Within the heart of the lava cavern, Shen Sheng and Zhao Qiongman had donned the black robes of the Black God Sect, officially becoming its members.
The sect placed little guard over them. After all, they had no way to escape, especially since Zhao Qiongman was tasked with participating in the construction of an important array for the sect's branch.
If Zhao Qiongman dared to slack off or intentionally delay the progress of the array, the Black God Sect's cultivators would immediately punish Shen Sheng. This left Zhao Qiongman with no room for error or defiance in her daily tasks.
During their time in the Black God Sect, Shen Sheng and Zhao Qiongman came to understand the full extent of the sect's plans.
The Black God Sect sought to fuse mortals with demonic beasts.
If successful, mortals could gain the strength of demonic beasts and use them as spiritual roots for cultivation. It was somewhat similar to the "spiritual root grafting" practiced by the mortal aristocracy.
However, "spiritual root grafting" came at an immense cost. True spiritual roots that could be grafted were exceedingly rare. The so-called "spiritual roots" were not true roots but were instead treasures of heaven and earth capable of absorbing spiritual energy. These treasures were implanted into mortals, serving as makeshift spiritual roots.
Moreover, the vast majority of mortals who underwent this grafting had extremely limited cultivation potential. Few ever reached the Cave Mansion Realm, and breaking through to the Golden Core Realm was virtually impossible.
Typically, those who underwent spiritual root grafting were feudal lords of the great human dynasties or renowned warriors seeking to extend their lifespans. They didn't aim to become true cultivators but merely desired to live longer.
The wealthier and more powerful someone was, the more they feared death. Only they could afford the luxury of "artificial spiritual roots."
But now, the Black God Sect was pushing the boundaries of this world.
Unlike treasures of heaven and earth, demonic beasts were abundant and everywhere.
If the Black God Sect's method of fusing humans with demonic beasts—allowing humans to cultivate—proved viable, they would completely upend the existing world order.
It was a truly insane idea.
Imagine a world where everyone could cultivate. What kind of grand spectacle would that be?
But here's the question: Would it really be a "grand spectacle," or would it be a "grand calamity"?
When humans and demonic beasts are fused, can humans truly retain their rationality? Would they not succumb to beast-like instincts?
Even setting aside the worst-case scenarios, assuming there were no adverse side effects to the fusion and everyone could cultivate, would the world's resources be sufficient? Cultivation demands an astronomical amount of resources, with higher realms requiring even more.
If everyone could cultivate, could the world truly sustain such a burden?
Shen Sheng and Zhao Qiongman doubted it would ever reach the point where "everyone could cultivate." In fact, the Black God Sect hadn't even resolved the first step of their plan.
Though Shen Sheng was not directly involved in the experiments with fusing mortals and demonic beasts—he was kept close to Zhao Qiongman at all times and couldn't leave her side—Zhao Qiongman worked alongside other array masters to refine the fusion arrays.
During this time, the couple witnessed the Black God Sect's horrifying and depraved actions.
The sect's cultivators descended into the mortal world to abduct people. They didn't just target young men and women; they also seized the elderly, children, and even infants. These mortals, along with captured demonic beasts, were thrown into the arrays, where the sect used the array's power and the spiritual energy radiating from a treasure in Baiwa City to force a fusion between them.
The process of fusion was excruciatingly painful, and the failure rate was alarmingly high. Out of a hundred individuals, at most one might survive the fusion successfully.
It was through this that Shen Sheng and Zhao Qiongman finally learned the truth about Baiwa City.
Initially, they had believed the treasure causing the strange phenomena in Baiwa City had been brought there by the Black God Sect.
The truth is, the extraordinary treasure of Baiwa City does not belong to the Black God Cult.
The Black God Cult came to Baiwa City merely because it was an unclaimed land. Baiwa City lies at the border between the Southern Demon Kingdom and the Wu Kingdom, with no governing authority.
Unexpectedly, the area itself generated a celestial treasure. This treasure is none other than Baiwa City as a whole.
