purple phantom light, as he rushed out, also made a “puff” sound like an orchid shoot growing from a mountain stream, or like a slender key, emerging from the pool bottom, quietly mixing in with the chaotic trembling radiance filling the sky, distantly rushing toward Jian Chou!

But Jian Chou didn’t notice, nor did Lord Qin Guang.

He had been suddenly crushed by the ghost axe, only desperately gathering the scattered golden light, wanting to reform into human shape and fight Jian Chou again, seizing back this ghost axe from her hands. But under the blazing light’s illumination, no matter how much He exerted Himself, He would gather only to be scattered, scattered then gather again!

Once high and mighty, today He could only form half a fierce face!

Bitterly regretting over eighty years of refining the ghost axe, one battle between yin and yang, assembly at Bafang City—all efforts flowing eastward like water!

Actually making a wedding dress for another!

Unwilling!

Refusing!

Not giving up!

Lord Qin Guang’s broken countenance appeared and disappeared in the floating golden light. Over a thousand years of planning nearly destroyed in one day—how could any rationality remain?

Already near madness!

He directly disregarded everything, dragging that body that couldn’t even properly reform, and pounced toward Jian Chou!

Only then did Jian Chou regain some consciousness.

The moment the axe fell into her palm, that powerful will that had previously remained in her mind seemed to have completed its due mission and dispersed like smoke and clouds.

What was newly transmitted into her spirit was the ghost axe’s strange yet familiar aura.

Lord Qin Guang’s attack came swift as wind and lightning.

She had no time to think about that will’s mysteries, no time to explore what changes had occurred to herself. Almost instinctively, she raised the giant axe!

Rumble!

The surrounding void simultaneously exploded at this moment, as if split by countless lightning bolts, as if drawn by this axe’s terrifying power, trembling unstably!

The “Red Sun Slash” dao seal from old days flashed through her heart. As her giant axe fell, she was about to cleave toward Lord Qin Guang!

However, raising her eyes, she met a pair of sinister, furious eyes!

Purple-gold mysterious shadows filled the pupils, brewing a gaze that pierced straight to the heart!

Enough to pierce through human shells, peer into human souls!

This was the deepest, heaviest roar and questioning from the first hall Yama King of the polar regions!

“My life exists to destroy reincarnation! Yet you ally with the common mortals of this world, obstructing my great cause!”

“But you—”

“Do you truly agree with it?”

Three sentences, like heavy hammers, fell layer by layer!

Jian Chou met His gaze, locked by His boiling yet extremely unwilling killing intent, actually showing a moment of bewilderment in her eyes.

Because of the information revealed in Lord Qin Guang’s words—

He actually wanted to overthrow reincarnation!

But He was originally reincarnation’s incarnation—overthrowing reincarnation, how was that different from self-destruction?!

Do you truly, like the common mortals of this world, agree that heaven and earth’s six paths should have reincarnation?

The sharp voice was deafening, constantly echoing by her ears, resounding in her heart!

Like a sharp sword, striking the most hidden place in her heart!

Under the opponent’s gaze, it seemed no secrets could exist in this heaven and earth—He could see everything clearly!

Should there be reincarnation between heaven and earth?

The polar regions seized the reincarnation of Jiushijiu Zhou cultivators, thus the Yin-Yang realm war arose; Jiushijiu Zhou cultivators wanted to restore reincarnation, thus the Yin-Yang realm war was restarted!

Yashan’s thousand cultivators fell, ten thousand souls vanished from the battlefield!

For what?

For the reincarnation of the next life…

But without this life’s memories, this life’s experiences, even after billions of reincarnations, would you still be you?

No one knew what kind of impact this seemingly simple sentence had on Jian Chou. Only she herself knew what thoughts she harbored in her heart that she had never revealed to anyone, nor dared reveal to anyone…

Distraction and confusion were great taboos in battle.

For Jian Chou, this was an error she would never commit in the past. However, at this moment, the opponent’s question truly concerned her personal “dao,” possessing extraordinary significance! That originally swung giant axe trembled due to this moment’s daze and quietly hesitated, which was within reason.

The purple-gold phantom light that had emerged from the Rebirth Pool bottom, like an orchid shoot yet like a key, had already drifted near her body!

“Get away—”

Fu Chaosheng’s hoarse warning seemed to come from the horizon.

Simultaneously, three powerful forces attacked Jian Chou!

But the first to arrive was not Lord Qin Guang, who was originally closest to her and fighting with her, but deity Shaoji who was farther away, originally fighting Fudao and Hengxu!

Silver-blue battle robe, devilishly handsome face!

His opened pupils burst forth with endless brilliant radiance at this moment, illuminating his entire countenance.

Eyebrows raised—overflowing excitement;

Lips curled—successful scheming!

In a flash of lightning, He swung His left arm, transforming the entire arm into a silver-blue long spear, heavily striking Jian Chou’s chest, piercing through!

With a “puff,” blood scattered!

Simultaneously His left hand opened, actually catching that ethereal purple light that had been rushing toward Jian Chou between His five fingers!

“Hahahaha!” Great laughter rose with fierce wind, Shaoji seemed to have finally achieved His wish, “Many thanks to Fellow Daoist Jian Chou for your fulfillment!”

As His words fell again, His left arm pulled back!

The silver-blue spear tip had barbs, withdrawing from Jian Chou’s blood-soaked chest, bringing out blood spattering like rain.

Then gently pushing out one palm!

Jian Chou had not yet had time to sort through the various matters concerning the six paths of reincarnation in her mind when this sudden change occurred. Moreover, the one who ambushed her was deity Shaoji, who could fight one against two, battling Fudao, Hengxu, and Fu Chaosheng—three people! Even if she were a Daluo Golden Immortal, she couldn’t guard against it!

“Bang!”

The mighty deity’s power fell without mercy, ruthlessly destroying her newly reassembled flesh and blood body, sending her straight toward the burning earth core at the end of the firmament!

“Rip!” The sound of tearing silk!

A pale hand reached out from the scattered black sand, but only caught a piece of her torn sleeve!

When Fu Chaosheng reformed into human shape, his eyes were already bloodshot!

Standing in mid-air, his figure stood tall like a precipitous mountain.

His facial features remained the same, with faint hostility floating between his brows and eyes, but his ancient white robe with green patterns had already merged with deep dark silver! Under the robe, on his neck, were ominous patterns strikingly similar to Shaoji’s.

He watched helplessly as Jian Chou, together with that ghost axe, fell into the red molten lava…

The burning earth core was the hottest heart of a star!

Like a boat entering weak water, a person’s shell would be swallowed by towering angry flames the moment it sank in, melted by the scorching magma!

In the blink of an eye, nothing remained…

Only that broken half-sleeve remained at his fingertips.

At this moment, black energy that hadn’t yet been completely contained still scattered around his body, adding even more heart-stopping intimidation than Shaoji, yet he gazed at the “blazing sun” at the end of the firmament that had swallowed his old friend with an almost bewildered expression. That strange feeling in his chest was even stronger, even more out of control than when Jian Chou had approached him in Gouzong Tower and then unconsciously avoided his hand!

Empty and hollow.

Pain.

So painful, so painful…