The Great Omen Emerges, Heaven's Chosen Finally Appears

Three azure stone steles, each about a zhang tall, crumbled into powder one after another. Once all three had scattered into dust, a long staff wreathed in faint black flames flew toward Tan Shuchang.

He raised a hand and caught it, and the flames immediately vanished. Tan Shuchang could clearly sense that he could no longer wield this dharma artifact as he had before, but at the same time, he felt that he could now nurture spirituality within it.

This dharma artifact had undergone a qualitative transformation.

It was like the difference between a golden retriever and a Tibetan mastiff. The former could grow close to anyone, while only the latter's true master could approach it.

Once he had properly nurtured the spirituality within the dharma artifact, Tan Shuchang would become the long staff's true master.

However, Tan Shuchang didn't immediately begin nurturing the artifact's spirituality. Instead, he cupped his hands toward the black shadow that was preparing to leave and thanked it. "Thank you, Senior, for imparting this technique. But could Senior tell this junior what this cultivation method is called? This is the first time in my life I've encountered such a profound technique."

"This demonic art has a name, but you needn't know it. You may call this demonic art whatever you wish," the black shadow said.

The name Black Shadow Immortal-Saving Manual was quite famous in the cultivation world. Especially among the patriarchal generation, ever since that battle, it could be said to have been thunderous in their ears.

However, merely cultivating it was harmless.

This demonic art was highly unusual. Before one attained success in cultivating it, one couldn't transform into countless black shadows. Even when attacking, one resembled a sword cultivator.

There wasn't the slightest appearance of a demonic cultivator!

Only after cultivating this demonic art to great completion would one reveal that towering demonic phenomenon, its aura blazing to the heavens.

Hearing the black shadow say this, Tan Shuchang naturally felt surprised. But after a turn of thought, he didn't mention the demonic art again and instead asked, "Then could Senior explain the specific use of this chess piece of mine?"

"Sword Disciple Mountain has a Righteous Path Grand Plan. A Heaven's Chosen will appear. Originally, Blackheart Elder was designated as one of this Heaven's Chosen's tribulations, while Blackheart Elder would also serve as this Heaven's Chosen's early-stage Dao Protector. But now that Blackheart Elder is dead, this link in the grand plan can only be abandoned." Having said that, the black shadow merely looked at Tan Shuchang and said no more.

Tan Shuchang immediately understood. After considering it for a moment, he said, "Because I obstructed Sword Disciple Mountain's grand plan, I'll be the one to complete one of that Heaven's Chosen's tribulations?"

"No!" The black shadow shook its head. Then, where its featureless face should have been, a slit like a mouth suddenly opened. "You don't even count as a tribulation. You're merely a stepping stone for that Heaven's Chosen, meant to give him his first renown in the Jia Five Realm. The Seven Dao Generals of Heavenly Wonder Pavilion are the Spell Appraisal Dao, Strength Appraisal Dao, Technique Appraisal Dao, Formation Appraisal Dao, Talisman Appraisal Dao, Treasure Appraisal Dao, and Sword Appraisal Dao. Why do you think you're the Sword Appraisal Dao General?"

After saying that, the black shadow immediately scattered into countless fragments, burrowing into the shadows untouched by sunlight and vanishing without a trace.

This was precisely one of the terrifying aspects of the Black Shadow Immortal-Saving Manual.

A separated black shadow was equivalent to an incarnation. Though it couldn't replicate the original body's divine abilities and methods, it had its own mysteries of the demonic art to wield.

The black flames carried by the shadows could seize others' dharma artifacts. A shadow that pounced upon someone could directly damage their soul. Moreover, if it split into countless forms, then so long as there were shadows, it could flee in an instant, returning to the main body in the blink of an eye.

Beyond that, every black shadow possessed immense strength, not the least bit inferior to a painstakingly refined upper-grade "Strength Warrior."

"Strength Warriors" and "Heavenly Maidens" were both living puppets by nature. Yet unlike the living puppets refined by demonic cultivators, they were divided into grades: lower, middle, and upper.

