After I stopped trying, a rich woman trained me into a demon emperor.

At the center of the sound transmission array, twelve white bone pillars lit up simultaneously.

The aura pressing in from the direction of the Nine Nether Well penetrated through layers of spatial turbulence, creating a narrow crack in the center of the array.

Behind the rift, black mist surged, and a hand covered in black and gold scales could be vaguely seen slowly forming a hand seal at the other end of the demon realm barrier.

Mingcang was deathly pale.

He had followed Tun Gu for hundreds of years and had seen powerful beings who had crossed tribulations make moves across domains, but he had never seen anyone who could make all thirty-six demonic veins of the entire Tun Tian Demon Palace submit at the same time with just a wisp of divine sense.

Even before the divine messenger arrived, the oppressive aura had already forced the formation to make way on its own.

"Delivery routes are expanding."

Xiao Rou squatted by the edge of the formation, while golden Gu worms crawled along the white bone pillar.

She looked at the black spots on the Gu worm's wings, her tone unusually solemn.

"At this rate, the Nine Nether Well will be able to accommodate the main body's passage in at most three hours. If the Nine Nether Ancestor cooperates from within, the time will be even shorter."

Qin San gripped the hilt of his sword and scanned the black and gold hidden nails that had been sealed off in the formation.

"Your Majesty, the Nine Nether Well is 370,000 miles from the Demon Palace. If we send troops there now, we'll only be sending them into the encirclement they've already prepared."

Zhou Ran did not answer.

A black line remained below his brow. The crack in his primordial spirit had been filled by the source of the illusory sound, but it could not withstand a second impact from the rules.

The White Bone Pen is only half intact, and the power within the Primordial Black Blade has not yet been restored.

Given his current state, he would have to pay a price even if he encountered another Grand Duke in the Tribulation Transcending stage, let alone the Divine Envoy whose cultivation far surpassed that of a Tribulation Transcending stage cultivator.

Huan Yin raised her hand to seal the sound transmission array, cutting off the continued infiltration of energy from the direction of the Nine Nether Well.

"What you lack now is not a few experts, but a complete military formation capable of sealing off spatial nodes."

Huan Yin looked at Zhou Ran, the dark red light in her eyes receding.

"The remnants of the Bone Devouring Army have been scattered by the Heavenly Tribulation, and they cannot hold the twelve delivery routes. The 30,000 Illusionary Demon Guards of the Formless Domain can fill the gap."

Mingcang suddenly looked up.

The Illusionary Demon Guards of the Boundless Domain were personally trained by Huan Yin. In terms of direct combat, they might not be able to defeat the heavily armored demon army of the Bone Devourer, but they are best at concealment, disruption, and blocking of divine sense.

With 30,000 Illusionary Demon Guards deployed, it would be enough to keep ten times the number of enemy troops lost in the snowfield for months.

That army never obeyed orders from outsiders.

Zhou Ran understood what she meant, but did not reach out.

"What are your conditions?"

Huan Yin turned her head to the side, looking at him with a half-smile.

"I just filled the rift in your primordial spirit and then helped you provoke the Emperor's son. Now I'm willing to offer 30,000 Illusionary Demon Guards, and you still have to ask for a price first. No wonder Chen Ya can shrug things off with you."

"Clear accounts prevent bad debts from arising in the future."

Zhou Ran spoke calmly.

"Since the Boundless Realm is willing to send troops, I will record their military merits and bear the losses in battle. If you want to use this to demand anything else, speak now."

Huan Yin stared at him for a moment, the broken bell at her ankle swaying gently.

She suppressed her smile and turned to walk out of the secret room.

"Summon all commanders of the Demon Palace. Some things I will only say once, so that no one will pretend to be deaf in the future using Ye Futian's name."

Half an incense stick later, in the main hall of the Devouring Heaven Demon Palace.

Gu Ji, Ming Cang, and more than twenty military commanders lined up on both sides.

All the generals who surrendered after Tun Gu's death were present, but many of them had shifty expressions.

Zhou Ran sat on the throne, with the Taihuang Black Blade held horizontally in front of him.

His injuries to his primordial spirit made his aura appear exceptionally calm, but the calmer he was, the less anyone dared to forget the blade that severed the flesh of the Devouring Bone.

