Living in the deep palace

Su Chen opened his eyes and crushed the token in his hand.

"Great Luo Golden Immortal... Acquired Spiritual Treasure..."

"It seems this is just an advance team."

"However, after eating this one, my cultivation has been completely stabilized at the late stage of Golden Immortal, and my physical strength is even approaching the peak of Golden Immortal."

"His combat power is comparable to that of a Great Luo Golden Immortal!"

"If that Thunder Punishment Heavenly General dares to come..."

Su Chen licked his lips, his greed intensifying.

"That was a real feast!"

He stood up and looked around.

Tens of thousands of Black Iron City cultivators knelt densely around the plaza.

They witnessed the entire process of Su Chen "devouring the heavenly soldiers," and now, the way they looked at Su Chen was no longer just fear, but as if they were looking at an ancient demon god.

They even dare to eat the gods of Heaven!

Is there anything in this world he wouldn't dare to do?

"Congratulations, City Lord, on your unparalleled divine might! You have suppressed the heavenly army!"

Despite her severe injuries, Lady Kugu crawled out of the ruins and led the shouts.

"Congratulations, City Lord, on your unparalleled divine might!"

Tens of thousands of people shouted in unison, creating a deafening roar.

Su Chen looked at these ants without feeling anything.

He knew that this submission was based on absolute violence. Once the Heavenly Army pressed in, these people would run faster than anyone else.

But it doesn't matter.

As long as they are useful now and can provide resources for the Longevity Tree, that's enough.

"Pass the order."

Su Chen's voice resounded throughout the city.

"Activate the city's protective array and seal off the entire city. Entry is permitted, but exit is not."

"in addition……"

Su Chen raised his hand, and a bronze sphere radiating rich vitality slowly rose into the sky, hovering in the very center of Black Iron City, like a second sun.

"From this day forward, this city shall be renamed 'City of Immortality'."

As Su Chen finished speaking, the bronze sphere suspended in the air—actually a "seed" condensed from the Longevity Tree—suddenly emitted rings of soft cyan light.

The halo rippled outwards like water, quickly covering the entire Black Iron City and even penetrating into the underground spiritual veins.

A magical scene happened.

The violent "Void Qi" that originally filled every corner of the city, forcing cultivators to constantly circulate their cultivation techniques to resist it, actually began to be purified under the illumination of this azure halo!
The black, decaying impurities were expelled from the city, leaving behind the purest and gentlest spiritual energy!
"This...this is spiritual energy?! Pure, celestial spiritual energy from heaven and earth?!"

"impossible!"

"The entire Void Realm should be filled with this damned Void Qi, while this pure Heaven and Earth Immortal Spirit Qi is only found in the Heavenly Realm. How is this possible!"

An old cultivator who had been stuck at the peak of True Immortal for many years took a deep breath and immediately felt that the bottleneck in his body, which had been dormant for many years, was loosening. He was so excited that tears streamed down his face.

"My God! Cultivating here is at least ten times faster than outside! And there's no need to worry about going into qi deviation!"

"A miracle! This is a miracle!"

The entire city instantly erupted in excitement.

In the Ruins Realm, what is most precious?

It's not a magic weapon, nor a cultivation technique, but a safe cultivation environment filled with pure spiritual energy!
In the Ruins Domain, countless cultivators are willing to pay the price of their lives for such a treasure land.

Such places are usually only accessible to Great Luo Golden Immortals and powerful Golden Immortals at the peak of their cultivation.

Now, with a casual wave of his hand, Su Chen has made this a reality, something that even the Black Iron City Lord couldn't do!

He was actually able to purify the void energy!
"These are the rules of 'City of Immortality'."

Su Chen's voice rang out again, this time carrying an irresistible air of authority.

"First, private fights are prohibited within the city. Violators will be used as nourishment for the Dao Tree."

"Secondly, anyone entering the city must contribute 'resources.' This can include source stones, fragments of laws, or even the corpses of Void Beasts. The more you contribute, the closer you can cultivate to the 'Longevity Species.'"

"third……"

Su Chen's gaze swept over the stronger Golden Immortals and Profound Immortals.

"All cultivators above the Golden Immortal level must join the 'Longevity Guard' and obey my commands. Those who disobey or collude with external enemies will be punished..."

boom!
The bronze sphere in the sky suddenly trembled, and a terrifying devouring force flashed by, like a giant maw ready to devour its prey.

"...His fate was like that of the heavenly soldiers."

Give both grace and power!

On the one hand, we provide you with a cultivation environment you've never had before, and on the other hand, we hold a butcher's knife to your necks.

This simple method of managing subordinates is most effective in a chaotic place like the Ruins Domain.

"We are willing to follow the city lord to the death!"

This time, the shouts contained more sincerity and fervor.

After all, being able to follow such a powerful figure who can not only exert great strength but also "create spiritual energy" is a kind of good fortune in this Void Realm!

