Deep within the barrier, Chu Ming was unaware of the turmoil outside the Celestial Extreme Illusion Realm. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an ordinary small town.

"Where is this place?"

Chu Ming was puzzled. He looked around and discovered that the entire town was shrouded in a misty haze. In the sky, a huge light source emanated a dim glow, keeping the town from being completely engulfed in darkness.

The streets were lined with orderly rows of houses, with bustling vendors on either side, and numerous pedestrians moving to and fro.

However, what bewildered Chu Ming was that no matter what, he couldn't hear their shouts, as if he had entered a zone of silence.

"Excuse me, sir..."

A man in gray clothing passed by Chu Ming. Just as Chu Ming was about to greet him to inquire about the place, he found his hand passing right through the man's body.

A trace of horror appeared on Chu Ming's face, and he fell silent, carefully observing the entire town.

"Even my spiritual sense is ineffective here?"

When Chu Ming tried to scan the surroundings with his spiritual sense, he realized that no matter how he activated it, the Sea of Souls within him remained calm.

"Could this town be an illusion? Or is this a mirage?"

Chu Ming did not act rashly but instead began to think carefully.

In this small town, Chu Ming was utterly clueless. He couldn't even sense the passage of time. Everything seemed frozen.

Tap... tap... tap...

Chu Ming walked lightly down the street, and his crisp footsteps echoed loudly in the quiet environment.

The pedestrians on the street seemed unaware of his presence, passing through his body as if he were invisible, which was utterly bizarre.

Chu Ming slightly raised his head, staring at the enormous light source in the sky. A strange feeling flickered in his eyes because he felt a sense of life emanating from the light, as if it were a living being overlooking everything.

Chu Ming stood there like an outsider, calmly observing all that was happening around him.

Bang!

Suddenly, a dark mist spread from the light source, growing thicker by the moment until, after a few breaths, it covered half the sky.

However, the appearance of the dark mist did not diminish the brightness of the light source, and neither did the people in the town notice anything.

"Hmm?"

Chu Ming's gaze darkened as he quietly observed the sudden emergence of the dark mist in the sky.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

One after another, sounds of something cutting through the air echoed. The dark mist, in Chu Ming's eyes, soon transformed into a human-like figure. This figure was tall and burly, over two meters in height, with broad, thick arms and eyes that suddenly gleamed with a savage red light, filled with violence and slaughter.

"I've been here for countless years, and finally, someone has arrived!"

A hoarse voice echoed, and the shadow moved slightly, appearing five meters away from Chu Ming in an instant, staring at him with cold eyes.

Under the shadow's crimson gaze, Chu Ming's heart trembled involuntarily. At that moment, he seemed to see the earth shatter, the world overturn, and rivers of blood flow. In front of this shadow, his Soul Power felt incredibly fragile, ready to extinguish in an instant.

"I intruded here by accident. I beg for your forgiveness, senior."

Without hesitation, Chu Ming understood that this shadow must be someone he couldn't afford to provoke. He immediately clasped his hands respectfully.

"Senior? Hehe... with my age, I can indeed bear this title!"

The shadow's words were icily cold, sending a shiver from Chu Ming's feet straight to the top of his head.

"I've been trapped here for endless years, with no one to talk to. It's rather boring staying here alone. Why don't you stay and chat with me?"

The shadow smiled malevolently, his red eyes gleaming wickedly.

Chu Ming's heart tightened, and his face turned pale. He wanted to ask the shadow how to leave, but hearing his words, Chu Ming realized the shadow had been trapped here for endless years. If the shadow knew how to leave, he wouldn't still be here.

"I must participate in the Battle for the Throne, so I can't stay,"

Chu Ming said slowly, then turned to leave in the direction he came from.

"Hehe... you think you can come and go as you please here?"

The shadow laughed menacingly, turning into a dark light that flew towards Chu Ming. In almost an instant, the shadow merged into Chu Ming's body.

"Ah!!!"

A stabbing pain suddenly struck Chu Ming's mind, but he breathed a sigh of relief. If the shadow had attacked and killed him directly, he would have no way to defend himself. However, with the shadow entering his Sea of Souls, where the white light plate existed, he had nothing to fear.

Even now, Chu Ming didn't fully understand what the white light plate was, but he was sure it wasn't something from the Celestial Martial Continent.

Poof!

In Chu Ming's Sea of Souls, strands of dark mist condensed, gradually forming the terrifying shadow. The shadow let out a sinister laugh, staring at Chu Ming's Sea of Souls, with a hint of surprise as he rasped, "I didn't expect your Soul Power to be comparable to that of a peak Martial Artist at the Realm of Transcendence, though you are only in the Third Layer of the Realm of Transcendence. But in front of me, you're still insignificant."

Whoosh!

As soon as the shadow finished speaking, it lunged at Chu Ming's Sea of Souls, emitting waves of dark mist that seeped into the Sea of Souls, turning it black and filling it with an evil aura.

"Ah!!!"

Chu Ming screamed in pain again. The agony felt like ants gnawing at his bones, eroding his marrow inch by inch. At this moment, he truly sensed the approach of death.

His facial veins bulged, and beads of sweat streamed down his face, merging into a small rivulet.

Bang!

At this moment, a fierce white light suddenly erupted in Chu Ming's Sea of Souls, shining like a blazing sun, causing the soul liquid within to retreat.

"What on earth is this?!"

The brutal shadow was terrified. Under the white light, the dark mist on his body began to dissipate. With his status, there were very few things on the Celestial Martial Continent that could threaten him, but he clearly sensed the taste of death in the white light.

Whoosh!

Rip!

"Ah!!!"

A blazing white light burst from the white light plate, crossing the space and striking the shadow's soul directly. The shadow was torn in half, with one part merging into Chu Ming's Sea of Souls.

The remaining part let out a dreadful scream, attempting to escape the Sea of Souls, but it was too late.