In the end, after Lingling said she would take care of everything, Lan Yu headed back to the apartment, reassured.
"Lan Yu, Lan Yu, we can form teams for this assessment. Why not join our Gorgeous Girls' Group? With me as the brains, Sister Mu as our all-around strategist, and you as our defensive mage, we'll just need to bring in two people with super-strong control abilities. Then we'll be unstoppable!"
Ai Tutu couldn't help giving herself a pat on the back. She hopped in front of Lan Yu, and her pair of "jade rabbits" swayed so much that his eyes went dizzy.
"Miss Ai, your offer is tempting, but, daga, kotowaru!" Lan Yu rejected Ai Tutu's proposal without a moment's hesitation.
He'd already planned to use the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum to break through to the advanced level in the Three-Step Tower. How could he let anyone else see?
"You want to be a lone wolf? Good grief, what's wrong with you? I invited you so sincerely, and you still won't accept. You're really making me furious!" Ai Tutu said, exasperated.
Lan Yu waved a hand. "Next time, next time. Ciao~"
With that, he headed upstairs in his slippers.
Night fell. Neon lights from the high-rises shimmered on the river, swaying with the current like ribbons of colored light in the darkness.
A stench of shit wafted past the riverbank, utterly ruining the beautiful night scene.
Then a group of black, deformed shadows darted by one after another, the stench coming from them.
Five figures in gray robes followed behind, as though herding a pack of beasts. Every so often, they barked out stern commands.
Their destination was an old beef-processing plant, where they planned to set a trap and wait for their target.
"Grey Four, stay outside. The moment the target appears, notify us," the leader ordered.
"Yes." Grey Four stayed outside and concealed himself.
The others entered the old processing plant, where the air reeked of rotten meat.
But that smell was nothing to them.
"Remember, we have to take the target alive, and we can't fail. You all know what happens otherwise!" Grey One pointed at the Black Beast Demons crawling on the ground, his meaning clear.
The other three glanced at the Black Beast Demons and shuddered.
Outside the plant, a man in a purple jacket and a woman with a high ponytail approached.
"Lulu, stay here. I'll go in and take a look," the man said to the woman beside him.
"Don't go in... Zhaoting, why are you following those people? And what are those half-human, half-ghost things?" The girl with the high ponytail looked worried.
Back at the sports field, Xu Zhaoting had suddenly seemed like a different person. He'd insisted on following that student.
Zhang Lulu didn't know what had happened, so she could only accompany Xu Zhaoting here.
"Don't ask. Stay here. If I'm not back in ten minutes, leave immediately!" Xu Zhaoting urged her, his expression grave.
The two of them had originally been searching for clues about the Shadow Beast. But when Xu Zhaoting met up with his teammates at the sports field, he caught a scent he would never forget for as long as he lived.
During the Bo City disaster, that same smell had come from the Black Beast Demons!
Xu Zhaoting hoped his sense of smell had gone wrong. But when he secretly followed that student, he really did find Black Beast Demons!
The Black Vatican!
Those beasts seemed to be plotting something again!
If not for them, Xu Zhaoting's family wouldn't have been wiped out, leaving him all alone.
Xu Zhaoting had awakened the Wind Element as his second element, which gave him the ability to move quickly.
He slipped into the processing plant, while Zhang Lulu stayed outside alone.
Meanwhile, Lan Yu was on his way, riding the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
Fortunately, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger could fly, and it was pretty fast.
Rumble—
Thunder rolled through the night as Lan Yu drew closer to the processing plant.
He gently patted the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, and it quickly shrank to the size of an ordinary house cat.
After all, a smaller body would make it easier to follow them.
Zhang Lulu ran to the plant entrance and immediately spotted four monsters with deformed, monkey-like faces, followed by several people in gray robes.
One of them had his foot planted on Xu Zhaoting's bloodied face. He roared in fury, "Damn bastard! You dare ruin our plans!"
"Father Grey ordered us to take this man away immediately, so we don't alert anyone," Grey Four said hurriedly.
"I'll take this kid. Kill the woman, then clean up the scene as quickly as possible. Don't leave a single trace!" Grey One ordered.
"Yes!"
"Hahaha, you're not going anywhere."
Suddenly, laughter rang out in the processing plant.
"Who's there?!"
Grey Five's eyes swept sharply around, but a black shadow shot at him from behind like lightning.
A wet ripping sound rang out as claws tore through flesh. Grey Five was one bold bastard—he'd actually made a U-turn on the "highway."
The moment Grey Five died, the four Black Beast Demons under his command turned into foul-smelling, purplish, grotesque liquid.
The others' faces changed drastically. Their attacker had killed Grey Five in a single move. Who could it be?
Grey One and the others forgot all about their mission. The four of them stood back-to-back in a circle, while the remaining dozen or so Black Beast Demons surrounded them, shielding them.
"Zhaoting... Zhaoting..." Zhang Lulu stumbled toward Xu Zhaoting, tears welling in her eyes.
"People from the Judgment Court? Damn it, we've been exposed!" Grey One ground his teeth. "Grab them!"
At Grey One's command, several Black Beast Demons broke from the group and reached out their deformed arms, grabbing straight for Xu Zhaoting and Zhang Lulu.
A wet ripping sound—
That black shadow flashed past again. The Black Beast Demons had barely taken two steps before their heads and bodies were severed, and they turned into foul-smelling, grotesque liquid.
Roar—
A fierce tiger's roar rang out. The aura of a Warrior-level beast instantly struck terror into the rabble.
'Momo, don't kill them all. Leave their leader alive. We'll need him to catch the Blue Robe behind this.' Lan Yu had just reached the plant entrance and sent the order to the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger through their summoning bond.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger didn't know what a Blue Robe was. Since its master had told it to leave their leader alive, then it would do so.
But these things were too disgusting to eat. They weren't nearly as good as the magic-energy treats its master gave it.
Then Momo stepped out of the shadows.
When Grey One and the others saw that the one attacking them was a "black cat," they felt like dying.
Some creatures looked harmless on the surface, but if you let your guard down for even a moment, they could take your life!
This "black cat" before them wasn't an ordinary cat at all. It was a ferocious beast that had come to claim their lives!
"Attack! All of you, attack!" Grey One ordered the Black Beast Demons forward, his legs trembling with fear at the aura of the Warrior-level creature.
The other three also ordered their Black Beast Demons to surround the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
"Run!"
The moment the Black Beast Demons moved in, the four of them turned and fled.
Before you continue