Chapter 243: Overreaching

A low voice, like a whisper from hell, cut through the battlefield's clamor and reached everyone's ears clearly. Before anyone could react, several black silhouettes sprang from the dark corners like phantoms, moving at astonishing speed. Clad in tight black garments, they held daggers flashing with cold light, like hunting leopards, and silently closed in on the crowd engaged in fierce combat.

These are the Shadow Assassins, famed throughout the universe for their superb killing techniques and ruthless cruelty. They move across the battlefield like ghosts, searching for the optimal moment to strike.

Zhang Cheng was about to unleash his final strike when he suddenly felt a cold murderous intent lock onto him. An alarm rang in his mind, and instinctively he sidestepped, a flash of cold light slicing just past his cheek.

"Watch out! Shadow assassins!" Xingji Xiake shouted, swinging his light saber to drive back the approaching silhouettes, and at the same time parried with a reverse slash to block the assassin that had ambushed Zhang Cheng. However, in protecting Zhang Cheng, his back was exposed to another assassin's attack.

A flash of blood-colored light streaked by, and Xingji Xiake let out a muted grunt as a deep wound was carved across his back. He staggered, and the glow of his light saber dimmed a few degrees.

The shadow seized the opportunity, roaring as it charged at Zhang Cheng, its dark energy surging like a tide, forming a massive black vortex intent on swallowing Zhang Cheng whole.

"Zhang Cheng!" Kelinda cried out, but she was entangled by a multitude of space pirates and could not break free.

Zhang Cheng's expression grew grim; Xingji Xiake's injury had taken away his greatest support. The shadow's power was overwhelming, and even a prime Xingji Xiake would struggle to resist, let alone now, gravely wounded.

He clenched his teeth, forced a deep breath, and mobilized all the remaining energy within his body, preparing for a life‑or‑death duel.

Blue Star Guardian, seeing this, also increased his energy output, and a surge of powerful energy poured into Zhang Cheng's body, helping him resist the shadow's assault.

However, the number of Shadow Assassins kept growing; they swarmed the combatants like maggots on a bone, making an already arduous battle even more complicated.

A Shadow Assassin slipped behind Blue Star Guardian, its dagger emitting a ghostly green glow, and thrust fiercely toward his back heart.

"Watch out!" a crisp voice rang out as a figure suddenly appeared behind Blue Star Guardian, blocking the assassin's strike.

It was a petite Elf, with long silver‑white hair, a pair of translucent wings on her back, and a staff in her hand that radiated a gentle light.

The mysterious Elf's appearance surprised the others, but it was clearly not the time to investigate her identity.

After the Elf blocked the assassin's attack, she did not linger in combat but quickly retreated, creating distance from Blue Star Guardian.

"Thank you for the assistance," Blue Star Guardian said gratefully, glancing at the Elf before continuing to channel energy to Zhang Cheng.

The Elf gave a faint smile, said nothing, and turned her gaze toward Zhang Cheng, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.

At that moment, a Shadow Assassin suddenly appeared behind Kelinda, its dagger thrust straight at her back.

"Kelinda!" Zhang Cheng roared, watching the dagger about to pierce Kelinda's body yet powerless to act. All his attention was on repelling the shadow's attack, and he could not split himself to rescue Kelinda. A wave of despair rose in his heart... Suddenly, a figure stepped in behind Kelinda. The figure was Mo Yi. His blade clanged against the assassin's dagger, producing a harsh metallic screech. Amidst sparks, Mo Yi gritted his teeth and blocked the lethal strike. Kelinda, still shaken, looked at Mo Yi gratefully and said, "Brother, thank you!"

"Sister, focus on the space pirates; leave these riffraff to me!" Mo Yi growled, his form flashing like lightning as he tangled with the Shadow Assassins. Though Mo Yi's strength was impressive, he began to feel strained against the elusive, ever‑shifting assassins.

At the same time, the mysterious Elf was being pressed from front and rear by space pirates and Shadow Assassins. Though she possessed powerful magic, she could not match four fists with two, and her graceful dodges and precise attacks grew chaotic. A pirate's energy cannon skimmed her arm, leaving a charred scar. The Elf let out a muted grunt, her silver‑white hair damp with sweat and clinging to her cheek.

"We can't keep going like this!" Kelinda shouted anxiously. She could feel her demonic power draining rapidly, and the prolonged battle left her weary. She swung her long whip, driving back several pirates, but more enemies surged forward like an endless tide.

