With a roar, the monster screamed in agony as my fist struck it, slamming it violently into the ground. Sizzling noises echoed as the creature was engulfed by black flames, writhing on the floor in extreme pain.
Then, with a wave of my hand, the flames on the monster's body dissipated. Its body was scorched in many places, and black mixed with green fluid dripped steadily from its wounds. Yet it lunged at me once more.
It moved faster than before. I immediately shouted and retreated a bit. The Hell's Sentinel in my hand was held horizontally—bam! An immense, crushing force swept over me like a tidal wave. Instantly, I hit the ground with a smack, transforming into a cloud of black mist to soften the impact on my ghostly soul.
After re-forming, I drifted to a distance and waved my hand. A pool of black water appeared beneath the monster's feet, followed by a creaking sound as its feet were instantly frozen. It kept struggling, roaring in fury.
I continued to exert my power. The black ice blocks, which were about to crack, now became even sturdier. No matter how much the monster struggled, it couldn't break free from its restraints.
"For creatures without any consciousness, shred it, Ethan."
The Yin Ghost appeared again, licking her tongue and raising a hand. I grabbed her hand tightly.
"This thing is just like the previous monsters without souls, but there's something different about it."
I began unleashing my ghostly web, wrapping up the monster before me. It possessed a soul, I discovered to my surprise. However, its soul was mixed with something else inside its body, making it extremely strange—I couldn't discern what kind of soul it had.
I sensed it—this creature had all three human souls and seven spirits, yet outwardly, it was a monster.
"I'm going to take this thing back with me."
Since it appeared so suddenly, it's likely connected to the Immortality Society. I plan to bring it back and let Julian Chu examine it. This thing is similar to the monsters the Immortality Society used to pile up in his Ghost Domain—those made from heaps of corpses.
"Ah..."
The monster roared even louder. With a series of bangs, the surrounding glass shattered instantly. I stared in horror as the monster appeared right before me, its massive claws swinging at my face.
Bang! Although I reacted in time and blocked with the Hell's Sentinel, I was sent flying backward. The cloak on my back suddenly moved, instantly stabilizing me. Then I saw that after the monster's strike, its body couldn't withstand the force—its entire right arm snapped off.
After landing, the monster's right hand dangled in the air, but its eight eyes remained fixed on me as it continued charging. With a crunch, its bones protruded—white bones and black-green veins exposed—yet it kept running.
In an instant, I raised my right hand and a black Desert Eagle appeared. I aimed at the monster's legs and fired two shots.
To my shock, the two black bullets pierced through the monster's legs. I could see everything clearly, even the trajectory of the bullets.
Crackling explosions sounded as black ice instantly covered the monster's knees. There was a creaking noise—these two bullets contained the power of Resentful Ghosts. The insides of its legs were frozen solid, and as the power erupted, vengeful energy burst out from within its legs.
Bang! The monster's legs were ruined. It collapsed to the ground, its only functioning left claw scraping the floor, producing a piercing screech.
"Oh, even in this state, it still wants to kill you."
The Spirit Snake spoke from the side. I nodded. The monster was completely unable to stand. I slowly descended to the ground as its eight eyes stared at me, its left hand clawing at the floor while it crawled toward me.
Suddenly, I raised the Desert Eagle and aimed at the wall beside the lobby entrance. Bang—the gun fired.
With a creak, the wall was pierced. When the bullet exploded, black ice erupted, instantly destroying the wall. I pointed the Desert Eagle at that spot, where someone was standing.
"Come out."
I said coldly. Then, suddenly, I turned my head and saw Zheng Jun—my old high school classmate. He was trembling, clutching a white mask in one hand, a string of Buddhist prayer beads in his left, and a laptop tucked under his right arm.
"Zhang... Zhang... Ethan, don't kill me, please don't kill me. I'm just here to deliver something."
With a whoosh, I flew to Zheng Jun. There was a slicing sound as the white mask in his hand shattered into pieces.
Zheng Jun was so terrified he wet himself, then collapsed to the floor, leaving a large wet stain beneath him.
