Chapter 6: Shadow Monarch

However, the terrain they were currently in was quite unique. As the saying goes, going up the mountain is easy, but coming down is hard, and leaving was far from simple.

Fang Yi swept aside a Furious Dragon Gang member's saber with his long sword, intending to go to the aid of the other two.

Right at that moment, Murong Xun joined the fray.

Dapeng roared repeatedly, swinging his wolf-tooth mace with a flurry of strikes, seemingly possessing endless stamina. His fighting style could create an overwhelming, one-sided suppression when facing opponents weaker than him, but against those stronger, he could only be played with like a fool. He was simply too clumsy. Before martial artists with nimble footwork, he was nothing more than an iron-headed brute; despite his thick skin and sturdy build, dealing with him was merely a matter of time.

On the other side, the woman named Enma Ai was steadily suppressing her opponent. However, seeing that Fang Yi, the strongest among them, was being suppressed, a desire to retreat began to sprout in her heart. Since they were only temporarily allied, she felt not a single shred of guilt.

Parrying her opponent's long sword with her own, she kicked him squarely in the chest, her body floating gracefully backward for several meters to immediately widen the distance.

"Trying to run?"

Murong Xun raised his hand and flicked out a blade aura, forcing Enma Ai to dodge, thus shattering her hopes of escape. Once again, she found herself entangled with her opponent.

"You forced this!"

"Sea of Lust, Heavens of Passion!"

Enma Ai let out a sharp cry, and pink mist suddenly materialized around her body.

Her opponent's eyes glazed over, losing their luster as if something had utterly captivated his gaze. Yet, Enma Ai's own complexion turned increasingly ghastly, her mental energy depleting at an alarming rate.

"Hmph—!"

At that moment, a sharp shout rang out from not far away, snapping the Furious Dragon Gang member back to his senses instantly. With her saber technique's conceptual momentum broken, Enma Ai turned deathly pale, and a mouthful of fresh blood gushed from her lips.

Taking advantage of her dazed state, the gang member brought his blade down and severed her head.

Meanwhile, Zhao Ze, who had flown across from the opposite cliff, finally arrived.

Although First Line Gorge was only a few dozen meters wide, the winds howling above were fierce indeed. Even for someone of Zhao Ze's peak Xiantian realm, flying across was a precarious endeavor at best. It was only because Murong Xun was over here—and out of concern for his safety after dealing with the situation on the other side—that he had decided to take the risk.

"Do you have any idea who you are messing with?"

Seeing Enma Ai killed just like that, Fang Yi felt no sorrow whatsoever, regretting only the loss of someone to share the burden of diversion.

As for Dapeng, who had already been fighting for his life against a single opponent, his situation became utterly perilous once another person joined the attack.

"Ah—!"

With a furious roar, a blood-colored aura erupted across his skin as he went all out in a desperate struggle. As someone who specialized in physical attributes, his physique was immensely powerful; in this world, only masters dedicated entirely to physical refinement could rival him.

Having unleashed his desperate technique, Dapeng's strength and vitality surged dramatically. The two Furious Dragon Gang experts refused to clash with him head-on, choosing instead to keep their distance while blocking him whenever he attempted to flee, denying him any chance of escape.

Having survived bloodshed in the martial world and risen to become Xiantian masters, they had endured countless hardships and life-or-death battles. Their combat experience far exceeded that of greenhouse flowers nurtured within major sects. Burst secret arts akin to the Heavenly Demon Dissolution Great Art were hardly rare in the martial world, and they possessed similar methods of their own. They were well acquainted with mutual destruction tactics, and naturally knew how to deal with those driven to desperation.

Such burst techniques always had a time limit; there was no need to trade blows with him directly—they simply needed to drag the fight out and wear him down until his duration expired.

Dapeng grew increasingly frantic. He knew his own condition all too well and was acutely aware that this state could not possibly last long. Yet now, the two opponents flanked and besieged him, blocking his path every time he tried to break through, leaving him completely cornered.

In truth, this stemmed from a miscalculation on their part. They had never anticipated that, due to Murong Xun's presence, Zhao Ze would bring along several extra Xiantian masters when setting out. This resulted in them being suppressed by superior elite power, completely overpowering Fang Yi and his group. When facing other factions, their usual tactics had always brought guaranteed success.

Yet now, dwelling on such matters was far too late. With their overall strength inferior to their opponents, escaping had become an immensely arduous task.

This was primarily because their development leaned toward traditional wuxia, leaving them devoid of extraordinary utility methods. The few special techniques they did possess were heavily suppressed and restricted in this unique world, forbidden from being deployed. Consequently, many of their escape skills simply could not be used.

In an ancient world like this, certain restrictions were strictly enforced. Anything inconsistent with the world's fundamental laws was barred from use. Sorcery and firearms, for instance, were absolutely prohibited. On the other hand, techniques like Aurora Flash or Wild Bull Charge could be interpreted as advanced lightness or body-movement arts, and thus were permitted.

