Their weakness was clear now. Though they seemed invincible, in the end, they were nothing more than shadows that feared the light. As a shadow herself, no one understood the weaknesses of these Ghost Soldiers better than Shadow Alice.
Sure enough, once they found the method to counter them, the Ghost Soldiers—who moments ago had been unbreakable, reaper-like beings—were actually killed by ordinary people once their shadows were attacked.
Seeing that the monsters weren’t invincible, the townsfolk’s fighting spirit soared to unprecedented heights.
Ha Ke and the other tavern bruisers flexed their brawny arms, muscles tightening like rings of armor as they threw their full strength into crushing blows against the ghosts.
As the front line slowly pushed forward, Selina simply flew straight into midair.
When she opened her eyes again, the Silver Dragon Girl’s crimson pupils bloomed like red lotuses in the night.
Burning golden flames transformed into a crimson war skirt draped over her snow-white figure, making her look like a shooting star streaking across the darkness.
Her radiant form smashed straight through the Ghost Soldiers’ orderly formation, scattering them left and right.
Each flap of her Separation Fire–wreathed wings sliced through swaths of black shadows. She charged at the very front, tearing a gap in the enemy lines for the whole group, like an Immortal Phoenix hunting ceaselessly through the night.
“How beautiful!”
“Alice” watched Selina’s dragon-like dance through the night sky, envy shining in her eyes. But the moment she reached out to touch that light, a searing pain shot through her hand. What welled up from the wound wasn’t blood—it was black shadow.
“Your Highness, which way should we go next?”
Hearing the townsfolk’s voices from the group, she ignored her wound and hid her hand behind her back, terrified of being found out.
“Ah, just keep heading north! I can sense a powerful Wind Element Magic Array there—it’ll definitely be enough to get us back to the surface!”
Her tone was confident as she planted her hands on her hips, resuming her usual prideful demeanor.
Hehehe, this young lady isn’t about to disappear here! I-I’m the protagonist of this movie, and protagonists don’t bow out early!
“Alright, everyone, let’s rest here for now. I’ll go scout ahead.”
Though many immediately protested that a princess shouldn’t personally handle such dangerous reconnaissance, Alice talked them all down with gentle looks.
The Little Silver Dragon, who had been reading the room all along, slipped away quietly and quickly caught up to Alice, who was nearly out of sight. As if afraid she might run away, the little girl’s hands clutched tightly together.
The cool little hand was as soft as a cloud, comfortable to hold.
Alice glanced back at Selina without a word, simply smiling and continuing forward.
“Big Stupid Dragon, have you already…”
When the two reached a distant street, Alice suddenly shot a look at Selina, those enchanting Peach Blossom Eyes brimming with unspoken words.
“Hey, Alice, doesn’t this place look just like that old street where we played hopscotch as kids!”
Her little hand was suddenly tugged, cutting off everything the Shadow Lady was about to say.
She stood up and looked around. The starry sky wasn’t far from here, so she could clearly see the street sleeping in the shadows.
She saw the children’s graffiti on the red walls and green tiles, and the crooked lines drawn with stones on the uneven concrete floor.
“Hey, Big Stupid Dragon, we’re scouting enemy positions for everyone right now!”
“Bringing up the past at a time like this—are you trying to distract Lady Alice?”
“Ehh, you’re so serious, Princess Alice!”
Selina put on a hurt expression, her big tail drooping low.
Alice ran forward a few steps, her laughter ringing through the silent air. She looked back at Selina chasing behind her.
“Giggle, you big dummy, Luo Lin, you’re such a big dummy!”
Fine, let me enjoy this a little longer.
This identity, this feeling of being cared for…
Alice’s laughter suddenly overflowed with girlish delight.
As expected, the massive wind field that had once carried Selina to the Island was still there.
The surging air currents howled “whoosh whoosh” through the silent night, and a sliver of Star Light spilled from the sky’s edge like gems reflected in a waterfall.
It should have been wonderful news, yet the girls didn’t dare breathe.
They couldn’t advance even one more meter, because on the other side of the rockery, Ghost Soldiers stood packed in dense ranks.
So many. So many.
Their crimson eyes glared wide as bells, and every single one had raised their spears, ready for battle. They pressed shoulder to shoulder, filling the land so completely that no other figure could fit—nothing like the grunts Selina and the others had just cleaned up.
These ghosts took various forms—not just the Ghost Knight who had tangled with Selina earlier, riding a Pale Warhorse wreathed in Ghost Fire like a general ready to charge.
There were also Ghost Mages in black robes, protected in the back ranks. In their skeletal, withered hands, they deftly conjured balls of icy Ghost Fire with movements that rivaled even Transcendent grand mages.
