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At that moment, Shawn Young spun around and looked up, only to see a bizarre creature looming before him. It was humanoid in shape, shrouded in swirling grayish-white mist, its gender impossible to tell. Its limbs were thick and elongated, each tipped with razor-sharp claws that glinted with a cold, ghostly light. The body was larger than a normal person's, with a gray-white complexion, pointed ears, and a tapered skull. Its twisted, ghastly pale face sported two enormous nostrils like black holes, and its strange red eyes gleamed with a sinister glow!
Dark gray slime oozed from the corners of its mouth, and its blood-red eyes flashed with a vicious light as it emitted a deep, guttural snarl. The creature flexed its thick, elongated limbs, digging its claws effortlessly into the floor, tearing up chunks of earth and stone like a miniature bulldozer. The sheer power was far beyond anything human. Watching this scene, Shawn Young felt chills run down his spine and his scalp tingle in terror.
"Heh—heh—heh—You think it looks tough, kid? Ha! Let me tell you, this thing is called the Dreadfang Wraith! You’ll soon find out just how nasty it is. Enjoy its company—hehe—" Master Wuxiang’s twisted laughter echoed through the air, clearly orchestrating everything from some hidden corner!
“Wait—this thing is actually the ancient fiend, the Dreadfang Wraith! This is bad!” Shawn Young’s heart raced with dread. According to the Codex of Ascension, the Dreadfang Wraith was a vicious monster from the era of the Flame Emperor, also known as the Soul-Locking Fiend. It originated from a secret art passed down in an obscure ancient tribe. The method involved killing humans and demons through brutal torture, then sealing their souls at the moment of death. Their souls, locked in their bodies and consumed by intense resentment, were fused together by the arcane ritual. They were then buried in a place of evil energy, absorbing its aura day and night. Their corpses never decayed, and they became infused with powerful evil energy and extreme aggression—a truly terrifying creature!
Shawn Young immediately focused his energy and went on high alert. The Codex of Ascension didn’t specify how to defeat a Dreadfang Wraith, but it did warn that every monster had its own attack pattern. If you could figure out its habits, you could find its weakness. Right now, Shawn’s goal was to identify the Dreadfang Wraith’s attack style!
The Dreadfang Wraith glared at Shawn Young with its terrifying red eyes, but for the moment, it made no move. It stretched its neck, its two cavernous nostrils twitching as it breathed rapidly. Its huge mouth opened and closed, making a "hiss—hiss—" sound, drool dripping from its lips. The expression was bizarre, clearly showing it possessed high intelligence—and it knew Shawn Young wouldn’t be easy to deal with!
Man and monster stared each other down for a moment. Seeing Shawn Young remain calm, the Dreadfang Wraith finally lost its patience. Its body arched back, baring its fangs in a threatening display—"Screech!"—it let out a piercing shriek, suddenly leaping into the air. With a twist, it swooped down at Shawn, claws flashing, aiming straight for his head!
A wave of foul, rotten stench swept in with the monster’s attack. Shawn Young fought back his nausea, then roared, channeling his energy from his dantian, fists clenched and charged with thunderous power. He unleashed his strongest inner force in a "lightning strike," meeting the Dreadfang Wraith’s steel claws head-on!
Bang! Bang!
After two heavy blows, Shawn Young was forced back two steps by the overwhelming force, while the Dreadfang Wraith was sent flying several meters through the air. Its massive body crashed to the ground, scattering dirt and stones everywhere as dust billowed up!
"Whew—" Shawn Young exhaled, feeling a surge of confidence. He hadn’t lost out in the clash; in fact, neither he nor the Dreadfang Wraith had gained much advantage. Their head-on collision had shown the sheer power of his "lightning strike," and he’d suffered no injuries. His defense had shot up, and in that instant, Shawn Young felt a strong wave of self-assurance.
"Screech—screech—" The Dreadfang Wraith let out several angry cries, its blood-red eyes suddenly locking onto Shawn. It threw back its head and opened its mouth wide—"Pfft!"—spitting a wad of foul, corpse-black saliva at him. Shawn Young quickly retreated, barely dodging it. The black liquid hit the ground, sizzling and smoking as it corroded a hole, looking both creepy and deadly!
"Whoa—this thing spits poison too! Damn—" Shawn Young exclaimed, staring at the bubbling black hole and the swirling white smoke. The toxicity was clearly off the charts!
"Aaargh—" The Dreadfang Wraith opened its mouth again, clearly about to spit another round of poison. Shawn Young was startled and didn’t dare get careless. He focused, crossing his hands and channeling his energy from his dantian into his palms, gathering enough power. He quickly began chanting: "Heaven and earth, mystic yellow; Ninefold divine thunder, shield my body; Five elements converge, celestial force destroy evil—Break!"
He flipped his hands, and a surge of power burst forth from the Sea of Illusions within him. An intense blue glow shot out, enveloping his whole body. In an instant, Shawn Young was wrapped in swirling blue lightning, his hair standing on end like a thunder god possessed. With a fierce shout, two blazing spheres of lightning formed at his chest, and with a wave of his hands, he sent them flying—
Boom! Boom! With two thunderous blasts, the Dreadfang Wraith was struck head-on, sent flying by the sheer force of the lightning. Its body shattered, dissolving into wisps of gray-white mist!