Mo Han naturally understood what Komoss intended to do, so he said little, merely leading Little Mo and Little Han into the house to await Komoss’s arrival.

Not long after Mo Han and Little Mo entered, Mo Han sensed a faint magical fluctuation traveling from a distance, rapidly approaching. Mo Han quickly stopped Little Mo and the others, who were still moving about inside, signaled them to be quiet, and then tensed up, fully alert.

Sure enough, after only a few moments, a piercing voice boomed from the doorway: “Little pup, how is my test subject doing? Has there been any improvement?” Upon hearing the voice, Mo Han immediately recognized it as the mysterious shadow he had been searching for, and a surge of excitement rose within him.

Komoss’s voice sounded from the adjacent room, “I told you, as long as you don't make trouble for our Second Prince, I will naturally do my best to handle the matters you entrusted to me. You don't need to worry.”

The shadow, hearing Komoss’s blunt reply, didn't seem bothered in the least, merely chuckling hideously and uttering a few words: “Good, I like your tone. It’s so much like the brat I intend to subdue.”

Hearing this, Mo Han immediately knew who the shadow was referring to—himself and no one else. Mo Han couldn't help but wonder privately: Does this shadow have a natural masochistic streak? Heh, I wonder if he enjoys being whipped or something; in that case, I’d be more than happy to oblige.

Mo Han thought wickedly to himself.

Just then, the shadow suddenly spoke in a low tone: “Come out, boy. Did you think casting ‘Crystal Aegis’ on yourself and those two beasts of yours could fool me? That’s a joke; stop wasting your effort.”

Mo Han was startled by this. Although he didn't understand how the other party had discovered him, he knew his presence was exposed. Realizing this, Mo Han no longer hesitated.

He retracted the Crystal Aegis and walked directly toward the door with Little Mo and Little Han.

Upon reaching the entrance, Mo Han saw the shadow stop about five meters away. This was the first time Mo Han had seen the figure so clearly up close. The shadow was completely shrouded in a black cloak, and the face peering out was covered by a terrifying, grimacing mask, looking quite frightening. The only part visible were the figure’s hands.

However, the surface of the shadow’s palms seemed to emit an eerie glow, and strangely, the left hand possessed six fingers, which was exceedingly rare.

At this moment, the shadow spoke calmly, “I knew you would find your way here eventually, though you arrived faster than I anticipated. It seems I underestimated your capabilities. Still, I don’t understand how you managed to contact Komoss. I didn't detect you for days; when exactly did you arrive here?”

Mo Han heard this but offered no reply.

He instead asked curiously, “Then you answer one question first: How did you discover me? I still don't comprehend that.”

The shadow chuckled proudly, “That’s simple enough. Normally, I wouldn't have noticed you. Unfortunately, I also possess a Detection Necklace that can sense all magical fluctuations around me, including those that have been concealed. The range of this Detection Necklace is limited, though, so I had to be quite close to detect you. Now, you can tell me how you got here?”

“Heh, did I ever say I would answer your questions? You volunteered information about your Detection Necklace; I never asked you to say anything,” Mo Han replied innocently, wearing an expression clearly intended to infuriate the other party.

Seeing that the shadow didn't seem angered, Mo Han couldn't help but say, “I think you should start thinking about how to escape right now. For a Mage to stand this close to a Warrior—that’s incredibly unwise. Do you truly believe your casting speed is faster than my draw speed?”

The shadow let out a harsh, dry laugh: “Heh heh, how can those novice commoners compare to me? Go ahead and try, boy. Today, I will make you submit willingly, convinced of your defeat at my hands.”

Mo Han snorted coldly and slowly drew the Holy Sword of Light, saying in a chilling tone, “Then I hope you won’t disappoint me.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Mo Han lunged toward the shadow standing just out of reach like lightning. But something occurred that made Mo Han’s jaw drop.

Several thin black barriers materialized around the form of the old shadow, completely enveloping him. When the utterly unbreakable Holy Sword of Light struck these black barriers, Mo Han felt as if he had hit nothing at all. A sickening sensation washed over him, accompanied by a dense aura of darkness constantly pressing inward. Although the Holy Sword of Light blocked the majority of the aura, it still left Mo Han feeling profoundly uneasy.

