A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

To be honest, these investigators were really scared of Ji Zuodao.

I've never seen such a bizarre fighting style before!

Those massive tendons, that spine-like sword, that ruthless attack aimed specifically at the lower body...

Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.

Now, watching Li Shuwen "sculpt" a Ji Zuodao, even though he knows it's fake, his face, his smile, his irritating manner... are exactly the same as the real one!

Who the hell dares to go first?

They all had their doubts.

Xiang Yun stared at the fake Ji Zuodao, gritted his teeth, and his cheeks clenched tightly.

Xiang Yun was a well-known figure in the Western Liang region, nicknamed "Little Tyrant," because of his unyielding and arrogant spirit.

He had just been thoroughly humiliated by the main character; he admitted it was because he was outmatched.

But now?

The person opposite him was a fake created by magic, and it even had a face that made him furious.

If he doesn't even dare to touch this, then Xiang Yun shouldn't stay in the branch office anymore. He's no good at repairing things, and he's no good at being an investigator!

I can't afford to lose face like that!

"Damn it, I'll risk it!"

Xiang Yun let out a low roar, gripped the iron spear in his hand tightly, and pushed off with his feet to charge.

But he's fast, and there are people faster than him!

"Hey! You fiend, take this!"

A powerful, reverberant shout rang out before he could finish.

A figure appeared, carrying a standard longsword, exuding an aura of domineering power, and darted out, heading straight for the fake Ji Zuodao!

Who else could it be but Lü Jian?

Xiang Yun paused, nearly twisting his back, and stared at Lü Jian's resolute back, his lips twitching.

What's gotten into this guy now?

Lü Jianke didn't have as many complex thoughts as Xiang Yun.

His mind was racing with calculations, simple and direct:

Showing off!

I was so scared by the real Ji Zuodao that I almost peed my pants. How embarrassing!

Now look what's happened, here comes a fake one!

If you can't beat the real one, can't you beat the fake one?

If he could smash this fake in front of him, rounding it up, wouldn't that be equivalent to Lu Jian defeating Ji Zuodao himself?

When the time comes, when they go out and tell everyone—Lu Jian from the Jiangnan Branch, he killed Ji Zuodao with his sword!

This level of sophistication and prestige is off the charts!

He's really putting on a show! Even Jesus couldn't stop him! That's what he said!

With someone taking the lead, the remaining investigators also got motivated.

"Damn it, what's there to be afraid of if it's fake!"

"Fuck him!"

"They can't even handle the real issue, yet they can't deal with the counterfeit?"

With a whoosh, the remaining fifty or so people grabbed all sorts of weapons and charged forward, yelling as they rushed up, instantly drowning the fake Ji Zuodao and the fake Gouye.

You know what, the fake Ji Zuodao and fake Gouye that Li Shuwen conjured up, although they looked like they were made of spiritual energy, were no slouch when they got into a fight.

The fake Ji Zuodao wielded a spine sword with great skill, his swordplay bold and powerful, fierce and domineering. Although he lacked the evil and cunning of the real Ji, his strength and speed were in no way inferior.

The fake dog pounced, bit, and tore at the dog with ferocity.

The man and the dog worked together quite well, and for a time they were evenly matched with about fifty Spirit Sea Realm investigators, and even gained a slight advantage.

As the investigation progressed, many investigators' initial fear of "Ji Zuo Dao" gradually subsided.

Why?

Because this fake Ji Zuodao is normal!

When Ji Zuodao really fights, it's incredibly wicked. He does whatever is disgusting and vicious, making people feel so frustrated they want to vomit blood.

But this fake one, though fierce, is on the right track! It's head-on, it's a direct confrontation!

Although it was strenuous and dangerous, at least it was fun to fight!

No need to worry about something suddenly popping out from under your feet, in your crotch, or in your lower back.

That's what you call a real fight!

Morale has visibly rebounded.

Their teamwork became increasingly seamless, with some taking the lead, others providing support, and still others specifically targeting the fake dog master to launch surprise attacks.

In the distance, Ji Zuodao stood with his hands in his pockets, tilting his head to watch the show. As he watched, his brows furrowed.

He nudged Li Shuwen, who was also watching the show, with his elbow and lowered his voice:

"Hey, Lao Li, something's not right."

