Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

The sea of ​​blood dissipated, the foul air vanished, and the imperial city of Qingzhou was bathed in the faint glow of survival after the calamity.

Yu Changsheng stood alone atop the rebuilt imperial palace, overlooking this newly born territory.

The Chaos Myriad Tribulations Emperor Array absorbed the pure energy and blood sea essence scattered between heaven and earth. Its light flowed, becoming more profound and vast than before, like a dormant ancient beast guarding the nascent Chaos Divine Dynasty.

Below, the craftsmen of the Tiangong Academy, led by Mo Heng, were busy around the newly formed "Wanhua Guixu Furnace".

This colossal furnace, standing a hundred feet tall, was entirely forged from refined Blood Sea Nether Iron and Chaos Essence Gold, with intricate Guixu Divine Patterns and Chaos Dao Diagrams engraved on its walls.

At the core of the furnace, a node of the Imperial Array is continuously injecting the purified Blood Sea Essence and the mixed energy remaining from the battlefield into it.

The furnace fire was not an ordinary flame, but a "Pure Flame of Returning to the Void" ignited by the power of chaos, displaying a deep gray-purple color, silently burning everything inside the furnace.

The furnace roared, each burst of energy accompanied by subtle ripples in the space. It will not only become the energy hub of the Imperial Array and a sacred place for refining weapons, but also a key weapon for the future conquest of the Divine Dynasty, the conversion of spoils of war, and even the cultivation of Dao soldiers.

"Your Majesty, the Myriad Transformations Returning to Nothingness Furnace is now operating stably, and the 100-day period can be shortened to 49 days!" Mo Heng's voice was weary, but even more so, it was filled with excitement. He could sense that once this furnace was fully integrated into the Imperial Array, the Divine Dynasty's defensive and offensive capabilities would reach a new level.

On the other side, Wang Cheng held the "Demon-Slaying Order," exuding a chilling aura. Behind him, the "Demon-Slaying" and "Sky-Patrolling" armies had already taken shape.

The Demon Slayer Army is composed of elite soldiers from the former Qingzhou Guard. They wear black armor, wield standard battle spears, and exude an aura as solid as iron. The Sky Patrol Army, on the other hand, is mostly composed of former Shadow Guard experts. They wear light and agile battle armor, carry psionic crossbows and short blades, and are extremely mobile.

The two armies, totaling ten thousand men, were led by Wang Cheng's terrifying aura at the peak of the half-step Void Refinement realm. The military aura they condensed almost solidified into a blood-red smoke billowing into the sky, causing the clouds above the imperial city to disperse.

"Set out! Sweep away the remaining rebels, leaving not a single one alive! Of the supplies obtained, 70% will go to the treasury, and 30% will be distributed as rewards according to merit!" Wang Cheng's voice boomed like thunder, and both armies responded in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

The iron torrent, brimming with murderous intent, surged towards the scattered strongholds of the Xuanming Sect in Qingzhou and even neighboring prefectures.

Wang Cheng personally oversaw the operation. His "Overlord Blood Chaos - Law-Breaking Fist Intent" had reached a state of perfection after numerous bloody battles. Ordinary Xuanming Elders in the Nascent Soul stage could not withstand more than three rounds against him. Each strike was accompanied by the sight of the enemy's physical body disintegrating and their soul being annihilated. His domineering power was unparalleled, boosting the morale of his soldiers and terrifying those who secretly watched.

Chen Xueqing was at the core of the dissipated sea of ​​blood—on the edge of the former Zhao family ruins. This place had been plowed through by Yu Changsheng's Returning to Nothingness Sword Intent, and then ravaged by the backlash of the sea of ​​blood, becoming a scorched earth brimming with strange vitality. She sat cross-legged within the illusory image of the Pure Lotus, her hands forming a seal, and the pure and vast Dao of Life flowed into the earth like a gentle stream. A "Life Returning to Origin Array" covering dozens of miles had already been set up, its foundation being the nine lotus seeds differentiated from the lotus's origin. The array operated, frantically absorbing the special energy that had been initially purified by the power of Returning to Nothingness from this "extremely filthy" land.

