Chapter 353: Shadow Demons

Chapter 353: Shadow Demons

Serian obtained the Tide Heart and left the battlefield, summoning the Flow-Light Jellyfish to ride back to the Vasque Temple.

Not long after leaving the Frostbite Trench, three dark shadows suddenly appeared ahead, blocking her path.

These three dark shadows were none other than Shadow Demons.

Upon seeing the Shadow Demons in the sea, Serian immediately realized that these demons were Abyssal Summoners.

Abyssal Summoners could be any type of demon species, including Bloodline Demons, Winged Demons, Horned Demons, Blackscale Demons, Shadow Demons, and more.

However, the demons typically summoned are those with larger individual numbers within their species.

This is similar to human summoners.

After the Abyss began invading the human world, humans have been summoned numerous times.

With billions of people on Bluesphere, any awakened Ability User could potentially be summoned.

In comparison, Elves, Black Iron Dwarves, and Bansers are summoned far less frequently.

Their population sizes have been continuously shrinking since the Abyssal invasion, and many races are even on the brink of extinction.

If not for Lu Heng's assistance, the Bansers might have been wiped out during the Necropolis of the Dark Gods incident.

The Dakville Black Iron Dwarf Clan is in a similar situation; without reclaiming their territory, this Black Iron Dwarf branch won't last long either.

During the Bansers' most challenging times, their population numbered only in the thousands.

In contrast, Bluesphere's vast population and the increasing number of awakened Ability Users naturally increase the chances of being summoned.

The same goes for demon races; when the Abyss summons demons, it also considers factors like the demon's species, individual numbers, and more.

Both positive and negative summoning wills have many similarities in their summoning logic.

Shadow Demons are a land-based demon species and typically don't appear in the Tidal Sea.

Therefore, the three Shadow Demons blocking Serian's path must be Abyssal Summoners.

Shadow Demons resemble canine creatures, with elongated bodies, wrapped in shadow energy, and sporting sharp fangs—a terrifying sight.

Parts of a Shadow Demon's body are composed of shadow energy, so their form isn't entirely fixed, allowing for slight variations.

Some Shadow Demons can alter their shape based on the skills and abilities they possess, thereby maximizing the power of their skills.

In the Abyssal World, Shadow Demons are considered a high-tier species, and in regular low-level Abyssal battlefields, one wouldn't encounter such powerful creatures.

The Merfolk Clan has been summoned into the Abyssal battlefield and has witnessed the might of these formidable demons.

So, when Serian saw the Shadow Demons, her heart skipped a beat, realizing that this summoning event was more dangerous than she had anticipated.

Moreover, she became aware of a problem.

The appearance of these three Shadow Demons was clearly to obstruct her.

They showed up right after she obtained the Tide Heart.

This implied that the Shadow Demons had been monitoring the battlefield.

Simultaneously, it revealed crucial information: the Shadow Demons' interception of the Tide Heart was undoubtedly to prevent High Priestess Sona from escaping her predicament.

If this speculation is correct, the situation is far worse than expected.

High Priestess Sona was being held captive in the temple by Elder Onatu after his power grab. In other words, before the Shadow Demons' appearance, this incident was an internal rebellion within the Merfolk Clan.

As long as the rebellion didn't involve too many Merfolk, the impact of the incident could be minimized after quelling the rebellion.

However, the appearance of the Shadow Demons suggests that the situation is more complex.

This indirectly reveals a critical piece of information: there might be a connection between Onatu's actions and the Abyssal Summoners or their shadows.

But Serian clearly remembers that High Priestess Sona didn't have any Abyssal energy on her.

There's definitely more information hidden here.

Regardless of the truth, the most crucial task now is to rescue High Priestess Sona.

Once High Priestess Sona leaves the temple, she will have the power to turn the situation around.

After the three Shadow Demons appeared, they immediately attacked Serian, who countered with her spear while trying to find an opening to escape.

Facing three Shadow Demons, Serian didn't have the upper hand, and her priority was to return to the temple to rescue High Priestess Sona, not getting held back by these demons.

Shadow Demons aren't aquatic demons, so their power is significantly reduced in the deep sea.

Thus, Serian could barely handle the three Shadow Demons, especially when trying to break free from their encirclement, which was extremely challenging.

...

Meanwhile, in the Frostbite Trench, Lu Heng's team was still engaged in battle with Onatu's Sea Fairy Elite.

