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

Bloodlust strangled the gun handle.

"How did it manage to flip through this line?"

"Two days ago, a secret passage for delivering goods was opened. Mo Mingling followed the soul energy that was being delivered and found the gate over there."

Lin Qingxue filled the gate with Soul-Stabilizing Sand, and the extent of the causal relationship involved in the black markings was also thoroughly investigated by the other party.

The sound of illusion shifted to the long table.

"It investigated all your connections with both sides and went straight to the thickest vein."

Aside from Chen Ya and the others, it locked up Lin Qingxue.

No one in the room responded.

The Nine Netherworlds spoke up to question him.

What's the significance of the patterns being completely cleaned up?

Zhou Ran lowered his left arm.

"Firstly, the interdimensional passage has been destroyed, and I can no longer return to Earth."

Secondly, the aftershocks of the causal break are enough to serve as a guiding light for the Emperor's son, illuminating the entirety of the blue planet.

Previously, Crimson Scales only managed to reach a small patch of sea; now that Black Mark has been destroyed, the Imperial Prince can simply find the right direction and charge straight in.

Mingcang was so startled that he couldn't even hold the pen properly.

This is a brilliant move.

The roads are destroyed, the city is destroyed, and people can't go back.

Xiao Rou gripped the bottom of the Gu worm box tightly, and the golden worms made a sound as they bumped against the wall.

"How else can we remedy this?"

"Can we force-feed the black stripe with power, or try changing the anchor point?"

Zhou Ran spoke into the remaining sound transmission array.

"How many pounds of Soul-Stabilizing Sand are left?"

"Four thousand eight."

Filling in all the information might slow down the progress, but that's about it. Four days has dragged on to five and a half.

Lin Qingxue reported the remaining grain.

Five and a half days at most.

The official who brought the calamity was scheduled to arrive in six days.

The two parts collided, and the point of contact was perfectly sealed.

The prince had already grasped the progress clearly.

The black markings disappeared first, followed by the arrival of the Calamity Official.

The former provided it with a bright direction, while the latter then swept across the six heavens.

Huanyin tapped the table back and forth with her index finger.

"That guy's ability to calculate the time is unparalleled."

The bloodthirsty spear slashed diagonally at the magic array.

"Hey Lin, when you were working on this pattern, didn't you carve a second template as a backup?"

Lin Qingxue hesitated for a long time.

"There is no cure."

The rejection from the other end left no room for negotiation.

"That's something built on human relationships; both sides must be willing and stand together for it to leave its mark. You can't just imitate it with formations."

His brows furrowed in a bloodthirsty expression.

"If this line can't be saved, don't even think about going back."

The Nine Netherworlds went straight to the point.

"Use a broken bone pen."

Following Jiu You's prompt, everyone's attention turned to Zhou Ran.

The implication is very easy to understand.

By using the remaining pen to reverse the command that would obliterate the path, all crises will naturally be resolved.

Zhou Ran remained silent with a sullen face.

The bone fragments inside the sleeve were still warm.

There's only enough to write one word. If all of it is used up here, one will surely die if one encounters the calamity that follows.

He couldn't bring himself to do it, as he was focused on the beginning but neglected the end.

"The remaining ink must be left to that official who erased the name."

Zhou Ran dashed everyone's hopes.

A bloodthirsty spear stomped on the ground.

"Are we just going to let these black lines dissipate?"

"Let's find another way."

Huan Yin glanced at him up and down, too lazy to expose him.

Zhou Ran's actions clearly indicate that he already had other solutions in mind.

Within the remnant array's eye, another person's voice transmission squeezed into the main hall.

This time, Yue Zhao didn't rely on the cargo secret passage; she forced her way in and spoke through the chaotic magic power of the black patterns that were teetering on the verge of collapse.

"Zhou Ran".

Yue Zhao's voice is not as strong as before, but her enunciation is still very heavy.

"The root of the problem lies in the depth of human relationships; they've targeted your most significant connection with that person over there."

The remaining troops paused for a moment.

"It severed the strongest bond of affection."

The conversation ended.

