The Prison area, Hailstorm clan.


    The night had descended into profound darkness, and even the sounds of nocturnal creatures had faded away, leaving behind a sobering silence that clung to the air.


    Within this obscurity, a shadowy figure glided through the shadows, moving with such fluidity that it seemed like the embodiment of the very night itself.


    While it didn''t move at breakneck speed, its every motion was silent and seamless.


    The prison guards, no matter how advanced their cultivation, were utterly oblivious to the eerie presence sneaking through their domain.


    Coming to a halt at a crossroads, the shadowy figure now stood before the path that led to the section where the most depraved criminals, stripped of their right to continue their cultivation and life, were imprisoned.


    The appearance of these heinous individuals varied greatly. Some were human, a few were dragons, a couple of vampires, and even a pair of werewolves. Yet, none displayed any hint of remorse or repentance, their eyes as cold as ice.


    The man closest to the shadowy figure, bound from neck to limbs, chained to the thick walls, had his cultivation sealed. He appeared in a pitiable state, but the hardness in his eyes revealed an absence of regret.


    Curiously, the man remained oblivious to the presence standing right before him.


    The shadowy figure spared him only a brief glance before turning its eerie blood-red eyes upon each of the dozen inmates, each confined to separate cells.


    With a slow, deliberate stride, the shadowy figure passed through the metal door of the first prison cell and approached the man within.


    Within this particular section of the prison, the cells were devoid of light.


    Housed in a dungeon-like prison, not even a trace of moonlight managed to penetrate the suffocating darkness. These cultivators were deemed so inhuman that they weren''t even granted the flicker of a candle, unlike the ordinary prisoners.


    The oppressive darkness concealed the presence standing right before the man, and in his unawareness, the bound captive remained motionless.


    The shadowy figure''s face appeared twisted and obscured, with nothing discernible except for those unsettling, blood-red eyes that could haunt one''s worst nightmares.


    With a distorted and formless hand, the shadowy figure made a deliberate move, stirring a mild current of killing intent.


    The man, confined by chains to the wall, suddenly snapped open his eyes, sensing the faint threat. Sёarch* The n??el Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before he could even lift his head, an odd sensation overcame him, as something pierced through his neck.


    Surprisingly, there was neither pain nor the release of a sound from his mouth, even though he was screaming within. This unnerved him further.


    His attempts to move proved futile, leaving him with the feeling of being frozen in place. His sealed cultivation only added to his helplessness.


    After a great struggle, he managed to lift his head, his eyes falling upon the enigmatic presence. Something indescribable stood before him, a hand penetrating his neck, yet there was no blood, no wound, only an icy coldness.


    His vision was shrouded in darkness, with a sinister pair of blood-red eyes glaring at him from within the void. Suffocated and paralyzed, his thoughts echoed, ''What kind of monster is this?''


    "Shadow Extraction." From the shadowy figure, a cold voice resounded, but its words went unheard, not even reaching the man who knelt before it.


    Trembling in the figure''s presence, the man felt an enveloping coldness that seeped into his very being. Mysteriously, an eerie, blurring blue energy began to emanate from the man''s body. The energy twisted and condensed into a soft, sphere-like form.


    Before the man could comprehend what was happening, he found himself sprawled on the ground, lifeless eyes staring blankly into space as if his soul had been extinguished.


    Though his heart still beat, blood coursed through his veins, and his brain functioned as usual, there was no life left in him. He would never wake up, forever an empty, living corpse.


    The shadowy figure, its red eyes inscrutable, observed the ball of energy floating above the man''s lifeless form.


    Without a word, it gestured, causing the ball, which contained the man''s soul, to levitate toward it. The soul merged with the shadowy figure''s form, and a momentary blink of its red eyes suggested some unfathomable contemplation.


    Turning its attention to the other prisoners who remained unaware of its presence, the shadowy figure disappeared from this man''s cell and reappeared in another.


    Once again, it faced a man bound by chains.


    Employing the same mysterious ability, ''Shadow extraction,'' the shadowy figure repeated the process, extracting the soul from this second man and absorbing it into its own form.


    Swiftly, the shadowy figure traversed the prison cells, systematically extracting the souls of all twelve prisoners, Its actions shrouded in utter silence.


    Having successfully completed its mission, the shadowy figure turned back towards the prison door.


    As it did, one of the guards patrolling the dungeon prison, by sheer coincidence, happened to be near the execution section. His alert senses picked up a strange noise emanating from the dark confines.


