093 Invading the Shadow
The Shadow Clan's headquarters was steeped in a suffocating atmosphere.
Inside Hei Yuan's office, Ren Xun and Dave sat across from the Clan Elder, their expressions unreadable. The tension in the air had reached its peak, but Ren Xun, ever the sharp-tongued one, leaned back in his chair and smirked.
"I told you so."
Hei Yuan exhaled slowly, his fingers tapping against the dark wood of his desk. "I thought you were exaggerating."
Dave and Ren Xun exchanged a glance.
The Shadow Clan elder sounded regretful, but there was no true admission of fault in his tone—just the acknowledgment that he had underestimated the situation.
"I did put thought into your warnings," Hei Yuan continued, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. "But I struggled to trust Gu Jie's words."
That got a reaction.
Ren Xun scoffed, folding his arms. "Because of her lower realm?"
Hei Yuan nodded, unbothered by Ren Xun's disdain. "A person's cultivation dictates their insight into the Dao. You can hardly blame me for doubting a mere Spirit Mystery cultivator's ability to predict disaster."
"Mere?" Dave raised an eyebrow. "She's been in Spirit Mystery for quite some time now. That's not exactly a low realm."
Hei Yuan sighed. "I recognize that. And I understand that those who reach Spirit Mystery manifest supernatural abilities. I even admit that her prophetic ability is valuable." He glanced toward the window, as if searching for answers beyond the confines of the office. "But even so, I needed more than just 'a feeling of misfortune' to move an entire clan."
Ren Xun clicked his tongue. "And what about now? Do you need more proof?"
Hei Yuan frowned. "The people I sent outside haven't made any reports."
Dave's expression darkened. "That's because the island is surrounded." He leaned forward, his voice lowering. "And we'll be hard-pressed if we don't make a decision soon. The people you sent are all probably dead."
Hei Yuan was silent for a moment, his brows furrowed in thought.
Then he spoke. "The fog formation should hold them back."
Dave shook his head. "For how long?"
"If it comes to it," Hei Yuan continued, ignoring Dave's skepticism, "our clan still has the lake's dragon. It has promised to protect us in our time of need."
Before either of them could respond—
BAM!
The doors slammed open, and a familiar figure stormed in.
Hei Mu.
She was seething, her sharp eyes locking onto Hei Yuan with unrestrained frustration.
"Why are the outsiders still here?!" she demanded, her voice filled with anger. "It's been a month, hasn't it?! We had an agreement!"
Hei Yuan's eyes lingered on Hei Mu's furious face, his expression unreadable. But when he finally spoke, his tone was measured.
"The clan is in a time of crisis," he admitted. "I'd like to get whatever help I can get my hands on."
Hei Mu's scowl deepened. "What are you talking about?"
Hei Yuan leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple. "I sent out scouts to investigate the gathering misfortune, but they never reported back."
That made Hei Mu pause. "What misfortune?" Her arms, which had been folded across her chest in irritation, loosened slightly.
Dave took the opportunity to step in. "We're surrounded."
Hei Mu's gaze snapped toward him.
"The island is surrounded," he continued. "The Shadow Clan could use every bit of help it has."
Hei Mu's expression darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line. Then, her glare returned in full force, directed solely at Dave and Ren Xun.
"Out."
Dave raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Get out!" Hei Mu snapped. "You outsiders have already overstayed your welcome. This is a discussion for the Clan Elder and me."
Dave held up his hands, shrugging. "Fine."
Ren Xun sighed but didn't argue, following Dave out of the room.
—
They walked toward the eastern wing, their steps slow and deliberate. Neither of them spoke for a while, the tension settling between them like a heavy fog.
Eventually, Ren Xun broke the silence.
"You think we'll be fine?"
Dave glanced at him. "You mean without His Lordship?"
Ren Xun nodded.
Dave's expression remained calm. "I was given a mission—to protect. And I intend to do that."
Ren Xun exhaled sharply. "Then what about evacuating? We could use more of those teleportation scrolls."
Dave didn't answer immediately. He understood the thought process. The teleportation scrolls were their best bet for getting people out safely.
But he also understood something far more pressing.
"It wouldn't work," Dave finally said.
Ren Xun frowned. "Why not?"
"Because we'd be caught sooner or later." Dave's tone was grim. "If we don't have the mobility of the Floating Dragon, we won't get far. Making a run for it isn't an option."
Ren Xun went quiet, digesting the words.
Dave didn't need to explain further. With his Divine Sense, he could feel the sheer number of hostile forces waiting beyond the fog.
The only thing separating the Shadow Clan from complete annihilation was the fog formation and the lake surrounding the island.
And Dave had a sinking feeling that wouldn't be enough for long.
Ren Xun frowned as they walked through the dimly lit halls of the Umbral Scripture Hall, the library that had served as their base of operations for the past month.
"What about Senior Da Wei?" Ren Xun asked. "Have you heard from him?"
Dave shook his head. "No. I tried contacting His Lordship, but for some reason, I can't reach him." He paused, a slight frown creasing his usually impassive face. "It seems he's caught up in something."
Ren Xun clicked his tongue, clearly displeased with the answer. But there was nothing either of them could do about it.
Inside the library, Gu Jie sat beside Ren Jingyi's aquarium, whispering something to the goldfish. The gentle glow of lanterns cast shadows along the wooden shelves, their flickering light barely illuminating the ancient tomes stacked around them.
Ren Xun scoffed. "What's the use of talking to a fish?"
Gu Jie ignored him completely.
Instead, she turned her attention to Dave. "What's our next course of action, Senior?"
Before Dave could answer, Hei Mao spoke up. "I want to stay."
Dave shook his head. "We had no plans of recklessly leaving anyway."
If it were just him, he was confident he could escape. The stats of His Lordship's body were far beyond human limitations. In fact, beyond superhuman. Dave could abuse that to slip past the enemy encirclement.
But that wasn't an option.
His Lordship had given him a mission: Protect them.
So, escape was out of the question.
Dave took a deep breath. "I have access to His Lordship's Item Box. There are a few treasures inside that might be useful."
The others exchanged glances.
"Item Box?" Hei Mao asked, tilting his head.
Dave realized the term was foreign to them. "A storage space only His Lordship can access. However, the problem is that many of the items inside have a level restriction."
Gu Jie frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means you can only wield them if you're worthy of them," Dave explained. "The artifacts won't recognize you unless you meet certain conditions."
For the next hour, they tested various items from Da Wei's collection.
The equipment distribution took some time, but they arrived with something satisfactory.
Hei Mao selected a magic bow called Eye of the Sun. It was lightweight, yet the string hummed with latent energy. When he pulled the bowstring, a golden arrow of light formed, illuminating the dim library.
Gu Jie claimed a whip called Accursed Serpent. The moment she gripped the handle, the whip writhed like a living thing, its dark scales gleaming with eerie runes.
Hei Mao, amused, glanced at Ren Jingyi's aquarium. "The fish wants to fight too."
Dave blinked, looking at the goldfish.
Ren Jingyi was staring at him intensely, her tiny body floating in the water expectantly.
"…Fine," Dave muttered, searching for something suitable.
After some consideration, he handed Ren Jingyi a ring that granted extra stats with a Magic Missile spell imbued in the ring.
To everyone's shock, Ren Jingyi swallowed it whole.
"Makes sense," commented Dave. "After all, it wasn't like Ren Jingyi could wear a ring.
A moment of silence passed.
Then, to their absolute disbelief, Ren Jingyi flew out of her aquarium.
Water coalesced around her form, shaping itself into a serpentine cloak that allowed her to glide through the air.
"She—she's flying?!" Ren Xun exclaimed, stunned.
"She's only at Will Reinforcement," Gu Jie muttered, watching as Ren Jingyi twirled mid-air, flicking her tail. "And yet…"
Hei Mao, who had the ability to speak to fish, smiled.
"She says thank you," he said, bowing his head slightly toward Dave.
Dave simply nodded.
Even a fish wanted to fight.
That was all the more reason to make sure none of them fell behind.
As the artifact distribution wrapped up, Dave turned his gaze toward Ren Xun.
Unlike the others, Ren Xun had yet to find a suitable artifact.
It wasn't for lack of trying—he had tested several items from His Lordship's Item Box, but none had responded to him.
It probably had something to do with his realm. Martial Tempering was only the first step on the path of cultivation. Most artifacts worth wielding required at least Mind Enlightenment to properly activate. That was how it appeared to Dave at least.
Ren Xun sighed and crossed his arms. "Forget it," he muttered. Then, as if suddenly coming to a decision, he turned to Dave. "Can I use your Puppet Armor instead?"
