As the number of missing people grew, the discussion surrounding the disappearances heated up online.
Major Awakened Ones organizations began actively searching for the perpetrators of the disappearances, reasoning that if they couldn't defeat the Monster Association, surely they could handle a few individuals targeting ordinary people behind the scenes.
In a small, remote country, a green sedan was bumping along a dilapidated road.
[Under the leadership of the Xuanjian Division and the Bureau of Gods, Awakened Ones organizations from various countries are pursuing the culprits responsible for the disappearances. Currently, the Bureau of Gods has successfully apprehended one person!]
Liu Zhiyuan, wearing a denim jacket, was driving the sedan, while Chen Xingwen listened to the news with great interest in the passenger seat.
"Elder Chen, are there many existences like me?" Liu Zhiyuan suddenly asked.
During this period, he often saw these reports in the news. In contrast, reports about the Monster Association had greatly decreased. Now, only the media under the Bureau of Gods and the Xuanjian Division dared to report on the Monster Association.
"Quite a few. There are ten people like you in total," Chen Xingwen replied without concealment.
Liu Zhiyuan's gaze was complex. "But why are they using this power to target ordinary people everywhere instead of Awakened Ones?"
Chen Xingwen showed disappointment. "Giving them power everywhere was in the hope that they could resist the two great mountains of the Xuanjian Division and the Bureau of Gods. I never expected them to only target ordinary people. That's why you must eliminate these scourges who are deluded by power."
"I will definitely eliminate those scourges!" Liu Zhiyuan declared firmly.
A small city appeared before them, its size no bigger than a county town. Yet, the city was completely deserted, like a dead city.
Clang, clang, clang! Dang, dang, dang, dang!
Vehicles were parked haphazardly on the street, and waves of music drifted out from roadside shops.
"Elder Chen, find somewhere to hide first. I'll go take care of that guy!" Killing intent flashed in Liu Zhiyuan's eyes. He put on his ancestral White-Red Mask and, wearing a Red Opera Robe, strode toward the center of the city.
The stronger a Flesh-and-Blood Being is, the greater their ability to sense other Flesh-and-Blood Beings becomes.
Although Liu Zhiyuan hadn't frantically consumed ordinary people to avoid exposure like the others during this time.
The number of evil Awakened Ones who died by his hand was not small. Thanks to the contribution of large amounts of high-energy Awakened Ones' flesh and blood, his strength increased far beyond that of the Flesh-and-Blood Beings who consumed ordinary people.
Thump, thump, thump! His figure turned into a phantom and instantly vanished before Chen Xingwen.
Chen Xingwen revealed a slight smile. "This young man should be able to survive until the end, both because of his awareness and his courage to challenge other strong individuals."
On the other side, Liu Zhiyuan rapidly leaped across the rooftops of four or five-story buildings. With the Flesh-and-Blood Sensation guiding him, his target was clear: the other Flesh-and-Blood Being in the center of the city.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the city, a bald, muscular man who had been closing his eyes suddenly snapped them open.
He looked to the side, and a strange sensation arose, as if something was intensely attractive to him—something that, if consumed, would provide a greater boost than the tens of thousands of people he had just eaten!
Drool dripped from the bald man's mouth, and a look of greed appeared on his face. "Let me see what kind of thing is so tempting!"
Two half-meter-long fissures split open on his back, and a large number of white arms surged out from within.
In just a moment, these arms interlocked and intertwined, forming four white arms, each over ten meters long.
Thump, thump, thump!
Two of the arms supported him on the ground, carrying him forward rapidly.
As soon as he stepped out the door, he saw a figure on a distant rooftop looking down at him.
The bald man sneered hideously. "This feeling... is it a kindred spirit?"
"Trash like you and I are not kindred spirits," Liu Zhiyuan said coldly.
Upon hearing this, anger flashed across the bald man's face. Pointing at Liu Zhiyuan, he spat furiously, "Hmph, putting on airs! You hypocrite are much more disgusting than me. You won't eat what makes you stronger, and now you're setting a moral baseline for yourself, huh!"
The bald man's back suddenly split open again, and a mass of white arms erupted. The arms in the back grabbed those in front, surging toward Liu Zhiyuan segment by segment.
"Come on! Let me see if you're strong enough to show off, daring to stand on the moral high ground and lecture me!" the bald man roared. The white arms moved extremely fast, knocking down the walls blocking their path, and the mass of arms reached the building where Liu Zhiyuan stood.
Bang! The arms slammed violently into the five-story building. Under the massive impact, the walls exploded, scattering stones and dust everywhere, heavy pillars snapped, and the floor began to tilt and collapse.
Liu Zhiyuan remained silent, merely pushing off gently with his feet on the rooftop.
He arced through the air, descending toward the bald man's location.
"Seeking death!" A cold smile appeared on the bald man's face. The arms on the ground all stood up simultaneously and reached out to grab Liu Zhiyuan as he descended.
"It's useless!" Liu Zhiyuan shouted.
A special fluctuation emanated from him, instantly sweeping over everything nearby, including the bald man on the ground and his arms.
Swish, swish, swish! In an instant, the shadows cast by the arms on the ground suddenly moved. These shadows grabbed hold of their respective masters.
The mass of arms that had covered the surrounding ground instantly froze, unable to move.
"Holy crap, a cheat!" The bald man stared in disbelief as his arms were completely controlled in an instant.
He watched Liu Zhiyuan land on the raised arms. The large hand formed by the arms behind him tried to strike out, but he felt a massive resistance.
His expression changed. He turned his head and saw that his shadow had stood up at some point and was gripping him tightly.
Liu Zhiyuan stepped onto the arms, walking toward the bald man step by step, reciting in an operatic tone, "Today~ I shall enforce Heaven's will~ and eliminate you, wicked villain~"
"Damn it! I finally got a chance to turn my life around, I don't want to die!" The bald man struggled violently, and his stomach burst open.
A flood of arms rushed out like a torrent, charging toward Liu Zhiyuan in front of him.
Just as the arms were about to grab Liu Zhiyuan, a cluster of pitch-black shadows suddenly appeared beneath his feet, and he dropped entirely into it, leaving the arms grasping empty air.
"Coward! Why run away when you keep talking about enforcing Heaven's will!" The bald man looked wary, but he continued to spew insults.
Pfft! Just as he was cursing, Liu Zhiyuan's upper body suddenly emerged from the shadow gripping the bald man from behind. The White-Red Mask on his face had turned into a White Mask, and his mouth opened to an incredibly exaggerated width, biting off the bald man's head in a single gulp.
The body of the headless bald man immediately became limp; if the shadow hadn't been gripping him, he would have collapsed instantly.
"Things that only target the weak don't deserve to live!" Liu Zhiyuan looked at the bald man's corpse, and the flesh and blood within him began to exert its power.
He began to 'assimilate' this chunk of flesh and blood.
Remaining Flesh-and-Blood Beings: 9 people!