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

Zhou Ran instructed, "Three days later, accompany me to the Devouring Heaven Demon Palace."

The order was sent outside the city, and that very night, Gu Ji began to muster his troops.

Of the 100,000 demon soldiers brought by the Bone Devourer, more than half were lost, leaving only 47,000 capable of fighting.

One hundred and thirty-two warships were destroyed, and more than 20,000 were seriously damaged.

The main ship broke in two and repairs took a long time. Gu Ji drew three auxiliary ships from the Second Army and pieced them together to form a temporary flagship.

Qin San took over the military roster.

He was unfamiliar with the military system of the Demon Realm and too lazy to listen to the commanders of various departments trying to fool him with old rules.

First, he ordered the military tally to be sealed; second, he ordered a roll call for each battalion; and third, he ordered a thorough investigation of the private guards planted by Tun Gu.

Overnight, more than 700 people were cleared out.

Gu Ji held the list and stood outside the inn for a long time.

The list included assassins who were raised to devour bones, as well as spies who monitored the leaders of various departments.

There were also a dozen or so people who were nominally army alchemists, but in reality, they were responsible for collecting the blood and hair of generals for Tun Gu.

Gu Ji had sensed something in the past, but dared not investigate.

Living by swallowing bones is useless; investigation is pointless.

Now that they are dying after swallowing bones, these people are more panicked than ordinary surrendered soldiers.

They used to make a living by spying for the Grand Duke, but now that the Grand Duke has been killed by Zhou Ran, their new master is targeting them first.

"How should we handle this?"

Gu Ji asked.

After flipping through the roster, Qin San took out three copies.

"Kill those who massacre civilians, withhold military pay, or use wounded soldiers to make medicine."

"Those who only deliver military reports and do not commit any crimes will be assigned to the mining team for ten years of service."

"Scatter the rest and send them to the vanguard camp."

Gu Ji looked at the last batch of names.

"They were there to monitor the generals, and keeping them around is a potential threat."

Qin San closed the register.

"If you can keep watch on people for Tun Gu, you can keep watch on people for your new master. If you can't use it well, that's your problem."

The bones fell silent.

He had assumed that Qin San would purge Tun Gu's old subordinates and replace them with his own people.

Who knew that Qin only killed those who deserved to die, while keeping the rest employed as before.

This is more difficult than killing them all.

After they were all killed, the commanders of each department were able to sleep soundly.

With people around, everyone has to keep their hands to themselves.

Gu Ji thought of the young emperor in the inn.

Zhou Ran was ruthless in his actions, but he did not kill indiscriminately when he took over the army.

This wasn't out of soft-heartedness; he simply didn't want to waste manpower.

This kind of person is harder to fool than someone who swallows bones.

Three days later, the temporarily repaired main ship took off.

Zhou Ran did not recuperate in Blackwind City.

The news of his death by swallowing bones cannot be kept secret for long; leaving it on the border will only give other forces time to prepare.

The priority right now is to take over the Devouring Heaven Demon Palace and seize the military power, treasure trove, and teleportation array left behind by Devouring Bone; restoring one's cultivation is secondary.

As long as you stay in position, the injury can be treated gradually.

If someone else takes your position, having more cards up your sleeve won't help.

Before leaving, Zhou Ran summoned Yan Lie to the inn.

Yan Lie knelt outside the door for two days, and a dent appeared in the stone slab beneath his knees.

With his cultivation level, this injury was nothing; what was distressing was that various forces in the city had sent people to watch.

The members of the Bone Society came three times.

First, I gave him a magic crystal; second, I gave him a raging bull; and third, I asked him if he wanted some water.

Yan Lie did not drink.

He suspected that animal urine had been mixed in with the water.

"Emperor."

Yan Lie entered the room and knelt down again, offering no defense for himself.

Zhou Ran sat beside the array's core, holding half a Demon Infant Fruit in his hand.

"After I leave, Black Wind City will be entrusted to you and Wu Heng."

Yan Lie looked up, then quickly looked down again.

"I thought you would take away my military power."

"After they're taken away, who will guard the northern border?"

"The Bone Silent Commander can take over the defense."

"He wants to come with me to the Devouring Heaven Demon Palace."

Zhou Ran put the remaining half of the fruit back into the jade box.

"You sent the Soul-Locking Nails, let the Shadow Demon into the inn, and even surrounded me for the Bone-Swallowing Sect."

I have not forgotten these debts.

Yan Lie pressed his palm to the ground, remaining silent.

