Chapter 1406: Shadow Realm

Chapter 1406: The Realm of Shadows

The Realm of Shadows.

When Zhou Zhan arrived here, he witnessed a scene that left him utterly stunned.

In the heart of this realm, a towering black column—stretching from earth to sky—had appeared out of nowhere!

Bound tightly to the column was a divine being. Not any ordinary entity, but none other than the Supreme Divine Puppet of Tian Ren!

The being was tightly shackled to the black pillar, writhing and struggling desperately, yet utterly unable to break free from the unyielding grasp of the shadow column.

Outside the column, countless beings of the Shadow Realm had fallen to their knees, bowing with fervent devotion and reverence—utterly reverent, utterly obedient.

Zhou Zhan swept his divine awareness across the entire realm. To his astonishment, every single being in the Shadow Realm was now kneeling, bowing in silent, unbroken worship.

After all, this was the entire Realm of Shadows.

The Shadow Realm, by virtue of its intrinsic nature as a reflection of all realms, spans an immense expanse—equivalent to the combined territories of tens of thousands of great worlds!

And now, every being across the entire Shadow Realm was gathered, bowing in reverence before that single black shadow pillar. The scene was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Yet awe, though profound, left Zhou Zhan feeling a cold shiver run through his very bones.

For this spectacle—this sheer magnitude—was beyond the reach of any Supreme God.

Only an entity of Will-tier power could forge such a phenomenon.

He gazed upon the Supreme God of Heavenly Blade, bound and helpless upon the shadow pillar, then turned his eyes to the surrounding expanse, where he soon spotted the Shadow King, Crimson Supreme God, silently observing the bound god—as if watching the premiere of a magnificent play.

"This Shadow King, Crimson Supreme God, possesses a Will-tier capability."

Zhou Zhan murmured to himself.

And then, within his mind, he began to curse violently.

Damn it.

What the hell is going on with the Supreme Will?

Three of the top-tier bloodline races are attacking me together. You could just leave me to it.

When the Shadow King, the Crimson Supreme God, launches an assault against me, if you don't help, I can still hold my ground—after all, I possess Supreme God-level techniques myself. I can at least consider you testing my capabilities.

But damn, what's right before me is a true Supreme Will-level technique!

A Supreme Will-level technique!

No Supreme God, no matter how powerful, can withstand it.

Are you testing a Supreme Lord in training—someone who isn't even a main god under your command?

This is like making a commoner fight against Sun Wukong!

Zhou Zhan racked his brain, desperately searching for a way out.

The Heavenly Blade Supreme God must be saved!

He is the strongest card in my hand, the most suitable choice to withstand the Crimson Supreme God of the Shadow King. If I lose Him, then only He and the other duplicates will have to face the Crimson Supreme God of the Shadow King.

Though I possess the aid of a Supreme Divine Artifact, I have a certain confidence in defeating the Crimson Supreme God of the Shadow King.

Yet, that confidence is not absolute.

Stepping forward to battle the enemy still carries inherent risk.

He may be a bold warrior duplicate—indeed, that is true.

But that does not mean he will disregard risk, placing himself in peril without thought.

That is not the definition of a warrior. That is the mark of a fool!

"The Supreme Will is surely observing me."

"He cannot stand by and do nothing as I fall into a situation beyond my ability to withstand."

"So there must be a way to break through."

"And the way to break through is already in my hands."

"What is the method?"

Zhou Zhan murmured to himself.

As he thought, he donned the skin of Gadilos, shielding himself from the detection of the Shadow King, the Crimson Supreme God.

At that moment,

He suddenly felt an unimaginably terrifying will pressing down upon the Shadow Realm.

Under this pressure, Zhou Zhan felt as if he were merely a worm, vulnerable to destruction at the slightest thought from the other side.

"An absolute will has descended!"

Zhou Zhan instantly realized.

