"Gurgle... gurgle..."
In the Central Province's Inner Vista Grotto Heaven, white vapor like immortal mist swirled above the spirit liquid pool formed by the immortal spirit vein. It churned like steam, rising ceaselessly and giving off an enchanting spiritual aura.
A great mass of pitch-black shadow, like spilled ink, spread across the bottom of the pool. From time to time, it twisted and changed, taking on the forms of beasts, monsters, human silhouettes, and countless other shapes.
After some time, the pitch-black shadow finally began to coalesce, returning once more to human form.
Splash!
Dressed entirely in black and draped in a cloak, the Shadow King rose from the bottom of the pool, treading upon the ripples.
He stretched out his limbs, spread his arms wide, and floated quietly on the Spirit Pool, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Shadow King, you're finally all right!"
Just then, a young man dressed in white appeared at one corner of the Spirit Pool. He was a descendant of an elder among the Demon Alliance's upper ranks and had also been recommended for admission into the Sacred Sect, becoming one of its secretly cultivated Succession Candidates.
In the outside world, he was known as a rising star and young prodigy of the Demon Alliance. Had they not come here, ordinary people would never have imagined that he already had such deep ties to this ancient, mysterious religious order.
In fact, there was no shortage of people like this young man among the grassroots. Even the Night King of years past and Wu Lianyi of the Azure Cloud Sect had been linked to it by a thousand threads.
Some had been personally recruited into the sect by Heritage Elders, while others had received its support and inherited the relevant secret arts and doctrines, becoming