The rumbling continued, shaking all of Hell. Sylvia Yan and Emperor God did not attack immediately, but seemed to be waiting for something. I glanced warily behind me—an unknown force was surging from the direction of Mount Shade. The Endbringer Blade I’d left there had already begun to resist this power.
Beside me, Fifth Tribunal Yama’s face was grim.
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
Fifth Tribunal Yama demanded sharply. Emperor God slowly descended before us.
"When Styxwater annihilates everything, it is time for the Six Paths to break free."
In an instant, Fifth Tribunal Yama spun around in fury and drifted away. At the same time, I realized my Endbringer power couldn’t stop that strange force.
With a deafening roar, a pillar of fire shot up along Fifth Tribunal Yama’s path, blocking his way. Scorched, he retreated to my side.
"Go."
Fifth Tribunal Yama had barely spoken when Emperor God appeared beside me. Watching him, I smiled faintly. With a thunderous crack and a burst of lightning, I found myself standing at the edge of Mount Shade, quietly staring at the silvery tide dissolving everything in its path—or rather, devouring it.
Behind me, black lightning converged, and in a flash I swapped places with the Endbringer I’d left here. It was the right move—otherwise, I couldn’t have made it.
In the distance, the sky above the Fifth Tribunal turned crimson as battle erupted once more. I raised the Endbringer Blade, watching the silvery stream in the distance erase everything it touched. Now, looking out, the mountains and rocks had vanished—only a vast, gleaming ocean surged toward me with unstoppable force.
I floated forward, brandishing Endbringer. Pillars of black lightning sprang up near Styx Gate. I kept amplifying Endbringer’s power, condensing Deathbane Aura within each lightning pillar. Soon, electrified columns stood tall, and I sat atop one.
With a thunderous crash, the silvery waves surged overhead. I stared quietly as, with a violent roar, the tide plummeted just as it was about to swallow me. Streaks of black lightning mixed in with the silver—my power was having some effect.
Now the silver ocean stretched to the edge of the lightning pillars. I looked toward the Fifth Tribunal—just for a moment, I sensed Fifth Tribunal Yama’s presence vanish, only to return again, though the ghost aura kept fading.
"The situation has completely reversed from before."
I muttered with a bitter smile. Perhaps this was how the Yamas once seized Hell—Emperor God and his allies lost everything for the same reason. They had to defend Hell and fight off enemies at once. Now, the other nine Tribunal Yamas must be watching and waiting. After all, fighting Fifth Tribunal Yama would inevitably reveal something. I still didn’t know where Phantom Sage had gone, so I decided to keep observing for now.
I had to keep something in reserve. Emperor God and his allies were doing the same. Phantom Sage, with the remaining Golden Mask Men of the Immortality Society, must be plotting something. Emperor God and Fifth Tribunal Yama weren’t trying to destroy each other—they were only holding each other in check.
What worried me more was that my Endbringer power was failing. The silvery Styxwater would soon break through my defenses. I stood, trying to strengthen my power, but it was useless. The Styxwater seemed to dissolve it completely. I felt weak and powerless as silvery streams seeped through the pillars and onto the sand before Styx Gate.
Suddenly, I heard countless wails. On the sand, twisted faces appeared, clutching their heads in agony. Countless lost souls emerged from the white sand, vanishing into the Styxwater’s flow.
I felt myself about to collapse, my power draining away—a terrifying sensation. If this much Styxwater kept flowing, it would surely affect the Bridge of Remorse and Netherhell.
Just then, a warm yellow glow moved toward us. A cane stabbed into the Styxwater behind me—it was Lady Meng, standing atop a pillar beside me.
"I didn’t expect I’d end up coming out after all."
Suddenly, I sensed something was wrong, but it was already too late. A fierce flame shot through Lady Meng’s body. My eyes widened in shock as the fire transformed into Sylvia Yan, only for the furious Fifth Tribunal Yama to cleave Sylvia Yan in two with his curved blade. Lady Meng clutched her body in pain.
"So that’s it. You wanted to lure this old woman out with such a trick."
Lady Meng collapsed onto the pillar, the wound in her pierced chest refusing to heal. Black blood kept spilling from the corner of her mouth, but now I saw the Styxwater begin to retreat. Lady Meng raised a hand; her cane, driven into the ground, radiated a blinding light.
