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

Bloodlust turned and took three steps.

Before he could take the fourth step, the sole of his boot remained rooted to the spot, as if it were welded to the stone slab.

She turned her head away, her red eyes not filled with jealousy.

It was murderous intent.

The spear fell from his shoulder, its tip pointing to the ground. The essence of the Blood Sea spread along the spear shaft, and crimson patterns covered the entire corridor floor.

Bloodlust turned around and strode back.

She kicked open the side hall door frame. Wood chips flew everywhere, and the door panel, hinges and all, smashed against the wall, sending dust flying.

Huanyin's hand was still clasped around Zhou Ran's wrist.

Bloodlust attacked as soon as he entered. He reached out with his left hand, his five fingers gripping Huan Yin's wrist, and the power of the Blood Sea surged from his palm.

"Let go."

Two words.

The illusion didn't loosen.

She turned her head to look at Bloodlust, her dark red eyes carrying a hint of inexplicable provocation.

"What business is it of yours if I want to hold onto it?"

The bloodthirsty spear butt slammed into the stone slab, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the floor of the entire side hall.

"Your ancestral blood is marked on his neck."

Bloodlust gripped Huan Yin's wrist tightly, his knuckles turning white. "The 300,000 Blood Demon soldiers outside recognize me. What do you mean by embracing him?"

Huan Yin flicked her hand, her dark red soul power forcing the bloodthirsty five fingers back half an inch.

"My soul imprint, which resonates with his, resides in his sea of ​​consciousness. Your imprint is on his skin; you can wipe it off with a bit of sweat."

What can you compare to what I've planted in my soul?

Two auras of those at the Tribulation Transcending stage clashed within a three-foot square space.

The walls of the side hall are cracked.

The black coffin was shaken and slid back half a foot.

Zhou Ran was caught in the middle, his left arm still in a sling, his right hand holding a knife between the two men.

That's enough.

Bloodlust ignored him. His red eyes were fixed on Huan Yin, and the spear was already drawn from his side.

Huan Yin didn't let up either. Dark red soul power swirled between her fingers, her domain ready to expand at any moment.

If two peak-stage Transcending Tribulation cultivators were to get serious, this room wouldn't last even a moment.

A deathly aura poured in from the doorway.

Silent and still, colder than the night wind.

Jiuyou walked in barefoot, her black dress trailing down to her ankles. Her face, illuminated by the aftershocks of the two magical energies, appeared as white as paper.

But the aura emanating from her was heavier than the previous two combined.

The deathly aura did not spread; it merely formed a thin layer along the ground.

The powers of Bloodlust and Illusionary Sound paused momentarily upon touching the layer of deathly aura.

The Law of Coffin Burial. The most basic rule of suppression in the Nine Netherworlds.

It's not an attack. It's a warning.

If they make a fuss again, there will be a place for the two of them in the black coffin.

Jiuyou walked to the middle of the three, glanced at the way Shixue was gripping Huanyin's wrist, and then looked at Huanyin's hand on Zhou Ran's wrist.

His name is engraved on the coffin lid.

Jiuyou's words were devoid of any warmth.

"You fight for the living."

She looked at Zhou Ran.

"After death, return to the original self."

The side hall fell silent.

Three auras of those at the Tribulation Transcending stage hung in mid-air, none of them withdrawing first.

Zhou Ran slammed the Taihuang Black Blade onto the stone slab, making a "thump" sound.

"Is that enough?"

Three pairs of eyes looked at him at the same time.

Zhou Ran didn't look at their faces; he was looking in the direction of the military register.

"The prince said that seven days is just an appetizer. Next time he comes, he will bring more than just a flag."

The Nine Nether Well exploded, the Sea of ​​Blood shrank by 30%, and you dropped half a rank.

He scanned the Nine Netherworlds, Bloodlust, and Illusory Sound in turn.

"Forty percent of the resources of the four regions have been wiped out. At this point, the three main generals are choking each other over personal matters. If the soldiers outside see this, how much confidence will they have left?"

