Shadow had great ambition—he feared neither the heavens nor revered his ancestors.He was not born with the Body of Ten Thousand Evils, but instead had fused with a Shadow Body, creating a unique physique capable of absorbing both the essence of shadow and the myriad evils of heaven and earth. If given a name, it could rightly be called the Immortal Evil Shadow Physique—a nearly indestructible body. Like the Body of Ten Thousand Evils, it granted him inexhaustible demonic energy and near-immortality, and even allowed him to shift freely between reality and illusion.
If he could take this body as his foundation and build upon the demonic techniques left behind by the Evil Emperor—such as the Heavenly Demon Scripture of Ten Thousand Evils and the Sitting Oblivion Sutra—he might well develop a supreme cultivation method suited perfectly to himself.
However, the process would be anything but easy. It was certain to be long and arduous, far from something that could be achieved overnight. The path was simply too difficult.
But Shadow had all the time he needed—and a brilliant mind to match. With top-tier comprehension, and such a powerful foundation, it was not impossible for him to deduce and develop a unique cultivation art tailored to himself. In fact, it might not be all that difficult after all.
"Good. Since you have inherited those techniques, creating a method suited to you will benefit greatly from the scriptures stored in the Scripture Pavilion," Yi Tianxing nodded. Though they shared a mental link, he hadn't pried into Shadow's thoughts until now.
Within Shadow's body, the remnants of the Evil Emperor's will still needed time to be absorbed and reorganized. Otherwise, Shadow would already have full command of those inherited techniques.
"Rest assured, my lord. I feel better than ever. For now, I'll lay a solid foundation with the Sitting Oblivion Sutra. I can feel it—heaven and earth are brimming with demonic energy and desire, all rushing toward me, endlessly flooding into my body. My strength grows by the moment—it's an indescribable sensation. Once I start cultivating, my progress will be lightning fast. In time, even you may not keep up—I'll surpass you."
Shadow's words were filled with unshakable confidence.He could clearly sense the endless desires, malice, and evil thoughts that filled the world—an immense and boundless force. These were his nutrients: the more he absorbed, the stronger he became. His cultivation would be like a hot knife through butter.
Moreover, due to his unique physique, his breakthroughs came with no bottlenecks at all.As long as he had enough time, he could absolutely become an unparalleled powerhouse, a supreme existence.
Shadow's claim that he might cultivate faster than Yi Tianxing was not an exaggeration.Yi Tianxing felt no jealousy at all. After all, Shadow was him, and he was Shadow—they were two sides of the same coin. One's gain was the other's gain; one's loss, the other's loss. They were the same being. There was no need for envy—Shadow's strength was his own strength. In times of crisis, Shadow would be the ultimate trump card.
"The stronger you become, the greater our advantage. Besides, my cultivation speed may not be much slower than yours. Once I establish my nation, with the power of fate and fortune at my back, my cultivation speed will far exceed the norm. The Heavenly Emperor's Dragon Scripture produces unmatched true essence—so potent I can fight above my realm."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and declared resolutely.
"Heh, time for me to start cultivating. The Eternal Continent will one day be ours. We're destined to become legends—to make history. Chaos is good. Chaos gives us opportunity. Chaos is when evil and desire are at their peak. This is my era."
Shadow cackled and suddenly lunged toward Yi Tianxing.
As he approached, he naturally dissolved into a shadow and settled at Yi Tianxing's feet. The shadow looked no different than before. Yet around it, strands of desire, malice, and demonic energy quietly flowed into it.
"With Shadow's ability, even without effort, he naturally draws in the world's evil energy and desires. The entire city of Xuanhuang will be purified by his presence, protected from outside corruption. It will stabilize the hearts of the people and reduce the chances of cultivation deviation. Crime and evil thoughts will diminish."
Of course, this purification was limited—it wouldn't eliminate all evil.Still, it was enough to turn Xuanhuang City into a true earthly paradise.All evil—taken unto himself.
Yi Tianxing did not end his seclusion.
He continued to sit quietly in the meditation chamber.
"I have to focus on my own cultivation. If I let Shadow catch up too quickly, that'd be embarrassing. Even though we're the same, I'd still rather not be left behind. Every bit of improvement counts."
He grumbled to himself, then resumed cultivating.Right now, he was focused on refining the essence of his Life Apertures, forming Life Aperture Stars in his divine sea. It was a long-term endeavor requiring perseverance.
Night fell once again.
Outside the city of Xuanhuang, beyond the Iron-Blooded Great Wall—on a nearby mountain peak, several figures stood.
These were no ordinary humans—they were members of other races.Among them was a familiar face: the Scorpion King, leader of the Scorpionmen, with a human head and scorpion body.
Next to him stood a rat-headed humanoid from the Ratmen race.A warrior of the Werewolf tribe.And lastly, a cloaked figure clad in black, his presence ethereal and shifting.
Each exuded a powerful aura. By any standard, they were top-tier experts.
They looked down at the brightly lit Xuanhuang City.The towering beacon—the Guiding Light—shone like a lighthouse in the darkness, offering direction to the lost.
Even at night, the city bustled with life, filled with people. It was a city that never slept.Other towns feared lighting lamps at night—but not Xuanhuang.Here, bounty hunters even sought the cover of night to hunt beasts.
"This city has taken shape. It must have over a million people by now. Word is, all nearby villages and towns have submitted to its rule. If this keeps up, the humans will soon be lording over us."
The Ratman sneered, his whiskers twitching—but no one laughed at his words.
"The city lord is sly and ruthless. He has great power at his disposal and knows how to wield tools. He can mass-produce all kinds of war machines. If not for those damned rune bombs he planted underground during the last battle, the outcome would've been very different."
The Scorpion King spat bitterly. He had never gotten over that defeat and burned for revenge.
"Yi Tianxing and his city have grown far too fast. At this rate, the human race will undergo a full-scale transformation. If we want to crush them, it'll only get harder. We'd need a massive alliance to have any chance of success."
The Werewolf warrior narrowed his eyes, voice cold.
"But a frontal assault would cost us dearly—even if we won, many tribes would face ruin. Too risky. And some cowardly races even support the humans, unwilling to make enemies of them. Fools."
The Scorpion King scoffed.
To him, this was like raising a tiger in your midst.Humans were vengeful. The massacres of the past were etched in their bones. Sooner or later, they'd seek revenge.
Now was the time to strike. Yet those fools hesitated, clinging to survival. Utter stupidity.
"The city has momentum now, but that doesn't mean we must let them grow unchecked. If direct force fails, then we strike from the shadows. Humans are easy to manipulate—greedy, selfish, and prone to internal conflict. If we stir up unrest within the city, it will disrupt everything. Yi Tianxing will be too busy putting out fires."
The Ratman chuckled darkly.
"Exactly. Internal chaos may be more destructive than open war. But infiltration won't be easy—Xuanhuang is well-guarded, and the Iron-Blooded Wall is in our way. We'll need help from the Shadow Demons."
The Scorpion King turned to the cloaked figure, clearly wary.
"Relax," said the figure in a chilling voice. "The Shadow Demon clan works for coin. As long as we're paid, we'll do anything. And stirring up human chaos? That's our specialty. I'll admit, the Eternal Coins they've minted are impressive—even we can't counterfeit them. They must be forged with some strange technique."
He let out a bone-chilling laugh.
"The humans have a saying: 'An open spear is easy to block, but a hidden arrow is deadly.' Let's see if they can handle our shadowy tricks. There are countless ways to kill. More than humans could ever imagine."
The Ratman laughed sinisterly.