The pitch-black portal swallowed Xiao Ming and the group that followed him. It wasn't a jarring transition, but more like stepping into a tunnel of thick, viscous shadow.
Tendrils of oppressive energy brushed past them as they moved, a stark contrast to the chaotic spatial collapse they had just escaped.
Zhou Mei and the loose cultivators around Xiao Ming felt the chill, their expressions tight with caution.
But inside the darkness, something far more significant happened for Xiao Ming.
Deep within his dantian, where the mystical Shadow Flame danced and the enigmatic Shadow Phoenix Egg rested, a profound stillness fell.
The vibrant, ancient energy that usually pulsed within them went utterly silent. It was like two vital parts of his being had suddenly ceased to exist.
This wasn't just a feeling; it was a direct, internal connection. Xiao Ming knew immediately that this silence was tied to the very nature of this dark path they had chosen.
