At the remote border of the Otherworld, black snow drifted endlessly.

A weathered but once-majestic fortress stood defiantly upon the tainted land, its former grandeur still faintly discernible beneath the scars of time.

In the earliest days of the Sky Phoenix Domain, it was not just the Celestial City that thrived—the lands beyond were not always this corrupted.

This place had once been a stronghold of the rear, yet now its walls lay in ruins, littered with corpses, and the stench of blood hung thick in the air.

All bore witness to the brutal battle that had raged here just the day before.

Inside a citadel within the fortress, $2iang Yu stood at the forefront, flanked by the Sky Clan—including the warrior Po Jun—and representatives of the martial families from the Earth City, all gathered around a tactical map.

"We have no retreat left. Our only path is to burn our bridges and fight to the end."

Jiang Yu rested a hand on the hilt of the Celestial Godblade, setting the tone for the meeting.

The gazes of those present were complex—some sighed, some simmered with resentment, others drowned in regret—yet all swallowed their words.

The situation left no room for retreat.

Their escape route had been severed, for none had foreseen that Tan Lang, the Sky Clan’s most valiant warrior, had long defected to the Otherworld.

"Without supplies or reinforcements, the longer we delay, the slimmer our chances of victory."

"If we must gamble our lives, we need a strategy."

"We can’t just eat demon flesh—that madness leads only to death..."

"Even if we barely survive a pincer attack, how do we return to the Celestial City?"

The Earth City warriors murmured among themselves, their voices growing louder, their unease swelling.

Jiang Yu listened in silence, waiting until the clamor subsided before sweeping his gaze across them.

"You need not overthink. Your task is simple—hold this position and keep the high-tier demons at bay."

"I will take the strongest of the Sky Clan and leave. You must buy us at least three days."

"Three days?"

The warriors exchanged glances, their eyes shadowed with doubt.

They spoke no words, yet the same question burned in their hearts—

Was Jiang Yu using them as sacrificial pawns while he fled?

"I intend to strike at the heart—cut the head off the serpent," Jiang Yu declared, his confidence unshaken even now.

A middle-aged Earth City warrior gave a bitter laugh. "It seems we have no choice but to comply."

Indeed, even if Jiang Yu abandoned them, they could not stop him.

Their only hope was that his words held truth—and that he could succeed.

Yet even then, the rear remained vulnerable...

A round object rolled into the room, bouncing twice before coming to a stop.

It was a severed head, its golden blood dried, its eyes wide with shock.

Tan Lang.

The figure who had tossed it in now strode through the black snow, rubbing his hands before settling by the firepit. He prodded the embers with a bloodstained poker, his demeanor that of an ordinary old farmer.

The absurdity of the scene struck them—a Sky Clan warrior, born with violet radiance, slain by a mere mortal.

Jiang Yu studied the old man for a long moment before bowing slightly.

"Elder Dong, I request your aid in the journey to Nether Abyss."

"This old man will go, but not with you."

Dong Changtian did not even glance at him.

To him, Jiang Yu—bearing the divine blade and crowned as emperor—was no dazzling figure.

For he had once beheld the true sun.

......

Outside the city.

"Lao Luo, you won again?"

"One tile, eight thousand—your luck’s too good!"

"Hahaha! I’m keeping tabs. Don’t forget to pay up once we leave the Celestial City!"

The crisp clatter of bone-carved mahjong tiles filled the air as the Demon Sect members reveled—some gambling, others drinking, the atmosphere lively and carefree.

Luo Yexian had been riding high lately.

The demonic beasts could be controlled using the Beast Hall’s secret arts—they seemed intrinsically linked to the Beast God worshipped by the sect.

The Celestial City’s counterattack against the Otherworld had faltered under the weight of natural adversities, barely making a ripple.

The Beast Hall’s summoned demons alone had forced them into a desperate siege.

With Tan Lang’s betrayal, the fortress would not hold much longer.

The credit for this victory undoubtedly belonged to Luo Yexian.

The Bloodforge Hall Master scoffed. "The next Cataclysm hasn’t even arrived. The Ancestral God is still recuperating—who knew this trial would end so soon? I hadn’t even deployed my full preparations."

"I share your sentiment. Jiang Yu likely sought to strike while the Ancestral God was vulnerable, but his arrogance blinded him," the burly Yin-Yang Hall Master said in a lilting voice.

Even their enemies found Jiang Yu’s blunders baffling.

"Ahem, the trial isn’t over yet. There will still be chances to earn merit."

Luo Yexian shook his head.

These two were getting ahead of themselves—had they forgotten Ying Bing?

But even she might struggle to turn the tide now. Jiang Yu had steered the situation past redemption.

Just then, a towering bull-headed demon entered to report.

"By the Ancestral God’s decree, all Hall Masters are to return to Nether Abyss at once!"

"What happened?"

"Jiang Yu has led a contingent of Sky Clan warriors to the outskirts of Nether Abyss!"

"What?"

The Deer Hall Master, Luo Yexian, and the Yin-Yang Hall Master stiffened.

A sneak attack?

The man had no honor—and a heart colder than ice. Without the Sky Clan’s presence, the fortress would fall swiftly, leaving its defenders to die.

He was trading their lives for a single desperate strike at the heart.

Had this been Jiang Yu’s plan all along?

"Time is of the essence. The Hall Masters must depart immediately."

"Let’s move!"

After a brief discussion, the three decided to leave the weaker demons to maintain the siege while they led the most powerful ones back to reinforce Nether Abyss.

"Move out!"

With the bull-headed demon guiding them, they raced toward the abyssal stronghold.

......

Nether Abyss.

A foul wind howled through this place—the origin of the Celestial City’s calamity, the most twisted and polluted corner of the world. Thick black moss, like compressed black snow, clung to grotesque stone carvings.

The creatures that dwelled here were as vile as the land itself.

At the peak of the highest mountain stood a temple.

Within it, the power of the Second Cataclysm festered.

Here lay the source of the disaster, legions of powerful demons, baptized members of the Demon Sect, and that transcendent being from beyond.

Now, figures gathered in the skies above Nether Abyss, their gazes fixed on the distant horizon.

There, a golden dragon coiled around the phantom of a divine city, tearing through the black snow as it advanced.

"More Sky Clan dare approach Nether Abyss—just as we once did."

"Let us end them here."

"After this battle, He will lead us to the true world... and grant us rebirth."