Upon hearing what Fenric said, both Chong and Monmoi were instantly enraged.
"Master, there's no need to waste words with him! Let's subdue him now!" Chong barked.
He was still fuming over how Fenric had frightened Rain earlier.
[TL/n: The female ghost name. She's also called the Seductive Spirit. Here's what she looks like.
]
Master Nine's face turned grave. He looked at Fenric and asked, "Do you realize how many people will die because of what you're doing?"
"Die?" Fenric sneered. "Master Nine, which of these people don't deserve to die?"
"Even if they're evil, you can't sacrifice their lives just to feed corpses!" Master Nine retorted.
"Master, there's no point reasoning with him! Let's just take him down!" Chong urged again.
Master Nine shot him a sharp glare and snapped, "Shut up!"
If they could actually defeat that white-haired zombie, did Chong really think Master Nine wouldn't have acted already?
Fenric chuckled. "Your apprentice's got the right idea, Master Nine. If you're going to stop me, then hurry up. I'm on a tight schedule—still need to find more sinners to feed my zombies."
Hearing this, Master Nine's expression darkened. He could no longer hold back.
He shouted to his two apprentices, "I'll handle the zombie—you two, go take care of him!"
"Got it!" Chong and Monmoi responded in unison, charging forward.
They already found Fenric unbearable.
But Rain, the seductive spirit, knew all too well how terrifying Fenric truly was. She quickly grabbed Chong's arm.
"Chong, don't go! You can't beat him!"
"Rain, don't underestimate me! Trust me, I can handle this!" Chong said confidently, shaking her off.
Together with Monmoi, he rushed at Fenric.
Fenric simply smiled faintly. With a casual wave of his hand, an invisible force surged toward them—sending both flying back even faster than they came.
Midair, the two began vomiting blood.
What Fenric used just now was Mind Impact—a mental shockwave-like force that acted just like a real physical blast.
"!!?"
Master Nine was stunned. He immediately shifted to catch Monmoi midair, while Rain flew up to catch Chong.
Suspicion flickered in Master Nine's eyes.
His apprentices might not be powerful, but they weren't so weak they'd be thrown like ragdolls without even getting close. What kind of technique was that?
"What kind of sorcery is this?" he asked in shock.
Fenric didn't bother to answer. Instead, he turned to the white-haired zombie and slapped it on the back head.
"What are you spacing out for? Didn't you see these two disrespect your master? Go teach them a lesson!"
The scene left Master Nine shaken.
This wasn't just any zombie—it was a terrifying Flying Zombie! And yet this young man treated it like a dog?!
[TL/n: Zombie Ranking: Fresh Corpse → Stiff Corpse → Flying Zombie → Spirit-Bound Zombie → King Zombie.]
If the zombie got angry, no one here would escape alive.
With their speed, none of them could outrun it.
But what Master Nine feared didn't happen.
The zombie only growled softly, obediently rising and walking toward his apprentices—not jumping, but walking… with long strides.
Yes—walking. Not hopping.
Seeing the white-haired zombie approach, Master Nine shouted, "Get back! Now!!"
He knew full well he couldn't handle a zombie of this level.
"Master, what about you?" Chong asked, panicking.
"No time! Go!"
Before they could say more, the white-haired zombie lunged at Master Nine with a low roar.
Master Nine quickly drew his wooden sword, bit his finger, and smeared his own blood on the blade.
In an instant, golden light flared from the sword.
With a shout, Master Nine thrust the blade at the zombie. This was one of his most powerful techniques.
He dared not hold back against a creature like this.
Boom!
The sword struck as if hitting solid iron. It failed to pierce the zombie's skin, and the spell on the blade had no effect.
Crack!
The wooden sword shattered—snapped clean in two by the zombie.
Don't be fooled by how obedient the zombie acted around Fenric—it was only because Fenric was terrifying.
In truth, this "Old Man Ren" was powerful. A Taoist priest like Master Nine was no match at all.
"!!"
Master Nine stumbled back in shock.
Seeing that even their master's strongest strike was useless, the two apprentices finally grasped how serious things had become.
That pretty boy really had raised a monster!
"Run! Now!!" Master Nine shouted desperately.
He was preparing to sacrifice himself so the apprentices could escape when suddenly—
The zombie swerved mid-rush, leaped high into the sky… and tried to flee.
Master Nine froze in confusion.
Fenric's face darkened. "Ungrateful mutt."
With a flick of his hand and a clench of his fingers, he pulled.
An invisible force seized the zombie, yanking it from the sky and slamming it back to the ground.
The zombie thrashed, trying to claw the earth in desperation.
When Fenric began walking over, the zombie whimpered in terror—its mouth letting out a low "Wuuuuu~" sound.
Master Nine and the others stared, dumbfounded.
How could such a powerful zombie be so terrified… of a human?
Finally, Fenric stood over the struggling creature, looking down coldly.
"It seems I haven't beaten you in a while. Forgotten how it feels, huh? You ungrateful beast."
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his massive fists.
Then—
Boom!!
One punch.
The ground shook with the impact.
Fenric hadn't held back. He was furious. That zombie trying to run had embarrassed him in front of Master Nine.
"Aghhh!" the zombie howled in agony.
Everyone around gasped in horror.
Was this really… human strength?
Boom!
Another punch. The ground trembled again.
The white-haired zombie wailed miserably and lashed out with its claws in desperation.
"Watch out!" Master Nine warned instinctively.
A scratch from this level of zombie wasn't something to take lightly.
Rip! Rip!
Its claws tore through Fenric's clothes—but couldn't even scratch his skin.
Fenric had already activated his Armament Haki.
Even if he stood there and let the zombie bite him, it wouldn't break the surface.
"Oh? You actually dare to resist? If you ruin my clothes, can you even afford to pay for them?" he said coldly.
Then he resumed punching.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The repeated impacts made the entire earth tremble like a localized earthquake.
Under the merciless onslaught, the white-haired zombie could only howl in pain—its cries eventually growing faint.
Master Nine and the others stared, pale-faced, unable to utter a word.
This wasn't a man.
THIS WAS THE REAL DEVIL!