Kaelan returned to his room carrying four newly purchased Memory Seeds.
The first contained the spell he had originally intended to buy before discovering the Shadow Demon Hand.
Shadow Walk.
The spell allowed the caster to enter one shadow and emerge from another nearby shadow.
Although the range was limited, the concept fascinated him.
Movement through shadows.
Travel through darkness.
The spell possessed tremendous potential.
More importantly, studying it would deepen his understanding of Shadow Energy.
The second spell also belonged to the Shadow System.
Shadow Fire.
Despite its name, it possessed no connection to the Fire Element.
Instead, it transformed Shadow Energy into corrosive black flames capable of burning vitality, emotions, and even spiritual power.
It was considered an advanced application of Shadow Energy.
Kaelan purchased it for the same reason as Shadow Walk.
Knowledge.
Every shadow spell revealed a different aspect of Shadow Energy.
Every aspect brought him closer to comprehending Shadow Intent.
The third spell belonged to the Water System.
Water Burst.
The spell compressed water before violently releasing it in an explosive burst.
The moment Kaelan read its description, he immediately thought of his Energy Series Spells.
Energy Bullet.
Energy Missile.
Both relied upon compression and explosive release.
Water Burst followed a similar principle.
With sufficient study, he could potentially develop water-attributed variants of his existing spells.
However, these three spells were secondary.
The fourth Memory Seed contained the spell he truly desired.
Mist Reflection Avatar.
A hybrid spell combining Water and Shadow Attributes.
The spell transformed water mist into reflected avatars through the power of shadows.
The avatars possessed little direct combat ability.
Their true purpose was deception.
Misdirection.
Confusion.
At the Entry Stage, the caster could create a single avatar.
At the Proficiency Stage, three avatars.
Those avatars possessed enough strength to threaten ordinary Mortal-Realm cultivators.
At the Expert Stage, seven avatars could exist simultaneously.
Only then did the spell become truly useful in battles between Demon Generals.
At the Master Stage, the spell underwent a qualitative transformation.
The battlefield became a sea of mist and reflections.
Dozens of avatars appeared and disappeared throughout the area.
Enemies could no longer distinguish illusion from reality.
The caster’s true location remained hidden at all times.
At that level, Mist Reflection Avatar became one of the most troublesome spells in the entire Demon General Realm.
Kaelan examined the Memory Seed thoughtfully.
Among all four spells, this one possessed the greatest potential.
Not because it was the strongest.
But because it perfectly complemented his fighting style.
A shadow clone.
A mist clone.
A reflection clone.
Combined with Shadow Walk and his Shadow Demon Body, the possibilities were endless.
Without further delay, he pressed the Memory Seed against his forehead.
Streams of information flowed into his mind.
The structure of the spell gradually unfolded before him.
Hours passed.
Eventually, Kaelan opened his eyes.
A trace of anticipation appeared within them.
He was about to begin practising.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The sudden sound interrupted his thoughts.
Kaelan frowned.
He had locked the door from the inside.
More importantly, he was not expecting visitors.
The shadow beneath his perch immediately stretched across the floor.
Like a living creature, it reached the door.
A shadow hand emerged and unlocked it.
The door slowly swung open.
A Pigeon Demon servant stood outside carrying a folded letter.
“Senior,” the servant said respectfully, “someone left this for you.”
Kaelan’s eyes narrowed.
A letter?
That immediately drew his attention.
He knew very few people in Moonflow City.
Denver.
Francis.
Neither had any reason to send him a letter.
The shadow hand extended outward.
The Pigeon Demon immediately handed over the envelope.
Without waiting for instructions, the shadow hand closed the door once more.
Click.
The lock engaged.
The servant quietly departed.
Meanwhile, the shadow carried the letter toward Kaelan.
A second shadow hand emerged from beneath his perch.
Working together, the two hands carefully opened the envelope.
Inside rested a single sheet of paper.
Only one sentence had been written.
Lucas will attack you.
Silence filled the room.
Kaelan stared at the message.
Then his eyes narrowed.
He knew exactly who Lucas was.
The owner of the Moon Wolf Store.
The Wolf Demon who had attempted to capture him and force him to refine Flesh and Blood Pills.
For several moments, Kaelan remained motionless.
Then he examined the paper again.
No signature.
No identifying mark.
Nothing revealing the sender’s identity.
