I only reached the Foundation Establishment stage at eighty years old, and then the system appeared.

Five more years passed. Yang Hongbo had been transferred to the capital. His cultivation level had reached the early stage of Grandmaster. However, there was no vacancy for the position of Commander, so he was still serving as the Commander of the Northern Garrison.

He already had over 40,000 system points. Although this world was full of strange things, it was also very rare to find treasures, so it took him several years to accumulate so many.

The higher one's position, the more one sees. Ordinary people see many strange and dangerous things in the wild, while those in officialdom see many who hold high positions but make deals with the people of a county or even a prefecture for their own or their family's benefit.

Yang Hongbo serves as the Zhenfushi (a high-ranking official) in the Northern Garrison of the capital. He handles various bizarre cases and official affairs every day. Although he holds a high position, he feels that the complexity and darkness of this world are far beyond his imagination.

That day, Yang Hongbo was reviewing official documents at his desk when a subordinate rushed in to report: "Sir, there's an urgent confidential report!"

Yang Hongbo frowned, put down the official document in his hand, and said, "Speak."

The subordinate looked tense and said, "Sir, according to reliable sources, an extremely strange and heinous thing has happened in Qingping County, which is under the jurisdiction of Qingyan Prefecture. Li Mao, the garrison commander of Qingping County, has secretly colluded with the demon beast clan in order to improve his ancestor's cultivation level, and is trading the people and demon beasts in the county under his jurisdiction."

Upon hearing this, Yang Hongbo's face instantly darkened, and he asked, "What exactly happened? What kind of deal is he making with human beings and demonic beasts?"

The subordinate hurriedly said, "It is said that Li Mao somehow learned of a portion of the Demon Emperor's essence blood. If one could obtain it, it would allow his ancestor to break through to the Grandmaster realm. So he reached an agreement with the demon beast clan, offering some of the people of Qingping County as sacrifices to the demon beasts, while allowing the demon beasts to freely hunt and kill the humans they needed within Qingping County, in exchange for that portion of the Demon Emperor's essence blood."

Yang Hongbo slammed his fist on the table in anger, shouting, "How dare Li Mao! He dares to harm innocent people for his own selfish gain and even collude with demonic beasts! What is the current situation in Qingping County?"

The subordinate sighed and said, "Sir, in order to cover our tracks, Li Mao has blocked all news of entering and leaving Qingping County. Now the outside world knows very little about the situation inside Qingping County. But according to the few people who escaped, the county is in a terrible state, with countless dead and injured, and monsters running rampant. It's like a living hell."

Yang Hongbo stood up and paced back and forth in the room. After a moment of thought, he said, "This matter is of utmost importance and must be reported to the imperial court immediately. At the same time, I will personally go to Qingping County to investigate the truth. If the situation is true, Li Mao must be brought to justice!"

Soon, Yang Hongbo led a team of elite men and rode at full speed to Qingyan Prefecture. Upon arrival, he first met with General Wang, the prefectural garrison commander.

Upon seeing Yang Hongbo, General Wang hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Lord Yang, you've finally arrived. I've heard about what happened in Qingping County, but Li Mao has been blocking the news, and all the men I sent were turned back, so I haven't been able to find out the details."

Yang Hongbo said solemnly, "General Wang, I have a general understanding of this matter. Li Mao, for his own selfish desires, has committed such a heinous act. We must enter Qingping County as soon as possible to rescue the people and punish the murderer."

General Wang nodded and said, "Lord Yang is right, but Li Mao has a tight blockade. How can we enter Qingping County?"

Yang Hongbo pondered for a moment and said, "I have a plan. We can disguise ourselves as a caravan and infiltrate Qingping County. General Wang, you are in charge of preparing the caravan's supplies, and I will arrange for my men to disguise themselves as caravan members."

After everything was ready, Yang Hongbo and his group disguised themselves as a merchant caravan and headed towards Qingping County. When they arrived at the border of Qingping County, they were indeed stopped by a group of guards.

The lead guard shouted, "Who are you? What are you doing in Qingping County?"

Yang Hongbo stepped forward and said with a smile, "Sir, we are a passing merchant caravan. We have heard that Qingping County has many fine goods and would like to do some business here."

The guard looked Yang Hongbo and his group up and down, and said, "Qingping County is currently under lockdown, and outsiders are not allowed to enter. You should go back."

Yang Hongbo quickly took out a bag of silver from his pocket, handed it to the guard, and said, "Sir, please do us a favor. We're just a small business owner and won't cause any trouble. Please accept this small token of our appreciation."

The guard took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and his expression softened somewhat. He said, "You don't seem like troublemakers, so go in. But I'd like to remind you to behave yourselves in Qingping County and not wander off."

Yang Hongbo nodded hurriedly in agreement and led the caravan into Qingping County. Upon entering the county, the scene before them was shocking. The streets were deserted, almost devoid of pedestrians; those few they did see were emaciated and terrified. Most of the houses were dilapidated, some even beyond recognition due to damage caused by demonic beasts.

