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

The wind at the mass grave has died down.

Only the major tendons in Zhou Ran's left arm were still bulging wildly beneath the skin and flesh.

Without the "Soul-Suppressing Wedge" as a barrier, that piece of Qilin bone became a wild horse that had broken free of its reins.

This was no longer an arm; it was as if a red-hot steel rod had been plunged into the scapular region.

To plug the glowing red hole in the earth's veins, he inserted his only safety pin.

"A losing proposition."

Zhou Ran turned his gaze toward Bai Xuan.

Hopefully, the "top doctoral supervisor of Laoshan" still has a way to control the black jade unicorn.

However, this guy didn't see Zhou Ran at all.

It didn't mind being dirty; it stuck out its rear end and rummaged through a pile of rotten flesh, then suddenly grabbed with its little hands that looked like lotus roots.

Slurp.

A tattered spirit of a shikigami was pulled out and swallowed whole, like slurping noodles.

"belch--"

Bai Xuan patted his bulging belly, his face full of satisfaction.

"It's a bit strong, like raw salmon, and it's quite intoxicating."

Zhou Ran ignored the glutton and activated his Purple-Gold Demon Eye, scanning the ruins.

In his eyes, this was a huge demonic energy conversion plant, but unfortunately the raw materials were too inferior.

But he is very hungry now.

It wasn't just her stomach, but also this arm that was about to get out of control.

"Stop eating, you still won't be able to conjure up that nail."

Zhou Ran pressed down on the still throbbing Qilin tattoo, a fierce look gathering between his brows.

"Li Cangtian's Soul-Suppressing Wedge has filled the hole, but what will suppress this beast now?"

Even more deadly is the old demon Ye Futian deep within the sea of ​​consciousness.

Without the Soul-Suppressing Wedge, this is an active volcano.

This time he slept for an unusually long time.

They must have run out of tricks when they tried to escape from the virtual world.

But once he recovered, he knew that he didn't want to find him a body to use for his soul to return to life.

That old madman will definitely fight me to the death.

Therefore, this soul-suppressing wedge is of utmost importance.

"Boss, what's the rush?"

Bai Xuan wiped the black smoke from his mouth, his eyes gleaming with a cunning glint, looking just like a shrewd businessman.

"If those bastards from the Song family could set up such a deadly trap, how could their family be poor?"

"Song Wuji caused so much trouble to lock the dragon vein. If he didn't have some real skills, he would have been turned into dust long ago."

Bai Xuan held up two fingers and shook them.

"The underground treasure vault of the Song family's old mansion is worth at least this much."

One hundred and eight.

"So many?"

"The number of Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends is only more than that!"

That was the money the Song family had amassed over generations for their funeral expenses.

Bai Xuan's tone was firm.

"Soul-Suppressing Nails are specifically designed to nail the soul and seal the physical body."

Once the Song family is wiped out, these 108 nails will be ours.

"At that point, not only will it be easy to suppress your powerful arm, but it could also completely weld that demonic cultivation legacy in your brain shut down."

It was unaware of Ye Futian's existence, only considering it to be some kind of remnant soul of inheritance.

Zhou Ran did not explain.

However, the murderous intent in his eyes intensified.

Originally, it was just about revenge.

In retrospect, this is what is meant by "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."

This piece of fat meat from the Song family must be kept under their control.

"There's something else."

Bai Xuan climbed onto the broken stele, his playful expression vanishing, replaced by an unusually serious one.

"Boss, don't you think this is too much of a coincidence?"

"That powerful body cultivator died in the Void Realm, and you picked up his bones."

Li Zhiyao just so happens to be his sister, and she has guarded the capital for thousands of years.

Its beady eyes gleamed with an eerie light, and its voice was low, making it sound particularly chilling in the empty graveyard.

Is it possible that this is all a setup?

That great being tore himself apart and scattered into the void, just to wait for the right time and the right person.

That is, you.

That woman from the Li family isn't waiting for bones, she's waiting for you, her 'scabbard'.

Zhou Ran just reached for a cigarette.

I haven't had a chance to order yet.

Upon hearing this, he was so angry that he crushed it into pieces.

It's really unpleasant to be used as a pawn.

Like a cricket trapped in a glass jar, it thinks it's jumping around happily, but in reality, every step it takes is being watched closely by others.

"Perhaps living a long time makes people develop this bad habit of treating living people as objects."

Zhou Ran spat.

Who cares if he's a god, a ghost, or some kind of reincarnator?

