Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1289 - 423: Shadow Demon Insect, Xiang Liang’s First Merit, Cheng Ping’s Regret (2)

Lin Kai issued the command, and over a hundred Cloud Dragon Army soldiers swiftly lifted their Yellow Candles, advancing toward the shadowy spot in the wall's corner.

As the light sources drew near, the shadowed area in the corner vanished on its own. The black dot, serving as the deceitful monster's camouflage, lost all hiding spots and got fully encircled by the Yellow Candle. Soldiers closing in made the light denser, squeezing its maneuverable space tighter and tighter.

"That’s enough. Put the Yellow Candles on the ground and disperse!"

Once the black dot's space shrank to a mere five-meter circular zone, Lin Kai signaled the soldiers to halt and scatter away.

The troops set the Yellow Candles down and backed off step by step. The black dot stayed confined in the center. It lunged wildly in every direction but flinched back each time it neared the Yellow Candle's glow.

"The Yellow Candle blocks the deceitful monster’s tricks but fails to destroy it, merely curbing its powers and stopping any getaway. Correct?"

Lin Kai nodded faintly at Yuan Cheng's query, then spoke gravely, "This black dot obviously isn't its actual body; it's merely one of its techniques. Pinning it here achieves nothing—we have to uncover its real form to eradicate it completely."

Finishing his words, Lin Kai recalled something urgent, yanking a fiery red jade stone from his chest pocket. Its intense glow made him knit his brows lightly as he declared, "The stone's reacting fiercely, confirming the deceitful monster's true body lurks very close by."

Tong Xingsheng had pulled this jade stone from Chu Dongning’s body last month. For the past ten days, Lin Kai had spearheaded the South City Prison Department's hunt for the deceitful monster's trail, verifying the stone's power to detect nearby deceitful monsters.

The nearer the target, the fiercer the jade's response. With light blazing this strong now, the deceitful monster's true form had to be right among them.

If not the black dot on the floor, then what concealed its genuine shape?

As those gathered mulled deeply, Xiang Liang from the sidelines suddenly struck upon an idea while staring at the Yellow Candle-trapped black dot in the corner. He approached cautiously, bowing reverently to Lin Kai and the group:

"My lords, with the black dot merely a technique of this deceitful monster, I venture to propose leaving the trapping Yellow Candles lit while snuffing every other light source nearby to test if its trick loses power."

Lin Kai froze briefly at Xiang Liang's suggestion, but realization dawned fast, brightening his features.

"Exactly! That black dot is basically a mass of shadows cast by its true body. And shadows need light sources to form!"

Yuwen Dao grasped it first, eyeing Xiang Liang with clear approval.

"Bai Shanning, get people to seal the alley and bar anyone from nearing; Zhao Bao, lead men to douse all light sources in surrounding homes; Zhu Xing, split up with troops, station at every nearby torch and coal stove, ready to quench the flames on my order."

"Understood!"

Lin Kai was already dishing out directives. The three acknowledged sharply and hustled to carry them out.

The alley sealed first, shoving curious crowds back; then homes around lost their lights, cloaking the zone in gloom; finally, Cloud Dragon Army soldiers hovered by more than twenty torches and coal stoves, gripping Beast Skin or water buckets, awaiting Lin Kai’s signal.

"Extinguish!"

Lin Kai didn't delay. With preparations set, he whipped out his waist sword and bellowed the order.

Bang... Hiss......

Over twenty surrounding light sources winked out together, sparing just the corner Yellow Candle's flame—which offered scant illumination—as the whole alley drowned in darkness.

"Buzz......"

Whoosh......

Darkness blanketed everything, a subtle buzz humming forth; Lin Kai reacted on instinct, nocking his mighty bow and firing a silver arrowhead straight at a remote coal stove's crest.

Fizz...

Nothing seemed atop the stove, but the hurtling arrow smacked into something solid, stalling mid-flight. Solidified Fire Oil coating it flared up fast, belching thick black clouds.

"Screech..."

That same torturous, ear-splitting cry erupted anew, forcing the deceitful monster over the dead coal stove to unveil its authentic form.

Revealed as a fist-sized black "humanoid" flying insect.

"Humanoid" fits since, beyond sheer wings, the ebony flyer boasted head, trunk, and appendages eerily human-like.

Closer scrutiny showed a blank face save for a massive jaw claiming half its front; limbs shaped more like four razor-black blades than proper extremities; its frame clad in glossy dark shell, utterly insectoid.

Buzz...

The Demon Worm clung to life.

It jerked its head abruptly and zipped toward the Yellow Candle.

"It likely can't stray far from the black dot and frees up only after pulling it back. Guard the Yellow Candle—loose arrows at it!"

Yuwen Dao spotted the Demon Worm's aim quick. Noting Lin Kai's bow unrelenting, he and Yuan Cheng snatched their silver mighty bows too.

Forming a ring around the Yellow Candle, the trio unleashed a barrage of arrows at the Demon Worm.