Behind Shadow Moon Manor, a bronze cauldron hovered in midair, spinning endlessly.
The master of Shadow Moon Manor kept one hand behind his back while pressing the other against the cauldron's body, maintaining the flame's temperature within.
"Young friend, I haven't yet asked your esteemed name?"
The manor master suddenly realized that after having this young man busy himself for so long, he still didn't know his name. His old face flushed slightly, and he let out an awkward chuckle as he asked.
"My name is Jiang Yuan. You can just call me Xiao Jiang, sir!"
Jiang Yuan mimicked an ancient greeting, cupping his hands toward the manor master—right fist inside, left hand wrapping over it—his movements quite standard.
"Jiang Yuan, a pleasure! This old man's surname is Zhang, given name Yang. I've lived in seclusion here for over a decade and founded this vast Shadow Moon Manor. If you don't mind this old bones, you can call me Grandpa Zhang!"
Shadow Moon Manor Master Zhang Yang nodded slightly at Jiang Yuan, smiling as he spoke.
"Hello, Grandpa Zhang!"
Jiang Yuan obediently greeted Zhang Yang, since his hope for the final piece of the [Heavenly Punishment] set rested on this man.
Zhang Yang nodded, a kind smile spreading across his face.
"By the way, Grandpa Zhang, there's something I don't understand. I'd appreciate your guidance."
Jiang Yuan paused briefly, then finally voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind.
"Go ahead, Jiang Yuan. This old man may not claim to know everything, but having lived this long, I've picked up a bit of insight."
Zhang Yang nodded, his tone modest.
"Grandpa Zhang, what exactly is the realm of a Scattered Immortal? When I first met City Lord Song, I noticed he was also a Scattered Immortal, but he seemed inferior to you in realm."
Jiang Yuan's eyes gleamed with intense curiosity as he looked at Zhang Yang.
"Heh! That's a long story. If you don't mind this old man rambling, I'll tell you."
"I'm all ears, Manor Master Zhang. Please enlighten me!"
Jiang Yuan cupped his hands respectfully as Zhang Yang finished speaking.
Zhang Yang smiled and nodded, closing his eyes briefly in thought before beginning: "After level 90, the cultivation method doesn't change, but something called 'Immortal Foundation' appears."
"Immortal Foundation? Can chickens become immortals too?"
Jiang Yuan was startled, wondering if the designers of *Myriad Worlds* were so incredible that even animals in the game could cultivate to immortality.
"Huh? Hahaha! You've misunderstood, Jiang Yuan."
Zhang Yang paused, then burst into laughter.
"Immortal Foundation is a stat—a key indicator of whether one can ascend to the Immortal Realm. Only by accumulating enough Immortal Foundation, evolving mana into Immortal Yuan Force, and reaching level 120 can one ascend."
From Zhang Yang's words, Jiang Yuan finally learned how to enter the Immortal Realm.
"So how do you obtain this Immortal Foundation?"
Since Jiang Yuan had already reached level 90, he asked with great concern.
"After level 90, you can enter the Kunlun Immortal Realm map to kill monsters for Immortal Crystal Orbs, or obtain them through other means, like completing quests or killing elite demon monsters."
Zhang Yang then brought his hidden hand to his chest, palm up, revealing a round, snow-white orb with a rough surface.
"Is this an Immortal Crystal Orb? It doesn't look special to me?"
Jiang Yuan approached Zhang Yang, bent down to examine the orb closely, then looked up and asked.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the unremarkable white orb in Zhang Yang's palm burst into a dazzling light. Jiang Yuan felt a tremendous force slam into him, sending him flying backward. With a splash, he tumbled into a pool behind him.
"Meow! Meow! Meow!"
After Jiang Yuan fell, water splashed everywhere. Miao Miao, who had been crouching by the pool, became a victim. She scurried aside, shaking off the droplets, and yowled angrily at Jiang Yuan in protest.
"Such pure energy!"
Jiang Yuan climbed out, wiped the water from his face, and stared at Zhang Yang in astonishment.
"Yes. Just hand it to the Immortal Envoys in the major cities to exchange for Immortal Foundation. One orb equals 10 points. This old man has saved up 330,000 points and is currently a third-stage Scattered Immortal. How embarrassing."
Zhang Yang chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Your strength is extraordinary, senior. I truly admire it!"
Jiang Yuan quickly flattered him to offer some comfort, but inwardly he knew that at Zhang Yang's age, reaching only third-stage Scattered Immortal meant ascension was likely out of reach.
"About another quarter of an hour, and the Demon-Slaying Needle will be complete!"
Zhang Yang didn't respond to the flattery, his eyes fixed on the blazing flame in the cauldron, his expression growing serious.