Only the warning remained.
A faint smile slowly appeared beneath his beak.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Someone had decided to warn him.
Which meant at least one person within Moonflow City wanted Lucas dead.
Or wanted him to fail.
Either possibility benefited Kaelan.
His gaze drifted toward the darkness beneath his perch.
The shadows stirred slightly.
Lucas wanted to capture him.
Meanwhile, he had just acquired Shadow Walk, Shadow Fire, Water Burst, and Mist Reflection Avatar.
Perhaps the Wolf Demon had chosen the worst possible time to make his move.
Kaelan carefully folded the paper and tucked it beneath a feather.
Then he picked up the Memory Seed containing Mist Reflection Avatar.
His eyes gleamed faintly.
If Lucas truly intended to attack him, then mastering this spell had become even more important.
Unfortunately, Kaelan understood better than anyone that mastery could not be rushed.
Even reaching the Entry Stage required time.
He glanced toward the hidden letter.
Then he made a decision.
“I’ll extend my stay.”
The following morning, Kaelan went downstairs and paid for another week at the inn.
Afterwards, he informed Denver and Francis of the change in plans.
Neither objected.
They simply assumed he had entered a critical stage of cultivation.
Kaelan did not mention the letter.
Nor did he mention Lucas.
There was no reason to involve them.
After returning to his room, he immediately immersed himself in the Mist Reflection Avatar Spell.
Days passed.
Then a week.
By the time Kaelan finally emerged, the spell had successfully reached the Entry Stage.
Although he could only create a single avatar, that was more than sufficient for his current needs.
The time to leave had arrived.
Soon afterward, Kaelan, Denver, and Francis departed from Moonflow City.
After passing through the city gates, Kaelan spread his wings and took flight.
Denver climbed onto Francis’s back.
The metallic-feathered crow followed close behind.
Together, they headed north.
Forests stretched endlessly beneath them.
Mountain ranges rose in the distance.
The journey remained peaceful.
Until it wasn’t.
A sudden warning exploded through Kaelan’s instincts.
Danger.
Without warning, the surrounding wind surged violently.
The air compressed.
A gigantic hand formed from condensed wind.
The enormous construct descended from the sky and grabbed toward him.
The attack appeared so suddenly that Denver and Francis were caught completely off guard.
Francis instinctively veered away.
His wings beat frantically as he pulled distance between himself and Kaelan.
Neither understood what was happening.
The giant wind hand reached Kaelan.
Then it closed.
Boom!
Kaelan’s body exploded into mist.
Grey-white fog erupted in every direction.
Within moments, the surrounding sky became shrouded in a dense cloud.
The mist spread rapidly.
Soon it engulfed Denver and Francis as well.
Far away, a figure emerged from the clouds.
Lucas.
The Wolf Demon hovered in the air with a deep frown.
His sharp eyes swept across the mist.
The attack had connected.
He was certain of it.
Yet the result felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Lucas opened his mouth.
A powerful gust erupted outward.
The wind expanded into a raging storm.
Trees below bent violently beneath its force.
The mist rolled and churned.
Yet it did not disperse.
Lucas’s expression darkened.
This was no ordinary fog.
Shadow Energy lurked within every strand of mist.
The cloud had been anchored to the shadows themselves.
The wind could push it.
Move it.
Distort it.
But it could not scatter it.
Below, Francis descended into the forest.
Denver jumped from his back.
Both immediately took cover beneath the trees.
High above them, Lucas stared into the sea of mist.
A sneer slowly appeared on his face.
“Surrender.”
His voice echoed through the fog.
“And I won’t torture you.”
Silence answered him.
No reply came.
Kaelan had no interest in responding.
The mist continued expanding.
Slowly.
Relentlessly.
Like a living creature.
Lucas narrowed his eyes.
Then his expression changed.
The fog was no longer merely surrounding him.
It was advancing toward him.
The shadows hidden within the mist stretched outward.
The entire cloud began swallowing the sky around him.
Within moments, Lucas found himself standing inside a world of mist and darkness.
Visibility dropped rapidly.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
Three meters.
Then less than one.
The Wolf Demon tightened his grip on his weapon.
His instincts screamed.
Something was hidden inside the fog.
Watching him.
Waiting.
Meanwhile, somewhere within the mist, Kaelan silently observed his prey.
The hunt had begun.