The frozen formation could not withstand any more consumption, so Yue Zhao disconnected.

Huanyin paused, stopping her knuckles from tapping the wooden board.

The veins on his bloodthirsty hands had mostly disappeared.

A few flickers flashed in Jiuyou's eyes.

Everyone present understood the clues that Yue Zhao was conveying.

The imperial prince swept through the entanglements of both realms, targeting only the weakest point in the system.

He bypassed his several close companions and godmothers, and chose Lin Qingxue alone.

The weight of this bond is clearly measured by the Emperor's Laws.

The room fell silent; anyone who dared to take the bait would be seen as disrespectful.

Zhou Ran's eyes slanted towards the sleeve.

Then cover the mark another inch.

In the past, Lin Qingxue activated all the original sources of the Dharma Eyes, pressing the word "return" into her meridians, blood, and bones.

She said, "If you keep thinking about coming back, the road will naturally open."

Now this magic array is forcing him to give up all thoughts.

The decree to erase one's name cannot change people's hearts; it directly strips Zhou Ran of the sense of connection between himself and his homeland.

With one person monopolizing the throne of demonic cultivators across four realms, his very foundation in the mortal world should rot and break.

The tree is large but its roots are thin; the black veins all come from the inside where it rotted.

Zhou Ran covered his left wrist with his five fingers.

It was burning hot to the touch beneath the skin; those were the traces of Lin Qingxue's primordial energy gradually being depleted and lost.

He straightened up.

"Mingcang".

"Your subordinate is here."

"Go back and check the records of the two-way navigation in the military register. Take out all the goods that have passed through the broken passage, the guarantees on the tokens, and even the broken copper and scrap metal from the previous times that were destroyed, and count them all."

Mingcang received the order and quickly left.

Qin San stepped forward, sword in hand.

"Master, I'll go and hold them off to the death right now."

Zhou Ran raised his hand.

"Lead people down to the eighth level and make rubbings of all the ancient inscriptions and store them in the archives. Those are the causal traditions left by our predecessors; they might even contain the prescriptions to restore one's foundation."

Qin San was ordered to rush to the deep well.

A bloodthirsty spear blocked Zhou Ran's path.

"The road's already in ruins, how do you plan to clean it up?"

Zhou Ran looked towards the past.

Those eyes were filled with resentment and a sense of helplessness, and they were very restless.

"Bloodlust."

Zhou Ran called to her.

Bloodlust paused in place; such a flat address without any respectful title was truly rare.

"To do my part."

"speak."

"Search the bottom of your blood-soaked pool. Is there anything that can stop the progress of corruption? We don't need a complete cure, just stall for two days."

Bloodlust pondered for a moment.

"The essence blood that sank to the bottom of the ancestral pool does indeed have this effect. I can use it to muddle through and get by for you, but this stuff is meat-based, and excessive consumption will inevitably damage your meridians."

"It's up to you to decide."

Bloodlust accepted the task, picked up his gun, and set off, only to suddenly stop halfway down the road.

"Zhou Ran".

Zhou Ran looked at her.

Bloodlust turned his back to him, his spear pressed against his shoulder.

"If this place is completely destroyed, I can use the Blood Sea Ancestral Pool to reconnect it. If the main road can't be saved, I'll build you a side path."

She strode away.

Only Huan Yin and Jiu You remained in the vast hall.

Huanyin leaned against the large red beam, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Keep it from Lin Qingxue, don't tell her the truth."

The words were spoken bluntly.

Zhou Ran replied to her.

"If she reveals her true nature, she will surely drain all her essence and send it into the door frame. Her magical artifact already has cracks and cannot withstand any more abuse."

Jiuyou then revealed the second half of the hidden danger.

"The Emperor's plan is to torment each other. If you remain silent and wait for her to realize something is amiss before she goes to fight for her life, can you really stop her?"

Zhou Ran strode towards the door.

"I want to pave the new road before the foundation is completely exposed."

He leaped over the threshold.

The exposed half of the black pattern pulsated slightly in response to the pulling of the array gate, which was thousands of miles away.

But the movement was already pitifully weak.