Abyssal Assault, Evil Shadow Erosion Formation

The shrill, piercing alarm tore through the morning tranquility of Myriad Manifestations Academy like a sharp blade!

This was no ordinary warning. Qin Mo had personally set this alarm to signify an invasion threat of the highest level! It originated from the central tower and, through the Amplification Arrays spread throughout the academy, instantly reached every corner!

"Enemy attack! Maximum alert!" Bing'er's cold, urgent voice immediately echoed through the entire academy via the formation. "All students, return to your dormitories at once and activate the Protection Arrays! Guard squad, take your positions and initiate emergency defenses!"

The students who had been doing morning exercises or preparing for class erupted into commotion, their faces filled with shock and confusion. Maximum alert? Since the academy had been established, this was the first time an alarm of such a level had sounded! Even the previous spiritual probing by the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear King had not triggered such a response!

But their long-term rigorous training showed its worth at this moment. Under the stern urging of the Academic Affairs stewards and class monitors, the students, though panicked, still rushed swiftly and orderly toward their respective dormitory areas. Simple protective runes carved into the dormitory walls lit up one after another, forming faint layers of light barriers.

The academy's guard squad reacted even faster. Soul Sage and Soul Douluo experts transferred from the sects darted out from all directions like phantoms. Following plans they had rehearsed countless times, they quickly occupied every key point and poured their Soul Power into the formation foundations in the ground and walls without reservation!

Buzz—!

With internal energy support, the Guardian Great Formation of Myriad Manifestations Academy surged to life. The Nine-Colored Light Screen instantly became denser and heavier, its circulating streams of light accelerating as it radiated an even more terrifying defensive force.

Meanwhile, atop the central tower.

Bing'er, Yan'er, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ye Lingling had already gathered there. Ning Rongrong had gone out with Qin Mo. Their expressions were incomparably grave as they stared at the enormous light screen before them.

The light screen clearly displayed the situation at the protective barrier in the academy's northwest corner. A distorted humanoid creature, seemingly condensed from pure shadow and malice, was pressing its withered black palm firmly against the screen!

What made their scalps tingle was that the Nine-Colored Light Screen, capable of withstanding attacks from a Titled Douluo, made a piercing sizzling sound where it touched that black palm, as though being corroded by powerful acid. It sank slightly inward, and its glow visibly dimmed! Though the great formation was automatically gathering energy to repair itself, its repair speed was faintly unable to keep up with the rate of corrosion!

"What is that thing?!" Yan'er cried out. From the shadow, she sensed an aura that was utterly repulsive—evil, cold, and deathly still—completely unlike any known Soul Power or Spiritual Power!

"I don't know... but its energy attribute is extremely strange. It seems to be devouring and corroding the formation's energy!" Bing'er spoke rapidly, both hands pressed against the Control Crystal Ball as she frantically directed the formation's energy toward the point under attack, trying to force that palm back.

However, the effect was minimal. The quality of the shadow's corrosive energy was terrifyingly high, and it carried a bizarre property of "annihilation."

"Its goal is obvious. It wants to corrode an opening and slip inside!" Zhu Zhuqing's gaze was sharp. Her Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul was particularly sensitive to such dark auras. "We can't let it succeed!"

"I'll give it a try!" Yan'er was the most impatient. Flames rose around her body as she prepared to leap down from the top of the tower and attack.

"Don't be reckless!" Bing'er immediately stopped her. "The dean and Elder Qin are both absent, and we don't know what's happening outside. Do not leave the protection of the great formation lightly! Focus the energy and drive it back!"

The four women immediately joined forces, pouring their own Soul Power into the Control Crystal Ball and directing the immense energy of the formation like a tsunami toward that single point!

Boom!

The Nine-Colored Light Screen erupted with dazzling radiance, and the corroded point suddenly bulged outward!

