Exorcist's Self-Cultivation

After leaving the eerie and terrifying streets,

nightfall gradually approached.

There was at most one hour left until complete darkness.

Du Wei walked on the outskirts of Massas City, heading in a northeast direction.

Through the connection with the two Joker Cards,

Du Wei could clearly detect that another card was approaching him, but given the size of Massas City, the Bald Man from Dusk Bell Church couldn't get there quickly.

This meant he had enough time to look for a suitable trap.

As he walked,

Du Wei opened his phone and accessed a document.

This was the city distribution map Alex had sent him earlier, where the places with many deaths were marked in red.

He zoomed in on the city distribution map.

Six red areas were particularly striking, each with no fewer than a hundred deaths, but the largest and most vividly colored area was an abandoned neighborhood marked with the number—3098.

Previously, Alex had made it clear to him that this deserted neighborhood was a mine in the last century, rich in iron ore. After it was completely excavated, it had been redeveloped into a residential area.

Of course... As a former mine, collapses were common, thus at least three thousand people were known to have died inside it.

No one knows why Evil Spirits appear,

but the most dangerous places are often where Evil Spirits are more likely to emerge.

Therefore, Du Wei was prepared to take risks, to find the most appropriate place where he could keep himself alive and surprise the people from Dusk Bell Church, without getting himself into a death sentence.

This time, he was more vigilant, constantly in the state of the Third Phase of Spirit Vision. Aside from his "Right Hand" not undergoing Evil Spirit Transformation, he was essentially fully armed.

The lighter was in his pocket.

He held a Black Umbrella in his hand, and the Joker Card was also in his pocket, ready to be used at any time.

Two masks, one kept close at hand, the other in his backpack.

As long as he didn't fall into the terrible situation he had just encountered, any encounter with an Evil Spirit wouldn't be able to kill him immediately.

"It's time to go..."

Du Wei said to himself quietly, shifting his gaze away from the city distribution map and the location nearest to him.

It was an abandoned elevated highway that had been intended as a lifeline connecting the entire city since the turn of the century but had suffered a subsidence during construction, leaving it half-finished.

The entire half of the elevated highway had collapsed to fill the deep sinkhole, and more than a hundred construction workers died in the accident, with no survivors.

And now, Du Wei's destination was this deserted elevated highway.

...

Elsewhere.

In the streets of Massas City, where James and the others were located,

two Evil Spirits had completely trapped them, neither advancing nor retreating, just as if they were waiting for something.

Bishop Thompson stood five meters in front of the male Evil Spirit leading the group, the candle in his hands burned down to the bottom, and they couldn't hold out much longer.

What's more troublesome was that almost all items that could be used to combat Evil Spirits had nearly run out for everyone.

Of course...

Even if there were any, Thompson did not believe it would make much difference under the current circumstances.

The two bandage-wrapped Evil Spirits were excessively frightening. It was estimated that no Exorcist within the church could resolve them. They could only try to restrict or rather imprison them with the advantage of numbers.

"Where did these two Evil Spirits come from? The route of our retreat was verified as the safest, but so many unexpected incidents occurred when we left."

Even Bishop Thompson felt extremely agitated, and he couldn't help but curse, "shit."

But curse as he might, under such serious circumstances, Thompson had to do something. He couldn't let the situation remain so passive.

He thought for a moment and then waved at James who was behind.

Seeing this,

James hesitated for a moment, then handed his camera to Homier: "You watch from the back. If the Evil Spirit stirs, shout immediately."

As he spoke, his eyes sternly swept over the Evil Spirit standing at the rear.

It was the body of twin sisters, one of which was entangled in filthy bandages, their hands clasped together, their faces deathly pale with no emotions, and their eyes a blood-red.

Homier nodded solemnly, staring silently at the two bodies, extremely vigilant in his heart.

James sighed inwardly, turned, and quickly walked towards Bishop Thompson standing in the front.

"What do you plan to do?"

James approached, noticing that the candle was nearly burnt out. Once it was completely extinguished, none of them would be able to leave Massas City.

Bishop Thompson looked at James with a complex expression and whispered in his ear, "Are you willing to become a hunter?"

James was startled and asked, "What do you mean...You're asking if I want to become a hunter?"

Bishop Thompson said helplessly, "If it weren't for my old age, for not being able to endure the pain that comes with entering the Third Phase of Spirit Vision and the onset of Evil Spirit Transformation, I would never pose this question to you. Now just tell me, are you willing or not?"

James's face changed.

The serious expression he had always shown now revealed deep complexity.

He didn't understand why Bishop Thompson would ask if he was willing to become a hunter.

But he knew that the situation was dire; if the Bishop was mentioning hunters, it must mean he believed only the emergence of a hunter could resolve such an event.

But to become a hunter...

How could that be possible?

The Church had always kept information about hunters highly confidential, circulating it only among elite exorcists.

The general belief was that after entering the Third Phase of Spirit Vision, signs of Evil Spirit Transformation would start to emerge, and at that point, the exorcist would be what's referred to as a hunter.

Only an Evil Spirit can truly fight against an Evil Spirit.

But what was the pain Bishop Thompson was talking about?

Is it painful when one begins to undergo Evil Spirit Transformation?

James had some understanding of this Bishop; he too was among the elite exorcists, but due to his position, he normally worked with other Bishops, responsible for some major cities, with a very resolute will.

And yet, Bishop Thompson felt he couldn't endure the pain; did that mean he himself could stand it?

James hesitated.

When he joined the Church to become an exorcist, he was prepared to die in an Evil Spirit incident.

But that didn't mean he wanted to become a hunter.

Because once he became a hunter, everyone would look at him differently, and he would also enter a process of despair—as he gradually transformed into an Evil Spirit.

In a sense, this was a fall from grace.

Hunters were a group of despairing individuals, and the power they wielded signified that despair...

If there was no faith, no strong conviction, in the moment of undergoing Evil Spirit Transformation, one would fully turn into an Evil Spirit and lash out at the living...

James took a deep breath, his thoughts in chaos, but he said with a determined tone to Bishop Thompson, "If this is the only way for us to get out alive, then I'm willing to become a hunter."

Bishop Thompson said softly, "Your decision impresses me, but I promise you, once you become a hunter, the Church will find a way to deal with the hidden dangers of your Evil Spirit Transformation. You will also have access to the Church's core secrets, providing you don't lose control and are willing to accept the Church's absolute control."

That was not a problem for James.
Your journey continues with empire

So he said in a low voice, "What should I do now?"

Bishop Thompson also lowered his voice, responding, "Take hold of that flintlock gun, confront the Evil Spirit while in the Spirit Vision state; by the time the candle burns down, you should be able to enter the Third Phase of Spirit Vision."

His voice was calm yet filled with deep sorrow.