As Fang Xiu pressed forward, he swallowed Snakeworms.
They gnawed viciously at his flesh, but he didn't bother to defend himself. Instead, he grabbed each one and tossed it into Taotie's Mouth.
Each time he consumed a Snakeworm, his ravaged flesh would rapidly heal. This cycle of devouring and healing made his body stronger with each step he took.
Eventually, Fang Xiu arrived at the Specter Gate. There, he spotted Yan Changshou engaged in a fierce battle with Ace of Spades.
Yan Changshou had sprouted numerous tentacles that coiled around Ace of Spades, lifting him high into the air.
"Don't you dare compare me to yourself! A titled captain and a mere fourth-tier are worlds apart!"
With a violent rip, the scarlet tentacles seemed ready to tear the struggling Ace of Spades to shreds.
Just as things were about to turn fatal, Fang Xiu sprang into action.
Channeling his Spiritual Energy, he activated the Double Dragon Ring and released one of its domains: Summoner's Rift.
From nowhere, a dark-winged, eerie-faced angel materialized. She pointed toward Ace of Spades.
"Black Shield!"
Dark energy surged, and a dark purple shield formed around Ace of Spades, blocking Yan Changshou's deadly attack.
Both Yan Changshou and Ace of Spades were immediately drawn to this divine figure that had seemingly descended from the heavens.
Ace of Spades couldn't hide his joy.
Yan Changshou, on the other hand, flew into a rage. His voice dripped with murderous intent as he roared, "Fang Xiu!"
"Dark Binding!"
The angel, with a simple gesture, unleashed a force that immobilized Yan Changshou.
Taking advantage of the moment, Ace of Spades transformed into a shadow, slipping through the air like a stream of water to Fang Xiu's side.
"Thank you, sir, for saving my life."
Fang Xiu, his hands clasped behind his back, looked coldly ahead, not even glancing at Ace of Spades.
"Idiot! Is this how you carry out the tasks I give you?"
THUD! Terrified, Ace of Spades dropped to his knees.
"Sir, I…"
"Get lost! Leave the headquarters immediately and stay as far away as possible. Don't show up until I've calmed down, or I might kill you."
Hearing Fang Xiu's icy words, Ace of Spades felt a deep chill run through him, like the shadow of death itself had just brushed past.
At that moment, he truly believed death was near. Trembling, he hesitated, then, after a brief internal struggle, bowed deeply, his voice shaky with fear and shame.
"Thank you, sir, for sparing my life!" For a Specterized being, expressing such raw emotions—fear, gratitude, and shame—was rare.
With that, Ace of Spades vanished into the shadows.
Now that Ace of Spades was gone, Fang Xiu could stop worrying about his identity being exposed.
If he had to battle Yan Changshou with his true power on display, it wouldn't have been a simple one-on-one—it would have turned into a fight against both Yan Changshou and Ace of Spades. But with Ace of Spades out of the picture, Fang Xiu could go all out.
The truth is, Fang Xiu didn't need to save Ace of Spades. Both Ace of Spades and Yan Changshou were his enemies. But Fang Xiu did it anyway, not out of loyalty or compassion, but because he had deeper plans at play.
Among the Pokers, Fang Xiu had strategically chosen to rely on only two: the Ace and King of Spades.
But now, the smarter of the two, the King of Spades, was dead. His dried-up corpse lay quietly off to the side—a fortunate turn of events, really.
If the clever ones lived too long, they might have stumbled upon Fang Xiu's secrets.
Now, with only the less sharp Ace of Spades left, Fang Xiu could move on to his next step: seizing control of the Pokers.
His plan was simple yet cunning. If he could help the headquarters eliminate Joker, the Ace of Spades would naturally rise in influence within the now leaderless organization.
Through him, Fang Xiu could control the entire orgnization.
By making the Ace of Spades his figurehead, Fang Xiu positioned himself as the critical link between the Pokers and Zhou Qingfeng.
All of Zhou Qingfeng's orders would filter through him. And with Zhou Qingfeng mysteriously out of the picture, this meant the entire Poker organization would eventually fall under Fang Xiu's command.
Even though the Pokers had taken big hits in their battle against the headquarters, they were still a force to be reckoned with. Their true strength wasn't in numbers but in their research achievements—specifically, the research pioneered by Zhou Qingfeng.
That's why Fang Xiu saved the Ace of Spades. He needed him as the lever to move the entire Poker organization.
Just then, Yan Changshou let out a monstrous roar, "Fang Xiu! I'm going to kill you!!"
His voice was filled with rage, and his countless scarlet tentacles broke free from the Dark Binding.
Yan Changshou was in a pitiful state, riddled with wounds from the Xuanyuan Sword and his earlier fight with the Ace of Spades. He was severely injured.
But even in this dire state, a fourth-tier being like Yan Changshou was no pushover.
BOOM! BOOM!
Scarlet tentacles erupted from Yan Changshou, burrowing into the ground and making it quake. Suddenly, they burst out from beneath Fang Xiu's feet.
"Black Shield!"
The black-winged angel behind Fang Xiu immediately deployed her skill, blocking Yan Changshou's assault. At Fang Xiu's command, she then spread her wings and charged directly at Yan Changshou.
More phantom figures appeared: a towering warrior with a large sword and heavy armor; a swordsman in ronin garb wielding a katana; a tiny figure less than a meter tall with a blowgun; and a man dressed like a magician, holding a deck of cards.
These five game characters launched a coordinated attack on Yan Changshou, each unleashing their unique abilities.
"You think you can kill me with Xiong Tianguang's domain? He couldn't do it himself, so what makes you think you can?" Yan Changshou roared.
An unending swarm of tentacles surged from his body, transforming the area into a writhing sea of flesh. Even as the tentacles were cut down, they quickly regenerated.
Fang Xiu frowned slightly. Yan Changshou's resilience was disturbingly strong. Despite being severely injured and having fought multiple battles, he still had this much power left. It was clear that becoming inhuman had its perks.
Moreover, his Specterization was clearly more advanced than that of the other Pokers. While they could maintain human form most of the time, Yan Changshou couldn't stay human for long.
Given his collaboration with the Pokers, it didn't make sense for him to undergo a flawed Specterization. It was evident he had sacrificed stability for greater power.