Beast Taming: My Intelligence System Chapter 925 - 573: Laws of the Deceit Realm (2)

Previously, a segment of the inner world was under the dominion of the Shadow Tribe. In those times, the Shadow Tribe enjoyed immense glory, with other anomalies existing merely as their subordinates or even as sustenance.

However, following the invasion by a 'God' into the inner world and the demise of their ancestor as they were on the verge of divinity, the Shadow Tribe's standing plummeted dramatically.

One powerful ancestor after another was captured, refined, and killed, reduced to mere shadows or puppets serving specific anomalies.

She, having barely managed to escape the inner world, held no desire to return to that shadowy purgatory.

The royal family of the Shadow Tribe possessed a unique ability: the capacity to absorb the Divine Format of an ancestor, acting as its vessel.

It was believed that the ancestor could potentially be reborn through the body of a Shadow.

Within the Shadow's subconscious, the acquisition of the ancestor's Divine Format became her ultimate mission.

She gave no thought as to whether her own consciousness would be annihilated by the ancestor upon its successful rebirth.

"The Shadow Tribe will undoubtedly awaken under my leadership; this is our tribe's eternal aspiration."

The Shadow interlaced her fingers tightly, articulating her words with profound conviction.

She was, after all, an Emperor among shadows, commanding the obedience of all shadows within the Deceit Realm.

Once the ancestor's Divine Format was secured, dominion over this world would certainly be hers.

Occasionally, a colossal shadow eclipsing the heavens would manifest in her mind's eye, depicted as petrified by a monstrous evil eye, its vibrant heart ruptured by immense tentacles—a vision of the Divine Format being seized.

This imagery fueled a deeply ingrained animosity within the Shadow Tribe.

"Speaking of which, I recall a human settlement nearby. Would you be interested in investigating? I intercepted this information from other anomalies."

"My inherent ability allows me to manipulate shadows and secretly overhear conversations, whether from humans or other anomalies."

This particular talent of the Shadow was exceptionally advantageous.

If she were to accompany Ye Bai out of the Deceit Realm, this skill could undoubtedly uncover numerous secrets for him.

"Very well, I would be grateful if you would lead the way. I am keen to understand the current state of humans in this world."

Anomalies regarded themselves as superior beings, and humanity had long since been reduced to mere sustenance, farmed like livestock within ostensibly secure settlements.

These areas were demarcated territories controlled by various anomalies, with more powerful anomalies herding larger populations of humans.

Concurrently, certain anomalies wielding exceptionally potent spiritual power would subtly alter human perception and recall.

These manipulated humans would erroneously believe they were actively resisting the anomalies, or reclaiming lost cities, oblivious to the fact that they were merely lambs awaiting slaughter, precisely as the anomalies had orchestrated.

As the human population within a given city reached a certain threshold, they would be transferred to other settlements for continued herding.

The anomalies emulated the actions of 'God,' personally nurturing humans and imparting arcane knowledge until these humans attained a specific level of strength, at which point the anomalies would reveal themselves and inflict utter despair.

They considered this cultivated 'blood food' to be the finest, possessing immense vitality and souls ripe with despair.

Naturally, a select few humans discerned the anomalies' charade, escaping their confinement to establish pockets of rebellion against the anomalies in the desolate wilderness.

However, these resisters were few, a consequence of humanity's prolonged subjugation and manipulation.

Every valiant and aggressive human was perceived by the anomalies as merely a more potent source of sustenance.

They even engaged in cruel diversions, compelling humans to eliminate their own rivals.

This included certain anomalies that had escaped the inner world, or humans who became vessels for anomalies, betraying their own kind entirely.

These powerful entities could not tolerate lesser anomalies encroaching upon their designated 'blood food.'

"I've heard that these humans meticulously refine anomalies, employing them as tools, a process demanding exceptionally powerful spiritual energy."

"Generally, an anomaly's spiritual power far surpasses that of humans. Thus, the most effective method for anomalies to depart the inner world is to form contracts with powerful humans."

"Anomalies and humans would cultivate together; the anomaly's spiritual power would remain considerably higher, serving as a crucial mechanism for the anomaly to maintain control over the human contractee."

"Nevertheless, there exist humans whose spiritual power surpasses that of anomalies, or who wield specific Holy Objects to obliterate an anomaly's consciousness, thereby seizing its abilities for themselves."

