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

Zhou Yang's figure moved through the darkest darkness before dawn.

The wind from Qixia Mountain, carrying damp, chilly mist, brushed against his cheeks. He didn't turn around; the entrance to the cave behind him had been sealed off by fallen rocks and mud. Those secrets, those grudges, were all buried inside.

He walked very steadily.

Every step he took was firm and steady, without making a sound. Even on the safe return journey, his instincts never wavered. This was a habit honed in the most dangerous environments, ingrained in his very being.

His right hand was always tucked into his pocket.

In his palm, the fragment he had obtained from Xie An still radiated warmth, as if it were alive. This contrasted sharply with the old fragment he kept close to his body, one cold and the other warm.

The Xie family of Jiangnan, the so-called representatives of Jiangnan, ultimately turned out to be nothing more than empty pretense. Zhou Yang still remembered Xie An's eyes before he died. They held resentment, astonishment, and perhaps a hint of relief.

The "surprise" left behind by Xie An, the man who called himself "Shadow Dragon," was actually quite simple: a token, a few names, and the phrase, "Within the capital, anything can be found."

There are useful things, but not many.

More than any of these things, Zhou Yang was concerned about the fragment in his arms. This was the greatest gain of the trip.

He descended the mountain via a mountain path, avoiding all official roads and potential checkpoints. The sky turned from inky blue to grayish-white, and a faint slit appeared on the eastern horizon. The chirping of morning birds began to rise sparsely.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the city walls of Anyang County, Zhou Yang had already disappeared into the sea like a drop of water, among the early risers.

He returned to his secret chamber.

This is his greatest reliance and his only haven.

The heavy stone door slowly closed, isolating the outside world. The secret chamber was quiet, with only a solitary lamp whose flame flickered gently.

Zhou Yang let out a long breath.

That breath seemed to carry away all the fatigue of the night. He leaned against the cold stone wall and slowly slid down to sit on the ground. He didn't rush to treat his wounds, nor did he examine his spoils.

He simply sat there, feeling his heart beating steadily and powerfully in his chest.

survived.

Every time he returned from a near-death experience, this feeling was all the more real. He looked down at his body. Several wounds were still bleeding, soaking his black, close-fitting clothes. Sticky and cold.

But he ignored it.

His gaze fell on his right hand, which held the shards.

He slowly opened his palm.

Two fragments lay quietly in his calloused palms.

One piece is old. It was the one he obtained when he murdered Fang Tian. It had changed hands many times, and the edges were worn. Its surface carried a desolate aura that had settled over the years, and it was cold to the touch.

The other one is new. Just arrived. The edges are sharp, as if it just broke off from something, and you can even see tiny, fine bloodstains on it. It's warm to the touch.

One is cold, the other is hot.

One old, one new.

They look like two parts of the same thing, torn apart by some enormous force.

Zhou Yang did not immediately attempt to piece them together.

He simply watched quietly. He could sense a strange attraction between the two fragments, like long-lost brothers echoing each other from afar.

The feeling was faint, but it was definitely there.

He reached out his left hand and gently moved the old fragment toward the new one.

The two metal objects are not in direct contact.

When they were about a finger's width apart, a faint halo of light emanated from the edge of the fragment. The light was gentle, unlike the domineering light during battle; instead, it carried a kind of... docility.

The halo connected the two fragments.

As if guided, they slowly, gradually approached in Zhou Yang's palm.

There was no violent collision as expected, and no energy burst.

There was only a faint, almost inaudible "click".

The two fragments were pieced together perfectly.

In that instant, all the light vanished.

A more complete fragment of the dragon's spine appeared before his eyes.

It was longer than before, and the dragon scales on it were more clearly defined. The veins of the dragon's spine seemed to undulate slightly in his palm, as if they were alive. The warmth and coolness intertwined, eventually settling into a constant temperature.

Zhou Yang's gaze became extremely solemn.

He knew that the crucial moment for this thing had arrived.

He didn't rashly use his power to investigate. Previous attempts to probe with his power had yielded negligible feedback. Brute force wouldn't work on a divine object of this level.

The only solution is still the same.

Burn-in life.

His hand touched the intact fragment. The metallic touch was cold and hard, like touching a piece of ancient ice.

He closed his eyes.

The familiar system interface appeared in my mind.

