The moment she heard those words, Apas's mind went blank.
While she was still frozen in shock, Zhou Haoyu had already struck at Cessna and Euryale.
With just two streams of black aura, both of them were left gravely injured on the ground.
Cessna's body was stronger—after suffering a strike from an Emperor, she could still barely stand.
Euryale, however, fared far worse—one wing and half her body had been pierced clean through, leaving her on the brink of death.
"I submit, I submit to you!"
Cessna dropped to her knees, begging Zhou Haoyu for mercy.
Before an Emperor, no matter how powerful a Monarch was, they had not the slightest ability to resist.
Zhou Haoyu walked up to Cessna, his expression cold as he cast her a glance.
"One Medusa bloodline is enough."
With that, he dealt her two more strikes of black dragon aura.
Since he intended for Apas to rule the Scorpion Empire, Zhou Haoyu naturally would not leave these two dangers alive.
He did not fear Cessna and Euryale's strength—what he worried about was their collusion with Khufu, which could hinder his plan to hunt down the Undead Emperor.
Therefore, death was the most suitable resolution.
Looking at the corpses of her two elder sisters, Apas felt a storm of emotions.
The two who had always schemed to kill her were now lifeless bodies. The world truly was unpredictable.
Before true power, their bloodline and strength amounted to nothing.
"I submit," Apas whispered timidly once she had understood the situation.
"A wise choice."
Zhou Haoyu casually pinched Apas's delicate face, then pressed a contract seal onto the center of her forehead.
Apas's pupils shrank, and a flicker of doubt flashed in her golden-pink eyes. How could the Ancient King be using human magic?
Yet, facing the might of an Emperor, Apas dared not resist.
And in truth, accepting a contract from an Emperor was not necessarily a bad thing.
Their fates would now rise and fall as one.
Once the contract was complete, Apas suddenly realized her strength was being suppressed—nearly by half.
"How is this possible?!"
Apas was dumbfounded. Her power had not increased at all—instead, it had been restrained.
Was this some kind of scam?
Seeing her dazed, innocent expression, Zhou Haoyu couldn't help but let out a faint smile.
In the next moment, he dispelled the Armor Robe. His high-level cultivation was now plain in Apas's eyes.
"You're… human?"
Apas's large eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief as she stared at Zhou Haoyu.
"I am indeed human, but I am also the Ancient King," Zhou Haoyu replied.
Apas blinked her big eyes. Though still incredulous, it suddenly explained everything.
Why he had chosen to contract with her, and not her elder sisters.
Zhou Haoyu did not continue chatting with Apas. Instead, he refined Cessna and Euryale into undead.
With the authority of the Nether King, the refining process went smoothly.
Before long, Cessna and Euryale were standing once again.
Their appearances had not changed much, but the aura they exuded was now that of the undead.
For Zhou Haoyu, however, these two were nothing more than appetizers. His true target was the Medusa Empress Mother herself.
Once she was refined into an undead, he would be able to control the power of the Medusa's Eyes.
Guided by Apas, Zhou Haoyu entered the Ancestral Evil Temple and successfully found the Medusa Empress Mother.
At this moment, the Empress Mother was coiled upon her throne. From the outside, she showed no signs of impending death.
But Zhou Haoyu could sense her aura growing ever weaker—at this rate, she would not survive more than two years.
From the moment he entered the great hall, the Medusa Empress Mother had not moved her body even once. She merely opened her crystalline eyes.
Those eyes—the most powerful in the world—were as dazzling as peerless gemstones.
But Zhou Haoyu allowed himself only the briefest glance.
Even with Emperor-level strength, a single lapse in concentration could mean falling victim to them.
He did not choose to strike immediately. Instead, he spoke with the Medusa Empress Mother.
During their conversation, Zhou Haoyu painted her a grand picture, saying he was willing to help her ascend into a True Emperor.
As long as he gathered all of the Nether King's Authorities, helping the Medusa Empress Mother rise from a Sub-Emperor to a True Emperor would be no difficulty at all.
The Medusa Empress Mother had no other choice—besides death, she could only place her faith in Zhou Haoyu's words.
After that, Zhou Haoyu began transforming the Medusa Empress Mother into an undead.
With the Nether King Authority in his hands, Zhou Haoyu could preserve as much of her living appearance as possible.
This way, even after becoming an undead, the Medusa Empress Mother could still maintain her hold over the Scorpion Empire.
Because of the contract, Apas's strength was suppressed, leaving her without enough power to control the Scorpion Empire alone.
So, they would have to wait until Apas's strength returned to its peak.
Zhou Haoyu calculated that once his Summoning Element reached Super-Tier, Second Level, Apas might be able to recover to Supreme Monarch.
After seizing control of the Scorpion Empire, Zhou Haoyu returned to Cairo.
At that moment, Mu Ningxue, Jiang Shaoxu, and the others were at the Hunters' Union.
"Where's the captain? Didn't he say he'd wait for us at the Hunters' Union?"
Jiang Shaoxu looked around but didn't see Zhou Haoyu, immediately grumbling with dissatisfaction.
At this moment, Zhou Haoyu had already entered the Hunters' Union and appeared right behind Jiang Shaoxu.
"Stop looking. I'm right behind you."
Zhou Haoyu patted Jiang Shaoxu on the shoulder as he spoke.
Jiang Shaoxu was startled and snapped angrily, "Captain, can you stop appearing out of nowhere? You're going to scare me to death one day."
Just as she finished complaining, Jiang Shaoxu noticed Zhou Haoyu wasn't alone—at his side was a breathtakingly beautiful young girl.
"We were only gone for a short while, and you already picked up such a gorgeous girl?"
Jiang Shaoxu cast Zhou Haoyu a scrutinizing look. Could this guy have some strange fetish?
Hearing Jiang Shaoxu's praise, Apas's lips curled into a faint smile.
"I saved her from human traffickers. She lost her family, so I can only keep her by my side," Zhou Haoyu casually explained, planning to arrange an identity for Apas later.
Jiang Shaoxu chuckled dryly and immediately shot him a look that clearly said, You think I'd believe that?
At that moment, Apas cooperated perfectly, feigning a pitiful expression as she said, "Big brother, don't abandon me."
Seeing her delicate, helpless act, Jiang Shaoxu's heart wavered slightly.
Could Zhou Haoyu really be telling the truth?
Zhou Haoyu rubbed Apas's small head. This little snake girl was truly clever.
If only Lingling were this obedient…
Hmm, that thought felt a bit too sinful.
"Captain, the bounty mission is completed. What do we do next?" Nanrong Ni asked.
After pondering for a moment, Zhou Haoyu said to the group, "First, we'll go challenge the Pavilion, then we'll regroup with Ai Jiangtu and the others."
...
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