The towering, dark mountain blocked the purple light from the sky. Its far side was shrouded in darkness, with a hazy black shape hidden within.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
Jiang Xiu sat cross-legged on the ground. Black and white light shimmered over him like the yin-yang symbol of the Taiji, light and darkness alternating as a wondrous aura gradually spread.
The Shadow Ants stood in orderly ranks around Jiang Xiu, guarding and surrounding their monarch. Through the Monarch Domain, pairs of dark-red eyes continually swept over the movements outside.
"Ding-dong!"
A crisp sound, like a stone dropped into a spring, rang out inside Jiang Xiu. Immediately afterward, the phantom of a black-and-white lotus appeared over his body. In the next instant, it shattered into countless black-and-white specks of light, which frantically merged into his shadow.
This was the sign that the Abyssal Dark Lotus was about to be completely absorbed.
"Pop, pop, pop!"
Three crisp sounds rang out in succession. Jiang Xiu's aura surged straight upward like a fountain. His energy, previously on par with a Soul King's, suddenly broke through its limits and reached the mid-stage of the Soul Emperor level in a single burst. Only then did his turbulent aura gradually settle.
As Jiang Xiu broke through, the armor on his body finally took shape. Every piece shimmered with a faint, eerie light, as though made of black liquid, and was traced with white, jade-like patterns. A wondrous lotus emblem marked the right side of the breastplate, while a dark-jade cloak rested on his shoulders.
"Is this the armor I wear when my true form, the Shadow Monarch, possesses me? And this is my Shadow Monarch Martial Soul..."
Jiang Xiu curled his long fingers into a fist, feeling the cultivation he had gained. A hint of satisfaction flashed in