Evolution Begins With A Big Tree

Chapter 1166, The Mask of Shadows

Translator:  Ashish

Translation Checker: Silvain

Back then, among Qing Gang, Thorns, and the others, Leng Feng was undoubtedly the most gifted of them all.

But alas, despite his extraordinary talent, because of lack of suitable opportunities, Leng Feng never truly received Yu Zi Yu’s personal guidance.

Yes, he had no shortage of resources.

However, compared to Thorns, who had stepped into Late Stage Tier-5 and was already touching the threshold of Half-Step Overlord, Leng Feng had been left far behind.

Nonetheless, his contributions to the Misty Mountains, now known across the world as the Demon Court, were no less than theirs. Perhaps, even greater.

Simply because, all these years, together with his Little Sister, Leng Feng had nurtured the Court’s young beasts. He trained and guiding them in a systematic manner, caring for them as if they were his own kin. They had made an indelible contribution in the growth of the young beasts.

Many of today’s famed monsters of Demon Court, like Slytherin, Lupin, and Auris were once personally raised by him, who they now revered like an older brother.

He also commanded the entire Rat Clan, transforming them into the Court’s eyes and ears.

It was no exaggeration to say that Leng Feng was a silent pillar of the Monster Court. A true hero, hidden in the shadows.

And now, this unsung hero… would finally be rewarded.

“M-Master…” With a deep and respectful bow, Leng Feng lowered his head, confusion flickering in his eyes.

His Master rarely summoned him.

Before he could speak further, Yu Zi Yu’s voice gently echoed through the air, calm and unhurried, “Back then, I intended to bestow upon you the Dark Element Fruit. But alas… during the first Martial Arts Tournament held in Misty Mountains, you failed to shine… Worse still, you were completely suppressed by Dark Tiger.”

“It couldn’t be helped…” Leng Feng chuckled, lips curling faintly as he replied, “Dark Tiger is indeed powerful. I could not compare with him back then.”

His voice was humble, tranquil even. So calm that even Yu Zi Yu could not help but cast a sidelong glance at him.

Only then did he notice, in the eighty years since they had first met, Leng Feng had shed his former sharpness, even become a bit recluse.

However, his eyes were especially clear, like still water.

[Years of caring for young beasts had tempered his heart to this extent…]] A rare flicker of admiration touched Yu Zi Yu’s eyes. [This guy is a true genius. Even if he hadn’t met me, he would have risen, one way or another. Gold will shine no matter where it falls. Had fate not brought him here, he might have become one of the strongest Humans. That is… if death had not claimed him first.]

While smiling, Yu Zi Yu dismissed his thoughts and decided to get on with the real matter at hand.

The next moment…

*Booooom…* With a thunderous explosion, ripples spread through the air, as a strange mask emerged out of nowhere.

The mast was dark as night, and had wisps of black mist swirling around it.

Faintly, shadowy phantoms could be seen flickering across its surface, shrinking and writhing.

At a glance, the entire mask appeared like a black vortex, devouring everything.

“This is the Mask of Shadows, take it…” Yu Zi Yu’s corners of lips curled into a smile, as the mask floated to Leng Feng’s hands.

“Master, this…” With a voice trembling in disbelief, Leng Feng stared at the mask in stunned silence.

As someone who cultivated Dark Energy, he could feel it…this mask was not just powerful, it was terrifying.

Like a black hole, it was pulling in all darkness around it.

It had the power to even make him afraid, him.

Although he was just an Early Stage Tier-5 and could be considered an insignificant figure in the entire Demon Court, to make him feel afraid, one could imagine what that meant.

After all, he had mingled with the strongest of the Demon Court. He shared drinks with Brewmaster, laughed with Qing Gang, and even called Lightning Dragon his closest friend. But not one of them… not even Lightning Dragon, had ever given him this kind of feeling, this sense of sheer, oppressive dread.

“Master, what is this thing?” Staring at it, he became more and more stunned.

A treasure of this magnitude could easily be Tier-6, perhaps even beyond.

“I told you. I once meant to give you the Dark Element Fruit, but that opportunity passed. So… to make amends, I collaborated with Nine Tails and Brewmaster to craft this mask for you. The Mask of Shadows may not be a True Tier-7 Artifact, but it’s better than that, because sealed within this mask… is the Patriarch of the Shadow Clan. In other words, the Shadow Lord himself.”

With each sentence, Yu Zi Yu’s eyes gleamed with amusement.

He was never the forgiving type.

Those who dared raise a hand against him, they would have to pay the price.

The Nethergod and the King of Lightning had been slapped to death by him, so there was nothing more to say.

However, the Shadow Lord was captured, and thus, he would not be given the luxury of a swift death.

…

Originally, Yu Zi Yu had intended to simply end it all with a slap, crush the Shadow Lord like he had done with the rest.

However, after a moment’s thought, he relented.

Death…was far too merciful.

Sometimes, death was a kind of relief, an escape.

And so, after a moment of silent contemplation, Yu Zi Yu chose a different fate—To seal the Shadow Lord’s power and Soul.

Not for a year… Not for a lifetime… But for eternity.

Just to be safe, Yu Zi Yu even went a step further. He split the Shadow Lord’s Soul and power apart.

His power, he entrusted to Nine Tails, who carefully sealed it into a mask. This was A mask further reforged by Old Ninth, using one of the Nine Divine Metals: Phoenix-Blood Purple Gold

And from this terrifying process emerged a mask unlike any other:  The Mask of Shadows.

A mask that drew power from the darkness, and heightened the affinity and control of any Dark-Attribute Cultivator to an extraordinary level.

Such amazing abilities were more than enough to push it into the ranks of a Tier-7 Divine Artifact.

However, it also came with a limitation. This mask could only be useful to Dark-Attribute Cultivators.

If any other cultivator wore it, they would suffer a terrible backlash.

As for the Soul of the Shadow Lord, Yu Zi Yu sealed that into another object entirely—Ling Er’s Tier-6 Innate Artifact, the Dragon-Serpent Earrings.

After all, Ling Er grew stronger by devouring Souls.

With the Shadow Lord’ Soul sealed within her earrings, she could feast on it slowly, growing ever stronger.

This was Yu Zi Yu’s plan.

Brilliant.

Ruthless.

And chilling to the bone.

…

As Yu Zi Yu calmly explained it all, Leng Feng fell completely silent.

Even for someone as composed as him, he found his throat dry, his breath caught.

He naturally knew of the Shadow Lord.

A fearsome figure, one of the Tier-6 Overlords, who had once besieged his Master.

A monster whose name still echoed across the entire Western Sector.

And yet, such an existence, his power had been sealed into this very mask.

“Uh…” Leng Feng looked at the object floating before him in stunned silence, his eyes flickering with inexplicably complex emotions.

Because if everything his Master said was true, then this mask was even more terrifying than he had ever imagined.