Chapter 289: Chapter 143: Shadow Walk, Qualitative Change

It wasn’t just the members of the Observatory; even Elder Mu had developed a blind trust in Shen Bai.

While there was certainly worry, there was even more faith.

As everyone’s gazes fixed upon the rift, it finally began to change.

Shen Bai strode out of the rift, carrying Amber in his arms and holding Cold Moon in his hand.

The rift behind him gradually closed as he stepped out, then vanished completely.

Shen Bai glanced around and saw that all eyes were on him. He offered a smile. "It was nothing serious, so don’t worry. I just went for a little trip. The scenery there could be called uniquely marvelous."

This was no lie. To Shen Bai, that upside-down world had been filled with novelty at every moment.

Everyone let out a long sigh of relief, and a unified cheer rose up from the wilderness.

It was clear that everyone could finally let go of the worries they had been holding in their hearts.

Elder Mu reacted instantly, rushing to Shen Bai’s side in a few steps. He meticulously inspected Shen Bai from head to toe before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness you’re alright, kiddo. Otherwise, I would’ve been wracked with guilt for the rest of my life over this."

Shen Bai shook his head. "It’s fine, Elder Mu. There’s always a chance of danger when carrying out missions. These are just minor issues."

Hearing this, Elder Mu’s expression turned serious. "You kid, you always pull some new stunt, but you always manage to turn danger into safety. You make me worry sick, then turn my despair into hope. When it comes to toying with people’s emotions, you’ve really maxed out your skill."

Shen Bai chuckled, then looked around. "Let’s put this aside for now. It’s time for us to go."

They had already discussed everything that needed to be said. Shen Bai felt it was time to head back.

The internal examination was coming up soon, and Shen Bai needed to go back and grind his Skill Level.

As they had been delayed for three days, the group had not yet returned to the Observatory.

Upon hearing Shen Bai’s words, Elder Mu nodded. "Alright. Everyone, let’s set off and return to the Fenglin State Observatory. This mission has been completed successfully. Everyone’s contributions will be recorded, and you’ll be rewarded based on merit."

It had to be said, Elder Mu was quite good at pulling off the official tone when he wanted to.

After all, he had spent many years in the Jianghu and earned the title of Sword King of Fenglin State.

He usually seemed lazy, but at critical moments, a few words from him could rally everyone’s spirits, bringing excited expressions to the faces of many Observatory members.

Without any further delay, the group set off together, heading for the Fenglin State Observatory.

...

After returning to the Observatory, Shen Bai reported the mission’s events to Liu Wufeng along with the others. He didn’t linger and soon returned to his own quarters.

Before Shen Bai’s eyes, lines of smoke materialized, coalescing into his latest Divine Powers.

[Anti-Demon Blood Sword Dance Level 5 (Swordsmanship +16, Anti-Demon +16, Vibration +16, Sword Qi +16, Spirituality/16): 0/15,000]

[Vajra Dharma Form Fist Level 5 (Fist Technique +16, Buddha’s Light +16, Power Dao +16, Fist Gang +16, Dharma Aspect +16): 0/15,000]

[Flawless Ten-layered Body Level 5 (Hardness +16, Resilience +16, Counter Damage +16, Anti-Sealing +16, Overlapping Waves +16): 0/15,000]

[Chaotic Heart Spell Level 5 (Clear Heart +16, Neutral +16, blessing +16, Non-Invasion +16, Chaotic Heart +16): 0/15,000]

[Shadow Walk Level 4 (Hidden +8, Hidden Track +8, Shadow-Dispelling +8, Night Combat +8): 4,500/10,000]

[Divine Hundred Miles Level 4 (Speed +8, Endurance +8, Evasion +8, Burst Charge +8): 0/10,000]

[Poison Avoidance and Rejuvenation Skill Level 4 (Healing +8, Recovery +8, Antitoxic +8, Poison Attachment +8): 0/10,000]

[Mixed Element Array-Breaking Technique Level 4 (Array +48, Gathering Array +8, Primordial +8, Resistance +8): 0/10,000]

[Spirit Casting Technique Level 4 (Casting +8, Fault Tolerance +8, Commander +8, Soul Absorption +8): 0/10,000]

[Water Control Technique Level 3 (Water Attribute +4, Water Speed +4, Water Control +4): 0/5,000]

After grinding it like crazy for so long, Shadow Walk already had 4,500 points of Skill Level.

Tonight, however, Shen Bai didn’t plan to grind Shadow Walk. Instead, he reached into his robes and pulled out the statuette of the General of the Bowed Bow that Zhou Qing had given him.

The statuette of the General of the Bowed Bow exuded a trace of cold, sinister air, making the originally majestic image of the Grand General feel saturated with Yin Qi.

This Deceitful Object was a gift from Zhou Qing. After some thought, Shen Bai decided to appraise it first to see what kind of Divine Power he could obtain.

Adding the Evil Qi he had obtained on the Life and Death Road, Shen Bai now had a total of thirty-three wisps of Evil Qi, enough to push three Divine Powers to their second qualitative transformation.

After the transformations, he would have three wisps of Evil Qi left, which was exactly what he needed for the appraisal.

’This is a deal I can’t lose.’

At this thought, Shen Bai didn’t hesitate. With a mental command, a wisp of Evil Qi vanished.

As the Evil Qi disappeared, the familiar smoke appeared before his eyes.

The smoke drifted sparsely in mid-air, forming into new text in just an instant.

[Appraisal Successful]

[Divine Power Acquired: Shadow Bow Technique]

[Similar type of Divine Power detected. Convert to Shadow Walk Skill Level?]

As the familiar text appeared, Shen Bai pondered for a moment and came to a conclusion.

’The name "Shadow Bow Technique" contains the word "bow," so it seems to be related to bows and arrows. That means it’s a long-range Divine Power.’

Shen Bai stood up and began to pace, thinking as he walked.

’Since it’s a long-range Divine Power and I already have Anti-Demon Blood Sword Dance, I don’t really need it. It’s better to convert it. Besides, the next conversion will grant 2,000 Skill Level points.’

The first conversion only yields 1,000 points, but it lays the foundation. The second conversion grants 2,000 points.

Shen Bai’s Shadow Walk had never been converted before. Although 1,000 points seemed small, with this base, he would gain even more next time.

Thinking of this, Shen Bai hesitated no longer. With a mental command, his Shadow Walk Skill Level increased by 1,000 points.