C16 Shadow Appeared!

A Shadow Bat, shielded by its companions, darted through the intense flames and made a beeline for Liu Feng's back. It moved with the speed of sound, like a streak of black lightning, its razor-sharp claws nearly upon him.

"Shelter of Water!" Ai Xinran extended her palm, and with a delicate, low moan, a water blue barrier deflected the demon's lethal claws.

"Water Whip!" In the same breath, a water whip materialized in her hand, its gentle flow standing side by side with Liu Feng, back to back.

The water whip lashed at the Shadow Bat's body relentlessly.

Yet the Shadow Bats seemed inexhaustible, a dark swarm that replaced each fallen comrade with another, plunging Liu Feng into despair—the kind that drains the will to fight, the despair of facing an unbeatable foe.

Liu Feng pushed down the rising tide of hopelessness, steadying his heart to sense the fly ash of the fire element and to comprehend the profound melodies of the spiritual world, the chapters of the Great Dao.

In moments of crisis, one must remain even more composed!

"Fire Dragon!"

Flame after flame lashed out, emanating from the epicenter of the Flame Burst, rolling outward in a stunning display of crimson that cut across the space, the fiery tongues dancing wildly like a dragon tearing at its prey.

"Chi—!"

Before Liu Feng could revel in his successful casting of the third-level arcane fire skill, a searing pain erupted from his abdomen.

This was Liu Feng's first wound.

During a brief lapse in the Shelter of Water, a Shadow Bat had breached the fiery barricade and effortlessly punctured Liu Feng's abdomen with a single swipe, its dark claw now smeared with bright red. Blood gushed from Liu Feng's wound, spilling onto the ground, indistinguishable from the flames it mingled with.

"Da Da Da—"

Liu Feng's face turned ashen as spasms of pain wracked his abdomen, sweat beading on his brow. Without a moment to spare, he clenched his teeth and hurled another Flame Burst, reducing the Shadow Bat to ashes.

"Ahhh!" Ai Xinran's scream pierced the air, her face deathly pale, tears streaming down in agony. Her once fair and delicate arm had been viciously clawed by the demon, now lying severed on the ground.

As the battle wore on, Liu Feng and Ai Xinran found their Magicka nearly depleted. Their bodies bore the accumulating scars of combat, their clothes torn and stained with streaks of scarlet.

When Ai Xinran's arm was severed by the demon's claws, she lost all will to fight. The agony rendered her incapable of wielding arcane spells, her eyes hollow, her consciousness fading. It seemed she had resigned herself to her grim fate, to the end of her life.

For the first time, Liu Feng truly understood the depths of powerlessness and despair. A maelstrom of emotions raged within him, relentlessly battering his spirit.

Doubts echoed in his mind. Had he really crossed into the arcane world and devoted himself to mastering arcane arts just to perish here, unable to protect the girl beside him, both of them destined to be torn apart and devoured by the demon?

No, this was not the life he was meant to lead. His story was not meant to end here, and neither was Ai Xinran's.

But what could he do? His fire Magicka was utterly exhausted, and he couldn't connect with the shadow Magicka.

Then he remembered the devil crystal. Yet, it could only provide a limited amount of Magicka. With Ai Xinran in her current state, his fire powers wouldn't be enough to break free. Fire alone couldn't save them.

As despair deepened, Liu Feng felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness, as if an abyss was beckoning him to surrender and sink into eternal darkness, with no glimmer of hope in sight. Cold sweat streamed down his back, and his eyes dimmed with resignation.

He could escape using the devil crystal, but that would mean abandoning Ai Xinran, and no one would ever know. Yet, that was not the path of arcane he sought to follow.

The shadow-type was his only chance. It was time to take a gamble.

Liu Feng chose to put his faith in the shadow-type, in himself. He chose to share his fate with Ai Xinran, to live or die together. That was the essence of his arcane journey.

With his decision made, Liu Feng inhaled deeply, finding an inner calm he had never known before. It was as if he was cut off from the world, his self completely surrendered. As if in harmony with the heavens, the external chaos seemed irrelevant. His spirit gently descended into the spiritual world.

In such perilous circumstances, Liu Feng was completely unaware of the danger, utterly absorbed in his spiritual world. To any onlooker, it would appear he had surrendered to despair, closing his eyes and silently awaiting death.

Yet, Liu Feng was doing the exact opposite; he was searching for a glimmer of hope amidst the looming peril.

He believed that even in the vast darkness, there must be light.

Liu Feng was gambling that his Shadow Escape would be quicker than the swipe of the Shadow Bat's claws.

"Shadow, shadow, come forth swiftly! I have faith in you. I command you, come to my aid!"

