The Undying City and the Enigmatic Monarch

The nascent morning glow gradually banished the oppressive mist, though it could do little to alter the grim inertia of this world. Sunlight, dappling across the bleached bones, cast a quiet pallor over the entire Underworld.

In the boundless black void, a city materialized in the distance, perpetually cloaked in a murky, grey shroud. The entire expanse exuded an aura of deathly silence, desolate decay, and chilling dread.

“That ahead is Undying City,” Ye Shang informed Izaloth.

Upon beholding the magnificent Undying City, Izaloth couldn’t help but voice her heartfelt admiration. “Is this truly the domain of the Undead Monarch?” she mused. “I wonder if I might grow even more powerful within its walls…”

Undying City stood as one of the three paramount strongholds of the Underworld. It was the personal domain of the Heaven-Scourge Knight, Ye Yuan, who reigned as the foremost among the three Undead Monarchs.

The city itself bore the unmistakable marks of a long and storied past. Its walls, meticulously constructed from colossal reddish-brown stones, resonated with the weight of ages. At the city gates, formidable undead creatures stood sentinel, their formation mirroring the strictures of any human settlement.

“Is Lord Ye Shang returning to the city?” the horned demon guarding the gate inquired with humble deference. “The King has been awaiting your arrival for quite some time!”

“Indeed,” Ye Shang affirmed. He gestured to the Black and White Wuchang trailing behind him, instructing, “Take them back to Demon City first.” Then, turning to Izaloth, he added, “You, come with me. The King wishes to see you.”

Izaloth merely nodded, offering no further words. While she was undoubtedly surprised by Ye Shang’s prominent standing within Undying City, she understood the unspoken rule of not prying into matters best left unquestioned.

Evil Knights such as Izaloth were not entirely unique, yet they remained a rare sight. Occasionally, a few could be glimpsed amidst the cacophony of lesser undead. Izaloth distinctly felt the fearful stares of the surrounding undead creatures fixed upon her, but she knew their terror was not for her, but for the formidable Death Knight leading the way.

Within Undying City, the pinnacle of authority belonged to the Undead Monarch, the Heaven-Scourge Knight. However, a figure of such immense stature naturally had more pressing concerns, typically remaining in a state of deep slumber. Their will would only manifest, and their true form awaken, during moments of critical importance. Thus, despite the Undead Monarch’s nominal supremacy, they were almost never seen. Consequently, the Enforcement Corps held the next highest authority throughout Undying City, after the monarch’s own position.

It was the Enforcement Corps that bore the responsibility for maintaining peace within Undying City and managing all manner of its affairs.

The leader of the Enforcement Corps, Ye Ling, known as the Undying and Immortal Knight, commanded the formidable power of a Tenth-tier bloodline. His vice-leader, Lan Xin, also possessed a Tenth-tier bloodline cultivation. However, her path diverged; she practiced the Undead Mage system, earning her the title of “Undead Archmage.”

Below the Corps Leader were the three captains of the Enforcement Teams, each a formidable Ninth-tier expert on par with Ye Shang. Their respective armies consisted of the Undying Legion, an elite force comprised of high-tier undead creatures.

Below the Enforcement Corps lay the City Guard Corps, comprising peripheral members—essentially, enforcers. Many undead creatures, eager to align themselves with the formidable Undying City, willingly served as city guardians, for the City Guard Corps also offered its own set of “benefits and treatment.”

Trailing behind Ye Shang, Izaloth soon found herself at the central grand hall within Undying City.

What materialized before her eyes was the Undying Temple itself—a structure of exquisite grace and opulent decoration, seemingly forged from lustrous black jade. In every conceivable way, this magnificent edifice eclipsed any human royal palace; even the imperial seat of the Lucybian Empire paled in comparison to its splendor. Its unmistakable Dark Age architectural style permeated the air with a potent aura of death.

In the small square fronting the palace, hundreds of Evil Knights stood arrayed in disciplined ranks. Clad in black magical armor and astride fiery warhorses, they moved with an unsettling, synchronized order.

The sudden appearance of Izaloth and Ye Shang instantly captured the attention of the Evil Knights. Almost as one, they halted their movements, then turned in unison towards Ye Shang. Each knight placed their right hand over their chest, leaning forward in a solemn display of knightly etiquette. A moment later, they parted, forming two precise rows and clearing a direct path to the palace entrance.

“Let us proceed,” Ye Shang declared, striding forward with purpose.

“Understood,” Izaloth affirmed, following close behind.

With a gentle push of his right hand, the grand palace doors swung inward. Adorned with intricate patterns and embedded with magnificent, luminous gems, they revealed the scene within the great hall to Izaloth’s astonished gaze.

From the entrance, a lavish red carpet, embroidered with golden patterns, stretched down the center of the hall. Pillars on either side were half-shrouded in shadow, barely discernible in the dimness. The carpet extended far into the palace’s depths, culminating at a raised platform where a grand throne was positioned. Seated upon this throne, to Izaloth’s surprise, was a young man clad in noble attire.

