The appearance of the Nine Knights not only furnished Lin Luo with a wealth of divine war intelligence he hadn't previously known, but also offered him a rough map of the current distribution of Walkers, insight into the machinations of the proxy Gods behind them, and the true identities of those Walkers covertly stirring up trouble in this world. It was undeniable that every single piece of information was critically vital to Lin Luo; remaining utterly ignorant might very well lead to him capsizing in the gutter down the line.

As the saying goes, marrying the wrong groom in the right sedan chair—though he had stumbled into an unexpected world this time, he had garnered unexpected treasures. This 'Zero Eater' world was truly the right place to be.

However, what Lin Luo felt provided the greatest return was the speech the Nine Knights had just delivered to Huangquan and Kagura of the Underworld... How to put it? He couldn't recall ever encountering anyone else who could articulate the concept of a harem with such open grandeur and self-righteous conviction, save for the idiosyncratic views he’d once glimpsed from a certain student at an academy.

Indeed, when blockheads preach, they are at their most potent; if they firmly believe something is straight, they can argue that even a twisted piece of rope is straight.

Lin Luo had no desire to delve into the logical merits of the Nine Knights’ declaration, nor did he wish to explore it deeply. They say foolishness is contagious, and he certainly didn't want to end up like the 'Nine.' He only knew that once the Nine Knights finished their discourse, the gazes that Isayama Huangquan and Tsuchimiya Kagura fixed upon him became decidedly peculiar.

Three parts shyness, three parts surprise, three parts utter bewilderment, and one part faint inner conflict... it seemed overly complex. It was complex, certainly; he couldn't fully decipher the looks exchanged between the two young women, but Lin Luo could speculate with his own assumptions. Roughly... it must be something like that.

"Fine, we can discuss the contracts later. The most pressing matter right now is dealing with that Walker named Youming." Lin Luo spoke up while the two girls were still flustered by the Nine Knights' words. Such matters must have been quite a shock to these two, especially after the apocalypse they had just endured; regardless, they needed some time to calm down and adjust.

Hearing Lin Luo, Isayama Huangquan and Tsuchimiya Kagura both secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Not having to answer immediately was a blessing. Yet, their hearts held no significant resistance toward establishing a contract with Lin Luo. After all, they had already contemplated offering the person most important to them to Lin Luo in their hearts; the contract was merely an addendum. Even if both signed contracts with Lin Luo, it didn't necessarily mean they both had to marry him.

"That Walker absolutely cannot be allowed to go free!" Tsuchimiya Kagura declared sternly after regaining some composure. As an Exorcist and the head of the Tsuchimiya house, she had been taught since childhood that resolving evil spirit incidents was her duty, making Youming's actions unforgivable.

On this matter, all four were in agreement, but the specifics of how to proceed required careful deliberation. After all, their enemy was a powerful being possessing Rule power, one whose strength was derived from death; the more people died in this world, the faster his power would recover. Who knew when he might reach one hundred percent control of the Rule?

If it were just Lin Luo alone, the approach would be straightforward: locate the enemy and charge straight in. But Isayama Huangquan and Tsuchimiya Kagura were far too weak. Fighting a Rule-level expert while simultaneously protecting them would be a stretch for Lin Luo, who could not utilize the creation Rule.

And Arthur, though possessing immortality, had woefully low combat strength—only slightly exceeding the top-tier Exorcists of this world. In terms of raw fighting capability, he was only around the Intermediate Mortal Rank. His Spirit Rank initial evaluation was entirely propped up by his immortality.

"Furthermore, most crucially, we still don't know where Youming is hiding. If we could locate his lair, we could formulate a proper plan," Lin Luo stated gravely. The only certainty was that Youming was somewhere in this city, but given the city's vast size, finding him would be anything but easy.

Lin Luo's words immediately caused the three others to frown deeply. Arthur, being a 'Nine,' only knew how to be direct; asking him to use his brain was the stuff of fairy tales. Tsuchimiya Kagura’s slightly naïve disposition made it unlikely she’d devise a brilliant strategy, and while Isayama Huangquan was clever, her knowledge of Walkers was too limited.

"If that is the case, then our only option is to wait for him to come to us. He has made such a huge disturbance; he won't leave just like that. He will surely attempt to attack us again."

Finally, Lin Luo reached a conclusion. Isayama Huangquan and the other two women considered it, finding no better alternative, and all nodded in assent.

...

"I shall invoke the power of the Sesshōseki, [Sansu River]."

In that room, seemingly shrouded in perpetual gloom, Youming let out a cold laugh. In his palm, he held six thumb-sized stones, each glowing faintly, as if responding to one another... These were the Sesshōseki.