The Shadow elaborated on a multitude of subjects.

"Shadow, there's something I'm quite curious about: what precisely are Holy Objects?"

Ye Bai inquired, his tone filled with unashamed curiosity, much like a child.

"Holy Objects are potent treasures imbued with Light Attribute Energy."

"Within the Deceit Realm, a domain belonging to anomalies, such treasures acquire a unique characteristic."

"They are artifacts born from environments of extreme yin."

"Furthermore, these treasures imbued with the Light Attribute don't possess a fixed form; they could manifest as a tree, or perhaps a flower, appearing unpredictably anywhere."

"Any anomaly, upon detecting a Light Attribute treasure, will pursue it with utter determination, no matter the cost."

"Do you comprehend the reason behind this?"

"It is because these Sacred Objects are not destroyed by anomalies; rather, they are cherished and meticulously gathered."

Ye Bai merely shook his head; he truly couldn't grasp the intricacies of the Deceit Realm. The Shadow's inquiries left him utterly without answers.

"That is due to a prevalent saying within the Deceit Realm: that Sacred Objects can aid anomalies in locating their lost hearts."

Lost hearts?

What could that possibly signify?

Ye Bai perceived that the currents within the Deceit Realm ran exceptionally deep.

He had, in truth, ventured into the Deceit Realm without adequate investigation, a lapse in caution on his part.

Nevertheless, Ye Bai did not view this as a major impediment.

If direct confrontation was impossible, then evasion was the path; even the gods themselves could not prevent Ye Bai from escaping.

After all, he had obtained a fragment of a Divine Artifact from the Plane Merchant—a portion of the Balance of Truth—which resembled a broken tray frame.

Ye Bai possessed the ability to activate the Balance of Truth through his Eye of Truth, thereby unleashing divine might that could shatter the spatial barriers of the Deceit Realm, enabling his departure.

The God of Truth was counted among the Supreme Gods of the highest plane; once the Balance of Truth was invoked, not only the insignificant Deceit Realm, but even a formidable world might face utter annihilation.

However, the utilization of the Balance of Truth carried the risk of attracting the attention of deities from various Supreme Divine Realms.

It was a known fact that the God of Truth had long been their sworn enemy.

At this juncture, the Shadow addressed Ye Bai's earlier question.

"You should be aware that we anomalies possess distinct echelons: Minor Anomaly, Major Anomaly, Anomaly Band, Blood Anomaly, Half-step Scarlet Robe Anomaly, Scarlet Robe Anomaly, Deceit King, Emperor Anomaly, and finally, Deceit God."

"When a Half-step Scarlet Robe anomaly endeavors to ascend to the Scarlet Robe stage, it becomes imperative to locate that missing heart, which is reputed to be the very fount of an anomaly's power."

"We had never fathomed how anomalies possessed hearts until a Half-step Scarlet Robe anomaly, while being pursued and on the verge of destruction, thrust a fragment of a Sacred Object, destined for annihilation, into its own being. Its intention was to trigger an unprecedented Big Bang, thereby obliterating the anomalies that were besieging it, and then, a marvel occurred."

"It directly discovered that heart and successfully advanced to the Scarlet Robe anomaly stage."

"The difference in power between a Scarlet Robe and a Half-step Scarlet Robe is immense; it executed a complete reversal, annihilating all the Half-step Scarlet Robes that had been converging upon it."

Upon hearing this, Ye Bai posed another query: "Then, how did anomalies in the past, such as your progenitor, achieve their advancements? They did not rely on Sacred Objects, yet they still progressed to the level of Deceit God, did they not?"

The Shadow offered a grimace, its dark mouth curling into a smile: "An excellent question. In truth, anomalies did not initially require Sacred Objects for their progression; however, the newer deities, upon their invasion of the Deceit Realm, fundamentally altered the established rules. Their objective was to exert control over the rate at which anomalies could advance, do you comprehend?"

"By mandating the search for these lost hearts, anomalies are compelled to expend vast amounts of time and effort in their pursuit."

"This, my friend, is nothing less than the conspiracy of the gods."

It was abundantly clear that the gods harbored no desire for new deities to emerge within this realm, and thus, they imposed stringent criteria upon progression, subtly reshaping the very laws of the Deceit Realm through the intrusion of world consciousness.