As the silver light dissipated, the burly man was immediately wrapped in the beast hide and transformed into a living shadow beast. With its dark fur and sharp claws, it was indistinguishable from the previous shadow beast.
“Marvelous! I hardly felt anything, yet my appearance has changed so drastically.” The shadow beast, now Shi Kun, lifted a forelimb to examine it closely before bursting into laughter.
“If the Thousand Illusion Mask didn’t have such effects, I wouldn’t have dared to present it before you two, lest I embarrass myself,” Liu Shui’er said with a smile.
“Thank you, Fellow Daoist Liu. With this treasure, our journey gains an extra layer of concealment,” the shadow beast replied in human speech, its tone jubilant.
Having witnessed Shi Kun’s transformation, Han Li also grew confident in the mask. After a brief pause, he thanked the cloaked woman and suggested, “Fellow Daoist Liu and I still lack beast hides, but we shouldn’t delay further. Let’s set off and see if we encounter any lone shadow beasts along the way to deal with.”
“Brother Han’s words align perfectly with my thoughts. Our time is limited, and we shouldn’t waste a single moment,” Liu Shui’er readily agreed.
Shi Kun naturally had no objections, so the three stealthily slipped out of the tree hollow under the cover of night.
Shi Kun took the form of a shadow beast but exhaled a cloud of yellow mist, which condensed into a faint yellow aura around him.
The dark forest was already murky at night, and with Shi Kun’s technique, his concealed form would be nearly impossible to detect unless observed within ten zhang.
Liu Shui’er, meanwhile, retrieved a peculiar jade-like artifact from her waist and tossed it forward. It transformed into a pristine white jade rat, over a zhang in length. With a graceful sway, she stepped onto its back, and the rat emitted a faint white glow, enveloping both itself and Liu Shui’er. Within the light, their figures gradually turned translucent, becoming a barely discernible shadow.
As for Han Li, his method was even simpler.
The Emerald Swarm Sword, after purification, was an artifact of pure wood attribute. In a forest brimming with wood spiritual energy, its flight was naturally the most inconspicuous.
With a flick of his sleeve, a small green sword several inches long shot out, circling briefly before transforming into a green rainbow several zhang long that coiled around him. Moments later, a nearly imperceptible green streak shot forth.
Thus, the three concealed themselves and set off toward the depths of the Shadow Beast Forest.
—
Several days later, a slender shadow beast trod gracefully through thick foliage when suddenly, a flurry of blue light erupted from a towering tree beside it, engulfing the creature.
The female shadow beast shrieked in alarm, its claws glowing with black energy as it slashed at the blue radiance.
But the blue light merely swirled and expanded into a massive sphere, completely trapping the beast. Its shriek was abruptly muffled, and its fierce claw strikes only caused the blue light to ripple slightly, failing to tear through.
A graceful figure emerged from the tree in a flash of white light—Liu Shui’er.
With one hand forming a seal and the other holding a fist-sized blue crystal, she murmured incantations toward the blue radiance.
A bizarre scene unfolded. The blue sphere gradually expanded under her control, soon forming a curtain of light covering nearly a mu.
She then flipped her palm, retracting the crystal, and vanished into the blue curtain as a white streak.
The shadow beast inside lunged at her without hesitation, splitting into three additional shadowy figures mid-charge.
Unfazed, Liu Shui’er parted her lips and exhaled a spray of fine blue threads, which scattered into a net that descended upon the beast and its clones.
The shadow beast retaliated by spewing a black beam, while the clones swiped with countless claw projections.
Deafening booms erupted within the blue curtain as black and blue energies clashed violently.
The blue curtain evidently possessed sound-dampening properties, as the chaotic spiritual fluctuations and thunderous noise barely escaped its confines.
Liu Shui’er and the shadow beast were now locked in battle.
Outside the curtain, a green streak and yellow mist materialized, revealing Han Li and Shi Kun. They observed the fight with varying expressions.
“Heh, Fellow Daoist Liu is quite particular, insisting on targeting a female shadow beast,” Shi Kun remarked, shaking his head.
“If she insists, she must have her reasons,” Han Li replied neutrally.
“Hmph, as a woman, her reservations are understandable. But why did you pass on that wounded shadow beast two days ago, Brother Han? That puzzled me,” Shi Kun asked, eyeing Han Li curiously.
“Nothing much. That beast was already injured and scarred. Even if I took its hide, the transformation might not be flawless. I’d rather find another,” Han Li said dismissively.
“Ah, I thought perhaps you were moved by the sight of its cubs nearby. But then again, cultivators like us wouldn’t entertain such trivial sentiments,” Shi Kun chuckled.
Han Li merely smirked without responding.
As they spoke, a muffled thud echoed from the blue curtain, causing it to tremble briefly before stabilizing.
Han Li’s gaze sharpened, while Shi Kun looked startled.
The blue curtain suddenly shattered into fragments, dissolving into motes of light.
At its center stood Liu Shui’er, calm and composed. At her feet lay the motionless female shadow beast, its fur soaked but devoid of injuries.
A sweep of Han Li’s spiritual sense confirmed the beast was lifeless.
“Impressive. I didn’t expect Fellow Daoist Liu’s water-based techniques to be so formidable—even quicker than mine,” Shi Kun praised, his surprise fading.
“Brother Shi flatters me. Your physical prowess is something both Brother Han and I witnessed firsthand. My meager skills pale in comparison,” Liu Shui’er replied, lifting the beast with a charming smile.
“If your abilities are ‘meager,’ then mine are nothing at all. Brother Han, now that Fellow Daoist Liu and I have our hides, only you remain. And the deeper we go, the likelier we are to encounter packs. You should act soon,” Shi Kun said meaningfully.
“Rest assured, Brother Shi. I know my limits and won’t gamble with my life,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.
—
Three days later, beside a winding stream in the Shadow Beast Forest, a shadow beast larger than average was trapped under a green curtain of light.
Han Li hovered above, eyes half-closed, hands forming seals as he manipulated the flickering green barrier.
Nearby, the cloaked woman and Shi Kun stood, one with gleaming eyes, the other frowning deeply—both inwardly astonished.
The green curtain was so dense it obscured all view, and their spiritual probes were rebuffed effortlessly. This was Han Li’s Spring Dawn Sword Array!
Suddenly, Han Li’s brow twitched. He ceased his seals and flicked a sleeve downward, uttering, “Retrieve.”
The green light dispersed, reverting to dozens of gleaming green swords hovering mid-air.
With a grasping motion, the swords shrank to inches long before shooting back into his body.
Below, the massive shadow beast lay dead, blood trickling from its orifices.
Exchanging glances, the cloaked woman and Shi Kun saw mutual wariness in each other’s eyes.
Han Li descended calmly, landing beside the corpse.
“Fellow Daoists, with this hide, we may now venture deeper without fear,” he said lightly.
“With the hides secured, of course. But who knew your greatest strength lay in sword arrays? Though we couldn’t see inside, the mere fact it blocked our spiritual senses speaks volumes,” Liu Shui’er admitted wryly.
“Indeed. From luring the beast in to slaying it, though slower than our methods, your array leaked no sound or ripple. With such skills, few below the Saint stage could rival you,” Shi Kun praised sincerely.
“Flattery won’t gild my reputation. While my Spring Dawn Sword Array has its merits, the two of you, chosen for this mission, must have shown but a fraction of your true power. How could a mere sword array compare?” Han Li chuckled dismissively.
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