Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

"This subordinate... obeys!"

Wang Cheng's voice was like a broken bellows, yet it carried an iron will.

He supported himself with his only remaining left arm, and the cracks on his muscular arm were painstakingly healed by Yu Changsheng's imperial blood and his own indomitable will. He stood up unsteadily, like an indomitable war god reborn from the ashes.

Despite his faltering steps, when his hoarse yet thunderous command rang out, the elite demon-slaying soldiers who had survived by sheer luck and were scattered along the edge of the giant pit seemed to have found their backbone. They struggled, supported each other, and regrouped into battle formation! The tattered battle flags were raised again, and although the military aura was sparse, their indomitable will was once again solidified.

With a low roar, the Fiery Dragon dragged its battered body and spiraled into the sky. Although the Chaos True Fire was weak, it still exuded an inviolable majesty. Its dragon eyes were like torches as it scanned the edge of the ancient ruins, which had temporarily calmed down due to the destruction of the remains of gods and demons.

The massive body of the evil beast silently merged into the shadows of the ruins. Though the barrier of eternal night was thin, it was like the most patient hunter, sensing any subtle fluctuations of evil, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

Seven days, gone in the blink of an eye.

The Soul-Suppressing Protectorate, a magnificent city that rose from the ruins of the Blood River, became a temporary bulwark and crucible for the Divine Dynasty's army.

In the city's central square, the towering "Guixu Demon-Suppressing Stele," hundreds of feet tall and adorned with chaotic divine runes and the marks of the Guixu Sword, had completely solidified. A hazy pillar of light pierced the sky from its top, echoing the core of the Qingzhou Imperial Array thousands of miles away, firmly locking onto the remnants of the Burial God Ancient Ruins' core area and suppressing them within a controllable range. The suppressive and purifying power emanating from the stele, like an invisible domain, enveloped the entire newly conquered scorched land of the Eastern Region, dispelling the lingering despair and deathly silence in the air.

Beside the monument, Mo Heng sat cross-legged on a makeshift altar, with the projection of the Myriad Transformations Returning to the Void Furnace floating in front of him.

The furnace was wide open, and a massive amount of refined and purified ancient ruins essence—a dark gray substance somewhere between metal and crystal—was being drawn into the furnace by an invisible force.

The fire was not blazing, but emitted a cold, grayish-purple flame. With each flicker, dozens of humanoid silhouettes gradually took shape within the flames.

These "annihilation war puppets" are over ten feet tall, dark gray in color, with faint traces of the Void Reversion runes at their joints. They have no facial features, only two deep red lights flickering at their heads, exuding a cold, pure will to execute and an aura of annihilation.

They stand quietly on one side of the square, like a gray stone forest waiting to be awakened, numbering nearly three hundred.

Chen Xueqing sat near the base of the monument. Although the jade lotus platform was covered in cracks, it was much more stable than it had been seven days ago. The illusory image of the Pure World Lotus, nourished by the life force of the Demon-Suppressing Monument, also regained some of its divine charm.

The emerald green "Returning Heaven and Reversing the Sun Formation" shone brightly, covering most of the square, and the seriously wounded soldiers received the best possible treatment within the formation.

Under the influence of the bone-regenerating elixir and the principles of life, the severed limbs slowly regenerate, and the depleted spiritual light of the primordial spirit is awakened.

Although a full recovery is still a long way off, the dejected spirit of near death has been replaced by a tenacious will to survive.

Jinpeng's new bone wings have grown to more than half their original size. The gray-black skeleton is covered with sparse feathers that gleam with a sharp, ethereal gray light. It lands on the top of the Demon-Suppressing Stele, its single sharp eye scanning the eastern horizon like a searchlight, carrying a restless eagerness for revenge.

Wang Cheng's heavy armor was replaced with specially made bandages and light armor, covering his horrific, healing wounds. His broken chaotic bone arm was temporarily fixed in place by a dark gold metal frame, and the newly formed bones inside were slowly fusing with the frame.

