Multiple Personalities

"Who? Who's laughing? Come out now!" Shen Jingqi shouted loudly, gripping his sword tightly and looking around warily, his eyes searching the darkness for the source of the laughter.

Crane Immortal also furrowed his brow, his gaze becoming sharp as he stared intently into the depths of the cave. A sense of ominous foreboding rose in his heart, feeling as if a pair of eyes were watching them from the darkness, yet they knew nothing about their owner.

A voice echoed in the cave, sounding as if it came from all directions, making it impossible to discern its source.

The three of them looked around nervously, trying to find out where the voice came from. But the cave was pitch-black, with only the faint glow from the box on the stone platform providing insufficient light. They could only see the menacing gleam in the eyes of the creatures around and the vague outlines in the darkness.

"Who are you? If you have the guts, come out! Stop hiding in the shadows," Crane Immortal shouted loudly, his voice echoing in the cave with a hint of authority and challenge. He understood that this mysterious voice was undoubtedly connected to the Divine Artifact and was definitely no friendly presence.

Suddenly, a shadow slowly emerged from the depths of the cave. The figure was tall, shrouded in a layer of black mist, making its features indiscernible.

"I am the guardian of the Divine Artifact. You think you can take it away that easily?" the shadow said coldly.

"Why do you guard this Divine Artifact? What secrets does it hold?" Crane Immortal asked, trying to gain some information about the artifact from the shadow.

The shadow let out a sinister laugh that sent chills down their spines as it echoed through the cave. "Do you mortals think you can covet the artifact? It contains immense power that, if fallen into the wrong hands, would bring great disaster to the world. As for you, none of you will leave here alive today."

"We aim to seize the Divine Artifact to prevent greater disasters, not out of selfish desire," Lin Yue said loudly, her voice carrying a trace of anger and righteousness. Though her body was wounded, her gaze remained resolute.

The shadow remained silent, waving its hands as the surrounding air turned suddenly cold. A powerful gust emanated from him, sweeping toward the three of them, mingling with black mist like countless black tendrils, seeking to ensnare them.

Crane Immortal and the other two quickly stood back to back, forming a defensive circle. Crane Immortal placed the box on the ground, gripping his sword with both hands while chanting softly, causing runic light to flicker along the blade. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue each cast their own magic, ready to face the shadow's onslaught.

The gust reached them instantaneously, crashing against their defenses with a thunderous roar. The immense impact nearly knocked them off their feet, but they gritted their teeth and held their ground.

Seeing his attack fail, the shadow launched another strike. He flickered and appeared instantly before Crane Immortal, a black hand slamming toward his chest. Reacting swiftly, Crane Immortal sidestepped and slashed at the shadow's arm. The blade struck with a metallic clang, as if hitting a hard iron plate.

The shadow sneered, waving its arm to deflect Crane Immortal's sword, then reaching out with the other hand to grab him again. Crane Immortal quickly retreated to create distance, while Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue attacked from the sides. Shen Jingqi thrust a sword at the shadow's back, while Lin Yue slashed at its legs with her dagger.

Yet the shadow moved as if it had eyes in the back, deftly evading their attacks and sweeping his hands to send two beams of black light at them. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue dodged quickly, but the light still grazed them, leaving gashes on their bodies.

"Attack the places where the mist is thinning!" Crane Immortal shouted.

The three of them adjusted their strategy, focusing attacks where the shadow's mist was thinner. Seizing the moment, Shen Jingqi stabbed at the shadow's chest, where the mist had just faded. The shadow tried to dodge but was too late, the blade piercing its body with a squelch.

The shadow let out a roar of agony, the black mist around it roiling like furious flames. It intensified its attack, swinging its arms to shower them with beams of black light like raindrops.

But the trio did not retreat, supporting each other as they continued to attack the shadow's weak points. Lin Yue took the opportunity to circle behind the shadow and stabbed deeply into its back with her dagger. The shadow staggered but did not fall, instead growing more ferocious.

"You insolent mortals dare harm me? Today you will pay a heavy price!" the shadow roared, his voice echoing through the cave filled with anger and hatred.

He clasped his hands together, chanting as the air around them began to warp, a massive black vortex emerging before him. The vortex exuded a powerful suction, attempting to draw the trio in.

Crane Immortal and the two felt themselves being pulled uncontrollably toward the vortex, struggling desperately but to no avail.

"What do we do? We're going to be sucked in!" Lin Yue shouted in terror, despair on her face.

Crane Immortal gritted his teeth, focusing intensely, chanting a spell, and channeling all his mana into his sword. The sword emitted a brilliant light, growing brighter, like a small sun.

"Go!" Crane Immortal shouted, hurling the sword toward the black vortex. The sword transformed into a streak of light, shooting into the vortex. With a thunderous boom, the vortex shook violently before slowly disappearing.

The shadow was also heavily impacted, his body shaking as he almost fell. The black mist around him thinned considerably, revealing his original face—a pale and twisted visage.

"You... you actually broke my magic..." the shadow spoke breathlessly, with a hint of surprise and fear.

Crane Immortal and the others seized the moment for a final attack. They charged together at the shadow, focusing all their strength into their weapons. Crane Immortal's sword, Shen Jingqi's sword, and Lin Yue's dagger simultaneously pierced the shadow. The shadow tried to evade but was too late, all three weapons embedding into his body.

The shadow let out a horrific scream, his body slowly disintegrating into a cloud of black mist. The mist drifted in the cave briefly before vanishing without a trace.

The three of them collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. Their bodies were covered with wounds, blood staining their clothes, yet they overlooked these injuries, their eyes firmly fixed on the box on the stone platform.

"We've finally defeated him. Now we can leave with the Divine Artifact," Shen Jingqi said weakly.

Crane Immortal nodded, rising to his feet, and carefully approached the stone platform to pick up the box. However, the moment he lifted the box, it suddenly emitted a powerful light, illuminating the entire cave.

The three of them were blinded by the light, only feeling a powerful force enveloping them.