215: Chapter 214 Chase Through the Mist (Part 11)

His skin shifted from bronze to silver-gray, muscles bulged, bones elongated, sharp claws sprouted from his fingers, and wings grew from his back.

Shen Tie's head transformed into that of an eagle, his beak curved like a hook, and his eyes turned gold.

In mere seconds, his body became a giant eagle with a wingspan exceeding five meters and silver-gray feathers.

This was no ordinary eagle; it was a Level 7 Wind-Thunder Eagle, possessing extreme Speed, claws like steel hooks, and a beak like a sharp sword.

Shen Tie had consumed the meat and blood of the Wind-Thunder Eagle, allowing his [Beast Transformation] to perfectly perform Replication of everything the Wind-Thunder Eagle possessed.

The Wind-Thunder Eagle flapped its wings violently, launching its body forward. Claws outstretched, it dove straight for Third Uncle Shen Henian's throat.

Third Uncle Shen Henian's pupils constricted sharply. "So fast."

This Level 7's Speed was even faster than a Level 8.

Third Uncle Shen Henian brushed his finger across his space ring, and a puppet flew out, blocking his path.

The puppet's metal arm parried the Wind-Thunder Eagle's claws, and the collision between claw and metal rang out with a deafening crash.

Sparks flew everywhere, leaving a deep claw mark on the puppet's arm.

Third Uncle Shen Henian's expression shifted. This Level 7's Beast Transformation was harder than his puppets.

The Wind-Thunder Eagle did not stop; it flipped in mid-air, its wings beating against the air to whip up a fierce gale.

It opened its beak, and a bolt of silver lightning shot out, aiming straight for Third Uncle Shen Henian's chest.

Third Uncle Shen Henian leaned back, the lightning grazing his robe and burning a hole through it.

His expression changed completely; he had underestimated this Level 7's strength.

It wasn't just Level 7; it was peak Level 7, only a step away from Level 8.

Furthermore, his Beast Transformation granted him the innate abilities of the exotic beast. The Wind-Thunder Eagle's lightning was not something an ordinary Esper could block.

The Wind-Thunder Eagle folded its wings and landed, returning to human form.

Shen Tie stood before Third Uncle Shen Henian. "Do you still think a Level 7 can't beat a Level 8?"

Third Uncle Shen Henian's hands trembled, not from fear, but from rage.

A Level 7 brat, flaunting his power in front of him?

He was a Level 8, one of the strongest in the Shen Family, and a Domain-type Puppeteer. He could not tolerate such insolence from a Level 7.

Third Uncle Shen Henian's eyes turned cold as he brushed his finger across his space ring, and over twenty puppets flew out simultaneously.

They were not the humanoid ones from before, but various other forms.

Beast forms, bird forms, insect forms... each one possessed strength above Level 6.

They lunged at Shen Tie from different directions, moving so fast they left trails of afterimages in the mist.

Shen Tie's body shifted again, changing from human form into a Shadow Leopard.

It was no ordinary Shadow Leopard, but a Level 7 Shadow Leopard. Its Speed was so fast it was nearly impossible to track with the naked eye, and its body was almost invisible within the darkness.

The Shadow Leopard's four legs moved rapidly across the ground, weaving between the puppets.

Its claws tore open the metal casing of a beast-form puppet, its teeth crushed the crystal core of a bird-form puppet, and its tail snapped the joints of an insect-form puppet.

One, two, three...

Before the Shadow Leopard's Speed and power, the twenty-plus puppets fell one by one.

Metal fragments scattered across the ground, and shards of crystal cores flickered with dim light in the mist.

Third Uncle Shen Henian's expression grew increasingly grim.

These puppets had taken him over a decade to craft; each one was the fruit of his hard work.

Yet in front of Shen Tie, they were like paper, shattering at the slightest touch.

Third Uncle Shen Henian brushed his finger across his space ring and released a few more,

but Shen Tie's Speed was too fast—so fast that his puppets were torn to shreds before they could even launch an attack.

In less than ten minutes, all twenty-plus puppets were completely destroyed.

Shen Tie returned to human form, standing amidst the wreckage of the puppets. His breathing was steady, his expression normal, and there wasn't a single scratch on him.

He looked at Third Uncle Shen Henian. "Is that it? Level 8? Do you have anything else?"

Third Uncle Shen Henian did not answer.

He knew the puppets were useless against Shen Tie.

Shen Tie's Speed was too fast; his puppets couldn't keep up.

And his power was too great; his puppets couldn't block him.

Shen Tie's [Beast Transformation] was too perfect—perfect to the point where he pushed the abilities of every exotic beast to their absolute limit.

Third Uncle Shen Henian took a deep breath, extended his hands from his robes, and spread his ten fingers.

An invisible force radiated from his body, and everything within a hundred-meter radius, centered on him, was covered by his domain.

The air grew heavy, the light dimmed, sounds became muffled, and time slowed down.

Within his domain, he was the rule.

"Your Beast Transformation is strong, but within my domain, you don't even have the right to transform."

Shen Tie stood before him and felt his body grow heavy.

It wasn't Gravity; it was the domain.

Within his domain, Shen Tie's movements slowed; he couldn't flap his wings, extend his claws, or fire lightning.

His [Beast Transformation] was suppressed within Third Uncle Shen Henian's domain.

Third Uncle Shen Henian's fingers twitched slightly, and several silver threads flew from his fingertips—thin as hair and fast as lightning.

Puppet threads—not for controlling puppets, but for controlling living people.

The threads pierced Shen Tie's skin and connected to his nerves.

Shen Tie's body froze abruptly; his limbs refused to obey, his body refused to obey.

Under the control of the puppet threads, Shen Tie's [Beast Transformation] failed, and his body reverted from its semi-beast state back to human form.

His wings retracted, his claws withdrew, and his feathers faded away.

Third Uncle Shen Henian looked at him, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. "A Level 7 is just a Level 7. In front of me, you don't even have the right to resist."

His finger twitched slightly, and Shen Tie's body was forced to kneel on the ground against his will.

His knees hit the ground with a dull thud.

Third Uncle Shen Henian walked up to him and looked down from above. "Your Beast Transformation, your Speed, your strength—within my domain, they are nothing."

Shen Tie kept his head lowered and said nothing, but then, Shen Tie's shadow moved.

The shadow on the ground stretched out abruptly, like a black snake, slithering along the ground toward Third Uncle Shen Henian.

Third Uncle Shen Henian looked down at the ground, his pupils constricting sharply.

Shen Tie's Superpower was [Beast Transformation], but he also possessed [Shadow Step].

[Beast Transformation] could be suppressed, but [Shadow Step] could not.

Shadow Step was not a physical ability; it was a shadow ability.

The shadow was not within his domain; the shadow was outside the domain.

Shen Tie stepped out from Third Uncle Shen Henian's shadow.

Like stepping through a doorway, he emerged from Third Uncle Shen Henian's shadow and appeared behind him.

A short blade pressed against Third Uncle Shen Henian's back, right over his heart; the tip pierced through his robe and touched his skin.

Third Uncle Shen Henian's body froze. The domain was still active, and his puppet threads were still in place.

But it was too late; Shen Tie's blade was already pressed against his heart.

With just a gentle push, he could pierce his heart.

Shen Tie stood behind him, his voice very soft. "Can your domain cover a shadow?"

Third Uncle Shen Henian did not speak.

His domain could not cover a shadow; a shadow was not a physical object, but a void.

His puppet threads could not control a shadow; a shadow had no nerves.

His puppets could not block a shadow; a shadow had no physical form.