CHAPTER 212: CLASH OF THE COURT

The Sabre-Lightning Tiger sauntered into the center of the court circle, its posture oozing arrogant indifference. It glanced down at the Shadow Wolf, its glowing electric eyes practically dripping with boredom, as if fighting a newly summoned beast was beneath its station.

Without warning, the tiger moved. It erupted into a blur of motion, a Plasma Movement burst that left a streak of violet lightning trailing through the air. Its massive, electric-charged paw slammed down directly where the wolf stood, aiming to end the match in a single, humiliating strike.

The wolf didn't even try to block. It dissolved instantly into the court's surrounding darkness, the tiger’s heavy strike smashing harmlessly against the empty stone floor.

The tiger whirled around, sparks flying off its fur as it let out an irritated, thunderous roar. The roar echoed off the temple walls, clearly conveying its frustration: Stop hiding in the shadows! Fight me face-to-face!

The shadows answered.

The dark edges of the court circle warped violently. Suddenly, a tide of nearly a hundred shadow wolves surged out from the blackness, springing from every angle at once. They struck with relentless, fluid coordination, operating as a single hive mind. Shadow-infused jaws and claws tore across the tiger’s flanks, each strike leaving behind dark, corrosive wounds that bypassed its kinetic momentum.

Overwhelmed by the phantom pack, the tiger unleashed a deafening roar. A massive wave of Chain Lightning detonated outward, purple electricity scorching the stone and shattering half of the shadow wolves into harmless wisps of smoke.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit NovelPhoenix for the authentic version.

The remaining phantom pack did not press the attack. They dissolved effortlessly back into the floor, slipping into the dark crevices like liquid ink.

Before the tiger could recover its footing, the shadow beneath its massive paws expanded exponentially. Blackness engulfed the entire court circle. No pack emerged this time, instead, the sprawling shadow on the stone transformed into a singular, colossal jaw. The abyssal maw opened directly beneath the tiger, rising like a leviathan to swallow the black beast whole.

The tiger’s eyes widened with genuine shock, its violent lightning flickering in panic.

"Enough," Caius’s voice echoed across the courtyard, flat and absolute.

The giant shadow jaw halted mid-bite, just inches from snapping shut over the tiger’s head. It melted softly back into the stone, leaving the court circle completely still.

From her high perch among the temple arches, the Arachne Princess let out a series of sharp, clicking laughs. Her dark eyes gleamed with malice as she clacked her obsidian blades together, clearly mocking the tiger: You finally found your match.

The Sabre-Lightning Tiger glared at the spider queen, then turned its head toward the Shadow Wolf, which had silently reformed upon its central node. Lowering its tail, the tiger quietly sauntered back to its outer court circle, its earlier boredom replaced by a grudging, wary respect.

Caius sat on the temple steps, his Eye of the Loom fixed on the Shadow Wolf.

A sudden realization struck him. The essence bead he had harvested was merely a base alpha bead from a wild creature in the Misty Valley. But when bound to the sacred sixth slot of his Stone Table, the Crown Core did not just preserve the beast, it unlocked, refined, and amplified its full potential. The system had elevated a mere wild beast into a true celestial-tier Shadow Wolf, capable of commanding a phantom legion and manipulating void-jaws.

A cold, ambitious spark ignited in Caius’s chest as he stared down at the three remaining empty spiral slots on the table.

If a base-tier essence bead yields a celestial wolf when bound to the Crown Core... Caius thought, a dark smile spreading across his face, what magnificent terror will be born if I feed it a true mythical beast?