Mo Han looked closely again and saw his Holy Sword of Light truly resting against the surface of the black barrier, yet it could not advance even a fraction of an inch, as if it were pinned there.

This shocked Mo Han deeply. Mo Han knew the power of the Holy Sword of Light better than anyone. Even though he could only unleash four-tenths of its true might right now, that power was still astonishing—it had even broken through the Netherworld Barrier of the Underworld Race. Yet, facing this thin layer of defense, he was completely helpless, the sword serving no purpose.

Little Mo and Little Han’s attacks also landed on the black barriers, seemingly incapable of inflicting any damage, akin to mere tickling.

The shadow’s triumphant voice echoed from within the black barrier: “Boy, just because you possess a divine artifact doesn't mean I don't. If the Cloak of the Nether God could be breached so easily, it wouldn't be called the Cloak of the Nether God.”

Hearing the mysterious shadow’s reply, Mo Han inwardly groaned. The Cloak of the Nether God was one of the most famous divine artifacts on the continent, listed alongside the Holy Sword of Light among the Top Ten Artifacts. Legend held it was forged by Hades, the King of the Underworld, before somehow ending up in the mortal realm. Back then, countless super-experts died fighting over this cloak. Later, it was rumored that a Sword Saint obtained it, and that Sword Saint went into hiding to evade the combined pursuit of other Sword Saints coveting the cloak. After that, the Cloak of the Nether God vanished. Mo Han never expected to encounter it here.

The Cloak of the Nether God’s greatest trait was its ability to influence the mind. Anyone caught by it would be bewildered by the powerful, malevolent energy emanating from the cloak, resulting in drastically reduced prowess or even the loss of their sanity—a truly bizarre divine artifact. At that moment, Mo Han felt a wave of dark energy surging through the Holy Sword of Light toward his body. His Holy Sword of Light seemed to have taken root on the barrier, unable to shift even slightly.

As massive amounts of dark energy flooded in, Mo Han began to feel dizzy and faint, sensing his strength rapidly draining away. Mo Han was alarmed and violently shook his head to dispel the dizziness, desperately trying to wrench free from the black barrier, but it was useless. His hands felt stuck, unable to break free from the barrier's suction.

Just then, the shadow spoke triumphantly from within the barrier: “Boy, how easily can you escape the Black Malevolence emitted by the Cloak of the Nether God? Even a Sword Saint would retreat three leagues upon encountering it, let alone you. I advise you to surrender obediently now; stop these futile struggles and spare yourself further suffering.”

Seeing Mo Han’s perilous situation, Little Mo and Little Han grew frantic. Little Mo roared, sending three rings of yellow light surging toward where the shadow stood. However, Little Mo’s trusty Gravity Spell halted completely upon touching the black barrier, unable to advance an inch before finally dissipating.

Little Han also furiously spat black orbs of light toward the barrier, but they seemed to be completely absorbed by the black structure, rendering them utterly useless—they only created ripples on the surface of the barrier, showing no other effect.

In truth, the rank of the Holy Sword of Light should be a tier higher than the Cloak of the Nether God, or at least equal. Mo Han shouldn't have been this cornered, but because he could only exert four-tenths of the Holy Sword of Light’s full power, the outcome when confronting another Top Ten Artifact was inevitable.

Mo Han felt his vitality being meticulously stripped from his body, as if even his soul was about to be torn away. Everything around him blurred. At that moment, the mysterious shadow spoke: “Boy, how about it? Still not surrendering? Let me tell you, if you persist, only you will die. Once a massive amount of dark power invades your body, you are finished. Your soul will be annihilated then. You had better think clearly.”

However, Mo Han’s stubborn trait was fully activated, and he gritted his teeth, refusing to concede. Before long, Mo Han sank into a semi-comatose state. Mo Han could clearly feel his life essence ebbing away, yet he was utterly powerless to stop it.