Chapter 249 – Counterattack

A fleeting brilliance, an instant’s passage, a momentary collision.

These words perfectly described Punk’s “Kinetic Cone.”

That streak of purple light resembled fireworks streaking across the sky. Wrapped in the “Master Amplification Art,” even in a vacuum, the “Kinetic Cone” doubled in speed, leaving behind shimmering threads of light. Carrying a faint, hazy energy, the deep purple cone, no larger than a finger, struck the “Negative Energy Finger” mid-air, which was flying at nearly the same speed.

Purple kinetic energy and gray-black negative energy collided violently. From the point of impact, the entire Trial Grounds was swept by scattered energy fragments. The space at the center collapsed in layers, and a ring of distorted light, shimmering with dazzling colors, flashed briefly in the air—a sight caused by the distortion of light as space tore apart.

At the critical moment, Punk successfully intercepted the Soul Shepherd’s attack. Now, that furious strike had turned into a cloud of negative energy mist, frigid at temperatures below a hundred degrees Celsius but utterly harmless. The Wind Elemental, charging at high speed, effortlessly sliced through the gray-brown energy mist, while the second Toothed Wraith, following closely behind, even drew some replenishment from the negative energy.

The Soul Shepherd’s attack had been forcibly subjected to a cooldown period. In a sense, each of the Soul Shepherd’s spells was more precious than Punk’s. If one of Punk’s spells failed, he could quickly cast another to compensate. But if the Soul Shepherd wasted a spell… for the next three seconds, it could only stand rooted to the spot, helpless.

Now, Punk’s successful interception had destroyed the Soul Shepherd’s attack plan. For the next three seconds, without any means to cast spells and having lost its two Toothed Wraith attendants, the Soul Shepherd was nothing but a large, stationary target.

Although the “Negative Energy Aura” surrounding it made this target absurdly resilient—something Punk couldn’t overcome without a Master-Level method—the Wind Elemental and Toothed Wraith charging toward the Soul Shepherd were both full-fledged Master-Level summoned creatures. Though they were not in peak condition, they were more than capable of breaking through the Soul Shepherd’s defenses together.

Staring with its three blazing soulfire eyes at the Wind Elemental and Toothed Wraith now closing in, the Soul Shepherd finally gave up on casting spells. These two summoned creatures were too fast. Only about a second and a half had passed since its last “Negative Energy Finger,” leaving the monsters a full second to attack unimpeded. As a purely long-range warlock, the Soul Shepherd stood no chance in hand-to-hand combat against two melee-specialized summons.

Punk’s commands were faithfully executed by the summoned creatures. The Toothed Wraith, originally summoned by the Soul Shepherd itself, was the first to pounce. Its hundreds of gleaming, sharp teeth clamped down on the Soul Shepherd’s negative energy shield.For the Toothed Wraith skilled at breaking energy defenses and capable of absorbing negative energy, the “Negative Energy Aura” spell enveloping the Soul Shepherd resembled an extra-large, extra-thick cake. It took almost no time at all for the serpentine Toothed Wraith to immediately drill through the barrier formed by negative energy, biting a small hole in the previously seamless negative energy protective shield.

Before the Soul Shepherd could mobilize negative energy to seal this breach, the Wind Elemental’s sharp arm—like a dagger held at the ready—thrust fiercely through the opening into the Soul Shepherd’s neck, piercing straight through the Toothed Wraith still lodged inside!

The Wind Elemental’s attack didn’t rupture the Toothed Wraith’s spell core, but it perfectly struck the Soul Shepherd’s vital point!

Indeed, unlike most undead creatures, the Soul Shepherd’s cranial soul fire was merely a deceptive illusion—its true soul fire was hidden within the third bone segment of its neck.

The Wind Elemental’s strike carried a sharpness rivaling any master swordsman; even poetic praises like “a flash of cold gleam” fell short of capturing the lethal intent concealed within that blade!

Stripped of its sole layer of negative energy protection, the Soul Shepherd’s fragile half-skeletal, half-energy body was effortlessly pierced by the Wind Elemental’s full-force thrust. That flickering soul flame, now pinned within its neck, trembled violently.

It was finished!

In battles between powerful beings, even days-long stalemates could be overturned by the slightest mistake in an instant. Now, Punk and the Soul Shepherd’s “chance encounter” was finally drawing to a close.

With its soul fire impaled, the Soul Shepherd stared incredulously at the Wind Elemental. The fully charged “Negative Energy Finger” in its grasp, mere seconds from release, unwillingly disintegrated into pure negative energy as the light in the Soul Shepherd’s eyes gradually blurred and clouded…

It was actually looking through the Wind Elemental’s translucent form at Punk. The black mist shrouding the Soul Shepherd’s face slowly dissipated, revealing a pale skull with its jaw gaping wide.

The next second, a roar saturated with fury, resentment, hatred, despair, and every conceivable negative emotion erupted from the depths of the Soul Shepherd’s throat at maximum volume:

“Kaya, jūtí tì è, tè ōu pài tǒu pò kē lā bō wò lì ò āi!

(Undead Language: No, this cannot be! This was never a fair fight)!”

Hearing the Soul Shepherd’s roar, Punk coldly stared at the creature that hadn’t moved an inch from the Trial Grounds’ center. His voice carried even more chill than this purebred undead:

“Wěi lǜ lín láo nài hē jí sī, dí, mò tuō mò ōu fú ēn!

(Undead Language: Before survival and profit, your fairness holds no meaning, child. You are far too naive.)”

Then, granting no final words to the Soul Shepherd, under Punk’s command, the Wind Elemental violently unleashed elemental energy from its blade.

Savage wind energy erupted directly within the Soul Shepherd’s soul fire. This already guttering flame finally shattered under countless slicing wind blades into blooming sparks, vanishing completely from the world without a trace.At the very moment the Wind Elemental completed its kill, the Toothed Wraith that had been frantically devouring the remaining negative energy gradually dissipated into black mist and vanished. This confirmed two facts for Punk once again:

First, the Soul Shepherd could not cancel the summoning of the Toothed Wraith.

Second: The Soul Shepherd was truly dead!

After all, what Punk’s “Control Summoned Creature” had usurped was merely control over the summoned creature. Now that the Soul Shepherd had died, the Toothed Wraith it summoned naturally disappeared.

“What a hassle. Finally dealt with this guy. Where’s the Projection? Come out and collect the corpse!”

Only after confirming that the Soul Shepherd was utterly beyond any doubt dead did Punk calmly dismiss the Wind Elemental. He then casually set down the Lantern in his hand and leaned against the wall to sit down.

It had to be said, this was the most uncertain and perilous battle he had ever fought. The slightest mistake would have led to irreversible doom. Even Punk felt somewhat exhausted after maintaining such prolonged mental tension, so he didn’t mind lightheartedly teasing the rigid Projection to relax!

(End of Chapter)