Dave blinked. "You want this?" Dave accessed His Lordship's Item Box. With a flicker of thought, the Puppet Armor materialized before them, standing like an empty sentinel in the dimly lit library.
Ren Xun's eyes gleamed as he stepped forward, running his hands over the intricate engravings.
"I won't wear it myself," Ren Xun explained. "I'll modify the formation inscriptions so I can control it remotely."
Dave watched as Ren Xun got to work, inscribing new formations into its inner framework with rapid, precise movements.
The Puppet Armor was incredibly advanced, packed with all sorts of abilities. In fact, Dave himself couldn't believe that His Lordship had managed to acquire something so masterfully crafted in just four days.
Ren Xun, as if reading his thoughts, let out a small chuckle. "You'd be surprised."
Dave turned to him. "What do you mean?"
Still focused on his work, Ren Xun confessed:
"I was actually involved in the crafting process. Secretly."
Dave's brows furrowed. "Explain."
Ren Xun sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "At the time, I wasn't sure if I could trust Senior Da Wei, so I left loopholes in the design."
"…Loopholes?" Gu Jie's eyes narrowed.
Ren Xun raised his hands in defense. "Hey, don't look at me like that! I wasn't planning anything bad! I just… made sure I had a fail-safe in case Da Wei ever turned against us."
Gu Jie scowled at him.
But Dave simply shrugged. "That's fine."
Ren Xun blinked. "You're not mad?"
"I understand why you did it," Dave said. "You were looking out for your father, for the Empire, and for your own interests. I can't fault you for that."
Ren Xun stared at him for a moment, then laughed. "You're too forgiving."
Dave shook his head. "No. I just consider you a friend."
Ren Xun froze. Then, after a moment, his shoulders relaxed, and he let out a genuine chuckle. "Well, thanks for that."
With that, he resumed his work, adjusting the Puppet Armor's formations.
"This should let me control it from a distance," Ren Xun explained. "Not as good as having it fully equipped, but still useful."
For a brief moment, he reminisced.
"I spent a few vacations at Master Hua's smithy," Ren Xun muttered absentmindedly. "I guess that experience is finally paying off."
Dave took a step back, surveying everyone.
They were ready.
Or at least, as ready as they could be.
But was it enough?
Dave knew the enemy forces were overwhelming. Hundreds of hostile presences lingered just beyond the fog formation, waiting for an opening.
He was tempted to equip the others with more artifacts, but they'd likely reached their limit.
Artifacts were powerful, but lesser cultivators lacked the fortitude to endure them. The artifacts he had already distributed would push them to their absolute peak. Any more, and they might face penalties for forcefully wielding items beyond their means.
Even the strongest treasures were useless if they crippled their user.
"…This will have to do."
He exhaled deeply, steeling himself for the battle ahead.
Dawn arrived, casting a dim, gray light over the Umbral Scripture Hall.
Dave had kept vigil throughout the night, standing watch while the others rested. He had spent hours trying to contact His Lordship through Voice Chat, but there had been no response.
Still nothing.
The silence unnerved him.
By now, His Lordship should have checked in, even if only to scold Dave for worrying too much. But there was nothing—not even a static buzz.
Something was wrong.
A soft rustling pulled Dave from his thoughts as the others began to stir.
Gu Jie stretched, rolling her shoulders as she sat up. Hei Mao followed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Ren Xun let out a groggy sigh, running a hand through his hair.
Nearby, Ren Jingyi floated lazily in the air, her translucent form cloaked in a thin film of water.
Gu Jie turned to Hei Mao, her gaze steady.
"…Are you sure about this?" she asked.
Hei Mao's expression hardened, but he didn't hesitate. "I am."
"It's fine if you don't want to fight," Gu Jie continued. "You don't have to force yourself. The same goes for you, Jingyi."
Hei Mao shook his head. "I want to."
Ren Xun scoffed, still groggy. "Since when did you become a fighter? I don't remember you doing anything."
Hei Mao glanced at him, then smirked. "That's because I've been training when no one was looking."
Ren Xun frowned. "...Huh?"
Hei Mao crossed his arms. "Elder Hei Yuan took time to teach me some entry-level techniques. Stealth, mainly."
Ren Xun's eyes narrowed. "Since when did Elder Yuan have the time for that?"
Hei Mao shrugged. "Guess he thought it was worth it."
Dave listened quietly, arms crossed, until Hei Mao turned to him with a grateful nod.
"And Senior Dai Fu here helped me refine my combat sense."
Dai Fu. Right. The name still felt strange, but Dave let it slide.
Gu Jie sighed. "Just don't get yourself killed."
Hei Mao gave her a mock salute. "No promises."
Just then, a rumbling quake shook the hall.
The walls trembled, dust falling from the ceiling as a deep, resonant hum filled the air.
Dave snapped to attention.
The others froze, eyes wide.
A moment later, the distant sound of panicked footsteps echoed through the corridors.
A Shadow Clan member burst in, face pale.
"The fog formation has been broken!" he shouted. "Elder Hei Yuan, Hei Mu, and Hei Ma have awakened the Guardian Dragon!"
Dave's frown deepened.
So, it had begun.
The attack was coming.
A heavy weight settled in his chest, but he forced it down. He had anticipated this, prepared for it.
Still… something felt off.
If Elder Hei Yuan, Hei Mu, and Hei Ma were already taking action, then why hadn't the Shadow Clan's Patriarch made an appearance yet? Why was he still absent?
Dave didn't like this.
Not one bit.
Chapter 94
I hung suspended in the sky, staring down at the vast blackened forest stretching endlessly below.
A thick stillness filled the air.
I tried using Egress again—nothing.
A deep frown settled on my face.
"Anything wrong?" Lu Gao's voice rang in the back of my mind, tinged with concern.
I exhaled. "We'll be fine."
At least, that was what I told him.
I opened Voice Chat, trying to call Dave—again, nothing.
This was bad.
Reaching into my sleeve, I pulled out Featherhome and activated it.
The feather burst into blue flames.
"Shit—!"
The flames licked up my arm, scorching the fabric of my robe. A dull pain blossomed, not just in my flesh, but somewhere deeper—like it was burning something beyond the physical.
In my mind, Lu Gao screamed in pain.
A strange reaction. Divine Possession shouldn't have let him feel this.
The flames shifted. A face took shape within the flickering blue light—blackened eyes, a laughing mouth.
I knew this skill.
Santelmo.
An Ultimate Summoning Skill—a spirit bound by fire, clinging to its prey until it consumed them whole.
"Persistent bastard," I muttered.
A light flared—Holy Smite. It wasn't mine, but it was meant for me.
I Flash Stepped to the side just in time for a blazing column of divine energy to explode where I had been floating.
Then, a mirage of a weathered, skeletal hand reached from thin air—Malevolent Grasp.
The sight of familiar skills from LLO sent me into a frenzy.
I twisted mid-air, dodging it by a hair's breadth.
"Getting real tired of this," I grumbled, pouring more mana into Zealot's Stride, weaving through the sky in a chaotic zigzag pattern.
Santelmo still burned me.
I clenched my teeth and cast Cleanse.
Nothing.
I cast it again—still nothing.
Damn it. Ultimate Skills weren't so easily undone.
Lu Gao's panic flickered in the back of my mind, but so did something else—his unwavering belief that I would figure it out.
I spread my Divine Sense, searching for my opponent.
Still nothing.
They probably used a stealth-based skill to hide themselves.
I stopped mid-air, forcing myself still. Waiting.
I needed them to move first, so that I could track the trajectory of there spells..
Nothing came.
I clicked my tongue. "Fine, let's try this."
I activated Hollow Point: Incursion, letting the dark flames consume me.
A purple blaze engulfed my body, spreading out in waves.
Then, I focused—channeling Hollow Breath Technique and Mana Road Cultivation, directing the flames of Santelmo inward, pulling them into my core.
The flames shrieked—resisted—but I pressed harder, forcing them into submission.
A twisted grin spread across my face.
I devoured the fire.
"Thanks for the meal!" I shouted, voice ringing across the sky.
Silence.
Still no reaction.
Then, the air changed.
A deep pressure settled around me, making my skin prickle.
The clouds darkened.
Above me, the sky split apart—
—and a golden sword descended.
Larger than a mountain, its radiant form cast everything below it in a searing divine glow.
I narrowed my eyes.
I knew this skill.
A single-target Ultimate Skill—
Heavenly Punishment.
"Of course," I muttered.
This day just kept getting better.
I remained still.
No dodging. No blocking. I took it head-on.
A golden pillar of light engulfed me, swallowing the sky in divine radiance.
The world turned white.
This was Heavenly Punishment—a skill that factored karma into its damage.
Last time I checked, my karma value was still on the greener side.
