Manifestation of the Evil God's Shattered Shadow

The echoes of the shattering Evil Crystal had not yet faded within the Myriad Evil Cave. The crisp "crack" sound still reverberated repeatedly in the empty cave floor, striking the moss-covered cliff walls. The moss was shaken and flakes fell off, the fragments mixed with dust drifting down. The sound then refracted into a soft buzzing, like countless invisible insects fluttering their wings in one's ear, disturbing the remaining Spiritual Qi in the air and causing it to tremble slightly. Even the airflow, which had just been purified by the Carefree Sword Intent and had become more peaceful, rippled outwards, spreading outwards and brushing against the dust of withered bones on the ground, raising a fine Gray Mist.

Ren Xiaoyao's fingertips had just touched the newly sprouted buds on the stone wall—the buds were only an inch long, their tender white stems wrapped around two pale green leaves, the tips of which still held the lingering dew. The dewdrops reflected the faint light filtering through the cave ceiling, shimmering with a delicate luster. It was slowly unfurling, taking advantage of the increasingly rich Spiritual Qi in the cave. Each tremor carried the fragile vitality of a survivor, as if it would break at the slightest force. Even the surrounding Spiritual Qi seemed to deliberately slow its flow, protecting this hard-won greenery—when suddenly a bone-chilling cold came from under his feet, instantly spreading over his ankles, up his calves, until even his trouser legs felt frozen stiff.

This chill was completely different from the evil power previously controlled by Tian Xiezi. It lacked the sticky, corrosive stench that plagued clothing, instead resembling the icy chill of the Profound Ice Plain, hidden deep within the far north, unmelted for millennia. It was bone-chilling, drilling into every part of his body through the meridians of his feet. Wherever it passed, even the smoothly flowing spiritual energy in his dantian seemed to freeze, slowing down slightly. A subtle coolness even emanated from the walls of his meridians, as if countless ice needles were gently pricking him. Even more bizarrely, the chill carried an High Antiquity desolation and violence, an aura so ancient it was chilling, devoid of any life. It was as if a ferocious beast that had slumbered for a hundred thousand years had finally opened its eyes from the abyss of endless darkness, staring intently at him with empty, cold gazes, filled with greedy covetousness for the cultivator's flesh and blood and pure spiritual energy. Even the air seemed to grow heavy with this aura.

"Something's wrong!" Ren Xiaoyao's heart tightened instantly. The pale blue spiritual light surrounding him tensed instantly, and the originally soft protective shield, which could reflect a person's image, now gleamed with a sharp light at its edges, like a fully drawn bowstring ready to be released. Even the Spiritual Qi floating in the air became increasingly chilling, carrying a faint sense of killing intent. He lightly touched the Black Stone ground with his toes, instantly stabilizing his body. The toes of his shoes ground the gravel with a slight "crunch" sound; at the same time, he turned around sharply, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, accurately locking onto the location of the shattered Evil Crystal —he saw that the originally flat... The perfectly laid Black Stone floor had been split open, revealing a crack about the width of a finger. The edges of the crack were charred black, as if forcibly torn apart by some violent force. Stone fragments were still rolling down the crack, their tinkling sounds faint, falling to an unknown depth underground. Deep within the crack, a dark purple aura surged, flickering on and off. With each flash, a faint, almost imperceptible howl emanated from the ground. Upon closer listening, it sounded like the cries of countless creatures struggling and wailing in the darkness, mournful and desperate, shrouded in unbearable pain and resentment.

As the light shifted, three fragments, each the size of a fingernail, slowly emerged from the crack, enveloped in a faint black mist. The mist, upon touching the air, caused the surrounding Spiritual Qi to distort. The fragments were dark purple, their surfaces etched with twisted patterns. These patterns were not artificially carved; rather, they seemed to writhe like living things, sometimes coiling into a ferocious beast shape, its fangs and claws clearly visible; other times, they unfurled into eerie symbols, their lines twisting and turning, as if conveying some Ancient Incantations, exuding a chilling malevolence. When the patterns flowed to the fragments... As the fragment edged away, a blurry, Evil God's face faintly emerged—a face without features, only two bottomless voids. Within these voids, faint black mist churned, and within the mist, countless tiny figures seemed to struggle, yet exuded an intense devouring desire, as if capable of sucking one's very soul in and dragging them utterly into darkness. The moment the fragment detached from the ground, it seemed to have caught the scent of its prey, hurtling towards Ren Xiaoyao's face like an arrow released from a bow. Its speed was so great that it left only a purple afterimage, tearing a thin trail of air through the air, lingering with a faint, malevolent aura.

