The investigation bureau's high platform was silent, the commander, Director Zhou, staring into the distance with a vacant expression.
Jiang Tingqiu was equally stunned.
After a long while, he finally snapped back, a mix of excitement and agitation in his voice, "Old Zhou, let me ask you one more thing. Who's stronger, Miss An or my elder brother?!"
Director Zhou opened his mouth.
Damn it, An Jianyou playing the weakling and pretending to be a novice was one thing, but how could this seemingly aloof black-clad swordsman hide so much!
In the mere minutes since they appeared, the number of grotesque spirits they had slain was countless.
Even the four terrifying two-star grotesque spirits had fallen one by one to his blade, as if they were no different from ordinary ones.
Too brutal! Too powerful!
Director Zhou pondered, "Could it be because of that saber? That saber is likely a grotesque object. He wasn't using such a large saber last time."
Jiang Tingqiu countered, "Can a grotesque object increase one's strength so much? Besides, grotesque objects have side effects and cannot be used for extended periods. Haven't you seen how many grotesque spirits my elder brother has killed!"
Master Ma, in the distance, had already busied himself with stopping and sealing away the 'Blood Curse' while the battle had momentarily calmed.
Once this grotesque object was used, it would continuously draw blood from its user until their blood ran dry.
The side effect was significant.
However, it wasn't difficult to stop its use; one just needed to discard it. Master Ma had only used this grotesque object for about ten to twenty seconds before he could no longer bear it.
The black-clad elder brother, however, kept his saber close, his life energy seemingly inexhaustible.
So powerful!
This was the goal he should have striven for his entire life!
...
In the distance, several hundred meters away, on a hillside where few people paid attention, Fang You was browsing the game interface.
He could see the life energy bar of the "Black Saber Brother" fluctuate, rising and falling.
It rose and fell, but the overall downward trend was very slow.
"The Demon Slaying Saber is indeed potent."
Without this grotesque weapon, the "Black Saber Brother" could only focus on two-star grotesque spirits, not daring to expend precious life energy on "minions."
But now, with the Demon Slaying Saber in hand, dealing with "construction site grotesque spirits" of this caliber, the Black Saber didn't even need to use the blade; a small amount of life energy was enough to kill them in one strike.
The Black Saber's energy control was incredibly precise!
Not a fraction more, not a drop less! He had perfected the allocation of life energy to kill grotesque spirits most efficiently and simply.
It was an art form!
With such meticulous efficiency and the support of the Demon Slaying Saber's "mana drain," even if it wasn't entirely without cost, the "Black Saber Brother's" condition remained stable.
Consistently strong.
An Jianyou's condition was also good. As long as she didn't activate her awakened enhancement, she was virtually cost-free.
Both were adept at prolonged battles.
However, Fang You glanced at the remaining time for the "Gate of the Grotesque Realm" on the game interface.
It was far from time to relax yet.
...
Director Zhou checked the time, "Sixty-one minutes have passed. According to logic, this Hell Gate should have..."
Closed!
But it hadn't. The grey mist still churned, and occasionally, dark figures appeared in the center of the mist.
There weren't many, and with An Jianyou and the black-clad swordsman as strong reinforcements, this frontline was quite stable. Yet, Director Zhou felt uneasy.
How long would the Hell Gate remain open?
Most of the existing records indicated durations between 50 to 60 minutes, but the sample size was too small to draw any definitive conclusions.
Director Zhou frowned.
At this moment, the grey mist churned violently again. This was the sixth "breath" of the grey mist.
The sixth wave of grotesque spirits surged forth.
"Hold on."
"Hold on through this wave, and victory will be ours!"
As expected, this wave of grotesque spirits brought more formidable creatures, with as many as six two-star grotesque spirits!
Extremely tricky!
But this time, the black-clad swordsman was at the forefront. His speed was not actually faster than the two-star grotesque spirits. Amidst the encirclement of massive grotesque spirits, his figure appeared incredibly small.
His presence wasn't as imposing as An Jianyou's manipulated grotesque spirits, yet he could weave and dance within the grotesque spirit's formation, seizing an opportunity to ignite his great saber with a red glow and cleave the grotesque spirit in two.
