Thunderous booms echoed. I looked over and saw a creature with four legs, massive in size, no arms, its body nearly three meters wide. Sprouting from its bulk were heads, each rolling back their eyes in a ghastly white, mouths agape. This was a monster that had emerged from the first floor.
"My name is James Wang. So, how about it? Team up with me. I’m no match for that thing, but if we join forces, we might be able to take it down."
James Wang said this as I glanced at him, hesitating. Should I trust him? After all, he’s one of the Immortality Society—even if he’s already become a monster.
Suddenly, I saw black beams shoot out of the monster’s mouth below—Deathbane Aura. I was stunned.
The target was James Wang. In an instant, the beams surged toward him at incredible speed. James reacted, but a huge hole was blasted through his shoulder. I could sense it—the quality of this Deathbane Aura was extraordinary. Each beam packed more force than any bullet from my handgun.
With a whoosh, James Wang darted to my side, grabbing me and dragging me back into the cell.
Black blood dripped steadily. I watched James Wang clutch his right shoulder, his face twisted in pain.
"I may have power, but my body’s a wreck. Earlier, that Mantis Fiend—if I hadn’t seized the initiative, I’d have been torn to pieces. Lucky for me you showed up and distracted it."
The monster on the ground stopped moving, but the white eyes on its heads swiveled, as if searching for something.
"Oh, James Wang, you actually regained consciousness. Rare, isn’t it? Too bad—you’re still too weak. You’ll never get out. I told you, only the strongest can escape."
I kept searching around. Since this was the west side, it should be more favorable for ghosts. I moved to the back of the cell and, with a thunderous punch, smashed through the wall. Then I immediately released my Specter Web, sensing the surroundings.
Sure enough, the yin energy here was much weaker than on the east side.
"Don’t bother. You can’t get out. The strongest one here regained his senses once, but it was useless. We were all put here for a reason—maybe to wait for you."
James Wang said this, and those four eyes shifted, as if laughing.
"Human roads head east, ghost roads west. Ethan Zhang, don’t waste your effort. You’re a ghost now, so the west is better for you. But my ghost formation is different."
As Thousand Hands spoke, I felt the yin energy intensify. The direction shifted. I didn’t know if I was confused or if he could manipulate the formation’s orientation. Furious, I clenched my fists and looked outside.
"Do you know anything? Tell me, and I’ll work with you."
I said, and James Wang nodded.
"Of course I know. I was the 199th trainee of the Immortality Society. Out of more than 3,000 in my batch, only about thirty became full members. Unluckily, at the final stage, my body gave out—and I ended up like this."
I grunted, watching James Wang. That vertical mouth on his face gaped wide as he laughed. But I noticed—there was no tongue or teeth in his mouth. It was bizarre.
"And what else? Is there anything more you know?"
I asked immediately. James Wang shook his head.
"First, deal with the creature outside. Take down as many as you can. That thing has four more. I’ll tell you more after. Its head is hidden inside its body—I’ve seen it once. It can move within the body. Unless you find the head, you can’t kill it."
James Wang walked over. I saw the blood had stopped flowing, and the hole in his shoulder seemed smaller, slowly healing itself.
I floated up slowly. That Deathbane Aura was vicious. If I attacked head-on and got hit, even my Ghost Soul wouldn’t be unharmed. I had the means to break through the aura, but I’d never expose too much in front of Thousand Hands.
"Here we go."
James Wang said, then suddenly stomped the ground and shot toward the creature with a boom, moving fast. I followed close behind, swinging Hell's Sentinel as we charged. Sure enough, the monster noticed us—its sixteen heads on its back swiveled, and sixteen blasts of Deathbane Aura surged our way.
James Wang twisted in midair, dodging. I raised Hell's Sentinel, dodged a few blasts, then blocked one I couldn’t avoid with the weapon.
"Don’t get close—circle around."
James Wang began running circles around the creature. Then I saw small mouths suddenly open on its feet, spraying dense Deathbane Aura at James Wang. I quickly raised my revolver and fired—a bullet struck one of the human heads on its back with a clang, but bounced off.
"Second wave coming—fall back!"
James Wang shouted, still circling. I felt a surge of dread—the monster on the ground twisted its sixteen heads from all angles, all aiming at me.
Crossing beams of Deathbane Aura shot toward me, sealing off every escape route in an instant.
There was nowhere left to retreat. I roared, spreading my arms and legs wide. My Spirit Snake Shedding Skin fluttered at my back, and waves of Deathbane Aura surged out from all around me.
"Instinct. Coexistence..."
Thunder roared. The Deathbane Aura blasts aimed at me had no effect—instead, they drifted like smoke and were slowly absorbed into my body.
James Wang seized the moment, charging straight at the monster, fists pounding. Blood sprayed as several of the creature’s heads were shattered instantly.
"Now!"
James Wang roared. With a whoosh, I lunged at the monster’s head, driving Hell's Sentinel into the space between its human heads. Empowered by the Wind Blade effect, Hell's Sentinel pierced right through the creature’s skin.
"Devour..."
I murmured, and then the power of the Resentful Ghost began to radiate from Hell's Sentinel, pouring directly into the monster’s body. Gradually, with a thunderous crash, the creature collapsed to the ground.
"Burn..."
With a thunderous boom, clusters of black flames burst through the monster’s body. Then, with a hiss, I saw a head suddenly shoot out from the corpse, now engulfed in black fire.
"Heh, you really are powerful."
James Wang laughed, grabbing the head with one hand.
"Wait..."
With a splat, James Wang crushed the head. Suddenly, his own head swelled like it was inflating, his massive mouth opening wide to devour all the spraying blood.
"Hurry back, Ethan Zhang."
James Wang said, then quickly ran back to his cell. I followed at once.
Just then, a black shadow suddenly appeared in front of James Wang. With a slash, black blood splattered everywhere.