His intent surged into the spatial artifact, which immediately erupted with a blinding golden light.
Immediately, Zhou Yan activated the spatial artifact and bombarded the palace above.
A series of violent roars ensued.
This time, he used his full strength, but the outcome remained unchanged.
The spatial artifact was still trapped above the palace.
"Damn it!"
Zhou Yan's expression grew even more somber.
The spatial artifact, after all, had not endured years of refinement, and fine cracks had already appeared.
Suddenly, a low whisper echoed in Zhou Yan's ear.
At this moment, Zhou Yan's face completely froze.
He looked up, and his pupils contracted sharply.
The royal guards were all decapitated, lying on the ground.
On their foreheads was the imprint of a dagger.
It was the character 'Wang'!
And at this moment, this 'Wang' character was slowly melting, turning into blood-red liquid, seeping into the soil on the ground, and disappearing quickly.
Zhou Yan's face contorted.
What had just happened?
Why had those zombies suddenly died?
And why had they turned into withered corpses?
He looked around and found that on the chests of these corpses, there was a tiny crack, like a giant wound.
Could it be...
Zhou Yan's expression changed, and he abruptly raised his head to look upward.
His gaze pierced through layers of clouds and mist, falling upon a man in a dragon robe floating in mid-air.
This was... His Majesty the Emperor!
Seeing this, Zhou Yan's heart constricted.
This was a living emperor, a powerful being, possessing strength comparable to a True God Realm expert of the sixth or seventh level.
At this moment, Zhou Yan heard a series of violent roars.
Visions flickered before his eyes.
One by one, Zombie Kings charged forward.
With a single punch, they shattered the void, stirring up gusts of wind.
The number of these Zombie Kings was too great, numbering in the hundreds, almost covering the entire mountain peak and trapping him in the center.
Meanwhile, the man remained leisurely.
"Damn it, I refuse to believe you can block my attacks!"
His eyes turned cold, and he tapped his finger.
"Boom!"
In the next instant, thousands of zombies were blasted to pieces.
"This... How is this possible?"
Zhou Yan's eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
Each of these Zombie Kings possessed strength at the True God Realm seventh or eighth level, with even a few reaching the peak of the True God Realm ninth level.
Yet, these powerful beings were so easily annihilated by the opponent. How could he possibly believe it?
At this point, he took a deep breath and adjusted his mindset.
"Since all of you have had your souls controlled, it will be easier!"
As he spoke, he summoned with his right hand, and a talisman appeared.
The talisman transformed into a meteor and shot straight towards the imperial palace gate.
In the next moment, a look of joy appeared on his face: "Success!"
"Swish!"
As soon as his voice fell, ripples of space spread out.
Tall, black-clothed figures rushed out, one after another.
They carried a terrifying aura, and their appearance caused the entire valley to tremble.
"Bang!"
Zhou Yan's expression changed, and he quickly retreated.
At this moment, he finally understood why the Zombie Kings had been controlled and attacked him earlier.
It was because the one controlling them was their master!
Their master was the man before him!
"Hehehehe!"
A chilling laughter echoed throughout the entire valley.
Then, he slowly walked to the entrance of the palace and looked at Zhou Yan: "Little fellow, I know you are Zhou Yan, and you are my son's senior brother. You don't need to worry, I won't deal with him, his strength hasn't reached this level yet."
Zhou Yan cursed inwardly upon hearing this, but outwardly, he bowed respectfully and cupped his fists: "Junior greets His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Hmm!"
The Emperor nodded indifferently, "You must be Zhou Yan's senior brother, right?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, it is indeed this junior."
Zhou Yan bowed.
This Emperor was his master's father.
Moreover, although this man appeared approachable, he was also extremely arrogant. His temperament, much like Zhou Yan's, was somewhat cold and merciless.
Such people generally disdained worldly struggles.
They only needed to oversee the imperial city, rule all realms, and protect this land.
However, there were those within this land who were unwilling to remain content and sought to overthrow everything, forcing them to submit. Thus, they appeared in this world.
Furthermore, their cultivation resources were all obtained from here.
And this world was created by them.
"Good, it's indeed something to be able to become my son's junior brother, you have some capability." The Emperor looked at Zhou Yan and said indifferently.
He appeared calm, but in reality, his heart was in turmoil.
He never expected that Zhou Yan would be Zhou Yan's senior brother.
"Thank you for Your Majesty's praise."
Zhou Yan said humbly.
"Heh heh, you're welcome!"
The Emperor waved his hand and said, "Zhou Yan, you are also a friend of this Emperor. Rest assured, when my son Zhou Yan returns, that will be the moment your great revenge is avenged!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhou Yan clasped his fists gratefully, "If not for Your Majesty's grace, this junior would never dare to agree with Your Majesty's methods."
Although he didn't state it explicitly, his meaning was that he did not agree with the Emperor's methods.
"Your courage is commendable." The Emperor nodded in appreciation.
Then, his gaze shifted back to the Zombie Kings, and he said, "You want my life, don't you? I'll give you one chance. If you can defeat him, then you've won, and I will not stop you. How about it?"
As the words fell, the eyes of many Zombie Kings suddenly lit up.
Their gazes towards Zhou Yan were filled with intense greed and madness.
If Zhou Yan were merely a human martial artist, it would be one thing.
But he was a True God Realm ninth-level powerhouse!
The blood of such a powerful being was extremely beneficial to them.
"Boom!"
Immediately, all the Zombie Kings roared and lunged towards Zhou Yan.
"Hmph! You court death!"
Zhou Yan snorted coldly, his body moved, transforming into an afterimage, and he met the charge of the Zombie Kings.
For a time, the two engaged in battle, neither gaining an advantage.
However, he was, after all, not a zombie, and his body was frail, unable to withstand the fierce attacks of the Zombie Kings.
Soon, he was surrounded by a group of Zombie Kings, with countless bloody holes appearing on his body, bleeding profusely.
"No!"
Zhou Yan's face was filled with grief and indignation, his eyes brimming with despair.
Everything had happened too suddenly.
His body had absolutely no ability to resist.
He didn't even have the chance to call for help!
"No!"
Suddenly, his body trembled violently.
A trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.