Yang Hongbo approached a seemingly bold villager and asked, "Old man, what exactly happened in Qingping County? Why has it become like this?"

The old man glanced at Yang Hongbo, his eyes filled with fear and helplessness, and said, "Alas, it's all the fault of that city garrison commander, Li Mao. In order to improve his ancestor's cultivation, he colluded with demonic beasts and traded our lives for them. Now demonic beasts roam the county, and people are either dead or have fled. Those of us who haven't fled can only hide at home and dare not go out."

Yang Hongbo said angrily, "This Li Mao is utterly depraved! Old man, do you know where Li Mao and his ancestor are now?"

The old man hesitated for a moment, then said, "I only know that they live in the city garrison, but it is now guarded by many demonic beasts. You must not go there; going there will only be suicide."

Yang Hongbo thanked the old man and said to his men, "Everyone, be careful. When we go to the city garrison, we must find Li Mao and his ancestor and bring them to justice."

When they arrived near the city lord's mansion, they indeed saw many demonic beasts patrolling the area. After observing for a while, Yang Hongbo said, "Let's split up and infiltrate the city lord's mansion from different directions. Once we find Li Mao and his ancestor, we'll give the signal and attack together."

His subordinates nodded in agreement and, following Yang Hongbo's instructions, quietly infiltrated the city magistrate's mansion. Yang Hongbo, relying on his superior cultivation and agile skills, successfully evaded the patrols of the demonic beasts and arrived at the inner courtyard of the mansion.

In a secret room in the inner courtyard, Yang Hongbo overheard Li Mao's conversation with his ancestor.

Li Mao respectfully said, "Ancestor, we have obtained the Demon Emperor's essence blood. As long as you refine it, you can break through to the Grandmaster realm. At that time, our Li family will be able to dominate the region and no one will be able to defeat us."

The old ancestor's hoarse voice came: "Hmph, you did a good job with this matter. However, that demon beast clan is no benevolent creature either. If we trade with them, we may face trouble in the future."

Li Mao said, "Don't worry, Ancestor. Once you break through to the Grandmaster realm, those demonic beasts will be no match for us. At that time, we will not only be able to control Qingping County, but also bring the surrounding prefectures and counties under our control."

Upon hearing this, Yang Hongbo could no longer contain his anger and roared, "You two villains, today is your death day!" With that, he burst through the door, weapon in hand, and charged towards Li Mao and his ancestor.

Li Mao and his ancestor were startled by this sudden turn of events, but they quickly recovered. Li Mao shouted, "Who are you? How dare you trespass here!"

Yang Hongbo sneered, "I am Yang Hongbo, the Garrison Commander of the Northern Garrison of the Capital. You have harmed the people and colluded with demonic beasts for your own selfish desires. Today, I will bring you to justice!"

As they spoke, Yang Hongbo engaged in a fierce battle with Li Mao and his ancestor. Although the ancestor had not yet fully refined the Demon Emperor's blood essence, his strength was not to be underestimated. With Li Mao assisting him from the side, Yang Hongbo found it difficult to gain the upper hand for the time being.

Just then, Yang Hongbo's men heard the signal and rushed to their aid. Under their combined attack, Li Mao and his patriarch gradually found themselves at a disadvantage. Finally, Yang Hongbo seized the opportunity and stabbed Li Mao with his sword, killing him. The patriarch, too badly wounded to fight, was subdued by Yang Hongbo and his men.

Yang Hongbo exposed the crimes of Li Mao and his ancestor to the public, rescued the remaining people of Qingping County, and reported the case to the imperial court, which severely punished Li Mao's family.

However, this matter was not over yet. Not long after Yang Hongbo finished dealing with the affairs of Qingping County, another shocking piece of news came from the capital. The Chen family, a powerful clan in the capital, in order to prolong the life of their ancestor, had actually set a trap with the zombie clan and ambushed the entire Ziyuan Prefecture's demon-slaying envoys.

Upon receiving the news, Yang Hongbo immediately rushed back to the capital. In a secret conference room in the capital, high-ranking officials of the court were discussing the matter.

One minister angrily exclaimed, "The Chen family is utterly audacious! They dare to collude with the zombie clan and ambush the demon-slaying envoy—this is blatant defiance of the imperial court!"

Another minister said, "The most urgent task now is to find out the truth as soon as possible, bring the Chen family and all their associates to justice, and at the same time appease the people of Ziyuan Prefecture and the family of the Demon Slayer."

Upon learning of this, Yang Hongbo accepted the task, saying, "Sir, I am willing to go to Ziyuan Mansion to investigate the truth of this matter and bring the murderer to justice."

After deliberation, the court officials agreed to Yang Hongbo's request. Yang Hongbo then led his men to the Ziyuan Mansion once again.

At the Ziyuan Mansion, after some investigation, Yang Hongbo finally uncovered the truth. It turned out that the Chen family patriarch was nearing the end of his life, and the Chen family had been searching far and wide for treasures to prolong his life. They later learned that the zombie clan possessed a portion of the Corpse Emperor's Blood Essence, which, if obtained, could extend the Chen family patriarch's lifespan.

