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

Grand Duke Swallowing Bones stood at the very front of the warship.

He did not issue the order to attack the city.

One hundred thousand warships, forged from ten-thousand-year-old demonic bones, halted thirty miles outside Blackwind City.

The black military flag obscured the sky, and the white bone totem on the flag fluttered in the wind.

The demon soldiers on the warship were clad in heavy armor, wielded long spears, and rode two-horned demon wolves, exuding a fierce aura.

The defenders on the city wall were in complete disarray.

The soldiers gripped their spears, unsure whether to point them out of the city or into it.

Some people stared at the still-lingering, towering phantom of the Demon Emperor in the sky, their teeth chattering and their legs unable to move.

Swallowing Bone raised his head.

He stared at the black-armored phantom above the inn, his face showing no fear, only gloom.

Thirty thousand years ago, Ye Futian ruled over the six heavens.

At that time, Devourer of Bones was just an ordinary Grand Duke under the Demon Emperor.

He knelt before that figure.

He had witnessed the Taihuang Black Blade fall, cleaving a million-mile-long demon river in two with a single strike.

He still hasn't forgotten that kind of oppression.

The oppressive force from the heavens is real.

That was the primordial aura of the Night Sky.

The people in the inn, however, seemed strange.

The person has not fully recovered.

Swallow Bone raised his right hand.

A blood-red bone mirror appeared in his palm.

The mirror reflects the view of the top floor of the Magic Crystal Inn.

The defensive formation is still in operation.

At the center of the formation, Zhou Ran sat cross-legged, his face pale, and the front of his clothes stained red with blood.

His level of understanding is completely undisguised.

Early stage of the Nascent Soul stage.

A murderous glint flashed in Tun Gu's eyes.

"I see."

"The origin is real, and so is the knife."

"The person, however, is a junior who has just entered the Nascent Soul stage."

The old man in black robes stood behind Tun Gu and bowed to ask for instructions.

"Your Highness, shall I go and arrest him?"

"He was accompanied only by two crippled demon princes, a human guard at the Void Refinement Realm, and a mortal woman."

"Give your subordinate the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and your subordinate will break through the city defenses and bring back the Taihuang Black Blade."

Swallowing Bone did not respond.

He stared at the phantom of the Demon Emperor in the sky, scrutinizing it for a long time.

How did Ming Sha die?

The old man in black robes was speechless.

Ming Sha is a Demon Lord in the Integration Stage.

There were no signs of fighting before he died, he did not escape, and he did not even leave behind a remnant soul.

Swallow the bone, clenching your five fingers tightly.

"Those at the Nascent Soul stage cannot achieve this."

"Zhou Ran has a trump card up his sleeve."

"It could be a killing move left behind by Ye Futian, or an old law within the Demon Emperor's original bone."

"Whoever tries first will die first."

The old man asked in a low voice, "Then shall we remain still?"

Tun Gu looked toward the north gate of Blackwind City.

Yan Lie was leading three thousand black-armored soldiers to deploy defenses on the city wall.

"can not wait."

"Yan Lie is still alive."

A cold smile appeared on Tun Gu's face.

"He was ordered to go and pay homage to the Emperor."

"If the Emperor truly returns, he will naturally meet with his former subordinates."

"If he refuses to see me, Yan Lie will be able to find out the truth for me."

The old man understood the intention.

"What if Yan Lie dies inside?"

Tun Gu's tone was indifferent: "Dead is dead. Just a pawn."

The warships sounded their horns.

A crimson beam of light shot out from the main ship and landed at the north gate of Blackwind City.

The communication dominoes at Yan Lie's waist shattered into powder.

The words of the Bone-Swallowing Resonated directly within his soul.

"Yan Lie".

"I hereby command you to lead all the troops of the Zhenbei Warlord's Mansion into the city to pay homage to the Demon Emperor."

"Bring back the Primordial Black Blade, and you will be absolved of the sin of the Soul-Locking Nails."

"If you can't bring it back, bring me your head."

Yan Lie gripped the domino fragments, his knuckles cracking.

His expression was extremely unpleasant.

Swallowing bones doesn't mean he has to go on a pilgrimage.

This is sending him to his death.

Inside the city stood the mysterious Demon Emperor, who could suppress three thousand black-armored soldiers with a mere wave of his hand.

