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

When Zhou Yang returned to the courtyard, it was already late at night.

He moved very lightly, like a cat. The moonlight stretched his shadow long, making it sway on the ground.

He didn't go back into the house, but went straight to the abandoned well in the corner of the yard.

The stone slab was heavy, and he used some strength to move it. The well was pitch black, and a damp, earthy smell mixed with a faint odor of decay wafted up.

Without hesitation, he slid down the stone steps of the well.

The bottom of the well was spacious; he had cleared it himself. Several Blood Shadow Guard corpse puppets stood stiffly against the wall, resembling a row of silent shadows in the darkness.

Zhou Yang walked up to them.

He pulled the fragment of the dragon's spine from his pocket. The cool, jade-like texture invigorated him. This was his greatest asset.

Then, he took out a few more items. A piece of dark iron with dark red veins on its surface, chillingly cold to the touch. This was century-old Yin Iron. There were also several crystals the size of pigeon eggs, with what seemed like swirling light inside—soul crystals. These were all valuable items he had retrieved from the Heavenly Principle Sect's stronghold.

Finally, there was the blueprint for the "Blood Sacrifice Array." The paper was thin, and twisted runes were drawn on it with cinnabar, making one dizzy after looking at it for a while.

He sat down cross-legged and spread the blueprints out in front of him.

"It's time," he said softly.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind on his body. The panel that only he could see appeared.

Lifespan: 172 years

His finger hovered over the "consume" button.

Without the slightest hesitation.

He pressed it.

"Consuming thirty years of lifespan, I deduced the method of fusing the Heavenly Principle Sect's puppet-making secret technique with the Blood Sacrifice Array."

The moment the words left his mouth, an indescribable chill exploded in his heart.

It wasn't the cold of the outside world, but a hollow feeling of life being ripped away. It was as if an invisible thread had been suddenly pulled out from the depths of his body, along with his warmth, his energy, his years, all vanishing without a trace in an instant.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He felt completely drained, almost losing the strength to even sit up.

Thirty years.

Thirty years of lifespan gone just like that.

But he did not regret it.

A deluge of information flooded his mind. The puppet-making technique of the Heavenly Principle Sect was brutal and tyrannical, emphasizing the control of corpses by the soul. The Blood Sacrifice Array, on the other hand, extracted the essence and blood of living beings and condensed it into destructive power.

How can these two completely different evil arts be combined?

The system's derivation results provide the answer.

Using the "Soul Refining" characteristic of the "Innate Yang Technique" as a furnace, the Blood Shadow Guard Corpse Puppet as the embryo, and century-old Yin Iron and Soul Crystal as catalysts, the power of the Yang Technique, being extremely strong and Yang, is perfectly suited to refining the Yin Iron's extremely Yin energy and forging the Soul Crystal's soul power into the empty shell of the Corpse Puppet.

This is not a simple fusion, but a complete transformation.

Zhou Yang gasped for breath, trying to calm himself. He opened his eyes, which were bloodshot, but his gaze was frighteningly bright.

He stood up and walked to the most complete Blood Shadow Guard corpse puppet.

He formed hand seals and unleashed his true energy without reservation. The milky-white true energy of the "Innate Yang Technique" flowed like a scalding river, instantly pouring into the corpse puppet's body.

He picked up the century-old Yin Iron and pressed it against the corpse puppet's chest.

"Sizzle—"

A sound like a branding iron being plunged into cold water rang out.

The Yin Iron's extreme Yin energy collided violently with the Ding Yang True Qi, causing terrifying energy fluctuations to spread across the bottom of the well. The corpse puppet's body began to tremble violently, its skin cracking inch by inch, and black blood flowing out.

Zhou Yang's expression was solemn, and his hands moved even faster.

He crushed a soul crystal.

He wrapped the invisible soul power in his true energy and forcibly stuffed it into the top of the corpse puppet's head.

The corpse puppet suddenly raised its head, and something seemed to be trying to crawl out of its empty eye sockets.

Zhou Yang let out a low shout and thrust out both palms, pressing them onto the Baihui acupoint of the corpse puppet.

