Shadow Lord – Tier Zero
Cultivation Technique – Shadow Sutra.
Ability – Shadow Control.
Spells – Shadow Whip, Shadow Walk, Shadow Blade.
Shadow Lord – Tier One
Cultivation Technique – Shadow Sutra.
Ability – Shadow Control.
Spells – Shadow Whip, Shadow Arrow, Shadow Walk, Shadow Blade, Shadow Giant, Shadow Clone.
Shadow Lord – Tier Two
Cultivation Technique – Shadow Sutra.
Ability – Shadow Control.
Spells – Shadow Whip, Shadow Arrow, Shadow Walk, Shadow Blade, Shadow Giant, Shadow Clone.
Shadow Lord – Tier Three
Cultivation Technique – Shadow Sutra.
Ability – Shadow Control.
Spells – Shadow Whip, Shadow Arrow, Shadow Walk, Shadow Blade, Shadow Giant, Shadow Clone.
Shadow Lord – Tier Four
Cultivation Technique – Shadow Sutra.
Ability – Shadow Control.
Spells – Shadow Whip, Shadow Arrow, Shadow Walk, Shadow Blade, Shadow Giant, Shadow Clone. Shadow Burial.
Shadow Lord – Tier Five
Cultivation Technique – Shadow Sutra.
Ability – Shadow Control.
Spells – Shadow Whip, Shadow Arrow, Shadow Walk, Shadow Blade, Shadow Giant, Shadow Clone. Shadow Burial.
Lin Yu organises his Shadow Lord Extraordinary Path with precision, laying each stage bare before his eyes.
He does this because the final step lies just ahead, the step that will carry him into Tier Six.
Yet he does not rush forward, for Tier Six is unlike any other stage.
It is the great divide, the boundary line that separates the lower tiers from the higher.
The lower ends at Tier Five, but the higher begins at Tier Six, a gulf that few ever cross.
For Lin Yu, crossing that gulf feels no heavier than stepping forward on flat ground.
There is no difficulty, no hesitation, only inevitability.
His knowledge of the shadow element is more than enough to push him into Tier Six.
What holds him back is not comprehension, but the simple fact that he has not yet reached the absolute limit of Tier Five.
He can sense it clearly—his extraordinary heart has not reached perfection.
The shadow energy within his extraordinary heart already holds the seed of spirit, ready to give birth and transform into a spirit heart.
One step more, and he could break through to Tier Six.
But he knows the energy has not yet reached its peak, and he refuses to advance incompletely.
Reviewing the Shadow Lord Extraordinary Path, he notices a glaring flaw.
His spells, though powerful, are terribly linear.
Until now, he has been untouchable, overwhelming opponents whether in his realm or even higher.
But that strength came not from balance, but from experience—his battles, his deep understanding of the shadow element, and the lack of refinement in this world's opponents.
If he faces an equal—someone with his knowledge, his mastery—his shortcomings will stand exposed.
He must extend the shadow element into other elements, weaving them together until no weakness remains.
Closing his eyes, he begins with thunder.
In the Great Thousand Spirit World, he has long been familiar with shadow thunder, and that knowledge forms the first bridge.
From it, he will forge new spells, shadow blended with thunder's destructive force.
And once thunder is bound to shadow, he will carry that expansion into other elements.
Only then will the Shadow Lord path shed its linear chains, and only then will he stand complete, prepared to step into Tier Six.
While Lin Yu is busy creating spells, a group of five arrives at Greymoor Hollow.
Among them is Nora Ashford.
She has come here for a case.
It has been two years since she left Greton City, a week after Lin Yu's departure.
In all that time, she has not once returned home.
When she first entered the capital, her plan was simple—return only after Lin Yu graduated, so they could hold their wedding.
But in the capital, she saw the truth.
Lin Yu's strength might dominate the Ashenvale Marches, but to the Griffin Kingdom, that was only a single region.
Her own rise in the Extraordinary Bureau carried more weight, spreading her influence across the entire kingdom, granting her the power to better protect her family.
So, she did not return one year and six months ago to marry Lin Yu.
Yet for whatever reason, the Weston family never cancelled the engagement.
Her own family dared not cancel it either, fearing the consequences.
And she herself did not dare break it, not while her family remained in the Ashenvale Marches.
Thus, she remains engaged to Lin Yu.
But now she must make a choice.
She is being pursued by Adam Taylor, the eldest son of one of the kingdom's three dukes.
That fact alone would sway many, but for her, what matters is that she holds a favourable opinion of Adam.
More than that, she knows him better than she knows Lin Yu.
For two years, they have fought side by side, working as members of the same team.
And in that time, Adam has come to stand closer to her than the man she is still bound to, only by name.
Standing at the station after stepping down from the train, they look around and see a police inspector with three patrolmen approaching.