Of course, it still had a massive base damage, and if my karma had somehow dipped into the negative, I might have been atomized on the spot—but who was I?
I'm a Paladin, damn it.
No need for Ultimate Skills just yet.
Besides, there was an attack going on in the Shadow Clan, and now that I had a moment to think, I had a good guess who my attackers were.
With a deep breath, I tanked it.
The divine light tore through me, scorching flesh and muscle. It was like being peeled apart layer by layer.
I clenched my jaw and activated Blessed Regeneration, stacking it with Cure to patch myself up. While at it, I also used Delay Damage.
I had no plans of letting Lu Gao die on me.
The golden sword finally dissipated, leaving me half-naked, my robes burned away, but my body still intact.
I exhaled, steam rising from my wounds as they stitched back together.
That was annoying.
I took another deep breath—then unleashed Lion's Roar.
My voice thundered across the sky, tearing through the lingering divine light.
I shouted in a familiar language:
"Alice! Joan D'Arc! Stop hurling your damn spells! I'm a friendly!"
A tense silence followed.
I remained vigilant.
What were the chances it wasn't them?
A silver flash streaked through the air, striking me before I could react.
Halo of Restriction.
My arms and waist tightened as rings of divine light formed, locking me in place.
But my Wanderer's Aegis skill activated, dispelling it instantly.
Then, more flashes of silver rained down on me.
I counted four more—only one of them failed.
Halo of Restriction could stack three times.
I let myself get caught.
I knew the pros and cons of this gamble.
If this was a mistake, I'd just break free and fight to the death—even if I was outclassed.
A shadow flickered in front of me.
Then, she appeared.
The air stilled.
No more spells came.
Only silence.
Then, a voice—unmistakable, sharp with disbelief.
"…David?"
Alice.
A pink-haired woman descended, bat-like wings folding behind her.
She wore a dark gown, an eerie contrast to her pale skin.
And at her waist, strung with a simple linen rope—
A skull.
I didn't remember her having that in my LLO days.
A skull? Seriously?
Before I could dwell on it, the damn thing spoke.
In a familiar language not of this world, the skull drawled in a lecherous tone:
"Ugh, I don't like guys at all… but if it's Alice, I wouldn't mind a snuggle."
Alice scowled and smacked the skull.
"Shut up."
She turned back to me, expression wary.
"…David? Is that really you?"
Right.
I was still in Lu Gao's body—my disciple's body.
To her, I must have looked like some random stranger.
Then again, it wasn't like I had ever known Alice as David_69, my game avatar.
But I was very familiar with her.
"It's me," I said, keeping my voice calm.
Alice hovered closer.
Then, without warning—
Her hand shot out, gripping my throat.
A sharp pressure crushed my windpipe, but before she could tighten her hold, I forced more mana into Zealot's Stride—
Shattering the Halo of Restriction.
My body lurched to move, but Alice's claws dug into my skin before I could slip away.
Her nails elongated, turning into vicious, black-tipped talons.
And then came the spells—
"Curse."
"Great Curse."
"Maximized Magic: Greater Curse."
A triple-layered debilitation.
I felt my strength drain. My vision blurred. A dull weight settled into my limbs like lead chains.
Alice tilted her head, smiling playfully.
"Where's David?" she asked, her voice smooth but laced with danger.
I struggled to shake off the curses and answered, "I am David."
Her smile faded.
Alice's crimson eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me.
Then, she leaned in closer, inhaling deeply.
"…Why can't I smell your blood?" she murmured, brows furrowing.
A memory clicked.
The Blood Pact.
Back when I still knew LLO as a game, we had made a Blood Pact, linking us in some way.
She must be referring to that.
I exhaled. "This body is under the effect of my Divine Possession. I am David, yet not… David…"
Alice's expression flickered with realization.
"…Ah."
Her grip loosened slightly.
"No wonder I could feel David's presence in you," she admitted.
"But still—how do I know that for sure?"
She wasn't convinced yet.
Honestly, I never thought it'd be this difficult proving my identity.
I thought about it.
Alice was an ally.
At least, she had been in LLO.
I decided it was a risk worth taking.
Taking a deep breath, I locked eyes with her. "Use Charm on me."
Alice tilted her head, intrigued. "If you're really David," she mused, "then it shouldn't work at all."
She wasn't wrong.
Back in LLO, I had stacked absurd levels of resistance to mental effects. It was part of my Paladin build—divine protection, resistance to mind control, the whole package.
But then, a thought struck me.
"…Wait," I muttered. "We've never actually fought before, have we?"
Alice's eyes gleamed with amusement. "No, we haven't."
Which meant—
She had never tested whether her Charm could work on me in practice.
And Divine Possession only left me with roughly half the stats of my original body.
I sighed.
"I'm going to regret this," I muttered. "But this body is weaker than my main body—so your spell might actually work."
Alice smirked. "Then let's find out."
She raised a hand, casting Charm.
It failed.
She frowned slightly and cast Great Charm.
Still failed.
Her expression darkened. "Alright, let's do this properly."
Malevolent Grasp.
A mirage of a giant, weathered hand enclosed around me. My breath hitched as a crushing, nauseating force wrapped around my soul. My stomach twisted—I felt like I was going to puke.
Alice then used Maximized Magic: Greater Charm.
I felt my mind loosen.
My thoughts blurred.
It wasn't complete mind control, but my usual iron-clad willpower was suddenly a lot softer around the edges.
Alice leaned in, her voice smooth as silk.
"Do you love me?"
I blinked.
What the hell kind of question was that?!
This was no time to get zesty, woman!
Before I could struggle to answer, the damn skull on her waist interrupted, complaining in perfect xianxia speech:
"Why is it not I, oh wretched heavens?! Shall the beauty of Lady Alice be wasted upon this unworthy cur?!"
Alice slapped the skull, scowling. "Shut. Up."
And then—
The answer came out of my mouth.
I couldn't stop it.
I couldn't fight it.
"Always."
Alice raised an eyebrow.
…Okay, fine.
I had been crushing on this vampire since she first appeared in LLO, okay?!
"Stop playing around."
A sharp voice cut through the tension.
Joan.
She descended from the sky, seated atop her unicorn. The holy beast's mane shimmered like flowing starlight, and its hooves left faint golden trails in the air.
Joan's silver-white robes fluttered around her, and in her hand, she held her ornate staff, the holy relic pulsating with divine power.
The moment her emerald eyes landed on me, they narrowed with open disdain.
She raised her staff, and I felt the weight of her divine presence.
"You're tainted."
That was the first thing she said.
Not exactly friendly, huh?
Her gaze flickered to my pitch-black left hand, where the lingering corruption from Hollow Point: Incursion still pulsed faintly.
I tried to speak—to explain—but I couldn't.
I was still under Alice's Charm.
Alice, ignoring Joan's reaction, tilted her head at me.
"Are you truly David?" she asked, her voice slow, thoughtful.
"I am."
But…
"Not in the context you understand."
Both Joan and Alice frowned.
I knew how it sounded. Cryptic. Evasive. Bullshit.
But how the hell was I supposed to explain that David_69 from LLO and the current David in this world were both me and not me?
Joan's grip on her staff tightened.
"Explain," she demanded.
Holy energy crackled at the tip of her staff, faint and restrained, but definitely a threat.
Alice, however, raised a hand.
"No need," she said simply.
Joan's frown deepened.
Alice rubbed her chin, deep in thought.
Then, a slow smirk crept onto her lips.
"I think… I get it," she murmured.
She turned to me, her red eyes gleaming with curiosity.
She let out a small chuckle and released the Charm spell.
The sudden mental fog lifted, and I stumbled back in the air before quickly regaining my balance with Zealot's Stride.
I shook my head, rubbing my temple.
"That was unpleasant," I muttered.
Alice shrugged. "You asked for it."
I took a deep breath, eyeing her warily.
"What do you mean you 'get it'?" I asked.
Alice tapped a finger to her lips.
"I have a feeling I know what's going on," she admitted.
"But I can't quite put it into words yet."
Her expression turned serious.
"It probably has something to do with Godhood."
Joan still wasn't satisfied.
Her piercing emerald eyes locked onto mine, her grip tightening on her staff.
"Prove it."
I blinked. "Huh?"
Joan lifted her chin, her voice firm.
"If you're really David, tell me something only we would know."
I frowned at her, my mind scrambling for something—anything—that could convince her. Then, on impulse, I blurted out—
"Karen, is that you?"
Joan's scowl deepened into a full-on glare.
"My name is not Karen."
I sighed.
Damn it.
For a second, I had hoped—really hoped—that my fellow gamer and, ugh, online girlfriend from back in LLO had come to this world to save my ass.
No such luck.