"Refine!"

The true fire power of the "Innate Yang Technique" was pushed to its limit.

The temperature at the bottom of the well suddenly rose. The corpse puppet's body, like a red-hot iron block, began to glow bright red. The flowing black blood evaporated into wisps of white smoke the moment it came into contact with the air.

The century-old Yin Iron began to melt under high temperature, turning into a viscous black liquid that seeped into the corpse puppet's limbs and bones, following the skin texture.

The soul power of the soul crystal is repeatedly washed and forged by the Dingyang True Qi, removing impurities and finally transforming into the purest essence, which is imprinted deep within the bones and blood of the corpse puppet.

This is a painful and lengthy process.

Sweat trickled down Zhou Yang's forehead, forming small streams that dripped onto the ground, leaving a small, dark stain. His internal energy was being depleted, and the feeling of emptiness in his body was growing stronger.

But his eyes remained fixed on the changes in the corpse puppet.

Gradually, the corpse puppet stopped trembling.

Its bright red skin slowly faded, replaced by a cold, hard sheen, almost metallic. Its size seemed to increase, the lines of its limbs becoming more fluid, exuding an explosive sense of power.

The most bizarre thing was its joints. On some of the originally smooth skin, pale golden runes slowly emerged. These runes seemed to be alive, slowly flowing and emitting wisps of oppressive power.

On its chest, the molten, century-old Yin Iron had solidified into a fist-sized mark, resembling a hideous ghost face.

"Whoosh!"

The corpse puppet suddenly opened its eyes.

Those were not human eyes. Their eye sockets had no pupils, only two points of eerie blue flame, burning silently. They held no emotion, only absolute coldness and obedience.

A terrifying shockwave erupted from its body, causing the dust on the well walls to rustle.

Zhou Yang took two steps back, looked at his masterpiece, and couldn't help but grin.

He stretched out his hand and made a grasping motion towards the corpse puppet.

"come over."

The corpse puppet moved.

Its movements were no longer stiff, but rather possessed a strange fluidity. With a single stride, it covered more than three meters in an instant. Its speed was beyond imagination, and the wind from its punches made Zhou Yang's hair dance wildly behind him.

So fast!

Zhou Yang felt a chill run down his spine.

He extended his finger and lightly tapped the corpse puppet's fist.

"Buzz—"

A muffled thud. A tremendous force surged from his fingertips, making them numb. He staggered back three steps before regaining his footing.

The corpse puppet remained completely still.

This power and speed are already comparable to those of a martial artist in the mid-stage of the True Essence Realm.

"Heavenly Soldier Puppets..."

Zhou Yang stared at this perfect killing weapon, his eyes burning with fervor.

Thirty years of life was well spent.

He didn't stop. The remaining soul crystals and scraps of century-old Yin Iron, along with a few broken Blood Shadow Guardian Corpse Puppets.

He tried to replicate it in the same way, but because the materials and the base were not as good as the previous one, the finished product was also inferior.

These puppets were much more robust, their skin covered with a layer of grayish-black keratin, resembling some kind of carapace. They were even stronger than the celestial puppets, but much slower and less agile. Dark red flames burned in their eyes.

He gave them names.

Earthly Fiend Puppet.

There are three in total.

By the time all this was done, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Zhou Yang leaned against the cold well wall, feeling completely drained. The sweat on his forehead had long since dried, leaving only a chill. He even felt a little dizzy.

The cost of thirty years of his life was heavier than he had imagined.

But looking at the results of his battle, all his fatigue seemed to vanish.

One celestial soldier puppet and three earthly fiend puppets.

This is his trump card, his ultimate weapon, prepared to deal with the upcoming "festival".

He carefully rearranged the four killing machines, covered the well opening with a stone slab, and piled up miscellaneous items.

After doing all this, he dragged his tired body back to his room.

The sky was already showing the first light of dawn.

He collapsed onto the bed, too lazy to even take off his clothes.

In the last moments before he fell into a deep sleep, a faint smile remained on his lips.

"Add more money... This time, make sure it's enough."