Exorcist's Self-Cultivation

What is fear?

Pennywise might have known very well before.

Because its source of power was fear.

But now, it completely misunderstood.

As a demon spirit, with its characteristics, given time to develop, it could grow to an extremely terrifying level.

It might even become an unsolvable entity.

Yet, it encountered the Evil Spirit Du Wei.

Without any ability to fight back.

All its methods were ineffective against the man sitting on the throne, stepping on its head.

It was quite ridiculous.

At that moment.

The Evil Spirit Du Wei, looking down at Pennywise's head, said coldly, "Death is the greatest fear, but that only applies to humans, not to you."

"So, I will be your only fear."

Having said that.

The leg that was stepping on Pennywise's head applied a little more force.

Crack...

Very crisp.

Pennywise's head was directly crushed.

But it did not die, instead, without its head, its body immediately began to rapidly crawl backward; it wanted to run away.

However.

The Evil Spirit Du Wei just watched, leaning against that black throne, his right hand pulling on a string, his left hand tapping the surface of the armrest, creating a clear sound.

Knock...

Knock...

Knock...

The dripping sounds, as if carrying a kind of magic, spread out in the mist.

After crawling a certain distance, Pennywise's head grew back again.

It drilled desperately into the mist, wanting to escape this nightmarish place.

And the various fragmented dolls hanging on it were also emitting a creepy power.

If one looked closely.

They would realize that these dolls were actually the transformed evil spirits of the Veda Sect cultists.

As the former "batteries," they became the foundation of this clown after Pennywise betrayed Du Wei.

...

In the darkness.

Pennywise was fleeing rapidly, occasionally disappearing, occasionally levitating.

But no matter what it did.

Each time, it would return to the center of the town, in front of the Evil Spirit Du Wei.

This place was supposed to be its territory.

Now it had become a plaything in the Evil Spirit Du Wei's hand, to be shaped however he pleased.

That alone would have been enough.

But from beginning to end, Pennywise never noticed that the long string on its body had been threaded through every part of it.

The Evil Spirit Du Wei seemed to be doing something.

He did not want to kill Pennywise so easily.

And that.

Pennywise would never understand.

Because in the end, it chose...

Well, it chose to face fear head-on.

...

More than ten minutes later.

Pennywise stood before the throne, its eyes pitch-black, its hands like those of a wild beast continuously rubbing its nails, and from its fanged mouth, a creepy sneer emerged.

"Heh heh heh..."

All the dolls hanging on it trembled.

One after another, evil spirits appeared behind it.

During the time it followed Du Wei, it was much smarter than a shadow, seemingly having grasped the methods that Du Wei was most skilled at.

Never face danger alone.

Frankly speaking,

the simple Pennywise was of no use against the Evil Spirit Du Wei, because what stood before it was the very existence it feared the most.

But with those other evil spirits, perhaps it would be different.

Because these evil spirits were real, not needing any fear as a source of power.

The main thing was... they all harbored deep-seated hatred for the Evil Spirit Du Wei.

It was the Evil Spirit Du Wei that had turned them into what they were.

At that moment,

the Evil Spirit Du Wei couldn't help but laugh, saying, "How amusing, look, you really did release them after all. Do you think this gives you a chance of winning?"

While it spoke,

Pennywise continued to sneer.

But the Evil Spirit Du Wei said with relish, "As a human, what I enjoyed most was branding evil spirits, forming an evil spirit force, to confront more powerful Demon Spirits."

"Although you lack the ability to brand, you've also controlled so many evil spirits, the two methods are nearly the same,"

"Yet, in fact, I have never considered this method as the only trump card."

"Because I know that against certain entities, this might get me killed even faster."

"Only now, it is you who face me."

After saying that,

the Evil Spirit Du Wei rose from its throne and took step by step towards Pennywise.

As it walked, it said, "The reason I've kept you until now is purely because I was pondering, how to kill you yet at the same time keep you alive to supply power to me."

"And then I thought of it."

"So now, let me show you just how ridiculous it is to use my tactics against me."

Its voice was exceptionally cold.

The tone, though, carried an indescribable elegance.

Every step it took brought to mind an image of a noble gentleman from the Middle Ages, dressed in a black coat, wearing a top hat, with a pocket watch and a monocle.

Pennywise wanted to retreat behind all the evil spirits.

But to its surprise, the evil spirits behind it stood in place obediently, blocking its way.

It violently turned its head to look at those evil spirits.

All the evil spirits also turned to look at it.

How could the Veda Sect cultists, turned into evil spirits by the hand of the Evil Spirit Du Wei, be controlled by Pennywise to act against their true master?

Before, when Pennywise did not let those evil spirits out, it was fine.

But once it released them, they immediately became the pawns of the Evil Spirit Du Wei.

This was the uncontrollable aspect the Evil Spirit Du Wei spoke of.

When Pennywise realized this, it immediately let out a shrill scream, but as soon as it opened its mouth, it began to swell.

With a bang, it burst open.

On the spot, red balloon fragments wriggled on the ground, attempting to come together.

But before they could,

a foot stamped down on them.

The Evil Spirit Du Wei said with heartless indifference, "I gave you many opportunities, yet you failed to seize them. Why betray me?"

It casually crushed those balloon fragments,

growing impatient after a while, it stopped.

By then, the red balloon fragments had already come together, quickly inflated and began to float towards the night sky.

Having just ascended three meters,

the Evil Spirit Du Wei casually pulled,

and the whole balloon swelled and shattered into pieces.

Then, its pupils shrank.

All the fragments were forcibly stuck together by it, forming a misshapen clown.

The head was stuck to the belly, arms facing one another, comical yet bizarre.

The Evil Spirit Du Wei's Right Hand still held a fuse, and after fixing Pennywise in the air, it gave a forceful yank,

and Pennywise, as though passed through a slicer, was cut into countless small pieces.

A fate worse than grim.

Moreover, the aura that had originally transformed into a Demon Spirit now plummeted like a falling tide,

and the Evil Spirit Du Wei reverted it from a Demon Spirit back to the original worthless evil spirit.