"Fragments of Evil God!" Ren Xiaoyao's eyes narrowed sharply, his pupils slightly contracting. A flash of High Antiquity legend, recorded in the ancient books of Qingfeng Valley, instantly appeared in his mind. That ancient book was hidden deep within the valley's library, its cover tinged with an old, yellowish-brown, its pages still bearing the vermilion annotations of High Antiquity cultivators. The book stated that three thousand years ago, the Evil God "Xuan Ye" was born from Primordial Chaos, wreaking havoc on the Three Realms with Primordial Chaos evil power. Wherever it passed, vegetation withered instantly, turning to black ash; living beings were corrupted by the evil power, either dying on the spot or becoming mindless monsters; even the rushing mountains and rivers were stained black by the evil power, losing their vitality, their Spiritual Qi depleted, leaving them barren wastelands. Even the soil became barren. Finally, the High Antiquity immortals, unable to bear the destruction of the Three Realms, joined forces at the Kunlun Summit. Using their own cultivation as a guide, they spent a hundred years to condense the "Nine Heavens Pure Firmament Formation," trapping the Evil God in the abyss below. However, the Evil God's body was far stronger than the immortals had anticipated. Although the formation could seal its soul, preventing it from causing further trouble, it could not completely annihilate its physical body. To prevent it from rising again through its remaining flesh, the immortals had no choice but to combine their own Soul Power as blades, shattering its body into countless fragments. They then used their spiritual power to scatter these fragments across the world's most dangerous places, using the natural barriers of these places to suppress the evil power hidden within the fragments.

The ancient text also included a warning marked in vermilion ink, the characters bold and powerful, conveying a sense of solemnity. "Fragments of Evil God, carrying remnants of their will, devour Essence Blood, invade the dantian, and erode the Dao Heart. If a cultivator touches them, they will lose all their spiritual power within half an incense stick's time, their Dao Heart will collapse within a day, and they will become a puppet within three days, with no hope of reincarnation." These fragments of Evil God Evil God, carrying the remnants of their deities, though not fully awakened due to their antiquity, possess an instinctive greed, specifically devouring the flesh and spiritual power of cultivators. Once attached to a cultivator, they will invade the dantian like a malignant tumor along the meridians, first gradually consuming the spiritual power within, rendering the cultivator powerless to resist; then slowly eroding the cultivator's Dao Heart, obliterating their intelligence and sense of good and evil, ultimately turning the cultivator into a complete puppet of the Evil God, losing all self-awareness, knowing only slaughter and destruction, even their soul will be devoured by the remnants of their will after death, without even a chance for reincarnation.

There was no time for Ren Xiaoyao to think. The three fragments were already upon him, within moments. The air was thick with a putrid stench, like the smell of ancient corpses buried underground for millennia, choking him and making his throat tight, his breath seeming to become labored. He lightly touched the ground with his toes, his body floating back three feet like a gentle breeze. His robes brushed against the pebbles, kicking up tiny fragments, barely avoiding the first wave of impact from the fragments. At the same time, his right hand swiftly gripped the hilt of the Carefree Sword, his fingertips touching the cloud pattern carved on it—that cloud pattern It was carved by the ancestors of Qingfeng Valley, containing a faint natural power. Normally, it resonated with Ren Xiaoyao's spiritual power—the spiritual power in his dantian flowed continuously into the sword through his fingertips, and a clear, resonant Sword Hum hum echoed within the cave. The Sword Hum was crisp and bright, carrying righteous energy that dispelled evil spirits, causing the surrounding Evil Mist to retreat slightly. The sword instantly shone with a dazzling blue light, enveloped in pure Heaven and Earth Righteous Energy, forming an indestructible blue barrier beside him, attempting to repel the fragment carrying High Antiquity evil intent with righteous energy.