The bloodthirsty spearhead hovered in mid-air, the murderous intent in his red eyes gradually fading. What remained was the anger of having his sore spot touched.

Huan Yin released her hand from Zhou Ran's wrist. She didn't pull away, but her fingers withdrew their soul power.

Jiuyou remained expressionless. The thin mist of deathly energy slowly dissipated beneath her feet.

Zhou Ran said, word by word.

"If you're going to argue, set rules."

The three of them looked at him together.

"During wartime, personal matters must not interfere with military duties."

His voice wasn't loud, but with the added power of his remaining mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, every word pierced the ears of the three like nails.

"Whoever undermines morale first will be forced to withdraw from the Sixth Heaven Council. Regardless of whether you are at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage or in the late stage, I, the Emperor, keep my word."

The fingers that had been gripping the gun with a bloodthirsty intensity loosened.

She tucked the gun back to her waist and stared at Zhou Ran with her red eyes for a long time.

"You're using military regulations to pressure me."

"You think it's unfair?" Zhou Ran met her gaze. "My rules apply equally to everyone, including myself."

He chuckled bloodthirstyly and slung the spear over his shoulder.

"Alright. I accept this rule."

She turned and took two steps, then stopped. She didn't look back.

"But once the war is over, I will settle our scores with you again."

The sound of boots faded into the distance.

Huan Yin watched the direction where Shi Xue had left, a slight smile curving her lips as she tidied her disheveled hair.

"I agree."

She strode out. As she passed Jiuyou, she tilted her head slightly.

"You win. The coffin is indeed harder than the mark and the soul charm."

Jiuyou didn't respond to that.

After the two left, only Zhou Ran and Jiu You remained in the side hall.

Jiuyou stood in front of him for three breaths without saying a word.

Then she bent down and pushed the black coffin, which had been shaken askew, back to its original position.

Before the coffin lid closed, her finger lingered for a moment on the words "This coffin is for the burial of only one person" written on the inner wall.

He got up, turned around, and walked towards the door.

As they reached the threshold, Jiuyou's words drifted back.

"The rules you set apply to both of them."

She didn't turn around.

"Whether you care about me or not is up to you to decide."

The footsteps disappeared into the depths of the corridor.

Zhou Ran stood alone in the center of the side hall, his left arm around his neck and his right hand supporting the Taihuang Black Blade, which only had one remaining pattern.

The three peak-stage Transcending Tribulation cultivators have just left the stage.

They each took a step back, but each left a deeper mark than before they came.

The bloodthirsty ancestral mark twitched twice on the side of his neck.

The soul imprint of the same frequency as Huan Yin warmed the edge of the sea of ​​consciousness for a moment.

The Nine Netherworlds' coffin burial law emitted a faint pulse of death energy on the back of his hand.

The three marks each occupy a corner and do not interfere with each other.

Zhou Ran lowered his head and gave a bitter laugh.

The Emperor's son wanted him dead. The Moon Emperor had installed surveillance in his mind. Three peak Tribulation Transcending cultivators were claiming territory around him.

The black line on my left wrist, known as the "path of return," is now just a thin gray line, so fine it could break at any moment.

He raised his hand and touched the gray streak.

The pulse is still there.

One, two, three.

"Wait."

He didn't say who he was saying that to.

Perhaps it was for the woman on the other end who remembered all his past.

Perhaps it was for himself.

When Zhou Ran returned to the main hall, Ming Cang was dozing off, lying on the military register.

A stack of unfinished transfer documents rested under his chin, and drool had smeared the ink on the first page. He had been working non-stop for two days and two nights since the arrival of the imperial prince; even a man of iron couldn't withstand such an ordeal.

Zhou Ran didn't wake him up.

He walked around to the other side of the military register and opened the receipt page for the mobilization order. Eleven more commanders had submitted their private treasury lists today. Of these, six had previously feigned death to report their activities.

The emperor's son kicked down the gate to the sixth heaven, which ironically served as a free job recruitment opportunity for Zhou Ran.