The inspector stops before them and says, "Sir, I am Mark Benson. Welcome to our humble town."
Adam, as team captain, nods and says, "Take us to our accommodation."
Inspector Mark replies, "Sir, the mayor has arranged a lunch for you and your team. Perhaps you might go there first, then to your accommodation."
Adam turns to look at his team.
Lily yawns and says, "Captain, I'm sleepy. I want to rest now."
The twins, James and Jamie, echo her, "We too, Captain. We want to rest."
Adam turns to Nora.
"What about you, Nora?"
Though she also feels sleepy, she shakes her head and answers, "Whatever you decide, Captain. I'm fine with it."
Adam turns back to Mark.
"You see, my team is tired after the two-day journey. How about we come for dinner instead?"
Mark hesitates, then sighs.
"Very well, I'll inform the mayor. Please, follow me. I will take you to your accommodation."
Outside the station, three carriages wait for them.
Adam, Nora, and Mark share one carriage, while the others take the rest.
As the carriages roll toward their destination, Adam leans forward.
"What information do you have about Heinrich Krüger?"
Mark hesitates before answering, "We lost him after he entered the Sakar Mountain Range."
Adam frowns. "You didn't send anyone to follow him inside?"
Mark's eyes shift nervously. His voice carries a trace of fear. "The patrolmen are afraid to enter. They say monsters roam inside the range. I don't believe it, but I cannot search such a vast mountain alone."
Adam nods, finding the excuse reasonable. It would indeed be foolhardy to send ordinary patrolmen after Heinrich. He isn't just anyone—he is a Tier Four extraordinary of the Dark Fire Cult, a sect notorious for fusing the true ways of darkness and flame. But that is not the true reason Heinrich is wanted.
Heinrich is tied to the kidnapping of Princess Elanor. Capturing him could lead them to her location—and to the forces hidden behind her abduction.
Mark excuses himself after escorting the group into a large residence prepared for them, their base, until Heinrich is caught.
Inside, Adam turns to his team. "Everyone, go to sleep. Wake before dinner. We cannot refuse the mayor's invitation tonight."
They nod and disperse to their rooms, leaving only Nora with him.
"Adam," she says quietly, "what's our next step? We can't search every corner of the Sakar Range for Heinrich."
Adam's eyes narrow with thought. "The Sakar Mountains are rich with extraordinary resources. That means there must be an extraordinary market nearby."
Nora frowns. "Finding such a market will be a hassle—and it will take time."
Adam shakes his head. "The mayor will know. For now, rest. We'll move again before dinner."
Nora nods, withdraws to her room, and sets down her luggage.
After changing, she does not lie down immediately. Instead, she sits cross-legged on the floor, closes her eyes, and begins to meditate.
She draws the extraordinary energy in the air, letting it wash through her body. Her strength recovers to its peak, but it does not grow further.
She has reached the end of the Lifebinder Path, standing at the very peak of Tier Three.
To break through into Tier Four, she must weave a new path into her own—an extraordinary path of Life and Nature, either taken whole or combined with her own.
She holds no Tier Four path, True or False, but she has inherited two lower ones: the Verdant Warden, protector of wild growth and living things, and the Springcaller, caller of cycles and restorer of waters and life.
Her thoughts linger on them, weighing which seed will help her bloom into the next tier.
Both are Tier Three extraordinary paths, and by combining them with her Lifebinder inheritance, she is confident her understanding of Life and Nature will be enough to push her into Tier Four.
Yet she cannot decide which to practice first—the Verdant Warden or the Springcaller.
The Verdant Warden would sharpen her combat strength, while the Lifebinder remains rooted in healing and protection.
The Springcaller is closer to Lifebinder itself, only differing in its affinity with water spells and techniques.
After long deliberation, she chooses the Verdant Warden, convinced it will be easier to master.
Its foundation lies in Wood-element spells and techniques, and at the final tier of Lifebinder, she had already mastered three Wood-element arts.
With her decision made, she steadies her breathing and begins the meditation technique of the Verdant Warden path.
Later, after dinner, the team follows the mayor's advice and enters an extraordinary market near the town.
They step into a dim-lit store said to specialise in information, its shelves lined with scrolls and ledgers instead of goods.
Adam makes their inquiry, and the store owner listens without surprise—Heinrich's name is too infamous to require searching.
The man pulls out a thin file and opens it to the last page, where the record states Heinrich entered Shadow Town.
When Adam asks about Shadow Town, they learn it is an extraordinary settlement hidden in a gorge within the Sakar Mountains, far beyond the kingdom's jurisdiction.
They pay not only for the knowledge but also for a hand-drawn map leading to the town.
Returning to their accommodation with the night deepening outside, they make their decision without hesitation.
At dawn, they will set out for Shadow Town.