However, the fragment of the Evil God was far more bizarre and troublesome than described in ancient texts. Faced with the obstruction of the azure light, the fragment did not stop at all. Instead, it paused slightly in the air, as if sensing the weakness of the shield. Then, it transformed into three purple-black rays of light. The rays of light were exceptionally agile, skillfully avoiding the direct impact of the sword light. Like venomous snakes that had been lying in wait for a long time, they slithered along the ground and accurately captured the gaps in the spiritual light shield. These gaps were originally weak points that were naturally formed when Spiritual Qi flowed. They were usually so subtle that they were difficult to detect. Even when using spiritual energy to probe, they required careful discernment. However, the remnant spirit in the fragment recognized them at a glance. It was clear that it had an instinctive perception of the Operating Pattern spiritual energy of cultivators. The rays of light slithered along the edge of the shield at an extremely fast speed. In an instant, it circled behind Ren Xiaoyao and, without the slightest hesitation, struck straight at his back. Wherever the rays of light passed, even the air seemed to be dyed purple.

The back of the heart is the "gate of life" where a cultivator's meridians converge. It is the meeting point of the "Du Meridian" and the "Kidney Meridian," and a crucial node for the transmission of spiritual energy from the dantian to the limbs and bones. It can be considered one of the most vulnerable parts of a cultivator. Once invaded by fragments of Evil God, the evil power will spread instantly along the meridians, like a flood breaking through a dam. In less than half an incense stick's time, the dantian will be completely devoured by the evil power. The loss of cultivation is secondary; what is more terrifying is that the lingering spirit will use the evil power to enter the cultivator's sea of consciousness, control their mind, and turn them into a mindless puppet. Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank. He felt a bone-chilling coldness coming from his back. A violent evil aura had already touched his clothes, and even the hairs on his back stood up uncontrollably. His Dao Heart also rippled slightly, and a blurry dark image even appeared vaguely in his sea of consciousness.

In this critical moment, Ren Xiaoyao forced himself to calm down. He had spent three years in seclusion at the "Jingxin Cliff" in Qingfeng Valley, cultivating a calm and composed State of Mind. He knew that if he frantically reinforced the shield now, he would only be entangled by the fragments, and the shield would develop more flaws due to his unsettled mind. Once his spiritual energy was exhausted, he would become a lamb to the slaughter. He decisively abandoned the idea of further reinforcing the shield and instead activated the "Return All Things to Origin" sword intent. This sword intent was created by him by fusing the Qingfeng Valley mental cultivation method with the power of heaven and earth. Its core was "following the trend and turning all things into one's own use." He dispersed all the Spiritual Qi he had gathered around him, no longer concentrating his power to form a shield, but transforming it into countless tiny cyan light threads. These light threads were as thin as hair, yet they possessed extremely strong binding and purifying power. Each light thread was surrounded by faint cloud patterns, like an invisible spider web, enveloping the three purple-black auras without leaving any gaps.

"Sizzle--" The moment the light thread touched the aura, a piercing sound rang out, like a scorching hot iron hitting ice, or strong acid corroding iron. The sharp, piercing sound echoed in the empty cave, making one's eardrums ache. The purple Evil Mist and the azure spiritual light collided and eroded each other, scattering countless tiny points of light. These points of light landed on the ground, either turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating, or merging into the Spiritual Qi, becoming pure power. The remnant spirit of the Evil God god in the fragment seemed to sense a fatal threat, letting out a shrill roar. That roar was far more piercing than Tian Xiezi's evil howl, carrying the power to pierce the soul, drilling straight into the depths of Ren Xiaoyao's mind, trying to disrupt his sword intent, make him lose control of the light thread, and even try to take the opportunity to enter his sea of consciousness.

The purified Heaven and Earth Righteous Energy is the nemesis of evil spirits. The light threads were not only not corroded by the evil power, but instead tightened, firmly encasing the three fragments within them, as if shackles were placed on the evil spirits, rendering them unable to move. At the same time, the pure Spiritual Qi contained within the light threads was gradually stripping away the violent evil power from the fragments. With each strand of evil power stripped away, the purple color of the fragments faded a little, the originally writhing patterns slowed down, and even the roar of the lingering spirit weakened, gradually becoming feeble, until finally only a faint whimper remained.