Elsewhere, Blue Star Guardian was exerting all his strength to dispel the intense light released by the shadow. The light contained massive dark energy, and even he found it extremely taxing. Just as he was about to succeed, a Shadow Assassin suddenly appeared, its dagger glowing with a ghostly green light, thrusting toward his back.

Blue Star Guardian was forced to divert part of his energy to block the assassin's attack, interrupting the dispelling of the intense light. The backlash of dark energy made him let out a muted grunt, a strand of blood spilling from his mouth corner. He clutched his chest, his face pale, and had to temporarily cease rescuing Zhang Cheng.

"Damn it!" Blue Star Guardian muttered darkly, surprised at how hard these Shadow Assassins were to deal with. He knew that if they could not quickly neutralize the shadow's assault, all of them would fall into danger.

The battlefield grew increasingly chaotic, and everyone was locked in a desperate fight. Zhang Cheng was suppressed by the shadow's dark energy, unable to move. He watched helplessly as Kelinda, Mo Yi, the mysterious Elf, and Blue Star Guardian, all risking themselves to protect him, found themselves in peril.

Xingji Xiake struggled to rise; his injuries were severe, and every movement sent a stabbing pain. Yet he could not fall, for he had to fight to safeguard universal peace and protect his friends. He clenched his teeth, raised his light saber, its glow dim but still resolute.

"Hold on, we will definitely win!" Xingji Xiake's voice, though weak, was full of strength, offering a glimmer of hope to everyone.

However, the light of hope seemed especially feeble under the darkness. The shadow's power grew ever stronger, and the dark energy surged like a tide, as if to engulf the entire universe.

At that moment, the shadow suddenly halted its assault, looked at Zhang Cheng, pressed to the ground by dark energy, and let out a chilling laugh: "Give up, you have no hope left."

Zhang Cheng's consciousness gradually blurred; he felt his body growing heavier, as if being devoured by darkness. Yet he still clenched his fists tightly, his heart filled with unwillingness.

He saw Kelinda surrounded by space pirates, her face full of anxiety and worry; he saw Mo Yi fighting in a blood‑soaked battle, his body riddled with wounds; he saw the mysterious Elf exhausted, her silver‑white hair soaked with sweat; he saw Blue Star Guardian injured, spitting blood, his complexion pale; he saw Xingji Xiake…

"I... can't fall..." Zhang Cheng uttered, using his last ounce of strength. He struggled to rise, to fight, to protect his friends, to guard everything he cherished…

The shadow watched Zhang Cheng's struggle, a mocking smile curling its mouth: "Useless, you..."

Suddenly, a voice from afar rang out, breaking the battlefield stalemate: "Stop!"

Zhang Cheng's consciousness struggled in the dark mire, the shadow's mockery piercing his heart like a dagger. He saw Kelinda forced back repeatedly by the pirates' energy cannons, her clothes tattered, her face full of anxiety; he saw Mo Yi's figure wavering under the assassins' onslaught, blood staining his collar; he saw the mysterious Elf's magical shield flickering, on the verge of collapse. All of this was because of him, because he was powerless against the shadow, because he had become a burden to everyone.

Guilt and anger burned his soul like raging fire; he clenched his teeth and strained to mobilize the scant energy left in his body. He could not fall, he must not become their burden! "Let me go!" he roared, his body trembling slightly as he tried to break free from the dark energy's shackles.

The shadow watched Zhang Cheng's futile struggle and let out a contemptuous sneer: "Overreaching." It increased the output of dark energy, aiming to crush Zhang Cheng's will completely.

The space pirates spotted an opportunity, their greedy eyes roaming over Kelinda and the mysterious Elf. A burly pirate leader brandished his energy axe, snarling, "You scamps, step it up! Capture those two beauties, tonight we'll have a good time!"

The pirates let out excited howls, lunging at Kelinda and the mysterious Elf like starving wolves. Kelinda's long whip whirled fiercely, yet against foes many times her number, she gradually felt outmatched. The Elf's magic, though powerful, began to show fatigue under the pirates' relentless assault.

Mo Yi gave his all to block the Shadow Assassin's attack, but his wounds multiplied and his movements grew slower. An assassin's dagger slashed his arm, leaving a deep, bone‑visible wound. Mo Yi let out a muted grunt, staggered, and nearly fell.

