Chapter 114: The Target—An Elder of the Purge Society (4)

"Let's move! Our target is Han Bo, the Second Elder of the Purity Society. He can transform his body into paper for attacks, so watch out for any paper products around you. Just keep yourself safe; leave the rest to me!" Wu Zui adjusted the golden umbrella Joensen had provided and instructed Xiao Ke'ai.

"Don't worry, Master! I have him!" Xiao Ke'ai pointed to the fluffy blue creature that had already leapt onto her shoulder.

Wu Zui packed his chosen items into his backpack. After taking the golden umbrella, his pack was just the right size to accommodate the remaining gear. He hailed a taxi, and the pair headed straight for the Cupid Bar.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the entrance of the Cupid Bar. As soon as they stepped out, Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai felt a thick, lingering energy of resentment permeating the establishment. Beneath the "Alvin" lettering on the bar's sign were rows of small, glowing pink LED hearts—the taste of the place was truly abysmal.

However, a closer look revealed the true mark of the Purity Society: a pattern of two eyes formed by black electrical wires, representing the will of the Supreme God. Within the society, this was known as the Eye of Purity, the symbol of their deity.

At the entrance, a burly man from the Alwyn Kingdom stood with half-closed eyes. Seeing the special weapons in Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai's hands, he pressed a call button.

With a flash of golden light, the golden umbrella flew from Wu Zui's hand, driving straight into the burly man's abdomen. The Karmic Flame coating the umbrella instantly ignited him; he was yet another Purity Society member corrupted into a ghoul.

Wu Zui strode forward and pulled the golden umbrella from the wall. A flurry of hurried footsteps approached from deep within the bar.

Just as Wu Zui prepared to strike, a pale, ghostly claw erupted from the wall. Its five pitch-black, needle-sharp nails lunged directly toward Wu Zui's throat. Before Xiao Ke'ai could even call out a warning, Wu Zui’s left hand caught the claw. Magnetic Karmic Flame spiraled up his arm, tracing the limb and burning the spirit within it to ashes.

A scream echoed from inside the bar—it seemed the Purity Society member fused with that spirit had been incinerated by the flames. This was the one area where the Purity Society members were most vulnerable to Wu Zui; their semi-ghoulish bodies possessed very little resistance to the Karmic Flame.

With his golden umbrella blazing, Wu Zui charged through the main entrance. Xiao Ke'ai followed close behind, wielding a golden longsword to defend against enemies rushing from the rear. With the assistance of Commander Cat, the two of them—and one cat—wreaked havoc.

One by one, Purity Society members fused with three-star ghouls were turned to ash by the flames. The pair fought their way deep into the bar, leaving a trail of swirling black soot in their wake.

Moments later.

"Where is Han Bo, your Second Elder?" Wu Zui asked, looking at the only remaining Purity Society member, who had fused with a four-star ghoul.

"You think you can see our Second Elder? Stay here and become blood-food instead!" The man spat out a curse, and something began to ripple beneath his skin.

Before Wu Zui could finish him, countless grotesque arms erupted from the man’s body. Each arm was composed of four segments of bone; they were twisted and clearly not human—it was impossible to tell what creature they had belonged to.

"Die!" A sound like the roar of a monster tore from his throat. The foul stench he stirred up made both Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai gag. The creature lunged at Wu Zui, its myriad arms flailing and attacking from every conceivable angle.

Wu Zui met the onslaught head-on. While dodging among the many limbs, he easily landed strikes on the creature's mangled torso. However, every time Wu Zui attacked with the flaming golden umbrella, the creature's arms would detach themselves to intercept the blow, nullifying the Karmic Flame. If Wu Zui were to be caught by even one of those claws, he would likely suffer broken bones.

Wu Zui frowned; he had no time for a war of attrition. A small black dot appeared on the creature's body, then instantly expanded, locking onto it firmly. Under the tearing force of the spatial singularity, the creature's flesh and arms were shredded and vanished. In moments, it was torn into fragments.

After releasing the singularity, Wu Zui didn't linger on the remains. Instead, he spun around and tackled Xiao Ke'ai with a sweeping leg kick, knocking her to the ground.

At that exact moment, a flying knife made of white paper, sharp as a honed blade, whistled past the spot where her face had been, leaving a thin, bloody scratch on her delicate cheek. Had Wu Zui not knocked her down, the paper knife would have decapitated her.

The two quickly rose to their feet. The paper knife passed through them, landed on the ground, and transformed into a man in white.

"Two five-star Spirit Detectives, and you dare to act so brazenly? Stay here forever, and let big brother show you a good time." Han Bo licked the blood from the corner of his mouth as he surveyed them. He held no fear for five-star cultivators.

