Outside Chongming Island.

Two figures arrived riding the wind and waves, but stopped at the edge of the island.

"Just a step too late, what a pity!"

The Li Xuan Saint of Fang Xian Dao sighed.

"Fellow Daoist San Shan, has actually transformed into the Three-Headed Saint... The world now has another Great Evil Demon..."

Huang Long Great Saint's face was also extremely displeased: "The key is that he's contaminated this place with demonic influence, from now on Chongming Island is no longer an offshore defensive line, but a nest of Evil Demons..."

The Great Zhou had its reasons for choosing this place as the core of its defense back then.

Chongming Island is strategically located at the throat of the coastal waters, with Feng Shui converging, and after so many years of layered Array arrangements, even without a Great Saint guarding, the island itself and low-level cultivators could hold off a Great Evil for a time.

But a fortress as strong as this is often breached from within.

This time, San Shan Great Saint transformed into a demon and contaminated the entire island from within, leaving them with no solution.

With the contamination of Chongming Island by demonic influence, more chain reactions are forming.

Crash!

In the deep sea, from the direction of the Hidden Dragon Court and the Endless Sea, the aura of Great Evil Demons began to emerge.

More Merfolk and other demons were gathering in groups, swimming towards the coastal waters!

"This..."

Li Xuan Saint showed an expression of pain and hesitation.

Anyone witnessing their efforts being ruined would naturally feel this way.

"Things have come to this point, we can only abandon this place for now."

Huang Long Great Saint spoke coldly.

Meanwhile, a strange transformation occurred on his body, with tentacles and scales emerging fiercely, making his aura immensely powerful and perilous...

"Fellow Daoist, what are you doing?"

Li Xuan Saint exclaimed in surprise.

"Though this place can be abandoned, we must not leave it for the Three-Headed Saint and other such Great Evil Demons... We must also teach those Great Evil Ones of the offshore a lesson."

Huang Long Great Saint laughed: "I've not long to live anyway, better to fight for humanity than to transform into a Great Evil!"

At this moment, even the Li Xuan Saint couldn't help but show solemnity as he bowed to Huang Long Great Saint.

Although the other mostly protected the seas for the Great Zhou Dynasty, his deeds were indeed meritorious for humanity!

"Fellow Daoist, you may go to Taiyin Island, if the situation is untenable, retreat to land with Fang Dasheng."

Huang Long by then had transformed into a frightening figure of a Yellow Dragon and charged into Chongming Island.

The bluish-black mist parted, revealing within a grotesque and terrifying three-headed giant, roaring as it battled against Huang Long.

Any of their attacks could cause Chongming Island to shake violently...

"Alas..."

Li Xuan Saint witnessing this scene could only sigh, heading towards the offshore.

...

On Taiyin Island.

Zhong Shenxiu opened his eyes, contemplating the fragmentary scripture he had just obtained:

"The fusion of Yin and Yang, merging into one, is called Taishi..."

"Taishi, is born from unity, having form yet lacking substance..."

"The beginning of form, yet lacking substance, is the mind..."

...

This scripture was infinitely profound, reciting it felt as if returning to the Ancient Era, hearing some mystical existence expound the truth.

In the next moment, this existence was abruptly twisted by a shadow, transforming into a dark shadow that enveloped ancient times.

The Shadow of Taichu!

"So the supreme existence transformed and demonized by the Taishi Dao Ancestor is the Shadow of Taichu!"

"The scripture I obtained, could it be a part of the Tai Shi Zhenjing?"

Zhong Shenxiu pondered: "If so... the true identity of the Heart Demon Prince might be a certain Daoist Great Saint from Tai Shi Mountain, or perhaps a combination of several?"

"No wonder the Heavenly Demon Battlefield occupying Tai Shi Mountain is filled with demons of the shadow lineage..."

At this thought, even he couldn't help but feel a chill.

After Dao Ancestor's transformation, the original Holy Land became a Heavenly Demon Battlefield, with the Daoist Great Saints becoming Great Evils, and even disciples who survived becoming demons...

How tragic is it?

"The Shadow of Taichu, its mastery symbolizes and holds dominion over shadows of order, and realms of falling... regrettably, it has some counter over me."

Zhong Shenxiu's interest in the Tai Shi Zhenjing thus grew, and he began to recite it silently.

"The fusion of Yin and Yang, merging into one, is called Taishi... From unity is born form, having form yet lacking substance... The beginning of form, yet lacking substance, is the mind... Greed, anger, ignorance, resentment..."

The scripture seemed grand and pure at first glance, but as it progressed, it became increasingly bizarre.

Zhong Shenxiu recited silently, his voice fluctuating high and low, at times hoarse, at times sharp, as if chanting some spell.

In the Nine Realms of Cultivation, the eighth realm is 'Tongyou', allowing mastery of certain self-preservation methods and prayers to mystical existences.

Upon reaching the Great Saint level, the reverse erosion by ordinary Great Evils could no longer pose a threat.

But peering into supreme existences remained extremely dangerous!

At this moment, Zhong Shenxiu's thoughts soared infinity, as if seeing beyond the world, that twist of darkness.

In a daze, he saw a vague illusion, resembling an 'ocean' entirely composed of human minds!

At the bottom of the ocean were massive clumps of repulsive filth, like silt deposited for countless years, exuding a nauseating aura.

"Even though the Shadow of Taichu is repelled by the world, it projects a trace of power, occupying the dark side of all beings' minds... is it, perhaps, nurturing something?"

Zhong Shenxiu formed a spell with his fingers, with a gleam of the Taiyin Corpse Disintegration Talisman flickering in his eyes.

In the next moment, a clear moonlight descended upon the sea of consciousness of all beings, reaching into the deepest darkness.

In the hazy moonlight, Zhong Shenxiu's silhouette transformed.

At this moment, he saw what was being nurtured within the shadow.

—It was a Daoist Great Saint!

The opponent wore a black robe, his appearance like a youth, yet he was mostly buried in black sludge, only his upper body barely above the sludge.

Even so, the black sludge was constantly twisting his will, trying to completely demonize him.

"This is not good, if this Great Saint gets demonized, he might become the vessel for the Shadow of Taichu's descent..."

Zhong Shenxiu pondered and formed a sword gesture with his fingers: "Taiyin Refining, Great Liberation Sword!"

Pu!

An invisible sword light slashed out, slicing through the black sludge, reaching the Great Saint's body.

He snapped his eyes open, with one eye as black as ink, the other carrying a streak of clarity: "Which Great Saint has arrived? Quickly lend a hand!"

As he spoke, his body suddenly dimmed and transformed into a fluttering butterfly. With a flap of its wings, it attempted to leave this sea of mind.

In the next instant, strands of black threads appeared abruptly in the void, falling on the butterfly.

"Slash!"

Zhong Shenxiu flicked his finger, releasing a Sword Qi that cut through those black threads.

Many black threads severed, and the brilliantly colorful butterfly seized the opportunity to finally leap free!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.