Silent Shadow

The downpour was torrential, like the heavens had overturned.

The path leading to the village edge was a muddy mess.

Shan Renhu held his wooden staff high, the Clarity Talisman emitting a gentle, steady light to illuminate the way forward.

Jiang Yan drew his longsword, his steps incredibly steady, his face solemn as he cautiously scanned their surroundings.

Meng Sheng followed suit, and the usually talkative Ying Cong was also silent.

Darkness, especially on a rainy night, was the Shadow Monster's favorite time to act.

Shadow Monsters often blended seamlessly with the darkness, making them impossible to guard against.

Shan Renhu led them forward, and only after half an hour did they reach the patrol team's orchard.

At this moment, the heavy rain was subsiding, and countless fine threads of rain drifted down, causing water droplets to gather and fall from exposed hair and eyebrows.

Splat!

A string of water droplets fell from the tip of his nose, merging into the mud below.

Shan Renhu glanced curiously at Jiang Yan. He had noticed that apart from their initial greeting, Jiang Yan had not spoken a word on their journey today.

He paused, suppressing his curiosity, and remained silent.

Seeing the heavy rain had stopped, a hint of relief appeared on Ying Cong and Meng Sheng's faces.

The most dangerous moment had passed.

Ying Cong opened his mouth, about to say a few words. Since they set out, no one had spoken, making the lively Ying Cong feel an inexplicable sense of dullness.

"Brother Shan, do you think Talisman Masters are more powerful than martial artists? They can actually create such amazing talismans."

Shan Renhu gave him a curious look. "If Talisman Masters don't make talismans, what do they do?"

Ying Cong: "..."

Meng Sheng also felt the urge to speak. His eyes held a sense of inquiry. "Talisman Masters should be more powerful than martial artists. Look how amazing the talismans we're using are."

"Don't you think so, Brother Shan?"

Shan Renhu paused, remaining silent.

Damn it, I'm just a low-level lackey. How would I know which is stronger, a Talisman Master or a martial artist? he thought to himself.

Seeing Shan Renhu not speaking, Ying Cong was about to ask more.

Before he could speak, Meng Sheng suddenly said nervously, "Shan... Brother Shan, you you you you you..."

Hearing Meng Sheng speak like this, while others could still react, Jiang Yan's brow furrowed, his eyes instantly sharpening.

He scanned their surroundings.

It was no ordinary reaction. He realized that when Meng Sheng, who was on watch, started to stutter nervously, it was likely out of fear, having seen a Monster.

At this moment, his left hand also felt wisps of cold air creeping in.

Jiang Yan's expression became completely serious. His left hand could absorb black and gray energy flows and turn them into Monster points. He had noticed in the past few encounters with Monsters that as long as they weren't too far away, the temperature of his left hand would drop slightly.

A Monster was coming, nearby.

He was about to warn them when he suddenly noticed Shan Renhu's mouth agape, pointing at himself and saying something.

"You guys..."

He was about to ask, but before he could finish, he suddenly realized he couldn't make a sound.

Silence!

The new Monster's innate ability could impose silence!

Water droplets splashed from the leaves, Shan Renhu and the other two shouted silently in front of him, and the wind rustled the leaves in the forest.

But not a single sound could be heard.

The Monster was right behind him. He slapped his Blazing Flames Talisman, flicked his longsword, and without moving his feet, he swung the sword behind him.

Puff!

It felt like hitting a ball of cotton.

Jiang Yan leaped back, borrowing the force, and only then did he get a chance to see the Monster that had attacked them.

It was a shadow-type Monster. Its lower body was a mass of black energy, and its upper body resembled an octopus, with thick tentacles flailing wildly. The tips of the tentacles were sharp, and at this moment, they were opening, trying to engulf and strangle Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan's expression was calm, without the slightest hint of panic.

He turned, grabbed the spear in Ying Cong's hand, and swung it fiercely. The spear bent like a bow.

Slam! He smashed it into the octopus Monster, directly knocking it to the ground, sending it rolling five or six meters.

Clang!

