The carriage rattled along the uneven road. Xu Jiujiu withdrew her gaze from the scenery outside the window and leaned against Shu Yan's shoulder once more, though a faint sense of melancholy lingered on her face.
"Ah Yan… like you said before, it's only a matter of time before the continent is plunged into another storm of blood and chaos."
"The Sun and Moon Empire in the west is already stirring. Their soul-tool technology is at least a thousand years ahead of the Three Nations of the original continent. Even now, not a single true Rank Nine Soul Engineer has appeared among us…"
"Whether it's the empire or Shrek Academy, the strongest soul engineers are all stuck at Rank Eight-and-a-half. But the Sun and Moon Empire? They have at least a dozen Rank Nine Soul Engineers. On a real battlefield, that kind of force is terrifying. A single Rank Nine Soul Engineer can exert deterrence nearly on par with a Super Douluo—especially against low-level soul masters or ordinary soldiers, for whom they are practically a guaranteed killing force…"
"And even if we set aside the Sun and Moon Empire's expanding ambitions, corruption among our own empire's upper echelons and nobility has already begun to follow the same old path as the Heavenly Dou Empire ten thousand years ago. Under such circumstances, large-scale reform is impossible. At first, my imperial brother placed his hopes on Shrek Academy—but later, he changed his mind. If the entire nation were to focus its resources on nurturing a single Extreme Douluo with an ultimate attribute… wouldn't everything be able to change?"
Shu Yan shook his head and chuckled, gently pinching Xu Jiujiu's delicate nose.
"Unlikely. Even if everything went according to that plan, and I truly became an Extreme Douluo with an ultimate attribute, at best it would only guarantee the empire one or two hundred years of stability. If the root of the problem isn't solved, that would be nothing short of foolish."
"Stop thinking about these things. Since those old geezers have lived long enough, they shouldn't blame us for being ruthless."
"Once I obtain my sixth soul ring, I'll use Elder Yi's power to uproot them completely. As for the forces under their factions—those willing to submit can live. As for those who refuse…"He paused briefly."The beings in the undead demi-plane just happen to be in need of some high-quality flesh-and-blood energy…"
That unfamiliar term instantly caught everyone's attention.
"Oh? So now you've secretly stirred up something huge again and didn't tell us?"The Ice Empress slammed the snacks in her hand onto the table, glaring at Shu Yan."Shu Yan, you've really got some nerve."
Xu Jiujiu and the Snow Empress also turned suspicious gazes toward him, clearly waiting for an explanation.
Faced with the trio's curious and probing expressions, Shu Yan could only sigh helplessly.
He glanced toward the corner of the room, where Luo Qinghan had already fallen into deep meditation. After speaking softly in his Sea of Consciousness and receiving a faint response, he finally said,
"Fine. I was going to tell you sooner or later anyway—no harm in doing it now."
"I've already given you a brief introduction to Elder Yi. Now I'll explain his abilities, and what he's given me."
"In his original world, Elder Yi had already reached the absolute peak of power. In other words, his strength was infinitely close to that of a god. Becoming a god would not have been difficult for him—if he had wished, he could have become a true God of Death. As for why he was reduced to a single remnant of divine consciousness and ended up drifting into the Douluo Plane… that's not something I can say. It's his private matter, and we should respect it."
"With the vast life energy of Living Gold, Elder Yi's condition has stabilized. He's recovered many of his memories and has begun teaching me necromantic magic—an entirely different power system from anything in the Douluo Plane."
"As for the undead demi-plane, it's easier to understand. There are countless planes in existence—each one a world, a planet, and a primary realm. This involves spatial principles I can't fully explain yet. All you need to know is that Elder Yi once used his immense power to create several small worlds—what we call demi-planes."
"Through the soul imprint he left behind, I've tried some of the most basic necromantic spells. To be honest, though Elder Yi has granted me free access to the undead demi-plane, I haven't actually gone inside yet. I don't even know how many powerful undead beings exist there…"
After finishing in one breath, Shu Yan looked at the three women, who were now completely stunned. He waved his hand helplessly and continued,
"If you want, we can go in and take a look right now. I haven't fully grasped necromantic magic yet, but entering and leaving the undead demi-plane is easy with Elder Yi's permission."
The three exchanged glances, shock plain on their faces—but along with it came intense curiosity and eagerness. In the end, it was the Snow Empress who spoke:
"Let's wait until we settle down for the night. This isn't the right place."
The Ice Empress and Xu Jiujiu nodded in agreement.
Shu Yan chuckled softly and didn't object.
"At our speed, reaching Xuanyu City before nightfall won't be difficult. We'll talk then."
…
Time passed quickly. The sun began to dip westward, and a blood-red sunset stretched across the endless fields, painting a breathtaking scene along the distant horizon. At the far edge of the plains, dark city walls finally came into view. The flow of people returning home grew thicker—signaling that they had arrived at their resting place for the night: Xuanyu City.
After paying the ever-unchanging entrance fee, the group entered the city without issue.
Once Luo Qinghan woke up, they found a large hotel and checked in. After a quiet dinner prepared by the hotel, everyone returned to their respective rooms.
As night deepened, Shu Yan sat cross-legged on his bed with his eyes closed—when a crisp sound of a door opening suddenly reached his ears.
He opened his eyes to see the three women standing before him.
With a sigh, he said,"You three even share the exact same habit of entering without knocking…"
The Snow Empress and Ice Empress merely glanced at him, saying nothing. Xu Jiujiu, however, looked utterly confused—she had only followed after seeing the Ice Empress casually open the door and walk in. Shu Yan's comment made it sound as though there was some untold history between the three of them…
That aside, Shu Yan quickly returned to the main topic.
"Let me say this first: entering the undead demi-plane means completely leaving our original world. I don't know exactly what that place is like, so prepare yourselves mentally."