"You're nothing but the remnant of Evil God, yet you dare to cause trouble before me!" Ren Xiaoyao's eyes flashed with a fierce light, a resolute glint in them. He roared, his voice amplified by spiritual power, echoing through the empty cave. The impact caused rubble to fall from the cliff face, clattering to the ground. Even the cracks in the cave ceiling seemed to widen, letting in more sunlight. He slightly raised his arm, his wrist gently rotating, and his Carefree Sword slashed out fiercely. The azure sword light followed the trajectory of the light threads, like a lightning bolt slicing through the darkness, carrying a sharp force capable of cutting through everything. Without the slightest deviation, it precisely struck the three fragments bound by the light threads.

The first fragment, already stripped of most of its evil power by Spiritual Qi, was instantly reduced to ashes by the sword light. The ashes scattered in the air, purified by the Spiritual Qi before even landing. The lingering Evil God within it didn't even have time to utter a complete scream before vanishing completely into the air, leaving not a trace. Seeing the situation was dire, the second fragment's remaining evil power surged wildly, and the patterns on its surface became active again, attempting to break free from the light threads and escape towards the cave entrance. However, the light threads clung to it like a persistent leech, and no matter how much it struggled or thrashed, it couldn't break free even a fraction, finally being completely purified by the spiritual light. The first fragment transformed into a wisp of white smoke, drifting with the air currents in the cave, brushing past the tender buds on the cliff face, and finally disappearing without a trace. Only the third fragment remained stubborn; seemingly aware of its inevitable demise, it forcibly detonated all the remaining evil power within it. The purplish-black evil power surged instantly, transforming into a shockwave over ten feet wide, containing countless tiny evil spikes. With World-Ending Aura, it crashed towards Ren Xiaoyao's chest. The air crackled and hissed from the corrosive evil power, leaving behind streaks of black smoke. Even the Black Stone on the ground were charred and emitted a pungent odor.

This time, Ren Xiaoyao didn't retreat a single step. A resolute glint flashed in his eyes as he pressed his palm tightly against the hilt of the Carefree Sword, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. He poured all the remaining 70% of his spiritual power into the sword—the cloud patterns on the blade instantly lit up, even more dazzling than when he had used "Mountain and River Slash" before. The azure light almost illuminated the entire cave, dispelling even the shadows within. The rubble and newly sprouted vegetation on the ground were coated with a layer of azure light. Then, the majestic phantom of a towering mountain, the surging... The phantom images of rivers and misty forests slowly emerged from the sword. Towering mountains stood majestically, their peaks covered in snow; rivers surged and roared, their waves crashing against the rocks; the forests were lush and verdant, with mist weaving through the trees. The three elements intertwined and merged, forming a solid Spiritual Qi barrier. The Mountain and River Phantoms on the barrier were lifelike, as if one could hear the roar of the rushing rivers and the howling of the wind in the forests. With the immense power of nature, it protected Ren Xiaoyao completely, preventing even a wisp of evil wind from getting close.

A deafening roar erupted within the cave, far surpassing the sound of the shattering Evil Crystal. The entire cave shook violently, and the boulders on the ceiling crashed down, shattering the Black Stone into fragments. These fragments scattered and dispersed, striking the Spiritual Qi barrier only to be instantly deflected by spiritual light. A purplish-black shockwave slammed into the Spiritual Qi barrier, the two opposing forces clashing instantly, spewing forth countless bluish-purple specks of light. These specks landed on the ground, creating small craters in the hard Black Stone floor, the aftershocks of the collision between evil power and Spiritual Qi still lingering within them. A glimmer of light flashed intermittently. Ren Xiaoyao felt a tremendous impact travel along the sword, his arm instantly going numb as if struck by a heavy hammer. A tearing pain shot through his hand, and a trickle of bright red blood seeped out, dripping from the hilt onto the ground, a stark contrast to the Black Stone beneath. The blood, upon landing on the Black Stone, was slowly nourished by Spiritual Qi, transforming into a faint wisp of life that merged into the soil. The impact also forced him back two steps, his feet leaving two deep and shallow tracks in the ground. The pebbles were crushed and embedded in the soil, yet he remained standing firmly in place, never falling.