    "Who''s in there? Come out!" The guard squinted into the execution section, his eyes sharp and vigilant as he detected unusual movements in the darkness.


    He wasted no time in issuing a stern warning, "Whoever you are and whatever your purpose may be, this is Hailstorm Clan''s territory. You''re treading on dangerous ground."


    Suddenly, he witnessed something that would haunt his nightmares for years to come. A pair of blood-red eyes stared at him expressionlessly from the shadows.


    "What... What are you?" The guard took an instinctual step back, fear clearly etched across his face. What unsettled him the most was that he couldn''t gauge the cultivation of the presence before him; it felt as if there was nothing there.


    However, he trusted his eyes more than his other senses, and he was undeniably seeing those blood-red eyes.


    Then, those eerie eyes seemed to shift an inch closer, and the guard lost his composure, plopping onto the ground. "P-Please spare me."


    The eerie eyes moved nearer but did nothing, merely fixating on the guard who, at this point, looked as if he might lose control of his bowels.


    "W-Who are you? What do you want from me?" Overwhelmed by a mixture of frustration and fear, the guard dared to speak.


    The red eyes met his gaze for a moment before a chilling reply emerged, "I am the Lord of the Abyss."


    The voice sounded like a cold collective speaking, and before the guard could fully grasp it, the shadowy figure before him vanished.


    ...


    Ancestral Manor, Hailstorm clan.


    In a spacious room adorned with exquisite ornaments and intricate paintings, the open windows allowed moonlight to cascade onto the grand bed at its center.


    A mysterious and eerie shadowy figure gracefully leaped through the open window, its form bearing a twisted, distorted face and a shapeless body.


    The only visible feature was a pair of blood-red eyes.


    Gradually, the eerie dark energy surrounding the figure began to dissipate, revealing a young man with a captivating and otherworldly appearance. He had vibrant red hair and, as the eerie energy evaporated, his blood-red eyes transitioned into a deep shade of blue.


    Sam couldn''t hide his satisfaction as he muttered, "Now that I''ve extracted a dozen souls, I''ve gained a dozen subordinates."


    With a whimsical smile, he raised his arm dramatically and commanded, "Arise."


    In response to his words, the room''s temperature plummeted, and shadows seemed to emanate from Sam.


    A blurry, blue-colored energy wafted from his shadows, resembling wisps of smoke. This spectral energy condensed into a dozen figures, their forms exuding a menacing and cold presence.


    These beings appeared as if they were sculpted from coal, bearing no color other than the encompassing darkness.


    Sam observed that his newfound shadow soldiers were unlike his Shadow Emperor Incarnation form. These shadows possessed faces and bodies identical to their living selves, though they were as dark as the night.


    Sensing his gaze, the dozen shadows knelt before him, displaying unwavering loyalty, ready to follow his every command.


    Amused, Sam grinned and remarked, "Oh, interesting. My shadow soldiers, we''re going to be very busy from now on."


    As he surveyed his shadow soldiers, a sense of power, grandeur, and the feeling of being a king washed over him. He realized this feeling was somewhat exaggerated, given that he had only a dozen shadows.


    Nevertheless, he already felt more powerful than ever.


    Sam couldn''t help but contemplate the might of the Immortal Shadow Emperor, who commanded millions of millions of shadow soldiers.


    The magnitude of power that an individual possessed was beyond imagination.


    The innate ability, Shadow Extraction, provided a glimpse of such potential.


    "Come to think of it," Sam mused, "the skills, physique, and the innate ability I inherited from the Immortal Shadow Emperor complement each other quite well."


    The innate ability, Shadow Extraction, granted him the power to extract souls and turn them into obedient shadow soldiers. However, it had its limitations – the souls would dissipate after use unless stored for future summoning.


    That''s where the Soul Sanctum Imbibition Physique came into play.


    The Soul Sanctum Imbibition Physique wasn''t the most potent Supreme physique, nor was it among the top fifteen supreme physiques in terms of raw strength or uses.


    It didn''t enhance cultivation or battle prowess, but it excelled at strengthening the soul.


    This physique could absorb and store souls, converting them into nourishment to bolster the host''s soul strength. It was the perfect complement to the innate ability, Shadow Extraction.


    Souls could be extracted and stored, only to be summoned when needed.


    With skills that focused on using soul energy to directly affect and harm an opponent''s soul, Sam realized the potential of amassing an army of millions that could topple kingdoms.


    It was no wonder that the Immortal Shadow Emperor had been such a formidable figure in his time.


    ...


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ????]