Floating Island - Triple S Talent

The team captain immediately explained what had just happened. "When the cultivator was about to finish you off, a dark figure with a scythe appeared out of nowhere, attacking the cultivator with his scythe. The cultivator was forced to retreat!"

William glanced at the dark figure the captain referred to. Beside him stood an old man in a white robe, standing calmly, holding a thick black book that floated in front of him. The book's pages spun aimlessly, exuding a mystical aura. The old man was Haikal Emanuel—one of the core members of the World Market Trade Alliance.

William's soldiers began to cheer, their confidence returning. They knew Haikal was no ordinary person. His dignified appearance, despite his advanced age, exuded an aura of great power and wisdom. With Haikal's arrival, there was hope that this battle might still be won.

However, William's heart was in turmoil.

He indeed felt relieved that his life was saved, but the relief was incomplete. William's thoughts drifted back to his earlier hope that Lein would be the one to come to his rescue, not Haikal. As a core member of the alliance, Haikal was indeed strong, but William doubted whether the old man's strength could match that of Lein, the alliance leader he regarded as more superior.

While suppressing another bout of blood-filled coughs, William observed Haikal with a mix of emotions. Hope and doubt warred within him.

"Can this old man really be trusted?" William thought, even though he already knew the information he had gathered about Haikal. Still, his confidence was shaken. When his soul was intact, William believed he could face Haikal, but now, with only 40% of his soul left, he felt far weaker and more vulnerable.

"Ugh..." William grimaced, feeling the pain in his chest.

---

The old man, Haikal, stood calmly atop his Vortex Plate, a black flying platform with glowing blue light. His sharp eyes fixed on the middle-aged cultivator in the distance. In front of him, the status panel of the cultivator was open, providing Haikal with all the information he needed.

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[Status]

- Name: Yehu

- Race: Polaris Race

- Power Core: Cultivator

- Rank: Nascent Soul (Master).

"Another cultivator?" Haikal murmured, frowning slightly. "Are they all from the same race and faction?"

He had fought several Tier-3 cultivators before, most of them from the Polaris Race, just like Yehu standing before him. Haikal's suspicion grew stronger—there was something bigger behind this invasion.

Wasting no time, Haikal raised his hand, and the atmosphere around him shifted. Black shadows shaped like claws emerged from thin air, extending swiftly toward Yehu like hungry, living entities.

Haikal's Death Shadow, the hooded figure that had earlier saved William, also moved with lightning speed, its long scythe swinging with lethal intent, aiming for Yehu's throat.

Yehu felt a threat unlike any he had encountered before. From afar, his eyes focused warily on Haikal. The dark aura radiating from the old man wasn't something to be ignored. Something deep inside Yehu screamed—this attack wasn't just ordinary magic; it was something far more terrifying that was aiming for his very soul.

Yehu took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind. But his curiosity piqued as he noticed the black platform under Haikal's feet. The Vortex Plate emitted an energy far stronger than that of ordinary flying artifacts.

"What is that thing?" Yehu thought as he examined the disk intently. Although he was focused on Haikal's deathly aura, he knew the Vortex Plate was no ordinary flying tool. It felt more like an ancient artifact containing immense power within.

But Yehu didn't have much time to analyze. Haikal's first attack came.

The black shadow claws lunged forward at an incredible speed. The air around the battlefield grew oppressive, as if a dark creature had emerged from the depths of the night. The claw sliced through the wind, heading straight for Yehu's chest, ready to tear him apart.

Swish!

With quick reflexes, Yehu pulled out a silver mirror artifact from beneath his robes. The mirror, engraved with ancient runes, shone brightly, forming a barrier in front of him. It spun rapidly, creating an energy shield that deflected the incoming black claw.

A loud clash echoed as the shadowy claw struck the mirror's shield, sending powerful vibrations through the ground. Haikal's shadow didn't relent; the Death Shadow swung its long scythe again from behind, aiming to slice through Yehu's back.

Yehu moved with agility, bending backward in an unnatural way. He activated his body control magic, a special technique that allowed his body to move with extraordinary elasticity. His bones and muscles seemed no longer bound by natural laws. With fluid yet rapid motions, he twisted and darted backward, evading the deadly swing.

"This can't be underestimated," Yehu thought seriously, his eyes locking onto Haikal. The barrage of attacks from the old man was anything but ordinary. Each time he deflected or dodged, the energy he felt from the black shadows and scythe pressed harder on his soul.

"Why are you running?"

Haikal didn't stop. Black magic shot from his fingertips, forming towering shadow pillars that rose from the ground, surrounding Yehu from all sides. The shadows resembled ghostly hands, reaching out to capture Yehu from every direction. Above him, the Death Shadow hovered, its scythe spinning and poised to strike at any moment.

"This mirror won't be enough," Yehu thought quickly. He knew Haikal's attacks were too powerful to be withstood by a single artifact.

With swift motion, he raised his hand, and the silver mirror in front of him spun even faster. Its light radiated in all directions, and suddenly Yehu's body became enveloped in a layer of transparent mirror, forming a full shield around him.

Boom after boom resonated as Haikal's shadows slammed against the mirrored shield, but Yehu held firm. He moved his body with controlled magic, making acrobatic movements that would be impossible for an ordinary human. Each time Haikal's attack came close, he twisted his body, strengthened his mirror shield, and dodged with extraordinary agility.

But Haikal didn't slow his assault. The Vortex Plate beneath his feet spun faster, amplifying his power. The black magic he commanded grew even more intense, and now the shadows around them began to take larger shapes, like giant creatures of darkness, ready to smash through Yehu's defenses.