Old Tom's words made everyone present fix their eyes on the Rage Blood sword wielded by John Chou. I clenched my fists, standing beside Cheng Qiang. At this moment, John Chou was no longer the aloof figure I once knew. He was fighting desperately for survival, swinging the Rage Blood with all his might.
In my eyes, John Chou had always been a strongman. No matter the time or place, he could always find a way, break through, defeat his enemies, and keep everything under his control.
Yet at this moment, John Chou—just for an instant—I seemed to see him facing an overwhelmingly powerful foe for the first time, the Ghost Spider. Even though his face remained calm, there was worry in his eyes. Only by giving his all did he have a chance to survive.
The strongman I once saw was gone, replaced by someone fighting for his life—a weakling.
With every swing, the blood-red light from the Rage Blood sword scattered into faint particles, drifting in the air. John Chou smiled and continued attacking Warren Qi.
A sour ache welled up in my heart. I wished I could be by his side, fighting with him. But John Chou stood alone.
This scene felt like a finale—desolate and heavy.
Suddenly, Warren Qi leaped back, stopping his attack, while John Chou chased after him, showing no intention of stopping.
"Everyone, scatter! I don't know what's happening, but John Chou's attacks can't be stopped, and he's already weakening. Whatever power this is, if we keep delaying, John Chou will be dead soon."
As soon as Warren Qi finished speaking, the Golden Mask Men immediately scattered, dodging the rampaging John Chou, avoiding direct confrontation.
With a swish, John Chou swung the Rage Blood at Warren Qi. Warren Qi dodged nimbly and quickly moved away, while John Chou's strength and speed were already beginning to fade.
"Come on, John Chou."
Warren Qi shouted, then darted away with light steps, while John Chou kept swinging the Rage Blood, chasing after him.
With another swish, John Chou's Rage Blood slashed at Warren Qi, but the attack was weak. Warren Qi easily dodged by stepping back.
With a bang, Warren Qi punched John Chou in the chest, then quickly escaped, as if toying with him.
"Keep going, John Chou. If you hit me, you win. Hahahaha..."
John Chou's smile was stiff. He finally stopped, leaning on the Rage Blood, gasping for breath. At that moment, Warren Qi clenched his fists.
"That's about enough, John Chou. Your power has its limits, you know. So, what will you do next?"
John Chou slowly raised his head. His eyes showed no sign of giving up—only hope and determination to survive.
The spot struck by Warren Qi could no longer heal. Blood dripped steadily from the wound.
"Do it—finish John Chou off. He has no ghost soul left, his wounds can't heal. If you attack the ghost soul now, he's dead for sure."
Old Tom roared from the side. In an instant, eight Golden Mask Men charged at John Chou.
John Chou roared and stood up, raising the Rage Blood. In that instant, the hope on his face turned to despair and rage.
With a boom, a burst of black light shot into the sky. Warren Qi smiled as fist after fist sank into John Chou's body. The blood stopped flowing. John Chou held up the Rage Blood, his eyes dazed.
"Farewell, Bloodbane Ghost Sovereign—John Chou..."
The corners of John Chou's mouth lifted slightly. Suddenly, he slashed the Rage Blood at Warren Qi with a swish.
"I win."
Warren Qi stared blankly at his chest, where a deep gash had been cut. He stumbled back a few steps. In an instant, eight Golden Mask Men swung their fists.
With a crack, the Rage Blood sword split and began to shatter, fading away bit by bit. Except for his head, John Chou's body turned to gray dust, drifting in the air.
"Heh, don't you want to show off? Take this fragment to Ethan Zhang."
Warren Qi suddenly grabbed the hilt of the Rage Blood. Only half the sword remained, but its destruction stopped.
A violent wind swept through. John Chou slowly closed his eyes as his head began to turn to sand. Gradually, a trace of red light appeared, then faded away.
The memory ended here. I sat quietly on the ground, staring into the endless darkness ahead.