"Purifying Blood Bodhi... From defilement arises purity, from death arises life, the wonders of creation." Chen Xueqing murmured softly, life runes flowing in her beautiful eyes. She could clearly sense that deep within the earth's veins, nine faint yet incredibly tenacious life radiances were being nurtured, greedily absorbing the energy gathered by the great formation.

Once mature, this Blood Bodhi will possess the power to break through realms and the ability to purify and repair, making it a key resource for the future divine dynasty to cultivate top-tier combat power.

As she presided over the grand formation, her life laws became more harmonious, subtly touching the threshold of a higher level. Every gesture she made was full of vitality, capable of bringing withered trees back to life.

Shi Poshan led the Chaos Divine Guards, establishing a strict security perimeter centered on the imperial city. Bathed in the radiance of the imperial array, the guards cultivated, their auras growing increasingly refined and powerful.

Yu Changsheng personally passed down simplified versions of "Guixu Battle Intent" and "Chaos Body Forging Technique" as basic techniques for the Divine Guards. In time, this army will become an iron-blooded and mighty force for the Divine Dynasty to expand its territory.

The Chaos Academy officially opened its doors, with Yu Changsheng personally lecturing on "An Introduction to the Source Power of Chaos." His lectures were profound yet easy to understand, imbued with the essence of Dao, captivating countless citizens and low-level cultivators.

Mo Heng taught weapon crafting and formation, Shi Poshan taught battle formations and combat, Chen Xueqing taught alchemy and medicine, and although Wang Cheng did not teach often, every time he appeared to demonstrate combat skills, it caused a stir in the academy.

Talented individuals from Qingzhou and even neighboring prefectures flocked to the capital, gradually stabilizing the foundation of the Divine Dynasty and bringing about a magnificent new era.

However, the crisis is not truly over.

Elder Lock Soul did not perish completely like the Sect Master of Xuanming.

He was well-versed in the art of survival. In the instant the sea of ​​blood collapsed and the Judgment of the Ruins descended, he ruthlessly abandoned the core of the broken Nine Nether Soul-Suppressing Banner and most of his primordial spirit. He managed to escape with only a remnant soul containing his natal soul poison, attaching himself to an insignificant remnant of the Shadow Killing Hall.

At this moment, he was hiding in an extremely secretive "Soul Cave" on the border of Qingzhou, which had been established by the Xuanming Sect in its early years. The place was filled with eerie yin energy, and a small amount of Xuanming blood evil energy remained that had not been completely eliminated.

The remnant soul of the Soul Locker was extremely weak, its body riddled with cracks, radiating resentment and madness.

"Yu Changsheng! Wang Cheng! Chen Xueqing! You destroyed my foundation and annihilated my sect... This enmity is irreconcilable!"

He stared at a pool of filthy blood deep in the cave, a collection of battlefield filth and scattered resentment that he had barely managed to gather using his remaining soul power.

"Although the Nine Nether Soul-Suppressing Banner is destroyed, its original evil power, mixed with the essence of the Blood Sea and the River Styx, may... give birth to something even more vicious... specifically devouring the origin of the soul... specifically countering Yu Changsheng's Dao of Returning to Nothingness!"

His eyes gleamed with madness as he began to burn his remnant soul recklessly, injecting vicious curses and soul poison into the blood pool, attempting to catalyze the emergence of an unknown evil. Wisps of cold, viscous, and ominously devouring gray mist began to spread across the surface of the blood pool.

Deep beneath the ruins of the Zhao family, although the core of the ancient filthy pupa was devoured by the Chaos Purple Spirit Emperor Sword, its "withered" Dao imprint was also severely damaged and dispelled in Yu Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness.

However, the original characteristics of the annihilation residue are too strange. When it is completely annihilated, there are still extremely tiny "annihilation spores" that are almost undetectable by current means. With the slight fluctuations of the earth's veins, they quietly spread to the wider underground world of Qingzhou, especially those barren places that are already thin in spiritual energy and lack vitality.

These spores were in a state of absolute stillness, like inanimate objects. But Yu Changsheng knew the horror of "annihilation"—it represented the ultimate direction of the universe's entropy increase.

Once exposed to sufficiently large amounts of negative energy, these spores are highly likely to be activated, like sparks igniting another catastrophe of withering away. This is a time bomb lurking beneath the surface, the final and most covert counterattack of the "withering" principle.

