Chapter 168: Ultimate

Xu Qing ignored the Vajra Sect Patriarch's reaction, focusing instead on suppressing the shadow while looking up at the distant sky.

His mind recalled the first time he acquired the shadow. It happened in the jungle forbidden zone when he and the Thunder Squad were killing a pack of Black-Scaled Wolves. The moment one of the wolves died, its shadow spread towards him, as if attempting to parasitize him.

It was also then that the purple crystal truly transformed, sealing the shadow. From that moment on, his shadow mutated.

To be precise, his shadow had become the vessel for the Black-Scaled Wolf's shadow, and the two had merged.

The shadow's ability to absorb anomalous matter made Xu Qing's cultivation smoother. While his own body remained perfectly pure, the shadow continuously absorbed these substances to grow, enhancing its combat power. In the following days, the shadow remained unchanged except for its auxiliary role. After Xu Qing discovered he could control it, it became his hidden trump card.

It wasn't until the incident with the merfolk that the shadow showed a hint of sentience. This was followed by the mute boy's warning and the shadow's actual awakening on Mermaid Island to extinguish the spiritual lamp. From then on, the shadow not only displayed sentience but also a certain level of intellect. Xu Qing had anticipated all of this.

However, he could always suppress it with his cultivation and the purple crystal's containment. So, despite some concerns, he allowed it to grow stronger, which eventually led to the previous backlash. Xu Qing was not surprised by the shadow's attempt to backfire; it was within his expectations.

What did surprise Xu Qing was the shadow's ability to attract the giant dragon carriage. This made him speculate more about its origins. "Regardless, you are now more of a liability than an asset to me," Xu Qing said calmly, looking down at the shadow.

His tone made the Vajra Sect Patriarch tremble inwardly. The shadow clearly sensed the difference from before, radiating intense fear, as if begging for mercy. "If that's the case, what use are you to me?!" Xu Qing closed his eyes, raised his right hand, and pressed it without hesitation onto the shadow on the deck.

This time, the purple light didn't just suppress; it flowed directly from Xu Qing's right hand onto the shadow's body. The next instant, the boat rumbled, and the shadow, unable to bear it, let out an unprecedentedly piercing shriek.

An emotion mixed with pain and fury emanated from within, surging into Xu Qing's perception. Xu Qing ignored it and continued the suppression.

The shadow's miserable wails sent shivers down the Vajra Sect Patriarch's spine, making him instinctively step back, a look of tension in his eyes as he gazed at Xu Qing. Amidst the rumbling, the shadow grew fainter with its screams, then shattered into pieces with a faint crack, transforming from its original tree-like state into an ordinary shadow. Its wails also diminished from sharp and piercing to slow and weak, turning into pleas, as a sense of profound weakness spread. Xu Qing remained expressionless, continuing the suppression.

One hundred eighty times, two hundred forty times, three hundred twenty times...

His purple light erupted and suppressed again and again. The shadow on the deck continuously faded, becoming blurred, its screams growing weaker. The determination in Xu Qing's eyes revealed his resolve.

He was truly intent on completely eradicating it. As for how to deal with his own anomalous matter after the shadow's demise, Xu Qing wasn't overly concerned. There was a primary and secondary issue here: his purple crystal was primary, and the shadow was secondary.

Although the shadow could absorb anomalous matter, since the purple crystal could seal it, it could also seal other shadow-like entities. At worst, after killing it, he could simply explore the forbidden zones more and find another substitute.

So even though the shadow was extremely faint at this moment, his suppression continued: three hundred fifty times, four hundred sixty times, five hundred seventy times, six hundred eighty times. The entire process was relentless and unwavering.

Until, as it continued to fade, the shadow had no choice but to contract and gather into a ball, making its color slightly darker instead of so faint. Then, its form shifted, becoming a small figure that knelt and continuously kowtowed, begging for mercy.

Xu Qing coldly watched the kowtowing shadow figure, pressing his right hand down again. With a rumble, he shattered it with a single palm strike. The screaming ceased abruptly.

Xu Qing remained calm, sitting under the sun. No shadow appeared by his side, but he paid no mind to this strange phenomenon. He rose, walked to the edge of the magic boat, and looked down at the black sea.

Under the sunlight, if he had a shadow, it would have been cast upon the sea filled with anomalous matter. After standing there for a long time, Xu Qing returned to the bow and calmly said, "Get out!"

The deck was silent, with no trace of anything revealed.

Xu Qing suddenly smiled, and the cold glint in his eyes reappeared. The purple light on his chest faintly flickered, and just as it was about to erupt again, the previously shattered shadow reappeared, trembling on the deck.

The moment it appeared, it rapidly contracted, transforming into a small figure that quickly kowtowed, its plea for mercy far more intense than before.

"Too slow to come out," Xu Qing said slowly, suppressing it again. With a bang, the small figure crumbled, its miserable wail lasting only half a sound before dissipating.

Xu Qing remained expressionless, closing his eyes to meditate. He found that killing the shadow was still a bit troublesome, so he began to study the purple crystal in his chest, searching for a way to completely destroy the shadow. Time passed, and soon it was noon, when the sun was at its most intense. After half a day of extreme tension for the Vajra Sect Patriarch, Xu Qing opened his eyes and calmly looked at the deck. "Get out."

