Over a month had passed since the last massacre, but the people of the continent were still deeply immersed in terror, shocked by Ye Han's frenzied actions. The events of this year had completely astonished everyone.
A natural-born waste, in less than a year, had managed to instill fear in all under heaven. Facing the continent's aggressive attempts to kill him, he showed no fear and resolutely fought back. With his peak ninth-order strength, he stirred up a storm across the entire continent. Nearly two million people perished in that year, hundreds of thousands of magical beasts met a tragic end, a hundred saint-level beings fell, and three cities were completely destroyed, leaving everyone on the continent in disbelief.
Yet, these were not enough to throw the entire continent into panic. What truly horrified and panicked them was the disappearance of a deity-level expert from the Sword Sect and Law Sect. The last sighting was in the city of Miya.
The news of the deity-level expert's fall at the hands of Ye Han quickly spread across the continent. No one dared to deem it impossible, but no one dared to believe it either. All of this left everyone in doubt and sensing a crisis.
As the month passed inconspicuously, no one pursued Ye Han anymore, no family or power dared to point their swords at him. Everyone knew, however, that this was just the calm before the storm, awaiting the final outburst.
The continental ranking competition was drawing near, and all the young generation were making their final sprint for the big event. Even though the significance of this competition had been lost, it still managed to excite the younger generation.
During this month, Ye Han stayed in the Doomsday Prison. This month was a period of calm for Ye Han. Tens of thousands of eighth and ninth-order magical beasts were scattered in every corner of the Doomsday Prison, bringing a glimmer of life to the otherwise lifeless place.
After a year of development, Ye Han now controlled thirteen saint-level zombie beasts, fifteen saint-level undead slaves, and six saint-level dragons, along with his mount, the Abyssal Nether Dragon Baires. In total, thirty-five saint-level powerhouses, and three deity-level experts—Curtis, Ershura, and Xiazhao—Ye Han's forces could now contend against any empire on the continent outside of the Sword Sect and Law Sect.
"Boom, boom, boom" the sound of hundreds of heavy objects landing kicked up clouds of yellow sand, as five hundred Winged Dragon Knights arrived before Ye Han.
"Master," the five hundred men chorused reverently, their voices echoing across the sky. Ye Han nodded slightly, and behind him, the dark figure of Huolis stood quietly, a glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes.
Ye Han looked at the five hundred Winged Dragon Knights before him and shook his head slightly, disappointed by their low strength. Out of the five hundred knights, only thirty had reached the ninth-order, three hundred and eighty were at the eighth order, and the rest were around the seventh order.
"Sit down and activate your cultivation techniques," Ye Han said coldly. Unleashing the power of his soul, he enveloped all five hundred undead knights, connecting to the drop of essence blood within their bodies. With a thought, he released a massive amount of energy contained within the essence blood.
Simultaneously releasing the energy from the essence blood of five hundred people, Ye Han's soul power was rapidly depleted. When most of it was consumed, the release was finally complete.
Almost at the same moment, the five hundred undead knights sitting on the ground unleashed their powerful auras and energy fluctuations. Shooting towards the heavens, the combined force of five hundred auras even pushed back the early saint-level Abyssal Nether Dragon a few steps.
"Curtis," Ye Han called out.
"Present, Master," Curtis replied promptly.
"Watch over them. Kill those who fail to break through," Ye Han ordered coldly. Under such immense energy, if there was still no breakthrough, it was pointless to keep them. It was nothing but a waste of time.
After speaking, Ye Han slowly walked towards the blood pool. Continuously throwing magical beasts into the blood mist over several days, the blood in the pool had returned to its original state. Ye Han walked steadily over the blood pool, with waves of blood rolling beneath him. Finally, he stopped beside the sleeping figure of Xiao Ya, gently caressing her delicate face.
"Xiao Ya," Ye Han softly called, a touch of tenderness in his eyes, which was soon replaced by a fierce killing intent. Images of Xiao Ya—her innocence, her laughter, her aggrieved expressions—were deeply imprinted in Ye Han's mind.
Ye Han took a deep breath and withdrew his hand. "All because of those greedy humans, I will not let them off easily," he said with a chilling tone. His current situation was all their making. He could have lived openly and honestly on the continent, but it was their greed that forced Ye Han to live like a rat in the streets, constantly hiding and covered in the stench of blood.
Sitting above the blood pool, Ye Han quietly began his cultivation, continuously studying various formations and sword techniques in his mind, ceaselessly enhancing his combat strength. Ye Han knew that when he ventured out again, he would face even crazier retaliation.
Three days later, Ye Han was as good as new. Ivelin and the other undead slaves had also fully recovered. Nearly a hundred of the five hundred undead knights had awakened, with their strength elevated by one level. Ye Han nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"Huolis, Ivelin, Kapulos," Ye Han called out softly.
"Master, my King," Huolis and Ivelin quickly came before Ye Han.
"Follow me," he commanded.
"Yes," they responded.
The Yanlong Empire was one of the three great empires on the Qingming Continent, albeit the weakest in terms of strength. The three empires—Fengshuang, Yanlong, and Huayue—each had their own strengths. The Fengshuang Empire had the strongest military, with the largest army and the best equipment among the three nations, though its economy paled in comparison to the Huayue Empire. The Yanlong Empire's economy lagged behind Huayue's, but its military strength was superior to Huayue's yet weaker than Fengshuang's. Economically, it was stronger than Fengshuang. Thus, none of the three empires could easily overpower the others. Over ten thousand years of development, the three empires formed a triangular balance of power on the Qingming Continent.
Though the three great empires had not erupted into major wars, minor skirmishes were frequent. They served as a way for the empires to train their troops.
This time, Ye Han didn't stay in the Fengshuang Empire but headed towards the Yanlong Empire. His pace and that of his companions were not fast. After a year of slaughter, Ye Han felt a hint of weariness. In the calm life of over a month, he surprisingly found himself longing for days of peace and tranquility.
This was what set Ye Han apart from other zombies. He retained the complete thoughts and consciousness of a normal human. Even the most bloodthirsty person would feel revulsion at constant killing over a period, and Ye Han was now experiencing this feeling.
However, Huolis's reaction was markedly different from Ye Han's. Throughout their journey, Huolis silently followed behind Ye Han, not uttering a word. His face was a mask of murderous intent, devoid of any other expression. This was the major difference between Ye Han and a typical zombie.
Tisi City, a bustling and prosperous small city on the border between the Fengshuang and Yanlong Empires, saw most of the trade between the two countries. Despite its size, the city was lively and thriving.
Ye Han, accompanied by Huolis and Ivelin, entered a tavern. As soon as Ye Han stepped in, the previously noisy tavern fell silent, with everyone turning their gaze towards him, clad in a black robe. No one dared even to breathe too loudly.
"Waiter, bring some of your best dishes and finest wine," a hoarse voice requested from within the black robe.
There was a collective sigh of relief from the patrons as the tavern quickly regained its former liveliness.
"Hey, do you think that man in the black robe is 'him'?" whispered some nearby, as Ye Han and his companions settled at a quiet spot and began to drink slowly.
"Definitely not, that guy is just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth. How could his voice be like that?" This comment seemed to reassure everyone, and the previous anxious crowd once again engaged in lively conversations.
"Why do you think our Fengshuang Empire is always so troubled?" a burly man bellowed, his voice carrying throughout the tavern.
"Why do you say that?" asked a swordsman who appeared more cultured, prompting the tavern to quiet down again, waiting for the burly man's reply.