"These idiots, fifty or so of them, all rushed towards my fake body and Dog Lord, why isn't anyone touching you, the real one?"

"Logically, shouldn't a summoner build prioritize targeting the backline and eliminating the summoners? Their tactical awareness is rather appalling."

Li Shuwen suddenly turned his head, staring wide-eyed at Ji Zuodao, his voice even trembling slightly:

"Holy crap?! Boss! You...you can see me?!"

Ji Zuodao was a little confused by his reaction: "Nonsense! You're a grown man standing right here, I'm not blind, how could I not see you?"

"No...no!"

Li Shuwen frantically searched his body, making hand seals and sensing his surroundings, finally ending up with a look of utter disbelief.

"I've activated a spell to reduce my presence! Theoretically, as long as I don't make a big fuss, my presence should be minimized, and most Qi cultivators shouldn't even notice me immediately!"

"Boss, what... what happened...?"

The two stared at each other for three seconds, then simultaneously gave up thinking.

Forget it, the boss has been acting strangely for a long time, why bother arguing with him?

Li Shuwen pushed up his glasses and chose to lie down.

Whatever.

On the battlefield, the situation began to tilt in favor of the investigators.

After all, it's fifty against two, and they're two summoned creatures without any intelligence, driven entirely by magical instincts. Once they start coordinating, their advantage becomes apparent.

"Take care of that dog first!" Xiang Yun shouted, his spear moving like a dragon, relentlessly entangling the fake Ji Zuodao.

The others understood, and at least half of them turned their attention to the fake Dog Master, unleashing a barrage of spells and weapons at him, who was jumping around and had an incredibly rude tongue.

Even the most powerful fake dog couldn't withstand such a large-scale attack. He was overwhelmed and his spiritual energy was shaken violently by the blows.

"Now!"

Lu Jian seized an opening, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he poured all the remaining spiritual power in his body into his longsword. His figure transformed into a bolt of lightning and suddenly darted out from the side!

"Die, you bastard!"

The sword light flashed like a fleeting glimpse of a startled swan.

"Pfft!"

The arrogant dog head of the fake Dog Master flew off with a thud!

The dog's "everyone here is trash" expression hadn't even had time to change before it froze in mid-air along with its flying head.

Immediately afterwards, the headless dog body, along with the flying dog head, instantly shattered into countless shimmering fragments of spiritual light, like fireflies flying against the current, all of which flew back into the open book "Ji Ping Mei" in Li Shuwen's hand.

On the page, the illustration representing Dogman had dimmed slightly, but it was still lifelike.

"good--!"

"Well done!"

"We've got one!"

After a brief silence, a burst of barely suppressed cheers erupted from the investigators.

Although it was just killing one summoned creature, this was the first decent result they had achieved since the start of the war!

Significant!

Morale soared to its peak in an instant.

"One left! Keep it up!"

"Strike while the iron is hot!"

"Let's carry them side by side!"

Everyone, including Xiang Yun and Lü Jian, with red eyes, rushed towards the last remaining fake Ji Zuodao with overwhelming momentum.

Taking this down is equivalent to defeating Li Shuwen!

That means at least we weren't completely wiped out by Jinghai!

But just as everyone's attacks were about to land on the fake Ji Zuo Dao—

A sudden change has occurred!

"Buzz—!!!"

A deep, eerie hum, as if from the abyss, burst forth from the fake Ji Zuodao without warning!

Then, a scene that sent chills down everyone's spines unfolded.

The colors on the fake Ji Zuodao's body, like a cheap ink painting splashed with water, began to spread and flow wildly!

The originally normal skin tone and clothing color were quickly swallowed up and covered by two extreme colors—

As black as ink! As red as blood!

The two colors intertwined, entangled, and tumbled, making the fake Ji Zuodao look like a living, wild, and ferocious ink-splashed blood painting!

Even more terrifying was the pure, violent, and almost tangible killing intent that erupted from the fake Ji Zuodao like an ancient volcano, soaring into the sky!

"boom--!!"

The shockwave exploded outwards from him, forcefully pushing the first few investigators backwards.

And his aura...

"Spirit...Spirit Palace Realm?!"

One of the investigators sensed the intensity of that aura, his voice cracking, his eyes wide with disbelief, "Impossible! What about the rules of the secret realm?! What about the suppression?! How could he have reached the Spirit Palace level?!"

