Fang Xiu also caught the strong scent of alcohol in the air. His head suddenly spun, as if he'd just downed a huge amount of strong liquor.
But this wasn't enough to throw him off. He quickly used his power of pain, and a sharp, intense pain surged through his body, snapping him back to clarity.
The Director wasn't so fortunate, though. He collapsed instantly, and if Xiao Zhenhua hadn't acted fast to catch him, he might have hit his head and started bleeding.
"Quick, we need to get out of here," Xiao Zhenhua urged, supporting both the Director and Fang Xiu as they hurried to leave. Protecting them was more important than fighting right now.
The strong smell of alcohol didn't seem to affect those at the level of captain.
Fang Moli sighed softly, "I wanted to hold back, but you've left me no choice."
He drew the Xuanyuan Sword again, and a divine power descended from the heavens.
In an instant, the raging thunder in the sky was swept away by the sword's energy. However, as soon as he wielded the Xuanyuan Sword, his face paled.
It all made sense now. Given Fang Moli's flashy style, there was no reason he didn't use such a showy weapon all the time—unless the cost of using it was too steep.
Facing the Xuanyuan Sword, a flicker of fear crossed the faces of Joker and the others, but they didn't panic. They had clearly planned for this.
"Everyone, scatter and start destroying different parts of the headquarters!" Joker ordered. Immediately, Ace of Spades and the others dispersed in all directions.
"What? Damn it!" The captains' faces turned dark with worry, but they didn't have the time to think about anything else. They had to split up too, to stop the Pokers.
Joker smirked, "Fang Moli, you can't be everywhere at once."
"Then I'll kill you first!" Fang Moli, rarely one to get angry, was now furious. With the Xuanyuan Sword in hand, he transformed into a streak of sword light and charged at Joker.
But Joker was ready. A wave of energy from Specter Gadget rippled from him, and his body melted into the ground, disappearing from sight.
Fang Moli's eyes flashed coldly. Without even looking back, he rushed toward the Specter Gate.
Halfway there, Joker reappeared. With a flick of his hand, he summoned a roaring thunder dragon from the sky. The massive hundred-meter-long dragon temporarily blocked Fang Moli's path.
"Hmph! Coward! Sword Infinity, activate!"
CLANG!
The sound of countless swords echoed like a dragon's roar.
Thousands of swords appeared in the sky around Fang Moli, each one glowing with a cold, sharp light. The sheer power of the swords seemed strong enough to rip through space.
For a moment, swords rained down like a storm, furiously attacking the ground as if determined to find Joker's true body.
Joker kept moving, avoiding a direct confrontation with Fang Moli.
Meanwhile, more and more powerful Specters emerged from the Specter Gate—B Class, A Class, even S Class!
The Specter Gate itself began to twist violently.
Pale, withered arms reached out from within, grabbing the sides of the gate and pulling hard.
CRACK!
The Specter Gate shattered with a deafening noise, and the S-Class Specter emerged.
His limbs were pale and emaciated, his body shriveled and bony. He looked like a dried-up corpse that had just been pulled out of formaldehyde.
His face was a grotesque sight, covered in tiny red eyes, with insect-like antennae sprouting from its forehead.
On his back were wings resembling those of a butterfly, but they were coated in bloody scales. The creature was a horrifying mix of a human corpse and a giant moth.
With a light flutter of its blood-stained wings, a foul wind began to blow, and filthy, corrosive blood rained down.
Wherever the blood landed, it left only barren land behind, as if burned away by a powerful acid.
The creature seemed to catch the scent of human flesh and flew toward the densest crowd, escalating the chaos even further.
Fang Xiu watched the chaotic scene with a calm detachment as he retreated. He didn't choose to die this time because resetting now would be pointless.
It felt as though everything was predestined. Yan Changshou had a Substitute Doll that could absorb fatal damage, and even a strike from the Xuanyuan Sword couldn't kill him. This meant Fang Xiu had no way to stop him from opening the Specter Gate and unleashing the Specters that the Pokers had gathered from the Other Side.
Even if Fang Xiu reset everything, rewinding time to before the meeting and capturing Yan Changshou at the manor… that wouldn't make a difference.
He couldn't kill him instantly, and eventually, the Specter Gate would still be opened. The opening of the gate was the signal for the Pokers to act.
Overall, the headquarters held the advantage this time. They had prepared their forces in advance and identified some of the Pokers who had disguised themselves as staff, preventing a complete surprise attack.
Now, it all came down to raw power.
Fang Xiu didn't believe he would lose because he had a backup plan.
Yan Changshou looked at the shattered Specter Gate and spat out a mouthful of blood.
He was in a pitiful state. Half of his body was fully Specterized, and a deep sword wound ran across his chest, cutting through his entire body.
The flesh around the wound squirmed as if trying to heal, but a powerful force kept it from closing.
Despite his condition, a cruel smile spread across his lips, and his eyes were filled with hatred.
"Fang Xiu! So what if you foresaw my plan? No one can stop me from opening the Specter Gate. All of you will die!"
He suddenly started coughing violently, spewing large amounts of blood and even chunks of flesh.
"The Xuanyuan Sword lives up to its reputation! I didn't expect that even with the Substitute Doll, I couldn't fully transfer the damage. The sword had traced me through the connection between me and the Doll. If Fang Moli had been able to fully unleash the sword's power, I would be dead for sure. I failed to catch him off guard this time, so now I have no choice but to fight head-on. This is the only chance—if I fail, everything will be lost."
A resolute look flashed in Yan Changshou's eyes.
The Pokers understood their situation all too well. They had gone to great lengths to gather Specters and successfully release them at the headquarters.
Even though they hadn't managed to take down Fang Moli, there was no turning back now; they wouldn't get another opportunity like this.
At this moment, Yan Changshou could only hope that the always enigmatic Joker would pull through. He didn't expect Joker to defeat Fang Moli, but he needed him to hold him off for a while. The enormous energy cost of using the Xuanyuan Sword meant that Fang Moli couldn't last much longer.
Just then, a figure rushed over from the distance.
"Captain Yan! Are you okay?" Wen Yang asked, his voice filled with deep concern as he ran up.
Seeing his most trusted subordinate, a flash of murderous intent appeared in Yan Changshou's eyes.