An upper-grade "Strength Warrior" or "Heavenly Maiden" could not only wield the strength of ten thousand jun with a single swing of an arm, but could also withstand Lower-Tier Dharma Artifacts.

Some older cultivators with fifty or sixty years of cultivation could be directly killed by such upper-grade "Strength Warriors" if they were caught off guard.

However, Tan Shuchang had no mind to experience the black shadow's power.

It wasn't because of those words the black shadow had spoken before leaving.

It was because what he had divided out wasn't a black shadow!

Streams of blood suddenly welled up from beneath the ground. Four towering, savage figures emerged with them, radiating ferocious auras as they continuously struggled, trying to escape this pool of blood.

These four vicious ghosts were the four ghost constables from Forgotten Street, within the Land Where Humans and Ghosts Coexist.

Though the four vicious ghosts appeared to be struggling, they had already been refined by Tan Shuchang. He guessed that their behavior had something to do with the Land Where Humans and Ghosts Coexist calling to them.

After all, they were ghost constables registered there, not ordinary vicious ghosts from a dungeon.

Refining the four vicious ghosts naturally strengthened Tan Shuchang's special ability considerably. Thus, when the cultivation method on the stone steles resonated from afar with his special ability, the power gained from refining the vicious ghosts also amplified Tan Shuchang's cultivation of this demonic art.

Crack!

With a sound like lightning tearing through the heavens, a blood-colored shadow rose from the pool of blood. As soon as it appeared, the four ghost constables immediately became three.

Then, another blood-colored shadow rose from the blood.

At the same time, the number of refined ghost constables fell to two.

Before long, four blood-colored shadows stood around Tan Shuchang, while not a single ghost constable remained within that pool of blood.

Crack!

This wasn't the sound of another blood-colored shadow being nurtured. The previously clear skies had suddenly become thick with dark clouds, and silver arcs of lightning already flashed amid the layered leaden clouds.

"July's weather is no less fickle than June's. It changes whenever it pleases..."

Tan Shuchang casually remarked, then withdrew the phenomenon surrounding him. Raising a hand to hold up an umbrella, he descended the mountain with easy steps.

Cultivators like Tan Shuchang, with more than ten years of cultivation, could remain untouched by heat and cold. This little rain couldn't fall on him at all.

But there was no need for that.

Though Tan Shuchang was walking, his front foot stepped out and his rear foot followed. He had clearly taken only one step, yet he was already dozens of zhang away.

As he walked, Tan Shuchang pondered the words the black shadow had spoken before leaving, as well as its purpose in doing this.

In this world, adults only had profit in their eyes.

The only people who could be good to you for no reason were your parents.

"So, ruling out the possibility that this black shadow is my father, it can only mean it wants to use me for something. It passed this demonic art to me and told me about the Heaven's Chosen. Does it want that Heaven's Chosen to stumble when he comes to use me as a stepping stone?"

While Blackheart Mountain was shrouded in dense clouds, flashing lightning, and rolling thunder, Sword Disciple Mountain remained bright and sunny.

Inside the sect master's grand hall.

Sword Disciple Mountain's sect master, the famed Southern Sword Su Huan'an, was currently frowning deeply.

"Senior Brother Sect Master, the Heaven's Chosen has already been successfully guided into our mountain gate. With the treasures left behind by the patriarchs, this Heaven's Chosen has already gained considerable strength. Even disciples with fifteen years of cultivation are no match for him. Please rest assured, Senior Brother Sect Master," an elder of Sword Disciple Mountain at his side said hurriedly, believing Su Huan'an was worried that the Heaven's Chosen lacked sufficient strength.

After all, he was currently responsible for guiding the Heaven's Chosen's cultivation after entering the mountain. If he didn't make things clear, others might think him incompetent.

"I'm not worried about that. Elder Chen, I've always been most at ease when you handle matters," Su Huan'an sighed.

"Then why does Senior Brother Sect Master wear such a troubled expression?"

"Elder Chen, you know that I cultivate the Sword Canon of Severing Immortals. This Heavenly Merit Canon is the most sensitive when it comes to sensing the utmost evil in heaven and earth. Just now, I sensed a force of supreme evil and great ferocity being born between heaven and earth..."