He walked through the military camp, his steps still heavy, but each step was extremely steady.

He personally inspected every suit of armor under repair, adjusted every sky-cruising flying vessel that had undergone emergency repairs and was shimmering with a ghostly blue light, and trained the 30,000-strong Demon Slayer Army, which had been reassembled and replenished with some Annihilation War Puppets.

His voice was still hoarse, but full of power: "The Emperor used his own body as fuel to burn away the bones of gods and demons! How can we, with our broken bodies and shattered swords, allow the remnants of the Eastern Territory to linger?! Sharpen our armor and prepare our horses, awaiting the Emperor's command, and follow me—to crush the demons!"

A chilling aura, suppressed for seven days, re-condensed above the Zhenhun Protectorate, more concentrated than before, carrying the cruelty of surviving a calamity and a thirst for revenge.

Deep within the imperial palace, in a quiet room.

Yu Changsheng sat cross-legged on the Xuan Yu Imperial Throne, shrouded in chaotic energy. The cracks around his body were still shocking, but the purple-gold imperial blood no longer overflowed. Deep within the cracks, the chaotic purple energy and the withered, silent Dao principles were like two intertwined dragons and snakes, slowly fighting and merging. Two things floated before him.

First is the Sword of Annihilation.

After devouring the finger bone of the god and demon, the sword became heavier and more restrained. The countless newly formed gray runes seemed to glow and fade as if breathing, and each glow caused a subtle collapse and restoration of the surrounding space.

The ultimate "nothingness" at the tip of the sword is even more profound than before.

The other item was a fist-sized, dark red metal fragment with twisted and irregular edges, which Mo Heng presented.

The surface of the fragments was covered with spiderweb-like cracks. Deep within the cracks, faint specks of murky blood light and star shadows could be seen—the remains of the "Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Secrets Disc," which was originally contaminated by the Netherworld Blood Sea Origin by the Rift Heaven Alliance and later had part of its Origin detonated by the Blood River Ancestor!
Although it has lost all its spirituality and its filth has been largely cleansed by the power of the Imperial Array, as the foundation of a treasure that once deduced the celestial constellations, its material itself, as well as the strange "spatial memory" generated under the dual erosion of the Netherworld Blood Sea and the Silent Ancient Ruins, still contain immeasurable value.

Yu Changsheng's gaze fell on the remains of the Heavenly Mystery Disc. A wisp of chaotic source power, fused with the Dao of New Life and Annihilation, slowly emerged from his fingertip, silently invading the remains like the most precise carving knife.

The wreckage trembled violently, the dark red blood patterns on its surface writhing and resisting as if alive. The remaining filth and fragments of broken star principles were forcibly stripped away and annihilated by the chaotic source power. At the same time, the Sword of Annihilation hummed softly, and a wisp of pure power of returning to nothingness was guided out by Yu Changsheng and injected into the wreckage.

Peeling, purifying, reshaping… Under the dual influence of the Emperor's Will and the Power of Return to Nothingness, the dark red metal remnant, like a phoenix reborn in flames, was cleansed of its filth and underwent a strange transformation. It was no longer an irregular fragment, but was molded into a palm-sized, incredibly complex and precise dark golden compass base.

At the center of the base is a tiny, ever-changing gray dot, the size of a grain of rice. Countless fine gray lines extend from the dot, outlining mysterious and unpredictable trajectories on the surface of the base, resembling a dynamic and ever-evolving star map of the void!

"The orbit of the Ruins Star is fixed!"

Yu Changsheng let out a low shout and flicked his finger. The newly forged dark gold compass transformed into a stream of light, instantly disappearing into a newly formed groove on the hilt of the hovering Sword of Annihilation—a groove that perfectly matched its shape! *Buzz!*

The compass at the sword's hilt activated instantly, and the central gray dot emitted a faint yet stable light, with countless gray lines rapidly swirling around it. The aura of the Sword of Annihilation suddenly changed!
An invisible, subtle, and profound spatial fluctuation spread out from the sword's body.

