It was Justin Huang, panting heavily. His powerful right hand blocked Rachel Lan’s descending sword. The blade had already cut into his bone, and black blood dripped continuously.
"Dual Forms, Four Symbols, Wood and Earth—Scab Formation..."
It was Mason Yu. He rushed out from beside Justin Huang, raising both hands. The ground sank with a boom, making Rachel Lan lose her balance. Then, with a creak, Mason Yu’s pitch-black hand grabbed Rachel’s foot. Scabs like earth-yellow crusts appeared all over her, sealing her in place.
"Find a way to get Qingyuan down! Girl, we still have a chance—hurry, Fang Datong, Mao Xiaoyu!"
After Hugh Thompson shouted, Rufina Howard quickly summoned several pale blue talismans. The air was filled with a slicing sound, sharp as blades cutting through the wind. The Rakshasa Vines binding me snapped, and as I fell, Justin Huang caught me.
A cracking sound echoed as the earth-yellow scabs on Rachel Lan split open. In that instant, tears streamed down Rachel’s face—she seemed to regain consciousness. Her eyes, full of sorrow, met mine as I sat dazed on the ground.
What should I do? What am I supposed to do? What can I possibly do? Someone, please tell me!
I stared blankly as Rachel Lan raised her sword and slashed at us. With a clang, Mason Yu blocked it with the Tianxian Sword.
"Miss Rachel..."
With a hiss, a purple beam pierced through one of Mason Yu’s hands. As his left hand dropped, Rachel Lan’s sword swung toward Mason Yu’s head.
Justin Huang reached out and, with a snap, caught Rachel Lan’s sword.
"Ethan, hurry and inject the rest of your Deathbane Aura into my body!"
Justin Huang turned to look at me, while I sat helplessly on the ground, staring back at him.
Who will tell me what to do? What am I supposed to do?
Inside, I was screaming for help, desperate for someone to save me.
"Brother, what’s wrong? What is your instinct? Think carefully—feel that boiling sensation throughout your body. Because now, you must win. If you don’t, everyone here will die. Choose, brother..."
My head buzzed and I began to lose consciousness. The last thing I saw was Justin Huang’s massive form charging into the group, while Rachel Lan, tears streaming, stabbed her sword through Justin’s body.
White—everything around me was white, nothing else. I stood there, dazed and at a loss. With a ding from beneath my feet, I looked down; the white world below rippled like water.
"What is your instinct, Ethan Zhang?"
As the ripples spread, the white ground beneath me became like a mirror, reflecting my image—a head of short hair, blank eyes, smooth cheeks, slightly prominent cheekbones, not exactly handsome, but full of sadness.
The white, mirror-like surface rippled like a lake, and my reflection began to distort.
"I'll ask again—what is your instinct, Ethan Zhang? Answer me."
Startled, I took a step back, my terrified gaze plain to see.
All this time, I’d been enduring, growing cold inside toward everything around me. Until my cousin appeared—I started to connect with people bit by bit. My cousin seemed to change me, and watching his back, I met many others.
The mirror-like lake began to ripple, and memories floated by—my parents, my cousin, and Lily Wu, smiling happily.
"How much longer do you have to endure, Ethan Zhang? What is your instinct?"
That voice, muffled as if speaking with a hand over its mouth, sounded again.
I shook my head, retreating step by step as my reflection in the wavering mirror grew increasingly blurred.
"Still afraid? Cousin, I’ve seen a lot of interesting things."
A gentle voice came from beside me—it was my cousin. I looked around in panic but saw no sign of him.
"Accepting yourself is the most important thing, Ethan. You are you—Ethan Zhang. Don’t fear yourself. Take a good look, Ethan."
With a ding, the mirror began to ripple. The scene changed, and I was surprised to see myself as a child, escaping from the orphanage, floating in the air, with a fierce ghost chasing behind me. Black tendrils wrapped around my body.
Not just the orphanage—every crisis I’d faced growing up, I’d relied only on myself. That unfamiliar, cold-eyed self escaped from ghosts time and again, without exception.