I still remember clearly—when my instincts awakened, if not for John Chou, I would have died.
"What is all this supposed to mean? What does it mean..."
I roared, stood up, clenching my fists, and slammed the ground with a bang.
"Tell me, John Chou—what does it all mean..."
"Brother..."
In that instant, emotions overwhelmed me. That familiar voice echoed behind me. I turned around—still darkness, nothing but endless, empty darkness.
"John Chou..."
I shouted, but there was no response. Soon I realized—this was no hallucination. Something of John Chou still remained here.
"What do you want to say to me, John Chou? Tell me..."
"Brother, the instinct for slaughter is sealed here. Take care of it. One day, you might need the instinct to kill."
My eyes widened. John Chou's voice appeared, but I felt nothing. A blood-red fragment appeared before me, and I gripped it in my hand.
"What is this supposed to mean? If there's something unfinished, finish it yourself. Don't push such a troublesome task onto others, John Chou..."
I knelt on the ground, howling in rage, pounding the earth in vain. All that answered me was fading laughter.
There was nothing left to hear. It was gone.
"Ethan."
A gentle voice called out. I opened my eyes. Rufina Howard stood before me, worried. Mr. Brown held up the fragment of Rage Blood, handing it to me.
Now shrunk to palm-size, I quietly stared at the fragment of Rage Blood, raised my hand, and with a crack, my Shadow Realm split open. With a whoosh, I slipped inside.
As soon as I reached the apartment building, I rushed to the room where the Lake of Deathbane was. Entering, I stepped onto a floating stone.
"Instinct. Coexistence..."
The black Lake of Deathbane began to churn wildly. Deathbane Aura swirled, and soon I saw a black stone appear in the midst of it. I raised my hand—the stone floated to me. The Deathstone was impossibly heavy, its aura far denser than the lake itself.
At the start, John Chou threw the Deathstone into the lake. Now, aside from its power, I could sense nothing from it.
Holding the fragment of Rage Blood, I watched as it gradually turned into a blood-red stream and merged into the Deathstone.
Blood-red markings appeared on the Deathstone's surface. I floated above the Lake of Deathbane and let go. With a gurgle, the Deathstone sank into the lake, which began to spin violently.
"What did he say to you, at the end?"
Isabelle Frost's voice came. I turned—her voice was sorrowful. I shook my head, said nothing, and sat on a floating stone, quietly watching the Lake of Deathbane below.
"Lan Yin has finished preparing—the entrance to the Four Sacred Realm."
Isabelle Frost's voice turned cold. I nodded and stood up.
"Even at the end, John Chou wouldn't tell me—or maybe you..."
"He's always been like that, ever since long ago. A real bastard, causing trouble for others even after death."
I laughed and looked at Isabelle Frost. She gave a slightly warm smile.
"Mr. Brown..."
I looked toward the door as Mr. Brown floated over, his face full of sadness.
"Total war will begin soon..."
Suddenly, Mr. Brown's face was filled with rage. I watched him quietly.
"Not a single Nether Syndicate member left—until Old Tom appears."
In an instant, I floated before Mr. Brown, blocking him, shaking my head. Suddenly, I was shocked—tears streamed down Mr. Brown's face. I'd never seen him so heartbroken.
A hand rested on my shoulder.
"Ethan, how do you expect me to handle these feelings right now...?"
I shook my head and looked outside.
"No need to handle them, Mr. Brown. Just bury it in your heart—the anger, the sadness, the resentment—bury it deep inside..."
I turned and walked out, floated to the pavilion, and sat down.
"Ethan, are you alright?"
Yuna Ji floated over. I shook my head and looked at her. She sighed.
"You're still no match for those people. I hope you..."
"Ah, I know. I won't act recklessly, but I won't let the Immortality Society keep doing this either. Thank you."
At that moment, Yuna Ji shouted.
"Shadow, bring the things inside."