Qi Badao shivered, instantly waking up, more alert than ever. Somehow, mist had surrounded him, causing his hairs to stand on end.

A strong sense of death overshadowed his heart; the dead monster had really come!

"Here's a good thing for you!" An excited and trembling shout echoed as a blue-glowing object was thrown behind.

In the mist, an object coiled around the blue crystal effortlessly; it didn't care. There was a ritualistic sense in filling the prey with fear before consuming it, enhancing the sweetness of spiritual energy and blood.

Bzzz bzzz bzzz~~~

The blue crystal shimmered, but Qi Badao ran away without looking back. The mist ahead seemed endless, yet he couldn't care less. He hoped this thing was useful.

The Hex Spiritual Energy Bomb, a byproduct of researching Hex Airships, tends to explode when its energy core becomes unstable. When Qi Badao threw it, he had already disrupted its balance using spiritual ability.

The last time he almost died at the hands of a Licker, Qi Badao learned a harsh lesson. The most tragic thing in life is dying before spending all your money, so he spent a fortune on this treasure; otherwise, he wouldn't dare provoke an Inhaler.

Rumble rumble rumble~~~

The intense explosion was like an earthquake. Blue flames filled the sky with a pungent smell, and Qi Badao was swept away by the shockwave. Even in his soft armor, it felt like his body was hammered by a massive mallet. He spat out a mouthful of blood, rolled, crawled, and continued to plunge forward. This was his turf, and he knew it well. His determination to escape held no hesitation.

Whether the Inhaler was dead or not, he ignored it. He didn't have the guts to go back and check. What if it wasn't dead? Now he could confirm one thing—the Inhaler still existed, and that was the most important piece of information.

He dashed to an inconspicuous house, one of the secret bases of the Black Spade Association, and rushed inside. A black cat was startled, looking at Qi Badao with disdain and anger, its pleasant time disrupted.

Qi Badao saw the white stray cat under the black cat. "Damn, I'm risking my life to earn money, and here you are having fun. Quick, deliver the message!"

He tossed a message scroll to the black cat, which grudgingly held it in its mouth, meowing a few times. The white cat obediently returned to the bed, and the black cat leaped out of the window, disappearing into the night. Meanwhile, Qi Badao dived under the bed, where there was a hole. He jumped in, and his presence vanished.

Just over ten seconds later, the door exploded open, and a creature covered in slime with a burnt stench slithered in. The stray cat bristled, trembling violently and collapsing on the ground. The next second, it was pierced and drawn into the creature's mouth with a crunching sound.

The creature searched the room for a while. The presence disappeared?

The room's contents began getting swept away. Its tongue, like a steel whip, shattered the bed, revealing a hole. The creature tried to squeeze in but found itself too large, letting out a piercing wail…

Night Patrol Headquarters.

News of the Inhaler's reappearance quickly spread among the higher-ups of the Celestial Capital, and everyone who wanted to know got the information immediately.

Some were overjoyed, while others were burdened.

Luo Jin hadn't returned to his residence. He'd been at Night Patrol's headquarters this whole time, while others either rested or patrolled as needed. The tension couldn't stay high continuously.

With Montreal's arrest, though the boss still felt uneasy, others breathed a sigh of relief. Now they just waited to confirm Montreal's identity to execute him for Kurt's revenge.

But the news shattered everyone's illusions. They've dealt with bizarre occurrences extensively and know it wouldn't be so easy, but still held a glimmer of hope. The boss strikes only once, hitting the target without unnecessary complications.

What they feared indeed came true. The Inhaler still exists, so what about Montreal?

The Moon God Church was brightly lit. When Luo Jin arrived, all key officials of the church were present. Matthew, the Chief Bishop, no longer had his usual calm demeanor, his face grave. Upon seeing Luo Jin, he nodded. "Things are dire, but the more it gets like this, the more we must remain calm. It shows we're getting closer to the truth. What contingencies do you have, Luo Jin?"

"Chief Bishop, I just received the news. It's possible that the Inhaler isn't alone. The appearance of an Inhaler doesn't mean Montreal has no issues. We still have time. Our primary task now is to catch the newly emerged Inhaler; there must be a connection between them!"

At this moment, morale and confidence are most crucial. As the captain, Luo Jin mustn't be discouraged. He still believed in his judgment; unexpected incidents are normal. The need is to seize the opportunity. The enemy has started acting frequently, and that's a good sign.

Luo Jin's composure gave the church cadres some confidence, and their expressions relaxed. This time, the church vouched for the Night Patrol. If mistakes were made, there'd be repercussions. Various sides hoped Luo Jin would be reliable.

Matthew looked at Luo Jin, "Good, everyone in the church will follow your commands now. We have little time left; find that Inhaler. Otherwise, we're all doomed."

If they released Montreal now, sacrificing Luo Jin, and the church compromised on some benefits, the issue would likely blow over. But sticking to not releasing him means a fight to the death.

Montreal still showed no anomalies. He passed the Holy Water test, eating and drinking normally. Magic Potions can't be forcibly used—that's a last resort, only applied when there are no other solutions. Also, using Magic Potions complicates matters. Currently, the church uses a sealing item targeting abyssal creatures, triggering hunger in them, but Montreal displayed no significant changes.

It's not up to the church alone; City Hall officials are overseeing the whole process.

Li Xin was sleeping groggily when suddenly he opened his eyes and looked toward the window. Outside, a black cat stared directly at Li Xin.

Li Xin knew Qi Badao had important information. This black cat was an Awakened creature, Qi Badao's messenger. On Dao Yuan Continent, Awakened creatures, especially common ones, are trained as messengers or scouts with better effectiveness than awakened humans.

Li Xin quietly opened the window, took the note, and was about to read it when the black cat impatiently scratched the windowsill, extending its paw with the palm up.

Li Xin was speechless but quickly found a Lira. The cat's paw flipped, and the Lira disappeared. The black cat, with disdain, vanished into the night. Qi Badao was stingy, and this dog of a messenger was even stingier, just not something he could challenge.

Li Xin opened the note, his face slightly changing, quickly dressing up, glancing at the other sleeping members, and quietly left.

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