Everyone was stunned and panicked.

It took a lot of effort to defeat the fake Ji Zuodao who was at the Spirit Sea Realm just now, and now a fake Ji Zuodao at the Spirit Palace Realm has suddenly appeared.

What's the point of fighting?!

Amidst this extreme chaos and terror.

The fake Ji Zuodao, whose appearance had completely transformed into a "watercolor painting style," slowly and stiffly raised his head.

His face no longer had clear features; only his eyes shone with two chilling crimson lights.

then.

A hoarse, distorted sound, as if pieced together from countless fragments, echoed intermittently yet clearly in everyone's mind:

"You bird thief! Give me back my dog..."

"My fate is sealed—!!!"

These two words were like a thunderclap!

The fake Himezae has made a move!

There is no method, no skill.

Only the purest, most violent, and most savage power and killing intent!

He transformed into a black and red afterimage and crashed directly into the densest part of the crowd!

"Bang!"

"Snap!"

"ah--!"

The sounds of collisions, cracking bones, and screams filled the air in an instant!

In just one exchange, three people were struck head-on by a charging rhinoceros, spitting blood as they were sent flying backward. While still in mid-air, beams of light from elimination teleportation illuminated their bodies.

It was a completely one-sided massacre!

The Spirit Palace against the Spirit Sea, especially the Spirit Palace in its berserk state, was essentially a dimensional reduction attack.

"Scatter! Scatter now!"

"Don't engage in a direct confrontation! Play it safe! Wear him down!"

Xiang Yun's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared in a hoarse voice, trying to organize an effective resistance.

But it's no use.

That fake Ji Zuodao was too fast, too strong, and too murderous.

Moreover, he seemed to have completely lost his intelligence, leaving only the obsessive killing instinct driven by the desire to "avenge Dog Lord".

Ironically, this situation is even more terrifying.

I'm not afraid of strong opponents, I'm afraid of opponents who are strong, crazy, and fearless of death!

The investigators' newly boosted morale, like a soap bubble in the sunlight, burst instantly.

This thing in front of me is clearly a killing machine that has triggered some terrifying switch!

boom!

Xiang Yun was sent flying, and in mid-air, he happened to make eye contact with Li Shuwen.

The spell that reduced Li Shuwen's presence was essentially a form of psychological suggestion.

Now that the effect had worn off, Xiang Yun suddenly remembered Li Shuwen.

"Li Shuwen—!!!"

As Xiang Yun scrambled to avoid a black and red claw that grazed his scalp, he turned and roared furiously at Li Shuwen, who was leisurely watching the scene from afar:

"What the hell is this thing?!"

Li Shuwen adjusted his glasses, looking at the chaotic and horrific battle scene over there.

He looked down at the illustration in his hand, "The Plum in the Bottle," which represented Ji Zuodao and was radiating a dangerous black-red light, and the illustration next to it that represented Dog Lord and had dimmed.

He flashed a standard, eight-toothed, refined yet irritating professional smile, and began to speak slowly and deliberately, his voice carrying clearly throughout the room:

"Oh, this."

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you all."

"My spell projection is similar to that in many games."

He extended a finger and gently tapped the illustration of Doggy on the page.

"There's a tiny bit of... well, a bond between the summoned creatures."

"With both sides present at the same time, their strengths are relatively even, so they're quite easy to deal with."

"But what if one of them is unfortunately sent back to the book by you all..."

"The other one will trigger a synergy effect, a minor berserk state."

"His strength will also improve a little bit. Of course, he is still at the Spirit Sea Realm, that remains unchanged, but apart from his realm, all his other stats have reached the Spirit Palace Realm."

The entire room fell silent.

Only the sounds of collisions and screams from the fake Himejiro chasing the investigators echoed lonely in the empty valley.

A little bit?

It's fucking tiny bit!

From the Spirit Sea to the Spirit Palace, you call that a tiny bit?!

and also!

What the hell is all this talk about, a magical projection in a book?!

Bonds?!

These days, even summoned creatures are starting to seduce BL (Boys' Love) characters?!

There were so many things to complain about that for a while, nobody knew where to even begin.

All that remains is a thick, absurd, and...

"Fuck Li Shuwen, you son of a bitch!!!"

Someone, with a sob in their voice, uttered a tearful accusation.

It expressed what everyone felt.