This was unpleasant on so many levels.
I forced myself to focus, sifting through my memories. Not just my memories as David, but the ones I had inherited from David_69—the ones that felt both mine and not mine at the same time.
I turned my gaze back to Joan.
"Our first quest together. Goblin subjugation."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she said nothing.
I continued.
"You carried that entire playthrough."
Joan's brow twitched.
"I was… impatient when it came to PvE," I admitted. "Didn't like the slow grind, so you basically did all the work."
A flicker of recognition flashed across her face.
I smirked. "You remember, don't you? How grimdark things got? How we swore we'd never take another goblin quest again?"
Joan's expression remained unreadable, but I could tell she was listening.
Then, I turned to Alice.
"And you," I said.
She raised an eyebrow.
"The first time we met, we nearly killed each other. And then we agreed on a Blood Pact."
Alice's smirk widened.
Now that got a reaction.
I crossed my arms.
"Do you believe me now?"
Joan let out a slow breath.
"…I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," she muttered.
Alice, on the other hand, seemed far more interested in something else.
She tilted her head, her red eyes gleaming.
"So?" she asked. "How'd you end up here?"
I didn't bother sugarcoating it.
"Black-masked cultivators."
The moment I said it, their expressions changed.
Alice and Joan exchanged a look.
A silent understanding passed between them.
I had a feeling they came here the same way I did.
Chapter 95
Hei Yuan hovered in the air, his Essence Gathering cultivation allowing him to defy gravity with ease. Beside him, Hei Mu and Hei Ma stood atop their swords, the blades shimmering with the faint glow of their qi. From their vantage point above the Shadow Clan's hidden island, the scene below was dire.
Thick, unnatural fog had long shrouded the land, but now it writhed as something darker devoured it. A black miasma, corrosive and writhing like living tendrils, seeped through the mist, creeping toward their people. The valley's natural defenses were being consumed.
"This is bad," Hei Ma said, his voice tense.
Hei Mu narrowed her eyes. "We should evacuate."
"To where?" Hei Yuan asked flatly. He swept his gaze over the valley's perimeter. Thousands of cultivators surrounded them, their presence like a wall of swords pressing ever closer. The Shadow Clan had less than a hundred fighters left, and even those were weary from constant battle.
Hei Ma suddenly yelped, his fingers twitching as though recalling something. "That miasma… I've read about it before. The old texts mention a way to manipulate it—using shadows."
Hei Yuan frowned. Manipulating miasma with shadows? It was a dangerous notion, but one that made sense given their clan's ancient techniques. He glanced at Hei Mu, who seemed lost in thought.
"The dragon," she murmured.
Hei Yuan's brow furrowed. "What?"
"The dragon sealed within the lake," she clarified, her gaze meeting his. "Our ancestor locked it away centuries ago. If we free it—"
Hei Ma gasped audibly. "Without the Patriarch, we wouldn't be able to control it!"
Silence fell over them.
Hei Mu turned her sharp gaze to Hei Yuan. "Where is the Patriarch?"
Hei Yuan didn't answer immediately. He looked down at the island, then at the distant encroaching forces. His fingers curled slightly. The truth was, he didn't know.
"I don't know," he murmured, voice barely audible against the howling wind.
Hei Yuan floated above the island, his robes billowing in the wind as his mind replayed his last conversation with the Patriarch. It had been nearly a month ago when he last stood before the clan's highest authority, offering up the spirit stones that the outsider, Da Wei, had paid them.
"Use them wisely," the Patriarch had said instead. His voice, always enigmatic, held an undertone of weariness that Hei Yuan had not yet deciphered.
Yet now, with the island besieged and their defenses crumbling, the Patriarch was nowhere to be found.
Hei Yuan exhaled, his golden eyes sweeping over Hei Mu and Hei Ma. "As the Elder of the Shadow Clan and the highest authority present, I will break the seal," he declared solemnly. "Only those with the Abyss Sight can do this."
Hei Mu nodded, her expression unreadable. Hei Ma, however, hesitated, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.
"If there is no other choice," Hei Ma finally said, his voice taut with tension, "then we can only support you."
Hei Yuan gave him a rare, approving glance. "I need your support," he admitted. "Protect me, while I remove the seal!" He said in his Qi Speech, sending the order to everyone.
At his command, the remaining Shadow Clan cultivators poured their strength into the island's protective formation. The layers of spells, already strained, shimmered and thickened, reinforcing their veil of concealment. For now, the enemy would be delayed—but only for a moment longer.
Hei Yuan turned toward the shore, where the layers of enchantments covered the lake's every surface. It was an ancient place, one that had not been disturbed for centuries.
As he descended, his fingers moved in precise gestures, tracing symbols in the air. Dark inscriptions manifested, orbiting around him in spirals of shifting shadow. The air pulsed with an eerie hum, the power of the Shadow Clan's forbidden arts coming to life.
The black fog continued to consume the white mist around them. It devoured, twisted, hungered. Hei Yuan felt an ill premonition claw at the back of his mind. He dared not imagine what lay at the end of this path.
But he had no choice.
The Mirage Dragon had to be unleashed.
Hei Yuan pressed his palm to the surface of the lake. The water, still as a mirror, did not ripple—until the first whisper of his incantation passed his lips.
"By the will of the Abyss, I call upon the pact of old. Let shadow unbind, let illusion take form. I sever the chains, I release the beast."
The ancient inscriptions that had lain dormant for centuries flared to life beneath the lake's surface, glowing with a ghostly blue light. They coiled and twisted, unraveling the seal that their ancestor had once placed. The water trembled. The very air trembled.
A deep rumble resounded from beneath.
The sigils orbiting Hei Yuan accelerated, their energy crackling with unstable power. The lake, once calm, now roiled with dark currents as something immense began to stir.
The Mirage Dragon was waking.
Hei Yuan braced himself. This was only the beginning.
The lake's surface fractured like shattered glass, jagged ripples distorting the reflections of the sky. The very air trembled as something immense stirred beneath. Then, with a roar that sent waves crashing against the island's shores, the Mirage Dragon burst free.
It was a fearsome sight.
A serpentine body, longer than the tallest spire of the Shadow Clan's stronghold, coiled through the air. Its scales shimmered between reality and illusion—one moment an abyssal black that drank in the light, the next a radiant silver like moonlit mist. Eyes of molten gold burned with ancient malice, and its mane, dark as midnight, flowed as if submerged in unseen currents. The creature's every motion distorted space itself, a mirage given terrifying form.
The dragon inhaled deeply, its massive chest expanding as power flooded its lungs. Then, it spoke—its voice vast, echoing from the depths of time itself.
"He who dances in his sleep has finally awakened! Freed at last, this seat shall enact his vengeance upon the Shadow!"
The proclamation was a thunderclap to Hei Yuan's ears. His breath caught in his throat. Vengeance?
The dragon's golden gaze locked onto him, unreadable yet seething with an ancient grudge. Its jaws parted, revealing rows of fangs that shimmered with barely restrained power. This was no mere beast. It was a being of the Heart Path—the Eighth Realm. A step beyond mortals, one who could imprint its will upon the world itself.
Hei Yuan's heart pounded. 'We are doomed.'
Yet even as despair threatened to take hold, he steeled himself. He was the Elder of the Shadow Clan, and if his life was the price to pay, so be it.
Summoning every ounce of his cultivation, he raised his hands, shadows coiling like living serpents around his arms. He would pour his very life force into this spell—if nothing else, he would make the dragon bleed before it destroyed them.
But before he could unleash his power—
Darkness erupted from the lake.
Black tendrils of shadow surged upward, wrapping around the Mirage Dragon's massive form, entwining like chains reforged. The beast thrashed, its scales shimmering in and out of existence as it fought against the unseen force.
"No! This cannot be!" the dragon roared, its vast body writhing as it was dragged downward.
Hei Yuan's eyes widened. The mark. The seal placed upon the dragon long ago—the binding technique used to control it. Someone had activated it.
Then, he saw him.
A lone figure hovered above the battlefield, robes billowing in the wind, his face lined with age yet still exuding undeniable authority.
The Patriarch.
For a moment, silence reigned. Then, the Shadow Clan's remaining cultivators erupted into cheers.
"The Patriarch has returned!"
"We are saved!"
Hei Yuan, however, did not celebrate. Something felt wrong. The way the dragon struggled, the way its fury was not wild but… betrayed. He had no proof, no evidence, only instinct screaming at him.
Then—
A whisper behind him.
"I am sorry, Elder."
Hei Mu's voice.
A sharp, searing pain exploded in his back. The world tilted as his body lurched forward. Hei Yuan barely registered the attack before the force of it sent him staggering.
