Right now, the trial Zhong Ming and the others faced on the Path of Purgatory was both a duel and a combat drill for fighting Evil Spirits.

Without a doubt, whoever gained the upper hand in this Eighth Jail would cause the scales in the hearts of the various factions to tip heavily in their favor.

The second great catastrophe would eventually arrive. Not a single one of the many factions present was unworried about their sect or family being besieged. When that time came, mutual aid would be the only path to survival. Thus, whoever possessed abilities that were more effective against Evil Spirits would offer a greater hope of rescue.

Furthermore, some sects and families had another matter to consider—their heirs or disciples were slated to join the New Army to fight Demons and Evil Spirits.

In this situation, deciding who to follow became a matter of utmost importance.

If the leading Divine General or Celestial General was unable to deal with the bizarre Evil Spirits, the soldiers under their command would surely meet a grim fate. It would be no exaggeration to say they could die at any moment.

Conversely, if the leading Divine General or Celestial General could decisively suppress the bizarre Evil Spirits, the disciples and heirs they sent over would have a very high survival rate.

With a slim chance of survival on one side and the promise of safety on the other, it was self-evident who they should support.

The stakes of this stage were so high that even Ji Hao, seated in the place of honor, found his fingers tightening into a fist, unable to hide his tension.

But an instant later, he breathed a sigh of relief, the corner of his mouth curling into a confident smirk. "We still have the advantage here. The Silver Blood Guard have fought these bizarre Evil Spirits for a long time—they clash with them daily, even. Yin Yi and Yin Ning are both very familiar with their methods and how to guard against them."

"Zhong Ming, on the other hand, has been cooped up cultivating in his sect. It’s possible he’s never even witnessed this eerie energy before."

Ji Hao’s confidence was not unfounded. Within the Path of Purgatory, the Silver Blood Guard were equally self-assured.

They were so at ease that they even took the time to speak to Zhong Ming—not to mock him, but to warn him. "Be careful. This eerie energy is incredibly tenacious. The moment you can’t take it anymore, you must stop. If you try to push through, you will actually die."

To impress upon Zhong Ming the need to value his life, Yin Yi, the captain of the Silver Blood Guard, even offered praise. "Your Talent is exceptional, and your future is boundless. A single loss means nothing for you, especially a loss to the seven of us. Don’t throw your life away in a fit of pride."

"..." Zhong Ming was a little surprised by their warning. Once he processed it, he gave them a slight smile and said coolly, "Same to you."

"Hahaha..." Zhong Ming’s response made Yin Yi and the other Silver Blood Guards laugh.

A flippant Cultivator in the group called out to Zhong Ming bluntly, "Don’t you worry, kid. We’re not the type to gamble with our lives."

And so, after their exchange, Zhong Ming and the Silver Blood Guard began to advance together in a surprisingly amicable atmosphere.

Since this was Zhong Ming’s first time directly encountering the eerie energy, he proceeded with much more caution than usual.

As he walked through the Eighth Jail, Zhong Ming did not let down his guard. He converted all the Power of the Stars in his Star Acupoints into the Flame of the Sun, a power that was the ultimate counter to demons.

The Breaking Evil Golden Light and the Purifying Flame were ready to burst forth from his body at a moment’s notice.

VMM!

Having made thorough preparations, Zhong Ming finally took a slow step, delving deeper into the Eighth Jail.

However, after just seven steps, Zhong Ming discovered why everyone so deeply feared the power of these bizarre Evil Spirits.

For the first three steps, the power of the bizarre Evil Spirits assaulted his body directly, attempting to breach his physical defenses and his Magical Power to corrupt his body and soul.

But the moment this sinister power touched the Flame of the Sun within his acupoints, it was instantly incinerated, completely unable to affect Zhong Ming in any meaningful way.

But from the fourth step onward, a strange inner voice, accompanied by whispers, suddenly echoed in the depths of his mind. The sounds were insidious and impossible to shake.

’Why must the Sun always be a symbol of light? Why must you insist on standing in the light, playing the hero and protecting others!’

’A dark Great Sun is a Great Sun all the same! You are one of the strong. You should be commanding others, dominating everything!’

Endless whispers of temptation and bewitchment echoed in Zhong Ming’s mind, trying to drag him into depravity. At the same time, countless illusions depicting the darkness of human nature swirled through his thoughts, attempting to warp his true self.

He could understand this much. In fact, he had anticipated it and was confident in his ability to resist.

But what happened next was completely unexpected. As the whispers echoed in his mind, the eerie energy stopped trying to corrode and corrupt him. Instead, it transformed into strange wisps of power that began to actively fuse with his flesh, blood, and Magical Power, strengthening them.

Furthermore, streams of abstruse knowledge and insights into various Daoist Skills bored into his mind out of thin air, granting him moments of sudden enlightenment.

’Where there is light, there is dark. Light and shadow are forever inseparable. The Shadow, too, can envelop all things.’

’...The starry cosmos is inherently dark. Light is the anomaly...’

’...Night... Shadow... secrecy... the erasure of one’s presence...’

"..."

The ceaseless flood of insights washed over him. This turn of events left Zhong Ming utterly stunned.

To be honest, if the eerie energy had simply continued its assault of corrosion and corruption, Zhong Ming was confident he could have prevented it from affecting him.

At the very least, he could have sensed his own limits and retreated just before he was overwhelmed.

But for the power of these bizarre Evil Spirits to actually offer him benefits... who could possibly resist that?

And Zhong Ming did not resist. Instead, he opened himself up completely, accepting the transmission of knowledge from the bizarre Evil Spirits and allowing their strange energy to become his own.