The sky was still dim, the moon hanging halfway, not yet hidden.
Outside the Slum Library, within a mangrove thicket.
"If you have no further questions, adventurer, just walk to the center of the magic circle. Once the ritual begins, there will be a bit of pain. Just endure it, and it will pass." Xia Lian pointed to the black stone platform at the center, a hint of excitement in her eyes—they could finally begin this experiment.
Shi Feng was unaware of Xia Lian's thoughts and nodded, walking into the magic circle.
After all, Xia Lian was a prominent figure of the third-tier class; there probably wouldn't be any mistakes. As for the pain, it was nothing.
In Divine Realm combat, getting slashed by monsters hurt just as much, but most players still chose to accept this setting, not turning pain feedback to 0%. The purpose was to enhance realism, and more importantly, to improve combat skills.
As the old saying goes, no pain, no gain. Only when it hurts can you remember the lesson. Only by learning from lessons can a person progress. Therefore, to grow in the Divine Realm, accepting this kind of pain was essential.
However, considering players' tolerance, Divine Realm's default was set to 20%. But some experts would adjust the feedback to over 60%, which kept them more alert. Shi Feng himself had it set to 50%, his preferred level, which allowed him to perform at his best.
Once Shi Feng was in position, he nodded to Xia Lian, signaling she could begin.
Lunar Descent!
Xia Lian began her prayer, chanting divine incantations, her fingers continuously tracing divine runes. Lines of runes floated in mid-air, drifting skyward. Compared to the previous third-tier magic, the number of runes written this time was vast.
After writing several hundred lines without stopping, sweat was already beading on Xia Lian's cheeks, showing signs of fatigue. Meanwhile, the magic circle on the ground began to emit a dazzling silver glow, gradually rising into the air.
Over ten minutes later, a beam of pure moonlight shone down upon Shi Feng.
Instantly, black smoke began to pour from Shi Feng's body, billowing upward, reluctantly leaving his flesh. At this moment, sweat was already trickling down Shi Feng's forehead, his complexion pale as he endured an excruciating agony.
Shi Feng nearly cursed Xia Lian aloud—this wasn't just "a bit of pain," it was agonizing, as if his body were being torn to shreds.
If he hadn't spent ten years playing Divine Realm and grown accustomed to pain, he would likely have been screaming bloody murder by now.
After several minutes of continuous moonlight, the black smoke finally left Shi Feng's body. But it didn't dissipate; instead, it formed a dark silhouette identical to Shi Feng himself.
"Adventurer, you must kill this demon doppelganger to break the curse. I need to maintain the ritual and can't help you—you'll have to handle it on your own," Xia Lian warned.
Exhausted, Shi Feng cast an Eye of Observation on the shadow.
Night Edge (Demon Doppelganger), Elite, Level 4, HP: 2000.
"Elite?" Shi Feng's expression grew serious.
The demon doppelganger didn't have much HP, and its level was the same as his. If it didn't possess any powerful skills, dealing with it shouldn't be too difficult. But that was unlikely.
"Damn Moon Drop! Deceitful human! You think using a complete Moon Drop to weaken me means you can defeat me? I'll show you right now—lowly humans can never triumph over powerful demons!" The doppelganger raged, drawing a black longsword and charging at Shi Feng.
In the blink of an eye, the demon doppelganger was upon him, the sword sweeping out in a faint black gleam. Instantly, that single gleam multiplied into four, aiming to slice Shi Feng to ribbons.
Transcendent State!
Shi Feng, startled by the movement, realized this speed far exceeded a normal Elite's capabilities and immediately raised his guard to parry.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Shi Feng was forced back several steps before stabilizing himself.
Had it not been for the complete Moon Drop, the demon doppelganger likely wouldn't have been just an Elite—it would have been a Special Elite.