Onatu was furious as Lu Heng had taken the Tide Heart, significantly slowing down his progress in breaking the seal.

Initially, he wanted to leave Lu Heng behind and pursue Serian to retrieve the Tide Heart, but Lu Heng didn't give him the chance, blocking his path with his sword.

Lu Heng had no choice but to turn back and launch a fierce attack, and the two fought intensely, causing the seawater to churn and create massive waves.

During the battle, Lu Heng felt his breathing becoming more and more rapid due to the limited oxygen he had obtained underwater.

The gill grass in his mouth could only provide a small amount of oxygen.

The oxygen supply from the gill grass was barely sufficient under normal circumstances, but during combat, the oxygen consumption increased exponentially, so relying solely on the gill grass was insufficient.

Lu Heng had to use an oxygen cylinder and wear an oxygen mask to quickly adjust his breathing. After stabilizing his breath, he continued the fight.

Even so, to ensure a balanced oxygen supply, he had to suppress his combat power during the battle and couldn't fight at full strength.

This put Lu Heng at a constant disadvantage when facing Onatu's attacks.

On the other side.

The battle situation was much better for Liu Haiyang and the other five, as they all possessed underwater breathing skills, allowing them to obtain sufficient oxygen for combat in the deep sea.

When facing the Sea Demon Warriors, they were capable of putting up a fight.

However, that was the extent of their abilities.

As humans, it was challenging to defeat the Sea Demons in the deep sea.

The battle reached a stalemate.

The current situation had achieved Lu Heng's goal.

The original purpose of this operation was to prevent Onatu from breaking the seal, and holding him off was enough.

Once Sona was freed, the rest would be an internal matter for the Merfolk Clan.

However, the appearance of over a dozen dark shadows in the distance changed the battle completely.

The dark shadows carried intense shadow energy, and their presence immediately created a powerful oppressive atmosphere.

Su Muyu was the first to notice and warn, "There are Abyssal Beasts, covered in shadow energy!"

"They're Shadow Demons!" Lu Heng recognized them instantly. The dozen dark shadows were Shadow Demons.

Shadow Demons were not aquatic demons, but in the seawater, they had an advantage over humans.

Humans needed oxygen, while Shadow Demons didn't.

Shadow Demons didn't require breathing oxygen to engage in combat.

In other words, Shadow Demons could unleash their full combat power in the deep sea without worrying about breathing issues.

Of course, their power would still be somewhat suppressed in the deep sea.

Like humans, all physical attacks would be hindered by the seawater, reducing their effectiveness.

If one were to describe it in terms of data, humans could only exert 30%-40% of their combat power in the deep sea, while Shadow Demons could unleash at least 60% or more.

The comparison put humans at a clear disadvantage.

Upon seeing the Shadow Demons, Lu Heng immediately knew they were Abyssal Summoners.

There were no Shadow Demons in the Tidal Sea, and if there were, the Merfolk Clan would have discovered them long ago.

Since Shadow Demons weren't native to the Tidal Sea, they must have been summoned from the Abyss.

The summoned human Ability Users were mainly those with Oceanic Empowerment.

Following the same logic, the Shadow Demons summoned from the Abyss would also possess Oceanic abilities.

In other words, these Shadow Demons undoubtedly had Oceanic skills.

This further increased the disadvantage for human Ability Users.

After the Shadow Demons appeared, the surrounding Merfolk Warriors also fell into a brief panic.

However, the Shadow Demons didn't attack the Merfolk but instead rushed towards the humans.

When Onatu saw the Shadow Demons, he immediately issued an order, "All Sea Demon Warriors, kill the humans! Kill them all!"

Lu Heng understood the situation and instructed Jiang Shaoran to cast water magic, then shouted, "Do you still trust Onatu? He's in league with the Shadow Demons!"

These words caused confusion among many Merfolk present.

The Merfolk Clan had once been summoned into the world of Shadow Demons and recognized them as a highly dangerous demon race in the Abyss.

The Merfolk Clan had always been plagued by the Abyss and hated all Abyssal demons.

This hatred surpassed even that of the Black Iron Dwarves.

Any clear-headed Merfolk knew that they were absolute enemies with the Abyssal demons, leaving no room for negotiation.

Now, Onatu, upon seeing the Shadow Demons, didn't order an attack on them but chose to target the human summoners instead.

This behavior was highly suspicious.