Only the Supreme Will Realm can make this Will-Embodied Realm will-being feel utterly unresisting.

"There can be only one Will-Embodied Realm master who appears within the Shadow Realm—the Will of Shadow."

"Hold on…"

Zhou Zhan suddenly realized something.

He looked upon the Shadow Realm before him.

The boundless, sky-reaching black pillars…

The Celestial Blade Supreme God puppet bound to the pillars…

The Shadow King, observing with crimson eyes, the Supreme God…

The shadow-bound beings, fervent and reverent…

And then, the sudden arrival of the Will of Shadow…

"Could it be so?"

Zhou Zhan connected all the fragments in his mind, and suddenly a bold speculation arose within him.

At that very moment,

he saw the once-aloft Shadow King, Crimson Supreme God, suddenly bowing to the heavens, and speaking in the will-language only true Will-Realm cultivators would understand:

"Master."

"I am not your master. I only offered you guidance."

The Will of Shadow replied.

"Whether or not you acknowledge me, the fact that you once guided me—within my heart, you are my master."

The Crimson Supreme God of Shadow bowed with solemn reverence.

The Will of Shadow remained silent.

Yingjun Xinghong, even the Supreme God of Shadows, said nothing more on this topic, fearing to provoke the other's disdain. He intended instead to gently win over this Shadow Will with his true sincerity, striving one day to become its disciple.

Though the odds were slim, to gain the Will-level inheritance and ascend to a Will-level powerhouse, he would not abandon a single opportunity.

He pointed to the celestial blade Supreme God puppet atop the black shadow pillar, smiling and said:

"Master, the offering I bring you this time is the puppet of the Third-Rank Supreme God—Celestial Blade."

"This god, though only of Third Rank, once achieved a feat of defeating a Fourth-Rank Supreme God beyond his level—an astonishing potential. Should he ascend to Fourth Rank in the future, he will undoubtedly become one of the most powerful among Fourth-Rank Supreme Gods."

"By sacrificing him and transforming him into your Shadow General, you will gain a general of limitless potential!"

"Moreover, this god possesses six Supreme God artifacts—each of which can be used to bolster the combat strength of your subordinate Supreme God-level Shadow Generals."

As Yingjun Xinghong spoke of the Supreme God artifacts, a deep pang of sorrow filled his heart.

Those were his own spoils of war—his personal treasures.

Now, all of them were being offered to the Will of Shadows.

How could He not feel sorrow?

Yet, one cannot catch a wolf without a child's mittens—for the sake of legacy, what is a few pieces of the Supreme Divine Artifacts?

"Oh?"

The Shadow Will, upon hearing of six Supreme Divine Artifacts, finally stirred with genuine astonishment.

It turned its gaze toward the Heavenly Blade Supreme Divine Automaton.

Indeed, it saw six Supreme Divine Artifacts upon that being.

The Shadow Will couldn't help but marvel.

Supreme Divine Artifacts were exceedingly rare. To find six of them on a single Third-Class Supreme Divine God was a phenomenon rarely witnessed.

"Excellent."

"This offering has pleased me thoroughly."

"Shortly after the sacrifice ritual concludes, you shall remain. I will guide you a little."

The Will of Shadow said.

"Thank you, Sir!"

The Shadow King's heart, blazing with crimson divine power, surged with joy, and he hurriedly bowed in reverence.

The Will of Shadow hummed softly, his gaze once again fixed upon the Heavenly Blade Supreme God.

"Though merely a puppet."

"Yet sufficient."

"Let it follow the thread of fate, and unify and transform its true essence."

The Will of Shadow murmured.

Hearing these words...

Zhou Zhan knew he was about to appear.

Otherwise, the Supreme God of Tian Ren would truly be gone—entirely, including his original form.

"Cough, cough."

He cleared his throat lightly, declaring his presence to the Will of Shadow, the Supreme God of Crimson Shadow King, and to the entire Shadow Realm.