The next instant, the shadow coalesced with astonishing speed, as if terrified of being too slow and suffering more torture.

Although the shadow was still very faint, after more than an hour of recovery, it had barely regained its outline, returning to its tree-like form. The emotions it conveyed in its trembling now, besides begging, included a fear ten times more intense than before.

"You've been by my side for a long time; you should know my nature," Xu Qing said coldly, looking at the shadow. He intended to kill it, but studying the crystal required time. So, as he gazed at it and its fear intensified, Xu Qing slowly spoke.

"I'll give you three months to change my mind about killing you. If you fail..." Xu Qing didn't continue. The shadow shivered, repeatedly kowtowing, as if making a guarantee.

"Now tell me, what's different about you after your advancement?" Xu Qing glanced at the shadow.

"Bite control," the shadow tried to convey. But it was too weak, and perhaps due to its inherent nature, even after its advancement, it struggled to express itself fully in words, only managing to describe as much as possible.

Xu Qing frowned. The shadow's description was too simplistic. He needed to know precisely what its advanced abilities were, as this would affect future combat strategies.

"Master, let me handle it!" The Vajra Sect Patriarch finally found his chance and quickly spoke, lightning flashing around his body, propelling him swiftly to the shadow's front. He stared at its hundred-plus eyes and quickly whispered questions.

"I'll ask. If it's right, you blink. If it's wrong, you nod. Now tell me, what are you talking about biting? Biting anomalous matter? Biting flesh and blood? Biting shadows?"

The shadow looked at the Vajra Sect Patriarch with ill will, but at this moment, it had no choice. Since it couldn't describe clearly, it could only obey. As soon as it heard the Patriarch say "biting shadows," it immediately blinked.

"Biting oneself? Biting others?" "Biting a part? Biting all?"

"That's called 'devour.' After devouring, you control. Control the body? Control the soul?"

After some communication, the Vajra Sect Patriarch had an epiphany and quickly turned to Xu Qing.

"Master, I understand now! Little Shadow means it can devour other people's shadows, and the moment it completely devours them, it can control their bodies. However, it can't do that to you, Master, because there's something that frightens it!" After the Vajra Sect Patriarch finished, the shadow clearly showed agreement, nodding rapidly. But it quickly reacted and shook its head just as fast.

Finally, it looked at the Vajra Sect Patriarch with a hint of pity. Clearly, Xu Qing's unprecedented suppression had damaged its sentience and intellect, making it less sharp than before.

"Little Shadow, remember this: if it's right, you blink; if it's wrong, you nod. This way, it'll be very clear, making it easier for me to understand what you mean." The Vajra Sect Patriarch spoke kindly, showing no apparent ulterior motive. After hearing this, the shadow quickly blinked.

The Vajra Sect Patriarch's smile became even gentler, but he secretly thought, 'You little brat shadow, daring to show me malice! Just wait and see how I punish you. As long as you get used to my explanations and accustomed to nodding when it's wrong, I'll have countless ways to make you suffer greatly without you even realizing it.'

Xu Qing paid no attention to the Vajra Sect Patriarch's schemes. He was somewhat moved after hearing about the shadow's abilities.

This ability seemed quite strange to him. As for the terrifying entity the shadow mentioned, Xu Qing knew it was the purple crystal. "Anything else?" "Eyes," the shadow quickly replied, then looked at the Vajra Sect Patriarch.

After another round of communication, the Vajra Sect Patriarch explained, "It has another ability: it can separate shadow eyes and hide them in other people's shadows, allowing Master to observe through them."

"Domain," the shadow transmitted another sound.

The Vajra Sect Patriarch thought for a moment, asked a few more questions, and after confirming what the shadow wanted to say, turned to Xu Qing and spoke respectfully.

"Master, the shadow says it can also form a state similar to a shadow domain, but it cannot last long. However, once activated, its abilities within the domain will significantly increase." As the Vajra Sect Patriarch explained, the shadow visibly relaxed. Looking at the Patriarch, it felt less aversion than before, so it quickly blinked its eyes.

Xu Qing was deep in thought. The Vajra Sect Patriarch's change was evident, and the shadow, after its advancement, was clearly even more bizarre. Their combined cooperation could lead to more varied combat maneuvers for him. After pondering, Xu Qing looked at the sea, the giant dragon carriage from moments ago reappearing in his mind.

Gradually, his eyes narrowed as he recalled what Elder Zhao had mentioned: the rare secret technique carved within the dragon carriage. The Imperial-grade Secret Art, Golden Crow Refines All Spirits!

"How can I enter the dragon carriage to learn this secret technique?" Xu Qing pondered, his gaze on the sea. Meanwhile, the Vajra Sect Patriarch squatted beside the shadow and began to persuade it.

"Little Shadow, I know you actually don't like Master very much, do you?" The shadow paused, then quickly nodded.

"You shouldn't be like this. I've read many ancient texts, and none of those who harbored rebellious thoughts ever came to a good end. Of course, I know you're not convinced in your heart. You feel that the vast sky is where you belong to soar, so you always want to rebel, always want to eliminate our great Master, isn't that right?" Hearing this, Xu Qing looked over.

Under Xu Qing's gaze, the shadow trembled and cautiously nodded.