Sylvia Yan stared at Lady Meng with a blank expression.
"Why didn’t you choose to stand with us this time?"
Lady Meng gave a bitter smile. Behind me, Emperor God had landed, watching us with a smile on his face. Lady Meng looked to be in extreme pain.
I noticed the ghost aura around Fifth Tribunal Yama suddenly surged.
"Don’t waste your strength on meaningless attacks, Fifth Tribunal. I’m giving you all one chance—your only chance—to negotiate with us."
In an instant, Fifth Tribunal Yama swung his black blade at Emperor God. With a chorus of wails, countless lost souls filled the space, all of them rushing into Emperor God’s body.
"It’s a pity—we lost that long ago. So your attacks, or rather, the Yin Court’s methods, are meaningless to us. They don’t hurt or even itch."
As Emperor God spoke, he pressed a hand to Fifth Tribunal Yama’s chest. With a thunderous boom, Fifth Tribunal Yama was sent flying toward Mount Shade. Golden light raged and tangled in the distance, weaving together like a chaotic skein. I felt a power stronger than ever—they were truly no weaker than the Ghost Ancestor.
I still didn’t move, just kept watching. Lady Meng’s expression grew more and more painful.
"Leaving Hell willingly is your only way out. If you don’t, you’ll all die—and after death, you’ll become fertilizer for Hell itself."
I chuckled and clenched my fist.
"Are you really sure you can defeat your own father?"
I asked, and Sylvia Yan stared back at me coldly.
"We don’t need to defeat him. There’s no need to fight. Father can never leave the Bone Realm. If things go wrong, Tan Tian will immediately open the passage we agreed upon, and all the power accumulated in the darkness will flood the Bone Realm. Tan Tian will become the Bone Realm’s will. The law will be established, and it’s aimed at Father—he’ll never be able to leave."
My eyes widened—they really could do it. They'd been storing up power for so long.
"So even if the Ghost Ancestor isn’t resurrected, you’ll still carry out your plan?"
I asked, and Emperor God shook his head with a smile.
"If Father isn’t resurrected, it’ll be a problem. We probably won’t be able to execute the plan."
I pointed the Endbringer Blade at Emperor God and his allies.
"There’s not much time. I just came to check things out—get started quickly. I need to hurry back."
Emperor God burst out laughing and shook his head. In an instant, he and Sylvia Yan transformed into golden and crimson lights, appearing far away. Then, a massive crack split the sky with a thunderous boom, and the two burst into the next Yama’s hall.
I looked toward Fifth Tribunal Yama in the distance—he hadn’t come over yet, and his ghost aura was faint. But Lady Meng was in the worst shape; her body was withering like a dead leaf in the wind, shriveling up bit by bit as her skin turned black.
"What are they trying to do? Replace the Yamas?"
I asked, and Lady Meng smiled and shook her head.
"I’m not really sure what they’re trying to do."
I moved beside Lady Meng, placing a hand on her, but she quickly pushed me away.
"It’s no use. This old woman’s time is up."
I stared quietly at Lady Meng, saying nothing. Her ghost soul was barely visible—I knew she was about to turn to dust. Sylvia Yan’s blow, both in strength and precision, and that unfamiliar flame burned away Lady Meng’s soul.
"Listen, Earthly Soul—no matter what, you must never hand over Endbringer again. No matter what happens next, you need to remember this."
As I spoke, a swirl of colored light appeared around me. Desire Ghost appeared beside Lady Meng.
"You can’t die yet."
Desire Ghost pressed her small hand to Lady Meng’s shoulder, and Lady Meng’s crumbling body began to recover.
"You have to keep the will to survive. That’s how Qingyuan made it through back then."
Lady Meng smiled and nodded.
"Thank you, little sister."
I sensed a surge of overwhelming ghost aura—Song Emperor was fighting Emperor God and his allies. I gazed at the distant sky and smiled helplessly.
"So this is how it ends, after all. There’s nothing else to do."
I drew the Endbringer Blade again.
"Don’t act rashly, Earthly Soul. Even if you unleash Endbringer’s power and achieve something, they’re far more prepared than you realize!"
I looked at Lady Meng and smiled helplessly.