Imperial Palace, beneath Baiyu City.

An ancient Underground Palace lay concealed in the shadows.

This Underground Palace seemed like a corner forgotten by time, filled with suffocating silence and eerie gloom.

Originally, this place was used by the Great Yu Imperial Family to cultivate the Death Shadow Guard.

Later, Zheng Yi transformed it into a cultivation ground, and made modifications to the rest of the place to accommodate Zheng Yi and various consorts for cultivation.

Now, Zheng Yi had taken numerous consorts to Celestial Longevity Mountain for quiet cultivation, leaving this place to Chen Liancang for his cultivation.

Chen Liancang has now become the guardian of the Great Yu Court.

The entire Underground Palace has also become his sleeping quarters.

This matter is only known to the Empress, the Regent Crown Prince, Xu Mujun, and a few other key personnel.

His identity and status are incredibly secretive.

Upon entering the Underground Palace, a damp and decaying scent hits you.

The walls are covered with dark green moss, and water drips continuously from the cracks in the stones onto the cold ground, making a crisp and eerie sound.

The surrounding stone pillars are engraved with twisted runes, resembling the patterns of evil ghosts. Their eyes seem to flicker with a sinister light in the darkness, as if peering into the soul of every intruder.

At the center of the Underground Palace is a vast square, currently filled with corpses.

These bodies are not placed randomly but are arranged in a mysterious and evil array.

This array is called the "Nine Nether Blood Killing Array," rumored to use blood as a guide and Yin Qi as a foundation to gather the most sinister forces of heaven and earth, providing great aid in refining zombies.

At the crucial points of the array are materials used for the rituals—black liquid with a pungent smell, mysterious gemstones glowing with a strange light, and magical artifacts made of white bones.

At this moment, Chen Liancang stands at the center of the square; he appears aged but stern, with a cold and ruthless gaze in his eyes.

In front of him are fifty-nine recently beheaded cultivator corpses, along with over a hundred corpses of cultivators who died days ago at Celestial Longevity Mountain.

Cultivators!

The fifty-nine bodies of loose cultivators and clan cultivators beheaded today are all laid out here.

Even those who died days ago at Celestial Longevity Mountain are here!

Among them are notables like Youlinzi, Matchmaker, Tieguan Daoist, and the Snake-Toad Brothers.

These cultivators were all late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators, yet today, they have become mere frightening corpses, coldly arranged here.

What Chen Liancang now intends to do is refine these cultivator corpses into zombies he can control!

After all, cultivators absorb Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to advance their own cultivation.

Mortals with special conditions, Life Charts, or even potential can become resources for their cultivation.

Moreover, the bodies of the cultivators themselves are the most excellent resource!

Their flesh can be refined into zombies.

Their souls can be refined into evil ghosts.

Even their blood, bones, hair, skin, and so forth can be refined into fine magical artifacts!

This is also why it’s so hard to eradicate the demonic and evil path cultivators.

It’s just too easy!

The cultivation technique that Chen Liancang practices is the extremely sinister "Netherworld Scripture," personally bestowed upon him by Zheng Yi over ten years ago as a high-tier cultivation technique.

Unfortunately, Chen Liancang is old, and his aptitude is mediocre.

Despite over a decade of cultivation, he has only reached the third layer of Qi Cultivation.

In contrast, his godson Chen Hai, though also of mediocre aptitude, thrives in his youth and has now reached the third layer of Qi Cultivation.

In due time, he will surely break through to the middle stage of Qi Cultivation and serve Your Majesty.

"Netherworld Scripture" begins by describing the chaotic boundary between life and death, claiming to break conventions and control the power of life and death.

It records various spells that are numerous and poisonous.

For example, the "Soul-seeking Technique" can capture the enemy’s soul from a thousand miles away, causing instant death;

"Yin Evil Poisonous Fog" can release a fog filled with poison, corroding the opponent’s body and soul;

And the "Netherworld Invisibility Technique" allows the cultivator to hide in the Netherworld, becoming undetectable.

The method of refining zombies is a superior secret technique within the "Netherworld Scripture."

As a member of the Imperial Family, he knows all too well the importance of having controllable death warriors at one’s disposal.

Shadow Guards trained from mortals were sufficient before, but now most of the enemies they face are cultivators, who are a different matter.

Thus, zombies that are fearless and can be controlled like puppets have become what Chen Liancang values most.

After reporting to Your Majesty, Your Majesty approved the plan.

Using the bodies of the cultivators who died at Celestial Longevity Mountain as a guide, they would refine zombies to guard the Great Yu Court!

Most of these cultivator corpses are from the Qi Cultivation Stage.

Among them, there are also nine late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators!

Once refined into zombies, they will reach the Iron Corpse Realm.

They will be impervious to blades and weapons, resistant to fire and water, and can be controlled like puppets by Chen Liancang.

This...

Will be enough to ensure the safety of the Great Yu Court!

"Godfather~"

A little eunuch dressed in dark cyan garb, pale and slender, walked in quickly and spoke softly, "It’s almost the Hour of the Rat."

"Hmm~"

Chen Liancang nodded faintly, took a deep breath, and began forming complex hand signs, chanting incantations under his breath.

With his chant, the Nine Nether Blood Killing Array slowly activated, the gemstones within emitting a bewitching light, and black liquid began to boil, releasing billowing black smoke.