As the palace doors swung fully open, the magical lamps affixed to the pillars within the hall flickered to life, one after another.

Peering in from the doorway, the faint glow of the magical lamps offered only a vague outline of the palace’s interior. Truthfully, there was little to behold; beyond the shadowy figure occupying the throne at the far end, the vast hall remained utterly devoid of any other furnishings or adornments.

“Follow me inside,” Ye Shang commanded.

Stepping onto the exquisitely luxurious red carpet, the two men advanced deeper into the palace.

Within the meager illumination of the magic lamps, as they drew closer, the true nature of the elevated platform supporting the throne became horrifyingly clear. It was constructed from countless human skeletons. The immense throne itself, perched atop this ghastly foundation, was unmistakably fashioned from the colossal skeleton of a divine dragon. Though it had long since lost its living form, the dragon’s skull coiled before the throne, along with its towering, sacredly imbued horns, unequivocally revealed the throne’s origins to all who approached.

Compared to the immense dragon-bone throne, the figure seated upon it appeared somewhat slender. Yet, in Izaloth’s perception, there was no discernible disharmony between the two. The individual simply sat, their torso erect and leaning slightly forward, a hand propped against their chin. Sharp fangs glinted, and their lips curved into a subtle, mocking smile. Their left hand rested upon a longsword, while one foot was casually placed on the dragon skull before them. Despite their utter stillness, an immeasurable aura of power continuously radiated outwards.

Upon closer inspection, the man was clad in a black noble’s suit, a crimson cravat tied at his chest over a pristine white shirt. He reclined with an air of wicked indolence on the bone throne, casually crossing one leg over the other, then stretching languidly.

His disheveled red hair possessed an alluring, almost bewitching quality. His pale face was sharply chiseled, framed by long eyelashes as delicate as cicada wings. From his crimson pupils, a piercing, blood-red gleam emanated.

“This must be the leader of the Undead Monarchs, the Heaven-Scourge Knight, Ye Yuan,” Izaloth murmured, a note of bewilderment in her voice. “But why do I feel… a sense of strangeness about him?”

“Alright, A Huang, cease your antics!” Just then, a voice resonated from beyond the palace doors.

Izaloth turned, her gaze falling upon a knight whose entire form was encased in armor, save for his head. Silver-white hair framed a pale, smiling face, and luminous purple pupils gleamed. This individual was, without question, a peerless beauty. Yet, the dark-golden armor he wore, etched with intricate demonic patterns and adorned with grotesque horned demons at the joints, sent a shiver down Izaloth’s spine. It evoked the image of a demon king risen from the abyss itself. The scarlet cape, the color of congealed blood, billowed behind him. As the knight approached the bone throne, the stark contrast against the pallid skeletal seat only amplified the sense of dread.

“Greetings, Lord Ye Yuan!” Ye Shang declared, dropping to one knee in a gesture of profound respect towards the silver-haired man.

“Rise, my most loyal servant,” the silver-haired man commanded.

‘This man? He is the Undead Monarch, the Heaven-Scourge Knight Ye Yuan?’ Izaloth thought, utterly baffled. ‘Then who, exactly, was the other person?’

“A Huang,” the silver-haired Ye Yuan sighed, a note of exasperation in his voice, “what am I ever to do with you?” He directed his words towards the red-haired man who had been on the bone throne.

“Hmph, Ye Yuan, you’re practically begging for a beating!” The red-haired man leaped down from the bone throne, his lips curling into a wicked smirk that revealed sharp fangs. “Do you truly wish for another thrashing from me?” he challenged mockingly.

“Cough, cough,” Ye Yuan interjected, pulling the red-haired man closer to whisper in his ear. “A Huang… could you perhaps spare me a little dignity?”

‘Good heavens! Who exactly are these people? And who is this man? To speak to the Undead Monarch with such audacity—does he possess a death wish? And why does the Monarch appear so utterly helpless against him?’ Izaloth’s mind reeled; she felt as though she were on the verge of expiring from sheer confusion.

“Oh? You want dignity? Why don’t you play a round with me?” Ye Minghuang’s eyes sharpened, his mocking smile vanishing, replaced by a look of playful challenge that made Ye Yuan’s skin crawl.

“The scheme you’ve set is too deep; I dare not venture into it,” Ye Yuan promptly refused.

“Is that so?” Ye Minghuang said, stifling a lazy yawn. “Even the Lord of the Underworld has become my pawn!”

“Could you grant me some time to consider?”

“Very well then,” Ye Minghuang replied with a playful chuckle. “I shall seek you out again in three days.” The next instant, he vanished as if he had never been there at all. Before he disappeared, Ye Minghuang cast a deliberate glance at Izaloth.

Following Ye Minghuang’s disappearance, both Izaloth and Ye Shang felt as if something had been erased from their memories. Indeed, both of them had their memories wiped, as if they had never witnessed the preceding events.