Demonic Cultivator: Immune To Common Side Effects - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: The Shadow Network and Elder Si Deng

You have performed a shadow sacrifice, incurring a powerful side effect. The side effect is being formalized.

You have stolen the Blood Shadow Venerable One’s ability—the Shadow Network.

In the next instant, Li Yan’s consciousness plunged into a vast network.

Before him stretched a monochrome world of black and white, a realm woven from countless interconnected shadows. Streams of information and energy flowed through this network, converging upon Mishan City.

Hiss!

This network connects shadows spanning hundreds of li?

Several flashes of white light flickered before Li Yan’s eyes. As he reached out to touch them, words and voices materialized:

Elder Si Deng: Prepare to encircle the Su Clan’s floating warship.

Human cultivators will be at their most vulnerable as dawn approaches.

Once they begin to doze off, seize the Su Clan traitor Su Chongyue and turn him back into a Shadow Slave.

After Elder Si Deng issued his command, several more messages flowed through the Shadow Network from other directions:

Lantern Bearers: Understood!

Lantern Bearers: We await only the elder’s command to infiltrate the floating warship!

Li Yan watched the ceaseless flow of information within the Shadow Network. He was inwardly astonished. The Shadow Puppets had woven a communication network from shadows, using it to transmit messages.

Outsiders would never suspect their existence. Who would imagine that sound could travel through the shadows beneath their feet?

By tapping into the Shadow Network, Li Yan had infiltrated the Shadow Fiends’ inner sanctum, gaining access to their communications at will.

“I never expected to unlock another divine skill,” he thought, inwardly delighted. “Now I can monitor every move of the Shadow Fiends in Mishan City with perfect clarity.”

Li Yan was secretly pleased. From their conversation, it was clear the Shadow Fiends remained unaware of his presence. Their attention was entirely focused on the Su Clan’s floating pavilion ship.

Just then, another message flashed across the Shadow Network:

Elder Si Deng: Be discreet. We must avoid alerting the monks and Daoists in the city!

Lantern Bearers: Rest assured, Elder. We’re old hands at this.

Watching their clandestine exchanges unfold completely under his control, Li Yan realized a crucial point: Si Deng and the Lantern Bearers were entirely preoccupied with Third Elder Su Chongyue of the Su Clan. As long as Su Chongyue remained alive, they would prioritize catching the “big fish,” leaving Li Yan, the small fry, unbothered.

The Su Clan’s towering pavilion ship, hovering conspicuously outside Mishan City, served as a glaringly obvious target. With the Shadow Fiends drawn to it like moths to a flame, Li Yan slipped through the cracks, becoming an overlooked fish in the net.

After much deliberation, Li Yan stroked his chin and muttered, “Leaving the Su Clan’s warship was definitely the right move. Staying with them would have made me too conspicuous.”

“But I can’t just watch Elder Su die. If he becomes a Shadow Slave, he’ll expose my location.”

“Right now, the Su Clan’s warship is completely surrounded by Shadows. Any movement, no matter how slight, will draw their attention.”

Li Yan stood inside the Daoist temple, gazing at the distant floating warship.

What could he do?

Sending a message rashly would also reveal his presence.

How could he slip through the tight encirclement without alerting Elder Si Deng and deliver the message to Elder Su?

Just then, a buzzing sound filled the air.

In this transitional season between spring and summer, the mountain temple outside the city was swarming with mosquitoes.

“Everything in this world has a spirit—except mosquitoes!” Li Yan couldn’t help but wave away the persistent insects.

He never imagined that even after transmigrating to another world, he’d still have to deal with these pests.

“Mosquitoes… wait a minute! Mosquitoes!”

Li Yan’s eyes suddenly lit up as he stared at the buzzing insect he had just swatted away.

Watching the relentless mosquito buzz around, refusing to give up, an idea struck him.

As the saying goes, “Every mosquito has its share of blood.”

Mosquitoes have shadows too. What if he applied the Shadow Puppet Technique to one? Wouldn’t that…?

With this thought, Li Yan pinched his fingers into a hand seal and pointed at the swarm of mosquitoes buzzing erratically.

“Shadow Puppet Technique!”

Controlling the shadow of a mosquito required almost no spiritual power. Li Yan circled his finger in the air and silently intoned, “Shadow Puppet, obey my will!”

The mosquito buzzed closer and landed in Li Yan’s palm.

Gazing at the tiny, almost imperceptible creature, Li Yan’s lips curled into a slight smile. He allowed it to sip a single drop of his blood.

Then, lifting the mosquito in his hand, he declared, “Go now and deliver a message to Elder Su!”

The insignificant insect flapped its wings and flew toward the floating pavilion ship.

The sun wouldn’t rise for some time yet, but even at the mosquito’s slow pace, it would arrive in time.

Li Yan maintained control over the mosquito as it flew inside the Su Clan’s pavilion ship.

The floating structure hovered above a dense forest, swarming with insects. No one paid attention to the lone mosquito.

Slipping through a crack in a window, the mosquito entered Elder Su’s chamber.

The elder sat cross-legged on his bed, meditating. He dared not relax for even a moment, fearing a surprise attack.

Buzz… buzz… buzz…

Li Yan controlled the Flying Mosquito, guiding it to circle around Elder Su.

The elder, his eyes tightly shut, frowned slightly. “I planted mosquito-repelling grass. Where did this mosquito come from?”

With an impatient wave, he tried to shoo the irritating insect away, hoping to resume his meditative seclusion.

Little did he know, this ungrateful mosquito stubbornly continued to buzz around him. The irritating hum shifted from left to right, then right to left, a relentless drone that drove him to the edge of his patience.

Finally, Elder Su could take no more. He pinched the mosquito between two fingers and crushed it with a “Hmph.”

After killing the mosquito, Elder Su felt a sticky residue on his fingers, as if the crushed insect had splattered blood all over his hand.

He glanced down and saw the blood on his hand begin to squirm.

“Huh? What’s this?!”

Upon closer inspection, the blood flowed and transformed into two large characters:

Shadow Strike!

The moment Elder Su saw this, his body jolted.

He never imagined that casually crushing a mosquito could reveal a secret message hidden within its blood!

“Using a Flying Mosquito to deliver messages? He must be trying to evade the Shadow Fiend!”

“Who could have conceived of using a mosquito for correspondence? A true genius! Could it be Li Yan secretly aiding me?”

Elder Su immediately thought of Li Yan, marveling at the young man’s ingenuity.

Feeding blood to the Flying Mosquitoes, Li Yan had guided them through the Shadow Fiends’ dense encirclement, delivering a message right to Elder Su’s doorstep.

“Using blood-filled mosquitoes as messengers—brilliant!” Elder Su mused. “But when did Little Friend Li learn insect manipulation techniques? Could he have studied Insect Gu Arts during his time in the Miao Territory?”

Though curious about how Li Yan had accomplished this, Elder Su swiftly rose and strode out of his chambers.

With purposeful strides, he hurried to the ship’s helm.

As the Su Clan disciples on watch dozed, Elder Su shouted, “Raise the sails immediately! We’re heading to North Mountain Village—a perfect opportunity to restock with fresh meat and vegetables.”

His deliberate announcement was clearly meant for the Shadow Fiends lurking nearby.

Watching the floating pavilion ship begin to move northward, the Shadow Fiends lying in ambush were stunned.

Several urgent messages flooded the Shadow Network:

Lantern Bearers: The Su Clan’s ship is leaving! What should we do, Elders?

Elder Si Deng: Impossible! Could one of you have leaked our plans?!