Feng Jian's momentum carried him onward, the swamp behind him giving way to a mist-laden clearing as he entered Floor 23.
Floor 23 – Alligator Ambush (AA)
Environment: A shallow, fog-choked lake dotted with gnarled Took Trees and submerged roots.
Monsters: 4 × Giant Alligators (Water Qi – heavy armor, swift underwater strikes)
Clear Time: 16 min (Record: 33 min)
ADP Earned: 630
Battle Highlights:
Shadow Movement: Feng vanished beneath lily pads, reappearing behind the lead gator.
Poison Fang Strike: A precise jab to the eye socket injected lethal toxin.
Shadow Step Evasion: He darted through an ambush, blades flashing beneath the water's surface.
Floor 24 – Crocodile Court (AA)
Environment: A murky river channel, overhung by vine-suffused banks and concealed sand traps.
Monsters: 5 × Giant Crocodiles + 1 King Crocodile (Water Qi – crushing bite, armored scales)
Clear Time: 22 min (Record: 43 min)
ADP Earned: 930
Battle Highlights:
Aerial Shadow Step: He leapt onto an overhanging root, evading a tail swipe.
Guard Fang Parry: The wider dagger absorbed a crushing jaw strike.
Underbelly Final Strike: He dove beneath the King, delivering a gut-piercing blow.
Floor 25 – Bat Caverns (AA)
Environment: A vast cavern of stalactites, echoing darkness, and bioluminescent fungi.
Monsters: 20 × Giant Bats (Air–Dark Qi – echolocation screech, high-speed dive attacks)
Clear Time: 12 min (Record: 20 min)
ADP Earned: 800
Battle Highlights:
Shadow Fang Assault: From a high ledge, Feng dropped into a swarm, poison daggers glinting.
Shadow Shield Feint: Guard Fang created a wake of Qi that diverted sonic screeches.
Poison Fang Volley: He used ranged throws, each blade arcing through bat flocks before returning.
Floor 26 – Horn Bear Highlands (AA)
Environment: Rolling hills dotted with ancient stone pillars and clusters of thorned brambles.
Monsters: 15 × Green Horn Bears (Earth Qi – horn charges, seismic roars)
Environment Detail: Thick underbrush muffles sound; stone pillars offer cover for hit-and-run tactics.
Feng greeted the resonant roar with steady breath. A bear lunged, horn first—he Shadow Stepped through its legs, emerging behind a pillar. The bear smashed its skull against stone.
He slashed with Poison Fang across its flank, black ichor seeping into shattered hide. From a bramble's shadow, another bear charged—he Guard Fang parried its seismic swing, redirecting the force outward.
Within 10 minutes, the highland fell silent.
ADP Earned: 900 (Record: 25 min)
Floor 27 – Twin Herds Clash (AA)
Environment: Two converging valleys separated by a narrow ridge. Thunderclouds swirl overhead.
Monsters: 2 × Green Horn Bear Packs (each 10 bears + 1 Queen Bear)
Boss Ability: Queen Bear wields Earthquake Roar—a ground-shaking shockwave that upends terrain.
Feng traced the ridge's shadow line, using Shadow Bind to freeze the lead aggressor in place. As the Queen Bear let loose her quake, Feng pivoted, Guard Fang absorbing the shock, blades humming with tension.
He danced along the shadow edge, slashing through the first pack, then drew the Queen into a narrow pass. A dual poison strike to her knees felled her. The second herd, leaderless, scattered.
Clear Time: 18 min (Record: 30 min)
ADP Earned: 780
Floor 28 – Stormhawk Aerie (AA)
Environment: Clifftop ruins, swirling winds, collapsible stone balconies.
Monsters: 12 × Storm Hawks (Wind–Lightning Qi – aerial lightning strikes, gust wings)
Boss Ability: Elder Stormhawk can call Lightning Dive—a sky blitz that electrifies ground in impact zone.
Feng anchored himself behind a broken column as lightning charged the sky. The hawks dove—he Shadow Step into their electric wake, blades humming with static. Poison Fang severed wing tendons; Guard Fang deflected talon strikes.
As the Elder descended, Feng used Gale-Shadow Crescendo—a cyclone of wind and shadow that shredded feathers and dissipated the lightning.
Clear Time: 14 min (Record: 25 min)
ADP Earned: 820
Floor 29 – Lightning Bird's Roar (AA Boss)
Environment: An electrified clearing surrounded by storm-lashed spires. Cracks in the stone floor pulse with glowing veins of raw Qi.
Monster: Lightning Bird (AA – stormcall, electric talons, aerial mastery)
Boss Unique Skills:
Stormcall: Summons localized thunderstorm, increasing its damage and speed.
Arc Flash: Unleashes a radial burst of lightning at mid-range.
Skydive Strike: A high-velocity plunge from above, generating shockwaves.
Battle Scene:
Feng Jian surveyed the storm-charged arena. Each crack pulsed with raw electric Qi. Above, the Lightning Bird shrieked, summoning dark clouds that crackled overhead.
He whispered, "Time to dance with thunder."
He Shadow Stepped beneath a drifting thunderbolt, blades drawn taut. As the Bird's talons electrified the air, Feng unleashed Duye Serpent Fang in a swift, upward slash—severing a talon mid-air.
Next moment: He blended wind, shadow, and lightning Qi into a single crescendo, the storm echoing his final strike.
End of Chapter 18