The shadow seemed briefly staggered by the suddenly intensified energy impact, and its corrosion slowed for an instant. But it immediately let out an even sharper, hatred-filled shriek and slammed its other palm against the screen! Both arms exerted force at once, black energy surging forth like a tide!

Sizzle—!

The corrosive sound became even more piercing! The light screen caved in deeper! An extremely fine crack even appeared faintly upon it!

"Not good!" The four women's faces turned pale at the same time! This monster's strength far exceeded their expectations!

"Its energy... is contaminating the formation nodes!" Ye Lingling discovered in horror that the formation runes in the corroded area were dimming, and traces of gray-black necrosis had even begun spreading outward! This monster could actually contaminate the formation itself!

At that critical moment!

"Wretch! How dare you!"

An aged roar filled with boundless authority and fury exploded from the rear of the academy like thunder from the Ninth Heaven!

A black figure abruptly appeared in the sky above the academy's northwest corner, as though tearing through space itself! It was Qin Yuan, who had remained behind to guard the academy!

Gone was his usual mildness. His face was icy, and his eyes blazed with towering fury. The terrifying pressure of a Limit Douluo erupted without restraint, descending upon the shadowy figure like a tangible mountain!

At the same time, he held two fingers together like a sword and pointed into the air!

A gray finger blast condensed to the extreme, seemingly capable of slicing through the void itself, crossed several hundred meters in an instant. Carrying endless sharpness and an intent to destroy, it struck with incomparable precision toward the shadow creature's brow!

The shadow creature seemed extremely wary of Qin Yuan's appearance. It let out a piercing shriek, abruptly abandoned its corrosion of the light screen, and twisted its boneless body in a bizarre motion, narrowly avoiding that fatal strike!

The finger blast grazed its scalp and silently pierced through, then annihilated a distant small hill behind it.

The shadow creature raised its head. Its completely black pupils stared fixedly at Qin Yuan in the sky, full of malice and greed. It seemed to want to say something, but in the end, it merely let out a string of incomprehensible, dizzying shrieks. Its form flickered, abruptly turning into a thin wisp of black smoke that silently seeped into the ground as though dissolving into water, vanishing without a trace!

Even Qin Yuan's vast Spiritual Power was unable to accurately lock onto its trail for the moment!

Its arrival had been strange, but its departure was even more bizarre!

It was as though it had never appeared at all.

Only the corroded depression on the light screen in the academy's northwest corner, not yet fully repaired and still bearing faint gray-black traces of necrosis, proved that the terrifying scene just now had not been an illusion.

Qin Yuan landed before the corroded barrier with a dark expression, carefully examining the lingering evil aura and necrotic runes. His brows were tightly furrowed.

"The aura of the abyss... How is that possible? How could such a thing appear here?!" he muttered, his eyes filled with gravity and confusion.

The four women atop the tower also let out sighs of relief and hurriedly flew down.

"Elder Qin, are you all right? What exactly was that monster?" Yan'er asked, still shaken.

Qin Yuan shook his head and said gravely, "This is no trivial matter. Repair the formation immediately and raise the alert level to the highest. Before Mo'er returns, no one is to leave the academy grounds without permission!"

He lifted his gaze toward the Star Dou Great Forest, worry flashing through his eyes. Such a bizarre enemy had appeared here at the academy. Would Mo'er and the others encounter trouble in the forest as well?

Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.

Qin Mo was leading Huo Yun and Ning Rongrong in search of a soul beast suitable for Huo Yun's Third Soul Ring. Huo Yun held a Compass-shaped Soul Tool and, following Qin Mo's guidance, carefully sensed the Soul Power fluctuations in the air associated with the attributes of "suppression" and "confinement."

Suddenly, Qin Mo halted, his brows drawing together slightly as he instinctively touched his chest. There, the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda Martial Soul sent out an extremely faint, warning-like throb.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.

"...Nothing." Qin Mo suppressed the inexplicable unease in his heart, his gaze growing sharper. "Pick up the pace. Find the target as soon as possible."

He had a vague feeling that something bad had happened.