Although the Illusion Beast could replicate every skill a player possessed, Shi Feng had already gained a clear understanding of it during their exchange.
At the start of the battle, Shi Feng had already activated the Ice Blue Demonic Flame, but the Illusion Beast didn't seem to be able to use it.
The Ice Blue Demonic Flame wasn't a skill Shi Feng had learned—it was an effect attached to the Ice Blue Demonic Flame item itself. So Shi Feng was one hundred percent certain that the Illusion Beast couldn't use any of the additional skills granted by player equipment.
As the black mist from the Abyssal seeped into Shi Feng's body, a faint layer of silvery-gray death energy surfaced across his skin. He immediately charged toward the Illusion Beast, first activating Nine-Headed Dragon Slash. Twelve phantom copies of the Abyssal materialized and struck straight at the Illusion Beast.
Seeing the twelve phantoms of the Abyssal bearing down on it, the Illusion Beast was smart enough not to block. Instead, it used Hell Roar to bombard Shi Feng—so long as Shi Feng died, the skill would naturally be dispelled.
But Shi Feng merely smiled calmly. He didn't dodge. Instead, he activated Sword Control Return to Heaven and surged forward, thrusting straight for the Illusion Beast's vitals.
Sword Control Return to Heaven could nullify four melee hits. Shi Feng didn't even need to use his swords to block—he simply let the Illusion Beast attack him freely while both of his blades sliced into the creature's body.
The Illusion Beast had already used its own Sword Control Return to Heaven earlier to block the Flame Explosion, so now it had no choice but to eat Shi Feng's attacks head-on.
Shi Feng seized the opportunity, landing seven consecutive blows on the Illusion Beast. Each hit dealt over five hundred damage, with crits reaching as high as a thousand. The Abyssal phantoms dealt over two hundred damage per strike as well.
Four out of the seven sword strikes were critical hits. Combined with the twelve Abyssal phantoms' attacks, the total damage exceeded seven thousand. A very respectable number.
Yet the Illusion Beast, shapeshifted into Shi Feng's form, flashed a contemptuous smirk at him.
As if to say: Is that the best you can do?
That amount of damage was nothing more than a scratch for a creature with two hundred thousand HP. A little spit and a wipe, and it'd be good as new.
But you've already blown your survival skills. What comes next is a one-way trip to death.
"Having a thick health pool really is capital," Shi Feng murmured, glancing at the Illusion Beast's HP bar. He sighed lightly, then grinned. "But if you think that capital is enough to crush me, you're about ten years too early."
Shi Feng activated the Infernal Shadow's infernal power once more—attack speed increased by one hundred percent, damage increased by thirty percent, lasting fifteen seconds with a two-minute cooldown.
The Illusion Beast charged again. Shi Feng pointed the Abyssal at it.
Abyssal Bind.
Nine pitch-black, frigid chains burst forth instantly, binding the Illusion Beast in place.
A full four seconds of absolute restraint. Yet the Illusion Beast showed not a trace of panic. It didn't even bother struggling. Instead, it wore a mocking expression, practically daring Shi Feng to take his best shot.
Earlier, in just over one second, Shi Feng had only managed to deal seven thousand damage. Even with another four seconds, the absolute maximum would be around thirty thousand—less than a quarter of its total HP.
Once all these skills were exhausted, Shi Feng's burst potential would be completely spent.
No survival skills. No crowd-control burst tools. The outcome was self-evident, which was why the Illusion Beast was perfectly at ease.
This human never had a chance from the very beginning.
But the Illusion Beast quickly discovered that fantasies are always rosy, while reality is lean and unforgiving.
Abyssal Bind did last four seconds, but it also reduced defense by one hundred percent, causing Shi Feng's damage to spike dramatically.
With a casual swing, Shi Feng now dealt over seven hundred damage. Even more incredible was that the Abyssal's curse had triggered, slashing the Illusion Beast's attributes by nearly thirty percent. Its HP plummeted from two hundred thousand straight down to one hundred and forty thousand.