Deep within the Imperial Palace, Yu Changsheng, who was using the power of the Imperial Array and the Myriad Transformations Returning to the Void Furnace to accelerate the repair of his Dao injuries and stabilize his peak Refinement Void realm, slowly opened his eyes. The Chaos Purple Spirit Emperor Sword hummed softly on his lap, the chaotic divine patterns on its blade flowing with a profound luster.

He merged with part of the ancient and defiled pupa's origin, and his perception of negative cosmic principles such as "annihilation," "devouring," and "withering" reached an inconceivable level.

"Hmph, rats in the gutter, and... the silent ashes..." Yu Changsheng's gaze pierced through the void, instantly locking onto the location of the Yin Soul Cave on the border of Qingzhou, as well as the extremely hidden and scattered Annihilation Spores deep underground.

The curse and evil power catalyzing the remnant soul of the Soul-Locking Elder were as conspicuous as fireflies in the night in his eyes. Although the Annihilation Spores were concealed, their "empty" nature made them appear like black dots on white paper to Yu Changsheng at this moment.

"Wang Cheng!" Yu Changsheng's divine sense instantly traversed space and descended directly into Wang Cheng's sea of ​​consciousness, who was clearing out a Xuanming Sect mining stronghold.

"On the border, in the cave of ghosts, where souls are locked and remnants are found, an evil entity is about to be formed. Its power is malevolent, devouring the soul and corrupting the foundation of one's cultivation. Wield my sword seal, and crush it! Bring back the core of this evil entity and refine it into the great furnace!"

At the same time, another divine thought was transmitted to Chen Xueqing, who was nurturing the Blood Bodhi within the Life-Returning Origin Array: "Xueqing, there is a 'Silent Ember' lurking deep within the earth's veins. It appears as an inanimate object, but it will ignite when it encounters filth. Use the essence of the Purifying Green Lotus to create the 'Green Lotus Purifying Net,' covering the nodes of the Qingzhou earth's veins, especially the barren and desolate areas. Once it shows any unusual activity, the purifying power will be activated immediately, annihilating it in its infancy!"

"As Your Majesty commands!" Wang Cheng and Chen Xueqing responded almost simultaneously, their eyes flashing with sharp light.

Wang Cheng received the order without the slightest hesitation.

His body erupted in blazing crimson-gold flames, instantly entering the "Bloodthirsty Heaven-Burning" state. With a single step, space distorted, and he appeared at the entrance of the Yin Soul Cave. The terrifying pressure of a peak half-step Void Refinement cultivator, like a tangible mountain, crashed down!

"Old ghost who locks souls! Come out and die!" Wang Cheng's roar was like thunder from the heavens, shaking the entire Yin Soul Cave and causing the cave walls to crack.

Deep within the cave, the remnant soul of the Soul-Locking Elder was utterly horrified. "How could it be so fast?!"

He frantically activated the blood pool, causing the thick, gray, evil mist to churn violently and barely coalesce into a giant gray ghost claw covered in painful human faces, exuding the stench of the Soul-Devouring Filth Path, as it approached Wang Cheng.

"A mere trick!" Wang Cheng's eyes were icy, filled with absolute contempt. He didn't even use the Overlord Blood Chaos Burning Heaven Domain, simply throwing a single, ordinary punch. "Overlord Blood Chaos - Law Breaker!"

This punch, with its crimson-gold divine flames flowing with a profound gray intent, contained the true meaning of Wang Cheng's understanding of the destruction of all laws and the return to nothingness and annihilation, which he had comprehended through countless battles.

Wherever the fist's energy passed, space collapsed inch by inch, and all laws, energy, evil energy, and soul poison melted away like ice and snow! The seemingly vicious gray ghost claw, upon contact with the fist's energy, was completely decomposed and annihilated into nothingness before it could even let out a wail!

The fist's momentum remained undiminished as it slammed into the pool of blood!
boom--!
The entire Yin Soul Cave was completely blasted and flattened by the violent energy! The Soul Locking Elder let out a final, desperate, and mournful soul howl, and his remnant soul was reduced to ashes by the power of the Breaking Law Fist.

The core of the evil creature in the blood pool, which was not yet fully formed, was a strange crystal that swirled with gray-black light and twisted constantly. Wang Cheng grabbed it from a distance and firmly imprisoned it in his palm.

