If I, a death row inmate, am not to become a demon, am I to become a member of the Imperial Guard?

The stone door slammed shut behind them, its echo reverberating across every rock wall of the deep cave.

Zhou Yang stood amidst the ruins of the altar, clutching a blood-red dragon scale tightly in his hand.

The cold light shone on his face, and a thin layer of sweat dripped down his hairline.

The life force within his chest surged, but it had already been thinned by the previous bloody battles.

Footsteps came from the end of the dark passage, steady and rhythmic.

The figure was draped in a long, black robe, the sleeves of which hung down like the night sky.

The mask covered the face, and the silver cracks pulsed like blood vessels in the dark.

Several disciples wearing the insignia of the Heavenly Principle Sect followed closely behind, each holding a talisman in their hand.

"Corpse King, we've been waiting for you for so long."

The mask's voice was sharp and had a metallic echo.

"Give me a dragon scale, a life."

Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

He recognized the pattern on the hem of the robe as that of the "Holy Messenger" of the Heavenly Principle Sect.

The holy envoy was tall and imposing, with a powerful aura like a mountain.

He stood in the center of the formation, with a thin mist slowly swirling beneath his feet.

"Holy Envoy, what exactly do you want?"

Zhou Yang's voice was deep, yet sharp.

The holy envoy chuckled, his laughter echoing through the space.

"Even before you stepped into these ruins, we had already set our sights on the old man from the Construction Bureau."

He raised his hand, and a black talisman ignited with blue flames at his fingertips.

"The secret scrolls that the old man collected recorded the location of the dragon spine fragments."

"We predicted that you would come to collect the fish and take the dragon scales with you."

Zhou Yang's breathing became rapid, and the dragon scale in his hand trembled slightly.

He knew that if he handed over the dragon scales, the Heavenly Principle Sect would monopolize the power of the fragments.

The dragon scales were his only bargaining chip for extending his lifespan.

"I will not hand it over to you."

Zhou Yang's words cut through the silence like a sharp blade.

The holy envoy raised an eyebrow and pointed to the talismans around him.

"Then don't blame us for putting you in a desperate situation."

The talisman suddenly burst forth, its beams slicing out in all directions like a noose.

A crimson light curtain rose from the center of the altar, instantly covering the entire area.

Within the light screen, star-like runes intertwined, forming a massive soul-locking array.

The airflow within the formation was cut off, and the earth's vein power from the outside was completely blocked.

Zhou Yang felt the torrent of life force within his body being suppressed, and his chest felt like it was being tightened by a rope.

He gripped the dragon scale tightly with his left hand, while his right hand swiftly pinched out a bloody mark.

The bloodstains emitted a faint blue light as they rushed toward the edge of the formation.

The beam of light collided with the array, sparking tiny sparks.

As the sparks dissipated, one of the array's sections trembled slightly.

The envoy frowned, a rare look of surprise in his eyes.

"How dare you use bloodstains?"

He pinched the talisman in his palm, and a powerful surge of true energy suddenly burst forth.

Zhou Yang's body was jolted back several steps by the impact of the true energy, and his knee hit some gravel.

The bloodstains burned away in his palm, the embers scattering.

The tide of life surged in his chest, like a raging wave trying to break free of its shackles.

"You think you can shake the principles of heaven with such paltry methods?"

The angel's voice grew softer and softer, as if he were chanting an ancient incantation.

The talisman's light gathered, forming a sword-shaped true energy.

The sword's edge was aimed directly at Zhou Yang's chest.

Zhou Yang looked up and saw the red light of his bloodline reflected on the tip of the sword.

He remained outwardly calm, but was quickly calculating in his mind.

Although he had a long lifespan, it had been depleted in successive battles.

Recharging one's lifespan to gain power inevitably accelerates one's own decline.

He said in a deep voice, "If you want my life, I'll take it myself."

After saying that, Zhou Yang suddenly bent down and rushed towards the broken bricks of the altar.

Each step made a crisp sound on the gravel, like a knock on the door of my heart.

He reached out to the only intact stone pillar in the altar, whose surface was engraved with ancient inscriptions.

The inscription shimmered faintly, as if echoing his breath.

Zhou Yang pressed the dragon scales onto the stone pillar, forcibly activating the energy of the inscription.

The stone pillar instantly emitted pale blue light waves, which pierced through the chains of the Soul-Locking Array.

The light waves washed over the formation like a tidal wave, and the runes in the formation began to crack.

The Holy Envoy's eyes narrowed, and he hurriedly raised his True Essence Sword, attempting to stop the spread of the light wave.

The light wave and the True Essence Sword collided in mid-air, creating a loud bang.

The shockwave from the explosion knocked both of them off their feet, and dust instantly filled the air.

The pain in Zhou Yang's chest suddenly intensified, and the torrent of his life force was forced outward.

He was panting heavily, still clutching the dragon scales tightly in his hands.

