The Lord of the Dead City

"It has come… in the end, it has come." In a hidden corner of the Nine Provinces, the White Tiger Saint Emperor gazed into the distance toward the Dead City, his expression complex.

"To break the Dead City…" The Sun Holy God stood atop a lofty peak, his hands clasped behind his back, staring toward Yong Province.

"Extinction… is not my final fate!" The Three-Infant Grand Lord stood in the void, his eyes icy cold, watching the Primordial Ancient Village from the distant heavens.

The Dead City descended upon the mortal world, and cultivators from all directions gathered here. The crowds surged like a tide, deeply shaken by the sight.

The city walls, pitch-black, thick and solid, rose over a hundred meters high, stretching before them like a chain of majestic mountains. The central gate tower, a towering structure, stood like a mountain peak pressing down upon all who beheld it. This was no ordinary city—it was a demonic palace from beyond the heavens.

What was most terrifying was that the black walls seemed to have been dyed by endless blood, which had turned to the color of death as ages passed.

Xiao Chen and Qingqing stood atop the hundred-meter-high city wall, looking down at the countless cultivators outside. They felt a transcendent detachment, as if standing beyond the Nine Heavens, gazing upon the mortal world.

To the crowd, at this moment the upright young man and the woman of jade-like skin and icy bones seemed about to command the world and rule over the rise and fall of all beings.

Heaven and earth fell silent. Everyone stared at the Dead City.

Qingqing broke the silence with a bright laugh, calling down to the crowd: "This Dead City is now ours. Everyone, please go back. What? You don't believe it? Fine, you come up—yes, I mean you—try entering the Dead City and taking a walk."

She spoke with a light, teasing tone, but no one dared to charge up. The existence of the Dead City was no longer a secret in the World of Immortality. Many who had crossed from Dragon Island into the mortal realm had witnessed its terror. Even half-ancestors could do nothing about it; for ordinary people to enter would be suicide.

Yet this time, with the fate of half-ancestors at stake, countless cultivators had still gathered. Outside the Dead City, figures thronged in a black mass stretching into the distance.

For dozens of li, a deathly stillness reigned. Everyone held their breath, silently watching the Dead City.

"Boom…" The earth trembled as countless horsemen charged from afar, their great banners snapping in the wind.

It was the empire's heavy cavalry! Six thousand ironclad riders roared forward in a mighty tide, raising endless dust. These were battle-hardened elite soldiers who had shed blood and witnessed death. Though they lacked the cultivators' high skills, the unique killing aura of soldiers far surpassed that of ordinary practitioners.

Their warhorses thundered, steel lances leveled forward, cold light gleaming on iron armor. They swept forward like a steel dragon, killing intent piercing the sky.

All the cultivators cleared a path. The six thousand cavalry reached the city walls. A general raised his lance and bellowed: "Open the gates!"

Xiao Chen swept his gaze across the iron cavalry below. Though his voice was not loud, it carried clearly across the whole field: "Go back to where you came from."

"The entire Nine Provinces belong to the Empress. This city belongs to the Empire. Open the gates at once, and we will spare your lives!"

"So it's the Sun Religion's knights directing the show…" Xiao Chen noticed a few golden-haired riders mixed among the cavalry, riding savage beasts. "With just you? Even if the Sun Holy God himself came, he would fall here in bitterness."

The dozen or so Sun Knights mingled among the six thousand cavalry were fierce devotees of the Sun Holy God. They raised their golden lances high and shouted in unison: "Attack the city! Kill!"

The six thousand cavalry were all battle-hardened veterans who obeyed orders absolutely. They surged forward like a tidal wave, charging the main gate of the Dead City.

Hooves thundered, the earth rumbled as if a flood had arrived.

"Kill!" The six thousand warriors roared as one, their murderous intent soaring to the heavens. They swung their lances in unison, striking from afar toward the city gate. In that moment, the six thousand seemed to merge into one being. Visible blood-red killing light slashed out like streaks of blood-red lightning, blasting the gate.

Initially, Xiao Chen wondered how cavalry could assault such a massive city. Now he understood—this was the Sun Religion's battle formation, uniting the essence and spirit of six thousand soldiers. The killing intent of these battle-hardened veterans should not be underestimated. The Sun Religion's secret warfare method displayed formidable power, allowing six thousand mortal soldiers to unleash terrifyingly sharp combat force.

Six thousand blood-red blades struck the Dead City, shaking the sky as if thunderbolts were crashing. The enormous gate did indeed tremble once—but only once. Then it stood as immovable as a mountain.

