With a thunderous crash, a tremendous roar erupted as a gigantic, transparent fist came crashing down toward Old One-Eye and his companions. Suddenly, the two men flanking Old One-Eye darted off in opposite directions, hands swiftly weaving intricate gestures.
Meanwhile, Old One-Eye placed a hand over his eyepatch.
"Now! Black Prison Death Array..."
As Old One-Eye shouted, a buzzing sound rose all around. The instant the massive fist drew near, Old One-Eye quickly tore off his eyepatch.
"Ghost Pit, devour him..."
Suddenly, the gigantic fist vanished completely. I had witnessed this move before. Clusters of green light erupted all around, surging violently toward Mr. Brown. In an instant, Mr. Brown found himself outmatched—his fists were no match for the onslaught. Rage contorted his face, and a sinister green glow flickered in his eyes.
At that moment, the Red Mask Agent sprang into action, charging toward the mass grave. He seemed intent on stirring chaos, trying to confuse Mr. Brown's attack. Walter Cao gripped his camera tightly, watching the Red Mask Agent rush into the chaos.
Amid the rumbling, I saw black patterns rise on all sides, like paintings. Each of the four sides bore these designs, and from within, black chains clattered as they shot toward Mr. Brown.
"Courting death."
Mr. Brown roared, and in an instant, the dozen or so Blue Wraiths rushing at him were all forcefully repelled.
"Get back!" Walter Cao cried out in alarm. The Red Mask Agent immediately halted and leaped backward. With a deafening crash, a bottomless pit appeared right in front of him.
At that moment, the black chains, just as they reached Mr. Brown, fused into a single massive chain. In an instant, it locked down all four of Mr. Brown's limbs.
With a furious roar, Mr. Brown's body was engulfed in green light, and his form began to swell and expand.
"Only twenty seconds—move fast, keep him suppressed!"
Old One-Eye shouted, leaping up as two ghostly figures—torso only—drifted out beneath his feet, dragging him toward the mass grave.
The Red Mask Agent easily vaulted over the pit and charged toward the mass grave as well. In a flash, I found myself standing atop the mass grave—the very site of the sealing formation containing John Chou. I was stunned; both the Red Mask Agent and Old One-Eye, who held a black jar, froze in place.
"Heh, I never placed any seal here. Where did you all hear such a thing? Who..." It was John Chou, standing beside the sealing formation, his expression half-smiling, half-mocking, as blood-red light flared from his raised hand.
"It's a trick..." Old One-Eye muttered as he popped open the jar. Instantly, black vapor spilled out. Old One-Eye then hurled the jar, splashing its black liquid onto the formation.
With a thunderous roar, multiple explosions erupted in the sky, deafening and earth-shaking. The entire mass grave began to tremble violently.
"Don't push me too far... Hellhound!"
With a beastly roar, just as the black liquid was about to splash onto the formation, I heard a furious howl—some kind of wild creature. Suddenly, accompanied by the rattle of chains, a black beast emerged from the sealing formation. It resembled a wolf, but was somehow different.
The beast opened its massive jaws and, in an instant, devoured all the black liquid.
"Six Fists... Hundred Strikes..."
With a thunderous crash, I stared in shock—everything within several kilometers of the mass grave had vanished. All I could see were countless gigantic, transparent fists. Amid them, I glimpsed flashes of green—the Blue Wraiths.
The massive fists overlapped, radiating from the sealing formation at the center, striking out in all directions, a full three hundred and sixty degrees. Everything was obliterated. The Blue Wraiths were reduced to ashes.
"What... is that?"
Old One-Eye stared in disbelief at the Hellhound, now vanished into the sealing formation, his mind reeling. Then, behind him, a swirling black vortex appeared.
"It's over. You'll have to figure it out yourselves."
As Old One-Eye spoke, he prepared to leave. But with a thunderous crash, the black vortex vanished completely—Mr. Brown, furious and now with three heads and six arms, was standing right behind him.
Six thick arms, brimming with murderous intent, struck at Old One-Eye without mercy. In that instant, I saw Old One-Eye tear off his eyepatch and gouge out his own eyeball. Blood spattered everywhere. At the moment he was struck, he flung the eyeball away.
In an instant, Old One-Eye's body was punched through, six gaping holes torn into his flesh, blood pouring out.