"Since childhood, I always thought you were special, cousin. I’ve seen it several times, though I never mentioned it. None of this is a coincidence—it’s fate. Isn’t that right, cousin? Recognize yourself, accept yourself. There’s nothing more important in life than accepting yourself. Timid, weak—so what, cousin? You are you..."
"What is your instinct, Ethan Zhang?"
"It’s me—human or ghost, that’s my instinct."
The mirror beneath my feet rippled with deep, manic laughter.
Gradually, I saw my reflection in the mirror become clear again. But this time, my mirrored self turned black, a shadowy mass, as if burning with black flames.
Those black, flame-like things leapt out of the mirror, wrapping around my feet. The mirror changed—half the world was white, half was black.
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My body—left side black, right side white.
"Human and ghost, huh? You’ve finally accepted it, Ethan Zhang. This is your fate. Go now..."
With a hiss, Rachel Lan’s sword pierced my left chest. Crimson blood poured out instantly.
"Ethan!" Justin Huang shouted loudly. Behind him, gurgling sounds echoed as everyone was entangled by the purple Rakshasa Sludge rising from the ground.
Large tears streamed from Rachel Lan’s eyes. Smiling gently, I reached out and wiped the tears from her cheek.
"A masterpiece, truly a masterpiece! Hahaha! Ethan Zhang, killed by your own woman—how does that feel?"
Lord Wraith stood before me, clapping and laughing maniacally.
With a hiss, Rachel Lan pulled out the sword and stabbed my chest again. Pain surged as the blade pierced through me once more.
"What are you thinking, Rachel?"
Rachel Lan looked at me in astonishment. I reached out and placed my hands on her shoulders.
"Why didn’t I realize something so simple, Rachel? I like you..."
Rachel Lan’s tears poured out like a broken dam, flooding uncontrollably.
"Don’t cry, Rachel. I’ve liked you for a long time, ever since long ago. Maybe I acted on impulse before, chasing your stubborn silhouette. Facing people or ghosts, I always relied on my own will. I’ve always admired you, Rachel—from the first time we met to everything since. Why can you act without thinking?"
I pulled Rachel Lan into my arms, pressing her head against my chest. One hand gently stroked the ends of her hair.
"Enough. I can’t keep watching you both, forcing myself to keep up. You’re the same, and so is my cousin. Thank you."
After speaking, I gently kissed Rachel Lan’s forehead.
"Leave the rest to me, Rachel..."
As I spoke, I roared, raising my right hand. A nearly meter-long, pure white sword slowly appeared in my hand. I lifted the sword and lightly slashed behind Rachel Lan.
With a hiss, a faint purple thread snapped. Rachel Lan collapsed softly into my arms. I held her with my left hand; she gazed at me with deep affection, and I smiled.
"Just a little while is all I need."
Then, gently, I handed Rachel Lan over to Justin Huang. With a hiss, I pulled the sword from my chest.
"What is that?" Lord Wraith muttered. I staggered forward a few steps, blood still flowing.
"Human or ghost, it doesn’t matter..."
Step by step, I walked forward. Deathbane Aura poured from the left side of my body, drifting through the air. Gradually, my left side was completely shrouded by the aura, like a black curtain flowing in the wind.
"Lord Wraith...!" I roared. With a boom, the ground beneath my feet caved in. I raised the white sword and slashed at Lord Wraith.
Lord Wraith, seated on a grand chair, leapt up instantly. With one hand he gripped the massive Wraith Scythe, blocking my attack.
With a clang, the steps beneath Lord Wraith’s feet caved in, the tremendous impact sending a gust of wind sweeping outward.
"Is that all you’ve got, Ethan Zhang?" Lord Wraith’s eyes glinted with contempt.
I smiled faintly. In an instant, my left side—covered by the black Deathbane Aura curtain—thrust a black sword at Lord Wraith.
For a moment, Lord Wraith’s face showed astonishment.
"Die!" I shouted. The black sword pierced through Lord Wraith’s body.