Shadow Bind (Skilled): Enter the enemy’s shadow, controlling the opponent’s movements through their shadow. The power of shadow binding can vary greatly.

Shadow Bomb (Skilled): The entity split from the shadow can self-destruct, producing an explosion akin to an acid cloud. The acid cloud is highly corrosive and can deal significant damage to the opponent.

Highly Poisonous Shadow Rain (Skilled): Releases venom from the shadow, converging into highly poisonous acid rain, putting prey into a poisoned and corroded state simultaneously.

Regeneration Condensation (Skilled): After the shadow is killed, it will regrow directly from the void after a period of time.

Split Growth (Skilled): When the shadow absorbs enough souls, its body will split into two smaller shadows. The shadow can continuously merge and grow, and a soul gem will condense within them.]

[Evolutionary Path 1: Small Shadow Trick → Great Shadow Trick, detailed evolution material, to be prompted upon contact.]

[Evaluation: This is regarded as royalty among shadows. They have a complete evolutionary path and are skilled manipulators of shadows. Their power continuously strengthens with the number of souls devoured.]

"Royalty among shadow tricks, quite a skill."

Ye Bai smiled slightly.

"Alright, let’s form a contract with this illusion beast, Demon Bear Priest, go ahead."

Me?

The Demon Bear Priest’s mouth formed an ’O’ shape, you must be joking!

I am a bear, a bear!

You want me to sign a contract with the mysterious.

"Yes, just have you sign the contract with the mysterious. Is there a problem?"

"This world is quite special, even illusion beasts can form a symbiotic relationship with the mysterious."

"Demon Bear Priest, haven’t you been a bit lacking in control?"

"A shadow trick can perfectly address your deficiencies."

Ye Bai’s words made the Demon Bear Priest ponder for a moment; earlier, Ye Bai had also informed me of the shadow’s specific parameters.

A Tier One Karami can actually use shadow to bind enemies. If such a shadow element illusion beast grows, its power will definitely explode.

"Alright."

The Demon Bear said somewhat reluctantly.

Forming a contract with this shadow trick emperor feels like owing two to three million.

The Demon Bear Priest squeezed out a drop of black blood from its palm, letting it fall onto the shadow.

The shadow transformed into a figure dressed as a little girl, its features a pitch-black shadow.

It was forced into a contract.

"Let’s go, and see how humans in this world contract with the mysterious."

"Demon Bear Priest, hide the shadow in my shadow, secretly manipulating it to help cover my aura, understood?"

Ye Bai said with a smile to the Demon Bear Priest.

"Alright, just covering your aura, a small matter, let me show you my strength."

The Demon Bear Priest held a scepter taped together, circled it above the shadow’s head, then the shadow’s aura melded into Ye Bai’s shadow.

"Alright, now everyone thinks you’ve contracted a shadow, and have a shadow’s aura."

"Let’s go see the excitement."

"Rest assured, I’ve disguised myself as a doll possessed by the mysterious, no one will notice."

The Demon Bear Priest twirled the magic staff in its hand.

Then it turned into a shabby little bear.

All the cotton from its body started to fall off, and one eye even protruded.

"You don’t have to make yourself look so shabby."

Ye Bai said with slight disdain.

"Relax, relax, whatever I turn into, isn’t it just your bear?"

"No worries, as long as you find it pleasing."

Ye Bai twitched his mouth again, displeasure evident.

"Alright, let’s not waste more words, let’s quickly go see how the deceitful citizens here contract with the mysterious."

Everyone arrived at the city center, where there was a large ruby.

A large crowd of citizens gathered here.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today is our annual Thundercloud City’s mysterious summoning ceremony."

"All citizens of the right age today can touch this mysterious summoning gem."

"However, this gem is risky; if you have no mysterious power within you and forcefully contact the mysterious summoning ruby, you’ll suffer backlash from the mysterious ruby."

"Once backlashed by the mysterious ruby, you’ll become a sacrifice to the mysterious, with even your soul devoured, so prepare yourselves mentally, understood?"

The one leading the summoning ceremony resembled a comical clown, but his hands were two sharp, large pincers.

His contracted mysterious was Jack the Ripper, a rare presence among the mysterious.

"Come on, line up, dedicate your loyalty to the mysterious, for it grants you power."

Ye Bai observed as everyone around revealed ecstatic expressions.

This isn’t right, absolutely not right.

He recalled a piece of information.

Humans are being reared by the mysterious.

Could this be a city being reared by the mysterious?

Are humans vessels for the mysterious?

Ye Bai found it intriguing and watched intently.

A little boy stepped forward, without hands, he leaned his forehead against the red gem.

However, as he approached the ruby, strands of blood-like twisted worms bore into his body.

Through the Eye of Truth, Ye Bai could see the boy’s mind turning into a blood red mist.

It looked extremely eerie.

The boy shrieked on the ground, his arms without hands spouting torrents of blood.

"Hahaha, I succeeded, I have ghost hands now."

"I finally have hands."

The boy cried manically.

However, in the next second, these pitch-black ghost hands firmly gripped the boy’s throat.

"Cough cough, let go of me, let go of me."

The ghost hands choked the boy’s face black, looking very strange.

"Die, die, only death can repay."

The boy’s expression turned bizarre.

Black runes emerged on his body immediately.

"Die, die, only death can repay, the price of tainting the mysterious."

The boy’s ghost hands strangled his own neck.

The boy instantly breathed his last, the ghost hands ripping out his beating heart.

Placed respectfully onto the blood-red gem.

"Praise the mysterious."

"Enjoy my sacrifice."

After saying, the boy fell dead, his body ensnared by endless blood threads, leaving nothing once they dispersed.

"Let this be a warning: always keep respect towards the mysterious. Don’t get overconfident, or misfortune will follow, turning you to ashes, your soul becoming a sacrifice."

"Remember, never let desire consume you, or you’ll become a foul sacrifice."

Jack the Ripper advised the surroundings.

"Demon Bear, did you sense anything just now?"

Ye Bai asked the Demon Bear Priest.

"I could feel an other-dimensional space being opened."

"This world might be divided into the surface world and the inner world."

"The surface world is where humans reside, and the inner world is where the mysterious exist."

"Though this is the deceit realm, the world’s law still separates humans and the mysterious. Humans can only summon the mysterious through certain items, like that blood-red gem."

"Of course, due to this world’s collision with Earth Star, issues started appearing in both the surface and inner worlds, allowing the mysterious to easily come to this world."

"Can you understand what I’m saying?"

The Demon Bear Priest said in a muffled voice.

"Yes, I can understand you. I didn’t expect this world to be so unique."

"So unique it’s unbelievable. This is a medium-sized world composed of numerous small worlds, if I can master this world and merge it into Earth Star, could I gain some authority over Earth Star?"