The Emergence of the Demonic Shadow

The fearsome stone gate was finally pushed open. A demonic shadow slowly stepped out, its aura surging like a dark flood tide, swallowing all light.

It paused after a few steps, standing motionless like a carved statue. Its true features were blurred, only the vague outline in the black mist visible, exuding an overwhelming pressure that cowed even the assembled kings—a thing rare in the ages.

Had the Little Stone Emperor been reborn? A chill gripped every heart. They sensed it: this dark shadow was too powerful, comparable to the Little Stone Emperor himself. Because of its presence, all heavens trembled, and everything seen and felt became indistinct, as if the myriad worlds were pale and insubstantial, and only this being was real.

This was an ill omen, a closeness to death so intimate it seemed but a finger's breadth away. The kings were all daunted; not one dared to strike first.

The Three Sovereign Mirror in Xiao Chen's hand gave a slight tremor, and the three human-shaped imprints on its back grew clearer. The stone gate and that demonic shadow seemed to exude a strange power that provoked this change.

"Kill them!" Lu Zhan spoke, his expression complex—half command, half reverence and awe.

The demonic shadow's dormant body suddenly moved. Its aura became heaven-defying, like a磅礴 mountain bearing down at once on a Stone Man King.

"Kill!"

At that moment, no one hesitated—all struck. This demonic shadow was too great a threat; it made the kings feel unease and terror. It had to be eliminated.

The first to bear the brunt was the Lishi Beast; the shadow lunged straight for it. "Ah…!"

A horrifying thing happened: the arm the Lishi Beast raised to block was torn off in an instant. A stone arm was shattered into several pieces, and golden stone-man blood splashed, staining this evil ground.

This was a severe and dreadful affair—a Stone Man King gravely wounded in the first exchange, showing the shadow's terror, enough to chill the soul.

Yet not everyone despaired. In the moment the Lishi Beast was struck, its other arm swung out, slamming into the shadow's body and knocking it tumbling through the air.

Black mist churned. The shadow landed calmly, and as divine laws swept down from all sides to annihilate it, it suddenly vanished, dissolving into black mist that scattered among the kings.

"Not good! Beware of stealth attacks!" Shan Jun shouted.

Black clouds roiled across this sealed evil ground, ribbons of darkness winding through their midst.

Without a sound, a dark silhouette coalesced behind the Three-Eyed Stone Man King, raising a terrible demonic palm. "Behind you!" another king cried.

On ordinary days, they would gladly see another king fall, leaving only themselves supreme. But now a mortal threat loomed over all; only by joining hands could they survive.

The Three-Eyed Stone Man King manifested the divine rhythms of the Great Dao, gathering the essence of divine laws. Though he did not turn, behind him great lights interwove like the laws of the myriad heavens—tangible threads of the universe's primal order, the most terrifying of origin forces.

Yet even so, the demonic palm struck him down. His form cracked, he tumbled ten thousand zhang away, mouth spouting golden blood, his visage savage and ghastly.

Striking like lightning, simple and direct—this dark shadow was profoundly demonic, crippling two kings in succession and sending a chill down every spine.

In the next instant, the shadow turned into a streak of black light like a violent whirlwind, charging at five kings standing side by side.

Those five kings did not retreat, all unleashing their strongest origin divine powers. Blazing radiance flooded the final stone step.

A thunderous roar shook the myriad worlds; the ground heaved violently. The five kings staggered back, golden blood at the corners of their mouths—all of them wounded.

And the dark shadow was also blasted away, tumbling far before it stopped at the stone gate.

The kings' hearts were a mix of joy and anxiety. This demon seemed not invincible, but it was still terrifyingly strong—killing it would cost them dearly.

"Destroy it!"

Figures flickered as over ten kings closed in from all directions, converging on the central shadow. Each king displayed his origin divine law, pressing down with the weight of the Great Dao. Such pure Dao imprints were the most terrifying—any king caught beneath them would be ground to nothing.

The final stone step rumbled and shook violently but still did not collapse, a testament to its incredible hardness.

The kings' Great Dao laws struck the dark shadow simultaneously. It could not dodge—attacks came from every direction, forcing it to endure head-on.

With a bang, the combined force of all kings sent the shadow tumbling, crashing heavily against the stone gate. It then staggered back, nearly falling.

The kings took heart: this shadow was not invincible; united, they could gravely wound it. "Though it is powerful, it is still no match for the Little Stone Emperor. We can kill it!"

The Lishi Beast, who had suffered badly earlier, had already regenerated its arm, but the golden blood on its body testified to how close the danger had been.

Yet the kings also noticed something terrifying: even as the shadow was being suppressed, the four Otherworld Ancestral Gods—Lu Zhan and the others—remained eerily calm, showing no intent to strike.

With a dull roar, the dark shadow straightened again. In the black mist, its form grew somewhat clearer, only its eyes still flashing with chilling beams, once more lunging toward them.

"Kill!" All the kings attacked together. This was no time for debate or courtesy—true life-and-death struggle. As long as that mysterious shadow could be annihilated, no method was beneath them.