"I... I'm just here to deliver a message, really, Ethan. I don't know about those people. I was forced. You saw it, didn't you? They killed my grandmother and my sister."
I said nothing. A wave of killing intent swept up Zheng Jun as I stared at him coldly. His face wasn't burned, and I started questioning him. Zheng Jun continued to tremble.
I let him go—he couldn't escape anyway.
"They said that if I completed this trial, I could join the Immortality Society."
Zheng Jun said, trembling, as he handed me the string of prayer beads. I looked at them in surprise—they were ordinary sandalwood beads, but suddenly, I sensed it. Even without my senses, I would have recognized them. These were the prayer beads Fang Datong always wore.
"Where is Fang Datong?"
I roared at Zheng Jun. With a thud, the laptop under his arm fell to the ground. Trembling, he raised a hand and pointed behind me. My eyes widened. The Spirit Snake turned, mouth agape.
My whole body started to tremble as Zheng Jun slowly backed away.
"Ethan, for the sake of our old classmates, let me go. I really don't know anything."
My eyes began to turn blood red. Black veins bulged on both sides of my forehead. Waves of furious flames surged from my body as I clenched my fists. The killing aura overflowed uncontrollably.
"Ethan, be careful..."
The Spirit Snake shouted, but I didn't move. It grabbed my arm, yet I remained motionless. The monster behind me had crawled right up, raising its claws and roaring as it slashed down.
With a swish, before the claws could touch me, they were flung aside, crashing to the floor with a bang.
"What are you doing?"
I roared, staring at the Yin Ghost. I couldn't bring myself to turn around, couldn't bear to look—the monster behind me was Fang Datong.
A wave of agonized howls erupted. The monster behind me kept wailing as the Yin Ghost silently watched me, then began to giggle.
"Anyone who tries to hurt you—I won't allow it, Ethan."
I threw my head back and roared, instantly appearing before Zheng Jun, pressing the Hell's Sentinel to his neck.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"It's not my fault, Ethan, really, it's not my fault—I swear, I was only delivering something for them. Spare me, Ethan, please spare me."
A hand pressed down on my shoulder.
"Ethan, control yourself. Don't let anger take over your heart."
With a swish, the Hell's Sentinel swept past Zheng Jun. He screamed as a massive wave of killing aura, like a blade, instantly sliced through the wall behind him and the nearby factory, splitting them in half. The raging aura split into countless blades, shredding everything around us. A thunderous roar followed.
I turned my head, feeling utterly desolate inside, staring at the monster that kept whimpering, howling, and glaring at me with hatred.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
I kept saying it, when suddenly, I felt a kick to my backside. I turned—it was the Desire Ghost.
"Ethan, don't be sad. I don't want to see you like this—it makes my heart ache."
Mouth agape, I whimpered as the Hell's Sentinel clattered to the ground. I collapsed, fists pounding the floor. The Desire Ghost gently stroked my forehead.
Suddenly, I shoved her away and slammed my head into the floor with a loud thud. My right hand gripped my left arm so tightly that I tore off some flesh before finally standing up, black blood streaming down.
After a long while, I finally calmed down. I looked at the laptop lying on the ground, walked over, picked it up, and pressed the power button.
Zheng Jun shivered nearby, his eyes filled with terror as he stared at the Yin Ghost.
"Kid, tell me—how should I kill you? Should I gouge out your eyes, cut off your tongue, or slice the flesh from your body piece by piece? You choose."
"Enough. Watch him."
I roared. The Yin Ghost stood up, giggling, as waves of black yin energy rose. Zheng Jun was lifted into the air by the yin energy, screaming in terror.
"Keep screaming and I'll cut out your tongue first, then tear out your throat."
Zheng Jun immediately shut his mouth. On the computer desktop, there was only one video file. The file name read: Ethan Zhang, click this for a surprise.
I moved the mouse and double-clicked the video.
"Hello, hello, can you see me, Ethan Zhang? Hehe, nice to meet you—Thousand Hands. I'm a ghost doctor."