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

On the walls of the Azure Wolf Royal Court, the lights resembled the eyes of night watch. The patrolling armored soldiers moved with steady steps, yet dared not approach the secret passages at the city gate. The royal generals issued orders from their tents, and three times the usual number of sentries were already stationed on every beam of the wall. The night wind swept through the rubble, carrying away the embers of the torches. Every rope was taut like a bowstring. Zhou Yang stood atop the wall, able to hear the echo of his own heartbeat. He tapped his helmet lightly with his fingers and muttered to himself, "Tonight, the lights must be extinguished even faster."

On the stone steps of the city gate, an envoy from the Heavenly Principle Sect slowly approached. On his back lay a jet-black cauldron, its surface engraved with ancient runes, emitting a faint, chilling light. His robes blended seamlessly with the cold wind; his pace was unhurried, yet exuded an undeniable aura of authority. The envoy stopped before the royal court, raising the Myriad Souls Cauldron in his hand, his deep voice echoing in the night: "Your Highness, I use this cauldron as a token; if there is a shortfall in the blood sacrifices of the nobles, it can be used to fill it."

The gatekeeper of the royal court frowned slightly, but did not immediately refuse. The envoy's words, like a thin mist, seeped into everyone's thoughts. The palace lamps flickered, illuminating a tense face. The royal general tapped the silver bell in his hand, signaling the envoy to enter. The Myriad Souls Cauldron was carried into the main hall and placed in the very center of the altar. Its surface shimmered with a faint blue light, like hidden bloodlines.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yang found a garrison lieutenant in a tavern within the city. The lieutenant, named Liu Hao, had a persistent scar on his brow. Zhou Yang placed a silver token on the table and said calmly, "This token can be exchanged for three days' worth of news." Liu Hao's eyes lit up instantly, and he whispered, "The blood sacrifice will take place in three days. The first step is for the priest to ring the bell at midnight; the second step is for the prince to personally offer his blood before the ceremony; and the third step is for the Ten Thousand Souls Cauldron to open and absorb the souls of the sacrificed offerings. The ceremony will take place in the underground cavern of the royal palace, where there are three mechanisms at the entrance, which must be activated sequentially with a key."

Zhou Yang nodded, his fingertips lightly tapping the rim of his cup, his voice crisp: "Remember, anyone who dares to trespass before the bell tolls will be beheaded." Liu Hao was silent for a moment, then nodded, a resolute glint in his eyes. As Zhou Yang left the tavern, raindrops pattered on the roof tiles outside the window, like the rhythm of a coded signal.

As night deepened, Qin Shuang donned light black armor and silently slipped into the backyard of the Prince's mansion. Her footsteps were so light they didn't even make a sound from the tiles. The lamps inside were dimly lit, with only faint flames flickering in the corners. Behind a dead tree, she discovered a wooden door locked with iron chains, and from behind it came the sound of faint breathing.

Qin Shuang gently removed the chains and pushed open the door. Inside the room was only a hard wooden bed, on which a thin man was bound. The man's eyes were half-open, staring at Qin Shuang's figure, a trace of blood still damp at the corner of his mouth. Qin Shuang approached and asked in a low voice, "Who are you?" The man struggled to raise his arm, revealing a bronze badge engraved with the emblem of the imperial city. Qin Shuang recognized it as the badge of a secret agent of the imperial court.

The spy, panting, said, "I was captured by the royal court for three days. Now the emperor has sent the 'White Horse Cavalry' to infiltrate the city, preparing for a surprise attack from the outside before the ceremony. You only have the chance to attack from both inside and outside." Qin Shuang frowned slightly, reached out her hand to the spy's shoulder, and whispered, "Your intelligence will be kept secret."

The spy nodded, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Qin Shuang turned and left, the wooden door behind her creaking softly. She walked quickly in the shadows of the corridor, secretly calculating: the leader of the White Horse Cavalry was a young man skilled in light-footed martial arts; their route must have been through the ancient bridge in the north of the city. If she could plant gunpowder at the bridgehead, she could deliver a fatal blow to the royal court before the ceremony.

Back in the royal command tent, Qin Shuang reported the spy's words to Zhou Yang. Zhou Yang frowned, his short sword lightly touching his armor, producing a faint metallic sound. He looked up at the distant palace and whispered, "Three forces, executed in one fell swoop. The sentries, the Myriad Soul Cauldron, and the pincer attack from within and without—all must be synchronized."

