I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality Chapter 650: Capturing the Shadow Thief

Unlike the prior two entities Jie Ming had faced, the Shadow Thief presented a distinct challenge.

The Salty Fingers lacked any permanent physical structure, forming temporary digits only during an attack, which then vanished once the task was accomplished.

While the Graffiti Strange did have a compressible core, its primary existence was intertwined with the very rules of reality, only materializing when confronted with extreme circumstances.

The Shadow Thief, however, was different from both of them.

It maintained a consistent, shadow-like form.

That flattened, dark, humanoid shadow comprised its entirety.

Logically, this characteristic should have simplified the pursuit. If one could match its movement pace and consistently identify the shadow as it materialized, tracking it would seem feasible.

Yet, in practical application, the task proved exceptionally arduous.

After all, endeavoring to track a shadow within the enveloping darkness was akin to pursuing a pointless fantasy.

The Micro-Light Eye remained fixed upon the surface of the Shadow Thief’s dark essence as it navigated the subterranean sewers, derelict structures, and the nocturnal labyrinth of Mist Capital's streets and narrow passages.

Jie Ming trailed behind, refraining from immediate engagement. This situation presented an invaluable chance to gather intelligence.

Through meticulous observation of the Shadow Thief’s movements, Jie Ming discerned a discernible pattern.

This Strange creature exhibited a clear proclivity for specific types of locations.

Its instincts mirrored those of a living organism; it would linger and meander in areas it had traversed multiple times, provided they met its 'hunting' criteria—such as dimly lit alleys, the bases of lengthy walls, and open spaces illuminated by a single light source capable of casting distinct shadows.

Upon recognizing this tendency, Jie Ming pinpointed a suitable alleyway.

This particular alley was situated between Seventh and Eighth Streets in the old quarter, a constricted north-south thoroughfare.

Measuring less than three meters in width, it was hemmed in by tall building gables whose weathered walls were overgrown with withered climbing vines.

A solitary gas streetlamp illuminated the southern terminus of the alley, while the northern end remained plunged in absolute blackness.

Jie Ming positioned himself directly beneath the streetlamp.

He had intentionally selected a spot featuring only a single point of illumination.

The lamp’s warm, orange-yellow radiance cast a long, distorted shadow from above his head, stretching deep into the alley and almost reaching the threshold of the darkness at the far end.

His shadow was exceptionally elongated, starkly defined, and undeniably… alluring.

Leaning against the lamp post, Jie Ming kept his hands concealed within his coat pockets, his demeanor placid, as if patiently awaiting an appointment.

Data from the Micro-Light Eye indicated the Shadow Thief was advancing in his direction.

Its pace was unhurried, its trajectory serpentine, much like a creature following an enticing scent.

Approximately ten minutes elapsed before Jie Ming’s gaze subtly shifted.

Emerging from the oppressive darkness at the alley's northern extremity, a nearly imperceptible, dark humanoid shadow glided along the ground.

Its movement was slow and deliberate, as if cautiously assessing its surroundings for any potential threats.

The contour of the dark, shadowy figure blended almost seamlessly with the surrounding gloom. Without the continuous operation of Jie Ming’s All-Purpose Eye, an average individual would have stood no chance of detecting its presence.

The Shadow Thief had arrived.

It proceeded along the base of the wall, its shadowy substance flowing soundlessly over the coarse brickwork.

Perhaps unsettled by its recent encounter, it did not immediately advance towards Jie Ming. Instead, it executed two slow circuits along the walls on either side of the alley, as if verifying the security of the environment.

Jie Ming maintained an unwavering stillness. From any perspective, he appeared as an ordinary young man idly standing under the streetlamp.

…This impression would hold true if one disregarded the late hour.

Regrettably, the Shadow Thief demonstrably lacked such a sophisticated level of perception.

Jie Ming had already ascertained during their prior confrontation that despite the Strange’s formidable power, its intelligence likely fell short of the Graffiti Strange’s capacity. It behaved more like a primal beast governed solely by instinct.

Once it ascertained the absence of immediate peril, the Shadow Thief's wariness began to subside.

It detached itself from the wall’s base, skimmed close to the ground, and gradually approached Jie Ming’s elongated shadow.

Jie Ming observed its approach from the periphery of his vision, mentally cataloging its behavioral patterns.

Precisely as he had surmised, the Shadow Thief’s conduct more closely resembled that of a wild animal—possessing a certain cunning, but limited in scope.

Jie Ming’s shadow lay stark and distinct, bathed by the solitary light source.

In the Shadow Thief’s rudimentary perception, it represented the ideal quarry.

The Shadow Thief reached the furthest extent of Jie Ming’s projected shadow.

Its form seemed to subtly elevate, mimicking the posture of a serpent preparing to strike its victim.

