```
Xu Zimei returned to the True Martial Holy Sect, but Shili Changkong did not follow him.
He had to create a force for Xu Zimei, an intelligence force, whose power might not need to be very strong, but the news must be timely and accurate.
The scope of the force aimed to cover the entire Yuan Central Continent, and he needed to be the first to know about all major events happening on the continent.
This was a very long process, not something that could be accomplished overnight.
But Xu Zimei was not in a hurry; he could wait, and he certainly didn't lack the funds to create a force.
Setting aside his identity, just from the loot he plundered from the Chang Family, Xu Zimei could spend for a very long time.
The accumulation of a family for five hundred years was unimaginably vast.
...…
After returning to Goose Southern Peak, Xu Zimei came to the peak alone.
The cold wind whistled at the mountaintop, thousands of zhang high, strewn with jagged rocks, the mountain path rugged and overgrown with wild grass.
Xu Zimei slowly took out the three Prison Suppression Pearls, as the breeze made his broken hair even more disheveled.
"Prison-Suppressing Divine Body, the Eternal Ancient No.1 Body," Xu Zimei lamented, even he didn't know all the secrets of this divine body.
In his previous life, he had only seen Chu Yang use it, leaving him with regret and envy.
He slowly infused spiritual energy into the three Prison Suppression Pearls, as the wind blew his robe flapping noisily.
Suddenly, the three Prison Suppression Pearls shattered, and the sky filled with dark clouds, lightning flashing and thunder booming overhead in a dark mass.
Silver dragons of lightning snaked through the clouds, thunder rolling as if the whole sky was about to collapse.
From within the three Prison Suppression Pearls, three balls of light emerged, forming a triangular shape, winding around each other.
In the sky, the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder seemed to grow larger and larger as if the firmament itself was angry.
The clouds accumulated thickly but were slow to release their rain, the air carrying a faint hint of moisture.
The three balls of light suddenly shone brightly, and a skeleton flew out from within.
One ball of light released two arms, another released two legs, and the last one the torso and skull.
As the skeleton fully assembled, the demonic qi surged between heaven and earth, as black mists appeared on the bones, with countless scriptures crawling over its body like ants.
The skeleton's eyes emitted a pure black qi, and it mechanically turned its head and charged straight toward Xu Zimei.
Just as the skeleton was about to charge into Xu Zimei's body, Xu Zimei hurriedly took out Emperor Feiyu's Emperor's Blood.
He dripped the Emperor's Blood onto the skeleton, and the entire skeleton suddenly shook and then turned into a stream of light that flew into Xu Zimei's body.
Xu Zimei felt as if his bones were fusing with something, an agonizing pain that reached deep into his soul, nearly causing him to faint.
His heartbeat quickened a lot, and his blood, originally red, was turning black.
Xu Zimei felt an incredible clarity in his head as if all distractions were nonexistent.
His hair all blew back, curling up like an explosion, and turned into a fiery red.
Numerous purple lines mixed with black appeared on his face, with some kind of power flowing within them.
Wisps of black qi were emanating from Xu Zimei's body.
He knelt on the ground, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain that was transforming his entire body.
......…
In a very distant place across the Yuan Central Continent, the sky was covered with rolling demonic qi, so dense that not even the scorching sun could penetrate it.
There was no distinction between day and night here because it was always shrouded in darkness.
At the very center of this land stood an ancient column, sealed in dust.
This column reached thousands of zhang high, silent for thousands of years.
```
Suddenly, the dust-sealed fragments began to fall from the column, and streaks of red light started to flicker across its surface.
In this world, silent for hundreds and thousands of years, someone finally spoke.
"The Sky Piercer has felt its master's power; the Demon Lord has been resurrected!"
"Where is he? Shall we go find him?"
"We won't know, or rather, no one will know where the Demon Lord is. Precisely because no one knows, the Demon Lord can grow safely and survive."
"One day, that man will reign over this place once more. All we need to do is wait in silence."
"But the path to the Ancient Demon Cave has been sealed, and ordinary creatures cannot enter."
"The Demon Lord is no ordinary creature," a gentle female voice slowly said: "He will follow the summoning of the Sky Piercer, as if he's listening to a war song from the distant heavens.
Chanting softly while proceeding towards his weapon, the Sky Piercer.
Nothing can stop him, for he is the most powerful creature in the world."
Someone beside them laughed maniacally, their laughter filled with too much madness and excitement.
"Demon Lord, welcome back!"
..........
The moment the Prison-Suppressing Divine Body merged with him, Xu Zimei's second Vein Gate within his body was directly opened.
The opening of Xuan Gu also meant that Xu Zimei had advanced directly to the Condensing Vein Realm.
His realm, under the enhancement of the power from the Divine Vein Realm within, grew bit by bit.
"Condensing Vein first layer,
Condensing Vein second layer,
...........
Condensing Vein ninth layer."
His realm settled at the Condensing Vein ninth layer, and Xu Zimei took a deep breath.
What surprised him even more was his state just now, with hair turning entirely fiery red and his face covered with purple-black patterns.
In that moment, Xu Zimei felt like he himself was the Demon King incarnate, possessing power beyond belief.
"Is this the power of the Prison-Suppressing Divine Body?" Xu Zimei was somewhat astonished; in his previous life, he had seen Chu Yang use the Prison-Suppressing Divine Body, but his own form seemed different.
Perhaps everyone has their own path to follow; it's normal to be different.
The increase in strength caused Xu Zimei's body to crackle with snapping sounds, and the dark clouds in the sky began to disperse bit by bit, ultimately failing to bring rain.
The sun was shining brightly, and atop Azure Mountain Peak, Xu Qingshan watched the anomaly with a look full of puzzlement.
"An ominous sign, I don't know if it is good or bad," Xu Qingshan couldn't tell the origin of the omen and could only shake his head, not dwelling on it further.
.........
Later, Xu Zimei sought out Lin Ruhu. Today was the day the True Martial Holy Sect was recruiting new disciples, and Xu Zimei wanted to participate and see what the excitement was all about.
According to the rules of the True Martial Holy Sect, Xu Zimei, having not cultivated for long and not passed the entry assessment, didn't count as a disciple of the True Martial Holy Sect.
At most, he was nothing more than a family member of the Deputy Sect Master of the True Martial Holy Sect.
By the rules, Xu Zimei today had to pass the trials along with everyone else to be considered a true disciple of the Holy Sect.
But in this world, there's no absolute fairness. With power comes the privilege to act capriciously.
With Xu Qingshan around, rules and such don't matter at all.
Rules are made for the weak; the strong are in charge of setting the rules, but they never take them seriously.