"I’ve already emerged from the demonic calamity?"

Hearing that, Zhang Shaoming didn't even open his eyes. A faint, contemptuous smile curled his lips.

Seeing that, Fang Chen said no more. He grabbed the young man and vanished into the horizon. Watching the scene play out, Chen Shan looked at his own corpse not far away and murmured, "At least... help me bury it."

***

The Black Dragon.

The crew saw Fang Chen return with a young man, but they only cast a few curious glances and didn't ask questions.

"Senior Demon Ancestor, your methods this time are quite different from before," said Zhang Shaoming as he opened his eyes, finding himself aboard a massive immortal boat.

Looking out, he saw thousands of other immortal ships stationed nearby. Cultivators flew to and fro amidst a bustling crowd. It was an incredibly lively scene.

Fang Chen asked with a faint smile, "Oh? What’s different about it?"

"There are so many immortal boats. The scale is quite large," remarked Zhang Shaoming.

"This isn't considered large. You might see even grander scenes in the future," replied Fang Chen calmly as he began to assemble the Black Dragon Formation.

Zhang Shaoming watched in shock as the boats flew in one after another. What were originally individual, complete boats now seemed like mere components, eventually piecing together a terrifyingly powerful formation.

Ji Gang and Sheng Ning stepped forward to their respective positions, slowly infusing their immortal essence into the Black Dragon.

"Eldest Senior Sister, I’ve found the person. He’s just a Qi Refining Realm cultivator named Zhang Shaoming. How should I proceed?"

At that moment, Xie Aman’s voice soon echoed in Fang Chen’s mind. "You found him? That was fast. Open the star map."

Fang Chen opened the star map, projecting the cosmos. A brilliant star was emitting a dazzling radiance.

"This is the Feiyu Constellation in the Taicang Realm. Bring him here as quickly as possible. However, do take care. The region is currently heavily guarded by the demon race. The formation is too conspicuous. You’ll have to travel light."

"Eldest Senior Sister, what exactly is his background?"

Xie Aman’s voice fell silent. Fang Chen waited for a full fifteen minutes.

"Zhang Shaoming might be a reincarnation of the Heavenly Dao. Specifics will need to be confirmed once he reaches the Feiyu Constellation."

"I can't be certain yet, because we are looking into about three hundred people like him this time. He is just one of them." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"We aren't the only ones looking. According to news from the Xie Zhi Division, the demon race is aware that the Heavenly Dao has not truly died. They are searching as well. If they manage to resurrect the Heavenly Dao first, we will be in great trouble."

The reincarnation of Heavenly Dao?

Fang Chen stood stunned. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "But if the Heavenly Dao is resurrected, wouldn't that be beneficial to us?"

"We cannot be certain of the Heavenly Dao's stance. Do not forget, this place was originally the territory of the Demonic Beast Race. Those who attained the Dao here were inevitably of the Demonic Beast Race.

"The so-called Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations were all trials that the Demonic Beast Race had to undergo every time they sought to transform their forms. They were methods of elimination set by the Heavenly Dao of that era to allow more of the Demonic Beast Race to climb to the peak and to make the Nine Mortal Realm stronger."

"If we allow the demon Race to resurrect the Heavenly Dao, no one can be sure if the Heavenly Dao will be persuaded by them and choose to aid their cause."

Fang Chen asked, "Eldest Senior Sister, when our human race first arrived in the Nine Realms, the Heavenly Dao had not yet died. What was its stance back then? If it stood with the Demonic Beast Race, then in its eyes, we outsiders would be heretics, and our fate should have been like..."

Fang Chen thought of the Three-Eyed Heretic imprisoned in the Ten Thousand Heavenly Prison. According to Xie Aman's logic, the human race back then should have been like that heretic, either imprisoned or eradicated. How could they have survived until now, let alone become the masters of the Nine Realms?

"Our race had experts at that time who were close to the Heavenly Dao in power. Though they weren't the true Heavenly Dao, if they were able to lead our migration through the vast Qingming, how could their cultivation be merely of the ninth transformation?"

"The Demonic Beast Race of that time had already suffered heavy blows, and that Heavenly Dao was likely gravely injured. Under those circumstances, it tacitly allowed our existence, but to this day, we remain ignorant of its true stance."

"If the Demon Race comes knocking and demands that youth from you, and you find yourself unable to handle the situation, you may choose to kill him."

Fang Chen felt a cold chill run down his spine. He hadn't clarified the Heavenly Dao's stance, but he had certainly clarified the human race's position. At the very least, Xie Aman’s stance represented the Enlightenment God Palace.

"Old Ninth, if you have any more questions, ask them quickly."

Xie Aman’s voice betrayed a hint of exhaustion.

Fang Chen inquired, "When I found Zhang Shaoming, he suddenly fell into a Demonic Calamity. If he is a reincarnation of the Heavenly Dao, can he still fall into such a calamity?"

"He can. But a demonic calamity cannot awaken any past memories, as his true nature is not of the demon race, but the Demonic Beast Race. He cannot be ‘awakened.’ The goal of the demon race is to make the reincarnations of the Heavenly Dao fall into the demonic path, so that once truly resurrected, they will feel a resonance with the demon race.

"When I speak of falling into the demonic path, I do not mean using supernatural means to influence the mind. This involves no transcendent power; you can think of it as a way of getting close to him. You needn't worry about these details, just deliver him to the Feiyu Constellation."

Finally, she said, "I am a bit busy here. You arrange the rest yourself. A word of warning, if the Demonic Calamity has found him, the Demon Race will follow shortly. Do not linger on Lone Light Star for long."

***

The dialogue concluded.

Fang Chen’s gaze settled on Zhang Shaoming. "Are you still doubting whether this is a demonic calamity?"

"Is it really not? But then why do you look exactly like that Senior Demon Ancestor?" asked Zhang Shaoming, his voice laced with uncertainty.

The process of the formation converging was truly a grand spectacle, so vast that he had never seen anything like it in his life, nor could he have even imagined it. He was certain that his memory contained no such imagery, meaning a demonic calamity could not have used his own mind to construct such a scene. He reached a conclusion. This was indeed not a dream. He was awake.

"That is exactly what I wanted to ask you. Tell me, what kind of things did you encounter within the Demonic Calamity?" asked Fang Chen, casually laying down a restrictive formation to ensure their privacy.

"I was taken back to Qingzhi City... I grew up there. Later, the world fell into chaos and the city was destroyed. But within the calamity, the city was perfectly intact. I returned home, my parents were alive, and my clansmen were all there, vivid and real. It didn't feel like a fabrication at all."

As Zhang Shaoming recalled the dream, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch upward slightly.

"Even though I knew perfectly well it was a demonic calamity, all I could think about at the time was that I wanted to live at home. I intended to lie to myself and stay within the calamity forever. But then...”

Zhang Shaoming glanced at Fang Chen with a strange expression.

"Then you appeared. You showed up out of nowhere to get close to me, claiming to be the Demon Ancestor and saying you wanted to be my friend. Because of your presence, everything else in the calamity suddenly seemed so fake that I could no longer deceive myself. I tried to avoid you, to make myself forget, but you came looking for me every single day. No matter where I went, you would appear.

"I found it so incredibly annoying that I gave up on the idea of lying to myself and decided to wake up."

Fang Chen said with a smile, "And then you woke up, only to see me again."

Zhang Shaoming nodded and said with total earnestness, "You really do look exactly like that Senior Demon Ancestor. Even your eyes are the same... Both of you are blind."