But he remained steadfast in his composure, his mind clear and undisturbed by the impact. The spiritual energy in his dantian surged like a rushing river, continuously flowing into the Spiritual Qi barrier. The spiritual light on the barrier not only did not dim due to the impact, but instead grew stronger, dispelling the darkness like the rising sun at dawn, gradually devouring and purifying the evil energy in the shockwave. With each wisp of evil energy purified, the Mountain and River Phantoms on the barrier became clearer. In the end, the mountains on the barrier seemed within reach, the river water seemed to splash onto his clothes, and the fragrance of the forest seemed to waft into his nose. A moment later, the last trace of purplish-black evil energy was completely assimilated by the spiritual light, transforming into harmless Spiritual Qi that merged into the air of the cave, making the Spiritual Qi in the cave even more mellow. The surging shockwave also completely dissipated without a trace, leaving only the lingering tremors in the air and the scattered pebbles and pits on the ground, telling the story of the fierce battle that had just taken place.

The third fragment of the Evil God, having lost its evil power, fell from the sky like a kite with a broken string, tracing a faint arc before landing with a crisp "thud," breaking the brief silence of the cave. The twisted patterns on the fragment gradually dimmed, as if it had lost its vitality, and the dark purple luster slowly faded, finally transforming into a pure white crystal—a crystal as clear as jade, without the slightest impurity. Sunlight shone through cracks in the cave ceiling, refracting soft, seven-colored halos onto it, forming dappled Light Spots on the ground that moved slowly. Within the halo, a blurry map vaguely emerged; though the lines were indistinct, one could discern continuous immortal mountains, swirling clouds, and the outline of a dilapidated palace atop a mountain, exuding a rich High Antiquity aura.

Ren Xiaoyao bent down and picked up the crystal. The moment his fingertips touched its surface, a warm aura emanated from them, completely different from the chill of the previous fragment of evil energy. This aura was rich and pure, carrying a dense High Antiquity immortal energy. It flowed through his meridians into his dantian, nourishing his weary meridians like a warm current, instantly soothing the fatigue from the earlier surge of spiritual energy. Even the stinging pain in his hand seemed to lessen. Immediately afterward, an ancient Information Stream flooded into his mind like a tide. There was no specific sound, yet it clearly conveyed a long-sealed secret. Every piece of information was as if etched into his mind, indelible: This crystal was a fragment of the High Antiquity "Pure Firmament Immortal Land." The Immortal Land was not a place visible in the mortal world, but hidden deep within the "Sea of Clouds Secret Realm" in the Kunlun Mountains — Secret Realm that was perpetually... Enveloped in a sea of clouds, even ordinary cultivators who find the Kunlun Mountains cannot detect the entrance to the Secret Realm. Pure Firmament Immortal Land is a sacred place where High Antiquity immortals cultivated and held discussions. It contains countless treasures, including the "Jade Dew Immortal Spring," which can nourish the body and repair damaged meridians. The spring water originates from the condensation of Ancient Spiritual Energy, and a single drop can restore a severely injured cultivator to more than half of their health. There is also the "Nine Revolutions Spiritual Grass," which can help people break through cultivation bottlenecks and enhance their sword intent. The herb takes nine thousand years to mature and contains abundant Spiritual Qi. There is also the "Pure Firmament Jade Tablet"—an High Antiquity treasure, forged by the immortals using the Heaven and Earth Righteous Energy and their own Soul Power. It contains Primordial Chaos Heaven and Earth Righteous Energy forces in the world and repair Spiritual Qi meridians eroded by evil spirits. It was the key item used by the immortals to seal the Evil God "Xuan Ye."

However, the Pure Firmament Immortal Land is protected by the High Antiquity "Nine Heavens Pure Firmament Formation," which was laid out by twelve High Antiquity Golden Immortal using their own divine souls as a guide. The array patterns are integrated into the Spiritual Qi of the Kunlun Mountains ' veins, flowing ceaselessly day and night, and its power far surpasses that of ordinary immortal arrays. Even ordinary cultivators at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm stage will have their minds devoured by the illusions that appear within the array once they step into the "Mist Layer" on the outer edge of the array, and will eventually be strangled by the Spiritual Qi of the veins, leaving not even a trace of their remains. Even if they are lucky enough to break through the Mist Layer, they will still have little chance of survival when facing the nine levels of trials within the array, such as the "Lightning Fire Tribulation" and the "Ice Wind Purgatory."