While Dapeng was being played like a kite, Fang Yi's situation under the combined attacks of Murong Xun and the others was equally grim. Yet, true to being the strongest among the trio, he stubbornly held his ground despite the unfavorable odds, fighting a retreating battle that inched him closer and closer to the cliff's edge.

Clearly, he intended to reach the precipice to facilitate his escape.

Naturally, Murong Xun and Zhao Ze were no fools; they had no intention of handing him such an opportunity. The three of them shifted positions rapidly, trading blows amidst constant movement.

Although Murong Xun was merely at the Post-celestial realm, his mastery of profound ultimate techniques and an array of powerful passive skills elevated his combat prowess to the level of a Xiantian master. Because his various enhancements heavily favored offense, his destructive output was terrifyingly high.

"Where did this monster come from?"

The more he clashed with Murong Xun, the more alarmed Fang Yi became. The strength of this native was utterly terrifying! No wonder he was the disciple of that supreme grandmaster?

He had heard of Qiu En and understood his feats, knowing just how powerful the man who had united the northern greenwoods truly was. Thus, it was no surprise that his disciple possessed such might. What shocked him, however, was realizing just how difficult it would be to escape.

A burst of smoke suddenly erupted on the spot, and Fang Yi's figure vanished from their sight.

"All flash and no substance!"

Zhao Ze sneer. Raising his hand, he slashed downward, sending a blade aura hurtling toward a massive tree not far away. Fang Yi's figure was forced out of hiding, stumbling into view.

"Spare us those uninfluential parlor tricks of a street performer."

Having roamed the martial world for decades, what kind of formations had he not witnessed? Trying to pull wool over his eyes with petty illusions like displacement tricks was a complete joke.

Fang Yi's face turned ashen. What he had used just now was naturally no mere illusion, but rather a displacement skill borrowed through a smokescreen. It was a method borne of absolute desperation; abilities incompatible with this world could not be openly displayed, but if concealed from the eyes of the locals, they could theoretically be squeezed out—though forcing them required a massive expenditure of energy. What he never expected, however, was that his hiding spot would be seen through in a single glance.

Yet, this was no time for hesitation. Since he had managed to widen the distance from his pursuers, his objective was technically achieved. He spun around and bolted in the opposite direction.

Fast as he was, someone was even faster. Murong Xun closed the distance in a straight line.

In this world, the utility of Aurora Flash was maximized. While the capabilities of others faced restrictions, in the eyes of the locals, a technique like Aurora Flash was merely a high-tier lightness skill, free from extraneous limitations.

Consequently, the distance Fang Yi had painstakingly created was closed once more.

Moving in close, Murong Xun delivered a direct slash.

"You are..."

At that moment, shock painted Fang Yi's expression. Previously, Murong Xun's attacks had never landed directly on him, leaving him oblivious to the youth's identity as a player. But this time, the blow connected, triggering the various passive effects of Murong Xun's Shadow of Slaughter to evaluate him.

Although Fang Yi's high resistance allowed him to withstand the onslaught without a single negative status taking effect, it confirmed his suspicion: Murong Xun was a player.

Alas, it was all too late. Before the words could leave his mouth, his body suddenly stiffened.

Believing the paralysis effect had successfully triggered, Murong Xun hesitated not a second before swinging his blade downward.

"Cheng Xiaoyu, you bastard framed me!"

Fang Yi managed only a single dying cry before his head parted from his shoulders.

Having dispatched his foe, Murong Xun scooped up the blood-colored badge that materialized on the spot and tucked it away seamlessly. His movements were fluid and natural, escaping the notice of Zhao Ze and the others standing nearby.

"Clean things up and let's get down the mountain."

Acting as though nothing had happened, he urged the rest of the group to pack up.

Suspecting nothing, the others knew there were still a dozen men waiting at the foot of the mountain. To prevent any complications arising from prolonged delay, they merely searched the corpses for identifying items, piled the bodies together, and began their descent without even burying them.

At such an altitude, human intervention was unnecessary; the vultures and eagles wheeling above would soon strip the mountain clean of any lingering traces.

Yet, no sooner had the group departed down the mountain than a cluster of shadowy figures abruptly materialized amidst the pile of corpses.

"How can you call it framing you? Since you declared me the Shadow Monarch, surely you knew that collecting shadows is my favorite pastime?"

A light chuckle echoed from one of the shadowy figures. Judging by its silhouette, it bore an uncanny resemblance to Fang Yi.

"Still, I never expected a player to start out disguised as a native. That certainly makes things interesting. A bit weak on strength, but the potential isn't bad. I do look forward to seeing what you look like once I've added your shadow to my collection!"

He glanced around at the gathered throng of shadows, then slowly melted back into the darkness.