He turned—
Hei Mu stood behind him, hammer in hand, her expression cold and unreadable.
Hei Ma's shout cut through the chaos. "Why?!"
His face twisted in raw betrayal as he turned toward his wife, his hands trembling. The shock in his eyes made it clear—he had not known.
Hei Mu's only response was silence.
Then she moved.
Her flying sword separated from in a blur of silver, streaking toward Hei Ma like a viper striking its prey. The blade pierced his shoulder, driving him to the ground.
It happened too fast.
Hei Yuan tried to force his body to move, to retaliate, but the pain lanced through him, his limbs sluggish. His mind reeled.
Hei Mu slowly ascended into the air. The oppressive weight of her spiritual energy unfurled, pressing down upon the battlefield like the hand of a god.
Seventh Realm.
Bloodline Refinement.
As she hovered above them all, black and white wings unfurled from her back—ethereal yet solid, their colors shifting like yin and yang, the mark of one who had stepped beyond mere mortality.
A traitor had been among them all along.
Hei Mu gazed down at Hei Yuan with an emotionless expression—save for the glint of remorse buried within her cold, determined eyes.
"This could only end this way," she murmured, almost to herself.
She bit her thumb, allowing dark blood to flow freely. Then, with deliberate slowness, she dragged her bloodied hand across the haft of her hammer.
A ripple of dark energy pulsed outward. The weapon warped and twisted, its heavy form elongating, its head thinning into a wicked crescent. In mere breaths, it had transformed into a giant scythe, its blade gleaming with a malevolent sheen.
Hei Yuan gritted his teeth and tried to stand, but his legs refused to obey. His body trembled from the force of the blow he had taken. Blood soaked the inside of his robes, and every breath sent fire through his ribs.
But he would not fall here.
Forcing his qi to flow, he willed himself upward, hovering into the air. His mind screamed at him to remain calm, to push away the whirlwind of emotions threatening to cloud his judgment.
He turned his gaze to her. "Why?" His voice was hoarse, but the single word carried the weight of his breaking composure.
Then, he looked beyond her—to the old man hovering above the battlefield.
The Patriarch. Their revered leader. The man who had guided the Shadow Clan for as long as Hei Yuan had lived.
A trembling breath left him. "Why?! Patriarch, why? Is this your will?!! I told you, didn't I? I would die for you, so why?!"
The words barely escaped his lips, his voice shaking despite himself.
Hei Mu scoffed, her response immediate and unhesitating.
"This is the only way for the Shadow to thrive once more."
The wind howled between them.
She lifted her scythe, and the air around her trembled with suppressed energy. Her gaze was cold, but within it lay a zeal that burned brighter than any flicker of doubt.
"The Black Monarch will perish," she declared. "And the Eternal Undeath Cult shall rise once more to the peak of its prosperity."
A chill ran down Hei Yuan's spine.
The Eternal Undeath Cult—an ancient force long thought to be a fractured remnant of history. A name that should not have resurfaced. Yet, before him stood one of their own, declaring its rebirth with unwavering certainty.
His fingers curled into fists. If words were meaningless, then he would let the shadows speak for him.
Dark qi surged through his veins. He wove his hands through practiced motions, and the shadows around him quivered in answer, rising and shaping themselves into a hundred jagged points.
Hundred Shadow Spears.
A silent execution.
The spears were invisible to those who lacked the Abyss Sight. A technique honed over generations—unseen, unfelt, and utterly lethal.
Hei Mu had not moved.
"YOUR ARROGANCE KNOW NO BOUNDS!"
Hei Yuan would end this before she could strike again.
Focusing his Abyss Sight to its utmost limit, he let his vision darken, draining the world of color until nothing remained but shadow and form. His eyes turned completely black—like the abyss itself.
The spears struck.
And then—
A pulse.
A single, effortless release of her qi.
The Hundred Shadow Spears disintegrated.
Hei Yuan froze, disbelief locking his breath in his throat.
That was… impossible.
Hei Mu's gaze did not waver. Her scythe gleamed, and her wings unfurled further, casting a long shadow across the battlefield.
He had miscalculated.
This was not the same Hei Mu he once knew.
"The difference of the Seventh Realm and the Sixth Realm is that wide?
Hei Yuan stared in horror.
Hei Mu's eyes—black as the abyss itself—gazed back at him.
Impossible. Abyss Sight was a rare gift, awakened only to those who had immersed themselves in the deepest teachings of the Shadow Clan and was lucky enough to perceive the fringes of the dimension hidden in the shadows. It was not something that could simply be… acquired, because they wanted to.
Yet there she stood, her gaze swallowing the light, the darkness within them even more profound than his own.
"How…?" His voice was barely above a whisper.
Hei Mu's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. "A gift," she said. "From my master."
A slow chill crept through Hei Yuan's veins. "Your… master?"
Her smile widened. "The One True Death."
The words were spoken with reverence, as if she had uttered the name of a divine being.
A deathly silence fell between them, broken only by the howling wind.
Hei Yuan turned to the Patriarch, desperation clawing at his chest. "Patriarch," he called, his voice tight with urgency. "You must see reason! The clan—our people—"
Hei Mu scoffed. "It's no use, Elder." She waved a hand lazily, as if swatting away a pointless plea. "The Patriarch is already dead."
A slow, dreadful realization settled in Hei Yuan's bones.
She turned to him, her voice calm, unwavering. "Transformed by Death himself."
His breath caught in his throat.
Undead.
The Patriarch—leader of the Shadow Clan, the pillar of their people—had been defiled, his soul stolen, his body remade into a puppet of this so-called master.
A sharp gasp broke the moment.
Hei Ma.
His expression twisted with rage as he staggered to his feet, blood still flowing from his shoulder wound. He yanked the sword from his flesh, his grip tightening until his knuckles turned white.
"How dare you—" he roared.
His entire body tensed as he pushed off the ground, soaring into the air. His sword flashed in the light, trailing golden arcs of qi as he swung with all his fury.
Hei Mu met his rage with nothing but cold amusement.
"As my husband," she said, "I would show you preferential treatment." Her tone was almost fond. "I offer you a place at my side in the new Empire."
"Never!" Hei Ma bellowed.
His blade descended.
But he was far too slow.
Hei Mu's wings pulsed. In a blur, she was above him, her scythe arcing in a single, fluid motion.
A spray of crimson.
Hei Ma's body froze in midair. His mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came.
A thin, black line appeared across his torso. Then—
He split in two.
But it did not end there.
A sickening force compressed his bisected form before his body even hit the ground. His limbs crumpled inward, bones snapping, flesh folding in on itself. His very existence was reduced—reshaped—into something unrecognizable.
By the time his body finally landed, it was not a corpse.
It was nothing more than a grotesque, pulped sphere of mangled flesh.
Unrecognizable.
A ball of meat.
"W-what? T-that's your… husband…"
Hei Yuan's body trembled, though whether from pain or sheer horror, he could not tell. His breath came in ragged gasps as he stared at Hei Mu, who now hovered above them with her black-and-white wings unfurled.
Blood still dripped from her scythe, the remnants of Hei Ma—her husband—reduced to an unrecognizable mass of flesh.
Yet she smiled.
A slow, almost delighted flush crept across her cheeks.
Then, she began to sing.
Her voice was sweet, sultry, filled with a terrible beauty that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it.
"Rejoice! Rejoice! The chains are undone, The night has come, the shadow won. No more shall we kneel, no more shall we bow, In death's embrace, we rise here and now."
"Cry not, my kin, for sorrow is naught, The world is but dust, and life but a thought. Let flesh be broken, let spirit be freed, A song of the abyss, a hymn of the seed."
Hei Yuan's eyes widened in horror.
This was not just a song.
This was Shadow Song.
A forgotten bloodline power of their clan—one just as potent as Abyss Sight, if not more so. It was a power that turned voice into weapon, song into suffering.
The moment the first verse left Hei Mu's lips, agony rippled through the battlefield.
Shadow Clan cultivators—his people—twisted and writhed as though unseen hands gripped their very souls. Their bodies convulsed, veins bulging as black qi surged through them uncontrollably. Some clawed at their ears, desperate to block out the sound. Others dropped their weapons, falling to their knees as blood trickled from their eyes, ears, and mouths.
At each word Hei Mu sang, the pain deepened.
"Surrender, surrender, let darkness devour, The shadow's embrace, the final hour. Fear not the end, nor the breaking of bone, For in silence eternal, we all are alone."
Screams filled the air.
The sound of bones snapping, of qi running wild, of bodies collapsing—one after another.
Hei Yuan gritted his teeth, forcing his qi to surge through his body, shielding his mind from the song's insidious influence. Even then, it felt as though something was clawing at his very core, trying to rip apart his sense of self.
