"...You... you’re not planning on eating me, are you?"

"Hehehe~"

Cannibalism!

It was a word that should have been taboo, yet Gu Zheng had heard it at least ten times within a short quarter-hour.

The ancient Taiping City protected its people, but it couldn’t conjure food out of thin air.

The Demon Fiend invasion had been going on for over a year, almost two now.

Taiping City, with its population of a million, had long since exhausted its original food supplies.

The surrounding regions had also been scavenged clean.

There was no food, but people had to live. What were they to eat?

Gu Zheng was silent.

He did have a good amount of food in his Storage Pouch.

But that small amount of food was less than a drop in the bucket for the entire city.

He moved through the city, walking at a rapid pace.

He had wanted to see which Noble Families were active in the city.

But as he walked, he didn’t see a single person from a Noble Family.

Spies and Scouts from the Eight Great Vassal States were likely in hiding.

But those who had cultivated a Divine Wondrous ability were pitifully few.

The Government Offices and other institutions maintaining order in the city all relied on personal martial strength.

However, whether it was the City Defense Military Bureau, the city’s constables, or the Imperial Guard, they were all lax and utterly devoid of discipline.

They were barely maintaining public order, just enough to prevent total chaos.

Gu Zheng knew very well that the reason for all this was that Emperor Zhou, in the imperial palace, was dying.

Not a single member of the Wu Clan remained.

Only the high officials of the Court were left, each governing their own affairs, vying for power, and fighting amongst themselves.

Because of this, while Taiping City hadn’t collapsed yet, it wasn’t far off.

Gu Zheng started from the city gate, passed through the urban districts, and entered the central area.

The Imperial City.

After stepping into the Imperial City, he concealed his figure and followed the directions to find the Ten Thousand Dragon Tripod.

This Tripod Cauldron, one of the Nine Tripods, was placed right outside the main gate of the imperial Court, directly in front of Taiji Hall.

Compared to the Celestial South Tripod and the Middle Celestial Tripod, which were used for other purposes, the Ten Thousand Dragon Tripod was perfectly preserved, clean and whole.

As Gu Zheng walked into the square where Taiji Hall was located, a gaunt, withered old man in imperial robes was walking slowly out of the main entrance, panting heavily.

Emperor Zhou!

The last of the Wu family.

The Last Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

There was a fluctuation of Divine Wondrous aura around him, but it was very strange.

At least, the sensation it gave Gu Zheng was very strange.

In terms of Cultivation, this Emperor Zhou was roughly comparable to a Super Body at the Celestial Ladder stage.

But the life force in his body was as thin and fragile as a sheet of paper.

And even if this paper looked sturdy, it could still be pierced by a single finger.

Gu Zheng could understand why the Eight Great Vassal Kings had left Emperor Zhou alive.

Given Emperor Zhou’s condition, whether they killed him or not, he only had a few days left to live.

He’d be dead in one or two months at the soonest, or four to five at the latest. He had half a year, max.

What did it matter if they left an emperor like this alive? 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

On the contrary, killing him would make them murderers and stain their names.

"Regicide" wasn’t a pleasant title, and once you were tainted by it, you could never wash it clean.

Gu Zheng floated through the air, approaching the Ten Thousand Dragon Tripod.

All the while, he observed Emperor Zhou’s condition.

Only when he reached the edge of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tripod did he look away, preparing to take the Tripod Cauldron.

But just then...

"Who are you, Your Excellency?"

A voice—old, steady, and raspy—suddenly rang out.

Gu Zheng’s hand paused. He turned his head to look at Emperor Zhou.

But he found that Emperor Zhou wasn’t looking at him. Instead, the emperor’s gaze was slowly sweeping from left to right.

"We... no, I... I am dying. Have you all finally deigned to come?"

??

’Does "you all" refer to the Eight Great Vassal Kings?’

Confirming that Emperor Zhou wasn’t looking at him, but had merely sensed someone nearby, Gu Zheng paused his attempt to take the Ten Thousand Dragon Tripod, deciding to listen to what the emperor had to say.

The Wu Family was a Noble Family, after all. Though it had declined to a single remaining member.

But they had once been glorious, so it wasn’t surprising that they would have an heirloom or two capable of detecting Gu Zheng’s presence.

"What, you’ve come all this way but won’t show yourself?" Emperor Zhou continued, his voice weak. "Since you’re here, don’t you dare meet me openly?"

Gu Zheng remained silent.

"Haha... COUGH COUGH! ...Hahaha..."

After waiting a moment without a response, Emperor Zhou first burst out laughing, which turned into a violent coughing fit, and then back to laughter again.

There were no attendants around to help him. It was just Emperor Zhou, alone, laughing and coughing, coughing and laughing.

Suddenly...

"Is it you?"