And at least a thousand of the six thousand cavalry burst blood vessels and fell from their horses, their vital essence completely drained. They were, after all, mortals, and such expenditure was beyond their capacity.

"Pity. The empire's finest, veterans who survived a hundred battles, perishing like this for nothing," Xiao Chen said calmly, his voice carrying no emotion. The sound waves rolled like thunder outside the Dead City. To test the Dead City's strength, these elite troops had clearly been used as cannon fodder, yet they still obeyed orders without flinching—the greatest tragedy of a soldier.

"Kill!" A second charge began, but the outcome was predictable. Though their fighting spirit was high and their killing intent reached the sky, mortals could not shake the Dead City. This time, nearly three thousand soldiers fell, their flesh bursting open, their essence drained.

"Kill!" The third and final charge. The remaining thousand-plus soldiers slashed out fierce blood-red blades, but they and their horses all exploded outside the Dead City.

Six thousand cavalry perished in an instant before the great city. The scene fell into dead silence.

Black mist churned within the Dead City, swirling around Xiao Chen and making him appear towering and fearsome, like a demon king who dominated the world.

At that moment, a mysterious and profound demonic pattern slowly emerged in the center of Xiao Chen's forehead. It looked like a vertical eye, or like a black lotus, adding an oppressive majesty to his presence, filling him with an aura of demonic power.

But the old experts in the distance recognized it: the so-called demonic pattern was actually an ancient divine script, though no one could decipher its meaning. They stared in shock at the man and woman on the city wall.

Even Xiao Chen himself did not understand why a demonic pattern had appeared on his forehead. Perhaps it was due to the Yellow-Clay Altar.

Earlier, the moment the Dead City had fully descended upon the world, the Yellow-Clay Altar had flown out from his acupoint space on its own, carrying him up to the city gate tower, along with Qingqing and the little beast Keke.

It was then that a wave of energy like a vast ocean had surged from within the city, shaking the Nine Provinces for an instant before the terrifying power vanished. The mark on his forehead appeared at that time, though it was initially very faint. Now, it was growing clearer.

Xiao Chen and Qingqing stood side by side on the Dead City wall, facing the assembled heroes below. Behind them were terrifying baleful auras. Although they did not turn around, they could feel pairs of cold eyes watching them from the depths of the city. Only Keke poked her head out from Qingqing's delicate shoulder to sneak a peek behind her, her large eyes full of surprise as she muttered softly.

"Kill!"

This time, the Sun Religion's sacred knights personally took action. Five hundred of them, clad in bronze armor and wielding lances and greatswords, their golden hair flying, their battle intent reaching the heavens. The enormous savage beasts beneath them were covered in gleaming scales, their running shaking the earth.

Under their lead, followers of other half-ancestors charged as well. These were the fanatics who knew this city might determine the fate of half-ancestors and rushed in recklessly.

But in the moment they neared the Dead City, all flying cultivators plummeted to the ground.

The sky was sealed! The fluctuations emanating from the Dead City robbed flying cultivators of their ability to soar, forcing them to attack from the ground.

The five hundred Sun Religion sacred knights formed up in orderly ranks, joined by death warriors from other great religions—nearly two thousand attackers in total—charging to assault the Dead City.

"Boom…"

The Dead City's gates rumbled open from within. Hundreds of celestial soldiers surged out. Though their armor had lost its luster over endless ages and their weapons were rusted, they seemed even more soul-shaking than before. Then hundreds of underworld soldiers charged out too—exactly as legend described, clad in pitch-black armor, exuding chilling yin energy, wielding rusted ancient swords and halberds.

Through the sedimentation of ages, the weathered armor seemed to have fused with the celestial and underworld soldiers into one entity, emitting a power that could shake the soul.

Xiao Chen could clearly feel that these celestial and underworld soldiers were many times stronger than when he had first entered the Dead City. Their power had mysteriously increased to an unfathomable level.

Facing the roaring charge of the Sun Religion sacred knights and the battle-crazed cultivators, the celestial and underworld soldiers remained utterly calm. They stood outside the city like fossils, silent and motionless.

When the enemy reached them, they mercilessly raised their rusted bronze lances and dull iron swords. Blood sprayed. The ancient bronze weapons, dormant for ages, cut through enemy flesh, shattered their bones. The stench of blood filled the air.

The result was devastating. It was like slicing vegetables. The cultivators at the front fell in rows. Brilliant sword qi and dazzling artifacts were shattered. In the brief moment of contact, the celestial and underworld soldiers with their bronze ancient weapons killed hundreds.

