"Is it ready yet?"
I gazed quietly at the sword before me. Its aura was growing ever purer—the cylindrical blade, shimmering like multicolored clouds, radiated a piercing energy. My hand gripped the hilt tightly, my heart already wracked with impatience.
The supernatural beasts were all prepared, each brimming with restless anticipation. I lifted my head, looking toward Mother Goddess Nuwa in the distance. She remained at the spot between the two mountains, waiting quietly. She had no intention of joining me, preferring instead to watch from here in silence.
I already knew the name of this sword—Starwatcher. The sword itself had told me. I could sense everything within it with clarity. This was the final means to destroy the Wraithlord’s ghost body. From the beginning, Mother Goddess Nuwa had forged a vessel for the Wraithlord using materials that Starwatcher could suppress. All I needed to do was shatter the ghost body again and seal his Three Souls and Seven Spirits separately.
The place where the Wraithlord would ultimately be sealed was right here in this Illusory Realm. As long as he had no physical form, the will of the realm would permit me to do this. The powerful supernatural beasts here were more than enough to handle any of the Wraithlord’s souls or spirits. I had only 24 hours in the Yin-Yang World. When it was over, I might return here—or perhaps descend into Hell.
Now, the supernatural beasts had all fallen silent, waiting for the sword to complete its convergence. I finally understood what 'convergence' meant—it was to unify the chaotic powers within me. In the instant I returned to that world, I would regain my instinct for coexistence, allowing the powers of Buddhism, Taoism, humanity, and causality to harmonize. Zachary Justice had told me: to defeat the Wraithlord, the only way was to overpower him in strength, then seize the chance to break his ghost body. That was an exceedingly difficult task. In the Mirror World, I had already discussed with Zachary Justice exactly how we would confront the Wraithlord.
"Is it ready yet?"
I asked again. The multicolored glow on Starwatcher began to shift into softer hues, telling me it needed more time. I had witnessed everything before. From within time itself, I could not stop what was happening. Now, I feared it had all already come to pass.
Suddenly, the glow on Starwatcher contracted into the blade itself. I drew Starwatcher in an instant, feeling a surge of energy within me. The supernatural beasts grew restless. At that moment, beside us, the will of the Illusory Realm appeared.
"Remember this, Ethan Zhang: you have only 24 hours. You are permitted to ignore any law, use your power, and will not be expelled by the world's laws."
I nodded. The Will of the Illusory Realm raised a hand, and at that moment, a mass of violent clouds enveloped us. Eugenia and Blueflame Warden came to my side, while the Nine-Tailed Fox giggled. I glanced at Jade May in the distance as she waved to me, and I smiled and nodded back.
In an instant, the mist cleared. When I set foot again, I was already standing atop the apartment building. Darkness surrounded me, but I could sense a voice—the broken will of my former Ghost Domain, already destroyed by the Wraithlord. I raised a hand, black and white currents swirling in my palm.
"Karmic Reversal!"
With a hum, I saw the will of my Ghost Domain before me, now whole again.
"Your name is Human Ghost!"
I stared blankly at the thing before me, identical to myself. It smiled faintly and slowly merged into my body. I looked toward the apartment courtyard, where a mass of cherry trees once again filled my vision. Petals fluttered in the air as I gently landed on the ground. The surrounding darkness began to crack, and the now-shrunken supernatural beasts stood atop the building.
"Remember, do not use power that is too strong. In this world, you can only use twenty percent of your strength."
In a daze, the apartment building returned to its original place. Where I stood, the surroundings had long turned to scorched earth and ruins. I watched quietly as two figures appeared in the building—Redmond and Quentin Kue. The beasts behind me instantly grew larger, and violent currents mixed with glazed light swept away the ghostly energy around us.
I approached Redmond. He was barely conscious, slumped beside a small pavilion. Before me lay seven stones: the black Killing Stone, the purple Nightmare Stone, the black-and-white Jiu Chen Stone, the blue Karmafire Stone, the earth-yellow Wood Pact Stone, the nine-colored Netherstone, and the fiery-red Malice Stone.
Redmond smiled faintly. I crouched before him. Quentin Kue sat nearby, his face grim and looking extremely weak—barely a trace of ghostly energy remained on him.