Seeing Zhang Yang's solemn face, Jiang Yuan knew the crafting was at a critical stage. He wisely fell silent, stepped back, and wrung out his wet hair.
"Sizzle!"
Suddenly, Jiang Yuan heard an unusual sound. He stopped and looked up to see Zhang Yang pull a silver rod as thick as a rolling pin from the cauldron and plunge it into the bucket of water Jiang Yuan had prepared, sending up clouds of steam.
After fishing out the cooled rod, Zhang Yang laughed heartily and said, "Done! It's a success!"
"What?"
Jiang Yuan stared at the half-foot-long, baby-arm-thick silver rod in the manor master's hand, utterly shocked.
"Wait, Manor Master Zhang, you call this a 'Demon-Slaying Needle'? Are you sure it's not a 'Demon-Slaying Club'?"
Jiang Yuan took the heavy rod from Zhang Yang and even swung it a few times in front of him.
"It can deal sufficient damage to Shadow Demons. Of course, if you're skilled with needle-type throwing weapons, you can grind it down to your desired size."
Zhang Yang waved his hand, then hunched over, looking weary, and slowly walked into a side hall within the building complex ahead.
"This..."
Watching Zhang Yang's figure fade away, Jiang Yuan's face darkened with exasperation as he stood alone in the wind, bewildered.
He tucked the rod into his waistband. He had no time to grind it down, and Zhang Yang had assured him it could harm Shadow Demons—that was enough.
"Shadow Demon, my... uh... this is big. You'll probably have to bear with it!"
Jiang Yuan muttered, already imagining the Shadow Demon's expression upon hearing those words.
"Miao Miao, I'm leaving!"
Jiang Yuan turned to say goodbye to the Persian cat, but found her ignoring him completely, crouched by the pool, her sapphire eyes fixed on the koi swimming below.
"Hmph! Ungrateful little glutton!"
Jiang Yuan made a face at Miao Miao, then turned and strode toward the manor's gate without looking back.
Zhang Yang hadn't given Jiang Yuan the Shadow Demon's exact location, only a vague area—roughly ten li around Shadow Moon Valley.
Jiang Yuan checked the "Shadow Moon Valley" mini-map, using its center as a starting point, and began searching in all four directions for the Shadow Demon.
"Giddyup!"
He summoned his Thunderclaw Tiger mount and headed east for twelve or thirteen li. Along the way, he saw no Shadow Demon—not even a shadow!
Returning to the center point, he rode south for another ten-plus minutes, still finding nothing. He'd already checked north and west earlier with no luck, so he abandoned those directions.
After about ten minutes, Jiang Yuan veered southwest, cutting diagonally across the valley.
Scattered bones littered the ground in the southwest—animal skeletons and limbs, along with many clearly human remains.
"The Shadow Demon should be nearby!"
Based on Zhang Yang's description, Jiang Yuan was increasingly certain the Shadow Demon lurked in this area.
Within half an incense stick's time, he reached a cave entrance. Bones were piled haphazardly on both sides, and a chilling aura emanated from within.
"This is it!"
Feeling the sudden cold on his skin, Jiang Yuan muttered to himself and slowly approached the cave.
To be safe, he used the "Soul Sacrifice" skill on his Thunderclaw Tiger mount, converting it into stats to boost his health to 130,000–140,000. Then he took a big step into the cave.
"Who's there?!"
The moment Jiang Yuan entered, a low, raspy voice reached his ears.
"Your killer!"
The cave was pitch black, with no light. Jiang Yuan could only gauge the speaker's position by sound as he replied.
"Hmph! Another fool looking to die!"
The Shadow Demon lurking inside sneered, its tone dripping with contempt.
"Boom!"
Jiang Yuan hurled a fireball, igniting the weeds and vines on the ground and walls. By the flickering light, he finally saw the Shadow Demon's true form.
At his nine o'clock position, a shadowy figure similar to a Phantom Wraith hovered above the ground. Unlike a Phantom Wraith, this one was pitch black, exuding rolling black mist—a presence reminiscent of the demonic beings Jiang Yuan had encountered in the Abyss Rift.
[First-Stage Scattered Demon: Shadow Demon] Level: 100 Health: 1,200,000 Defense: 5,500 Attack: 8,500–9,500 Skill: Capricious Form—When health drops below 20%, its shape shifts unpredictably, making it hard to track.
Scanning the Shadow Demon's stats, especially its innate skill, Jiang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as it's not possession-type, I don't want to get beaten into a pulp by my own summons again!"
"Shadow Demon, you've slaughtered innocents and poisoned lives. Today, I'll uphold justice and reduce you to ashes!"
Jiang Yuan pointed at the Shadow Demon like a sword, rattling off the cool opening line he'd prepared, then raised his hand and summoned ten thousand Thunderclaw Tigers!