Chapter 109: Where are the others? Where have you hidden them?

In the next moment, the white clouds gradually dispersed. Descending with a grotesque grin was an elderly figure—his body frail, face wrinkled, and posture hunched.

The white hair on his head was sparse, as if time itself had robbed him of his youth. Supporting himself with a cane in one hand, he wore a peculiar large pouch around his waist. Most astonishing of all, he carried an alchemical cauldron on his back.

One couldn’t help but marvel at how his frail frame managed to bear such a colossal burden.

As the old man appeared, Alexander’s ears buzzed with a system alert: "Ding! Warning, the target is Level 218 and possesses multiple magical artifacts. This individual is the one who activated the array!"

With a face painted in sheer satisfaction and greed, the old man appraised Alexander up and down. "Your body is quite extraordinary," he said. "I can sense the pure elemental power coursing within you. Ah, you must be the perfect medicinal ingredient bestowed upon me by the heavens!"

Licking his dry lips, the old man aimed a hideous smile at Alexander.

"What are you?" Robert shouted.

The old man chortled, "Who am I? Heh, even I have forgotten my own name. But those pitiable disciples of mine now call me..."

"Evil Ghost!"

The crowd gasped collectively. Evil Ghost? Elder Evil Ghost? Could this be the elusive Evil Ghost from the Order of the Wandering Oracles?

Alexander abruptly lifted his gaze, pointing Excalibur squarely at Evil Ghost. In the mere instant that Evil Ghost let down his guard, Alexander had already closed the gap between them.

Elemental Fist!

Elemental Blade!

Elemental Shockwave!

A volley of skill combinations sent Evil Ghost staggering back in surprise. With a resounding clash, Alexander’s blade slashed through the chain holding Evil Ghost’s cauldron. The massive vessel plummeted to the ground with a thunderous crash.

"My cauldron!" Evil Ghost roared.

Launching himself into the sky, Evil Ghost bellowed, "Impudent child, since you’re so eager to meet death, allow me to oblige!"

"Ding! Warning, the target is about to use a magical artifact. Interrupt him immediately. Recommendation: engage in close combat, deploy Elemental Fist, and give no chance for adjustment."

Alexander acted with mechanical precision, rigorously following the system’s directive. A relentless barrage of Elemental Fists left Evil Ghost with no opportunity to mount any offense. Witnessing this, the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Go, Alexander!"

"He’s too much for Evil Ghost!"

"Let’s finish him off!"

High Priest and Tiansi, among others, were about to join the fray when they noticed something unsettling—Alexander, who had been ceaselessly pummeling Evil Ghost with his Elemental Fists, suddenly halted.

"Alexander, keep the pressure on him! Don’t stop now!" Laura cried out in desperation.

Confused, Alexander leapt back to create distance and roared, "Can someone please tell me what’s happening? Why am I fighting an old man?"

Everyone froze. This sudden change in demeanor—could it be that Alexander had...

"What’s going on with you, Alexander?" the High Priest and Tiansi shrieked. "Of all the times to regain your senses, you pick now? This is a recipe for disaster!"

Laura added, "As much as I hated that emotionless state you were in, why did you have to revert back at a moment like this?"

Puzzled, Alexander turned toward them, "Why are you all looking at me like—"

And in that blink of an eye, Evil Ghost leapt into the sky once more. "Fools, for daring to wound me, you’re all going to die!" he screeched.

He reached for the pouch around his waist, which unfurled in the wind as he yelled, "Answer me when I call your name!"

Alexander spun around, defiantly declaring, "I’m right here! What do you want?"

In that split second, a gravitational pull burst forth from the pouch, lifting Alexander into the air against his will. Before anyone could react, he vanished into the depths of the pouch.

The crowd screamed in unison, "Alexander!"

Evil Ghost whipped around, continuing to bellow, "None of you will leave here alive! Get into my pouch—all of you! I’m going to refine you into my pills!"

A fierce wind erupted, and despite their screams and struggles, the High Priest and others couldn’t resist the pull of the enchanted pouch. One by one, they were sucked into its depths.