He turned his gaze back to Hei Mu.
She was looking straight at him.
Her eyes gleamed with cruel amusement, and her voice—so sweet, so inviting—never faltered.
"Rejoice! Rejoice! The chains are undone, The night has come, the shadow won…"
Hei Yuan clenched his fists.
"No more shall we kneel, no more shall we bow, In death's embrace, we rise here and now."
Thus, the song that even shadows could hear killed one, two, three, and more…
Chapter 96
Hei Mu's voice echoed across the battlefield, her song weaving a melody of despair and triumph. The Shadow Clan's suffering was not a sight she relished, but it was necessary.
For too long, they had been nothing but remnants of a bygone era—forgotten, weak, hidden in the dark corners of the world.
No more. She would see them rise once again.
She remembered the cold nights spent huddled beside Hei Ma, their stomachs empty, their robes thin. The Shadow Clan was a mighty name in the past, but in her time, they were little more than ghosts lingering in obscurity.
Their island home, meant to be a bastion of darkness, was nothing more than a rotting husk. The great halls once filled with warriors were empty, the shelves of their libraries covered in dust, and the few elders who remained clung to old traditions with stubborn futility.
She had always known—if they continued like this, they would disappear.
She was born with strength. She had been trained to kill, to fight, to hide in the darkness. But it wasn't enough.
So, when she came of age, she made a vow.
She would restore the Shadow Clan to its rightful place.
She would do whatever it took.
Even if it meant embracing something greater than shadow itself.
Hei Mu's eyes burned with resolve as she sang.
"Cry not, my kin, for sorrow is naught, The world is but dust, and life but a thought."
Her father, the former Patriarch, stood like a lifeless puppet, his body responding to her will. Through him, she commanded the Mirage Dragon, its serpentine form twisting in the sky, its mist-covered body gliding through the air.
She saw the glow build within its throat—the sign of an imminent breath attack.
It would be beautiful.
"Let flesh be broken, let spirit be freed, A song of the abyss, a hymn of the seed."
It would be the rebirth of the Shadow Clan.
But then—
The sky darkened.
Something else was coming.
A golden divine sword peeked from the heavens, parting the clouds like an omen of destruction. Its sheer presence made the very air tremble, its holy aura oppressive even from a distance.
Hei Mu's eyes flickered downward.
A figure stepped out onto the wooden harbor.
The outsider.
Da Wei.
Hei Mu's voice never wavered. Instead, she poured more qi into her Shadow Song, amplifying its power, making the very air vibrate with her melody.
"Surrender, surrender, let darkness devour, The shadow's embrace, the final hour."
But Da Wei did not flinch.
His fingers moved to his robes, discarding them in a single motion.
Beneath the cloth, he wore rustic blue and golden armor, an ethereal green cape billowing behind him. It was a strange thing—almost like mist, almost like water, as though it refused to fully exist in this world.
Hei Mu narrowed her eyes.
She had underestimated him once before. She would not do so again.
Da Wei raised his hand.
A holy spear formed in his grasp, glowing with radiant energy. Without hesitation, he hurled it toward her.
Hei Mu's scythe pulsed with power.
With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed Negative Pulse, a surge of abyssal energy that collided with the spear mid-air. The two forces canceled each other out, dispersing into nothingness.
Da Wei's expression did not change.
Instead, he raised his left hand, fingers curled.
The golden divine sword hanging in the sky descended at once.
Hei Mu's instincts screamed at her.
With a flicker of motion, she flapped her wings and vanished, reappearing deep within the forest, far from the blade's reach. The earth below pulsed with electricity as if magnet and the sword was the lightning.
She exhaled sharply.
Her father sank into the depths of the shadows, the Mirage Dragon dispersing into the fog, blending with the mist once more.
Hei Mu was not done yet.
Raising her scythe, she channeled her power into its form.
At the tip of its pole, a sphere of death began to coalesce, its darkness pulsing like a dying star.
She sang louder.
"Fear not the end, nor the breaking of bone, For in silence eternal, we all are alone."
She would level the entire island.
She would make it her offering to the new age.
But then—
She frowned.
The dark clouds above began to part.
Something was tracking her.
She looked up.
The giant golden divine sword had locked onto her presence, moving as if bound by fate itself. It was following her, its descent relentless, a homing technique.
Hei Mu grit her teeth.
The outsider was more troublesome than she thought.
Hei Mu flapped her wings with all her might, her figure flickering through the sky like a phantom. Every time she thought she had escaped, ominous clouds and the golden divine sword found her once again.
She clicked her tongue.
Annoying.
Hei Mu had never thought highly of Da Wei.
To her, he was nothing more than a troublesome outsider with an overdeveloped sense of arrogance. True, he possessed a stealth technique beyond comprehension, capable of masking his cultivation so well that even the elders had misjudged him. But that was all he amounted to.
A trickster. A coward who refused to stand in the open.
And yet—
Hei Mu flickered through the air, her movements unpredictable. The heavens themselves darkened as she wove between the twisting mists, a blur of black and white wings.
But no matter where she went, the golden divine sword was there.
Tracking her. Hunting her.
Like an executioner's blade descending without pause.
Her breath hitched.
Hei Mu's grip tightened on her scythe, its form still brimming with dark energy.
She had thought herself strong enough to contend with the outsider.
When she received the grace of her master—the One True Death—she believed she had surpassed the limits of her former self. The old Hei Mu, the one burdened by weakness, had been stripped away, leaving only her new self, empowered and reborn.
And yet—
Wherever she fled, it followed.
The golden sword closed in with every passing second.
Hei Mu clenched her jaw.
She had no choice.
With a sharp turn, she dived toward the lake.
The shadows stirred beneath the surface as she extended her will, calling forth the Mirage Dragon.
"Come, my beast!"
The waters split apart, and from the abyssal depths, a colossal serpentine form emerged. The Mirage Dragon's scales shimmered, its massive body twisting like mist, as if existing between reality and illusion.
Without hesitation, Hei Mu flew into its maw.
The dragon swallowed her whole.
Inside, she let out a slow breath, her connection to the beast solidifying.
She could not control the dragon directly, but through her father's body, she could.
Her Abyss Sight burned as she reached through the shadows, weaving her power through the former Patriarch's lifeless form. He was nothing more than a puppet now, but through him, she could act.
Her command surged through the void.
Empower the dragon.
The Mirage Dragon let out a roar, its body swelling with power. Black mist spread from its scales, coiling around the battlefield like a living nightmare.
And yet—
Through her father's eyes, she saw it.
The divine sword had found them.
It descended like a decree from heaven, impaling the Mirage Dragon straight through the skull.
The beast's roar was drowned in an explosion of golden light.
A divine pillar of radiance erupted, consuming everything in its path.
And deep within the dragon's body, Hei Mu screamed.
The light was burning her—!
Her grip tightened around her scythe, her blackened wings trembling under the force.
She gritted her teeth, refusing to let go of the power she had gathered.
No.
She would not fall here.
The Mirage Dragon's death cry echoed through the battlefield, its massive body dissolving into nothing but scattered ash and mist. The lake, once roiling with its presence, became eerily still, as if mourning the loss of the ancient beast.
Yet—
Hei Mu lived.
She hovered in the air, her body trembling, not from pain, but from hunger.
Such a great loss.
The Mirage Dragon had been a cornerstone of her plans. Without it, the battle had shifted into uncertainty.
But—
"I can still salvage this."
She exhaled, then inhaled.
From the fading remnants of the Mirage Dragon's body, Hei Mu dragged forth its shadow, forcing it into herself. The black miasma coiled around her like living veins, sinking into her skin.
And then—
She turned to the empty husk that was once her father.
"Rest, Father."
With a single motion of her hand, she pulled forth his essence, consuming it whole.
Power surged through her veins like wildfire. Her cultivation erupted beyond its limit, crashing into the Eighth Realm—the Heart Path.
Unstable. Chaotic. Terrifying.
Her back arched as she screamed, her body warping under the weight of so much raw energy. A serpentine tail burst from her spine, flickering between corporeal and ethereal. Her wings darkened, taking on a black glass-like sheen, reflecting the dying battlefield like shattered memories.
And her body—
Exposed.
Every fiber of her being was laid bare under the waning moonlight, her very existence reshaped into something beyond human.
She panted, her gaze locking onto Da Wei.
A slow, creeping smile curled her lips.
"You're done for, Da Wei."
With a flick of her wrist, she raised her scythe, a pitch-black orb forming at its tip—small, unassuming, yet so dense with death that the air itself trembled around it.
One attack.
That was all it would take to erase him from existence.
But—
Hei Mu was not without mercy.