Then, a fissure opened vertically down the center of its dark, humanoid silhouette, its edges lined with minute, tooth-like projections.

Without any hesitation, it clamped its 'jaws' onto the very edge of Jie Ming’s shadow.

A peculiar sensation, as if a fraction of his shadow was being consumed, caused Jie Ming to narrow his eyes.

It wasn't a physical pain he recognized, but a more profound sense of loss, akin to standing on a beach while the tide stealthily erodes the sand beneath your feet – a subtle but undeniable diminishment.

The Shadow Thief had indeed managed to sever a small portion of his very essence, his shadow.

With perfect clarity, Jie Ming’s All-Purpose Eye observed the entire unsettling event unfold.

Minute tendrils extending from the Shadow Thief's 'maw' latched onto the periphery of his shadow. Subsequently, a fragment, no larger than a fingernail, detached and was swiftly ingested.

Upon being swallowed, the detached piece vanished into the Shadow Thief's form.

Truthfully, Jie Ming felt a surge of surprise; the situation had deviated slightly from his projections.

The reason? This entity could actually impact his true form!

His true body was a perfected Dharma Body at the Void Refinement stage, a colossal dark golden entity spanning a thousand meters. It was a masterpiece of fused Body Forging techniques, Internal Circulation methods, and myriad resistance evolutions. Common strange powers merely tickled him, unable to breach the outermost layer of his defenses.

Yet, the Shadow Thief's bite had, without doubt, extracted a minuscule piece of his life essence.

Though the quantity was almost imperceptible, the mere fact that it was possible was astounding.

This wasn't about the magnitude, but the feasibility itself.

A slight curve graced Jie Ming's lips, an amused smile blooming.

The research potential of this creature far exceeded his initial estimations!

Internally, his Body Forging Method activated spontaneously.

This body refinement discipline, now deeply ingrained, immediately triggered its adaptive regeneration protocols upon detecting damage at the life essence level. Almost instantaneously after the shadow fragment was taken, his shadow began to regenerate.

Witnessing this, the Shadow Thief instinctively lunged for another bite.

The shadow reformed once more.

The Shadow Thief faltered.

Jie Ming clearly perceived that as the featureless shadow entity 'froze,' its entire being seemed to stiffen, and the tremors along its edges ceased.

It appeared to be 'sensing' its prey through means that remained elusive to Jie Ming.

Then, it struck again.

The shadow regenerated yet again.

Jie Ming retrieved a cup of spiritual tea from his spatial storage.

The tea, freshly brewed, remained hot, its amber liquid radiating a gentle warmth under the streetlamp's glow.

He cradled the cup, softly blew on the rising steam, and took a delicate sip.

The tea's fragrance enveloped his palate, leaving a subtle sweetness.

Leaning against the lamppost, he savored his tea, observing the Shadow Thief frantically gnawing at his shadow as if it were a hamster consuming seeds.

One bite, then another, and a third. The Shadow Thief's 'mouth' opened and closed with frantic speed along the edge of his shadow. Its fine, tooth-like protrusions repeatedly tore and consumed.

Its attacks grew swifter, its rhythm accelerating, as though racing against an unseen counterforce.

However, Jie Ming's shadow behaved like an inexhaustible spring; regardless of the Shadow Thief's relentless assault, its form and extent remained constant.

Throughout this exchange, Jie Ming's All-Purpose Eye and Fate Subsystem worked in concert.

His All-Purpose Eye pierced the Shadow Thief's shadowy facade, delving directly into its core structure.

He meticulously analyzed the transformation of the ingested shadow fragments within the Shadow Thief and meticulously recorded every energy fluctuation during the process.

Time flowed, and several minutes elapsed with remarkable speed.

Within this brief span, Jie Ming amassed extensive data on the Shadow Thief – its energy oscillation frequency, the efficiency of its shadow consumption, its internal energy conversion mechanisms, and its peculiar method of perceiving 'prey.' Every detail was cataloged and stored within the deep recesses of his consciousness.

The cessation of his data collection was not due to a lack of further information, but simply because the Shadow Thief could no longer sustain its efforts.

Following its initial frenzy, the Shadow Thief's assault began to wane.

This was primarily because it discovered its 'mouth' was no longer as effective.

When its fine protrusions clamped onto the edge of Jie Ming's shadow, they struggled to dislodge fragments as they had initially.

Biting the edge now felt akin to tearing at tough, resilient rubber; even with considerable exertion, only a minuscule indentation could be made.

Jie Ming sighed, a hint of helplessness in his tone.

This, he mused, was perhaps the sole unintended consequence of achieving his current true body.

The speed of its evolutionary adaptation was astonishingly rapid, an automatic and instinctual process. Upon experiencing repeated 'minor damage,' his physical form had autonomously reconfigured its life energy reserves. Through the continuous erosion of his shadow, it had swiftly developed a targeted defense against this conceptual form of attack.