"Yes, my Master." Sansu River knelt respectfully beside him, raising both hands. On his palms rested five more Sesshōseki, all of which he presented before Youming.

Sansu River survived—or rather, existed—only because of the Sesshōseki. Without them, he would have vanished or lost his power like other evil spirits. But that was the past; now, bolstered by Youming's power, he was essentially an attached spirit to Youming. As long as Youming lived, Sansu River would remain unchanged even without the stones.

"Truly the most potent power in this world..." Holding the eleven Sesshōseki, Youming felt a surge of excitement. He could sense the terrifying might contained within these tiny stones, and now that power was his to command. How could he not be thrilled?

Although, given his current strength, wielding the Sesshōseki carried some danger; a single mistake, a moment of being 'invaded' by the stones, and he might end up like Sansu River. However, facing Lin Luo, one of the Three Kings, this small risk was worth taking.

After all, his power was steadily increasing, and his Rule power had been partially unlocked. Once the Rule was fully unbound, he could control the Sesshōseki at will. Moreover... if he could defeat Lin Luo using them, he could smoothly take over Lin Luo's world and seize all the World Hearts within it. Such an immense temptation justified taking a bit of risk.

"Gather all twelve Sesshōseki, and this world shall face annihilation," Sansu River stated.

"Annihilation? That is precisely what I love; it is the source of my power, hahahaha!" Youming roared with laughter, but his expression quickly darkened. "There is still one Sesshōseki with those two women. I must find a way to seize it. What a hassle."

When Liu Ziwen summoned Bai Rui, he also summoned the Sesshōseki along with her, as Bai Rui's existence depended on them. Thus, Youming only possessed eleven stones. Previously, recovering the stones would have been simple with his power, but now, with Lin Luo providing protection, coupled with an immortal, dense Knight... such a combination left him with virtually no hope.

And most importantly, Isayama Huangquan and Tsuchimiya Kagura possessed a hidden ultimate weapon; with that thing present, even if he found a way to get the Sesshōseki, he wouldn't dare move against them carelessly.

"The situation is slightly unfavorable for me, but the power of eleven Sesshōseki is considerable. Using them to enhance the strength of all evil spirits can also accelerate the analysis of my Rule power. Ultimately, Rule power is my greatest strength. Besides... Lin Luo still doesn't seem to know about the ultimate weapon those two women carry, hehe, so it’s not entirely disadvantageous for me..."

"Sansu River, I entrust the command of the evil spirits to you. Do not mess this up again. Consequently, you no longer have a reason to continue existing. Do you understand?" Youming turned back and ordered sharply.

"Yes, I humbly obey my Master's command!" Sansu River immediately responded, then left the room upon Youming’s gesture.

After Sansu River departed, Youming sat down in the room. Beneath him was a massive, blood-red circular array, looking terrifying. As he activated his power, a massive tide of death energy gathered within the circle. Then, souls flickered, and an eerie wind howled... it was as if countless malevolent ghosts were struggling and screaming within the room.

"Hahaha, this is it, this is it! The power of death is gathering ceaselessly. What a marvelous feeling, the power of death..."

Youming burst into maniacal laughter as the death energy surged into his body through the blood array.

...

In the mountainous area outside the city suburbs, Lin Luo and the others were currently dealing with the second wave of evil spirit attacks. Although Lin Luo had annihilated nearly a hundred thousand in one strike previously, the entire city held far more than just that many evil spirits and the walking dead. They quickly regrouped and charged toward Lin Luo and his companions.

"When I was running over here earlier, I saw a lot of evil spirits gathering this way. I suspect Youming already knows about Big Brother's existence, which is why he sent these spirits to deal with you," Arthur said to Lin Luo while cleaving through the horde with a knight's sword.

He had already changed out of his grime-stained, torn clothes from before, now wearing a set of Lin Luo's casual wear. Since their builds were similar, it didn't look out of place.

"How did that fellow learn about me? Was it through Sansu River?" Lin Luo couldn't help but feel puzzled. It wasn't strange for a Walker to know about him as one of the Three Kings, but Sansu River shouldn't know his identity. Lin Luo hadn't even had direct contact with Youming, so how did he learn of his existence? If it were through the perceptual domain, he should have sensed it too.

"I don't know about that. Perhaps it's another aspect of his ability... Hah!"

Arthur was fighting with gusto. Though his moves were unexceptional, his speed and strength were formidable, preventing most evil spirits and the walking dead from getting close. However, because his fighting style was so broad and sweeping, his borrowed clothes were now covered in blood and tattered.

The Nine is also a brute... Lin Luo couldn't help but sigh.