The lingering warmth of the bloodstains burned away at the fingertips, but left a burning mark on the chest.

He knew that if he didn't escape the formation at this moment, he would be permanently sealed off in the next second.

The envoy stood up, his brow furrowed.

He stared at the shattered Soul-Locking Array, his face devoid of any joy.

"You think this little flaw will make me fail?"

There was a barely perceptible panic in his voice.

Zhou Yang stopped talking and turned to rush to the other side of the stone pillar.

There is a secret passage leading to a deeper ancient tomb.

He turned around abruptly, his eyes like knives, piercing straight into the envoy's chest.

"Don't try to trap me with an array."

He strode into the dark passage, his figure gradually disappearing into the darkness.

The holy envoy followed closely behind, but was blocked by the entrance to the secret passage.

The stone door at the entrance was scalded open by the lingering heat of the bloodstains, emitting a low hum.

He pounded on the stone door, only to find that it had already closed by itself.

The residual energy of the formation formed an energy wall at the entrance of the secret passage, blocking the Holy Envoy's advance.

He stood before the wall, his True Essence Sword trembling slightly, blue light flowing along its blade.

"You think you can escape in just a few steps?"

The holy messenger whispered an incantation, and the energy barrier began to crack.

Countless tiny talismans burst forth from the crack, instantly covering the entrance to the secret passage.

The talisman pierced Zhou Yang's back like an invisible needle.

Zhou Yang felt a stinging pain in his back and his body trembled slightly.

He didn't turn around, but quickened his pace, his footsteps echoing in the stone path.

At the end of the secret passage was a spacious underground altar, with a glowing ancient jade placed in the center.

The ancient jade emitted a faint bluish light, seemingly echoing the blood-red color of the dragon scales.

Zhou Yang rushed toward the ancient jade, and the instant his fingers touched it, a stream of blazing light shot into his chest.

The light flow merged with the life force within the body, forming a massive shockwave.

The shockwave spread outwards, instantly shattering all the talismans in the secret passage.

The Holy Envoy stood behind the energy barrier, witnessing all of this, his brows furrowing deeply.

He knew that Zhou Yang had already burned his lifespan to its limit, and if he continued, he would only turn to ashes.

However, the ancient jade in front of them seems to be the target of the Heavenly Principle Sect. If it is taken away, there will be bloodshed among the sect's higher-ups.

The Holy Envoy took a deep breath, gathered all his true essence, and the True Essence Sword in his hand transformed into a blood-red spear.

"I'll let you end it here."

The spearhead pointed directly at the ancient jade, and the light from the spear intertwined with the bluish glow of the jade, creating a dazzling light curtain.

Just then, Zhou Yang's chest pounded violently again, and the tide of life force broke through the restraints like a torrent.

He raised the dragon scales high, and the blood-red patterns on the surface of the scales suddenly lit up, transforming into several silver blades of light.

The light blade, as if alive, instantly sliced ​​through the light barrier, heading straight for the Holy Envoy's True Essence Sword.

The two streams of true energy collided, producing a deafening roar.

The shockwave shattered the stone walls of the secret passage, scattering debris everywhere.

The holy envoy was forced back several steps by the impact, and the True Essence Sword shattered into pieces.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhou Yang rushed towards the ancient jade, grabbed its body with both hands, and instantly felt a large portion of his lifespan being drained away.

His vision blurred and his breathing became heavy.

But the light of the ancient jade was immediately swallowed up, the light screen disappeared, and silence returned to the surroundings.

The Holy Envoy stood amidst the ruins, the radiance of the True Essence Sword gone, replaced by a thin layer of blood mist.

He looked up at Zhou Yang, who was lying on the ground, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

"Do you really think you can escape the control of fate?"

With his last breath, Zhou Yang uttered a hoarse sentence: "I just want to live."

His fingers trembled slightly, and the blood-red patterns on the dragon scales shimmered again in the dim light.

Then, his body slowly collapsed, and the light in his chest dimmed.

The holy messenger did not immediately step forward; he stood at the edge of the ruins, gazing at the people lying on the ground.

The distant wind stirred up the accumulated dust, like a prelude to a turbulent undercurrent.

The black-robed disciples of the Heavenly Principle Sect followed closely behind, whispering amongst themselves.

Their eyes were filled with anticipation for the "Corpse King's" fall, yet also with a hint of unease.

The envoy said softly, "Give the dragon scales and ancient jade to the higher-ups."

The apprentices nodded and quickly put the dragon scales and ancient jade into their pockets.

Then, the holy messenger turned and left, his figure swallowed by the darkness.

In the ruins of the altar, only Zhou Yang's figure and the remaining bloodstains and light spots remained.

He closed his eyes, and the lingering warmth in his chest slowly dissipated.

In the silence, a deep horn sounded from the distant mountain peaks, as if announcing the approach of an even greater storm.