Unable to bear the strain on his body, Emperor Zhou sat down on the ground, panting heavily. Out of the blue, he spoke in a trembling voice.

"You’re not one of those eight whelps’ men."

Hmm?

Gu Zheng raised a sharp eyebrow.

’What is he basing that judgment on?’

’Malice?’

Gu Zheng was certain he hadn’t revealed the slightest hint of emotion, let alone let any of it leak out.

Yet Emperor Zhou could tell, certain that he wasn’t one of the Eight Great Vassal Kings’ men.

Interesting!

"Those whelps wouldn’t have the patience to listen to me ramble."

Emperor Zhou gasped for breath and continued, "I just want to know if it’s you."

’...Who is "you"?’

Gu Zheng was curious.

’It seems Emperor Zhou knows a certain person. Is he even expecting this person?’

"You are right not to show yourself."

Emperor Zhou paused for a moment, then spoke again. "I don’t have much more to say. It’s just... it’s just..."

Emperor Zhou’s breathing grew heavier, and his body trembled slightly.

His cloudy eyes scanned his surroundings, moving slowly.

"It’s just... it’s just..."

The words were on the tip of his tongue. He seemed about to say them several times but held back for some unknown reason, finally giving up with a heavy sigh.

"You... You should go."

Sitting on the steps, his body leaning back slightly, Emperor Zhou panted, "If you don’t want to show yourself, then go. And... don’t come back again."

’...The way he said that, it sounded like a warning.’

KABOOM!

Abruptly, a clap of thunder exploded high in the sky.

Lightning flashed, bursting with light and dispelling the last trace of twilight.

RUMBLE!

Peals of thunder, accompanied by a vast, formless power, serenely descended from the heavens.

"A Domain?"

Gu Zheng’s brows furrowed as he looked up at the sky.

Visible to the naked eye, a Domain Wall began to form high in the sky, rapidly descending to envelop the entirety of Taiping City and the surrounding several miles.

BOOM! BOOM!

Massive bolts of lightning flashed in the sky.

A dark mountain range, accompanied by the thunder, first emerged from the void, then rapidly solidified, hanging inverted high in the sky.

That is to say, the peaks of the mountain range were pointing down, and their bases were pointing up.

It floated there, less than three hundred meters above the ground, and slowly settled into place.

’...A region of the Demon Realm that has merged over?’

Gu Zheng was astonished.

The patch of Demon Realm territory that had merged over to form this Domain enveloping Taiping City was actually an inverted mountain range containing more than a dozen peaks.

In Gu Zheng’s perception, the Domain’s rank began at the first tier and continuously rose.

First tier, second tier, third tier...

’Fourth tier?’

’No.’

Gu Zheng had experienced the spatial fluctuations and the workings of heaven and earth within a fourth-tier Domain before.

This current Domain was infinitely close to the fourth tier, but it seemed some formless power was preventing it from ascending.

’The Human Dao Fortune bestowed upon Taiping City?’

’Is the Human Dao Fortune resisting the Domain’s advancement?’

’If it can’t stop the Domain from being born, does it stop it from growing stronger?’

Gu Zheng grew thoughtful, carefully sensing the changes within.

He was inside the Domain, so he didn’t need to worry, regardless of its tier.

He had plenty of time to perceive the Domain’s changes.

And, most importantly, the clash between the Human Dao Fortune and the Demon Realm.

This would be of immense help in the final, complete refinement of the Human Emperor’s Seal.

Emperor Yu had refined the Artifact Embryo and forged the Nine Tripods.

But whether the final perfection of the Human Emperor’s Seal would ultimately succeed was not a one hundred percent certainty.

Therefore, experiencing the clash between the Human Dao Fortune and the Demon Realm firsthand was an extraordinary benefit.

RUMBLE!

The rolling thunder shook the sky and the ground, illuminating the entire city of Taiping.

The Domain Wall flickered in and out of existence with each clap of thunder.

Gu Zheng felt the two unseen forces collide.

Not far away, Emperor Zhou stared up at the sky, his eyes wide, his withered face filled with shock.

"A... A Domain?"

"Taiping City can be covered by a Domain? How... how is that possible!"

Hmm?

Gu Zheng spared half his attention to glance back at Emperor Zhou.

’It’s understandable that Emperor Zhou knows about Domains.’

’But Taiping City being enveloped by one was beyond his knowledge.’

’He’s deeply shocked by this.’

’So, does that mean Emperor Zhou actually knew that Taiping City was protected by Human Dao Fortune?’

As he was pondering this...

Sharp, strange cries echoed from the sky above.

SWISH~

FLAP-FLAP-FLAP!

Demon Fiends—each the size of a calf, with bloated bodies, bat-like heads, pig-like torsos, and one or two pairs of sharp-clawed wings—dived down from the inverted mountain range overhead.