Before, a portion of the inner world was under the control of the Shadow Tribe. At that time, the Shadow Tribe was extremely glorious, and other anomalies were merely subordinates or even food for them.

However, with the invasion of God into the inner world, and the slaying of the ancestor on the brink of becoming a deity, the status of the Shadow Tribe significantly declined.

One powerful ancestor after another was refined and killed, becoming shadows or puppets of certain anomalies.

She barely managed to escape from the inner world and naturally did not wish to return to that purgatory of shadows.

The Shadow royal family possesses a very special ability, which allows them to absorb the Divine Format of the ancestor and become its vessel.

Surely, the ancestor can rely on the body of the Shadow to be reborn again.

In the Shadow’s subconscious, obtaining the Divine Format of the ancestor becomes her supreme mission.

She doesn’t even consider whether her consciousness would be annihilated by the ancestor upon obtaining the Divine Format.

"The Shadow Tribe shall undoubtedly awaken in my hands; this is our tribe’s eternal wish."

The Shadow clasped her hands tightly and spoke with immense confidence.

She is, after all, an Emperor among the shadows, and all shadows within the Deceit Realm must obey her instructions.

As long as the ancestor’s Divine Format is found, it is certain to gain authority over this world.

From time to time, a vast shadow covering the heavens appears in her mind, petrified by a monstrous evil eye, pierced through the heart core by colossal tentacles, a scene wherein the Divine Format is seized.

This is a deeply ingrained hatred for the Shadow Tribe.

"By the way, I remember there’s a human survival camp nearby, wondering if you’d like to take a look; I overheard this intelligence from other anomalies."

"My ability allows me to manipulate shadows and eavesdrop on conversations of humans or anomalies."

This ability of the Shadow is exceedingly practical.

If she could accompany her out of the Deceit Realm, this ability would certainly procure numerous secrets for Ye Bai.

"Alright, I’d appreciate you leading the way; I am curious about the state of humans in this world."

Anomalies stand high above, and humans have already become blood food for them, raised like livestock in seemingly safe towns.

This is the territory divided by the anomalies, and the more powerful the anomaly, the more humans are herded.

Simultaneously, some anomalies with exceedingly strong spiritual power also modify human cognition and memory.

These humans mistakenly believe they have been struggling against anomalies all along, reclaiming lost cities, unaware that each is merely a lamb awaiting slaughter, as designed by anomalies.

As the human population in a certain city grows to a certain level, they are sent to be herded in other cities.

Anomalies mimic the practices of God, nurturing humans personally, imparting strange knowledge until humans reach a certain level of strength, at which they reveal themselves and grant despair.

They believe such blood food to be the best, possessing enormous vitality and despairing souls.

Of course, a few humans see through the anomalies’ play-acting, escaping the pens to establish human rebellion against anomalies in the wilderness.

But they are few because humans have been herded for so long, manipulated for so long. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Each brave and combative human is just a stronger blood food in the eyes of anomalies.

They even play some malicious games, sending humans off to slay their rivals.

Such as some anomalies that escaped the inner world, or humans possessed by anomalies, turning traitor completely.

They cannot permit lesser anomalies to seize their blood food.

"It’s said these humans thoroughly refine anomalies, using them as tools, which requires extremely strong spiritual power."

"Generally, anomalies’ spiritual power is far superior to that of humans, so the best way for anomalies to leave the inner world is to contract with strong humans."

"Anomalies and humans cultivate together; anomalies’ spiritual power remains significantly higher than humans, a necessary means for anomalies to control humans."

"However, there are humans whose spiritual power exceeds that of anomalies or who utilize certain Holy Objects to extinguish anomalies’ consciousness, claiming their abilities for themselves."

The Shadow rambled on about many things.

"Shadow, here’s something I’m curious about: what are Holy Objects?"

Ye Bai, like a curious child, asks without shame.

"Holy Objects are treasures that possess Light Attribute Energy."

"In the Deceit Realm, which is an anomaly’s world, such treasures become very peculiar."

"They are treasures born in extremely yin places."

"Moreover, these Light Attribute treasures do not have a specific shape; could be a tree, could be a flower, randomly appearing anywhere."

"Anomalies, upon sensing Light Attribute treasures, will pay any price to obtain them."

"Do you know why?"

"These Holy Objects aren’t destroyed by anomalies; instead, they are treasured and collected."

Ye Bai shook his head; he really didn’t understand these matters of the Deceit Realm. The Shadow’s questions left him without answers.

"That’s because there’s a saying in the Deceit Realm that Holy Objects can help anomalies find that lost heart."

That lost heart?

What does this mean?

Ye Bai feels the waters in the Deceit Realm run deep indeed.

He indeed rushed into the Deceit Realm without investigation, a little careless.

Nonetheless, Ye Bai doesn’t see this as a big problem.

Unable to fight, then run; even God cannot stop Ye Bai from fleeing.

After all, he received a Divine Artifact Fragment from the Plane Merchant—the Balance of Truth’s partial—to a broken tray frame.

Ye Bai can activate the Balance of Truth through the Eye of Truth to exert divine might, tearing the space barriers of the Deceit Realm, allowing him to leave.

The God of Truth is one of the Supreme Gods of the highest plane; once the Balance of Truth is activated, not to mention the small Deceit Realm, even a mighty world might be annihilated.

However, once the Balance of Truth is used, it might draw attention from the gods of the Supreme Divine Realm.

After all, the God of Truth has been their nemesis for a long time.

At this point, the Shadow answered Ye Bai’s earlier question.

"You should know we anomalies have levels: small anomaly, big anomaly, anomaly band, blood anomaly, half-step Scarlet Robe anomaly, Scarlet Robe anomaly, Deceit King, Emperor anomaly, Deceit God."

"When a half-step Scarlet Robe wants to progress to Scarlet Robe, it must find that missing heart, which is said to be the source of anomaly’s power."

"We’ve never understood how anomalies have hearts until a half-step Scarlet Robe being hunted shoved a part of a Holy Object destined for destruction into its body as it was about to be destroyed, aiming to create an unprecedented Big Bang to obliterate anomalies besieging it, and then a miracle unfolded."

"It directly found that heart and advanced to Scarlet Robe anomaly."

"The power disparity between Scarlet Robe and half-step Scarlet Robe is massive; it completed a reversal kill, tearing apart all half-step Scarlet Robes besieging it."

At this, Ye Bai queried again: "Then how did previous anomalies progress, like your ancestor? They didn’t rely on Holy Objects but still advanced to Deceit God, right?"

The Shadow grinned with a dark mouth: "Good question, actually, anomalies initially didn’t need Holy Objects to progress; however, the new gods redesigned the rules upon invading the Deceit Realm, seeking to control the advancement rate of anomalies, you understand?"

"By searching for those lost hearts, anomalies waste significant time over it."

"This is the conspiracy of the gods."

Clearly, the gods do not want new deities to arise in this world, so they impose rigid steps on progression and alter the law of the Deceit Realm through the invasion of world consciousness.