Chapter 144: Two Significant Gains
The undead army, having just slain the Shadow leader, immediately shifted directions upon hearing Gu Xi's command.
The ghosts, who had initially attacked the Shadow leader without much success, were the first to pounce on the Shadows again.
They needed to prove their combat prowess with more victories.
When these ghosts reached the Shadows, they didn't give them any chance. A single swipe from a ghost would kill a shadow fiend on the spot, leaving behind a pile of shadow essence beads on the ground.
Gu Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Standing on the evil coffin, he leaned on the Cold Wind Staff and surveyed the battlefield before him.
He hadn't expected that his own power could hold off the enemy for so long.
Most importantly, his spells had successfully killed at least eighty to ninety Shadows.
Now, Gu Xi could truly call himself a mage. Even without the undead, he had the ability to control the battlefield.
After smiling to himself, Gu Xi sat down on the evil coffin, watching the battle unfold in front of him.
There weren't many Shadows left. The 52 ghosts, eager to prove their combat strength, were methodically killing each shadow fiend one by one.
Unknowingly, they had even slain the two other Shadow leaderes hidden among the Shadows.
Seeing the ghosts had cleared the bridge and were about to charge into the upper city, Gu Xi turned to look at the other undead behind him.
"What are you standing around for? Move up! Clear out the Shadows on the bridge and take the upper city for me."
The undead army finally reacted, some rushing directly to the other end of the bridge, while others followed their commanders.
In less than a minute, all the undead on the bridge had charged into the upper city, leaving Gu Xi sitting alone on the bridge, looking at the shadow essence beads scattered everywhere.
He also noticed that at the spot where the Shadow leader had fallen, there were a few items that hadn't turned into shadow essence beads.
Curious, Gu Xi jumped off the evil coffin and walked over, holding the Cold Wind Staff.
At the location where the Shadow leader died, Gu Xi saw three items on the ground: a slightly curled arm, a heart-like object, and a black gas cluster.
Gu Xi picked up the curled arm first, as the combat prowess of those arms during the battle had left a deep impression on him.
[You have obtained the Ghost Immortal Hand (Blue)]
[Ghost Immortal Hand (Blue, Accessory)]
[Defense: 5]
[Equip: Constitution +2]
[Equip Requirement: Constitution 2]
[Special 1: Extreme Resistance, Shield skills level +1, black arms will appear around the shield's edge during combat, covering any defensive gaps and blocking part of the attacks.]
[Special 2: Catcher, when wearing this accessory, an additional layer of protection against ranged damage will automatically form, resisting some ranged attacks.]
[Description: Isn't defense just having a hand?]
Looking at the attributes of the [Ghost Immortal Hand], Gu Xi knew this was meant for tanks.
This item could easily fetch three Dragon Blood Crystals at the Dispersed Immortal Garden.
After all, its attributes were perfectly tailored to a tank's needs.
However, as Gu Xi held the [Ghost Immortal Hand], a thought crossed his mind.
Should he try using this item to see if his bone shield counts as a shield skill?
Gu Xi quickly dismissed the idea. Instead, he reached for the heart-like object.
[You have obtained the Twisted Great Tree Seed (Auxiliary)]
[Twisted Great Tree Seed (Auxiliary): Allows the construction of the auxiliary building Twisted Great Tree. Consuming 100 negative energy can plant a Twisted Great Tree in the city.]
[Twisted Great Tree (Auxiliary): Decorative building within the city. Each construction grants +1 city experience.]
This discovery surprised Gu Xi. He hadn't expected it to be a building blueprint.
Though it was an auxiliary building with no attributes, it would greatly enhance Aridowei City's decorations.
Initially, Aridowei only had streetlights as auxiliary buildings.
After consuming the Walrus Cemetery, it added docks due to the wharf area.
Now, the Twisted Great Tree was also included.
Gu Xi believed his city would become increasingly beautiful.
Smiling, Gu Xi reached for the black gas cluster.
At first, Gu Xi thought it was a large cluster of shadow essence beads, given the Shadow leader's combat strength. It wouldn't make sense to drop so few essence beads.
But upon picking it up, Gu Xi realized he was mistaken.
This wasn't a large cluster of shadow essence beads; it was the greatest gain from this battle.
[You have obtained the Shadow Substitute (3/3)]
[Shadow Substitute (3/3): Rule-type item, can erase one penalty effect from shadow items or purple-quality equipment, reducing the impact of using such items. This shadow substitute can be used three times.]
Just by looking at the attributes of the [Shadow Substitute], Gu Xi knew he had struck gold.
Gu Xi had encountered shadow items, purple equipment, and rule-type items before.
Though these items were great, their penalties were quite severe.
Like the purple ring he sold to that fat man, the penalties alone made Gu Xi reluctant to use it.
What's the use of good equipment if it turns you into neither a human nor a ghost?
However, the existence of the [Shadow Substitute] offered Gu Xi something entirely different.
Whether it was erasing penalties or reducing their impact, it was beneficial.
The three uses for erasing effects made Gu Xi imagine scenarios where he'd obtain purple equipment.
Carefully storing away the [Shadow Substitute], Gu Xi gently stroked the Cold Wind Staff and muttered.
"Staff, oh staff, please upgrade to purple quality soon."
As Gu Xi spoke, the battle in the upper city was nearing its end.
With the ghosts leading the charge, the houses couldn't withstand their assault. The Shadows hidden inside were driven out by the ghosts and quickly slain by the charging undead.
Initially, the Shadows in the upper city tried to organize a resistance.
But as the strongest Shadows were killed, their organization quickly crumbled.
One by one, the Shadows turned into shadow essence beads on the ground, and houses were cleared out. Finally, Luna, far away at the council hall, saw a message on the map.
There were no enemies left in the upper city.
Assimilation begins!