"So fast."
I couldn't help but cry out in surprise. In an instant, Gregory Wu was already in front of me, both fists wrapped in tendrils. With a piercing screech, I saw the tendrils behind Gregory Wu rise up all at once.
"Serpent Form..."
I roared, and in an instant, layers of serpent scales covered my body. My form stretched and elongated, transforming into a giant python. Then, two snake heads split off, each opening wide to bite at Gregory Wu's incoming fists.
With a thunderous crash, my body was torn apart, shredded to nothing. I dissolved into a cloud of black mist and rose swiftly. Inside the mist, gripping Hell's Sentinel, I slashed at Gregory Wu's head.
With a swish, I stared at the Hell's Sentinel in my hand in astonishment. Then, my weapon slid across Gregory Wu's neck. My footing faltered, and suddenly Gregory Wu grabbed my throat with one hand, raising his right fist, which creaked ominously.
The sound of my heart pounding grew more intense. A black vortex appeared behind Gregory Wu's right fist, and he aimed it directly at my Ghost Soul.
"Sixth Layer... Ultimate..."
My right hand slowly rose, a swirl of deathbane aura gathering in my palm. Bang—a shot rang out. Gregory Wu's fist struck toward me, and in an instant, tendrils appeared on my skin, wrapping around my entire body.
With a thunderous crash, the black tendrils around my body vanished. Blood burst from my mouth as I was hurled away. At the edges of Julian Chu's Poison Domain, cherry blossom petals fluttered in the air. The shockwave stirred a stream of eerie green water, rumbling as it swept over the stone floor, cracking tiles and shattering chunks of stone. I quietly sank into the water, my body in dire straits.
Gregory Wu stood panting in the distance. He didn't look much better off.
"What was that just now?"
Gregory Wu clutched his abdomen, revealing a small wound. He reached behind, and a smear of black blood dripped, staining the water dark.
I smiled and stood up.
"Impossible, Ethan Zhang—how can you use Dark Tendrils?"
"Oh, so that's what it's called?"
I gave a faint smile, while John Chou and the others watched me in silence.
"Brother, you really surprised us with what you were holding just now."
John Chou spoke softly. I sneered, watching Gregory Wu as he stood up again. The tendrils quickly sealed the small wound on his abdomen, but Gregory Wu remained utterly perplexed.
"There won't be a next time, Ethan Zhang."
Inside, I was excited. Gregory Wu stood up again and, with a thunderous roar, charged at me once more.
My right hand pressed against the long, strip-shaped object on my back. I just smiled, making no move to resist. With a bang, I crashed to the ground and slid backward a long distance. I closed my eyes, quietly feeling the surge of ghost aura in my body, wildly pouring into the strip-shaped object behind me.
Seeing me unmoving, Gregory Wu raised his fists again and charged. I quietly recalled everything from the Forest of Desire.
"You know, in the Forest of Desire, I used to think every day about one thing: how to fight against monsters like you. Over and over, I wondered how I could kill a monster..."
"Sixth Layer..."
I smiled, and with a swish, drew the long strip-shaped object from my back, aiming it at Gregory Wu. Instantly, a violent turbulence swirled around the object in my hand. Gregory Wu stared in shock.
"It's over..."
I spoke each word slowly. Suddenly, Gregory Wu stared in astonishment at the weapon in my hand—a double-barreled Ghostshot over a meter long. My finger pulled the trigger.
Bang! A deafening blast echoed out, black smoke swirling. With a thunderous crash, the area behind Gregory Wu exploded, and Julian Chu's Poison Domain instantly collapsed.
The black scattershot destroyed everything behind Gregory Wu. A streak of black light shot skyward, and the explosions kept roaring. I was violently thrown backward, but a hand caught me—it was John Chou.
"Damn it, Ethan Zhang, my ghost domain!"
Julian Chu shouted, and a flash of green light appeared. Several Blue Wraiths immediately flew over, trying to contain the rampaging energy.
Gregory Wu slowly sank into the water, his lower body completely gone—both legs missing. The black tendrils on his body vanished as well. I stood up and slung the Ghostshot Double-Barrel back over my shoulder.
"Heh, still as naive as ever, Ethan Zhang. So it was a gun—I'm truly impressed, Ethan Zhang..."
Gregory Wu coughed, black blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. I was extremely weak, too—all my ghost aura had been spent firing those two bullets, but they were enough to hunt monsters.
"Brother, if someone took that hit head-on, they'd be dust by now."
John Chou quietly watched Gregory Wu. Everyone stared at me in shock, at the Ghostshot Double-Barrel on my back—a black, gleaming weapon that shimmered with a ghostly dark light. I put away Hell's Sentinel and looked at Gregory Wu.
"Still so naive, Ethan Zhang."
Mona Ouyang glared at me angrily.
"Ah, I'm still so naive."