The space around the sword is no longer simply twisted or collapsed, but presents a strange state of "folding" and "anchoring".

The direction the sword pointed to made the spatial coordinates clearer than ever before, as if an invisible "star track" paved with the power of the Void stretched into the endless distance! "Mo Heng, Wang Cheng, Xue Qing." Yu Changsheng's divine sense instantly pierced through space and reached the three's sea of ​​consciousness, carrying the cold sharpness of the Emperor's decree, "The Eastern Expedition begins again. Target—Yin Kui Sect. Slay demons as the blade, annihilation as the path!"

In his divine sense, he clearly marked the location of a sect situated on the edge of the Ancient Ruins of the Burial Gods, bordering Wuzhou.

The Yin Puppet Sect, one of the last vassals of the Rift Heaven Alliance in the Eastern Region, is known for its corpse refining and soul control, as well as its creation of vengeful puppets. The sect's location, "Valley of Ten Thousand Corpses," is a notorious and sinister place in the Eastern Region.

The air above the Soul-Suppressing Protectorate instantly filled with a chilling aura!

"Demon Slayer Army - Arrowhead Formation! Activate!" Wang Cheng raised his only remaining left arm high, the chaotic bone arm emitting a low hum within its support.

Thirty thousand soldiers roared in unison, and crimson-gold baleful energy condensed once more. Although it was not at its peak, it had an added sense of desolation and ruin. Above the army formation, a huge phantom of a battle halberd wrapped in dark gray light slowly took shape.

"Sky Patrol Army—take off! Void Crossbows, charge!" the Sky Patrol Army commander shouted. Thousands of repaired and enhanced psionic airships roared to life, their eerie blue tail flames illuminating the sky. The crossbows were aimed at the east, their Void runes glowing with a ghostly light, ready to fire.

Chen Xueqing took a deep breath, suppressing her injuries. The illusory image of the Pure Lotus cast a large expanse of emerald light, covering the soldiers who were about to set off with a thin but resilient layer of life protection.

Yu Changsheng's figure appeared silently at the top of the highest tower of the Protectorate, overlooking the torrent of steel below.

The sword of annihilation in his hand pointed diagonally to the east, the "Return to the Void Star Orbit" compass at the hilt shimmering with light, and the "nothingness" at the tip of the sword locking onto the distant coordinates of the Valley of Ten Thousand Corpses.

"open!"

Without any further words, a decree was issued.

The Sword of Annihilation slashed forward lightly.

Tsk-!
A huge, gray crack with strange spatial runes shimmering around its edges suddenly appeared in the sky between the Soul Guardian Prefecture and the Valley of Ten Thousand Corpses, where the Yin Puppet Sect was located, like a curtain torn open by an invisible giant hand!

The interior of the rift is not a chaotic void, but a stable and profound "star trail channel" paved with countless flickering, illusory star points!
At the end of the passage, a nauseatingly thick aura of decaying corpses and malevolent spirits, accompanied by the shrieks of countless vengeful souls, rushed towards us!

The Yin Kui Sect's mountain gate—the Valley of Ten Thousand Corpses—is located right at the other end of the passage!

"Slay the demons! Follow me—step onto the star track! Slay the evil puppets!" Wang Cheng roared, taking the lead and transforming into a streak of crimson gold mixed with gray light, crashing fiercely into the Returning Void Star Track Passage!

"Kill—!!!" Thirty thousand Demon Slayers followed closely behind, like a flood bursting its banks, rushing into the passage, stepping on the Returning Void Star Points, and heading straight for the heart of the Yin Puppet Sect!
The cluster of spaceships followed closely behind, their eerie blue light drawing dense death trails through the dim star trails!

Jinpeng let out a shrill cry filled with killing intent. With a flap of its broken wings, the gray light of the Void tore through space, instantly surpassing the army and rushing out of the end of the passage first!

The fiery dragon roared, and the Chaos True Fire protected the sides of the passage. The evil beast silently merged into the shadows of the passage, and the power of eternal night spread, suppressing the shrieks of vengeful spirits and mental pollution that permeated the Valley of Ten Thousand Corpses.