"Combustion life, analyze target information."

"Target: Fragment of the Dragonspine Weapon (1/2)"

"Estimated consumption: 30 days."

Thirty days.

It's not a lot, but it's not a little either. Enough for an ordinary person to grow from birth to their first steps. But if these 30 days can bring him what he wants, then it's worth it.

Zhou Yang did not hesitate.

"Combustion confirmed."

The moment he finished speaking, an invisible sense of detachment surged from the depths of his body, as if a part of his soul had been ripped away. His life force was draining away at a speed he could clearly perceive.

This feeling was not unfamiliar to him.

He suppressed the feeling of weakness and focused all his attention on the fragment in his palm.

hum-

The fragment jolted violently.

A massive torrent of information rushed into his mind without warning.

The feeling was like being thrown into a roaring waterfall. Countless bizarre and fantastical images, countless incomprehensible languages, and countless fragmented pieces crashed against his consciousness like a tidal wave.

His head felt like it was going to explode.

He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. He forced himself to stay conscious, trying to discern and remember what was flooding in.

The first scene.

It was an endless darkness.

There were no stars, no sun or moon. Only pure, suffocating blackness. Then, in the darkness, a crack appeared.

That wasn't an ordinary crack.

That's a mouth.

A mouth so enormous it defies description. It stood there silently, emanating not breath, but a kind of "nothingness." It was as if everything swallowed by it would vanish completely, leaving not even a trace of its existence.

Zhou Yang felt his very soul trembling.

He knew that this was the "Mouth of the Abyss".

The second scene.

A colossal dragon composed of pure light appeared above its mouth. Its body was so enormous, coiled within the sea of ​​stars, each scale resembling a sun.

The dragon let out a silent roar.

Then it swooped down.

It used its own body to crash headlong into the abyss. It was a collision Zhou Yang could not even imagine. There was no sound, yet it felt as if the whole world was wailing.

Light and darkness are intertwined.

The dragon's body shattered into pieces upon impact. Its head, its claws, and its torso all turned into countless fragments, scattering in all directions with a deafening roar.

But its spine, its hardest part, was stuck tightly in the crevice of the abyss.

The shattered dragon bones transformed into massive chains, sealing that mouth tightly.

The mouth of the abyss closed.

The world is saved.

The video cuts off here.

Zhou Yang's breathing became heavy, and his whole body was soaked in cold sweat. He felt as if he had personally experienced that world-destroying war and felt the dragon's determination and tragedy.

It turns out that the true origin of the Dragon Spine Divine Weapon is... a seal.

Information is still pouring in.

He saw a group of people dressed in black robes.

They gathered on a wasteland, facing a massive altar. The image depicted in the altar was none other than the "Mouth of the Abyss."

They call themselves "Tianli Sect".

Their doctrine is not about overthrowing the court or changing dynasties.

Their aim is to "break the seal and welcome God".

What they need to do is completely destroy the Dragon Spine Divine Weapon that seals the mouth of the abyss, so that their "God," the being from the abyss, can descend to earth once more.

Zhou Yang's heart sank little by little.

He finally understood.

The Heavenly Principle Cult's schemes, their madness, and their unscrupulous methods over the years have not been for mere worldly power. Their goal is the entire world!

They didn't want to be emperors.

They want everything to be reduced to ashes!

Immediately afterwards, a completely new concept flooded into his mind.

"Celestial Messenger".

The information in the fragment told him that the celestial envoy was not a powerful figure from the Heavenly Principle Sect.

They are messengers sent by "God" to the mortal realm. They are the will of the abyss walking among mortals. They possess powers beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Their mission is to guide the Church of Heaven to complete its final ritual.

Zhou Yang recalled the terrifying being who called himself the "Immortal Envoy".

So, that's what he was like.

A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head.

He had always thought he was fighting against a group of ambitious people, struggling to survive in a world of power struggles. But now he realized that the chessboard he was on was much larger and more dangerous than he had imagined.

This is not a chessboard.

This is a cliff.

The Heavenly Principle Sect doesn't want to push others off the mountain; they want to blow up the entire mountain so that everyone falls down!

The flood of information gradually subsided.

The fragment of the dragon's spine also returned to calm, lying quietly in his hand.

Zhou Yang slowly opened his eyes.

The room remained quiet. The lights continued to flicker.