"Surrender." Her voice rang clear, carrying over the battlefield. "I will grant you the honor of kneeling before me. If you do, I may even spare your life."
Da Wei merely tilted his head.
And then—
He laughed.
"Why are you so confident?" asked the arrogant man.
Hei Mu's grin widened.
She raised a hand, gesturing to the horizon.
"Because I have an army."
As if on cue—
The undead stirred.
The Eternal Undeath Cult moved as one, their eyes glowing with eerie malice. The battlefield shuddered under their combined killing intent, an overwhelming tide of bodies and rotting souls prepared to drown any resistance.
And yet—
Da Wei simply let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"Finally," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "You stopped clucking that stupid song."
Hei Mu froze.
Her smug satisfaction wavered as she finally took in the state of the battlefield.
The Shadow Clan cultivators—her kin—
They were—
Crying. Trembling.
A broken mess of bodies, their spirits shattered by the twisted lull of her Shadow Song.
A twinge of something foreign stirred in her chest.
Doubt?
No—impossible.
She clenched her fists, pushing the thought away.
But then—
A whisper.
A hum.
Lips curled and stretched on her own cheeks, ones that were not hers.
And from them, the Shadow Song began anew.
Hei Mu's breath caught.
Her own face—singing back at her.
The Shadow Clan cultivators, still broken, still shaking—
Yet they sang.
Their own mouths moved against their will, their expressions twisted in horror as they became her chorus.
Hei Mu grinned.
"I have an army…" She spread her arms, her scythe glowing with death.
"And a song."
She narrowed her eyes at Da Wei.
"What do you have?"
For the first time, Da Wei's eyes darkened.
And then—
He whispered.
"Lion's Courage."
A flicker of silver light. Multiple times, scattering to the others.
"Bless."
A second, golden and silver radiance.
"Shield of Faith."
The battlefield erupted.
Flashes of holy light surged across the Shadow Clan cultivators. Silver and gold burned away the despair, wrapping around their bodies like armor, like shields, like hope.
Hei Mu's grin faltered.
And then—
Da Wei spoke.
"I have an army too…"
He took a step forward.
And then, softly—
"And a Lion's Roar."
The air shattered.
The very qi of the battlefield shook as Da Wei's voice boomed like divine thunder, shaking souls to their core.
"STEEL YOUR HEARTS! EMBRACE YOUR DUTIES!"
The Shadow Clan cultivators stirred.
"TODAY—"
Their hands tightened around their weapons.
"WE EITHER DIE WITH HONOR—"
The despair in their eyes faded.
"OR WE BECOME VICTORIOUS!"
A war cry erupted, shaking the very heavens.
Hei Mu hissed, baring her teeth.
But Da Wei merely raised his hand.
And with a single flick of his wrist—
A longsword materialized in his grasp, its silver sheen radiant against the darkened sky.
For the first time—
Hei Mu felt cold.
And then—
Da Wei murmured.
A whisper—almost lost amidst the battle cries.
"His Lordship was not alone in his journey to gain more strength."
The sword trembled.
"Witness my evolved—"
A golden light ignited.
"Heavenly Punishment."
And with a single leap—
Da Wei appeared right in front of her face.
Hei Mu's pupils contracted.
Da Wei's blade gleamed with divine radiance, its sheer presence suffocating.
He was too fast. Too decisive. Too dangerous.
She had to end this now.
"Dimensional Slash!"
With a cry that tore from the depths of her soul, Hei Mu swung her scythe, slashing through the black orb at its tip.
A slash beyond the constraints of reality manifested.
A cut that could sever anything—flesh, qi, space, time.
Invincible. Absolute.
But then—
Da Wei exhaled.
His stance shifted.
And in the quietest whisper—
"Flash Parry."
His sword moved.
Not with force, nor with power—
But with precision.
A single, elegant movement, and the Dimensional Slash—the attack that could cut anything—was deflected.
Hei Mu's mind reeled.
Impossible!
Her cultivation was higher! Her technique was absolute!
Yet Da Wei had brushed it aside like nothing.
Her chest heaved.
But there was no time to process it.
Because—
"Thunderous Smite."
A surge of lightning coiled around Da Wei's blade—no, not just lightning—heavenly wrath given form.
Hei Mu flickered away.
But—
Too late.
Her arm—the one wielding her scythe—
Severed.
Pain exploded through her body.
Her blood—thick, dark, corrupted—splattered against the ground.
She screamed, clutching at the wound, trying to stop the surge of her escaping essence.
And then—
Da Wei's hand closed around her scythe.
She reached for it instinctively—
But before she could even form a thought, the weapon vanished into his Storage Ring.
No.
No!
Her breath came in ragged, shallow gasps.
She couldn't feel it.
Not just the connection severed—it was gone.
Her artifact. The scythe blessed by her master. The vessel of her Shadow Song.
Gone.
This couldn't be real.
This couldn't be happening!
She staggered back, trembling.
And then—
Da Wei raised his sword.
For the first time—with both hands.
His voice, steady. Unshaken. Absolute.
"Divine Smite."
Chapter 97
What was a Holy Spirit?
What was his purpose in life?
Dave didn't have an answer to that.
At least, not one that felt profound. Not one that could be inscribed in scripture or spoken of in legend. He just knew he wanted to stay by His Lordship. To do good. To keep moving forward, no matter what.
Just like they always had.
"Perish!"
Divine Smite connected.
A searing, radiant arc of holy light cleaved through Hei Mu's body.
For a moment, her face twisted—not in anger, not in hatred, but in something like disbelief.
Then—
She fell.
Her severed halves tumbled through the air, sinking into the dark waters of the lake below.
The ripples spread. The battle did not pause.
Hei Yuan's voice cut through the chaos.
"Hold the line!"
He unleashed a series of invisible attacks, guiding his energy strikes to rip apart the encroaching undead. Every movement was precise, every shadowed blade that shot forth unseen to all but those who could perceive his shadow.
The reanimated bodies crumpled and vanished under his onslaught.
But the fight was far from over.
A new wave of enemies approached.
Thousands of cultivators, clad in porcelain black masks, sprinted across the water's surface.
Who was undead? And who was not was hard to identify.
They moved as one, their steps synchronized, their blades reflecting the eerie glow of the moon.
The Shadow Clan cultivators did not meet them on the ground.
They hovered in the air, unleashing spell after spell, thinning their numbers before they could reach the shore.
Yet for every masked figure that fell, two more took their place.
"They are using a cloning ability…"
Dave exhaled, stretching his Divine Sense outward.
Voice Chat, a power Dave was only recently starting to get a hang of. "Gu Jie, what's your situation?"
Her voice came through the link, steady but firm.
"We've secured the opposite side. The enemy forces there were weaker than expected."
Dave's brow furrowed. That was strange.
If this was a full-scale attack, why would their defenses on the other end be so lax?
"We're fine for now," Gu Jie continued. "But if anything changes, we'll retreat immediately."
Dave nodded to himself. "Understood. I'll catch up with you soon."
But Gu Jie's voice cut in sharply.
"No."
Dave blinked. "No?"
"Stay where you are." Her voice carried an edge of something unusual—concern?
"I feel… an ominous misfortune. Something too much even for you, Senior. But I believe you shall triumph."
Dave frowned, tightening his grip on his sword.
A sudden chill crawled up Dave's spine.
He tried to move.
But—
He couldn't.
The world slowed.
Then—
A hand tore through his armor and his chest.
Dave stared.
His own beating heart was poking out from his chest.
It pulsed.
There was no pain.
No blood.
But—
He knew something was wrong.
His body felt… hollow.
Dave swung his Silver Steel, empowered with Heavenly Punishment, in a desperate counterattack.
But his blade hit nothing.
He staggered, breath shallow, as he looked down at his chest.
His armor was intact. His flesh was unbroken.
Yet—
He could feel it.
His heart was gone.
Dave's vision blurred.
His body plummeted.
The lake's dark waters rushed to meet him.
And there—beneath the waves—
She waited.
Hei Mu.
Resurrected.
Her nails, long as daggers, plunged into the gaps of his armor.
She smiled—a twisted, monstrous thing.
Dave felt his life fading.
His thoughts were sluggish. His limbs were weak.
He had been unable to cast buff spells on himself.
His evolved Heavenly Punishment consumed mana at a constant, stable rate.
He had no leeway to heal himself.
But—
That didn't mean he was helpless.
A surge of power—
Sacrificial Zeal activated.
His passive skill. The more his health dipped, the stronger he became.
And—
There was also his Reflect.
The moment Hei Mu's nails connected—
She exploded.
The force ripped through the water, sending shockwaves in every direction.
Dave landed on the surface of the lake, standing through Zealot's Stride.
His chest still felt wrong.
Empty.
