The Nine Ring Soul-Reaping Blade was right behind me!

If I died, Ye Yang could draw his sword and slaughter the emperor.

Ye Yang…

I wouldn't let that happen!

We were no more than a few dozen meters away from the Master of Tianlao (Heavenly Prison). Within that short distance, the figures of Ye Yang and I had shifted countless times.

Everywhere between heaven and earth were afterimages left by the two of us.

At first glance, it looked like thousands of troops were charging, with overlapping figures and a tide of cold light.

The Master of Tianlao slowly raised his hand to meet the light of our blades and swords.

When I saw the other party's gigantic hand blocking out the sky, I accelerated my speed again, leaving Ye Yang behind and rushing towards the center of the palm.

As I watched myself get closer and closer to the other party's palm, the Master of Tianlao's hand trembled slightly and split into two, simultaneously striking at Ye Yang and me.

Not good!

Before I could turn around, the blade in my hand struck the other party's palm.

After an earth-shattering roar, visible air currents burst out from under my blade, and I was lifted into the air, my hands gripping the twin blades.

Not good!

My strike seemed evenly matched with the opponent, but it made my heart sink to the bottom.

I didn't expect the dignified Master of Tianlao to use the techniques of a Jianghu (martial world) figure.

If the other party had struck with full force, Ye Yang and I would have been blown away on the spot.

As long as we weren't blasted into a rain of blood, we might have found a chance to escape while flying.

However, the other party controlled his strength to a level that was evenly matched with us, which meant we could only exhaust ourselves in a desperate fight.

If he launched a counterattack with his remaining strength at this time, Ye Yang and I would undoubtedly be defeated.

Sure enough, in the next moment, the force of the other party's counterattack arrived in quick succession.

My black and white twin blades immediately shattered into several pieces, and Ye Yang's Cold Flame also exploded into fragments.

The flying broken blades and swords mercilessly struck into our bodies, and we were sent flying into the air, coughing up blood under the other party's backlash.

With internal and external injuries erupting simultaneously, Ye Yang and I skidded several meters across the ground with blood all over us, unable to stand up.

The palm of the Master of Tianlao also fell from the sky!

I turned over on the ground, desperately pulled out the Nine Ring Soul-Reaping Blade, lay flat on the ground again, and slashed upwards at the other party's palm.

I didn't expect that my weak and powerless strike would actually hold up the Master of Tianlao's overwhelming palm.

Before I could react, the life force in my body began to drain frantically.

The Nine Ring Soul-Reaping Blade was working.

"Master of Tianlao, you're finished!" As I laughed loudly, Ye Yang reached out and grabbed one of my hands, injecting his life force into my body.

At that time, I couldn't turn around and couldn't see Ye Yang's condition.

All I could see was a hand with torn skin, revealing the bone.

I could feel Ye Yang's life force draining away quickly.

"Brother… Brother, don't go!"

"We still have so many things to do!"

"Didn't you say you wanted to go ice fishing for dragons and have me make you a dragon heart feast? You have to live to eat it!"

"Ye Yang…"

I desperately called out to Ye Yang, and the scenery in front of me gradually blurred.

The outcome of my battle with the Master of Tianlao might have been decided in an instant, but it felt like a hundred years had passed.

I vaguely heard the Master of Tianlao say in a trembling voice, "I… I have been defeated! I alone will bear all the guilt. Please, gods, spare my people."

Someone shouted in a shrill voice, "The Holy Emperor has passed away!"

"We will follow the Holy Emperor!"

The sound of Tianhun (Celestial Soul) self-detonation rose and fell one after another. I struggled to move towards Ye Yang and hugged his cooling body tightly. "Brother, don't die, I beg you!"

When I wanted to use my internal force to save Ye Yang, my eyes went dark and I passed out.

When I woke up, I had been moved to Liangjie Mountain (Two Realms Mountain). Hei Wuchang (Black Impermanence) and Bai Wuchang (White Impermanence) were guarding me.

I said in a trembling voice, "Where's Ye Yang? Where are the people from Liangjie Hall (Two Realms Hall)?"

Bai Wuchang pointed to the distance, "Over there!"

When I turned my head, I saw corpses neatly arranged on the ground.

I trembled as I lifted the white cloths covering them one by one:

Feng Ruoxing, Wang Butcher, Xia Mengying, Lin Zhao, Wang Xiaohuan… Ye Yang.

The people of Liangjie Hall were all there, and so was I, but they could no longer look at me.

When I knelt on the ground wanting to cry out loud, I suddenly thought of something, "Grandmaster, they don't have any injuries on them. They can still come back to life, right!"

Bai Wuchang nodded, "We brothers destroyed Jianmu (the mythical tree connecting heaven and earth) and used the last bit of vitality to repair their bodies."

"It's not impossible to bring them back to life…"

I stood up with a whoosh, "Grandmaster, tell me, what method can bring them back to life?"

Bai Wuchang said, "Use Diyu (Hell) merit to exchange for their souls to leave the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and then exchange for decades of lifespan for them. However, this merit must be obtained before their bodies decay, otherwise, even if you earn endless lifespan, it will be useless."

I took a deep breath and said, "How can I exchange for merit in advance?"

Bai Wuchang said, "Guard Liangjie Mountain and watch over Tianlao for sixty years."

"Xie Bangui, Wang Hun has already entered the depths of Tianlao, guarding the two innermost gates. The outermost gate of Tianlao closest to Liangjie Mountain is unguarded."

I nodded and said, "I understand, I'll do it!"