————————

Now, activate! Ahhhhhh!!!!

Shadow Escape!

As Liu Feng's Thoughtform let out a roar within the spiritual world, the shadow element, momentarily silent, decisively reached out its hand.

Though its motion was slow and somewhat hesitant, it indeed reached out.

For Liu Feng, the moment of introspection was fleeting.

The next instant.

In the physical world, Liu Feng's eyes gradually opened. His dull, gray eyes, once like orbs of white and black, were now shrouded in a layer of inky darkness. They held a depth and mystery as if concealing an entire universe, not the gray of despair, but a pure, unadulterated black, the color of shadow Magicka.

"Shadow Escape!" Liu Feng reached out to grasp Ai Xinran, who was on the verge of unconsciousness.

In Liu Feng's vision, a massive claw loomed, almost as if he could see his own heart being ripped out and pulsating in the grasp of the Shadow Bat.

The Shadow Bat, with a malicious grin, was moments away from delivering a lethal blow to Liu Feng.

However, just as the strike was about to land, Liu Feng's lips curled into a sly smile directed at the Shadow Bat.

And then, he struck.

A figure was ripped asunder and vanished without a trace, leaving no blood behind, as if a clear mirror had been shattered.

That was Liu Feng's figure.

The claw, aimed to deliver a deadly strike, grasped at nothing, not even grazing Liu Feng's clothes.

Both figures slowly faded into the boundless darkness, Ai Xinran's arm included.

On the ground, a shadow moved at supersonic speed, racing away into the distance, leaving no trace behind.

Only the dark silhouette of the Shadow Bat remained.

The leader of the Shadow Bats realized its claw had come up empty and, with a furious glare at the fleeing shadow, let out a roar and pursued it.

The Shadow Bats in the sky also noticed their prey had escaped. They screeched and took flight, but soon they could no longer see the figure and could only roar in frustration.

At the entrance to the Verge of Serenity, Lei Boshi and Qin Wu had arrived, bearing numerous wounds. Their clothes were stained with blood, clearly indicating they had been through a brutal fight.

"Should we go look for them?" Qin Wu showed a hint of panic for the first time. He had already suffered one loss; he couldn't afford another!

"Let's wait a bit longer. If they don't show up, then we'll search for them," Lei Boshi said, trying to be reassuring, though his eyes betrayed his concern.

No sooner had he spoken than they saw Liu Feng approaching with Ai Xinran on his back. Her twin ponytails had come undone, her youthful hairstyle replaced by long hair matted with spots of dried blood.

Lei Boshi quickly produced a token and opened the gateway to the Verge of Serenity. Qin Wu stepped forward to assist, taking Ai Xinran from Liu Feng's back.

"It's all because of you, kid. Xinran is in this state because of you. If anything happens to her, I'll hold you responsible!" Qin Wu, his eyes red with emotion, stared at Liu Feng.

"Don't worry. She just passed out from the pain of losing her arm, which I have here," Liu Feng reassured him, handing over Ai Xinran's severed arm.

After examining Ai Xinran and confirming she had only fainted from the pain, Qin Wu let out a sigh of relief. He also regained some composure and gave Liu Feng a complex look. In such a perilous situation, Liu Feng hadn't abandoned his teammate and had even managed to bring her back safely along with her severed arm. This young man had proven himself far more capable than Qin Wu had been in his own youth.

Qin Wu, carrying Ai Xinran, began to walk away, then paused and turned back to Liu Feng, saying solemnly, "Consider me in your debt."

Liu Feng offered a faint smile, choosing to remain silent. Qin Wu appeared arrogant, yet unexpectedly, he had a different side to him. The taste for a little girl with double pigtails was quite peculiar.

The group made their way into the Verge of Serenity passageway, exhaling slowly in relief. Though the Verge of Serenity was home to a handful of demons, it was significantly safer than the world outside.

The compensation for this mission was a hefty five million. Coupled with the two million from the residual soul and fur of the slain tentacle monster, the total came to seven million. Liu Feng's share amounted to three hundred and fifty thousand. This windfall left Liu Feng reflecting on the old adage: fortune favors the bold. While the work of an arcanist was fraught with peril, the rewards were indeed substantial. He also couldn't help but think that Lei was excessively frugal.

At this rate, Liu Feng wondered, how long would it take to afford a fire element seed?

Determined, Liu Feng formally requested to leave the team, prompting Lei Boshi to toss the money at him with an impatient gesture.

"Scram."

Liu Feng simply smiled, accepting the two hundred thousand reward without a second thought.

After visiting Ai Xinran in the hospital and seeing her arm successfully reattached and her recovery underway, Liu Feng felt at ease.

And so, Liu Feng embarked on his solo arcane adventure!