High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices-Chapter 130: The Seventh Trial, Shadow Fang

The death of its companion didn’t frighten the remaining Double-Bladed Mantis in the slightest. Instead, its ferocity was completely ignited.

It let out an even more piercing shriek. Its four scythes danced wildly as it lunged recklessly at Xu Wuyi, its assault growing even more frenzied.

However, without its companion to distract him, a lone Double-Bladed Mantis posed much less of a threat to Xu Wuyi.

Xu Wuyi didn’t even activate Furnace Flame again. He simply relied on the absolute advantage granted by his Melting Furnace Boiling Blood state, wielding his longspear to clash with it head-on.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The rapid sounds of collision echoed ceaselessly.

With every clash, the Double-Bladed Mantis was sent reeling by the terrifying force, and fine cracks even began to appear on its scythes.

Its renowned speed no longer seemed so impossible to track in the face of Xu Wuyi’s current reflexes.

Xu Wuyi was like a tireless furnace, his Qi and Blood surging without end, growing stronger the longer he fought.

Seizing the opening as it stiffened after an attack, he instantly pierced one of its compound eyes with his longspear, Power surging into its brain.

The second Double-Bladed Mantis froze abruptly. It then followed its companion’s fate, vanishing in a flash of white light.

Silence returned to the Gobi Desert.

"Sixth stage cleared. Time elapsed: 0 minutes and 37 seconds."

The system’s prompt sounded.

Xu Wuyi slowly retracted his spear. There was little joy on his face, as if he had just accomplished something trivial.

Feeling the power still surging within him, he gained a more direct understanding of the improvements brought by the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace*.

’To crush the sixth stage relying solely on physical strength and Qi and Blood Power... A B-Level Body Refining Technique is truly terrifying.’

He didn’t exit. His gaze fell upon the Light Sect, which represented an even greater challenge.

"Enter the seventh stage."

...

「The scene changed.」

The dark purple sky vanished, replaced by a dim and silent woodland.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky. Only a few scattered, pale rays of moonlight shone down through gaps in the dense foliage, forming mottled patches of light on the ground.

The air was filled with the damp smell of decaying leaves and a faint, sinister chill.

The surroundings were unnaturally quiet. Not even the chirping of insects could be heard.

"Seventh stage challenge target: Shadow Fang (1). Clear condition: Kill the Shadow Fang within ten minutes. Failure condition: Failure to kill within the time limit, or death."

"Challenger’s Life Energy Level for this stage is fixed at: Level 19."

The system’s prompt made Xu Wuyi raise an eyebrow.

Shadow Fang. He had seen the description for this Star Beast in the database, and the line that had left the deepest impression was— "A canine that can lurk within shadows."

He tightened his grip on his longspear, his Spiritual Power highly focused as he cautiously observed his surroundings.

The light in the woodland was dim and shadows were everywhere, severely obstructing his vision.

Seconds ticked by, but there was still no movement.

It was as if the Shadow Fang didn’t exist at all, or perhaps it had simply blended perfectly into the environment.

Xu Wuyi didn’t grow impatient. He moved slowly, trying to pinpoint the creature’s location through sound and aura. However, he found nothing.

This Star Beast’s stealth ability was incredible.

Suddenly, he stopped. An extremely faint fluctuation of Energy came from a shadow behind and to his side.

Without a second thought, Xu Wuyi thrust his spear backhandedly toward the shadow!

The spear pierced the shadow, but it was like stabbing into water, only stirring up a few rotten leaves. The attack had missed.

Or rather, his opponent had already moved in the instant before his attack landed.

’Is it that fast? Or...’ Xu Wuyi’s thoughts raced.

’Can it really move through shadows?’

Just then, he felt a sharp, piercing pain from behind his left calf!

Looking down, he saw a claw, black as if forged from shadow itself, that had emerged from his own silhouette. It had left three bloody gashes on his calf, so deep he could see bone!

Intense pain shot through him; the feedback from his virtual body was incredibly realistic.

Xu Wuyi shot forward, sweeping his longspear behind him in the same motion, but once again, he hit nothing but air.