……

After arranging the affairs within the city, Su Chen handed over the specific management work to Madam Kugu and several Golden Immortals who had surrendered, and then returned to the underground secret chamber once again.

"call……"

Su Chen sat cross-legged under the Longevity Tree.

He looked at the star that had been lit up in the universe within his body, and the trembling Listening Beast suppressed beneath the star.

"The city is just a facade, and also a source of resources."

"Although the seeds of the Longevity Tree can purify spiritual energy, they actually secretly extract the essence, energy, and spirit that these cultivators dissipate during their cultivation and feed them back to me."

"This is the prototype of the 'World of Immortality' - all living beings make offerings to one person."

A cold glint flashed in Su Chen's eyes.

This is the "Great Path to Immortality" that he comprehended; he is not a compassionate savior, but a divine king who rules over all living beings.

"However, with such a commotion, the neighbors around here probably won't sit still, right?"

Su Chen took out a jade slip, which was a map of the Void Domain that he had looted from the Black Iron City Lord's Mansion.

Around Black Iron City, now known as Longevity City, there are three other powerful forces.

To the north lies "Corpse Dragon Ridge," where the "Corpse Dragon Emperor," a being at the Great Perfection of the Fourth Realm, resides.

The "Ten Thousand Demon Cave" in the west is a gathering place for a group of fallen demonic cultivators, whose leader is an old demon who is halfway to the fourth realm.

The "Fallen God Valley" to the south is said to contain the corpse of an ancient god who died, and it is also a forbidden area.

"The news of that soldier's death has probably already spread."

"That Thunder Punishment General is on his way."

"And the native overlords of these ruins will probably also be eyeing the suddenly rising 'City of Immortality' with covetous eyes..."

Su Chen tapped his knee lightly with his fingers, pondering the next move in the game.

"Passively taking hits is not my style."

"Since you're all coming..."

Su Chen suddenly looked up, heading north towards the "Corpse Dragon Ridge".

"Then strike first!"

"I've heard that dragon meat is very nourishing... I wonder if that corpse dragon emperor can help me break through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm?"

Su Chen's figure gradually faded away, leaving only a whisper filled with murderous intent that echoed in the secret room.

The hunt continues.

To the north of the Ruins lies a region known as the "Desolate Land".

There are no floating meteorites or broken continental plates here, only a gigantic skeleton stretching across the void for 100,000 miles.

That was the spine of a real dragon.

Legend has it that countless ages ago, an ancient dragon with the power of the fifth realm perished here.

Its flesh and blood transformed into a swamp of corpse poison that corroded everything, and its resentment transformed into wandering ghosts.

Its indestructible spine has transformed into the "Corpse Dragon Ridge," a place from which even light cannot escape. It is a forbidden zone for the living and a paradise for the dead.

"breathe--"

A series of muffled sounds, like bellows being pumped, emanated from the deepest part of Corpse Dragon Ridge. Accompanying this sound, the surrounding primordial energy rose and fell like the tides, each rise and fall sweeping away the life force of countless creatures that had strayed into this place.

That was the Corpse Dragon Emperor breathing.

He is the king here, and the strongest corpse demon born from this ancient dragon corpse. He possesses terrifying combat power comparable to the "early stage of the Great Luo Realm". He is the undisputed overlord in the outer reaches of this Ruins Domain.

However, this silence has been broken today.

boom!
A bronze-colored streak of light tore through the poisonous fog surrounding Corpse Dragon Ridge without any concealment, crashing heavily onto a mountain peak built of bones like a tyrannical meteorite.

boom!
The mountain of bones exploded instantly, sending bone fragments flying everywhere.

Su Chen slowly walked out from the smoke and dust.

His blue robe hissed under the corrosive poisonous fog, but his exposed skin emitted a faint bronze glow, keeping all the poison out.

"So this is Corpse Dragon Ridge...?"

Su Chen took a deep breath.

The air was thick with the smell of decay, stench, and an overwhelming, suffocating death.

If an ordinary True Immortal cultivator, or even a Golden Immortal, were to breathe in the air here, their primordial spirit would likely be corrupted.

But a hint of infatuation appeared in Su Chen's eyes.

"Such a strong sense of the laws of death..."

"Although they died of decay, there was plenty of food to fill you up."

The Longevity Tree within his body, its roots representing "life," was now violently agitated by the extreme "death" surrounding him.

Yin and Yang give rise to each other, and things will inevitably reverse when they reach their extremes.

For the Immortal Tree, the ultimate death is the best fertilizer!

"Roar--!!"

"A stranger?! How dare you trespass on Corpse Dragon Ridge!"

"Kill him! Present him to His Majesty the Dragon Emperor!"

Just then, countless scarlet eyes lit up in the surrounding darkness.

