Hasegawa Shinichi's gaze was icy cold as he gripped his long sword tightly.
"The tactics used here are quite decent, and I suspect this guy has reserved some of his strength. Judging by his fluency and power in Element Control, he seems capable of breaking through to the Third Rank at any moment."
The man in the black robe said, "You know, I'm also on the Heavenly Master Path, so I understand this quite well."
Yan Ye and Yan Feng, the two brothers, were clearly holding back their strength.
For instance, at this moment, Yan Feng donned his War Armor, displaying sweeping and unrestrained moves as he tore through the crowd without hesitation.
Whenever he was ambushed, a wall of sand and stone would materialize out of thin air and block the attack for him.
If someone tried to attack from the flanks, molten lava would erupt from the ground.
Alternatively, a high-pressure jet of water would shoot forth, slicing people in half.
When melee investigators found themselves surrounded, gusts of wind would sweep in, scattering their formation.
This formidable battlefield control ensured that none of the front-line investigators suffered a fatal blow.
Coupled with the Priest's healing abilities, the group's combat strength was pushed to its peak.
Hasegawa Shinichi said coldly, "If it weren't for Joker's idiotic plan failing, we wouldn't be in such a predicament. The Yan family's heir is loaded with Alchemy Weapons. It's highly likely that he was the one who killed Compound Eyes."
"I'll go test him out first,"
he licked his lips. "Later, I might need your assistance, sir."
With that, he unsheathed his long sword and crushed the ground beneath his feet as he charged forward.
In an instant, Yan Feng leaped into the air, swinging his heavy battle axe down furiously: "Die!"
Hasegawa Shinichi let out a cold laugh as a chilling flash of blade light streaked across!
The battle axe fractured!
Yan Feng's pupils contracted sharply as he countered with a thunderous punch, unleashing Qi Force in a powerful explosion.
Ancient Martial Path practitioners specialized in a unique energy called Qi, a force that surged forward relentlessly!
Meanwhile, the Samurai Path, a variant route, also manipulated Qi, but it could only flow within the body.
It could not be released externally.
This marked the fundamental difference between the Ancient Martial Path and ordinary paths!
However, Hasegawa Shinichi was Third Rank and possessed heightened Deformation abilities, making his physical resilience far superior!
He struck with a punch, directly shattering the incoming Qi Force!
The long sword hummed ominously, carving out a fierce streak of icy light!
With a terrifying ripping sound,
the blade fell, slicing through the steel armor and spraying blood in its wake.
Yan Feng stepped back clutching the fractured battle axe, a bloody gash now carved into his chest, his expression dark and cold.
"Are you investigators from the Ether Association?"
A Fallen, bound on the ground, struggled and screamed, "Help us! We don't want to ally with Grave Digger! I was once part of the Association too…I'm willing to surrender! Please help me! I've never harmed anyone!"
Yan Feng glanced at him but his brow furrowed violently a moment later.
At that moment, Hasegawa Shinichi vanished.
When he reappeared, he had circled to Yan Feng's back, stepping forward swiftly, unleashing a barrage of flashing blade strikes!
In the nick of time, Yan Feng kicked the Fallen, whose legs were bound, to block in front of himself.
With a sickening crack, the Fallen was severed at the waist, spraying blood wildly.
Taking advantage of the moment, Yan Feng hurled the broken axe he held, sending Qi Force exploding outward.
Amid the burst of smoke, Hasegawa Shinichi staggered backward repeatedly, countless fragments of axe blades embedding deeply into his exoskeleton.
Yet they failed to inflict any significant damage.
"Even Ether Association investigators resort to such measures, huh?"
Hasegawa Shinichi said coldly.
"What's worth pitying in a bunch of Fallen?"
Yan Feng replied nonchalantly with a grin.
A beam of Holy Light enveloped him, healing his wounds.
"Yan Feng, focus on the enemy. No more talking!"
Yan Ye's voice came from the rear.
Towering Elemental Turbulence gathered once more above the dome.
The chaotic brawl near the altar became utterly frenzied.
Gu Jianlin had consumed Blue Blood, his spirituality surging as he activated Ghost Transformation.
Pale Ghost Fire burned at his brow, illuminating his eerie yet regal visage that appeared cold and otherworldly, akin to a ghost.
His messy black hair swirled chaotically as his jet-black eyes spread like ink, swallowing the remaining whites until black, fiery patterns emerged across his face, blazing wildly without restraint.
Pitch-dark, cryptic spells writhed like living entities on the surface of his skin, flowing in countless threads.
"I used to be on the Ancient Martial Path, a Sixth-Rank Domain King, but after consuming Heavenly Born Grass, I've declined to the Fourth Rank. Due to my physical condition, my actual combat strength could even be as low as Third Rank."
Uncle Mu called out from the front, "But I'm very experienced in battle. Listen carefully to my commands!"
He charged forward wielding a massive machete as robust Qi surged forth, boiling like steam!
In the warm glow behind the old man's eyes, a brief flash of madness could be seen.
The ability of the Fourth-Order Mad King: Berserk!
His skeleton thundered as muscles bulged explosively, allowing the unleashed Qi Force to rampage unchecked!
The five young men behind him, all on the Ancient Martial Path, resonated strongly with their surging Qi, forming a tactical battle formation.
"Brother Gu, since you're on the Divine Path, stick close to us—"
A ghostly shadow tore through the gale, streaking away in a blur!
Uncle Mu and the others were all stunned.
one of the young men muttered, "What's happening with Brother Gu?"
His four companions stared in disbelief.
Even Uncle Mu was shocked: "Was that... Ghost Transformation?"
No, that's impossible. How could a First-Order Divine Path practitioner move so fast after activating Ghost Transformation?