"You two, surround that wicked temple first."
Zhou Haoyu pointed toward the eerie temple up ahead. According to the Netherworld Queen's explanation, this was the Ancestral Temple of the Scorpion Empire.
The direct bloodline of the Medusa clan did not reside in caves or cities but in temples.
And these temples were not constructed by the Medusas themselves but were built by Khufu, showing the deep ties between them.
The Ancestral Temple, in particular, had been erected by Khufu specifically for the very first generation Medusa Mother.
"As you command!"
The Red Skeleton Ruler and the Corpse King both answered.
In the next moment, the Red Skeleton Ruler transformed into a blood-red demonic shadow, rushing toward the temple.
The Corpse King was even more direct—his feet stomped into the ground, and like a cannonball he launched forward with his bone spear in hand.
Among all the Undead Lords besides the Netherworld Queen, the Corpse King was the closest to resembling a human.
From his appearance, he looked like a battle-hardened general, long spear in hand, each thrust able to pierce through giant venomous snakes with ease.
The closer they got to the temple, the stronger the serpents became—even several hundred-meter-long Crimson Serpent Monarch slithered nearby.
With a single thrust of his spear, its bone-forged tip punctured the belly of a massive serpent, causing blood to pour out in torrents.
Zhou Haoyu not only wielded the power of the Armor Robe but also bore a portion of the Nether King's Authority, enabling him to strengthen his undead with the force of darkness.
Under his empowerment, both the Red Skeleton Ruler and the Corpse King had reached the realm of Supreme Monarchs.
By now, the Red Skeleton Ruler had already charged inside the Ancestral Temple, unleashing a flood of Senluo demonic miasma that blanketed the entire temple.
Under this crimson tide of miasma, any creature below the Monarch-level was instantly reduced to bones—and even those bones began to shift into undead.
"Cough, cough… such audacity! How dare you invade the temple!"
A sultry, bewitching woman's voice echoed from the temple's depths, laced with a strong charm spell.
With the Armor Robe protecting him, Zhou Haoyu completely ignored this kind of seduction magic.
Looking toward the source of the voice, Zhou Haoyu saw a woman with hair entirely made of writhing serpents.
Her body, however, was not serpentine but that of a pomegranate-red scorpion.
Her sharp, elongated limbs resembled a woman wearing crystalline high heels, slender and dangerous.
Behind her swayed a long scorpion tail, flicking through the air like it had a will of its own.
Zhou Haoyu's brows furrowed. This should be the Medusa Empress Mother's eldest daughter—Cessna.
Born of the Empress Mother and the Scorpion King, she not only possessed the Medusa's formidable spiritual power but also the unmatched physical strength of Egypt's Scorpion King!
At present, there was no doubt—Cessna was the strongest of the three sisters.
"With the enemies at her doorstep, yet the Empress Mother does not appear… it seems the rumors are true—she is dying," the Netherworld Queen said aloud.
"That's perfect. Saves us some trouble," Zhou Haoyu replied without surprise.
The three Medusa sisters were indeed powerful, but none had yet reached the level of the Empress Mother.
And between them, schemes abounded. The two elder sisters even harbored thoughts of killing the youngest, Apas.
Once the Medusa Empress Mother passed away, the Scorpion Empire was bound to collapse.
Following Cessna's arrival, two more figures emerged from the depths of the temple—both looked entirely human, starkly different from Cessna.
One wore bright, gaudy clothing, her face brimming with arrogance.
The other had only a ragged cloth draped over her, looking no more than thirteen or fourteen.
Her skin was white as jade, her delicate face breathtakingly beautiful, and her golden-pink eyes shone brightly—immediately catching Zhou Haoyu's attention.
This girl was unmistakably Apas, while the other was her second sister, Euryale.
Zhou Haoyu remembered clearly—Euryale had a notorious habit of collecting the skins of beautiful women. This enchanting appearance of hers was very likely nothing more than a disguise.
Thinking of this, Zhou Haoyu instantly lost all interest in admiring her beauty.
"How are there so many undead?"
Euryale did not rush to aid her elder sister, instead staring outside with a grave expression.
The serpent race was already infamous for its terrifying fertility, yet now the outside world was so overwhelmed by an endless tide of undead that barely a shadow of the serpent swarms could be seen.
The entire temple was like a lone vessel adrift on an ocean of undead.
Suddenly, Euryale felt an overwhelming chill at her back.
At first, the killing intent was almost imperceptible, but as it drew near, it erupted like a flood.
Without caring about appearances, Euryale instantly reverted to her true form—the Harpy Medusa. Her face twisted into that of a withered crone, so hideous it was unbearable to look upon.
No wonder she was so desperate to steal the skins of beautiful women.
Clang!!
The bone spear pierced into her wing, ringing out with a metallic clash.
"What terrifying strength!"
Euryale was shocked. Though her body was not as resilient as her elder sister's, she was far from weak.
She had not expected to actually be injured by a weapon.
"Die!"
The Corpse King did not relent for even a heartbeat. He swung his bone spear again, thrusting straight at her.
Euryale's face darkened. While dodging his strike, she unleashed the Eyes of Deception, transforming her appearance into that of an exquisite beauty.
She sought to use this illusion to slow the Corpse King's offensive.
But the Corpse King's killing blows came endlessly, one after another. Very soon, wounds multiplied across her body.
On the brink of death, Euryale could no longer uphold her pride. She turned toward Apas, pleading, "Apas, help me! Deal with him together!"
Apas remained unmoved, showing not the slightest intent to intervene.
Suddenly, Apas noticed a figure in the distance—standing above an army of millions of undead, like a sovereign leading his forces to war.
"Could it be… the Ancient King of China?"
Apas secretly speculated. These undead were utterly different from Egyptian undead, and Khufu would never strike at his own vassal forces.
Besides Khufu, there was only one other Undead Emperor—the Ancient King.
Now that the Medusa Empress Mother was at death's door, if the Ancient King moved against them, they had no power to resist.
Not even the chance to escape.
At that moment, ripples spread in the space behind Apas. In the next instant, Zhou Haoyu appeared right at her side.
[Activation Condition: Assist Apas in taking control of the Scorpion Empire.]
Seeing this man suddenly appear, Apas's pupils trembled. She was utterly stunned.
This was the Ancient King?
Why did he look so much like… a human?
Because Zhou Haoyu had not fused with the Armor Robe, his body looked little different from an ordinary man—though the armor itself only made him appear even more imposing, exuding a majestic aura.
"I'll give you a choice: submit to me."
Zhou Haoyu's eyes locked onto Apas, his tone utterly unquestionable.
In the demon world, submitting to the strong was no disgrace.
The hierarchy of demons was brutally strict. Every step of rank meant near-absolute suppression—the gap between Emperor and Monarch was as vast as an unbridgeable chasm.
...
For Advance Chapters
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