The details of the ceremony brought by Liu Hao, the intelligence from Qin Shuang's spies, and the Ten Thousand Soul Cauldron of the Heavenly Principle Sect's envoy—all these pieces of information intertwined that night. The priests of the royal court had already placed three ancient keys at the underground entrance, each inlaid with a blood-red pattern. The prince must personally donate blood tonight to activate the seal on the keys.

Zhou Yang stood before the city gate, holding a piece of black jade engraved with dragon patterns. He said to himself, "If I don't exchange the Myriad Soul Cauldron for the power of blood sacrifice, I will bear the equivalent price myself." He gently placed the jade against his chest, feeling its faint warmth. It was the lingering warmth he had gained by exchanging his lifespan.

The night wind howled in through the breach in the city wall, carrying away the light of a few lamps. Royal sentries continued their patrols, their dim lanterns flickering in the distance like fallen stars. The envoys of the Heavenly Principle Sect awaited in the palace's rear courtyard, the blue light of the Myriad Souls Cauldron casting dark patterns on the wall. The White Horse Cauldron's cavalry silently assembled on the ancient bridge north of the city, their hoofbeats muffled by straw, only a few gunpowder packets flashing in the shadows.

All the chess pieces were in place; only the moment of final move had not yet arrived. Zhou Yang looked up at the starry sky, his eyes devoid of light, yet a faint smile played on them. Qin Shuang stood beside him, the blade of her short sword gleaming slightly in the moonlight.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Zhou Yang said softly, "I will not be the sacrifice for tonight's blood sacrifice." Qin Shuang nodded, "We are the Blade."

The howls of wolves echoed in the wind outside the city walls, and the drums of the blood sacrifice were about to sound at midnight.

The city of Blackwater was shrouded in a somber atmosphere at dawn.

The city center square had been cleared out, and the doors and windows of the surrounding houses were tightly shut. Only soldiers with knives stood on the rooftops, watching over every corner from above. It had rained lightly last night, and water stains still remained on the bluestone slabs, mixed with the smell of blood, gleaming dark red in the morning light.

Zhou Yang stood at the back of the crowd, dressed in the coarse cloth clothes of the Canglang people, his face smeared with mud, looking like an ordinary grassland herdsman. Qin Shuang stood beside him, also simply dressed; without careful observation, one would not recognize her as a woman.

"They're here," Zhou Yang said in a low voice.

A distant horn sounded, deep and resonant, piercing through the entire city.

The crowd began to stir. Soldiers brandished whips, driving the people toward the center of the square. Cries, shouts, and curses mingled together, but were quickly drowned out by the louder sound of bugles.

The Wolf King appeared on the altar.

He was a man in his early thirties, wearing a wolf-skin cloak, with a curved knife hanging at his waist. The hilt of the knife was inlaid with rubies that were so bright they hurt the eyes in the sunlight. His features were sharp, with high cheekbones and a short beard, making him look like a wolf ready to devour its prey.

But what made Zhou Yang's eyes narrow slightly was the person behind him.

Messenger of the Heavenly Principle Sect.

He was a middle-aged man dressed in a gray robe, with a thin face, looking like an ordinary accountant. But his eyes were devoid of any human warmth, like two deep wells, dark and cold. In his hand he held a wooden staff, the head of which was engraved with intricate runes, with faint black mist swirling around it.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

The officials of Blackwater City were the first to kneel, followed by the city's wealthy merchants, and finally the ordinary people. A dense mass of people knelt, except for Zhou Yang and Qin Shuang, who mingled in the crowd, bowing their heads to conceal their expressions.

"No need for formalities." The Wolf King raised his hand, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "Today is a blood sacrifice, a sacrifice to heaven and earth, a sacrifice to my ancestors of the Wolf King. The southward army will set out soon, and this battle will surely destroy the Great Zhou and unify the world!"

His voice carried an undeniable confidence. The people and soldiers below shouted in unison, their cheers rising in waves.

Zhou Yang sneered inwardly. Unify the world? That's quite an ambitious statement. However, the Canglang Kingdom is indeed powerful. In recent years, it has conquered several small countries in the south and north, and with the support of the Heavenly Principle Sect, it has indeed become a major threat to the Great Zhou.