...

Minutes later, within the pouch.

Alexander sat on the ground, stroking his chin, musing, "So we’re trapped here, then?"

"What’s the matter with you, Alexander?" the High Priest exploded. "Why did you revert back at the most critical moment? Where has that killer instinct gone?!"

Smiling, Alexander sat back, "Ah, that? That was from a pill I took, mainly to counteract the array’s interference. I guess the effects must have worn off."

Suddenly, everyone crowded around him, their eyes widening as they collectively exclaimed, "Are you kidding? Do you have any more of those pills? Do you? Do you?"

Alexander blinked and pulled a Sage Pill from his pocket. "I have one more, what’s the matter?"

A brief silence fell.

The next moment, they lunged at him, grasping the pill, ready to force it into Alexander’s mouth.

Alexander struggled violently, yelling, "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Drenched in sweat, they all shouted, "Sorry, Alexander! Although we really don’t like the cold-blooded killer you become under the pill’s effect, you’re seriously strong that way!"

"Dear God, revert back to that state quickly; it’s our only hope for survival!"

Just as they were about to shove the pill into his mouth, Alexander roared, "Enough! All of you, stop right now!"

Instantly, streaks of white light flashed by, and pile upon pile of Fire Spirit Talismans fell from Alexander’s body. In a matter of seconds, the entire pouch space was jam-packed with tens of thousands of these Fire Spirit Talismans.

Staring at the astonishing number of talismans, everyone froze in their tracks.

The crowd shrieked, "Alexander! Why do you have so many Fire Spirit Talismans?!"

"Calm down! We don’t want to get blown up!"

Alexander glared, flexed his muscles, and then unceremoniously sat on a pile of Fire Spirit Talismans.

Robert looked around at the mound-like piles of Fire Spirit Talismans, trembling, almost wetting himself in terror. "Who could’ve imagined Alexander carries a whole arsenal with him? God save us!" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Tears streaming down his face, Robert exclaimed, "Alexander, think of something! If you don’t take that pill, we’re all going to die here!"

Seated atop the mountain of talismans, Alexander furrowed his brow in deep thought. "Let me think..."

The next moment, his eyes lit up.

Everyone rushed to encircle him, breathless with anticipation. "Alexander! Did you think of something?"

With a snap, Alexander pulled out a cigar, lit it with a lighter, and said, "No, just taking a smoke to clear my head."

Everyone turned, their faces rigid, glancing at the countless Fire Spirit Talismans surrounding them, then back at the lit cigar in his mouth.

"You’re really not afraid of death, are you?!" People screamed in disbelief.

"Is now really the time for a smoke?!" Robert’s eyes bulged as he rushed over, grabbing Alexander by the shoulders:

"If you must smoke, can we first collect all these Fire Spirit Talismans? Don’t you fear a single spark might ignite them all?"

Alexander nodded, "No worries, I have a steady hand."

"..."

"Is this even about having a steady hand anymore?!" The crowd lost it, hands clutching their heads, screaming, "Alexander, what do we do? What do we do?"

Alexander took a puff of his cigar, snapped his lighter shut with a click, and grinned, "Simple. If you’re all so afraid of dying, just hide in the small world within my ring."

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone around him widened their eyes and gasped, "A small world?"

Alexander smiled, waved his hand, and a golden light burst forth. In front of them appeared a portal leading to the miniature world inside his ring.

"That’s right. Everyone, go in and hide for now. I’ll let you out once I’ve dealt with this."

Both Laura and Lanxi asked with concern, "Aren’t you coming in with us?"

Alexander shrugged, "If I go in with you, wouldn’t that make me a coward? So, just go."

While the crowd suspected that Alexander was insinuating something derogatory about them, no one really cared. When it comes down to life or death, petty concerns vanish. They hastily scrambled into the small world within the ring.

Watching everyone disappear before him, Alexander hoisted Excalibur, looked up at the expansive space, and murmured, "I never thought that such a magical item would exist in this world. I always thought these treasures were the stuff of myths and legends."