A few Shadow Clan cultivators rushed to him, forming a protective circle.
Hei Yuan appeared in a flicker of darkness.
His gaze sharp. "What happened?"
Dave took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain upright.
Then, with a wry, breathless chuckle—
"There's a powerful expert lurking around."
He lifted his gauntleted hand to his chest.
His fingers trembled.
"And they just stole my heart."
Dave coughed, his gauntleted hand catching flecks of dark red blood.
His body trembled. His vision blurred. He was running out of time. He only had one spell slot remaining for his Ultimate Skill. Two, if he included his armor's Ephemeral Touch.
His heart had been stolen. He had barely survived.
But.
The battle wasn't over.
Hei Yuan and a group of elite Shadow Clan cultivators fought around him, fending off the relentless waves of attackers.
Dave staggered, but forced himself to move.
His Item Box flashed as he retrieved mana potions, uncorking them with his teeth.
Gulp.
He chugged.
Gulp.
The bitter liquid burned his throat, but he ignored it.
He needed mana. Now.
Hei Yuan flickered beside him, cleaving through an undead with a blade of pure darkness. "Hurry up!" he barked.
Dave wiped his mouth. "Already on it."
Then—
He activated Holy Sanctuary.
The air around them erupted in white light.
Waves of divine power rippled outward.
The Shadow Clan cultivators stood taller, their fatigue fading. Their wounds began to mend.
Meanwhile—
The enemies screamed.
The holy power seared them, weakening their bodies, shattering their unnatural resistances.
The battlefield descended into chaos.
The Shadow Clan cultivators—despite their lower numbers—fought like cornered beasts.
Because of Dave.
Because of his buffs.
Dave drank another mana potion, then another.
His mana flared back to life.
And now—
He made a decision.
He would use his last spell slot.
He took a deep breath.
His voice rang out like a sacred command.
"Divine Word: Life."
A pulse of gold and green energy surged through his body.
Veins of divine power stretched across his armor and skin.
Life itself answered.
Divine Word: Life didn't just heal.
It fortified health.
It carried a sacred buff—one that removed debuffs at random and empowered future healing.
With his body glowing with radiant light, Dave cast another spell.
"Blessed Regeneration."
A warm sensation flooded his chest.
Then—
His heart began to regrow.
His breath evened.
His strength returned.
But—
The enemies weren't stopping.
The undead and the black-masked cultivators were still surging forward.
Dave exhaled sharply. "Retreat!"
The Shadow Clan cultivators obeyed without hesitation.
They leaped backward, regrouping.
Dave remained.
He gripped Silver Steel.
He could feel it—Heavenly Punishment still crackling within the blade.
But that wasn't enough.
His mana surged.
His sword ignited.
"Searing Smite."
The divine karmic flames clung to his weapon.
Then—
He swung.
A horizontal arc of blazing light erupted forth.
The flames rushed ahead, forming a blazing barrier.
But—
The undead ignored it.
They walked straight through.
Dave tensed, gripping Silver Steel tightly.
The undead charged straight through the blazing barrier.
At first, it seemed like they were unaffected.
But then—
They began to crumble.
One by one.
Their bodies turned to ash, disintegrating as they rushed past the divine flames.
The ones behind them kept running, completely ignoring their predecessors' fate.
It was as if they felt no fear.
As if they did not care.
Dave exhaled, his grip on his sword relaxing just slightly. "Thought so."
Holy flames still burned the wicked, even if they pretended otherwise.
Just then, a blur streaked toward him from the sky.
A Shadow Clan cultivator, balancing effortlessly on a flying sword, landed beside Hei Yuan.
"Report!" Hei Yuan barked.
The cultivator clasped his fist. "The invaders are splitting their forces. They're flanking from both sides!"
Hei Yuan's expression darkened. "They're trying to get to the island. To the Clan premises!"
Dave clicked his tongue. "Figures. The undead are just a distraction."
Hei Yuan acted immediately.
"Split into three groups! First squad, maintain aerial bombardment! Second squad, engage the flying cultivators! Third squad, form a defensive perimeter on the island!"
The Shadow Clan moved with practiced efficiency.
Meanwhile, Dave used Zealot's Stride to ascend in the air.
The sky crackled with energy as cultivators unleashed a barrage of spells, forcing the enemy's aerial squad to scatter.
Below, the undead continued their mindless charge, heedless of the slaughter.
Dave readied Silver Steel.
Even with the battlefield completely chaotic, he could feel it—
Something worse was coming.
His Divine Sense pulsed, stretching toward the island.
A sensation of rotting qi flooded his mind, accompanied by the faint echoes of a voice.
A whisper.
"You cannot stop what is inevitable."
Dave's grip on his sword tightened.
"Hei Yuan."
The elder turned, sensing the shift in his tone.
Dave's voice was firm. "Something else is here."
A wicked melody slithered through the battlefield.
It was a song—dark, insidious, and playful.
"Oh, dance and drown in sorrow's tide, Let shadows feast, let hope subside, A heart that beats is such a waste, Come now, let me have a taste…"
Dave's muscles went taut.
His breath hitched, and for the second time that night, he froze.
His buffs had kept the Shadow Clan cultivators from collapsing, but they still swayed, eyes glassy, jaws slack.
A soft voice whispered in his ear, too close, too knowing.
"Would you let me pluck your heart a second time, I wonder?"
Dave's eyes widened.
He barely had a second to react before a hand poked through his chest again.
A cruel grip tightened around his heart.
No pain. No blood.
Just wrongness.
But this time—he was ready.
"Stagger!"
A pulse of force blasted outward.
The grip loosened.
"Holy Smite!"
A radiant halo erupted behind him, releasing a barrage of blazing projectiles.
He twisted around—
Nothing.
Whoever—or whatever—had stolen his heart vanished.
But his heart… it was gone again.
Dave stumbled, coughing.
His Divine Word: Life still lingered, preventing his immediate death, but the feeling of emptiness in his chest was unbearable.
He had to regain control.
He had to anchor his allies.
He took a deep breath and drew upon his Lion's Courage.
"LION'S ROAR!"
His voice thundered across the battlefield, empowered by holy might.
A wave of silver-gold force washed over the Shadow Clan cultivators, shattering the grip of the Shadow Song.
"Steel your hearts!" Dave's voice rang clear, cutting through the lingering haze of the enemy's wicked melody.
"Cowards fall to fear, but we are not cowards! We stand because we have something worth protecting! We fight because we refuse to kneel! And tonight—"
Dave raised Silver Steel high.
Its divine radiance blazed like a beacon.
"—Tonight, we defend our home!"
The Shadow Clan roared in response.
Their fear broke.
Their spirits rose.
To the Shadow Clan, the island was their home.
To Dave, his home was not a place—it was His Lordship, Gu Jie, Ren Jingyi, Lu Gao, Ren Xun, and Hei Mao.
That was what he fought for.
The divine radiance of his Silver Steel gleamed with unshakable resolve as the Shadow Clan cultivators steadied themselves. The song's influence faltered, though the eerie notes still lingered in the air, slithering like unseen serpents through the battlefield.
The masked invaders surged forward, their formation tightening, pressing against the defenses with renewed aggression.
Hei Yuan barked, "Hold the line! Keep them from stepping on our land!"
Spells ignited the night. Blades clashed in the air. Dave exhaled, regaining his footing as his Divine Word: Life continued to sustain him, keeping him standing despite the gaping void in his chest.
But his instincts screamed—
The real threat was still watching.
From the shadows.
From the dark.
Blessed Regeneration kicked in—and Dave's heart grew again.
His breath hitched, his fingers twitching as the sensation of restored flesh filled the cavity in his chest. The battlefield was a storm of steel and sorcery, but Dave barely registered it as he exhaled sharply, steeling his mind.
A sudden descent of shadow marked Hei Yuan's arrival.
"The rearguard has been breached—" Hei Yuan began, but Dave didn't need to hear the rest.
His hand shot out, grabbing Hei Yuan by the throat.
His fingers clenched around flesh—but something was wrong.
The shadow that had cloaked the presence of the mysterious expert faded, peeling away like dying mist—
Revealing a face.
A face that was shocking.
A face that was familiar.
Dave's grip tightened, his Divine Sense flaring, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
But Hei Yuan's voice was far heavier and far more shaken.
"W-Why…" Hei Yuan's whisper was barely audible over the chaos of battle. His pupils shrank, his breath hitched. "Why is the missing late Shadow Patriarch here!? A-and… you haven't aged a year!"
A playful smile spread across the man's lips.
He shrugged as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I'm back." His voice was smooth, almost casual, like an old friend returning home. His pitch-black eyes gleamed with amusement. "And I'd like to get my island back."