Huanyin walked in from outside the hall.

Instead of sitting on the throne armrest, she stood at the foot of the nine steps and reached out to remove a dark red square seal from her waist.

The moment the square seal appeared, the color of the entire hall faded.

The commanders heard tens of thousands of overlapping breaths. The thirty thousand Illusionary Demon Guards of the Formless Domain were already arrayed outside the hall, waiting for the seal to be issued.

"The Seal of the Lord of the Formless Domain!"

Mingcang's breath hitched.

Huan Yin held the square seal and looked around at everyone in the hall.

"From this day forward, the Wuxiang Pavilion will be under the unified command of the Devouring Heaven Demon Palace. The 30,000 Illusion Demon Guards, the twelve cities of the Wuxiang Snowfield, and the seven inter-domain teleportation arrays will all be included in the wartime military register."

Several former generals in the hall simultaneously showed expressions of surprise.

Huan Yin ignored them and continued speaking.

"I acknowledge Zhou Ran. As for the karma between him and Ye Futian, let them settle it themselves. Anyone who still wants to use someone who has been dead for 30,000 years to pressure him should come to Wuxiang Pavilion and ask me first."

With a flick of her hand, the Seal of the Lord of the Formless Domain spanned the main hall and stopped in front of Zhou Ran.

Zhou Ran reached out and took the seal.

The moment the two made contact, the soul voices of 30,000 Illusionary Demon Guards emanated from the seal.

Countless auras converged to form a complete military register, presenting cities, granaries, armaments, and a list of commanders one by one.

No one in the hall dared to utter a sound.

Gu Ji lowered his head, completely suppressing his thoughts.

An old general clad in heavy bronze armor stepped out of the ranks.

This person is named Tu Huai, and he was once the Nascent Soul stage commander under Tun Gu, responsible for guarding the West Warehouse.

He did not participate in the Heavenly Tribulation War, and still commands 5,000 heavily armored soldiers, making him the one among the former generals whose strength has been best preserved.

Tu Huai first bowed to Huan Yin, then looked up and stared directly at Zhou Ran.

"Since the Empress is willing to send troops, I should not say anything more."

However, the Six Heavens have always been ruled by the strong. After Emperor Zun killed Devourer Bone, he has been recuperating in seclusion. First, Empress Huanyin personally entered the palace, and now she has accepted the seal of the Lord of the Formless Domain.

If outsiders say that the Emperor seized power through women, how should we explain this to him?

Several former players exchanged glances discreetly.

Before Zhou Ran could speak, Huan Yin turned her head away.

"You just said, who did he rely on to seize power?"

Tu Huai's breathing faltered slightly, but he still forced himself to speak.

"This humble general is only worried about the rumors circulating outside. The military power of the Wuxiang Domain fell into the hands of the Demon Palace too quickly, and there will always be people who misunderstand that the Empress has been bewitched."

Huanyin raised a finger and gently tapped him.

Tu Huai did not feel any pain.

But the main hall before him vanished, and all sounds around him ceased.

Immediately afterwards, the sensations in my nose, on the tip of my tongue, and on my skin gradually faded.

He was still standing there, fully conscious, but he couldn't see, hear, or feel his own hands and feet.

All five senses were lost.

Tu Huai wanted to beg for mercy, but he couldn't even be sure if he made a sound.

The demonic energy within him was not sealed, and his cultivation at the Integration Stage remained, but he couldn't even sense the flow of spiritual energy. He stood frozen in the hall, like a withered tree.

Huanyin withdrew her finger, a smile still on her face.

"It is none of your business, that dog who swallows bones, can explain who I entrust my troops to."

Since you are worried about the rumors, kneel outside the palace and listen carefully.

"When you learn to shut up, then you can come back and admit your mistakes."

Two demon generals stepped forward and dragged the person away.

As soon as Tu Huai's legs were touched, he completely lost his balance and knelt heavily on the ground.

He was unable to utter a complete sentence until he was dragged out of the main hall.

The remaining veterans felt a chill run down their spines, and no one dared to raise their heads again.

Huan Yin turned to Zhou Ran, her tone casual.

"I have cleaned your ears. Now it's your turn to keep track of the accounts."