The next instant, Jiang Yan flicked his long arm, and the spear, wrapped in fiery patterns, cut through the misty rain and shot directly at the octopus Monster.

Squelch!

At this moment, the world cleared, and the silencing effect shattered.

With a loud bang, the spear, like a dragon, pierced the monster's body. The flame patterns on the spear flashed, pinning the monster to the ground.

The spear vibrated wildly, only visible within three feet, the rest of it buried underground, showing the immense power of Jiang Yan's throw.

The monster shrieked.

Puffs of black smoke billowed from where it was impaled.

Tentacles thrashed wildly, trying to break free from the spear.

Jiang Yan strode forward, mud splashing, and arrived before the monster.

His sword flashed, like thunder and lightning, its silver light tearing through the air.

The tentacles were severed, shattered.

"Again, it's like this again?"

Ying Cong stared blankly at the scene, his unease returning.

The monster appeared, Jiang Yan repelled it with a sword strike.

Then he took the spear in his hand and threw it, piercing the monster.

After that, his sword slashed wildly, and the monster's tentacles were gone!

Was this still the monster? Why did the world fear the monster when, in Jiang Yan's hands, it was like chopping vegetables, killed without any chance to fight back!

Shan Renhu's eyes gleamed. This was the power of a martial artist. Their physical constitution and reaction speed were several times that of ordinary people. Combined, they could fight twenty or thirty ordinary people.

He silently felt the changes in his body and clenched his fist. "I'm close too... Martial Apprentice!"

Jiang Yan had been too swift just now; he hadn't even had time to fire a signal arrow.

The monster was pushed back by Jiang Yan, and now it was pinned to the ground by the spear, only able to shriek. The spear bore a Blazing Flames Talisman, burning the monster and causing thick black smoke to rise.

Its volume was constantly shrinking.

The monster's death was only a matter of time.

"Jiang... Jiang Yan."

Meng Sheng called out to him. Jiang Yan's body stiffened. He didn't respond immediately but instead sensed and observed his surroundings, carefully feeling the temperature change in his left hand.

Hmm... No monster!

Meeting Jiang Yan's gaze, Meng Sheng's face turned red, but he gritted his teeth and said, "I, I want to kill it."

"Okay." Without hesitation, Jiang Yan shifted his stance, allowing Meng Sheng to step forward.

Meng Sheng stepped forward, his legs suddenly feeling weak. He took a deep breath, his gaze slowly firming. He looked at the monster before him!

After staring for a while, he realized that apart from its slightly more piercing cries, it was just a black mass emitting black smoke and shrinking.

He gripped the spear, turned back, and looked at Jiang Yan and Shan Renhu. "You two, last time I ran away, did you look down on me?"

Shan Renhu was taken aback and said coldly, "So much nonsense, I don't have that much time!"

Jiang Yan: "I don't have time either."

Meng Sheng's lips twitched. He raised the spear and, after thinking for a moment, asked, "Jiang Yan, you have more experience, where should I stab it?"

Jiang Yan's brow twitched, his face contorted. His cool demeanor from the entire night instantly broke.

"Stab it anywhere!"

"After all, the monster will die when it's killed!"

Plop!

He stabbed down, like piercing a lump of mud. The monster shrieked even louder, its volume shrinking.

After Meng Sheng took action, his fear of the monster seemed to disappear. The next quarter of an hour.

Was filled with Meng Sheng's grunts and the plop plop sounds of the monster being stabbed.

Finally, the shadowy monster let out a final scream and turned into dust.

Monster Value: 5

After the monster died, Meng Sheng blinked and looked at Jiang Yan intently, as if realizing for the first time how lucky he was to have such a powerful figure in his team.

Meng Sheng was covered in sweat, but his face was filled with excitement and determination. He shouted, "So monsters really die when they're killed! I actually killed a monster!"

Shan Renhu: "..."

Ying Cong: "..."

Just then, a whistle sounded from the west side of the village, and a brilliant red light shot into the sky.

A signal arrow, a team had encountered a monster!

This night was not peaceful...

PS: Your recommendation votes are too quiet, give them to me.