"Speak—what are you really after? If you don't, next time will be your death."
Mr. Brown roared in fury.
"Devour me, Ghost Pit."
Suddenly, Old One-Eye shouted, and the eyeball flying through the air fixed its gaze on him. In an instant, Old One-Eye vanished, and the eyeball gradually faded from sight.
"Old friend, are you all right?"
Walter Cao coughed violently, his pain even greater than before, hacking up mouthfuls of blood.
At that moment, the Red Mask Agent seemed to accept whatever fate awaited him. He looked calm as the formation sealing John Chou vanished. I saw two large vermillion characters—Chou Manor—behind Mr. Brown, a vast building marking his ghost domain.
"It seems escape is hopeless, old friend."
Walter Cao nodded, his eyes showing resolve. Suddenly, Mr. Brown swung both fists at the two of them.
Walter Cao closed his eyes, while the Red Mask Agent gave a relaxed, contented smile.
With a resounding crash, Mr. Brown halted his fists. Just as his punches were about to strike Walter Cao's face, he stopped.
At that moment, the scenery around us gradually shifted. We were back at the mass grave, and everything nearby was intact.
"Not going to kill us, old man?"
Walter Cao opened his eyes, staring in bewilderment at his surroundings.
"Since you can trap all of us in your ghost domain in an instant, without us noticing, it doesn't matter where we run."
Mr. Brown's three heads and six arms vanished, replaced by a kindly smile.
"Young man, you've lost your heart."
As Mr. Brown spoke, I stared at Walter Cao in astonishment. The Red Mask Agent waited quietly nearby, smiling faintly.
"I'll leave you to your conversation. I'll wait below."
Mr. Brown nodded, all traces of murderous intent gone from his body.
"I'm sparing your life for one reason: to send a message. Tell your people in the Immortality Society, even though this old man is falling apart, an old dog still has a few teeth left. Remember that."
"Ah, I've got it."
The Red Mask Agent smiled broadly and walked down the mountain.
"Old man, what are you really talking about?"
Walter Cao smiled faintly, while Mr. Brown sighed.
"You suffered immense pain before you died, didn't you? Do you still remember what kind of agony you endured before death? Think carefully."
Mr. Brown asked, but Walter Cao only looked lost. He stared blankly for a long time, then shook his head.
"That's what it means to lose your heart. Those who suffer unbearable pain before death cast their agony aside to avoid being crushed by it, but in doing so, they lose their true selves. Today, I let you go. After all, I'm soft-hearted, and you're not one of those truly wicked ones. So, find your heart again, young man."
Walter Cao stood up, thanked him, and left, his face full of confusion, as if he couldn't remember anything at all.
"Old man, all I remember is losing an important photograph, but I can't recall anything about it at all."
"Go find it, young man. You can rise even higher—discover your origin, your heart, reclaim what you've lost. Otherwise, your life will mean nothing. Even after a thousand years, ten thousand years, a life without a heart is empty and pointless."
All the way down the mountain, Walter Cao kept muttering, utterly baffled, repeating his words over and over.
"That photograph... what was it? Why can't I remember?"
At the foot of the mountain, the Red Mask Agent waited quietly for Walter Cao.
"What's wrong, old friend? Can't remember something?"
For a moment, Walter Cao stared blankly at the Red Mask Agent. Then I saw a familiar yet uneasy, even angry emotion flicker in Walter's eyes.
"You know I lost a very important photograph, but I just can't remember it."
"Oh, is that so, old friend? Hu Xiaohui—you remember her, don't you? The female ghost I killed with my own hands, the woman you loved most."
Walter Cao stared at the Red Mask Agent in confusion, and finally, the anger in his eyes faded. He smiled faintly.
"I don't remember. Who are you talking about? Let's go—I need a lot of supplies. I have to take some photos and drain some people's lifespans to restore my wounded ghost soul."
"That's more like it, old friend. Let's go. We'll split up at the next town. I need to deliver the old man's message."
At that moment, the scenery around me gradually faded into darkness. I looked around—I was still at the bottom of Walter Cao's ghost domain, in the blackness.
Just then, a faint ghostly light flickered before my eyes, growing brighter and brighter. Within that glow, I saw a humanoid figure begin to take shape.