The mastermind behind all this may be the Night King

The Next Day.

On the Black Tower.

After a day of investigation, Gu Yan had roughly pieced together the full picture of the Nether Clan.

First, the Nether Clan’s homeland was a place called the [Nether Prison].

However, that realm was shrouded in perpetual darkness, and the creatures living there endured hellish torment every second—both physically and spiritually.

Unable to bear such suffering, the Nether Clan chose to escape the Nether Prison and flee to the human world.

With their formidable bodies, innate talents, and power, the Nether Clan quickly conquered most of the human world.

But just before a decisive battle, the Four Sacred Beasts of the Nether Clan—the Divine Dragon, Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger—suddenly betrayed their kin. They allied with a mysterious entity to ambush the Night King, then led humanity in a counterattack against the Nether Clan.

Crushed in both strength and morale, the Nether Clan suffered a devastating defeat in the final battle.

They were driven back into the Nether Prison, and the Four Sacred Beasts joined forces with human armies to reinforce its seals. The most powerful members of the Nether Clan were scattered and imprisoned in isolated corners of the prison.

Now, for unknown reasons, the seals of the Nether Prison have weakened, allowing Lin and the others to return to the human world.

The current state of this forbidden land is actually a result of corruption by the Nether Prison’s aura emanating from Lin and her kin.

After learning all this, Gu Yan felt as if his worldview had been completely rewritten.

"So the original novel left out all these settings, and you’re just dumping them on me now?

The so-called ‘Primordial Qi’ is actually the souls of creatures who perished in the war against the Nether Clan?

And in the original story, Xiao Lin and the other protagonists’ Primordial Qi—embodied by the Four Sacred Beasts—were originally part of the Nether Clan but were swayed by someone’s words to betray their kind and side with humanity?

Was their goal really just a sudden attack of conscience to protect the world?"

"Tsk... Never mind that for now."

Gu Yan felt something odd in his hand and glanced at his surroundings.

He was currently seated on a massive throne.

But this throne was eerily grotesque.

Its frame was constructed from the spines of enormous fiendish beasts, while the armrests were formed by interlocking razor-sharp ribs, resembling protective wings.

The seat and backrest were meticulously assembled from the skulls and pelvises of rare monsters, their surfaces engraved with intricate runes and patterns.

Each rune pulsed with potent magic, shielding the throne’s occupant from all external attacks.

Most striking were the pair of enormous bone wings stretching from the throne’s back. Composed of countless smaller bones artfully fused together, they could unfurl like dark wings blotting out the sky or fold inward to reinforce the throne’s defenses.

A faint ghostly glow emanated from the entire skeletal structure. According to Lin, the glow served no practical purpose—she had simply ordered shadow sprites to hover around the throne to enhance its eerie, mystical ambiance.

At the moment, Lin stood to Gu Yan’s left, gazing at him with eager anticipation, as if asking, "Did I do a good job?"

Gu Yan fell silent. Staring at the armrest crafted from a demonic beast’s skull, he couldn’t suppress a twitch in his eye.

"I guess aesthetics don’t translate across species."

"She claims the previous Night King adored this kind of thing... Claws, your ancestor had terrible taste!"

[Squeak?]

Aside from the throne, Gu Yan’s attention was drawn to the thirteen shadowy figures standing before him, each with a distinct form.

Noticing her lord’s lack of interest in the throne, Lin swiftly changed the subject.

"My King, behold—these are your former [Shadow Guard]."

"They are Demon General-class shadow warriors, summoned through Talya’s power!"

She finished with another expectant look.

Gu Yan immediately understood.

The Three-Life Demon Claw had an innate ability (detailed in Chapter 99) to store souls and harness the powers of the deceased.

Meanwhile, Talya, one of the Night King’s earliest subordinates, could summon the shadows of those she had slain as her servants.

For the Nether Clan, bodies were disposable—only the soul was eternal.

This was why the Three-Life Demon Claw became their ruler.

In battles they couldn’t win, the entire clan would parasitize the Claw to amplify its power. After victory, the Claw would release their souls into pre-prepared spare bodies.

But there was one fatal flaw—if the Three-Life Demon Claw perished, all unliberated souls would vanish with it.

The Demon General rank corresponded to the human Grandmaster tier.

Monster Ranks:

[Demon Soldier, Ghost Soldier, Malevolent Ghost, Demon Grunt, Ghost General, Demon General, Great Demon General]

Martial Artist Ranks:

[Third-rate Martial Artist, Second-rate Martial Artist, First-rate Martial Artist, Postnatal, Prenatal, Grandmaster, Grand Master]

In other words—

These thirteen shadow warriors were all at the Grandmaster level?!

But since Gu Yan hadn’t summoned them himself, would they obey him?

[Host, rest assured—due to a series of coincidences, Claws is now the Night King.]

"Coincidences? Really? That’s your explanation for everything?"

With that thought, Gu Yan willed the Claws to connect with the shadow warriors.

Bzzzt!

The shadows quivered as if recognizing their master, then dissolved into darkness, merging with Gu Yan’s own shadow.

He could sense that with just a thought, he could summon them back at will.

Thirteen Grandmasters...

Just how overpowered was the Nether Clan back then?

The Night King who led them must’ve been at least a Grand Master in strength.

His voice deepened with authority.

"Good work, Lin."

"Mm-hmm! It’s my duty, my King!"

Lin nodded vigorously, her body trembling slightly, cheeks flushing.

Ah, my King, my King~

She couldn’t shake the feeling that the current Night King was even more intoxicating than before.

An irresistible, sweet aura radiated from him, stirring something primal within her.

Ignoring Lin’s odd state, Gu Yan’s voice turned icy, laced with killing intent.

"One more thing—has the one who manipulated the Four Sacred Beasts been found?"

"If those traitors survived to this era, that entity must still exist as well."

Lin suppressed her heated thoughts, her expression turning grave.

"My King, we investigated thoroughly back then... and reached a terrifying conclusion..."

She seemed to recall something unpleasant, her face paling slightly: "The mastermind behind the corruption of the Four Divine Beasts, the one who trapped our Nether Clan in the Nether Prison for tens of thousands of years—!!"

"Perhaps... it is our Nether Clan's natural enemy, that vile and terrifying existence!"

"The Night King!!"

Gu Yan: ?