The voice seemed simultaneously proud, restrained, rushed, and slow. The combination made the voice extremely gruish. Clearly, the shadow was inherently a grue! The moment it spoke, the sky shifted colors, rumbling sounds echoed out, and all the plants and vegetation outside the forbidden region were ripped to shreds.2

Because of the forbidden region in this area, there weren’t many people who lived nearby. But there were animals and even bugs. The animals and bugs who lived nearby were changed by the presence of the forbidden region. Mutagen would build up within them, and they would eventually mutate, becoming much stronger. And now, as the chanting spread out, they devolved into madness. From a distance, it was possible to see countless bugs and animals burrowing out of the ground, surrounding Xu Qing and letting loose shocking and ghastly cries.1

Xu Qing’s facial expression didn’t change. After looking around at the bugs and animals, he realized that the shadow was controlling them. The shadow’s powers of control now had a much greater range, and could affect a larger number of targets. Most importantly, it didn’t require the shadow to possess the target. Instead, its chanting provided the control.0

“You can devour forbidden regions and use sound to exercise control....” Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the gray lands in front of him, and the writhing shadow.10

As time passed, the shadow’s writhing slowed down, and it eventually became calm again. Its form was now stable, and it looked like a head. And despite being pitch-black, the head clearly had a totem on its forehead. Its shape was exactly the same as the forbidden region that had just...3