Chen Xueqing's lotus platform followed closely behind the central army, its emerald glow struggling to create a patch of pure land amidst the stench of corpses and the malevolent aura of this alien world.

Yu Changsheng stepped into the passage, the Sword of Annihilation in hand, its blade glowing steadily with the light of the Star Orbit Compass. His gaze pierced through the passage, locking onto the "Thousand-Skull Altar" deep within the Valley of Ten Thousand Corpses, a structure composed of countless bones, radiating a dense blood-red light and soul-controlling fluctuations.

At the top of the altar, the withered face of the Yin Kui Sect Master, "Corpse Soul Master," was filled with utter horror. He was frantically shaking a pale soul banner made of spines and human heads, trying to stir up the horde of resentful corpses that had accumulated in the valley for thousands of years!

"A mere clown, worthy of manipulating corpses and souls?" Yu Changsheng's voice was icy, carrying a trace of the lingering power of the annihilation of gods and demons. He didn't even wield the Sword of Annihilation itself, only a slight thought.

hum!
Centered on him, a dark sword domain with a diameter of a hundred feet, filled with absolute silence and the sense of the end of the void, instantly unfolded!

Within the sword domain, time stands still, and space freezes!

Those armored corpses, flying zombies, and even a few golden-armored corpse kings radiating Nascent Soul energy, which had just crawled out of the rotten soil and were roaring as they pounced, froze instantly, as if a pause button had been pressed. Even the corpse aura and resentment surging on their bodies were frozen in the air!
The sword domain contracted the next moment!

Like an invisible millstone gently grinding across the void.

puff! puff! puff! puff!
The solidified horde of corpses, whether low-level iron-armored corpses or powerful golden-armored corpse kings, along with the resentful aura around them, disintegrated and dissipated silently, like sand paintings thrown into nothingness, turning into the most primitive dust particles, leaving not even a trace!

Only the Thousand-Skull Altar shook violently at the edge of the Sword Domain, the soul fire on the pale bone banner flickering wildly and emitting a mournful wail.

The Corpse Soul Master was overcome with rage, shrieking as he spat out his natal corpse core, which transformed into a pale white streak of light as he attempted to escape into the earth's veins.

However, a perfectly condensed, deep blue beam of light, precisely guided by the Guixu Star Orbit, instantly engulfed it…

The resistance of the Valley of Ten Thousand Corpses crumbled as soon as it came into contact with the overwhelming power of the new Sword of Annihilation and the overwhelming force of the Divine Dynasty army carrying the bloody aftermath of the ancient ruins battle.

Wang Cheng's Demon-Slaying Arrows, like red-hot daggers piercing solidified grease, tore a path of flesh and blood through the horde of corpses, heading straight for the core altar!
Yu Changsheng stood atop the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​bones, sword in hand, his gaze already passing over the collapsed Yin Kui Sect, and fixed on the direction of Zhongzhou, shrouded in even denser battle clouds and ancient aura.

The Guixu Star Orbit Compass beneath my feet rotated slightly, pointing to the next coordinate.

The real storm has just begun.

Yu Changsheng convened core members Wang Cheng, Chen Xueqing, Mo Heng, and Ling Wuying at the Zhenhun Protectorate to analyze the situation in the Eastern Territory. He emphasized that the Central Plains threatened the core of the Rift Heaven Alliance and decided to first send an elite team to secretly infiltrate the Central Plains to investigate.

The elite Sky Patrol Army, skilled in stealth, reconnaissance, disguise, and intelligence gathering, along with scouts from the Ruins of Return Camp and Yin Puppet Sect cultivators adept at disguise, were selected and led by the experienced Sky Patrol Army Deputy Commander, "Ling Wuying." They were equipped with special items including the Jade Token of the Annihilation Sword's aura, a replica of the Ruins of Return Star Orbit Compass, and the Purifying Green Lotus Seed. (End of Chapter)