But this time the shadow seemed far stronger. Black mist surged as it extended a huge demonic palm, with black threads connecting between its fingers, weaving into a net of darkness that shrouded them all.

Every one of them was horrified: those seemingly ordinary black threads represented the order of countless Great Daos—the embodiment of supreme divine principles, the root of demonic origin. That enormous demonic palm covered everyone, reaching down from the sky so that none could escape.

A heaven-defying momentum! The shadow swept them all into its great hand, black threads intertwining like the music of death.

Overbearing and fierce—nothing could resist it!

The kings reeled as if struck by lightning, all vomiting blood, struggling within the black hand.

At this moment, fear filled every heart. The sensed that this demonic shadow was not a true body; they could now feel clearly that it was power beyond physical form—the incarnation of demonic origin itself.

Fear, dread, anxiety, rage—every negative emotion raged in the kings' minds. These feelings had been absent for tens of thousands of years; their return now showed the grave peril.

This was the weight of the Dao's origin, the erosion of demonic force—a power that should not exist in this world.

Now they were certain: this demonic shadow could truly contend with the Little Stone Emperor. Yet when the Little Stone Emperor sought a worthy opponent, traversing past and future, why did he never find this shadow?

With a tremendous boom, beneath that black hand, the kings kept spitting blood. They barely managed to hold on by unleashing all their source laws and divine principles.

"If anyone still holds back now and cannot unite with all their heart, we may all be in danger…" A low voice sounded among them. Stirred, the kings unleashed the imprints of the Great Dao in full counterattack. At this moment of life and death, to hide one's true power would invite a tragic end.

Golden threads emerged from the kings' bodies, and strands of law order interwove, forming a golden Dao-origin web that collided with the mark of black demonic origin.

A cataclysmic collision shook the kings. Radiant light burst forth, tearing apart the black hand. Their bodies re-emerged, and the shattered dark hand dissolved into dissipating black mist.

The shadow, now missing an arm, staggered back, vanishing once more into the mist, standing silently before the stone gate.

Throughout this, Xiao Chen had been at a standoff with Lu Zhan and the four Otherworld Ancestral Gods, his Stone Man King puppet beside him, not participating.

The kings' confidence soared; they believed they could annihilate this mysterious shadow. "What are we waiting for? Let it be scattered to the winds!"

In the next moment, all of them unfolded their origin laws. Golden threads wove together, reaching forward to envelop the shadow.

The demonic shadow gave a low roar, transforming into a black Dao-origin mark that charged straight at them.

With a deep sound, it was caught within the golden net. All the kings seemed to ignite, driving their supreme divine power to refine the shadow within the net.

Blazing flames raged; the black mist rapidly thinned and vanished. The end of the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps gradually became clear. Within the great net, the dark shadow slowly faded, growing ever less distinct with time.

Refinement—this was the united will of all the kings to use this rare opportunity to finish the shadow.

The mighty fire blazed like a sun; it was the kings' origin divine power, which they burned without stint.

Finally, with a sound like thunder, the dark shadow turned to smoke and vanished completely. The golden net also dissolved in an instant.

"At last, it is destroyed…" The kings breathed a long sigh.

"Is that so?" From afar, Lu Zhan, who had been confronting Xiao Chen, spat out these two words coldly.

At the same time, the kings all changed color. The stone gate, which had closed with the shadow's disappearance, suddenly crashed open with a bang.

Inside, the dark shadow walked out slowly. Each step fell with the weight of ten thousand jun, as if stamping on the hearts of all.

It was unharmed, manifest once more! The tall demonic silhouette stood quietly in the black mist, its blurred outline especially ferocious, its eyes spitting cold, piercing light.

"How can this be?" Horror seized the kings. They had clearly refined it away, yet it appeared again.

"Let us combine our efforts and completely refine it!"

None of the present Stone Man Kings held back this time. They began their assault again, golden threads emerging from their bodies, interweaving together to envelop the shadow.

With a roar that shook the myriad worlds, the shadow tipped back its head and howled—a terrifying demonic sound that made every living being in all the worlds shudder.

With a crack, it extended a massive demonic hand, tearing open a corner of the sealed sky and breaking through the great world barrier. Its five fingers stretched wide, piercing five great worlds. Each finger annihilated one world, turning them into chaos, forming five hazy vortices that streamed down to it all the essential energy.

Five great worlds were linked to its five fingers, and five chaotic vortices provided it with magnificent power. Such a dreadful method would terrify any who witnessed it.

It used this to draw strength and amplify its demonic origin, countering the kings' Great Dao power.

The golden net formed by the combined kings' power still managed to envelop it. Then, with all order and divine light blazing, it refined the shadow within, until it dissolved into specks of black cloud that scattered.

The kings did not stop, continuing to refine the black clouds until nothing remained. Only then did the golden net vanish on its own.

But with a huge crash, the kings' brief feeling of victory was shattered. The mysterious stone gate slammed open once more, and a demonic shadow strode out, pressing forward and looking down on the eight desolations.

