Shadow Chief

"I... I lost."

A student felt the cold touch against his neck, his body trembling uncontrollably as he spoke in a shaky voice.

Hearing this, Cheng Xiaoyu slowly withdrew his Short Blade and turned to leave the Arena.

"The winner, challenger Cheng Xiaoyu, has claimed the position of Shadow Chief!"

As the referee loudly announced the result, the venue erupted into intense cheers, and the crowd began whispering among themselves.

"Holy crap, that Cheng Xiaoyu is too much of a monster. I didn't even see when he made his move."

"He only used one strike, and it didn't even look like he used magic. Is he even a Mage?"

"What a bore. I thought it would be a peak showdown, but it was over the moment I sat down. I waited so long for nothing."

Qin Yuer and Ding Yumian sat in the corner, watching Cheng Xiaoyu walk off the Arena. The latter couldn't help but pout.

Hmph, Junior Apprentice Brother is acting cool again.

Not to mention, he actually looked quite handsome... No, wait, what are you thinking, Ding Yumian? You're the Second Senior Sister!

"Mhm, Junior Apprentice Brother is truly impressive. That speed just now didn't look like something a Mage should have. I almost thought he used Instantaneous Movement."

Qin Yuer was wearing a female professional suit today, which wrapped tightly around her voluptuous body, yet this only served to accentuate her graceful curves. Her long, slender legs were encased in black stockings, showcasing their perfect shape, and the high heels on her jade feet were even more captivating to the hearts of men!

On the other side, Mu Nujiao and Aitutu looked stunned, as if they hadn't yet recovered from the scene that had just unfolded. It had truly left them amazed.

"Sister Mu, was Brother Xiaoyu always this strong?"

Hearing this, Mu Nujiao snapped back to reality. The impression left by that figure in her mind was far too profound. She spoke softly.

"Yes. I think the assessment from the elders in the family was still too low. Brother Xiaoyu's strength might be even more terrifying."

"Brother Xiaoyu just entered the Main Campus this semester and immediately launched a challenge for the Shadow Academy Chief position. He won in a single strike! Sister Mu, don't you think he's handsome?"

"Mhm, he is indeed very handsome..."

"Eh? Sister Mu, you admitted it!"

"This... I think every girl present would think so. Tutu, don't you think Brother Xiaoyu is handsome?"

"Of course he is... Hehe, on that point, we are the same!"

Far from the noisy venue, Cheng Xiaoyu walked along the campus avenue. He had become famous on the campus forum, and from time to time, many girls around him cast admiring and shy glances his way.

Winning the Shadow Chief position was just something he did on the side; he simply wanted to obtain his monthly cultivation resources as a matter of course. Moreover, he also valued the once-a-month quota for the Three Step Tower.

Although the teacher promised he could enter the Three Step Tower for seven days a month, who would complain about having more opportunities? Breaking through to the High Level sooner would allow him to continue collecting materials for the [Water of Life] in the Demon City...

"Yuer Jie, you still haven't told us what we're planning to do on this trip."

Cheng Xiaoyu sat in his seat, looking out at the azure sky through the window, and turned his head to ask Qin Yuer, who was sitting beside him.

Today, Qin Yuer wasn't wearing her usual professional suit skirt. Her shirt couldn't fully conceal her full peaks, and at the neckline, her pale, delicate collarbones were visible. Her slender waist was so narrow it seemed it could be spanned by a single hand.

Below, she wore a pair of high-waisted, tight-fitting wide-leg pants that accentuated her plump, shapely jade hips, while her long, beautiful legs were crossed.

Qin Yuer let out a soft laugh, opened her beautiful eyes to look at her puzzled junior apprentice brother, and explained in a low voice.

"Junior apprentice brother, this is actually a task Grandpa Xiao assigned to me. Recently, Grandpa Xiao personally created a Water Element Array. This trip to the North is to discuss the prototype of this water-based formation and prepare for the next stage of research."

Afterward, she looked toward Ding Yumian on the other side, raised her hand to ruffle her hair, and smiled.

"It's a perfect chance to take you two out for some fun."

"Mm, I knew Yuer Jie was the best!"

Ding Yumian nodded like a chick pecking at rice. Her bright, beautiful eyes shimmered with joy, and her pretty face was filled with a sweet, happy smile.

