The Fire Crystals that appeared in Shadow's hand left Evan Chu, Jenny Sima, Goldwing, and Macy Mei utterly dumbfounded. None of them could have imagined such a thing.
"Why are you all staring at me like that? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" Shadow asked.
"How did you get those?" Evan Chu was the first to react and asked.
"Of course I got them by killing those monsters. Those little snakes were really weak, and only the little pig was tricky—it was actually faster than me!" Shadow answered honestly.
His words were like a thunderstorm overturning everyone's minds. The 'little snakes' Shadow mentioned were probably Flame Serpents, and the 'little pig' a fire-attribute beast. The fact that he could defeat them so quickly was hard to believe—if not for the Fire Crystals in his hand, no one would have accepted it as truth.
Evan Chu calmed his excitement and said, "How did you kill them? Don't tell me they were fighting each other and you just picked up the spoils."
"Heh, Boss, do you think I'm that weak? Those guys are all fire-energy monsters, so they're no threat to me. You know I love energy—just open my mouth and swallow it. That's all there is to it." Shadow laughed.
Evan Chu suddenly remembered how, back when he needed the Flying Demon Centipede poison removed, Shadow had just sucked him straight into his body. He hadn't expected Shadow to have such a skill—it was truly shocking.
"Amazing, amazing—didn't expect Shadow to be even more powerful than me. How about giving me one of your Fire Crystals?" Evan Chu said with a bitter smile, now asking Shadow for something in return.
Shadow looked at Evan Chu and said, "Big Brother, didn't you just refuse to give me anything? Why should I give you one?"
Evan Chu felt a dark line crawl up his forehead—talk about instant karma!
But Shadow soon cheered him up: "Since you're Big Brother, I'll give you two. Just two, no more."
Better than nothing! Evan Chu immediately reached for them. "Hand them over!" He was afraid Shadow might change his mind.
Jenny Sima watched Evan Chu's eager movements, almost like a child, and asked, "Lin Feng, since Shadow has this ability, what's your plan?"
It was a problem they had to face—the environment here was totally unsuitable for humans. No food, no water; they couldn't last more than a few days.
"We'll head to the place Old Goldwing mentioned as fast as we can, then look for an exit. I think the exit's probably that way, but we might run into some tough monsters, so everyone needs to be careful," Evan Chu answered.
"Don't worry, Big Brother. With me here, any monster is just food—nothing to worry about," Shadow said proudly, chin raised.
"Shadow, if you fought Goldwing, could you win?" Evan Chu asked seriously.
"The big bird? Not yet. He could finish me with one claw—what a dumb question. Hmph!" Shadow replied, clearly annoyed.
With Shadow around, we have a natural counter for energy-type monsters. But when it comes to flesh-and-blood beasts, he's helpless. So: energy monsters go to Shadow, anything else, we handle ourselves," Evan Chu explained to the group.
Everyone understood Evan Chu's plan. Goldwing said, "Boss, let's set out tomorrow. I should be able to fly. But it's strange—there's still no night here, just endless blazing sun."
"This place is just like the snowy summit—no day or night. Leave whenever you feel ready enough to fly," Evan Chu replied.
Shadow, bored, flopped down on the yellow sand and immediately fell asleep. Clearly, he'd eaten way too much today.
When the energy in Evan Chu's Ice Crystal was nearly gone, Goldwing said, "Boss, let's go! I should have enough strength to make it now."
Flying through the air, scorching astral winds burned their faces as countless dunes flashed by below. When Goldwing was finally exhausted, they reached their destination.
The environment here was like paradise—the endless desert lay behind them, the boundless oasis ahead, separated by a huge river stretching out of sight. The stark contrast stunned everyone.
The riverbank wasn't very wide, but strange flowers and herbs grew everywhere. The moment they arrived, everyone felt refreshed—even the temperature was just right.
"I really want a bath!" Jenny Sima said, eyeing the crystal-clear river.
"Jenny, better not. We don't know what dangers might be lurking here. If there are water-type monsters, that'll be trouble—and I'm a terrible swimmer. Remember, I nearly drowned in your family's backyard pond," Evan Chu said, immediately objecting.
Evan Chu looked around the oasis, noting that the terrain was just like Beastfall Forest—mountains, trees, grass everywhere. The only thing missing was monsters.
"Everyone, rest up. Later we'll check out the area—maybe this is our way out," Evan Chu said. But inside, his hope of finding the Iceflame Crystal here felt even slimmer. How could such a treasure appear in a place like this?
Goldwing was clearly spent—his golden feathers had lost their shine, and he collapsed onto the grass, fast asleep. Shadow also needed to digest the energy he'd gained, so he entered Evan Chu's arm.
Jenny Sima and the Violet Thunder Fox sat on the grass and closed their eyes to rest. After the misery of the desert, they deliberately relaxed and savored the rare, fresh air.
Just then, Luna's voice sounded in Evan Chu's mind: "Lin Feng, just as I expected, what you need is here. This oasis is actually a vast illusion—even the Violet Thunder Fox didn't notice."
"This illusion is extremely powerful—so real that only those at Divine Martial Rank can see through it. When you break the illusion, you'll get the Iceflame Crystal. But it's dangerous here: there are many high-level monsters, even King-rank beasts. Be careful."
Luna's words struck Evan Chu like a bolt from the blue, leaving him speechless for a long moment. Finally, he asked, "How did you know? Were you once at Divine Martial Rank?"
"You'll find out in time. For now, focus on helping everyone recover their strength. When it's time to break the illusion, just follow my instructions and you'll be fine," Luna said.
Evan Chu said nothing more, lost in thought. This place was full of mysteries—who had set up the portals and illusions, and how powerful must they be? Why do all this?
Suddenly, a rustling sound reached Evan Chu's ears. He looked up to see dozens of monsters with human faces and beast bodies appearing before him...