Luosa made a brief calculation and found that a full ten thousand years had already passed. He could not help but sigh at how time flies like an arrow and years shuttle like a weaver's shuttle.
Now, forty-nine of his techniques were approaching completion, and the Taixuan Divine Refining had already reached the third layer. Although the ninth layer still seemed infinitely far away, Luosa could already see a bright future ahead.
At this moment, his divine sense appeared outside a sea of blood in the Devil's Den. According to his calculations, this was precisely the place where the Yin Emperor's million-strong army had marched to their deaths.
"Awaken, my warriors!"
Luosa's divine sense suddenly let out a furious roar, stirring up towering waves in the Blood Sea. The next moment, the massive waves churned into a whirlpool, and a burly man clad in black armor emerged from the blood-red depths.
Han Feng was the strongest warrior under the Yin Emperor's command. During his lifetime, he was already at the Peak Nascent Soul Stage, and with the aid of the Heavenly Martial dynasty's national destiny, he was strong enough to suppress Deity Transformation Stage cultivators.
Pity that this strength still could not change the fate of the Heavenly Martial dynasty, yet his loyalty to the Yin Emperor made him choose to sleep here forever, waiting to once again march across the nine heavens and ten earths alongside the Yin Emperor.
At this moment, he stood blankly in place, letting the endless demonic Qi in the Devil's Den wash over his body, transforming his blood-zombie physique into a Demonic Zombie Body just like Luosa's.
Although Han Feng's body had revived, his soul remained fast asleep. Luosa had no intention of prematurely awakening the grand army; rather, he merely wanted to use Han Feng as a temporary vessel to move freely within the Devil's Den.
The Devil's Den possessed a vast expanse of space, known to the cultivators of the Taixuan Realm as a Forbidden Zone, and contained the Twelve Forbidden Lands. The Blood Sea where the army slumbered was one of them, and the Burial Earth where Luosa resided was another.
Luosa had spent ten thousand years becoming the master of the Devil's Den, granting his divine sense mastery over everything within it, making the takeover of Han Feng's body an effortless task.
"Haha! I almost forgot how to walk!" Luosa's body moved stiffly, stumbling three times with every step as if suffering from the sequelae of a cerebral hemorrhage.
After about half a day, Luosa had completely gained control of Han Feng's body. However, he did not destroy Han Feng's soul; after all, the body was only borrowed for the time being, and he would still need Han Feng to lead the Devil's Den army in conquering the Taixuan Realm in the future.
As for Han Feng's loyalty to the Yin Emperor, that was not an issue. Once Han Feng entered the Blood Sea, he began to exist by relying on the Devil's Den, and as the master of the Devil's Den, Luosa could subtly alter Han Feng's object of allegiance.
Luosa was now running and jumping back and forth near the Blood Sea like a crazed macaque, occasionally diving into the blood to do the doggy paddle, thoroughly enjoying the simple joy of moving about freely.
Another half-day passed, and Luosa soared up from the Blood Sea, cutting through the sky like a streak of black meteor and crashing heavily outside the Burial Earth. It was not that he didn't want to go inside, but rather that an invisible barrier bounced him right back out.
The impact was solid. Had Han Feng's Demonic Zombie Body not already been formed, his skull would likely have shattered into pieces. Fortunately, a Demonic Zombie Body felt no pain.
Luosa tried to enter the Burial Earth, only to find that an invisible force was constantly blocking him. As the dignified master of the Devil's Den, he couldn't even enter his own front door—wouldn't that be a laughingstock?
He pinched his fingers to divine the reason and was left speechless. The Burial Earth was not blocking him; it was blocking Han Feng's body. The Burial Earth was the most sinister and evil place in the Devil's Den, and only living beings born with the Nine Yin Severed Veins could enter.
Back then, the Yin Emperor had mobilized the entire nation's resources just to find four mortals born with the Nine Yin Severed Veins to carry his coffin into the Burial Earth, while the million-strong army could only be buried within the Blood Sea.