It seemed effortless, but he was constantly dodging within the horde of grotesque spirits, appearing to be in peril, lacking overwhelming power.
Yet, he had killed the most grotesque spirits.
That man was like an unyielding reef, withstanding the impact of the tide, even tearing it apart.
Both powerful and enduring.
Finding Xin Huo as an external aid was the most correct decision he had made since becoming director!
"???"
Jiang Tingqiu's eyes widened. "Didn't I bring Xin Huo in?"
Director Zhou patted his shoulder, "Your contribution has been noted. Besides, your contribution is the bureau's contribution, all the same."
This wave of grotesque spirits was repelled, with even fewer casualties than the previous one.
Director Zhou's face broke into a smile, and he waited.
After a long wait, the grey mist continued to churn without any signs of dissipating.
His smile became strained, almost frozen. He looked at his watch; it was already the 76th minute, and at this point, the seventh wave of grotesque spirits appeared.
The pressure was mounting. If this continued, even the black-clad swordsman would not be able to hold on.
A person's life energy had its limits!
...
In the distance,
Fang You observed the battle. The grey mist had thickened now, making it difficult to see clearly from hundreds of meters away. Fortunately, he had entered "Special Mission Mode," and the mission map clearly displayed red dots, green dots, and blue dots.
Red dots represented grotesque spirits, green dots were allies (An Jianyou and Black Saber), and blue dots were members of the investigation bureau.
The large red dots representing two-star grotesque spirits had special markings.
Simultaneously, he could enter "God's Eye View," "An Jianyou's View," or "Black Saber's View." Primarily, he used God's Eye View, similar to the state when he deployed Black Saber. He could freely control the camera to move up, down, left, and right, observing the battlefield and directing the battle.
"Nine o'clock direction, there's a two-star grotesque spirit, the Cyclops Bull. Keep it occupied."
"One o'clock direction, clear a path, create an opportunity for Black Saber."
"Three o'clock direction..."
On the high platform, An Jianyou's expression was filled with excitement.
Her mentor was watching!
The fog was thick now, and there were many grotesque spirits. She found it difficult to discern them, and communication with Black Saber was impossible. But under her mentor's direction, Little Black No. 1 and Little Black No. 2 created opportunities, and the Black Saber elder brother cleaved them down with a single strike, achieving remarkable efficiency.
It was just that there were still so many grotesque spirits.
"Next is the eleven o'clock direction... Huh? Big Brother Black Saber isn't in this area."
There was a monster here called a "Man-Faced Wolf." It was over two meters tall, covered in gray-brown rotting fur, moved on all fours, and had a face that looked neither like it was crying nor not crying.
Hence its name, "Man-Faced Wolf." Its speed was extremely high, posing a significant threat to the defense line.
An Jianyou understood, but she couldn't keep up!
Even with the enhancements she granted her grotesque spirits, she couldn't match its speed; the difference was too great... She absolutely had to capture a grotesque spirit skilled in speed in the future!
No time.
Should she just follow her mentor's instructions and block the grotesque spirits behind her?
"Meow~"
A cat's meow suddenly rang out, clear and distinct amidst the roaring chaos.
A small black dot entered the battlefield with an elegant gait.
One step, two steps, three steps. Its posture was graceful, neither rushed nor slow, and it managed to perfectly dodge the attacks of the surrounding grotesque spirits.
It arrived directly in front of the Man-Faced Wolf.
The two figures, one large and one small, locked eyes.
"Meow~"
The black cat leaped into the air, and its entire body suddenly grew in mid-flight.
Giant Spirit Transformation!
Its speed surged, and its suddenly enlarged body rippled with streams of light, as if covered in armor.
It slammed into the Man-Faced Wolf, sending it flying into the air. In mid-air, its black pupils caught up, and its paw slammed down. The Man-Faced Wolf plummeted to the ground like a sedan.
With a thunderous crash, the ground cracked, and rubble flew.
The large black cat stood on the Man-Faced Wolf's bent body and surveyed its surroundings.
Its paw slammed down forcefully.