It was still there—had not been destroyed at all, as powerful as at the start. The shadow's long howl pierced past and future, shaking the ages.

None could remain unmoved. Every heart was filled with dread. This demonic shadow could not be killed, could not be destroyed. What could be done?

It was already strong enough to threaten everyone, and with such an indestructible origin, it seemed undefeatable.

At this moment, the same thought arose in every mind: if the Little Stone Emperor had not fallen, he would surely be able to stop this demonic shadow. When the Little Stone Emperor reached his zenith in that flash of radiance and then withered and fell, everyone had breathed a sigh of relief. But now, ironically, they all wished he had not died.

Only the Little Stone Emperor could suppress this demonic shadow.

In the distance, Xiao Chen's heart chilled. Long ago, the five Peerless Kings of the Chaotic Land had been immensely powerful, outnumbered yet not inferior to the Otherworld Ancestral Gods. But they had fallen before the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps—all because of this. This demonic shadow was so uncanny and terrifying that it could not be defeated.

"What in the world is it?" The kings refused to believe it was a true cultivator.

The Lishi Beast turned his head savagely and glared at Xiao Chen. "Little wretch, if you don't activate the Three Sovereign Mirror, what are you waiting for?"

As he spoke, several figures silently materialized, blocking the space between Xiao Chen and Lu Zhan and the others, cutting off the four Otherworld Ancestral Gods.

They were not trying to help Xiao Chen; rather, they had no choice. Now they needed the mysterious power of the Three Sovereign Mirror—a treasure of some ancient supreme being that might have the strange strength to counter this demonic shadow.

When Xiao Chen turned the Three Sovereign Mirror and its light shone on the dark shadow, it gave a terrible roar. Twin beams shot from its eyes, fixated on the stone mirror as if recognizing its origin.

The shadow reached out a great hand, ignoring all the kings, and struck directly at Xiao Chen, grabbing for the Three Sovereign Mirror, sweeping Xiao Chen into its palm.

Xiao Chen gave a long cry. The Stone Man King puppet moved to assist him, channeling surging divine power into the mirror. Its light flared brilliantly, and the mirror's surface reflected black threads back at the shadow, rolling over it.

With a thunderous crack, the shadow's arm was shattered. But before Xiao Chen could rejoice, his expression froze. An overwhelming pressure slammed down on his heart, as if he had been crushed entirely. Even with the Three Sovereign Mirror reflecting the shadow's attack, he could not withstand the shock.

In the span of a single breath, he swallowed three Life-Reviving Herbs before his body and soul stabilized. That meant in that instant, he had nearly been obliterated three times.

Feeling the enormous pressure of the demonic shadow, the Three Sovereign Mirror began to tremble by itself. The three human-like imprints on its back grew clearer, as if about to break out of the mirror.

The shadow roared, turned into a streak of black light, and pressed close, about to sweep Xiao Chen away.

This was pure demonic origin power, a supreme Great Dao imprint. It intended to kill Xiao Chen in one blow and seize the Three Sovereign Mirror.

The kings all struck to block the shadow. Xiao Chen was in contact with death itself; the kings protected the mirror, but they left his body exposed, outside the great golden net of order.

The shadow reached him, shaking the net of golden order. Xiao Chen was sent flying, and if not for the mirror reflecting much of the attack and the Stone Man King puppet blocking before him, he would have been annihilated.

Yet even so, his flesh and soul cracked severely, and he crashed heavily to the ground. The Three Sovereign Mirror nearly flew out of his hand. The kings fell back with him, the golden net still shielding the mirror like a golden sun, shining in all directions to impede the black shadow.

The shadow had no fear, advancing with great strides, exuding an aura of pure slaughter.

The immense pressure was more than Xiao Chen could bear. At this moment, the light of the Three Sovereign Mirror blazed ever brighter, as if provoked by the shadow.

But the shadow's flames of arrogance blazed to the heavens, and its gaze grew even more terrifying. It spread the five fingers of its right hand, continuing to seize the mirror, and the reflected light from its surface could not stop it.

"Hesitate no longer! We must join forces, take full control of the mirror, and refine this shadow!"

All the kings attacked the shadow together. The golden net of order that was the combined power of their laws enveloped the mirror and pulled it out of Xiao Chen's grip.

The Three Sovereign Mirror spun upward, fixed in midair, its surface facing down, suspended above the shadow's head.

The kings activated the mirror, and its power redoubled.

Then a startling thing happened: three faint phantoms floated out from the back of the mirror, standing in the sky, looking down at the demonic shadow.

But the shadow was more than a match for them. Seemingly stimulated by the mirror, it grew even stronger than at the start, swallowing sun and moon and stars, opening its huge mouth as if to devour the kings and the mirror together.

At this moment, Xiao Chen sensed great danger. With the Three Sovereign Mirror gone, Lu Zhan and the four Otherworld Ancestral Gods pressed close and blocked him.

He could not help but step backward. But after only five steps, a chill ran up his spine—he had retreated into the stone gate!