Chapter 113: Returning to the Black Mist! Terrifying Output Capability!

The plains at sunset held a unique charm, especially after the drastic changes Yi Shen had wrought upon the environment; the landscape now possessed a fantastical, utopian quality.

Yi Shen soared through the sky, approaching the plains. With his increased attributes and better control over his body, combined with the Featherlight Technique and several speed-boosting abilities, he could now traverse the heavens with ease.

"Efficiency is looking good."

His progress along the way had been significantly faster than it was three days ago. Not only had his attributes improved, but thanks to his increased Research Points, his other skills had also leveled up. Most core skills had reached C-rank, and during the research process, some had even evolved into B-rank skills on their own.

As skills reach higher tiers, their damage scales more closely with one’s attributes. A C-rank skill might grant a 10% intelligence bonus, while at B-rank, that could climb to 20% or even 30%. Yi Shen’s greatest advantage lay in his raw stats, and this growth manifested clearly in his combat power. Even without resorting to forbidden spells, his minor skills could now inflict massive damage upon his enemies.

"-71,830..."
"-81,773..."
"-112,839..."

He effortlessly wiped out a group of low-level monsters, leaving behind a scattering of white loot orbs. Yi Shen activated his Decomposition Research skill, and rays of light latched onto the loot. As he had deduced, these light orbs possessed a consciousness of their own, allowing him to collect and decompose them from a distance. This meant his efficiency in clearing the battlefield would be drastically improved in the future.

After a smooth journey, Yi Shen arrived once more at the perimeter of the high-level black fog, where he spotted three explorers being chased by a pack of Moonlight Mirages.

Though Yi Shen didn't recognize them, he assumed they were reinforcements from another safe zone. Upholding the spirit of mutual aid, he intervened and launched an attack on the Moonlight Mirages.

Ten seconds later, three wind arrays materialized, catching the Mirages completely off guard. The effect of the Rending Wind Blades was impressive. While they lacked the crowd-control capabilities of the Flame Gate, they saved Yi Shen the trouble of micromanagement, acting as a massive, self-sustaining killing formation.

In less than ten minutes, the Mirages were dead, scattered, or fleeing, all transformed into glowing loot orbs.

"They seem to be carrying a strange energy."

This time, after killing the Moonlight Mirages, Yi Shen felt something different. As these entities perished, energy overflowed from their bodies. He hadn't noticed this before, but perhaps due to his bloodline, he discovered that his own body was beginning to resonate with this energy.

Moreover, upon approaching the black fog, he no longer felt the vague uncertainty of the unknown; instead, a subtle connection formed. He could perceive familiar forces at work within the high-level fog. When he looked at the haze, it was no longer a murky void, but the outline of a colossal fortress.

It was not a physical fortress in the traditional sense, but one constructed from moonlight energy. The black fog was less of a "mist" and more of an energy mass that absorbed dark-light energy. He could now observe the nodes within these energy clusters. If he were to attack again, he felt confident he could pinpoint the nodes and destroy them with ease.

Acting on this thought, he swiftly approached the fog. As the setting sun cast its rays upon the earth, a fiery Gate of Flames erupted, supported by several wind arrays for protection, charging straight toward the energy nodes of the fog.

*Whoosh!*

Previously, attacking the high-level black fog from the front would have taken ten minutes just to tear a small opening, all while enduring the onslaught of other Mirages. Now, however, by controlling the spread of flames and leveraging his familiarity with the energy, he burned a massive hole in just two minutes.

Looking through the breach, the interior was far more expansive than he had imagined. It was densely packed with dark-light energy and countless monsters. Some structures appeared to be incubating creatures, forming a specialized "factory," making Yi Shen look like an intruder invading their domain.

In the distance, Yi Shen saw three massive war-crystal machines. They resembled the lord-level monster he had encountered earlier, radiating an intense pressure. Yet, now, he felt a familiar power emanating from these crystal beasts.

As he expanded his senses, the flow of energy within this fog-world became remarkably clear. He was slightly surprised to find that he could perceive the exchange of information within these energy currents—likely warnings about an intruder, instructions to protect certain zones, or orders to mount a defense. Though the information was still vague, he could feel it distinctly.

Furthermore, in a vast structure deep within the fog, he felt that same familiar energy. After a moment's thought, he activated his bloodline skill and his moonlight-type forbidden spell. He had felt his bloodline awakening during his previous visit, and now, having breached the fog and surrounded by the potent dark-light energy, he unleashed his powers as more enemies converged upon him.

[Talent: Moonlight Walker (A): In a light-drenched state, the user enters the Moonlight Walker form. Overall attributes increase by 10%, and attacks are imbued with moonlight energy.]

[Saint’s Descent (S): Consumes 50,000 mana points to gather dark-light elements from heaven and earth, bestowing them upon the explorer. Increases base attributes by 100%, with additional bonuses scaling based on the concentration of surrounding dark-light elements. Duration: 5 minutes. Cooldown: 72 hours.]

Both skills activated simultaneously.

In that instant, Yi Shen felt his muscles tense. A peculiar radiance erupted from his upper body, and the entire world seemed to shift into a silver-white hue. The surrounding light converged toward him—light that should have been scattered across the corners of the fog now flowed into him as if he were the primary vessel.

Yi Shen felt his senses sharpen and his field of vision widen. He could hear the footsteps of monsters in the distance and easily perceive the arc of every incoming attack. Even as Moonlight Mirages and flying monsters lunged at him, he dodged them with effortless grace. To an outsider, Yi Shen had become a glowing silver entity, a being far superior to the Moonlight Mirages.

He didn't even need to check his panel to know that his power had increased several times over.

*Swish!*

As more moonlight energy gathered around him, Yi Shen pulled his hand through the air, and a sword forged of pure energy materialized in his grip.

*Slash!*

He swung the blade, and the moonlight energy of the world seemed to bend to his will. A terrifying moonlight strike tore through the air—a move that should have been exclusive to the moon-beasts, yet he found he possessed it innately within his bloodline.

Beyond that, he felt a high-dimensional suppression emanating from his bloodline. After releasing Saint’s Descent, he could deeply sense that the monsters below were gripped by a primal, soul-level fear of him, to the point where some dared not even attack.

This was only the beginning.

Yi Shen dove, charging straight toward the three massive lord-level monsters. His sudden appearance left them stunned; the power he radiated felt both familiar and terrifying. In their consciousness, this was a strength that only the close kin of the Holy Lord could possess. For a moment, they wavered, unsure whether to resist or retreat.

Deep within the distant structure, the information network fell into chaos. Though the monsters here were denser than at the entrance, they were slightly weaker, and Yi Shen began a systematic slaughter.

The black fog outside remained, but within it, Yi Shen was like a fish in water, moving through the domain as if it were his own.