Although the Shadow Beasts are not the most powerful creatures in the Cold Moon Realm, if encountered at night, even ancient ferocious beasts would never dare to face a group of adult Shadow Beasts whose strength suddenly multiplies severalfold.
For unknown reasons, the Shadow Beast Forest remains shrouded in darkness for two-thirds of the day, with daylight being exceptionally brief. Thousands of Shadow Beasts inhabit the forest, with adult specimens making up a significant proportion.
As a result, even neighboring territories like the Ten Thousand Birds Ridge and the Eight Fiends Sea—dominated by ancient ferocious beasts—have no intention of encroaching upon this domain.
Within the forest, Shadow Beasts reign like masters in their own backyard, while other creatures exist almost solely as prey. Only a handful of rare beasts, which also gain enhanced transformation abilities at night, can barely pose a threat to the Shadow Beasts. However, in terms of numbers and true strength, these creatures are far inferior within the Shadow Beast Forest.
On this particular day, in a location barely a hundred miles from the forest’s edge, a massive serpent—nearly seventy to eighty feet long, its body covered in dark green scales—stood locked in a tense standoff with a Shadow Beast.
Though this serpent appeared similar to an ordinary python, it was in fact one of the few creatures in the forest capable of challenging a Shadow Beast—the Nightscale Python.
As its name suggests, this serpent gains immense supernatural abilities at night, undergoing a berserk-like transformation fueled by the darkness. In this state, its strength rivals that of an adult Shadow Beast, and it becomes extraordinarily bloodthirsty and frenzied in battle.
However, this transformation comes at a heavy cost. The Nightscale Python suffers severe aftereffects, including a drastic reduction in strength for years afterward and even a loss of lifespan. Thus, unless its life is truly at stake, the serpent avoids this transformation.
Ironically, the Nightscale Python’s inner core holds immense nourishing power for Shadow Beasts. Whenever the two encounter each other in the forest, it inevitably leads to a fight to the death.
The two beasts now stood at the forest’s edge, having unexpectedly crossed paths.
The Nightscale Python reared its head high, its black-purple tongue flickering rapidly, its dark green scales bristling like blades—a clear sign of imminent attack.
The Shadow Beast opposing it resembled a wolf, but magnified three to four times in size. Its body was pitch-black, its tail long and slender like a leopard’s, exuding an eerie elegance.
Judging by its build, this Shadow Beast had only recently reached adulthood, appearing slightly leaner than its kin. Yet its piercing black-and-white eyes remained locked onto the python, brimming with ferocity.
Strangely, however, the beast merely watched the serpent without immediately pouncing.
While adult Shadow Beasts usually emerge victorious in battles against berserk Nightscale Pythons, there have been instances where the serpent instead devoured the Shadow Beast.
Though thrilled by the encounter, the Shadow Beast did not rush into action.
The Nightscale Python’s transformation grants it immense power, but it also exposes a brief moment of vulnerability. If the Shadow Beast could seize that opportunity, a single strike might prove fatal.
Meanwhile, though the serpent had assumed a posture ready for transformation, it dared not act recklessly. Thus, the two remained locked in an eerie stalemate.
Creatures in the Shadow Beast Forest had long adapted to nocturnal activity, resting in their dens during the day.
Moreover, the towering trees of the forest—even at its edges—blocked nearly all sunlight, leaving only fragmented glimpses of darkness through the dense canopy.
Now, at the deepest hour of night, the area would have been pitch-black were it not for the faint glow emitted by low-lying vegetation.
Time passed slowly as the two beasts remained motionless for what felt like an eternity.
Finally, the Shadow Beast lost patience. With a low growl, it began circling the python, its movements silent as if it were weightless.
The Nightscale Python responded by flicking its tongue even faster, hissing in warning.
The Shadow Beast’s eyes gleamed with malice as its claws extended, shimmering with dark energy. Its whip-like tail lashed through the air, leaving afterimages and producing sharp cracks as if tearing through space itself.
The python, tracking its opponent’s movements, suddenly reacted as if provoked. Its hissing intensified, and its dark green scales pulsed with light, its body swelling as if inflated.
Within moments, a sharp *ripping* sound echoed as the serpent’s skin split apart, revealing a new form—nearly half again as large as before.
Its scales remained dark green, but now bore intricate silver-white patterns that formed glowing runes. A spiraled, jade-white horn protruded from its head, sharp and deadly.
Its eyes, once emerald green, now burned crimson with madness.
The instant the transformation completed, the Shadow Beast struck.
A flash of black—then the beast vanished into the night.
The next moment, it reappeared beside the python’s head, its claws slashing toward the serpent’s neck—where a cluster of pale red scales marked its sole weakness.
A single strike there could cripple the serpent, even if delivered by an ordinary flying sword.
*Thud! Thud!*
The claws struck—but the python twisted at the last second, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. Only shallow wounds marred its neck, oozing thin trails of blood.
Enraged, the serpent retaliated. Its tail lashed out, filling the air with ghostly green afterimages that swept toward the Shadow Beast with a deafening roar.
Unfazed, the Shadow Beast split into two shadowy duplicates—each resembling itself but cloaked in dark-gray energy. Together, they lunged at the serpent.
Claws met scales in a storm of sparks and explosions, neither side gaining ground.
Then—*whoosh!*
The python’s head darted forward, swallowing one shadow whole before lunging at the other.
But the Shadow Beast seized the moment, its jaws stretching unnaturally wide—lined with dagger-like fangs—as it aimed to bisect the serpent in one bite.
The python twisted, matching the beast’s speed, its own maw gaping as it counterattacked.
Meanwhile, the remaining shadow elongated like a living rope, coiling toward the serpent.
The battle raged, a tempest of fangs, claws, and raw power.
Unbeknownst to them, ten miles away, inside a seemingly ordinary giant tree, a hidden chamber housed three figures.
They sat cross-legged around a floating mirror, its silver-backed surface displaying the battle in perfect detail.
One wore a green robe, another a white hood, and the third had deep golden skin—Han Li, Liu Shui’er, and Shi Kun, who had spent weeks journeying to this place.
Their eyes remained fixed on the mirror, unblinking.
Nearly half an hour later, the Shadow Beast—now split into hundreds of black bats—finally overwhelmed the battered Nightscale Python. It tore open the serpent’s belly, devoured its core, and departed in triumph.
With a sigh, Liu Shui’er waved a hand, dispelling the mirror’s image.
“Well? Having witnessed the Shadow Beasts firsthand, what do you think?”
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