But his world has changed completely.

He looked at the fragment in his hand, his eyes no longer showing the joy of obtaining a treasure, but instead a heaviness he had never felt before.

This thing is not a divine weapon.

It's a key.

It's also a map.

It is the key to unlocking the apocalypse, and also the map to find other seal fragments.

The Heavenly Principle Cult must also be frantically searching for these fragments. Once they gather them all and find the key to all the seals, this world will be doomed.

He held two fragments in his hand.

It's like walking in front of a pack of starving wolves with two huge gold bricks hanging around your neck.

He became a target of the Heavenly Principle Sect. No, perhaps he already was. But today, he truly understood the weight of the word "target."

This is no longer a matter where taking a step back will lead to a brighter future.

He has no way to back down.

Once the Heavenly Principles Sect achieves its goal, what good will it do to burn more of his lifespan or reach higher levels of cultivation? Can he possibly fight against a "True Lord" who could only perish together with an ancient light dragon on his own?

No.

Zhou Yang's back was pressed tightly against the cold stone wall. The chill cleared his slightly confused mind.

He is an egoist.

He wanted to live, and he wanted to live well.

He never intended to be a savior. That kind of role usually dies the fastest.

But now, trouble has come knocking on our door.

He thought of Qin Shuang.

He remembered her in the capital, mediating for him and paving the way for him. That seemingly cold woman was protecting him in her own way.

He thought of the ordinary people in Anyang County: the uncle selling wontons on the street, the shopkeeper shouting in the cloth shop, and those vibrant lives.

He rarely thought about these things. He felt they were irrelevant to him.

But today, after glimpsing the truth that is enough to destroy everything, these images have surfaced uncontrollably.

If the world were to disappear, these people, including Qin Shuang, would vanish.

What's the point of him living like that?

Zhou Yang's fists clenched unconsciously.

He looked down at the fragment in his palm. The fine dragon scale patterns on it seemed to transform into countless eyes, watching him intently.

He suddenly felt that this fragment was hotter than any of his lifespan that he had burned away.

He stood up, walked to the basin of water in the secret room, scooped up a handful of cold water, and splashed it hard on his face.

Cold water droplets slid down his angular face.

He looked up at his reflection in the basin. His eyes were tired, but deep within, a spark had been rekindled.

After fear comes despair.

It was anger born from being driven to a corner.

"Oh shit."

Zhou Yang cursed under his breath.

He thought of the Heavenly Principle Sect, the so-called "Immortal Messenger," and the "God" hiding in the abyss, wanting the world to perish with him.

"Want to destroy the world?"

"Did you ask me?"

He is not a hero.

But Zhou Yang wanted to live.

If he wants to live, he has to kill everything that wants to kill him, including their ancestors for eighteen generations.

He picked up the fragment of the dragon's spine from the table, carefully put it back into his pocket, and pressed it tightly against his chest.

This time, he could feel more than just its temperature.

There is also a heavy responsibility.

A responsibility he never wanted, yet had no choice but to accept.

Tianlijiao.

Celestial Messenger.

Allah.

Fine.

A sinister smile curled at the corners of Zhou Yang's mouth.

Let's go big then.

He walked to a corner of the secret room, where there was an inconspicuous box. He opened the box and took out a set of clean clothes and some medicine for his wounds.

He needs to recover as soon as possible.

Then, he was going to the capital.

No matter what trouble Qin Shuang has gone through, he has to go back.

Some things must be made clear face to face.

Furthermore, since this fragment is a map, he needs to learn how to use it. Since the Heavenly Principle Sect wants to collect the Dragon Spine, he needs to find a way to get there before them.

Or, turn the chess pieces into the person who overturns the table.

The stone door to the secret chamber slowly opened once more.

The sunlight outside was already quite dazzling.

Zhou Yang changed into clean casual clothes and went outside.

He looked up at the sky.

The sky is very blue, and the clouds are very white.

It looks no different from yesterday.

But Zhou Yang knew that from today onward, the path he was on would be completely different from the past.

Ahead lies no longer simple fighting and killing, nor is it about promotion and wealth.

Instead, it is a thorny path strewn with corpses and conspiracies, leading to the truth of the world.

He did not back down.

He simply took a step and walked into the sunlight. His shadow stretched long, resolute, and unstoppable.