According to the Black God Cult's calculations, Baiwa City will transform into a secret realm, which will eventually be encapsulated in a medium—a scroll.
This phenomenon is not unheard of. Ten thousand years ago, in the desolate wilderness, a region was severed by the Great Dao, becoming a blessed realm contained within a scroll, eventually claimed by an Ascension Realm cultivator.
Shen Sheng knew that the Black God Cult's sub-branch leader had his own ambitions—he wanted to claim the entire scroll for himself, so he kept it secret from the cult's headquarters. Otherwise, such a powerful treasure would have warranted the presence of a grandmaster-level cultivator to oversee it.
During the formation of the "Baiwa Scroll," it will reject foreign entities, leaving only the "native residents" of Baiwa City behind. This explains the appearance of those flashes of white light.
Although the Black God Cult's ultimate goal is to fuse mortals with demonic beasts, the leap is too great. They plan to first identify a common ground between cultivators and demonic beasts, then apply it to mortals—similar to how medical cultivators test drugs on animals before using them on humans.
The Black God Cult utilized the white light of Baiwa City. They instructed Zhao Qiongman and other formation masters to create a formation that would send cultivators rejected by Baiwa City directly into the Lava Core Cavern.
Every day, Zhao Qiongman watched her formation harm one person after another. Her heart was filled with guilt and pain.
Shen Sheng knew that he had become leverage for his wife. At times, he even contemplated ending his own life.
But even if he died, what good would it do? Would it free his wife from this place?
Shen Sheng endured, even pretending to cooperate with the Black God Cult as if he had "come to terms" with their plans. He acted as though he wanted to help them achieve their grand ambitions. This gained the approval of the Black God Cult's sub-branch leader.
Shen Sheng rose from being a lowly prisoner to an official steward within the cult.
Due to a shortage of manpower, combined with the suppressive poison limiting Shen Sheng's strength and his apparent loyalty, the sub-branch leader finally gave him the antidote after much consideration.
Five days after receiving the antidote, Shen Sheng plotted an escape.
Taking advantage of the guards' laxity, he fled with his wife.
Success seemed within reach when the sub-branch leader of the Black God Cult—Qi Hui—blocked their path.
Shen Sheng and Zhao Qiongman were dragged back to the cavern.
"Shen Sheng, I trusted you, and you betrayed me," Qi Hui said, staring at him coldly.
"This has nothing to do with my wife. If you must kill someone, kill me. Let her go!" Shen Sheng clenched his fists tightly.
"Why do you think you're in any position to bargain with me?" Qi Hui asked.
"Let my husband leave! I will dedicate myself to the Black God Cult and work wholeheartedly without a trace of disloyalty! I swear on my Dao!" Zhao Qiongman stood protectively before her husband.
Qi Hui merely laughed. "Negotiation requires leverage. Unfortunately, you two have none."
With a wave of his hand, Qi Hui sent Zhao Qiongman flying. As she struggled to rise, she saw Qi Hui gripping her husband's throat.
Qi Hui looked at her coldly. "The formation is complete, and the headquarters has sent additional formation masters. You've outlived your usefulness. Were it not for your contributions, you'd have already been thrown into the formation for fusion. This situation is your own doing—you have no one to blame but yourselves."
"What are you trying to do?!" Zhao Qiongman shouted.
Qi Hui tossed out a magical artifact, binding Zhao Qiongman to a pillar.
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" Qi Hui sneered before throwing Shen Sheng into the formation. "Bring out the Bloodbat Beast."
"Yes, sir," a Black God Sect disciple replied.
The disciple opened a cage, releasing the bound Bloodbat Beast into the formation.
"You beast! Let go of my husband! You monster! You beast!"
Zhao Qiongman struggled desperately, but she could only watch helplessly as her husband was forced to fuse with the demonic beast.
Listening to her husband's agonized screams, Zhao Qiongman's eyes welled with blood tears.
"Well, well, I didn't expect it to work, and so successfully at that," Qi Hui remarked, clearly impressed, as he observed Shen Sheng lying on the ground. Except for a few beastly features on his back, Shen Sheng appeared mostly human.