All three nodded.
Seeing this, Shu Yan said no more. He gently called out within his Sea of Consciousness. In the next instant, the soul imprint left behind by Ilex exploded into life. A bone-chilling aura burst forth from Shu Yan, raising goosebumps instantly. An overwhelming sense of death flooded the room, making Xu Jiujiu instinctively touch her exposed skin and suck in a sharp breath.
With a low rumble, a pitch-black gate suddenly opened behind Shu Yan. A frigid wind carrying the stench of death surged forward, sending the room's furnishings swaying violently—yet the gate and Shu Yan's aura were perfectly controlled, not leaking a trace beyond the suite.
Shu Yan stepped toward the black gate, which looked like a bottomless abyss, and said,
"Come. Just stay close to me."
The Snow Empress followed without hesitation. The Ice Empress glanced at Xu Jiujiu, hesitated briefly, then took her hand and led her forward.
…
After a dizzying sensation of weightlessness, the four landed steadily.
They had arrived on a barren mountain ridge, granting them an expansive and awe-inspiring view.
This was a dim world. High in the sky hung a strange black sun, radiating an ominous purple light.
Looking out from above, the mountains and slopes below were nearly devoid of vegetation—desolate and lifeless. A biting cold wind swept through the land. Shu Yan pulled Xu Jiujiu closer to his side. This world heavily suppressed light-based attributes; though the Star Crown Martial Soul was starlight-aligned, it still shared affinity with light, making Xu Jiujiu particularly affected.
Standing beside Shu Yan, the Snow Empress released her vast spiritual power outward. After a moment, she spoke with mild surprise,
"Though you call this an incomplete plane, its scale exceeds my expectations. However, beyond the land already formed, attempting to explore farther outward—or upward—only leads to endless darkness and void."
Shu Yan nodded.
"Elder Yi created this place to research an extremely powerful form of necromantic magic. Over thousands of years, the undead here have multiplied. Their numbers and strength can no longer be underestimated."
"Because of Elder Yi, I can freely enter and exit this undead demi-plane. So you don't need to worry too much about my safety anymore. If I'm ever in danger, I can retreat here instantly. Even an Extreme Douluo wouldn't be able to trace this place—let alone enter it. For me, this demi-plane is the perfect safeguard."
"More importantly, Elder Yi has granted me authority over the undead here. That's what truly matters. At present, there are thirteen known types of undead beings in this world."
"These thirteen races differ in strength, much like the soul master system among humans. The weakest races are the most numerous, while the strongest are the rarest. Without exaggeration, this is an undead army that obeys me completely. And even if I were to bring them to the continent, no one would suspect me—most would instead focus their attention on evil soul masters…"
The Ice Empress clicked her tongue.
"Well, you really do have that evil soul master vibe now… Still, that old man truly had some frightening methods. Creating a world with a god-level body—unheard of."
Xu Jiujiu tugged on Shu Yan's sleeve, pointing toward a distant valley. Swallowing hard, she asked,
"Ah Yan… what are those?"
Following her gaze, they saw crimson lights flickering in the dark valley. Amid chaotic footsteps, figures slowly emerged from the shadows—a group of skeletal undead, the weakest beings of the undead demi-plane.
Sensing fresh flesh and blood, the soul flames in their eye sockets flared violently. Before they could approach, gray mist appeared in Shu Yan's hand. With a casual wave, the skeletons turned obediently and retreated back into the darkness.
"They're just the most ordinary skeletons here," Shu Yan explained calmly."With spiritual perception, you'll find their combat strength is about equal to that of an ordinary middle-aged man with no soul power—absolute bottom-tier. But they make up for it in numbers. According to Elder Yi, their quantity is effectively endless… within the limits of what the world itself can bear."
He paid them little mind and led the group toward a distant peak.
As they walked across the nearly black ground, they spotted many other low-tier undead similar to the skeletons—weak individually, but vast in number. Still, exceptions existed.
Looking down at a giant skeleton over five meters tall, Shu Yan sensed it briefly and said,
"This should be the king of the skeletons in this region. Converted to human standards, it's probably around the Soul Emperor to Soul Sage level."
After observing it for a moment, the Ice Empress voiced her curiosity,
"Shu Yan, I'm curious—just how powerful is the strongest being in this plane?"
"…That's hard to say."
Shu Yan hesitated. After consulting Ilex through his Sea of Consciousness, he answered,
"My understanding of this demi-plane is still limited. The strongest beings here could correspond to a Titled Douluo—or even a Super Douluo. I'll need to explore further before reaching a conclusion. Elder Yi is still dormant, and the soul imprint can only give me the simplest responses."
The Ice Empress acknowledged this and didn't press further.
The Snow Empress walked ahead alone and stopped at a cliff. After studying the distant view, she frowned slightly and turned back.
"But one thing is certain—this demi-plane definitely contains beings comparable to Titled Douluo-level experts. Come take a look."
The three joined her and froze.
Below the cliff stretched an endless plain, filled with white skeletons whose eyes burned with blood-red soul flames. At their center stood several massive skeletons with deep dark-gold hues, towering like absolute monarchs commanding the horde.
"When I explored this world earlier, I sensed several concealed auras even deeper within. Those dark-gold skeletons alone are enough to rival Titled Douluo-level strength," the Snow Empress said softly."Ah Yan, try it—can you control them?"
She pointed toward the most imposing of the dark-gold skeletons.
Shu Yan paused, then nodded.
"I'll try. Elder Yi gave me broad authority, but my understanding is still shallow. I can't be sure I'll succeed yet. If Elder Yi were fully awake, though, there'd be no problem at all…"
The Snow Empress gave a quiet hum and turned her gaze back toward the vast plain below.