But what does that have to do with him? He's just here to pick something up.

In the center of the altar stood a massive bronze cauldron. Its body was covered in runes, and faint black smoke billowed from its mouth. Upon closer inspection, something seemed to wriggle within. Around the cauldron were twelve captives, all young men, their hands bound behind their backs, gags stuffed in their mouths, their eyes filled with terror.

"The Myriad Souls Cauldron," Qin Shuang said in a low voice, "an evil artifact of the Heavenly Principle Sect, said to be able to devour the life force of people and turn it into its own."

Zhou Yang nodded. He could sense a primordial power within the cauldron, which resonated faintly with the Blood Dragon Short Sword within his body.

The fragment of the dragon's spine is inside the cauldron.

The Wolf King stepped back, and the envoy of the Chongtian Principle Sect nodded. The gray-robed man stepped forward, gently tapping the ground with his wooden staff, making a "thump-thump" sound. With each tap, the runes on the Myriad Souls Cauldron brightened, and the black aura thickened.

"The time has come," the gray-robed man said calmly. "Offer the sacrifice."

The soldiers stepped forward and removed the gag from the prisoners' mouths. One of the young men struggled desperately, screaming, "We are innocent! Why kill me! Wolf King, you will die a horrible death!"

His response was a knife.

A flash of light, and the young man's head rolled to the ground, blood gushing out and splashing onto the Myriad Souls Cauldron. The bronze cauldron trembled violently, its runes flashing wildly. The young man's corpse shriveled up at a visible speed, his flesh seemingly drained, leaving only skin and bones.

The remaining prisoners were so terrified that they soiled themselves and cried out for mercy. But the soldiers were unmoved; with swift strokes, their heads fell to the ground.

The twelve corpses and twelve streams of blood energy were all devoured by the Myriad Souls Cauldron. The runes on the surface of the bronze cauldron turned from dark red to blood red, and the black gas emanating from the cauldron's mouth also turned blood red, carrying a strong stench.

"Not enough," the gray-robed man frowned. "We need more sacrifices."

The Wolf King waved his hand and ordered, "Bring all the prisoners from the jail up!"

The soldiers obeyed and left. A short while later, another group of prisoners was brought in, more than thirty in total, all prisoners of war from the previous resistance against the Canglang Kingdom. They wore tattered prison clothes, bore wounds, but their eyes remained resolute.

The leader was a middle-aged man with disheveled hair and a long knife wound on his chest. He glanced at the Wolf King and the gray-robed man on the altar, and spat, "You dog, kill me if you want, I'll admit defeat if you even flinch!"

"You've got a tough nut to crack," the Wolf King sneered. "I admire you. If you're willing to surrender, I can spare your life and even make you a centurion."

"Bullshit!" the middle-aged man cursed. "I, Xiang Rentou, swear here and now that I will kill your entire family and avenge my brothers!"

"Stubborn to the end." The Wolf King waved his hand. "Kill."

The soldiers raised their knives.

At that very moment, Zhou Yang made a move.

His figure moved like a ghost through the crowd with astonishing speed, arriving beneath the altar in the blink of an eye. The Blood Dragon Short Sword in his hand was drawn; a streak of blood flashed, and two soldiers fell to the ground.

"An assassination attempt!" the general in charge of guarding shouted.

Qin Shuang also rushed out from another direction. Instead of using a knife, she threw several throwing knives, which accurately pierced the throats of several soldiers. Then, she flashed behind a centurion, and the blade cleanly and swiftly sliced ​​across his neck.

"Protect the King!" The guards rushed forward.

Zhou Yang didn't fight them directly. Instead, he leaped onto the altar with a light touch of his toes. His target was the Myriad Soul Cauldron; he had no intention of getting entangled with the Azure Wolf King.

"Where do you think you're going!" The Wolf King drew his curved sword and slashed at Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang didn't even turn his head; he swung his sword backhand.

"when!"

Swords clashed, sparks flying. The Wolf King grunted and staggered back three steps, his tiger's mouth already cracked from the impact.

"What immense strength!" the Wolf King exclaimed, his expression changing.

Zhou Yang ignored him, stepped on the altar with his toes, and lunged towards the Myriad Souls Cauldron.