Outside the city, the Bone-Swallowing Grand Duke, who was in the Tribulation Transcending stage, surrounded the entire city with 100,000 warships.

Yan Lie stood on the city wall, his expression uncertain.

He ran the Zhenbei Military Command for hundreds of years, controlling the military power in the north and killing countless people.

Now, however, he has become a pawn in the power struggle between two powerful individuals.

The lieutenant stood behind him, his legs trembling.

"General, Duke Tun Gu is forcing us into the city, what should we do?"

Yan Lie remained silent.

He looked in the direction of the Magic Crystal Inn.

He gritted his teeth and walked down the city wall.

"Let's go to the inn."

The lieutenant was shocked: "General, are you really going in?"

"Go inside, there's still a glimmer of hope."

"If we stay here, Tun Gu will simply kill us."

Yan Lie, accompanied by a dozen personal guards, crossed the deserted streets and arrived at the entrance of the Magic Crystal Inn.

Xuan Ying and Gu Li stood guard at the top of the stairs.

Gu Li looked at Yan Lie and raised an eyebrow.

"Here to bring gifts again?"

Yan Lie's throat was dry.

He toned down his warlord arrogance and knelt on one knee in front of the inn.

"The wicked general Yan Lie requests an audience with the Emperor."

There was no movement on the top floor of the inn.

After a few breaths, Zhou Ran's voice came through.

"Come up."

Yan Lie got up and went upstairs.

With each step he took, he felt the pressure on his shoulders increase.

The aura of the Demon Emperor was not strong.

He dared not raise his eyes.

Upon entering the secret room, he saw Zhou Ran.

The other person is very young.

His face was deathly pale.

He was not wearing the Demon Emperor's armor, nor was he radiating any aura of power.

Zhou Ran sat cross-legged in the center of the formation, with empty medicine boxes scattered around him and the Taihuang Black Blade lying across his knees.

Yan Lie's eyelids twitched.

Zhou Ran was injured.

The injuries were extremely severe.

But when he saw the dark gold demon bone covered with fine lines in Zhou Ran's palm, his greed instantly vanished.

He dared not gamble with his life.

Zhou Ran looked at him.

"Did Tun Gu send you?"

Yan Lie lowered his head: "Yes."

"What did he order you to do?"

"He ordered me to lead the army into the city and pay homage to the Emperor."

Zhou Ran sneered.

"to be honest."

Sweat beaded on Yan Lie's forehead.

"He sent me to test the waters."

"If you show any weakness, he will attack the city directly."

"If I obtain the Taihuang Black Blade, he will spare my life; if I fail to obtain it, he will take my life."

Qin San stood in the shadows, gripping the hilt of his knife, staring coldly at Yan Lie.

Zhou Ran tapped the scabbard of the Taihuang Black Blade with his fingertips.

"Yan Lie".

"Do you think Swallowing Bones will let you go?"

"By sending the Soul-Locking Nails, you have already offended this Emperor."

"You can't get the Taihuang Black Blade, and you've also disobeyed the Bone Devourer."

"Leaving the city means death, staying in the city also means death."

Yan Lie pressed his hands to the ground, his knuckles turning blue.

Zhou Ran continued, "I will give you a third way."

Yan Lie raised his head.

Zhou Ran remained calm.

"Hold Blackwind City for half an hour."

"Block the soldiers who are about to devour bones and prevent them from approaching the inn."

"If I succeed in half an hour, you will guard the northern border for me, and the territory of Devouring Bones will be yours."

Yan Lie stopped breathing.

The territory of the Bone Swallower.

That was the most prosperous demon realm in the eastern part of the Sixth Heaven, with seventy-two cities, three demon crystal mines, and hundreds of thousands of demon soldiers.

This promise is too heavy.

It's unrealistically heavy.

Zhou Ran's next words sent a chill down his spine.

"If you fail to defend yourself, I will annihilate you, body and soul, right now."

The Demon Emperor's Origin Bone in Zhou Ran's palm glowed faintly.

The demonic blood within Yan Lie's body ceased to flow.

The threat of death was imminent.

Tun Gu was thirty miles away, while Zhou Ran was right in front of him.

Yan Lie closed his eyes.

A few breaths later, he kowtowed deeply.

"I will gladly bear the guilt!"

"But the Zhenbei warlord's mansion only has three thousand soldiers, and the city's garrison is less than twenty thousand. They cannot stop the 100,000-strong army that swallows bones."