The crystal was still struggling frantically, emitting fluctuations that polluted the divine soul, but it was suppressed by Wang Cheng's Overlord Blood Flame.

"What the Emperor desired, is obtained." Wang Cheng didn't even glance at the ruins of the Yin Soul Cave, stepping back towards the imperial city, leaving behind a scene of devastation and deathly silence. The entire process was swift and ruthless, displaying his invincible prowess!
At the same time, Chen Xueqing was already suspended in the sky above Qingzhou, with the Pure Lotus blooming in full beneath her feet, radiating countless rays of azure light.

Her life force merged completely with the Azure Lotus, and the pure and vast Dao of Life permeated the land of Qingzhou like silk threads.

"The Blue Lotus purifies the world, the net of life is tied!"

With her clear and melodious decree, countless life runes shimmering with azure light, like living roots, rapidly spread and intertwined along the earth's veins, forming a vast web of life covering the entire underground world of Qingzhou.

The core node of this network is the nine lotus seeds that form the foundation of the Life-Generating Array. They are usually hidden from view, silently nourishing the earth's veins and cleansing away impurities that are barely perceptible.

Once it senses an energy fluctuation of extreme withering, death, and defilement, such as "annihilation spores," attempting to activate or erupt, the Life Net will instantly manifest, completely enveloping, purifying, and annihilating it with its immense life-purifying power!
Those deeply hidden, dormant spores, the moment the life net covered them, were like ice exposed to the scorching sun. Their "emptiness" was filled and dispelled by the radiance of life, completely losing any possibility of activation, vanishing into nothingness. A withering crisis that could have spread throughout the entire state, or even further, was nipped in the bud by Chen Xueqing in the bud with a subtle yet absolutely powerful approach.

Her face was slightly pale, but her eyes were bright and firm, and her control over the laws of life was even more subtle and vast.

Wang Cheng threw the ominous, evil crystal into the Myriad Transformations Return to the Void Furnace.

The Pure Flame of Returning to the Void instantly enveloped it, and the furnace roared as it began to refine this last hidden danger and "resource".

Chen Xueqing's life network operated silently, becoming an eternal barrier protecting the Qingzhou landform. The Divine Guard Legion of Shipo Mountain grew increasingly powerful through actual combat and the baptism of the Imperial Array. The Chaos Academy resounded with the sound of reading and the lingering fragrance of Daoist philosophy.

Yu Changsheng stood atop the Imperial Palace, the Chaos Purple Spirit Emperor Sword hovering beside him, his aura as deep and boundless as the sea. His Dao wounds healed rapidly under the combined power of the Imperial Array, the Great Furnace, and his own immense strength.

His gaze pierced through the territory of Qingzhou, looking towards the more expansive Central Plains, Southern Frontier, Northern Plains, and Western Desert... There, there must be other powerful sects, ancient forces, and perhaps even beings plotting against the "Remnants of Annihilation".

"The Chaotic Divine Dynasty is not a dynasty of a single province." Yu Changsheng's voice was calm and majestic, resounding in the hearts of every core member.

"The foundation of the Qingzhou Empire is complete, the Myriad Transformations Furnace is casting its cauldron, and the Divine Guards are beginning to show their prowess. Mo Heng, accelerate the final fusion of the Imperial Array and the Furnace to forge the 'Chaotic Myriad Transformations Imperial Cauldron.' The day this cauldron is completed, it will become the national treasure of our Divine Dynasty! Shi Poshan, prepare the army for military training and expansion! Xue Qing, the day the Blood Bodhi matures will be the day the Divine Guards break through their current realm! Wang Cheng…"

Yu Changsheng looked at the spirited Wang Cheng, his eyes filled with expectation: "Your path will be elevated in battle. The might of the Divine Dynasty shall drink the blood of the mighty. Await the completion of the Imperial Cauldron, and then follow me... out of Qingzhou!"

"Wang Cheng, I am willing to be the sharp sword in the Emperor's hand, slaying all enemies and pacifying the world!"

The mighty ship of the Divine Dynasty has set sail, and though raging waves lie ahead, they will crush them all! The true journey has only just begun. (End of Chapter)