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As soon as Shawn Young finished speaking, Sergeant Louis Liu suddenly leapt several meters high, his body shooting up like a rocket. He soared right over Shawn’s head and lunged at a male police officer standing behind him. The speed was so uncanny, no one would've expected such agility from his rather plump frame!
Bang! The male cop never saw the sudden attack coming. Unable to dodge, he took the full hit to his chest and was sent flying several meters, rolling over the muddy ground. Blood spurted from his mouth, his head lolled to the side, and he instantly passed out.
After that blow landed, Sergeant Louis Liu didn’t stop. He let out a spine-chilling, beastly howl—"Awooo!"—then sprang up again, his hands clawing at Rainie Cheng, who was the closest to him.
Luckily, Rainie Cheng was ready for him. As his hands came down, she twisted her body and kicked out hard to meet his attack—Boom! The impact forced Rainie back several steps, nearly knocking her right on her butt.
"Rainie, don’t try to fight him head-on! Sergeant Liu’s possessed by an evil spirit—he’s got ghostly powers now! No normal person can take him on. Get out of the way and let me handle this!" Shawn Young hurriedly set down Mandy Chung and shouted to Rainie, then sprang toward Sergeant Liu.
But Sergeant Liu saw Shawn charging and knew he was in trouble. He didn’t stick around—he twisted his body and bolted toward the edge of the woods. In a flash, he’d reached a police car parked outside, grabbed the locked door, and yanked—Bang! The door ripped right off. He dove inside, clearly trying to make a getaway!
"Trying to escape? Not so fast!" Shawn yelled, darting right in front of the car.
Suddenly, Sergeant Liu poked his head out, his eyes blood-red and gleaming with a sinister light. Then he opened his mouth—whoosh!—and spat a blast of burning demonic fire straight at Shawn’s face!
"Hmph—Crimson Demonic Flame, no wonder it’s so fierce!" Shawn snorted, waving his right hand to conjure a defensive barrier of Vital Qi—Whoosh! Bang!—the fireball hit the shield, sparks flying everywhere, lighting up the scene. The sparks on the ground even scorched a patch of grass to black!
Sergeant Liu’s escape plan failed. Seeing things go south, he ducked back into the car and stomped on the gas, desperate to get away. But Shawn Young dashed forward, summoned a surge of raw power, and kicked the police car—Bang! The car flipped over, leaving a huge dent in its side!
Quick as a flash, Sergeant Liu crawled out of the overturned car, howling again—"Awooo!"—and bolted toward the highway.
Shawn didn’t chase him. Instead, he clasped his left hand over his right, formed three fingers into the Earthshatter Sigil, and rapidly chanted: "Six Guardians, Nine Chapters, Heaven and Earth, Four Seasons, Five Elements, Azure, Crimson, Yellow, reverse Yin and Yang, earth fire blazing sky, Diamond Ward, evil spirits be purged, by law—Release!"
As the incantation ended, a flash of blue light burst from the ground—whoosh!—snaking like lightning onto Shawn’s hands. With a loud shout—whoom!—it transformed into a dazzling blue beam and shot straight at the fleeing Sergeant Liu!
Boom! Awooo! Sergeant Liu, unable to dodge, took the blue beam right in the back. His whole body convulsed, flipped onto the ground, and rolled several meters before lying still.
Whew! Shawn wiped the sweat from his brow. After unleashing the Stormbane Rite, he finally managed to subdue the possessed, rampaging Sergeant Liu. He withdrew his Vital Qi and hurried over to check on Liu’s condition.
Just as Shawn reached Sergeant Liu and bent down to check him, the light around him suddenly dimmed. Black mist surged out from beneath Liu’s body, instantly turning the surroundings into a ghostly realm. A blue-green glow gathered on Liu’s body, forming a swarm of flying fireflies!
"Ah—Phantom Glow—Spectral Realm! I can’t believe this demon has reached such a high level!" Shawn was shocked, recalling an ancient demon art from the Codex of Ascension.
These fireflies weren’t real insects—they were soul-born, sinister creatures made from gathered spirits. Infused with ghostly essence, they took the shape of fireflies, emitting a blue-green Phantom Glow in the darkness. Any demon able to summon Phantom Glow had terrifying power! Mastering the art of gathering Yin was already extremely hard, requiring harsh conditions and tons of ghostly souls as fuel to ignite this blue-green glow.
Facing the swarm of otherworldly fireflies, Shawn’s expression grew grim. He knew that the demon escaping from the Eightfold Soul-Locking Array was a vengeful, murderous powerhouse. Whoever sealed it here with layers of mystical barriers must’ve been a top-tier expert from ages past—this was no ordinary demon!
Shawn also knew he had to destroy this demon at all costs. If it got loose, it would devour the blood and life force of living people to grow stronger—the consequences would be catastrophic!
Just then, the blue-green firefly swarm flashed brightly. Sergeant Liu, who’d been lying still, suddenly sprang up, his eyes snapping open and glaring at Shawn. His pupils were blood-red, his face frozen and mask-like, devoid of any expression.
"Heh—heh—heh—Not bad, kid! You’ve cultivated supreme Taoist Vital Qi, full of energy and vigor. Bet you’d taste delicious! If I devour your blood and absorb your dantian’s Vital Qi, my power will skyrocket!" Sergeant Liu suddenly let out a creepy, owl-like laugh.
"Uh—Bloodbane Drain! You—you’re a Taoist demon!?" Shawn gasped in shock.