“What is this?” Seeing the faint red glow emanating from his body, James Carter was startled. Back when they besieged Edward Clark, it was because Edward Clark had killed too many people that his entire body was shrouded in a blood-red light. Although James Carter now only had a faint glow, it seemed similar to Edward Clark, with murderous intent seeping out—one look and he appeared to be a peerless fiend.

“Good thing I was prepared!” James Carter smiled, but didn’t pay it much mind. Carrying his blade, he walked forward. On that tall platform ahead was the real Executioner’s Platform, the place for executing immortals and slaying demons.

However, James Carter didn’t step onto the platform directly, but looked around nearby. The Executioner’s Platform was simply arranged: a kitchen for James Carter to eat and drink, a small room for James Carter to rest, and a place to bathe and relieve himself. Food and drink would be placed there automatically, without James Carter needing to do anything. There was also a seamless executioner’s robe in the room, dust- and water-repellent, for James Carter to wear. Everything James Carter needed for daily life could be found here.

The spacious execution ground was where prisoners would be bound, but it was empty for now. However, James Carter knew that soon it would be filled with immortals beyond belief, all for him to behead one by one.

Drinking water, eating, bathing, changing clothes—James Carter did all these things unhurriedly, then took up his fierce blade and ascended the Executioner’s Platform. Once seated, he began to carefully study the ring on his hand.

After entering the Executioner’s Platform, the ring had remained in its original form. James Carter had owned a ring of this style in his previous life—it was a token of office in the Heavenly Court. Besides that, it was also a merit tally and a decent storage ring. The one on James Carter’s hand was special: it was the only ring of its kind ever issued to a mortal by the Heavenly Court.

No one expected that James Carter would be so familiar with these things. Who could know that in his previous life, James Carter had already experienced an extraordinary existence? In this life, he only wanted to ensure that those regrets would not repeat.

Boom, boom, boom—three peals of thunder sounded, and suddenly, a dense crowd appeared on the execution ground below the platform. James Carter made a rough count—there were already several hundred people, and the number was still increasing.

James Carter watched all this without making any move, still sitting quietly atop the Executioner’s Platform with his eyes closed, resting. With so many people suddenly appearing, the will of the fierce blade within James Carter began to stir again.

“Kill them! Kill them!”

The sudden appearance of targets made the fierce blade’s will, which had been dormant inside James Carter, go wild once more. The urgent desire to slaughter living beings and strip their flesh and blood nearly made James Carter lose control of himself.

Fortunately, James Carter firmly remembered that he was the executioner. He had already felt that the fierce blade’s will had faded too quickly before, which seemed unnatural. Sure enough, now that there were targets to execute, it reappeared.

If James Carter had started killing just now, the fierce blade’s will might have seized the opportunity to invade his mind again. But James Carter forcibly held back, sitting motionless on the platform, giving the fierce blade no chance but to jump out and rage.

In fact, this will was not the blade’s will at all, but the will of the entire Executioner’s Platform. The fierce blade itself was part of the platform. Since the Executioner’s Platform appeared in the world, it had always been used to execute immortals and slay demons, its murderous intent nearly irresistible. Anyone else would have been controlled by the platform, but this time, the mortal who entered was James Carter.

Having long been prepared, he would not be controlled by the Executioner’s Platform. Holding fast to his true self, James Carter kept reminding himself: I am the executioner! No matter how the fierce will rampaged within his body, it could never control James Carter.

The fierce blade was always gripped in his hand. Under the influence of the Executioner’s Platform, the blade trembled constantly, as if it wanted to leap from James Carter’s hand and execute immortals on its own. But James Carter held it tightly, his other hand gripping the blade, never giving it any chance.

At last, the struggle of the Executioner’s Platform ended in failure once again. The trembling blade gradually calmed, and James Carter no longer felt the urge to slaughter the prisoners. It seemed that the will of the platform had to yield, acknowledging James Carter’s identity as the executioner.

“You must remember well: you are only the Executioner’s Platform, only a blade.” James Carter once again reinforced his confidence in his heart: “I am the executioner. Here, I am the one in charge. Only I can decide who to execute, and when!”

The will of the Executioner’s Platform struggled no more, obediently accepting James Carter’s intent. The entire platform seemed to come alive, changing freely under James Carter’s control.

“Very good. I am the executioner!” Feeling this submission, James Carter finally stood up, blade in hand.

Chapter 9: What’s in it for me if I execute you? (Part 1)

“It’s actually you?” A voice came from among the condemned prisoners, surprising James Carter as well. Could it be that someone in the Immortal Realm still recognized him?