Chapter 46: A Shared Power

“Hmm? What’s going on here?”

Bai Yu approached the corpse of the Silvermoon Wolf King, noticing faint wisps of dark mist emanating from its surroundings.

[It’s likely due to the excessive spiritual energy within the corpse; absorbing it would take you a considerably longer time.]

Moweila explained to Bai Yu.

“Is that so?”

Bai Yu indeed felt the Silvermoon Wolf King’s corpse transforming into dark mist that was slowly gathering into her body, though the process was so minuscule she barely noticed it.

“What should I do about this?”

Bai Yu furrowed her brow, realizing she could not afford to linger any longer.

The wilderness at night was fraught with peril, and she dared not act rashly in her current state.

After all, with only a handful of arcane arts at her disposal and no hidden trump cards, it was prudent to avoid such high-risk endeavors.

Just as Bai Yu was contemplating giving up, Xiao An suddenly sidled closer.

“Awoo! Awoo!”

Xiao An barked incessantly at Bai Yu, seemingly brimming with excitement.

“What’s wrong?”

Bai Yu scooped up Xiao An.

Despite having grown considerably after her last advancement, Xiao An was still light enough for Bai Yu to lift.

“Awoo! Awoo!”

Xiao An wagged her tail, her gaze fixed on the Silvermoon Wolf King’s corpse.

“Do you want this?”

Bai Yu tentatively asked, noting that Xiao An seemed to possess a higher intelligence than other Shadow Beasts.

“Awoo! Awoo!”

Xiao An’s tail wagged even more vigorously as she continued to bark excitedly at Bai Yu.

Bai Yu simply placed her back on the ground.

The moment Xiao An’s paws touched the earth, she bolted towards the Silvermoon Wolf King’s corpse and began devouring it with furious intensity.

“She can do that?”

Bai Yu watched in astonishment, sensing that as Xiao An consumed the Silvermoon Wolf King’s body, its spiritual energy began to transfer into her own through Xiao An.

“Awoo~”

A first-tier Shadow Wolf cub nearby whimpered at Xiao An, seemingly wanting a share.

“Hmph!!!”

Xiao An snarled ferociously at the Shadow Wolf, startling it into a hasty retreat, too terrified to approach.

Bai Yu chuckled wryly.

It seemed the instinct to guard one’s food was universal across all creatures.

Xiao An swiftly devoured the entirety of the Silvermoon Wolf King’s corpse, leaving Bai Yu to wonder how such a massive body could be consumed by one so small.

‘Such are Shadow Beasts,’ she mused.

‘Truly a world of mystery, utterly defying scientific explanation.’

The instant Xiao An finished her meal, her body suddenly began to undergo a dramatic transformation.

“Awoo!!”

Xiao An let out a powerful howl, her body continuously expanding, her limbs growing visibly more muscular.

“This is—!”

A thrilling possibility suddenly dawned on Bai Yu.

If her theory proved true, the strength of her summoned legion would undoubtedly skyrocket.

Indeed, just as Bai Yu had anticipated, Xiao An’s body became even larger and more robust, her eyes now gleaming with fiercer intensity.

A crescent moon mark, shimmering silver-white, appeared on her forehead, imbuing her with an even more formidable aura.

Concurrently, her fur began to change, transitioning from its original jet-black to a striking silver-white, appearing breathtakingly magnificent under the moonlight.

“Roar! Roar! Roar!!”

Xiao An’s roar echoed, reverberating through the surrounding forest with an undeniable majesty.

From the unseen shadows, several figures swiftly descended from the sky, closing in on Bai Yu.

Bai Yu reacted instantly, spinning around, poised to retaliate.

They were Shadow Bats, a type of Shadow Beast that only emerged at night.

Though individually weak, they were notoriously troublesome and appeared in considerable numbers.

However, several silver-white blades moved even faster than she did, arcing through the air past Bai Yu and instantly slicing the Shadow Bats to shreds.

Bai Yu looked towards Xiao An, witnessing the silver moon on her forehead glow before it unleashed the blades that decimated the Shadow Bats.

‘She actually inherited the Wolf King’s abilities!’

A shock coursed through Bai Yu; she had never anticipated such a development.

‘It seems letting Xiao An devour it was indeed the right choice.’

Moreover, Bai Yu discovered a unique ability within Xiao An.

This ability, while not quite an arcane art, bore a strong resemblance to one and shared a peculiar connection with Xiao An.

[Shared Skill: Silvermoon Slash.]

Moweila’s voice carried a hint of resignation as she reminded Bai Yu, seemingly hoping it would accelerate Bai Yu’s understanding.

‘Just as I thought!’

Bai Yu was stunned, realizing this ability could indeed be shared without any loss of power, perfectly mirroring Xiao An’s own.

To acquire such an ability, ordinary Arcanists typically had to learn arcane arts.

Setting aside the incredibly challenging fundamental arcane arts, even the widely accessible general arcane arts were priced beyond the reach of most Arcanists.

Yet, her unconventional method of gaining this power could be said to overturn the entire Arcanist system; no one would believe it if she spoke of it.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Bai Yu immediately tested her newly acquired ability.

[Silvermoon Slash]

Without even needing a weapon, Bai Yu simply waved her hand, and a silver moon imprint briefly flashed on the back of her hand before vanishing instantly.

A silver-white blade materialized in the air, swiftly hurtling towards a distant tree.

Thud, thud, thud.

The mighty tree was instantly bisected, its power seemingly capable of felling an ordinary first-tier Arcanist in a single strike.

Bai Yu noted that this slash consumed very little spiritual energy, at least for her.

It was common knowledge that Witches inherently possessed nearly twice the spiritual energy of humans and vastly superior physical attributes.

In Bai Yu’s opinion, her only drawbacks were her short stature and rather underdeveloped physique.

Bai Yu glanced at her petite frame, a hint of resignation in her expression.

[That has nothing to do with being a Witch; it’s purely your own issue.]

Moweila interjected, reminding her that Witches were an almost perfect race, save for their intense dislike of males—a trait Moweila considered a positive, not a flaw.

“Shut up!”

Bai Yu felt a nerve had been struck.

What if she was underdeveloped? She was short too!

‘What’s wrong with being a loli? Lolis are the best!’

Bai Yu continued to reassure herself, only then realizing how late it had become.

She had to return to the palace swiftly, lest she encounter an even more outlandish Shadow Beast, which her current strength might not be able to handle.

While she felt quite powerful, she was far from reckless and remained exceedingly cautious.

Bai Yu commanded the two remaining Shadow Wolves, her total haul for the day.

However, Xiao An’s current state filled her with immense satisfaction.

In her mind, she saw the prompt Moweila had provided:

[Name]: Xiao An

[Species]: Shadow Beast – Silvermoon Shadow Wolf

[Tier]: Second-tier (9/10)

[Skills]: Silvermoon Slash

Seeing this level of advancement, Bai Yu was thoroughly pleased; Xiao An was practically a step away from reaching the third tier.