Chapter 258: Shadow Secret Spellbook

"Hey, what are you looking at? Don't waste our time!" Kade, seeing the employer who insisted on getting close standing blankly before a painting, impatiently urged.

Naimi Xisi turned his head and gave him a glance, his eyes indifferent. Kade felt as if he were falling into an ice cellar, his whole body stiffened; he only felt a pressure as deep as a abyss and as vast as the sea descend onto his shoulders, making him want to kneel.

That pressure vanished in an instant, as if it had never occurred, and beside them, Chui Li'er and E Bi Si, after hearing Kade finish his sentence, stood motionless, their faces turned pale, looking somewhat odd.

"What's wrong?" Chui Li'er asked concernedly.

Kade suddenly looked at the two, found their expressions normal as if nothing had happened. He pursed his lips and forced a smile: "It's nothing."

At that moment his mind was in a sea of turmoil, doubting everything. What on earth was happening, that he was scared by a mortal with no talent at a single glance—could it be a aftereffect from the giant dragon's fright earlier?

Moreover, he wasn't sure if it was an illusion. He felt that for a moment he seemed to see the other's gem‑like violet pupils briefly turn into vertical slits.

Naimi Xisi smiled and explained: "Sorry, I'm just trying to see if there are any clues related to my brother; please wait another minute."

After speaking, he walked to the altar and began rummaging.

Seeing the other's normal expression, Kade could only attribute everything to his own possible illusion, and a feeling of irritation arose in his mind.

It's all that clueless guy's fault, nearly making me look foolish!

He glared fiercely at the other, and, in a bad mood, stood where he was and stamped his foot.

Naimi Xisi rummaged for about a minute and found a black book in a compartment on the altar.

He flipped through a few pages and found it filled with various spells written in the ancient Ying Ying Ming Jie language, along with numerous complex Rune diagrams.

Naimi Xisi smiled, and placed the book into his spatial bag.

Looks like this trip wasn't in vain after all.

Although Naimi Xisi hadn't examined it closely, given his current mastery of Arcane Power, it should be a spell notebook.

However, unlike Arcane spells written in Dragon Tongue or Elven Tongue, the spells in this book are written in the ancient Ying Ying Ming Jie language.

He guessed that the contents of the book were probably the Shadow Secret Technique.

He didn't find it coincidental; after all, this cemetery is saturated with shadow energy, indicating that the tomb's owner was a Shadow Secret Practitioner who studied this path in life, so finding a Spellbook about the Shadow Secret Technique here was expected.

"Alright, let's go." Naimi Xisi walked to the three of them and smiled.

Chui Li'er, seeing this, said: "Before we go in, I need to tell you something in advance."

He looked at Naimi Xisi, expression serious: "Behind this gate lies a bridge riddled with traps; you must walk it according to a specific pattern, and if a mechanism is triggered, you'll be devoured by a shadow prison."

"The last time, we stopped here, and even my teammate was left here." He said, his expression somewhat dim.

"I don't know what will happen beyond, and for your safety, I suggest you stay here and wait for us to return."

Naimi Xisi smiled and shook his head: "No need, I'll go with you."

Seeing his resolute attitude, Chui Li'er didn't say more, only thinking that if danger arose they'd intervene a bit, and if they couldn't save, they'd just blame him for not listening.

The group stepped into the black mist inside the archway, and the next moment arrived in a boundless dark space.

Beneath their feet was a three‑meter‑long and wide slate platform, and ahead stretched a narrow stone slab bridge suspended in the darkness.

The slabs seemed unaffected by gravity, floating in the air, extending far away; faintly at the far end one could see a pavilion‑like spot. "Three steps, jump one tile; six steps, jump two tiles; nine steps, step back one tile, then start over. Remember to follow this order." Chui Li'er instructed.

Naimi Xisi, listening to Chui Li'er, glanced at Kade, his expression odd.

Does this Mage not have Flight?

His face reddened with anger: "What are you thinking? Are you trying to say I don't even know Flight?"

"Do you think the traps here are that simple? The first time we came, I tried it, but immediately triggered a mechanism; Mo Lei Nuo was imprisoned that way!"

Naimi Xisi understood; cheating doesn't work.

Beside them, E Bi Si was a bit anxious: "Chui Li'er, what should we do next? Where exactly is the shadow prison that imprisoned Mo Lei Nuo? Could it be…"

She peeked at the endless abyss beneath the slab, a flash of fear in her eyes.

Chui Li'er sighed: "I don't know either; we'll just take it step by step. The shadow prison that once imprisoned Mo Lei Nuo rose upward into the sky; let's cross the bridge first and see."

The group stepped onto the stone slab bridge; though it looked fragile and rootless, it was surprisingly solid. They advanced strictly according to Chui Li'er's rules and encountered no danger.

!

Halfway, E Bi Si suddenly stopped, causing Kade behind her to nearly collide with her.

"Why did you stop walking!" Kade swayed his body, steadied his balance, and, with a hint of fear, shouted at E Bi Si.

E Bi Si made a gesture to tell him to be quiet, and whispered: "Didn't you hear? Something's nearby."

The Chui Li'er ahead, hearing this, immediately stopped moving; E Bi Si, alert, pricked up her ears and listened for a while, then drew a dagger: "It's coming from below!"

The sound was initially faint, then grew louder, and even Kade heard it, sounding like a massive flock of birds flapping wings, extremely noisy.

The three quickly raised their weapons to defend, and Kade began casting protective spells for everyone.

"Damn, what is it, this place is not a good battlefield."

E Bi Si gritted her teeth; they were on the middle of the stone bridge, with no exits left or right, unable to move freely, must follow the specific steps; if a fight broke out, everyone would become stationary live targets.

"Swish, swish"

The sound grew louder, and a huge swarm of black shadows suddenly emerged from both sides below the people, soaring upward.

"Mistra is up there, what is this thing?!" Kade shouted.

In the sky, a massive number of bat‑shaped Monsters gathered like a black cloud; their bodies seemed formed from shadows, cloaked in heavy black mist, eyes glowing crimson.

In the black cloud, countless red lights stared coldly at them, sending chills down the spine.

Kade was initially nervous, but after a while, seeing the Monsters not act, he swallowed and said: "They don't seem to intend to attack? Let's hurry."

Before he could finish, the black cloud in the sky let out a "Boom" and scattered, swirling like a tornado, attacking the group!

(End of Chapter)