"Brother!" Kelinda shouted, trying to aid Mo Yi, but the pirate leader blocked her path. "Your opponent is me!" the pirate leader roared, swinging his energy axe hard at Kelinda.

At that critical moment, a figure suddenly appeared before Kelinda, blocking the pirate leader's strike. "Your opponent is me," Xingji Xiake said, his voice weak yet resolute. The light of his saber flickered, barely deflecting the energy axe's blow.

"Xingji Xiake! You're not dead yet?" the pirate leader shouted in surprise.

"I haven't fulfilled my mission yet; how can I fall so easily!" Xingji Xiake gritted his teeth, his body swaying, yet he persisted, refusing to collapse.

Elsewhere, Blue Star Guardian finally broke free from the shadow's entanglement; he saw the chaotic battlefield and felt extreme anxiety. He immediately joined the fight, his powerful energy wave blasting the surrounding pirates and assassins away.

"Hold on, I'm coming to help you!" Blue Star Guardian shouted, brandishing his long sword like a descending deity, unstoppable.

At that moment, the distant voice sounded again, bearing a hint of authority and undeniable command: "I said, stop!" Accompanying the voice, a dazzling light tore across the sky, illuminating the entire battlefield. A figure slowly emerged from the brilliance, clad in golden armor, wielding a long sword that exuded a holy aura, his gaze blazing, majestic. He surveyed the battlefield, finally fixing his eyes on the shadow, and said slowly, "You are the shadow?"

The shadow looked at the newcomer, a flash of surprise crossing its eyes before calm returned. A cold smile curled its mouth, and it slowly spoke, "And who are you?" The newcomer gave no answer, merely raising his long sword slowly...

Shadow Assassins darted across the battlefield like phantoms, their attacks erratic and hard to anticipate. The daggers flashed with a ghostly green light, a soul‑corroding toxin that could make a mere scratch feel worse than death. Mo Yi, already riddled with scars, now faced even greater peril. He swung his blade with all his might, repelling the assassins' tide of attacks, each block draining the little strength he had left.

Kelinda's clash with the pirate leader also reached a fever pitch. Each swing of the leader's energy axe carried the force of splitting mountains, and Kelinda's agile long whip struggled to withstand that ferocious power. She bore numerous wounds, her clothes ragged, yet her eyes still burned with an unyielding flame.

Xingji Xiake's condition worsened. Already gravely injured, he was now at the end of his strength. He barely supported his light saber, fending off the pirates' onslaught, but he knew he could not hold out much longer. He glanced at Kelinda and Mo Yi, his heart full of worry.

Although Blue Star Guardian was powerful, he could not be in two places at once to watch everyone. He swung his long sword, driving back the surrounding foes, yet could not fully break free from their entanglement. He anxiously glanced at Zhang Cheng, trapped by the shadow, feeling utterly powerless.

Zhang Cheng's consciousness remained stuck in the dark mire; he could sense everything happening outside but was powerless to respond. The shadow's cold laugh echoed in his ears like a demon's whisper, continuously eroding his will. He strained to break free, but in vain. Despair surged like a tide, nearly engulfing him.

The mysterious Elf's magical shield was on the brink of shattering; her complexion was pale, beads of sweat constantly sliding from her forehead. She knew she was about to collapse. She glanced at the trapped Zhang Cheng, her heart filled with worry and reluctance.

"We can't keep going like this!" Blue Star Guardian shouted, "We must find a way to break through!"

"How to break out? We're surrounded!" Xingji Xiake called weakly, the glow of his light saber having dimmed considerably.

Kelinda clenched her teeth, a flash of resolve in her eyes. "I'll cover you; you find a way to break out!"

"No! Too dangerous!" Mo Yi shouted anxiously.

"There's no other way!" Kelinda shouted. "If this keeps up, we'll all die here!"

She inhaled deeply, and the long whip in her hand suddenly burst with dazzling light. She swung the whip into a ring of light, driving the surrounding enemies back.

"Run!" she shouted.

As the others hesitated, the black silhouette suddenly spoke, "Want to leave? It's not that easy!"

He gathered a sphere of black energy in his hand and hurled it at Kelinda with force.

Kelinda's complexion changed dramatically; she knew she couldn't dodge the blow…

At that hair‑trigger moment, a voice sounded beside everyone's ears: "Stop!" The voice carried a hint of authority, like a deity's proclamation.