She was wearing a pure white, slim-fitting, waist-cinching dress today, which hugged her curvaceous and graceful figure. The hem of the dress reached only to the middle of her thighs, revealing a pair of snow-white, long, beautiful legs—slender yet with just the right amount of softness, making one want to reach out and touch them.

"A Water Element Array... As expected of Teacher, to think he could research such a formation."

Cheng Xiaoyu sighed with his usual admiration. Compared to Ding Yumian's curiosity about the outside world, he was more curious about just how powerful that Water Element Array would be once it took shape.

After Qin Yuer finished handling her business, she brought Cheng Xiaoyu and Ding Yumian to a snowfield outside the Safe Zone. The environment here was incredibly beautiful and enchanting—a sight rarely seen in the South.

Yet, hidden within such a beautiful environment were endless crises!

"Yuer Jie, why did you bring us outside the Safe Zone?"

"To take you out for some training, of course. I'm also very curious to see your abilities, junior apprentice brother."

"That's right, junior apprentice brother, do your best!"

Seeing his two beautiful senior sisters cheering him on, the corners of Cheng Xiaoyu's mouth twitched imperceptibly, and he sighed helplessly.

Give me a break. Wasn't this supposed to be a company-funded trip? How did it turn into wilderness training?

"Yumian Jie, you should want to kill demons, right? Aren't you coming with me?"

"I came out to see the scenery. I have no interest in fighting those disgusting demons."

Ding Yumian seemed to realize something; her beautiful eyes narrowed, flashing with a dangerous glint.

"Junior apprentice brother, you didn't think that just because I wanted to come out, it meant I wanted to kill those demons, did you?"

"H-how could that be... Hahaha..."

Cheng Xiaoyu gave a dry laugh; it seemed he had truly misunderstood something.

"Hmph!"

Ding Yumian let out a delicate huff. How could she be so violent? She was clearly very ladylike; her Junior Apprentice Brother was really something else.

"Alright, you two. Junior Apprentice Brother, feel free to unleash your power with confidence. The common demons in this area are only of the Ice Bear Clan, and the strongest among them are merely at the Commander Level. Your Senior Sister will protect you."

"Good luck, Junior Apprentice Brother!"

Looking at the encouraging gazes of Qin Yuer and Ding Yumian, any man would want to show off his skills in front of two beauties. Cheng Xiaoyu naturally couldn't back down now, and besides, it was a good opportunity to grind some levels.

He walked through the thick snow, stepping into the forest. Along the way, he could see obvious claw marks on the tree trunks, clearly left by demons.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached. A massive, entirely white Ice Bear emerged from the forest and let out a roar at Cheng Xiaoyu.

"Finally, one shows up."

Cheng Xiaoyu narrowed his eyes. He stomped his foot into the snow, and his entire figure vanished from the spot, leaving only a cloud of snow dust swirling in the air.

The next second, he appeared above the Ice Bear, his arm tracing an arc as his fist slammed heavily into its head.

The Ice Bear had no time to react. Its body collapsed directly to the ground, a fist-sized depression appearing on its skull as Fresh Blood flowed out uncontrollably.

Having taken care of this Ice Bear with a single punch, Cheng Xiaoyu glanced at the marks on the ground. Following the footprints left by the Ice Bear, he headed deeper into the forest and eventually discovered a massive cave.

As if sensing someone approaching, pairs of scarlet eyes lit up within the dim cave. One by one, massive Ice Bears walked out, glaring menacingly at the human outside.

"There's quite a lot of them..."

Cheng Xiaoyu did a rough count, a smile curling the corners of his lips. A dark glint flashed in his eyes as he said coldly:

"Arise!"

The pitch-black shadows elongated, and one Shadow Soldier after another emerged. The majestic Yegelite stood respectfully behind Cheng Xiaoyu.

As the Ice Bear King of the Ice Bear Clan rose onto its hind legs and let out a furious roar, all the Ice Bears charged forward with a chorus of roars.

"Attack."

Cheng Xiaoyu uttered the word indifferently. The Shadow Soldiers behind him surged forward to meet the pack of Ice Bears.

The strength of these Ice Bears was quite formidable; some were at the Commander Level, swatting a Shadow Soldier to death within a few moves. Yet, the next second, they would be cut down by another Shadow Soldier.

The Shadow Soldiers were no pushovers. After experiencing several battles, a portion of them had also reached the Commander Level, making the skirmish even more intense!

"Is this... the true ability of our Junior Apprentice Brother?"