Writer: StarReader

Proofreader: Silavin

Zhuo Fan had been contemplating his next course of action, wondering if he should complete another path Heavenly Sovereign had so his side would gain an upper hand. However the danger of Heavenly Sovereign barging into Luo Clan was very much real, even if the man said there wasn’t any point.

In the end, he settled on the shadow path, easing Heavenly Sovereign’s threat somewhat while also helping the clan.

When one thought of shadows, they’d think of the outline left behind when something blocked sunlight, often distorted. But humans used the term loosely for many other aspects, like copying someone, following, guarding, or personal demons.

Shadows were not merely the absence of light; they were entities that shifted between the realms of substance and emptiness. The path revealed itself to him in veils of darkness, and with each revelation, Zhuo Fan’s understanding of the shadow arts deepened.

He would come to find that there was a shadow of himself in everyone he met, everyone he held dear, but also within himself. The less astute would react to these people, thinking they were the cause of their misery or failure, ignoring the true cause that was within their very selves.

As Zhuo Fan delved further into the shadow path, he discovered the intricate dance of manipulation and deception that lurked within its depths. His understanding of the shadow arts became more refined, allowing him to manipulate not only the shadows around him but also the shadows within others.

With each encounter, he could now discern the hidden shadows that plagued people’s hearts. Their fears, insecurities, and doubts were laid bare before him. It was a cruel revelation, for he realized that these personal demons were the true cause of their suffering. The shadows within them whispered lies, sowed discord, and fed on their vulnerabilities.

The memories of his past lives flooded his mind, intertwining with the knowledge he had gained from the shadow path. He saw things that he never knew were there, guiding him deeper down the shadow path, towards completion.

Zhuo Fan had always prided himself on his keen perception and ability to read others, but this newfound insight took it to another level. He saw through facades and masks, recognizing the darkness that lay beneath every smile and every word spoken. It was a heavy burden to bear, knowing the truth behind everyone’s intentions.

These discoveries were built on what he had learned in the second trial in the Nether Sea, when he fought Zhuo Yifan and chose to stop instead of being confrontational.

The entire delve into the world of shadows, both real and figurative, took far longer than he realized, jolted awake when Heavenly Sovereign’s heavy voice echoed in his crude cave.

“I was right to put my hopes in you, ” He looked outside the cave, at the prismatic sky, “you never failed me. Despite taking you a few dozen lives to get here, the wait was worth it. Now only two paths remain.”

“Two paths remain,” Zhuo Fan echoed, a cold smile playing on his lips. “Indeed, Heavenly Sovereign. But we both know that the situation has changed. No longer are you in control, evident by you knocking on my door, and not the other way around.”

His taunt struck a nerve in Heavenly Sovereign. The bewitching had been removed, yes, but the damage was done, making it all the more deadly. On the surface level, the calm had returned like before, but he was now more prone to reckless behavior and quick to anger.

“Don’t think for a second this changes anything!” Heavenly Sovereign lashed out, in frustration of having to wait on someone and the fact he couldn’t get into the sea of blackness to speed things out. “

His dark aura no longer bore the trademark of the void, the path he prided himself in, but closer to sheer destruction.

Zhuo Fan shuddered under its might, eliciting a grin out of Heavenly Sovereign, having shown who was the strongest among them still. “You might dictate the pace, somewhat, but your little delay puts the Sacred Domain in jeopardy. Care to guess how much of it is left?”

“Half?” Zhuo Fan smirked.

“Quite the optimist I see, but you’re off by another quarter.” Heavenly Sovereign was grim. “The entire world, our world, is now reduced to an Emperor land and the old mortal domain. Your clan too, had to relocate to survive, as did the entire population. The way things are now, it wouldn’t take much for the people to revolt and throw everything into chaos, something they’ve always been good at. This is why the world is better off without them.”

Heavenly Sovereign left a pale Zhuo Fan behind to contemplate on his decision. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Sovereign wanted to fuse the eight path and test the sea of blackness once more. He needed to gain the upper hand as fast as possible and crush any uncertainty.

“Just a quarter left?” Zhuo Fan muttered to himself in disbelief. His previous forecast was that it would take a couple years or so, but things were far more serious than it seemed. He knew the dissolving of the paths inside the sea of blackness would speed up its invasion, but not to this extent.

This changed things now. His time was running short. At the very least, he had another Luo Clansman gain a path, judging from the prismatic sky, since his path was completed a few days ago, contemplating his next course of action.

Now, however, there was no need to delay or play Heavenly Sovereign’s game. He would complete another path and hopefully the Luo Clan would have one more Sovereign. Then he’d unite the ten paths to defeat Heavenly Sovereign once and for all, before he even had the change to reach Supreme Stage.’