Underworld's Details

The generous conditions offered were merely bait; the Underworld's true objective ran deeper, aiming to refine all foreign cultivators.

It was unclear, however, if this struggle involved the Demon God Flower.

Zhang Huan's mind raced, a faint feeling that he was only a step away from connecting all the events and uncovering the complete truth.

The Prison Suppressing Emperor was originally a Heavenly Venerate from the mythical era. He had participated in the battle to besiege the Emperor Venerate with an ultimate Emperor Weapon of the Nether Emperor, and had survived.

His background was unknown, he hadn't even left behind a title, his identity was mysterious and bizarre. Later, he fell into the Underworld and, along with several self-mutilating Supreme Beings, became a ruler of the blighted land.

The owner of this small Demonic Box had actually followed such a mysterious Imperial Dao figure.

Zhang Huan asked it many questions. Although he didn't learn the secrets between Imperial Dao figures, he gained a deeper understanding of the Underworld.

The rulers of the Underworld were divided into three branches, all related to Imperial Dao figures. Their ancestors had entered the Underworld with the Supreme Beings in the distant past and received their honors.

Their sole responsibility was to be the Supreme Beings' household servants, managing on their behalf and wielding authority, thus making their status unshakeable.

The Demonic Box's owner belonged to the Prison Suppressing Emperor branch. He had offspring who shared the burden of the Supreme Beings, receiving countless power and generous stipends.

According to the Demonic Box, although the Underworld rulers had three branches, their numbers were scarce, fluctuating between a few hundred. They resided in the core depths of the Netherworld, rarely known to outsiders.

Unlike the Yin soldiers and generals below, these were true "royal relatives." Their internal interactions were close, and they would never be treated as an endless supply of expendable resources.

"It seems I've dug up quite the tomb this time."

Zhang Huan hadn't expected to be so lucky on his first major undertaking, unearthing the tomb of a former high-ranking official of the Underworld.

This Quasi-Emperor Artifact hadn't lied; it indeed knew a lot, and many details matched Zhang Huan's impressions.

Fortunately, this individual was eccentric enough to bury himself in a remote corner. If Zhang Huan had accidentally stumbled into the depths of the blighted land, he probably wouldn't be able to speak so casually now.

"Although I have refined you, I must still warn you: if I discover any disloyalty, I will not forgive you lightly."

Zhang Huan sternly warned the Demonic Box. Although it was extremely cooperative, exchanging useful information for Zhang Huan to temporarily abandon the idea of destroying it.

However, a warning was still necessary. Artifacts with spirits had minds similar to humans. Zhang Huan had forcibly refined it, and although its spirit was temporarily subdued, it was hard to guarantee it wouldn't secretly slack off or cause trouble later.

To prevent future problems, it was best to make it recognize the situation now. If it didn't want to die, it had to actively work hard and could even suffer less.

"Master, from now on, you are my master."

"I have no attachment to the deceased. The moment he used me as a teapot, I wanted to find a new master. Now that I've met you, I will absolutely look up to you and obey your every command."

"..."

The little Demonic Box began to fawn over him, shamelessly showering him with flattery, practically lifting Zhang Huan to the heavens.

Unable to stand the Quasi-Emperor Artifact's incessant chatter, Zhang Huan interrupted.

"You mentioned before that you could take away the stone wall. Can you really do that?"

"Yes, Master. I was right beside the deceased when he carved it, and I know exactly what each divine pattern is for."

Ignoring the Demonic Box's change in address, Zhang Huan brought it to the stone wall and had it immediately remove the restriction and take away this rare treasure.

Zhang Huan himself left the mountain range, monitoring its every move with his spiritual sense from afar. If anything unusual happened, Zhang Huan would immediately instruct the Demonic Box to stop and control its spirit.

This stone wall was also a treasure; otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to withstand the Quasi-Emperor's imprint and remain unchanged for countless years.

As Zhang Huan watched the Demonic Box draw divine patterns, he focused on the restriction. Feeling the sense of crisis in his heart suddenly lessen, he felt relieved. This Demonic Box truly had a way to remove it.

The stone wall gradually loosened and, in a short while, was uprooted and fell into the Demonic Box.

"Master, see? Didn't I tell you?"

The Demonic Box transformed into a stream of light and flew over, landing in Zhang Huan's hand, constantly seeking praise with its divine sense.

Zhang Huan didn't argue with it. He took out the stone wall and placed it into the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar.

The Demonic Box shivered, feeling Zhang Huan was biased. It was clearly its contribution, but after glancing at the Emperor Weapon, it silently accepted its fate.

Suddenly, Zhang Huan frowned and looked into the distance. He sensed an anomaly in the mansion.

Putting away the Demonic Box, Zhang Huan's expression turned solemn. He connected with the mansion's restrictions using his spiritual sense and saw a long-unseen Underworld General.

After the other party called out multiple times without a response, perhaps realizing Zhang Huan wasn't there, he shook his head silently, threw a decree into the great formation, and turned to leave.

Closing his eyes and concentrating, Zhang Huan sensed a date written on it, indicating the deadline. Zhang Huan was expected to respond to the Underworld's summons and gather at the main hall, and he needed to be prepared to rush to the battlefield where Kun Great Saint was located.

Was the Underworld so short-handed now? Zhang Huan wondered. He hadn't known much before and thought the Underworld might truly be depleted in this era, needing people to fill the ranks. But now, he only felt a conspiracy.

"Calculating the time, there are still over twenty years until the fifty-year deadline."

Zhang Huan had the protection of a fifty-year term for new recruits, so he didn't need to fight for the Underworld for now. Kun Great Saint had been conscripted some time ago, his fate unknown.

In this situation, and having heard from the Demonic Box that the Underworld would refine all recruited forces into War Slaves, considering both points, the battlefield seemed difficult. Could it be after the war?

If that were the case, Zhang Huan would have fled long ago, and he wouldn't have to worry about this problem.

But didn't they worry about the losses of the Outer Saints on the battlefield? According to Kun Great Saint, several Great Saints had fallen on that battlefield.

After meticulous planning, only a few surviving War Slaves were obtained. The cost of deployment wasn't even recovered. Was it worth it?

Zhang Huan felt there was a more crucial plan involved, one that concerned his own life, and he dared not be careless.

"Little Demonic Box, don't you know where the graves of others are? Lead the way."

Unable to make sense of his thoughts, Zhang Huan suppressed his musings with a breath. He knew very well that improving his strength was the top priority. No matter what schemes the Underworld had, powerful strength was absolutely indispensable if he wanted to escape.

To quickly form the Demonic Embryo, he had already fallen into the Underworld's trap. Worrying now was useless; the best course of action was to continue devouring Origin and wait for the opportune moment to break free.

The Underworld had roamed the great Starry Sky since ancient times, searching for divine corpses. Therefore, for Zhang Huan, everywhere was a treasure trove.

If he could devour for another twenty years, his Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art might not be far from Great Accomplishment.

Following the direction indicated by the Demonic Box, Zhang Huan broke through the void and flew away. Before his eyes lay another ancient tomb. This time, the danger was much smaller, and Zhang Huan quickly found the tomb.

The corpse lying in the coffin wore ancient clothing similar to that of the Demonic Box's previous owner.