"Keeping you here has nothing to do with loyalty."

Zhou Ran looked at him.

"You're afraid of dying, but you also want to climb up the ladder."

Such a person is useful, provided you understand which side to kneel to next time.

Yan Lie remained silent for a moment.

"The sin will be clear."

"Of the taxes from the Northern Territory, 70% is kept to guard the city, and 30% is sent to the Devouring Demon Palace."

Wounded soldiers in the army were given medicine according to a roster, and the families of those who died in battle were exempted from mining taxes for three years.

Anyone who dares to reach out will have their hand chopped off and hung on the city gate.

Yan Lie hesitated: "What if the major powers don't cooperate?"

Zhou Ran picked up the Taihuang Black Blade and placed it across his lap.

Yan Lie lowered his head.

"Sin will make them cooperate."

"very good."

Zhou Ran neither pardoned him nor punished him further.

When Yan Lie left the inn, his clothes were soaked with sweat and stuck to his back.

He was most worried that Zhou Ran would kill him, but now that he has survived, he dares not relax.

By leaving the northern border to him, Zhou Ran was essentially handing the knife back to him.

This knife can guard Zhou Ran's door, or it can make him die even faster.

After Yan Lie left, Xiao Rou peeked out from behind the screen.

Will he betray me again in the future?

"meeting."

"Then why not kill them?"

"Because others do it too."

Zhou Ran lowered his head to examine the cracks in his palm.

"At least Yan Lie will settle accounts before he betrays us. As long as he earns more by following me, he won't make any rash moves."

Xiao Rou thought about it.

"That's quite cheap."

"Yeah, I beat him up, so we didn't even need to talk about wages."

Qin San came in from outside and happened to hear the last sentence.

"My lord, the warships are ready."

As Zhou Ran stood up, a sharp pain shot through his dantian.

He didn't let Qin San help him up; he gripped the hilt of his knife and walked out of the inn on his own.

There are tens of thousands of eyes watching outside.

Weakness can be shown to one's own people, but not to those who have just surrendered.

Three days later, the warships arrived at the Devouring Sky Mountains.

The Devouring Heaven Demon Palace is built inside the mountain, surrounded by twelve layers of defensive barriers, with thirty-six floating arrow towers guarding the entrance.

The demonic army guarding the palace had already received news of the Devourer's death, but did not open the gate.

Grand Steward Mingcang, with late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, managed the Demon Palace for over six hundred years on behalf of Tun Gu.

Eight thousand guards stood behind Mingcang.

He saw the desolate military flag, and then he saw Zhou Ran on the main ship. He tapped the ground with his cane.

"Commander Bone Silent, you brought outsiders to the Devouring Demon Palace. According to the palace rules, you should be executed."

Gu Ji walked to the bow of the ship.

"The Bone Devourer is dead. The Emperor has taken over the Sixth Heaven. Open the gate and hand over the authority over the formation."

The ghost storehouse remained unmoved.

He is waiting.

The Bone-Swallower left a secret order: if he were to perish, the Demon Palace would be immediately closed, and no one would be allowed to enter.

Deep within the treasure vault lies a Blood Refining Array, powerful enough to burn down the entire Demon Palace along with the intruders.

Mingcang did not want to be buried with Tun Gu.

But he was unwilling to open the door to just anyone.

If the newcomer doesn't have the ability to kill the Tribulation Transcender a second time, he can still hold the Demon Palace and sell it for a good price when the other Grand Dukes arrive.

"Emperor?"

Ming Cang looked at Zhou Ran.

"This old servant has served the Bone-Swallowing Duke for many years and has never heard of a second emperor in the Sixth Heaven."

Gu Ji gripped the military flag, preparing to deploy the warship's magic cannons.

Zhou Ran raised her hand to stop him.

Breaking through the twelve layers of restrictions is not difficult; the difficulty lies in preserving the treasure vault and teleportation array inside the Demon Palace.

Mingcang is stalling for time, waiting for others to make a bid.

Then we won't let him wait.

Zhou Ran looked at Xiao Rou.

"Can we go in?"

A golden Gu worm was perched on Xiao Rou's shoulder.

She closed her eyes and lightly tapped the edge of the Gu box a few times with her fingers.

"The first eleven levels are accessible, but the twelfth level is kept alive by someone using their blood, and there are many dead insects inside."

Mingcang could not hear their conversation and remained standing in front of the palace gate.

He planned to stall for another half an hour.

As long as the Grand Duke of Lieshan's envoy arrives, he can exchange the Demon Palace for a way out.