The voice alternated between high and low, between swift and slow, creating a feeling of bizarre entity when combined.
And it indeed contained bizarre entities!
The moment the voice spread, the sky changed color, and the earth rumbled. The vegetation growing outside the forbidden zone cracked, and the impact was extensive.
Although this area was sparsely populated due to the existence of the forbidden zone, there was no lack of insects and beasts.
These insects and beasts that lived outside the forbidden zone had been affected to varying degrees by the anomalous substances. Their lives had mutated and they were even more tenacious. However, under the coverage of these murmurs, all of them began to go crazy.
Looking around, countless insects and beasts of various kinds emerged from the ground, converging from all directions. They surrounded Xu Qing, emitting hissing cries, creating a dense and terrifying spectacle.
Xu Qing remained composed, his gaze sweeping over the insects and beasts surrounding him. On their bodies, he sensed traces of being controlled—this was one of the abilities of the shadow.
However, the range was larger now and the number of beings it could control was greater. Most importantly, it was no longer limited to the fusion with shadows; it could manipulate them with just murmurs.
"Devouring a forbidden zone and controlling with sound…" Xu Qing narrowed his eyes and looked at the squirming shadow on the gray land in front of him.
As time passed, the shadow's squirming slowed down by a lot, as though it was gradually stabilizing.
Its form also slowly stabilized and looked like a head.
At the center of the head's forehead, although it was pitch-black, one could vaguely see a totem.
The shape of this totem was exactly the same as the forbidden zone that the shadow had devoured!
"It's not a totem. This is…"
Xu Qing's heart stirred. He focused his attention and carefully observed the shadow's forehead. Soon, he confirmed his previous guess. The thing on the forehead wasn't a totem but a forbidden zone.
The forbidden zone that was devoured by the shadow appeared on the shadow's forehead and became one with it.
This discovery made Xu Qing feel even stranger. What made his pupils contract even more was that in this forbidden zone that had shrunk countless times, there was a tree that was different from the others growing in the center.
That was the first form the shadow had displayed, a huge shadow tree.
There was a coffin hanging from the tree. This coffin was the second form of the shadow.
At that moment, the coffin was shaking like a huge pendulum clock. There was also the ear-piercing sound of fingernails scratching the wooden planks and murmurs.
"I, the Dark Abyss, the spirit accumulates and forms the body. The soul lacks divinity, and starlight descends to extinguish all beings!"
The instant the last word was spoken, a wave of soul power that was as majestic as the sea suddenly erupted from the coffin. The target… was none other than Xu Qing!
Xu Qing's expression didn't change at all. He stood there and coldly looked at the shadow. His eyes were pitch-black and the Poison Restriction activated.
Under Xu Qing's gaze, this huge soul power stopped ten feet away from him, distorting the surroundings and showing signs of struggle. It was as though malice instinctively erupted but it also instinctively didn't dare to continue.
This lasted until Xu Qing snorted coldly.
That terrifying soul power instantly fluctuated and spread out toward the sky above, affecting the sky. It gathered the clouds and displayed a few words.
Master is benevolent.
Immediately after, fawning emotions spread out from the black shadow.
"Master… good… I…"
Xu Qing looked at the shadow, and he seemed to have figured it out. The murmurs of the shadow were expressed properly, but when it tried to speak directly, it would be like this. It seemed that the growth of its realm was not directly proportional to its speaking ability.
However, Xu Qing couldn't be bothered to suppress it now. He was more concerned about the divine fire the shadow had expressed earlier.
"What about the divine fire?"
Xu Qing calmly spoke.
When the shadow heard this, a large mouth opened on it and it roared out.
"Sacrifice!"
The instant this word was spoken, the densely-packed insects and beasts around Xu Qing that were controlled by the shadow trembled in unison. After that, they ferociously consumed and bit each other, letting out mournful wails.
There were also some who devoured themselves and cried miserably amid this self-mutilation.
However, their actions did not pause for a moment. The more pitiful the sounds, the more ferocious their biting became. In just a dozen breaths' time, all the insects and beasts surrounding Xu Qing died.
They were sacrificing themselves!
This scene caused Xu Qing's expression to freeze. At the same time, brown light spots floated up from the corpses of these insects and beasts and flew straight toward the shadow.
The feeling these light spots gave Xu Qing was somewhat similar to the faith power of all living beings in the Moon Offering Region. However, their essence seemed to be different.
This was because it was impossible to see with the naked eye.
Even with his cultivation base, it was difficult for Xu Qing to see them. Only when his eyes contained the Poison Restriction could he see these clearly.
They quickly gathered together and formed a brown sphere of light. It was only the size of a fingernail and shone brightly. It sometimes expanded and sometimes rapidly contracted, as though it was immensely unstable.
Even more astonishing was that its appearance stirred the firmament. The clouds rapidly turned pitch-black, thunder resounded instantly, and lightning danced within, seemingly drawn to it and spreading outward.
The shadow's emotions were filled with even more intense fawning as it blew at the brown sphere of light. Immediately, the sphere of light headed straight for Xu Qing and floated in front of him.
As the sphere of light floated, the thunderbolt in the sky rotated in unison and locked onto it.
Xu Qing frowned. He couldn't tell what it was but he innately felt danger. It was as though every inch of his body had gained an independent consciousness at this moment and was shrieking at him, telling him that this thing was immensely dangerous.