System: "Host, do you... do you have a plan? In a few minutes, you’ll be reduced to a puddle of blood!"

Alexander sat down, began to collect the Fire Spirit Talismans, and smiled, "Why worry? That old man won’t waste me, a valuable alchemical resource. It’d be a shame to just turn me into a pool of blood."

System: "So... what are you going to do?"

Leaning back, Alexander grinned, "Since that old man has captured all of us, I suspect he’ll head to their Order of the Wandering Oracles in the Amazon. I was wondering how to find them, and now they’re basically delivering themselves to me."

System: "Um... but you still haven’t told me what you’re going to do!"

Alexander narrowed his eyes, "I’m going to transcend the tribulation."

System: "!!!"

Alexander spoke with grim resolve, "I intend to annihilate their entire sect with my tribulation thunder!"

"Having interacted with the Order of the Wandering Oracles for some time now, I’ve come to understand their makeup. Those above Level 110 are core members, and they are few in number. The rest are all below Level 100. My tribulation thunder is the strongest of its kind. Even someone at Level 200 would not survive it!"

"So, I’m planning to give them a ’gift’."

Alexander activated the Supreme Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Technique, continuously converting his internal yin-yang energy into elemental power.

"So, I need to focus on enhancing my elemental power. When the time comes, with a mere thought, I can commence the tribulation!"

...

Time trickled by, second by second.

Location: A highly concealed structure deep within the Amazon.

Thousands of disciples from the Order of the Wandering Oracles stood beneath a raised platform. Behind the altar was a dimensional portal hidden by illusions, leading to their ancestral realm.

The next moment, Evil Ghost descended slowly from the sky.

"Welcome back, Elder Evil Ghost!"

The disciples below the platform roared with raised fists.

Not far from the platform, Dalina, who had previously been gravely injured by Alexander, emerged with a pallid face.

She looked up at the descending Evil Ghost and inquired, "Elder Evil Ghost, what’s the outcome? Did you encounter that guy wielding Excalibur?"

Evil Ghost let out a strange laugh, casting her a disdainful glance, "I thought the man you spoke of would be formidable. Is it that you are simply too useless? I took matters into my own hands and, naturally, captured him."

Anger flashed across Dalina’s eyes, but she held back her ire. Calmly she said, "It seems, Elder, you’ve captured their entire gang?"

Elder Evil Ghost removed a pouch from his hand, gave it a little shake, and sneered, "Of course. This magical item is truly formidable. People from the Divine Temple, the Taiji Observatory, and even that bunch of Shaolin monks are all in this bag!"

The crowd of disciples below the platform roared:

"Elder is awesome!"

"Elder is invincible!"

Elder Evil Ghost let out a cold laugh, waved his hand grandly, and bellowed, "Servants, set up the array! I want to capture them one by one! They are all ingredients for my pills; don’t let a single one escape!"

"Yes!" The disciples shouted in unison.

Minutes later, the array was set up.

Elder Evil Ghost approached the array and smugly untied the pouch. Giving it a shake, he sneered, "I wonder how everyone’s doing inside. Why not come out and get some fresh air?"

The next moment, a flash of light filled the air, and Alexander’s figure appeared instantly within the array.

Upon seeing Alexander, Dalina’s face turned ashen. Hatred flashed in her eyes as she said, "It’s this bastard!"

Alexander looked around nonchalantly, his gaze falling upon the hostile members of the Order of the Wandering Oracles below the platform. He nodded appreciatively, "So, this is your lair, huh? Quite a sizeable crowd you’ve got."

Evil Ghost shot him a frigid glance, then shook the pouch again, "Hmm, once everyone is gathered, I’ll entertain you properly."

"Everyone, come on out!"

Silence.

Evil Ghost shook the pouch once more.

Still, silence.

"What’s going on?" Frowning, Evil Ghost peered into the pouch. His eyes widened in disbelief—it was completely empty.

His eyes shot up, locking onto Alexander with a chilling stare, "Where are the others? Where have you hidden them?!"