Luosa shook his head slightly. It seemed someone with the Nine Yin Severed Veins would enter the Devil's Den Burial Earth ten years later to open his coffin and raise his corpse. The mere thought of having to rely on others made Luosa feel extremely displeased.
Just at that moment, Luosa suddenly sensed someone entering the Devil's Den. However, the intruder's cultivation was pitifully weak, merely at the Foundation Establishment Stage. What difference was there between entering the Devil's Den at this level and courting death?
When unusual things happen, demons are sure to follow. A thought flashed through Luosa's mind, and he locked onto the intruder's location, shooting up from the ground like a streak of light and vanishing into the distant sky of the Devil's Den.
In a secluded cave on the outer fringes of the Devil's Den, Zhang Long sat leaning against the rock wall, covered in blood. He gritted his teeth so hard they nearly broke, refusing to utter a single sound despite the agonizing pain coursing through his body.
He was an outer sect disciple of the Lingtai Immortal Sect, having joined for less than a year. He had thought he was embracing a bright future, only to find it was the beginning of a nightmare.
Aside from carrying out his daily routines of cultivation, his greatest joy was gazing blankly at the fairy-like Senior Sister, feeling content for hours if she spared him a single extra glance.
Sadly, he was merely an outer sect disciple with ordinary talent in cultivation. He was only ever permitted to watch Senior Sister from afar; how could he possibly catch her eye?
The night before last, while patrolling the back mountain, he suddenly heard a strange commotion. Rushing over to investigate, he was met with a scene that made his eyes split with rage.
The Senior Sister he longed for day and night was lying motionless on the ground, her broken neck leaving her lifeless eyes staring blankly at the sky, while the Sect Master's son was sprawled on top of her!
A few of the young master's sycophants were gathered nearby. They spotted Zhang Long instantly and barked harshly, "Who's there? Come out!"
Panicking, the young master scrambled up and hastily pulled up his trousers. Realizing the intruder was merely a patrolman from the outer sect, a wicked plot hatched in his mind. "Capture that murderer who killed Senior Sister! If he resists, kill him on the spot!"
Framed! Zhang Long's heart clenched. If they actually caught him, he would never be able to clear his name. Disregarding everything else, he immediately turned and fled.
Yet he knew all too well that his speed was no match for the young master, who was already in the Golden Core Stage; being caught by him was only a matter of time. His only sliver of survival lay in breaking into the forbidden Devil's Den bordering the sect's territory.
Only after truly stepping into the Devil's Den did he realize what true despair felt like. Everywhere he looked were countless fierce beasts and demonic monsters, making it impossible for a tiny Foundation Establishment cultivator like him to take even a single step.
"I hate this!" Zhang Long let out a roar of bitter resentment from within the cave. His injuries were simply too severe; even if he didn't attract a beast to tear him apart, he wouldn't live much longer.
With his last remaining ounce of strength, he slammed his fist into the ground, a churning mix of resentment and fury gripping his heart. He hated his own weakness—not only had he failed to avenge Senior Sister, but he couldn't even manage to stay alive!
The young master's twisted face flashed before his eyes. Griased by severe injuries and eroded by the demonic Qi of the Devil's Den, Zhang Long was already showing signs of going mad and straying into the demonic path!
At that moment, his remaining lifespan began to burn out of control. Like a dying candle flaring up before it extinguishes, he forced himself to his feet, gripping the sword snapped by a beast of the Devil's Den and slashing toward the phantom of the young master.
Zhang Long's eyes had turned entirely bloodred. Every movement tore his wounds open anew, blood spraying like rain while his hatred soared to the heavens. This intense emotional fluctuation faintly resonated with the Devil's Den.
Yet a phantom was ultimately just a phantom, and a dying flare of life was only a momentary brilliance. He could neither avenge himself nor survive. Just as his life was about to burn to ashes, a figure in black armor burst into the cave.
Zhang Long swung his sword upward, letting out a heart-wrenching roar, "Are you here to kill me, too?!"
Luosa frowned slightly as he looked at the maddened youth before him, raised his hand, and flicked him smartly on the forehead, instantly knocking him out.