Had Jie Ming not consciously suppressed his power, deliberately allowing his life force to dwindle, the Body Forging Method’s adaptation from ‘vulnerable to attack’ to ‘virtually unassailable’ would have concluded in a flash.

Even so, the Shadow Thief found itself laboring mightily to gnaw at his shadow.

The Shadow Thief launched another assault.

This time, its ‘mouth’ slid across the shadow’s edge as though it were a slick stone, finding no purchase whatsoever.

It ceased its attack.

The flattened shadow figure recoiled slightly, as if re-evaluating the prey before it.

A subtle, wave-like undulation rippled across its surface. Through the All-Purpose Eye, Jie Ming discerned this was an energetic display akin to ‘bewilderment’ or ‘apprehension.’

“It appears… that for these Strange entities, their power level and intelligence are not directly correlated. This makes sense. If ‘Night’ possessed true sentience, it likely wouldn’t have dared to challenge wizards,” Jie Ming pondered, stroking his chin.

Casting a glance at the Shadow Thief, which seemed poised for flight, Jie Ming opted against further probing.

The spiritual tea had been consumed, and sufficient data had been gathered. It was time to conclude the encounter.

He placed the teacup down. The instant his fingers released it, the cup vanished, returned to his internal cave-heaven.

Next, he raised his right hand, fingers splayed, palm facing downwards.

A multitude of azure runes materialized simultaneously upon the four walls of the alleyway.

These blue symbols spread with remarkable speed across the aged walls, coalescing in moments into a complete, enclosed circular sealing array.

The array’s luminescence contracted inwards, confining the Shadow Thief within a specific central zone of the alley.

This sealing technique was one Jie Ming had acquired from the Spirit Medium Association.

The complete Strange entity procured at auction had come bundled with the Association’s standard containment vessel and its associated sealing methodologies.

Following an intensive period of analysis and deconstruction, he had thoroughly assimilated the underlying principles and operational procedures of this art.

When contrasted with the sealing techniques of the wizarding world, the Association’s methods exhibited a heightened degree of specialization.

Solely in the domain of containing Strange entities, sealing arrays of equivalent rank demonstrated superior efficacy compared to the wizard world’s barriers, which were specifically engineered for rule-based entities. This was entirely logical, given that such techniques constituted the fundamental survival technology for humanity in this realm.

Though his mastery was recent, Jie Ming executed the deployment with his characteristic skill, making it appear effortless.

Under the oppressive blue radiance, the Shadow Thief’s tenebrous membrane began to constrict.

It attempted to escape through perceived fissures, but each junction of the array was seamlessly integrated, leaving no available breaches.

It sought to ascend the walls, yet the array’s luminous field extended throughout the entire space, from floor to ceiling, depriving it of any shadows for concealment.

The dark, shadowy form diminished progressively under the sealing array’s compressive force— shrinking from the expanse of a carpet to the dimensions of a tablecloth, and finally, to the size of a newspaper.

Jie Ming retrieved a custom-fabricated metallic container from his internal cave-heaven.

It was rectangular, a gleaming silver-white hue, adorned with inscribed runes, and bore a striking resemblance to the receptacles employed by the Association during the auction for Strange artifacts.

However, this one was notably more compact, akin to a humidor.

He unfastened the lid and directed the opening towards the Shadow Thief, now compressed to the size of his palm.

The sealing array emitted a final, decisive flash of light. The Shadow Thief’s shadowy essence was entirely condensed into a dense, obsidian-like substance.

Jie Ming extended his hand, folded the mass as one would paper—once, then a second time—and carefully placed it within the metallic container.

The lid was secured. Runes flared to life upon the silver-white exterior.

They pulsed with a steady luminescence for a few moments before fading back to quiescence.

Shadow Thief—successful capture.

Jie Ming re-shelved the metal box within his internal cave-heaven, then leaned against a lamppost, closing his eyes.

His consciousness interfaced with the dispersed Micro-Light Eyes situated externally, meticulously verifying their positions and operational states.

The majority of the Micro-Light Eyes remained dormant in various sectors of the old district, transmitting uninterrupted signals.

A select few were affixed to operatives of the Spirit Medium Association, moving in tandem with them.

These individuals constituted the elite members who had participated in the evening’s operation and were now en route back to their headquarters.

He then focused on the Micro-Light Eye attached to the shark-like monstrosity.

Its signal remained robust. The location data indicated the creature had ceased all locomotion.

“Yet, this position… it’s still out at sea?”

Had that entity already reached the mastermind’s sanctuary?

Or had it been callously abandoned?

With these thoughts crystallizing, Jie Ming’s form dissolved from his current location.