Anyone who dares to block my way will be smashed to pieces with a single punch.

But this at least reminded him of one thing.

The waters of this world are deeper than we imagine.

Those in the Foundation Establishment stage are still far from being able to roam freely on Earth.

"Walk."

Zhou Ran picked up Bai Xuan, who was still pretending to be deep in thought, and stuffed him back into his pocket.

"Where to?"

"Li Mansion".

Zhou Ran gazed at the pale dawn breaking in the east, his lips pressed tightly together, revealing a fierce determination.

"Since it's her brother's bone, it's not unreasonable for me to collect some interest, is it?"

"Wait a minute, boss, there's still one salmon girl I haven't finished eating."

……

The Li Mansion is not located in a villa district where land is extremely valuable.

It is located at the foot of the Western Hills.

A hillside completely surrounded by old locust trees.

Before even entering the room, the restlessness in Zhou Ran's left arm subsided somewhat.

This place has terrible feng shui—it's shady, attracts evil spirits, and never sees sunlight.

The old locust trees are also called "ghost clapping trees". They are all hundreds of years old, and their canopies are connected, completely blocking out the sun.

The moss on the ground was dark green, damp and emitting a chill.

If any living person lives here, their family line will surely die out within three years.

In front of the vermilion gate.

There are no house numbers or access control.

The two stone lions had drooping ears and looked deathly.

The paint surface has dark patterns, and if you smell it up close, there is a lingering fishy smell.

This door is soaked in blood.

"Boss, this place..."

Bai Xuan shuddered in his pocket.

"It's even more sinister than a mass grave."

The people living in this place aren't alive, they're a whole nest of giant rice dumplings.

"Shut up."

Zhou Ran reached out and pressed his hand on the door knocker.

thump.

thump.

thump.

The knocking sound was dull, like tapping on a coffin lid.

No one answered.

He was just about to fly in.

The door hinge made a scraping sound and cracked open on its own.

The scent of sandalwood mixed with formaldehyde wafts over you.

"Please come in."

The voice was old and flat, with static.

It didn't sound like a human voice, but rather like an old record from a phonograph.

Zhou Ran stepped inside.

The light suddenly dimmed.

The door behind him slammed shut.

There was something standing behind the door.

Wearing a Qing Dynasty mandarin jacket, her face was painted with high-altitude rosy cheeks, and her lips were drawn in the shape of ingots.

Paper effigy.

It carried a white lantern in its hand, the flame of which was pale and motionless.

Upon seeing Zhou Ran enter, the paper figure's neck turned, causing the bamboo strips to rub together and make a cracking sound.

The drawn mouth is split open, as if it's laughing.

"This way, please, sir."

It turned around, its steps stiff, and led Zhou Ran inside.

"interesting."

Zhou Ran was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he was very interested.

The Li family is something else. Using spirit paper figures as doormen is far more sophisticated than those evil cultivators who play with Gu worms and collect souls.

After crossing the front yard, the view suddenly opened up.

But this layout made Zhou Ran raise an eyebrow.

This is no mansion; it's clearly a funeral parlor.

The U-shaped building surrounds a huge courtyard.

In the center of the courtyard, there were no flowers planted, no fish kept, but a giant black wooden coffin.

No lid.

The coffin was filled with black soil, and a half-dead, withered tree was planted inside.

The tree branches were covered with red ribbons with the birth dates and times written on them.

Around the coffin, a dozen or so men, women, and children knelt.

He closed his eyes, twirled the prayer beads, and moved his lips, but made no sound.

The entire courtyard was eerily quiet, with only the red ribbon fluttering in the wind.

"Boss, these are all living people!"

Bai Xuan's voice trembled.

"It's a living person."

Zhou Ran glanced at the kneeling figures.

"But my heart is dead."

These people were shrouded in a deathly aura, like batteries whose souls had been drained, serving as fuel for the array.

"The young lady is in the back room."

The paper figure stopped, its bamboo-stranded fingers pointing towards the screen in the main hall.

Zhou Ran walked straight through the courtyard.

As he passed that coffin, the bone in his left arm throbbed violently.

Unprecedentedly intense.

That is the hunger of encountering the true self.

Zhou Ran stopped, his gaze piercing the black soil beneath the withered tree inside the coffin.

The soil layer moved slightly.

Something underground is responding.

"Stop looking."

Li Zhiyao's voice came from behind the screen, chillingly cold.

"That's what you want."

Whether you can take it or not depends on how tough your luck is.