The ultimate goal of the Black God Sect was not just for every ordinary person to successfully fuse with demonic beasts but to ensure that after the fusion, no trace of the beast remained.
Among the hundreds of successful fusions at this branch of the Black God Sect, not a single person had achieved this level of purity. But now, there were two with minimal beastly traits—one of them being Shen Sheng.
"If you have the guts, just… kill me!" Shen Sheng weakly gasped, glaring at Qi Hui from within the formation.
"Why would I kill you?" Qi Hui responded coldly. "Our Black God Sect is expanding, and we need to stir up some chaos. You'll be sent to carry out missions in the Wu Kingdom. Refuse, and I'll kill your wife instead. The choice is yours."
"Don't agree to it!" Zhao Qiongman shouted to her husband. "Husband, I already have too much innocent blood on my hands. I deserve to die. We can't harm more innocents. Let's meet again in the next life."
Qi Hui didn't bother stopping her outburst. Instead, he tossed a token onto the ground before Shen Sheng. "If you agree, pick up this token. If not, you both die here and now."
Shen Sheng looked at the token on the ground, then at his wife.
In the end, he chose to pick up the token.
"A wise decision," Qi Hui said with a smirk. Retrieving the artifact binding Zhao Qiongman, he walked away with his hands behind his back, his voice echoing in the cavern.
Zhao Qiongman scrambled over and hugged her husband tightly.
Not long after, once Shen Sheng had fully adapted to his fused body, he was assigned a mission.
The night before his departure, Zhao Qiongman handed him a storage pouch and a palm-sized coffin.
"These are my treasures, and I'm giving you Xiaotiao as well. You must take care of yourself," she said softly, looking earnestly at her husband.
"The Baiwa Scroll will be complete in seven or eight years. By then, many sects will come to fight for it. The Black God Sect is playing with fire by doing this.
Although the escape formation we used last time has been destroyed, they don't know I set up another one.
Do you remember the law orb I made by extracting the laws of Baiwa City before we left? When you return, and the sects make their move on Baiwa City, we'll find a way to send the orb into the city. This will not only help the trapped cultivators escape but also earn their gratitude. They might even help us escape in return.
But all of this will have to wait until you come back."
"Alright!" Shen Sheng nodded firmly. "You must take care of yourself."
"I will." Zhao Qiongman hugged her husband tightly. "Be careful out there."
The next day, Shen Sheng departed. Zhao Qiongman stood silently, watching her husband disappear into the distance.
Beside her, Qi Hui stood with his hands clasped behind his back. "You two, honestly... If you had just joined us fully, nothing would have happened. All our sacrifices are for a better world. I really don't understand why you resist so much."
"What you're doing goes against heaven and morality! It will never end well for you!" Zhao Qiongman retorted coldly.
"Retribution?"
Qi Hui chuckled.
"My father was the master of a sword estate. One day, a cultivator came to our estate. My father treated him with hospitality, but the man lusted after my mother's beauty. He assaulted her, and when my father tried to protect her, the cultivator killed him. He burned the entire estate to the ground. Everyone died in the fire except me.
Do you know what happened to that cultivator afterward?"
Qi Hui turned to face her. "Let me tell you. That cultivator later reached the Nascent Soul Realm, founded a sect, and was worshipped as a divine figure by countless cultivators and mortals. Tell me, where is the retribution in that?"
Zhao Qiongman remained silent.
"Let's go back," Qi Hui said, turning and walking away.
"You two… I'd say you're old acquaintances of mine now. By the way, I know you're carrying his child. I didn't tell Shen Sheng about it. But now that Shen Sheng has fused with a demonic beast, who knows if the child you're carrying is human or beast?
By all logic, someone who has fused with a demonic beast should be incapable of reproduction. You two are an exception.
I should've reported this to the headquarters, but I chose not to.
If you decide not to keep the child, that's your choice. I won't force you. Consider this my last favor to you both, my 'old friends.'"