The Cultists weren’t fools. After guessing their plan, they had simply camped here with an unbreakable line, turning their escape route into their own fortress.
If it were only that, Selina might still have been able to fly out with the Dragon Race’s formidable body and extreme mobility.
But what truly made the Silver Dragon Girl despair was the massive figure at the center of the ghost line.
Magic Power so dense it nearly became solid coiled around the Crippled King like serpents. Even from this distance, Selina could feel his unparalleled pressure.
That sensation surpassed any opponent she’d ever faced—an absolute suppression, like mountains, like the sea, crushing down on her heart. She even felt those oni-like crimson eyes could see through their invisibility cloak.
Back then, she’d had Ailin’s coattails to cling to, letting her recklessly challenge stronger foes. But now she was just one dragon. Defeating an emperor-level powerhouse was nearly impossible.
From the hole pierced through his chest, cherry-pink flames continued to spurt—the grievous wound Ailin’s arrow had dealt.
But so what? Even a dying emperor was still beyond what she could defeat now.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion tore through the air, so heavy it nearly rang Selina’s ears into a deafening buzz.
The Crippled King roared in agony, his knees slamming heavily into the ground.
“Damn you, Ailin! This accursed Separation Fire is constantly draining the Mo Shen’s power within me!”
Even an emperor with half a breath left was still an emperor.
Soon, disciplined Ghost Knights knelt at his sides, like guards loyal even in death.
He grabbed two Ghost Knights kneeling before him in salute, squeezing their heads as he absorbed the flames on their bodies into himself.
Swaths of Transcendent-level Ghost Knights instantly lost their drive and reverted to skeletons, barely suppressing the Separation Fire burning in his chest.
“Much better, much better. Ailin, you thought you could slowly burn me to death with the Immortal Phoenix’s Separation Fire? Dream on!”
“By dawn tomorrow, once the setup is complete, I’ll blow up this entire Island. You just wait to collect your niece’s corpse!”
The bones that had completely lost their movement were kicked aside like trash.
“Useless things, spent after one use. That’s just what shadows are—useless!”
The commotion alerted the Crippled King in the distance.
The distant Selina clamped her hand over her mouth, terrified that even her breathing might rouse that monster.
“This beast—he’d kill even his own men? Can I really defeat something like that?”
Nine faint beams of Star Light fell upon Alice’s loose hair. She lowered her head, burying her face in the shadows.
Her clenched hand gave a heavy nod.
But soon, as if she’d made up her mind, she relaxed her grip.
When she raised her head again, those beautiful crimson eyes held only resolve.
Looks like it’s time for the leading lady to make her grand entrance!
Honestly, Big Stupid Dragon, don’t lose heart!
On the way back, Selina kept her eyes fixed on the bumpy ground, making the already short Little Silver Dragon look even more like a gloomy little white cat.
“Big Stupid Dragon, I’m hungry!”
“?”
“I said I’m hungry! Are you deaf or what?”
Ignored, the Shadow Lady grabbed the Little Silver Dragon’s ear and blew warm air into it with her pink lips.
“Hey! What are you doing!”
Selina’s sensitive ear quickly bloomed like a spring peach tree, sprouting cherry-colored blossoms from the wind.
“Hmph, what happened to your gloomy act, little prince of melancholy?”
The Shadow Lady blocked Selina’s path, hands on her hips like a high wall, forcing the Little Silver Dragon who wanted to keep walking to bump straight into the “big steamed bun.”
“You’ve had that mopey face since earlier—you’re not gonna figure anything out like that even if you rack your brain!”
Seeing they were about to run straight into a patrol of Ghost Soldiers, she grabbed the stubborn Selina and pulled her into a side alley.
“What are you doing, I need to immediately…”
The stubborn Little Silver Dragon still tried to walk out without a care.
Another flick landed square on Selina’s forehead.
“Luo Lin, look into my eyes. Look at me.”
The sharp sound snapped the anxious Selina back to her senses, but defiance still glimmered in her eyes.
Her crimson pupils met Alice’s without fear.
“What are you thinking? Answer me.”
“What do you mean? Obviously I’m thinking about how to deal with the Crippled King!”
Alice said nothing, quietly watching her with those cherry-pink eyes.
The shabby alley was like a secluded little world. Alice watched her in silence.
Nine minutes later, the alley was so quiet you could hear rainwater slowly dripping from the green tiles.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Like I’ve done something wrong!”
Finally, Selina broke the silence, scratching her head.
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Alice anymore. In the girl’s eyes, there was hurt, tenderness, and something she couldn’t quite name—but it stirred something deep inside her.
“Do you think I’m gloating? Do you think I don’t care at all about tomorrow?!”