"Don't even think about it!" The gray-robed man waved his wooden staff, and a wisp of black energy swept towards Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang twisted his waist forcefully in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the attack. But this slight obstruction allowed the Wolf King to catch up, its curved blade whistling through the air as it slashed straight at Zhou Yang's back.

Zhou Yang had no choice but to turn around and parry.

The two clashed fiercely. The Wolf King's swordsmanship was wide and powerful, each strike possessing the force to split mountains and shatter rocks. Zhou Yang's short sword, on the other hand, was cunning and ruthless, targeting vital points and nearly piercing the Wolf King's throat several times.

"Your kung fu is not bad," the Wolf King sneered. "What's your name?"

"The one who will take your life," Zhou Yang said calmly.

Seeing that the Wolf King couldn't subdue Zhou Yang anytime soon, the gray-robed man retreated to the Ten Thousand Souls Cauldron, tapped the cauldron with his wooden staff, and began chanting incantations.

The Myriad Souls Cauldron trembled violently, and the blood energy within it began to boil. Blood-red tentacles stretched out from the cauldron's mouth, reaching out to grab Zhou Yang.

"Watch out!" Qin Shuang shouted from below the stage.

Zhou Yang caught a glimpse of the tentacles out of the corner of his eye, and his expression changed slightly. He knew he couldn't linger in the fight; he had to finish it quickly.

He no longer held back, his internal energy surging wildly, and the Blood Dragon Short Sword emitted a dazzling red light.

"break!"

He unleashed a sword strike, its energy like a dragon, severing a blood-red tentacle. Then, his figure flashed, bypassing the Wolf King, and lunged towards the Myriad Souls Cauldron.

"Trying to steal the cauldron? Not so easy!" The Wolf King chased after him and slashed at Zhou Yang's shoulder with his sword.

Zhou Yang neither dodged nor evaded, taking the blow head-on. Blood splattered, and a deep, bone-revealing wound was slashed into his shoulder. But he used this opportunity to rush to the Ten Thousand Souls Cauldron.

"Now!" He stretched out his left hand and placed it on the Ten Thousand Souls Cauldron.

The blood dragon short sword within his body trembled violently, and a suction force emanated from his palm. The fragment of the dragon's spine inside the cauldron seemed to sense something and began to struggle frantically.

"No!" The gray-robed man's expression changed drastically. "Stop him!"

The Wolf King charged forward again. But just then, shouts of battle came from outside the square, and a troop of cavalry rushed in from the north gate. The leader, a man with a white horse and a silver spear, was none other than the leader of the White Horse Cavalry.

"kill!"

The White Horse Cavalry, like a sharp dagger, pierced the rear of the Azure Wolf Army. Caught off guard, the soldiers fell one after another, and their formation crumbled.

"What's going on?" The Wolf King turned around and looked around. "Where did these reinforcements come from?"

"Your rear has been taken over by us," Qin Shuang said with a cold laugh.

Taking advantage of the moment when the Wolf King was distracted, Zhou Yang activated the suction force with all his might. The fragment of the dragon's spine in the cauldron trembled violently, finally breaking free from its restraints, transforming into a golden light, and entering Zhou Yang's palm.

"Found it." Zhou Yang's face lit up with joy.

But at that moment, something unexpected happened.

The Myriad Souls Cauldron, having lost the fragment of the dragon's spine, seemed to have lost its core support and shattered with a deafening roar. A terrifying shockwave spread outwards, the gray-robed man bearing the brunt, instantly obliterated. The Wolf King was also thrown back by the shockwave, crashing heavily to the ground.

Zhou Yang clutched his chest and knelt on one knee. Qin Shuang rushed onto the altar and helped Zhou Yang up: "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing." Zhou Yang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "We got the stuff, let's go!"

The White Horse Cavalry had already fought their way through, and Zhou Yang and Qin Shuang mounted their horses and charged towards the north gate.

"Chase! Chase them!" The Wolf King roared madly as he got up from the ground.

But it was too late. Zhou Yang and his group had already rushed out of the city gate and disappeared into the vast grassland.

The Wolf King stared in the direction they had left, his eyes so dark they seemed to drip with malice.

"Send the order: in three days, the army will march south!" he said, enunciating each word clearly. "I will make the Great Zhou pay for their blood debts!"