Therefore, the Chen family colluded with the zombie clan, set a trap, lured the demon slayers of the Ziyuan Mansion to a secluded place, and then launched an ambush, killing all the demon slayers and obtaining the essence blood of the Corpse Emperor.

After uncovering the truth, Yang Hongbo immediately reported to the imperial court and, in conjunction with other forces, launched a campaign to annihilate the Chen family and the zombie clan. After a fierce battle, the Chen family and the zombie clan were completely wiped out, and the Chen family patriarch died on the spot due to the loss of the Corpse Emperor's essence blood.

Although these evildoers received the most severe punishment, the foundation of the dynasty was severely damaged. The people's trust in the court waned, and destabilizing factors began to emerge in various regions.

Finally, Yang Hongbo collected 50,000 points and exchanged them for a Divine Art of Emperor's Domination, which could be cultivated to the peak of the Divine Realm, and began to cultivate it.

From the start of his cultivation to becoming a Grandmaster, Yang Hongbo only took a little over ten years, less than twenty. During this time, he relied on his extraordinary talent and unwavering perseverance to continuously break through his own limits. However, it took him nearly fifty years to reach the peak of the Divine Realm. During these fifty years, he searched for the Black Dragon Demon King's whereabouts while diligently cultivating the Emperor's Domination Divine Art.

One day, Yang Hongbo was in seclusion cultivating in a mountain cave when he suddenly heard a commotion outside. He opened his eyes, stepped out of the cave, and saw a subordinate rushing towards him, saying, "Sir, something terrible has happened! A black dragon is wreaking havoc on the land, causing houses to collapse and countless people to die wherever it goes."

Yang Hongbo frowned and asked, "What is the origin of this black dragon? How strong is it?"

The subordinate said, "According to the people who escaped, this is a giant four-legged snake that is about to advance to the divine realm. It is extremely powerful, and ordinary martial artists are no match for it."

Yang Hongbo snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, how dare it act so recklessly! I will definitely kill it and restore peace to the people." With that, he flashed and rushed towards the place where the black dragon was rampaging.

When Yang Hongbo arrived there, he saw a gigantic black dragon wreaking havoc on everything around it. It was enormous, its scales shimmering with black light, and it exuded a powerful aura.

Yang Hongbo roared, "You beast, stop committing murder!" With that, he drew his longsword and charged toward the black dragon.

Upon seeing Yang Hongbo, the black dragon roared and lunged at him with its gaping maw. Yang Hongbo dodged the attack, then thrust his sword into the dragon's body. The black dragon cried out in pain, twisting its body and whipping its tail towards Yang Hongbo.

Yang Hongbo quickly leaped up, dodging the black dragon's tail, and then launched another attack. He unleashed the Emperor's Domination Divine Art, his longsword flashing with light, and powerful sword energies shot towards the black dragon. Although the black dragon was powerful, it gradually found itself at a disadvantage under Yang Hongbo's attacks.

After a fierce battle, Yang Hongbo finally found the black dragon's weakness. Seizing the opportunity, he thrust his sword into the black dragon's vital point. The black dragon let out a desperate roar, then collapsed heavily to the ground, dead.

Yang Hongbo was about to leave when he suddenly sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching. He was startled, thinking, "This is bad, could this black dragon have accomplices?"

Soon, a colossal figure appeared before Yang Hongbo. It was a true black dragon, several times larger than the black serpent, radiating a terrifying aura.

The black dragon looked at the dead black dragon and let out a furious roar, saying, "Human, how dare you kill my descendant! Today I will make you pay for this in blood!"

Yang Hongbo, undaunted, said, "You Black Dragon Demon King, you allowed your descendants to wreak havoc on the human world and harm innocent people. Today, I kill it to rid the people of this scourge. If you wish to avenge it, then bring it on!"

The Black Dragon Demon King roared and charged towards Yang Hongbo. Yang Hongbo was not to be outdone, unleashing his Emperor's Domination Divine Skill and engaging the Black Dragon Demon King in a thrilling and intense battle.

The battle lasted for three days and three nights. Both Yang Hongbo and the Black Dragon Demon King used all their skills, and for a time it was difficult to determine a winner. However, Yang Hongbo gradually gained the upper hand by relying on his tenacious will and superb martial arts.

Finally, Yang Hongbo seized the opportunity and unleashed his strongest attack, a massive sword aura shooting towards the Black Dragon Demon King. Unable to dodge in time, the Black Dragon Demon King was struck by the sword aura and severely injured.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yang Hongbo launched another attack, piercing the Black Dragon Demon King's heart with his sword. The Black Dragon Demon King let out a scream, then collapsed to the ground, dying instantly.

Looking at the dead Black Dragon Demon King, Yang Hongbo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Finally, I've killed this villain. The people can rest easy now." After saying that, he turned and left.

At that moment, a panel appeared in his mind with the words: Passed the second level.

In an instant, he appeared in a passageway, with a portal of light in front of him. Only then did he realize that he was on a mission to advance to the level of a Sovereign!

He strode in!