Chapter 948: Talent

Deep within the Labyrinth Corridor, in a hidden space.

A tranquil ice-and-snow hall housed six figures seated within, their auras restrained. Some wore black scales, others donned purple armor, and a few were clad in the common robes of cultivators. Two even bore human appearances.

“Sister Xue Yong, what matter has summoned us here?”

“Those fools are all under your command, Sister Xue Yong. If it’s something you can decide yourself, there’s no need to trouble us,” the other five figures spoke casually. Unlike the usual malevolent aura of the Annihilation Demons, they could easily blend in among countless cultivators with just a change in appearance.

A woman clad in snow-white scales smiled. “I know you brothers are devoted to cultivation and care little for the affairs of those fools. But there is indeed a matter of great importance I must share.”

“Oh?”

The other five turned their attention to her.

“Brothers, you all know that our eighth Golden Nest is newly matured. The first batch of ‘Golden Annihilation Demons’ is currently being nurtured,” the snow-scaled woman said.

“Hmph, those fools who can’t escape the manipulation of the supreme laws and are constantly driven by bloodlust—what’s there to discuss?” A black-robed youth scoffed, idly fanning himself with a feathered fan.

“Among this first batch from the eighth Golden Nest… there is one that is special. It can be confirmed—it possesses the ‘Shadowless’ talent,” the snow-scaled woman said, her gaze sweeping across the other five. As expected, the five Annihilation Demons, all at the Cosmic God level, fell silent.

“Shadowless talent?”

They all stared at her.

“Quick, quick, let’s go!”

“To think it’s the Shadowless talent—hurry!”

“Sister Xue Yong, don’t deceive us.”

They were visibly excited.

“How could I lie about such a matter? Come, brothers, let us see for ourselves,” the snow-scaled woman said with a smile.

The six figures transformed into streaks of hazy light and swiftly departed the space. Though they traversed the spatial corridors, they occasionally vanished at certain fluctuations within them. While the ‘Labyrinth Corridor’ was easy to lose oneself in—one misstep could send one into the lost zones—there were specific ripples amidst the dangers that allowed spatial teleportation.

The Annihilation Demons knew the ‘Labyrinth Corridor’ like the back of their hands—it was their home. They could teleport effortlessly.

In just half a day, the six Cosmic God-level Annihilation Demons arrived at a spatial nest. The area around it was patrolled by Blood Annihilation Demons, with several Golden Annihilation Demons hiding their strength among them. Even a Cosmic God’s avatar would struggle to approach the ‘Golden Nest’ undetected. Moreover, the entrance to the Golden Nest was disguised as sealed, making it even harder to locate.

Discovering a Golden Nest required three things: luck to stumble upon one of the rare nests in the vast Labyrinth Corridor, strength to evade the patrols of Blood and Golden Annihilation Demons, and the insight to recognize the spatial anomaly and breach the entrance’s disguise.

Only by fulfilling all three could one hope to find a Golden Nest.

Under normal circumstances, that is. Figures like the Myriad Realms Tower Master, the Crimson-Browed Mountain Lord, or Dongbo Xueying could perform ultra-long-range teleportation with their avatars, peering into the nests through the ‘void orifices’ of the Black Mist Spheres without even entering.

“Whoosh.”

The six ‘Kings’ entered.

Inside the nest, a Golden Annihilation Demon stood guard atop a mountain like a statue. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, spotting the six approaching Kings.

“Kings,” the Golden Annihilation Demon immediately flew over and bowed respectfully.

They were born for destruction.

From the lowest Gray Armor rank to the mighty Golden Armor rank, all were driven by an insatiable bloodlust. The Golden Armor demons merely had slightly better control—yet even they couldn’t resist the urge to kill.

Only by breaking through their innate limitations, shattering their shackles to reach the Cosmic God level, could they free themselves from this desire. This rank was revered among the Annihilation Demons as… Kings.

“Hmm.”

The six Kings approached the Void Ancient Tree.

The nest’s interior was structured around this magnificent tree, the pinnacle of Annihilation Demon nests. The ‘Void Ancient Tree’ was exquisitely beautiful, its crystalline branches woven from countless spaces. Even the Void Ancestor or the Ninecloud Emperor would marvel at its spatial complexity.

The Kings gazed upward.

Upon the tree hung nine golden eggs—some on the trunk, others on branches, varying in size. Each egg bore unique phenomena: flames flickering on one, purple mist swirling around another, seeping in and out.

The smallest egg, nestled at the tree’s heart, would occasionally fade to translucency before vanishing entirely.

Even the six Kings, with their formidable abilities, couldn’t detect its presence once it disappeared.

“This… this is…”

“Shadowless?”

“The Shadowless talent?”

The snow-scaled woman smiled as the other five gasped in awe and delight.

Annihilation Demons differed from cultivators. While cultivators had to ascend step by step, even the mightiest void lifeforms were only at the nascent Void God stage at birth.

But Annihilation Demons—even the lowest Gray Armor rank—matched the first three levels of the Star Tower, rivaling Unity realm experts. The highest Golden Armor rank? They stood at levels seven to nine, equivalent to Chaos Realm overlords. They were born with such power.

Where did their strength come from? Pure talent.

They possessed myriad abilities, some bizarre beyond belief. Yet one trait united them all—they were slaves to bloodlust. Only by transcending to the Cosmic God level could they break free.

However, among the Annihilation Demons’ known talents, none included ‘ultra-long-range teleportation,’ ‘prophecy,’ or ‘altering the past’—those heaven-defying abilities.

Yet one talent existed that no cultivator had ever manifested, but Annihilation Demons could: the Shadowless talent.

Shadowless allowed true fusion with the void, becoming one with the fundamental Black Mist Spheres. In this state, they were an intrinsic part of the Chaos Void—indestructible under normal circumstances, their presence nearly impossible to detect.

Had Dongbo Xueying been present, he would have recognized this as the theoretical perfection of the second diagram of the Ninecloud Emperor’s four scrolls: ‘Voidform.’

But this state wasn’t invincible.

Mastering the third diagram, ‘Manipulating the Void,’ to its peak—even breaking the shackles to touch a higher realm—could counter Voidform.

The Ninecloud Emperor had perfected both Voidform and void manipulation. Though he failed to complete the fourth diagram, even the Sacred Master couldn’t kill him despite repeated attempts, even wielding ‘primordial essence.’ Only in their final battle, when the Sacred Master went berserk and shattered the Primordial Ancient Sacred World, did the Ninecloud Emperor suffer fatal wounds. Yet with his unparalleled void techniques, he escaped.

His treasures and abode remained inviolate—even Dongbo Xueying’s ultra-long-range teleportation couldn’t breach them. Such was the Ninecloud Emperor’s might. Yet, grievously wounded, he ultimately perished.

In truth, countering perfected Voidform was exceedingly difficult.

The Ninecloud Emperor was dead. The Void Ancestor, walking a different path of void techniques, excelled in Voidform but lagged in manipulation—lacking the microscopic precision for ultra-long-range teleportation, relying instead on ‘ultra-long-range spatial shifting.’ He couldn’t refine the void to break the shackles.

The Sacred Master might have countered it—but he never joined the battle.

Moments later—

The tiny golden egg gradually reappeared, solidifying from translucency.

“This is the last egg of the first batch,” the snow-scaled woman said. “Its formation took immense time, slowing the growth of the other eight. But now that the eggs are complete, their maturation will be swift—about five billion years. Then, our Annihilation Demons shall welcome their second Shadowless talent.”