The shadow claw struck and retreated in the same instant, retracting into his shadow and disappearing as if it had never been there at all.

’So it really does attack from within shadows...’ Xu Wuyi’s expression grew grim.

This method of attack was too bizarre, making it impossible to defend against.

He couldn’t be sure which shadow it would attack from next—it could be one on the ground, the shadow of a tree, or even the one cast by his own body.

He tried moving quickly, constantly changing his position to keep his own shadow in flux.

But the Shadow Fang was incredibly patient. It fell silent once more, like a master assassin awaiting the perfect opportunity for a killing blow.

A numbing sensation spread from the wound on his calf. Clearly, the creature’s attack carried some kind of debuff.

Xu Wuyi knew he couldn’t remain on the defensive.

He stopped, stood his ground, and slowly closed his eyes.

His sight was nearly useless in this environment. He would have to rely on his other senses.

His Spiritual Power spread outwards like flowing mercury, carefully sensing the most subtle changes in every inch of the space around him.

However, while lurking in the shadows, the Shadow Fang seemed able to perfectly conceal its aura and Energy fluctuations, rendering his Spiritual Power probe largely ineffective.

’Looks like I have no choice but to use it.’

With a thought, Xu Wuyi silently activated the wisp of crimson-gold Heart Fire deep within his Dantian.

He didn’t release the Heart Fire directly as an attack. Instead, he took the trace of "Divine Charm" it contained and slowly spread it outward like ripples.

These formless ripples swept over the surrounding trees, the ground, the patches of light, and... all of the shadows.

At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But as the ripples imbued with the Divine Charm of his Heart Fire swept over the shadow at his feet—

a faint sensation of an alien presence, like a drop of water falling into hot oil, instantly exploded in his mind!

’Found you!’

’It was hiding in my own shadow this whole time!’

Xu Wuyi’s eyes snapped open, a sharp glint bursting forth!

Without a moment’s hesitation, not even glancing at his shadow, he caused the Qi and Blood in his body to erupt. The Triple Power of his Furnace Flame instantly infused his longspear!

Gripping the spear with one hand, tip pointed downward, he viciously stabbed at the shadow beneath his feet with the force of a thunderbolt!

"Get out here!"

SQUELCH—!

A dull thud echoed.

The longspear drove into the ground, but the sensation wasn’t of piercing earth. Instead, it felt as if it had plunged into tough, resilient flesh!

"AWOOOO—!"

A miserable, horrified shriek erupted from deep within Xu Wuyi’s shadow!

The next moment, a canine-like creature was forcefully dragged from the shadow space by the longspear!

It was massive, its entire body as black as ink. One of its forepaws was pinned firmly to the ground by the spear, and black blood gushed from the wound.

A faint black aura swirled around its body. Its crimson eyes, now filled with agony, were locked on Xu Wuyi.

It was the Shadow Fang!

Expressionless, Xu Wuyi channeled power through his wrist, and the longspear vibrated!

The Triple Power of the Furnace Flame erupted completely within the Shadow Fang’s body!

The Shadow Fang’s shriek cut off abruptly. The light faded from its crimson eyes, and after a few violent convulsions, its massive body went still.

"Seventh stage cleared. Time elapsed: 3 minutes and 12 seconds."

The system’s prompt sounded, shattering the dead silence of the woodland.

Xu Wuyi pulled out his longspear, his expression calm as he watched the spot where the Shadow Fang had vanished.

The effectiveness of Heart Fire against such a bizarre enemy had been unexpectedly good.

He had cleared this stage with such ease not only because his strength had greatly improved, but also because one of his abilities happened to be a perfect counter to the Shadow Fang.

Xu Wuyi didn’t find this strange. He had essentially brute-forced his way through the first six stages.

’These Star Beasts all have different abilities. It was about time I ran into one I’m strong against, wasn’t it?’

It was just that he had only learned this particular ability a short time ago.

’Mental Perception... No wonder all schools of Martial Arts eventually incorporate Spiritual Cultivation in their later stages. The power of the Spirit is just too immense.’

Xu Wuyi rested for a moment and then moved on without delay.

On to the eighth stage!