Having fused with a ghoul, Han Bo was far beyond the level of ordinary Awakened ones. Furthermore, thanks to the help of a black skull, he had long ago successfully merged with a five-star spirit. With a spirit-fused body, he feared no Spirit Detective of the same rank.

Han Bo’s effeminate voice made both Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai shiver, their skin crawling.

"Master, why does he sound so... 'sissy'? It’s disgusting!" Xiao Ke'ai shuddered and looked at Wu Zui.

"That’s not 'sissy,' that’s a sickness that needs treating!" Wu Zui replied. Flames erupted from his golden umbrella, and he charged at Han Bo.

"You're courting death!" Han Bo cursed as he heard them mocking him. His entire body transformed into countless paper arrows that shot toward them. The swarm was so dense that anyone struck would surely be riddled with holes.

Wu Zui pressed a button on the umbrella, and it snapped open. The Karmic Flame clinging to the fabric was blasted outward, incinerating the paper arrows upon contact. Meanwhile, a tiny black dot began to form behind the pair.

Two paper blades lunged from behind, aiming directly for their hearts.

*Clang!*

Wu Zui blocked with the back of the umbrella, sending the blades flying. He quickly pulled his body away from the spatial singularity Han Bo had summoned, and Xiao Ke'ai scrambled to the side. The Karmic Flame on the umbrella burned the paper blades to nothingness. Han Bo had already lost three clones.

"Damn it! What is this fire?" Han Bo cursed under his breath. He didn't mourn the loss of his clones; he was frustrated by how easily Wu Zui destroyed them. As long as they touched those flames, his paper clones died instantly, making it impossible to exhaust his opponent.

Hidden in the shadows, Han Bo’s true body reached into his robe and pulled out a black skull. It appeared to be one of the unlucky souls from the ancient sacrificial ritual.

The eyes of the skull snapped open, spilling high-level psychic pollution from its ink-black sockets. Han Bo used a clone to carry the skull out of the shadows and pointed it at the two intruders.

Boundless darkness instantly flooded their consciousness!

In the split second that Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai were stunned, four paper knives flew toward their heads and hearts. Suddenly, the blue, fluffy creature darted from Xiao Ke'ai’s arms, deftly batting the four knives aside and knocking them off course. The blades easily pierced the bar's decor before burying themselves in the wall.

At the same time, the figure in Wu Zui’s mind glowed with a faint blue light, dissipating the psychic pollution. Wu Zui immediately glanced at Xiao Ke'ai, who was drooping her head in a daze, and told Commander Cat, "Take care of her."

A shield of Karmic Flame enveloped Xiao Ke'ai, protecting her while she remained under the influence of the pollution.

A red iron chain erupted from Wu Zui’s chest, bolting toward the black skull. The chain moved like a viper, closing in rapidly. Han Bo hurriedly used his clone to toss the skull back into the shadows. As soon as he caught it, his form began to distort.

*Snap!*

*Snap!*

The chain whipped out, shattering the clone. It immediately redirected, lashing out like a whip against Han Bo's chest and dragging him out of the spatial singularity. Han Bo was sent flying, crashing into a table and shattering it. He coughed up a mouthful of black blood.

Where the Heart-Questioning Chain had struck him, wisps of red Karmic Flame began to bloom, using the resentment within his body as fuel to burn fiercely.

*Boom!*

Han Bo’s entire body suddenly transformed into a sheet of white paper, then exploded. Pieces of paper caught in the flames turned to black ash. On the ground lay the black skull—the medium for the ancient sacrifice.

Wu Zui didn't immediately reach for the skull. Instead, he watched the paper scraps on the floor closely. After a moment, he controlled the Karmic Flame to form a dome, sealing all the white paper scraps inside.

He sneered, "I actually thought you had infinite clones! It turns out you only have three, and you can regenerate them quickly from scraps. Now that your three clones are destroyed, what else can you do?"

As Wu Zui revealed the secret of Han Bo’s "Endless Body," the paper scraps under the flame dome slowly converged, gradually reforming into Han Bo’s shape. He clutched his chest, his body marred by numerous burns left by the Karmic Flame.

Even his normally rapid regenerative ability was failing due to the flames, leaving parts of his body mangled and incomplete. He couldn't stop the flow of black blood from his mouth; the Karmic Flame was far more damaging to him than magnetic energy.

"Cough... let me go... or else... cough... nobody is getting out of here alive!" Han Bo threatened, coughing up more black blood.

Wu Zui wasted no more words. He clenched his right hand. The flame dome began to constrict. Not a single scrap of paper would escape this time. Han Bo would be burned to ash, leaving no trace behind.