Onatu had brought along his trusted Sea Demon Warriors, but the sixteen Merfolk Priests were not under his command.

The Merfolk Priests belonged to the priestly system and took orders from the Temple Priests.

Moreover, the Merfolk Priests possessed exceptional talent and high spiritual power, making them more lucid than other Sea Demons when facing the Abyss.

So, when these sixteen Merfolk Priests heard Lu Heng's warning, they too began to doubt Onatu.

"Elder Onatu, even if we have conflicts with the human Summoners, we should prioritize dealing with the Shadow Demon first, and then address the issues with the Summoners," challenged one of the Merfolk Priests.

Onatu, enraged, shouted, "I am the leader of the clan now! Follow my orders and kill the human Summoners to break the seal!"

Lu Heng, upon hearing this, knew the situation was about to change. He raised his voice, saying, "Did you hear that? Onatu is working with the Shadow Demon; he's been corrupted by the Abyss.

"The Shadow Demon attacked the Summoners as soon as it appeared, clearly intending to help Onatu break the seal.

"The Abyss's goal is to be thwarted, and we must stop it. Sea Demons who don't want to be corrupted by the Abyss should deal with the Shadow Demon first."

The Merfolk Priests exchanged glances, quickly discussed, and then announced, "Whether Elder Onatu is corrupted or not, dealing with the Shadow Demon first is the right thing to do.

"After dealing with the Shadow Demon, we can discuss whether to break the seal or not."

Most of the Merfolk Priests in attendance agreed.

"Deal with the Shadow Demon first, then discuss the rest later."

In an instant, the Sea Demon forces became divided. One group chose to follow the Merfolk Priests' orders and turned to face the Shadow Demon.

The other group, under Onatu's forced command, continued to attack the humans.

The battlefield descended into chaos, with humans, Shadow Demons, and the two groups of Sea Demons engaging in a four-way battle.

Despite this, the humans were at a severe disadvantage in the deep sea.

Lu Heng made a quick decision and ordered, "Lure the Shadow Demon to the surface to finish it off."

As he spoke, Lu Heng led the two Shadow Demons towards the surface.

The Shadow Demons, being land-based demons, preferred to fight on land. Seeing Lu Heng heading for the surface, they immediately followed, transforming into two dark, swift arrows in pursuit.

Su Muyi, Lin Zeyu, and Xie Shien swiftly swam upwards, leading the Shadow Demons to the surface.

Liu Haiyang, being an Oceanic System user, was comfortable fighting in the sea but still tried to lure the Shadow Demons closer to the surface for a more advantageous position.

Near the surface, if the battle turned unfavorable, they could quickly seek support by reaching the surface.

...

Emerging onto the surface, Lu Heng drew his sword and sprinted along the water's edge.

The two Shadow Demons flew behind him, relentless in their pursuit.

Shadow Demons possessed a dual material and energy structure, making their bodies lighter than other demons.

Their speed was incredible, like two sharp arrows aimed at Lu Heng's back.

Underwater, the Shadow Demons had relentlessly attacked Lu Heng, almost overwhelming him.

Thus, they believed that the human Summoner was weak and could be easily defeated with increased aggression.

Lu Heng sprinted along the surface, shaking off the seawater and taking deep breaths of air, feeling his entire body rejuvenated.

Once his breath stabilized, a cold glint flashed in Lu Heng's eyes, and he turned, drawing his sword.

Wind Dragon Suffocation Slash!

The second level of the skill unleashed, creating a whirlwind that lifted seawater.

A spinning giant water column rose, trapping the two Shadow Demons within.

The water column, combined with the Wind Dragon's power, froze into an ice blade, furiously slicing the Shadow Demons.

The two Shadow Demons struggled and roared within the whirlwind, but the wind pressure was too strong, preventing their escape.

As they attempted to break free with defensive skills, Lu Heng's second strike came.

Soaring Dragon Skyhunter!

The sword slashed horizontally, cutting through the two Shadow Demons.

Instantly, the two Shadow Demons were severed into two pieces, and under the intense sword's radiance, they exploded with a 'bang,' shattering into countless fragments.

[Shadow Demon defeated. Absorbed 200 points.]



With consecutive notifications and the previously absorbed energy, Lu Heng's body stirred again.

[Origin Energy level increased to 43, all attributes +5, with an additional +1.5 to one attribute.]

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end