Chapter 3: Ultimate Darkness, the Vanishing Shadow.
"Is it possible that I didn't miss it?"
Jiang Xiu looked up at Dong Zi'an in front of him, shocked. He did have a second martial spirit, but he hadn't released it at all at the moment.
Seeing Jiang Xiu's expression, Dong Zi'an smiled knowingly, knowing that he had guessed correctly, and then tried to calm his rough voice.
"Don't be nervous, kid. Uncle is not a bad person. Come, let uncle see what your second martial spirit is."
The bright lights faded, and the cold wind outside the emergency center suddenly became stronger, slapping the metal walls with a shrill whistle.
"This is not the peerless Tang Sect era of ten thousand years ago. A martial spirit with dark attributes shouldn't be labeled an evil spirit master. It should be fine..."
Jiang Xiu consoled himself. The unified federation of this period was no longer as chaotic as the four great empires during the Tang Sect era. And with Dong Zi'an right in front of him, he didn't seem to have the power to refuse.
Besides, he was now helpless. Perhaps this was an opportunity...
"Uncle, I do possess a second spirit,"
Jiang Xiu said with a resolute voice. The Purple Brilliant Heavenly Dragon Slayer spirit slowly retracted into his body, its ultimate destructive force quietly fading.
He couldn't yet wield both spirits simultaneously.
"Is that so? Let me see what a spirit capable of coexisting with the Purple Brilliant Heavenly Dragon Slayer truly looks like."
Dong Zi'an's eyes flickered with anticipation as he stared intently at Jiang Jue.
According to a certain historical master's theory, the qualities of twin spirits in possessors are unlikely to differ significantly.
"Buzz!"
Jiang Xiu slowly released his clenched left hand, and a surge of intense darkness erupted, like darkness descending. In an instant, the vast Soul Guidance Emergency Center seemed to be plunged into eternal night, a pitch-black darkness etched across it, and an icy aura gradually spread.
Dong Zi'an remained unmoved, staring intently at Jiang Xiu.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo!"
A dark force converged like flowing water, and a pitch-black figure rose beneath Jiang Xiu's feet. This figure, clad in spiky hair, towered and imposing, its frame devoid of any color but darkness.
The moment it fully coalesced, a pair of blood-red eyes suddenly opened, filled with arrogance. An overwhelming aura of kingly power instantly emanated from it. With his arms folded, he bowed his head and gazed proudly at Dong Zian.
At this moment, Jiang Xiu, too, was shrouded in darkness. His once purple eyes transformed into blood-red, a hint of arrogance flashing within them. The dark shadow behind him stood like a king's guard.
"Is this the Shadow's true spirit? A true spirit possessing the ultimate dark attribute?"
A flash of green appeared in Dong Zian's eyes, and his soul power easily neutralized the pressure, though his heart remained deeply shaken.
On the Douluo Continent, there existed a spirit that was both simple and powerful, a unique and capable of transformation: the True Spirit.
"But why does the original martial spirit have additional attributes as soon as it appears, and it is an extreme dark attribute."
While being surprised, a burning sensation surged in Dong Zian's heart.
He seemed to have hit the jackpot!
It seems that there has never been a spirit master with dual extreme attributes in history!
"Uncle, have you seen enough?"
Jiang Xiu said with a polite smile, looking at Dong Zian with fiery eyes and a throat that rolled from time to time.
"Ahem, put it away. Your shadow martial spirit is very good, very good!"
Dong Zian realized that he had lost his composure a little, coughed lightly and waved his hand. It was not because his mind was not strong enough, but because the shock Jiang Xiu brought to him was too strong.
He dared to say that even Yun Ming, the strongest man in the continent, would definitely be moved if he were here.
Jiang Xiu's eyes moved, and as his palms clenched slightly, the power of darkness converged, and the black shadow behind him quietly disappeared.
Jiang Xiu didn't refute Dong Zi'an's words, but he knew in his heart that the shadow behind him wasn't the shadow spirit Dong Zi'an had described, but the Lord of Eternal Night, the Shadow King!
The Shadow King's strength lay not in his dark attributes, but in his ability to extract the shadows of the dead.
A single man could perfectly embody the Shadow King! At this point, Jiang Jue had already secretly formulated his goal for shadow extraction...
"By the way, Uncle, how did you know I possessed a second spirit?"
Jiang Xiu suddenly seemed to have a thought and asked in confusion. Excluding Dong Zi'an's, the problem lay with him.
"Haha, after you passed out during the Abyssal Tide, you might not have noticed your shadow was gone."
Dong Zi'an smiled a rare smile, pointing a thick finger at Jiang Xiu's side in the light.
Jiang Xiu looked in the direction Dong Zi'an pointed, his expression froze. He realized that, under the light, he truly had no shadow.
"Am I no longer human?"
Jiang Xiu's forehead twitched, a thought forming in his mind: what is a person without a shadow?
"Don't worry. My guess is that your shadow has transformed into your spirit. After all, your true spirit is a part of you."
Dong Zi'an pondered for a moment, his eyes gleaming.
"Of course, there's another possibility: you weren't awaiting awakening, but were actually in the middle of an awakening ritual.
Faced with the sudden abyssal tide, your spirit protected its master. And your spirit happened to be your shadow. So, through your shadow, your spirit appeared and rescued you, and your shadow merged with you."
After a pause, Dong Zi'an clasped his hands behind his back.
"Of course, this is all speculation. After all, I wasn't by your side at the time."
Jiang Xiu was slightly shocked after hearing this, because he was indeed in the process of awakening his spirit. This man's wisdom was truly astonishing!
"Little boy, where are your parents? Uncle wants to see them."
After a moment, Dong Zi'an's eyes gleamed, and he asked softly, his tone tinged with urgency.
"Uncle, you might not be able to see them."
Jiang Xiu shook his head slightly, a trace of sadness crossing his delicate face.
"It's okay, as long as you tell me where they are, with your uncle's ability, I will definitely find them within half a day."
Dong Zi'an waved his hand, and the five gold stars on his shoulders shone. With his status in the Federation, finding two people was a piece of cake.
"They died in the battle, four years ago."
"Only two small medals came back."
After Jiang Xiu finished speaking, Dong Zi'an's expression suddenly froze. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
"Good boy, your parents are great, and you are great too."
Dong Zi'an patted Jiang Xiu's shoulder with a big hand and said in a deep voice.
"By the way, uncle, my parents' two medals are still in Snow City..."
"There will be, uncle will help you find them back, don't be afraid."
As a soldier, Dong Zi'an can understand this emotion better. Looking at Jiang Xiu's young body, Dong Zi'an shook his head slightly.
Four years ago, Jiang Xiu was only two years old.
(End of this chapter)