Dog Ghost Clone! The Scheme is Grand

"What?"

"How is this possible?"

The Demon Suppression Division members' expressions shifted drastically. After such a prolonged battle, the Giant Hound had recovered in an instant, as if it had suffered no depletion at all?

The Giant Hound could manage this, but Lin Chen could not—he wasn't without consumption!

"Damn... are you an inflatable dog? You deflate and then puff right back up?"

Lin Chen was also stunned. He had expended considerable effort, yet this thing recovered in a flash. Even a Fourth Order powerhouse absolutely wouldn't have such an ability!

This thing was definitely not as simple as it appeared. Relying solely on his current strength, he might not be able to outlast it.

"Strengthen!"

Lin Chen didn't hesitate. He chose to strengthen again.

"Source: 1500"

"Strengthenable Martial Art: Phoenix Undying Body, First Layer (4/9)"

In an instant, the Blood Qi True Flame within Lin Chen's body swelled and solidified, his power clearly a notch above what it had been moments ago.

"This god is undying and indestructible. After fighting this long, how much strength do you have left?" The Giant Hound's right head cackled arrogantly.

"Accept your death, mortal!" The left head roared.

The Giant Hound charged at Lin Chen again, its attacks as fierce as at the start. Yet Lin Chen's strikes were even fiercer. The Blood Qi True Flame erupted, and the Giant Hound's mouths let out repeated screams of agony.

"Damn it, your strength..."

"You were hiding your power!"

The Giant Hound was furious. Scorched by the Blood Qi True Flame, it realized that Lin Chen's current outburst was far stronger—he had clearly been holding back!

"Only you get to inflate? Young Master can't keep a trick up his sleeve?" Lin Chen chuckled, looking at the Giant Hound. "Young Master wants to see if you're truly undying or not!"

"Blood Qi True Flame, full power!"

Driving the Blood Qi True Flame to its limit, Lin Chen's form was completely enveloped in the flame. He leaped up, landing on the Giant Hound's back, and swung his fists, raining blows down on the left head.

The Giant Hound naturally wouldn't take this lying down. Its two mouths launched attacks continuously, its body lurching and ramming to throw Lin Chen off. But it was all futile. With his greatly increased strength, Lin Chen was firmly anchored to the Giant Hound's back.

"Hold on..."

Just as Lin Chen's storm of blows landed for a while, the left head suddenly spoke. "Why do you only hit me, and not him?"

All of Lin Chen's attacks had landed on the left head. Though the damage was shared across the entire Giant Hound, the left head bore the brunt of the pain.

"It was convenient." Lin Chen curled his lip. "Since you're asking so sincerely, Young Master will grant your wish!"

Before his words faded, Lin Chen immediately switched targets and began pounding the right head with relentless force.

"You idiot! The damage is shared between us. What difference does it make hitting me or you?" The right head roared.

The left head shot back without backing down, "You're the idiot! Isn't it the same now that it's hitting you?"

"I'll bite you to death!"

The right head flew into a rage and lunged straight at the left head, biting down. The two heads, completely ignoring Lin Chen's attacks, began tearing into each other.

"Is this even possible?!"

The Demon Suppression Division members were utterly dumbfounded. The Two-Headed Hound fighting itself—they had never seen such a sight. Fighting itself?

"Dogs biting dogs?"

Lin Chen hadn't expected that a few words from him would set the two heads at each other's throats. These heads clearly had their own consciousness—though they shared one body, each was independent.

The two heads harming each other, combined with Lin Chen's attacks, quickly caused the Giant Hound's form to shrink drastically, its power clearly waning.

"Open up!"

Lin Chen bellowed, driving the Blood Qi True Flame with all his might. A terrifying force struck the Giant Hound's back, carving a massive wound. The Blood Qi True Flame surged into its body, burning from within.

"Ah—woof—woof—"

Both heads screamed in agony, cursing each other even as their biting grew more vicious instead of stopping.

Boom~

The Blood Qi True Flame inside the Giant Hound erupted completely. Its massive form was utterly consumed, scattering into ash.

"Slain Fourth Order ghost creature, Dog Ghost Clone. Source +4000."

A clone?

Lin Chen was shaken. The Giant Hound before him was merely a Fourth Order ghost creature, and not only was it this troublesome, but it was just a clone? How powerful must its original body be?

Yet it was precisely because of its peculiar nature that, even as a mere Fourth Order ghost creature, it was so hard to deal with. Lin Chen's current strength had definitely reached the Fifth Order!

"What's wrong?" Seeing Lin Chen frozen, the leading Demon Suppression Division cultivator stepped forward.

Lin Chen looked at the gathered Demon Suppression Division members and spoke gravely, "This thing was just a clone."

What?

A clone?

Just a single clone was this powerful. If not for the giant hound tearing into another dog, and Lin Chen's final eruption of Blood Qi True Flame from within, the giant hound wouldn't have been so easy to kill.

And now Lin Chen was telling them this was only a clone?

"It seems the Fusang Cultivation World has grand designs. The methods at Tumen Village were laid down decades ago; now they've merely awakened and activated those old schemes." The leading Demon Suppression Division cultivator spoke with a grave expression.

Decades-old schemes?

Lin Chen was slightly startled, but his eyes lit up. With such methods, the Fusang Cultivators had likely set up more than just this one place!

These were all sources of origin power!

"If any more Fusang Cultivators appear, contact me directly!" Killing intent surged from Lin Chen.

The Demon Suppression Division members nodded in response. They could see that Lin Chen showed no mercy toward Fusang Cultivators and was immensely powerful. Such a strong cultivator willing to help was more than welcome.

With the Dog Ghost Clone slain, the mist over Tumen Village quickly dissipated, revealing the entire village.

Tumen Village remained deathly silent. Lin Chen hesitated, then asked the question weighing on his mind. "What are the casualties?"

"Several dozen villagers dead. The rest are protected in the Ancestral Hall." The leading Demon Suppression Division cultivator's voice was heavy.

Several dozen?

Lin Chen's expression shifted. With the rural population already sparse, losing several dozen people meant nearly a third of the village was gone—and those left behind in the countryside were the elderly, women, and children!

"Damn Fusang bastards!" Lin Chen's fury boiled over.

"When the chance comes, Young Master will make Fusang pay for this!" Lin Chen's tone was icy.

The Demon Suppression Division members said nothing. Making Fusang pay was no easy matter—it was beyond their control, rising to the national level.

"The Tumen Village mission is over. I'm leaving now!"

Lin Chen understood that while his strength was considerable, charging into Fusang now would be suicide. He could only seek revenge after raising his power.

Without the mist's interference, Lin Chen left the village easily. But his mood was far heavier than when he'd arrived.

Swoosh~

Just outside the village, a massive shadow burst from the roadside, blocking Lin Chen's path—a giant python.