This slaughter instantly stunned everyone. At first glance, the celestial and underworld soldiers resembled unearthed terracotta warriors—old, worn, and ancient—but their combat power was astonishing.

Now Xiao Chen was certain: these ancient warriors were many times stronger than when he had first seen them. This seemed to be their true power.

The "living terracotta warriors" stood silently before the Dead City, their formidable battle prowess terrifying all. The attacking cultivators slowly retreated, snapped out of their frenzy by the horror.

But after a brief silence, the five hundred Sun Religion sacred knights advanced again. Their savage beasts roared to the heavens, and the golden-haired knights shouted in unison: "Kill!"

Their voices shook heaven and earth! The mounts were extraordinary beasts; their massive bodies rumbled like thunder as they ran, the earth shaking, killing intent soaring, their momentum staggering. But the ancient warriors did not panic. They swiftly and efficiently formed a battle formation, advancing slowly. Their rusted bronze weapons exuded a menacing pressure.

At the moment of contact, it was like a thunderstorm roaring! "Boom…" Blood splattered, staining the sky red. The five hundred Sun Knights were swept aside like boats in a raging sea.

Bloodshed! All five hundred were covered in blood, lying dead outside the Dead City. Even their savage beast mounts were shaken to death, bleeding from all seven orifices.

In ancient times, five hundred Sun God Knights united could rival a powerful half-ancestor. Though these five hundred were only sacred knights, not the divine knights who could contend with half-ancestors, their combat power was undeniable. But all that was now past. Before the Dead City's "living terracotta warriors," they could not compete.

The few hundred ancient warriors were overwhelmingly powerful, sweeping away all attackers with absolute superiority before them. It was shocking. No one dared step forward. Everyone retreated, watching in silent awe from a distance.

The hundreds of ancient warriors stood before the Dead City like fossils, motionless. Before the multitude of cultivators, blood dripped from their rusted bronze halberds, ancient swords, and war lances, the sound of dripping blood clearly audible.

"Roar…" Seeing no one approach, all the ancient warriors turned in unison, letting out heaven-shaking roars, brandishing their halberds and swords toward Xiao Chen on the gate tower.

This… did not seem like a challenge, but rather a salute. The distant crowd was dumbfounded.

Even Xiao Chen and Qingqing were astonished. To have commanded such a powerful battle corps—could they sweep through the eight directions? Had they truly taken control of the Dead City?

The distant crowd was terrified. This outcome was hard to accept.

The living terracotta warriors strode back into the Dead City, then closed the gates with a rumble. In truth, even without their intervention, the Dead City's own power was something few could shake, let alone the other mysterious forces within. This seemed merely to intimidate.

Xiao Chen and Qingqing did not truly believe they had become the city lords. They could clearly feel many cold eyes watching them from the depths of the Dead City. When they suddenly turned around, they saw nothing.

Far in the sky, the Three-Infant Grand Lord stood on a floating divine island, his face ashen.

On a lofty peak, the Sun Holy God frowned deeply, pondering. "Those ancient terracotta warriors… could they be… them?"

In a hidden place of the Nine Provinces, the White Tiger Saint Emperor also muttered to himself: "Those people should have turned to ashes long ago…"

"Boom" The Dead City shook. The divine stele at its center trembled, then slowly rose into the air, seeming about to leave the great city. Inside Xiao Chen, the stone man shuddered violently, and a mark swept from the enormous divine stele. In that instant, a pattern of the heavenly stele was carved onto the broken stone man. Thus far, the stone man had been imprinted with the Yellow River ancient stele and the Dead City heavenly stele. But in the end, the divine stele within the city did not break through the sky; it merely pulled free from the ground and hung in midair.

All the world's strong had tried to force the gate, but they returned in vain. The descent of the Dead City shocked the world. Without a doubt, everyone believed Xiao Chen had become its lord.

"Ya ya…" Keke suddenly cried out in alarm, tugging urgently at Qingqing and Xiao Chen's arms, her furry little paw pointing into the depths of the Dead City.

Deep within the Dead City, on an empty street, a tall figure stood. The burial shroud draped over him fluttered in the wind. His waist-length, disheveled hair hid his face, but one could feel him staring at the gate tower. Xiao Chen was greatly startled. The burial shroud… was his. Yes, it was exactly identical. It should have been the burial shroud of Suiren, hidden in his acupoint space. But now his acupoint space was empty—the shroud was no longer there. How had it appeared on that person? Could it be… A chill surged through Xiao Chen's heart. In that moment, he felt his very soul tremble.