Thousands of corpse puppets and bone beasts surged forth like a tide. Leading them was a "corpse dragon" whose entire body was rotting, exuding the aura of an early-stage Golden Immortal.

It is the patrol commander of Corpse Dragon Ridge.

"Roar!"

The corpse dragon opened its blood-red maw and spewed out a stream of pitch-black corpse fire, trying to burn this ignorant human to ashes.

Su Chen didn't even glance at it.

He simply lifted his foot and lightly stomped on the ground.

"Eternal Life - Bronze Realm".

hum-

A bronze-colored ripple spread out from Su Chen to a radius of ten miles in an instant.

Wherever they went, time seemed to stand still.

The menacing corpse puppets and bone beasts suddenly froze.

Then, a terrifying scene unfolded.

Their bodies began to sprout at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Yes, it sprouted.

From their rotting flesh and from their withered bones, bronze-colored shoots sprouted. These shoots frantically absorbed their deathly aura as nourishment, and then rapidly grew and blossomed.

"No... what is this... my corpse energy... my power..."

The Golden Immortal-level corpse dragon screamed in terror as it watched its body transform into a giant flowerpot, with countless roots taking root within it, plundering all the essence of its corpse cultivation accumulated over tens of thousands of years.

In just three breaths.

Within a radius of ten miles, the once gloomy and terrifying mountain of corpses and sea of ​​bones has been transformed into a lush "bronze forest".

Those corpse puppets and bone beasts all became nutrients for the forest, leaving not even a trace.

Only a few "Necromancer Orbs" emitting a ghostly glow floated in mid-air, like ripe fruits.

Su Chen casually reached out and sucked the largest Death Spirit Pearl, which was transformed from the Corpse Dragon, into his hand, then threw it into his mouth and chewed it up with a "crunch".

"It's a bit tough on the teeth, but the taste is alright."

Su Chen clapped his hands and looked up at the deepest part of Corpse Dragon Ridge.

There, a pair of eyes, larger than the stars, slowly opened.

That was the Corpse Dragon Emperor.

"You, are you that human criminal on the run? Su Chen?"

An ancient, hoarse sound, like two tombstones rubbing together, resounded in Su Chen's mind.

Accompanied by the sound, a fourth-realm pressure powerful enough to freeze the soul descended with a roar!

This is the true fourth realm! Although it is a "pseudo-Great Luo" who has cultivated based on corpses, it is by no means comparable to the likes of Tie Wuyai and Feng Xing.

But Su Chen smiled.

He withstood the terrifying pressure and walked step by step deeper into the depths.

"it's me."

"I've heard that His Majesty the Dragon Emperor possesses a mountain of treasures, so I, his new neighbor, have come here... to borrow something."

"Borrow what?" The Dragon Emperor's voice carried a hint of mockery and murderous intent. "Borrow my life?"

"Do not."

Su Chen raised his head, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.

"I'll borrow your... body for a bit."

……

……

The core of Corpse Dragon Ridge, the Throne of Ten Thousand Bones.

This palace was transformed from the skull of that ancient dragon.

The Corpse Dragon Emperor sat enthroned on his throne.

He did not maintain his dragon form, but transformed into a middle-aged man wearing a gray robe, with a pale face and eyes that had only whites and no pupils.

In his hands, he toyed with two still-dripping skulls, belonging to two unfortunate Golden Immortal cultivators.

"Lend me your body?"

The Corpse Dragon Emperor watched Su Chen walk into the main hall step by step, a strange smile appearing on his pale face.

"It's been so many years... Ever since I devoured those three small worlds, no one in the outer reaches of this Void Domain has dared to speak to me like this."

"Human, you have guts. You're much better than those rats who just hide in Black Iron City."

The Dragon Emperor did not make a move immediately.

At his level, killing was no longer the goal, but a means. He was very interested in Su Chen.

A freak who is wanted by the Heavenly Court, yet can kill the Heavenly Soldiers and transform death energy into life.

This is simply... perfect material for possession!

"I know what you're capable of."

The Dragon Emperor casually crushed the skull in his hand, letting the bone dust fall. "You can devour laws, you can transform energy. Inside your body, there is a very special tree."

"I really like that tree."

"Give it to me, and I may spare your life. I might even make you my leader of the corpse slaves, and share this desolate land with you."

Su Chen stopped and stood in the center of the hall.

He looked around; every brick and stone in the hall was polished from the bones of a strong person and was filled with resentment.

"Sharing the empire?"

Su Chen shook his head. "Your perspective is too narrow."

"You've guarded this dragon corpse for hundreds of thousands of years, relying on eating rotten flesh and absorbing death energy to barely cultivate to a mediocre fourth realm."

"You think you're a king? No, you're just a maggot living in a corpse."

"If I hadn't been injured by the Heavenly Emperor, you, a mere maggot, wouldn't even be worthy of seeing me, let alone being my opponent!" (End of Chapter)