"They're attacking again." Yuna Ji's voice was tense as the Ghost Sovereign forces surged toward the mountain pass, where Redmond and I stood guard.
I quietly gazed at the dense swarm of ghosts advancing on the mountain pass below, still under repair. Redmond, beside me, watched with a grave expression. Smiling, I floated upward and, in an instant, appeared in the midst of these reckless, death-defying spirits.
A surge of Deathbane Aura erupted around me, and in the blink of an eye, these fragile ghosts were reduced to ash. I smiled faintly, glancing back at the distant mountain pass. My ability to leap through space is entirely thanks to this power.
When I returned to the pass, Redmond sat atop the wall, staring into the distance. From him, I learned that Hell's forces had breached the Living World, but Redmond managed to drive them back just in time.
"The Wraithlord wants to eliminate Tan Tian first. Isn't he worried you'll betray him? Even if it's not by the Wraithlord's hand, Rachel Lan is destined to die."
Redmond asked, and I laughed, shaking my head. The Wraithlord can read thoughts and memories, so our plan remains hidden—even from Luna Quay.
"I don't believe a word he says, but as long as I gain power, that's enough. I'll handle everything myself. Because the moment the Wraithlord gave me strength, I saw something—something extraordinary about the Coexistence Instinct and its connection to Rachel Lan and Ethan Zhang."
"What did you see, exactly? Was it the Infernal Will?"
I shook my head. The Instinct Origin is the past, the Coexistence Instinct is the present, and the Instinct Endbringer is the future. Rachel Lan holds the present, but her body can't withstand it—her death is tied to the Coexistence Instinct itself.
"It's something I can't put into words—just a feeling, like fate itself."
These past few days, I've been stationed in Netherhell, helping Redmond and Yuna Ji defend against the relentless waves of attacking ghosts. I know the Ghost Sovereigns are unable to use their powers right now; all we can do is wait for the moment when the Old Hell makes its move—or when the Wraithlord himself appears.
This slow war of attrition means nothing to me now. Ever since I obtained the source of Deathbane Aura, this power exists wherever there are ghosts—or humans. In fact, the attacks from the Shadow World are advantageous to me.
Suddenly, both Redmond and I turned to look behind us. I couldn't help but smile.
"He got here fast. Looks like John Chou is getting desperate."
Sure enough, moments later, a beam of red light descended from the distance, and John Chou landed right in front of us.
"It's rare to see you like this, John Chou!"
I said with a smile, and Redmond burst out laughing.
"Scared, John Chou?"
"Rachel Lan will die. In one week."
In that instant, my eyes widened, and even Redmond looked stunned, asking:
"Has the mark of death appeared already?"
John Chou nodded.
"Those from the Hades Circle can foresee the time of their own death. It seems this is real."
I watched the ghosts regroup in the distance, launching yet another attack. The situation was still grim. I stared at John Chou, who looked deeply troubled.
"We have to start the plan early."
As I wondered what he meant, streaks of light flashed in the distance. Yuna Ji was the first to arrive, followed by Lord Shenyan, then Mona Ouyang and Yvonne May.
All six Ghost Sovereigns had gathered, except for Basil Bertram. I forced a bitter smile.
"What are you saying, John Chou? This isn't what we agreed on. We have no time to prepare—shouldn't we wipe out the Immortality Society first?"
Redmond, furious, grabbed John Chou by the collar, but John Chou just smiled.
"There's no time. One week isn't enough. We can't keep fighting off these endless ghosts and still hunt down the Immortality Society. One week just isn't enough."
I stared at John Chou, and he looked back at me.
"Earthly Soul, can you do us a favor?"
Redmond gradually calmed down, falling silent. At the other passes, the Ghost Sovereigns' Blue Wraiths stood guard. On the easternmost, the three most critical passes were defended by Miranda Bertram and Basil Bertram's former subordinates.
I nodded, seeing the seriousness in John Chou's eyes.
"Go tell the Wraithlord where Luna Quay is hiding."
I swallowed hard, not fully understanding John Chou's intent. But I knew I couldn't ask more—the Wraithlord can read my thoughts and memories. The rest of the plan was a mystery, but it was clear Luna Quay was the key.
The Wraithlord really does plan a surprise attack, to eliminate Tan Tian quickly. But Tan Tian's Golden Soulstone isn't in his body, so Luna Quay is the only suspect.
Since Yuna Ji's incident, Luna Quay has been badly wounded and hasn't appeared since. That makes her a prime target for the Wraithlord. I don't know exactly what the Wraithlord saw, but he's convinced Tan Tian's Golden Soulstone is in Luna Quay's hands.
"What are you really planning, John Chou? From the looks of things, none of you are ready to face the Wraithlord—or the Emperor God, who still hasn't shown himself."
John Chou nodded.
"It's true we're not ready, but time has run out. Without Rachel Lan, we don't stand a chance."
My eyes widened.
"Is there any way to prevent Rachel Lan's death?"
I asked, and Yvonne May shook her head.
"It's already decided. Even if the Wraithlord doesn't kill her, Rachel Lan will die."
"Why?"
Looking at the Ghost Sovereigns' faces, I thought I understood. It was because of the Coexistence Instinct inside her. Ethan Zhang had mentioned this long ago—Rachel Lan's Instinct deeply resented him, perhaps because it already knew his true nature.
The Coexistence Instinct has been inside Rachel Lan for a long time. This miracle-working Instinct was created by the Infernal Will. I realized that after Rachel Lan dies, she may fall into Hell along with her Instinct—and that's exactly what Hell wants: for all three Instincts to merge.
Instinct Origin represents the past, Coexistence Instinct the present, and Instinct Endbringer the future. Rachel Lan holds the present, but her body can't bear it—her death is directly linked to the Coexistence Instinct.
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"Looks like you're even smarter than Ethan Zhang. Since you've figured it out, go tell the Wraithlord right away."
Yuna Ji chuckled, but her expression was anything but cheerful. Mona Ouyang clicked her tongue.
"If worst comes to worst, I can trap Rachel Lan's consciousness in a dream for now—until we find a solution..."
Mona Ouyang didn't finish her sentence; her face darkened.
"We'd need plenty of time for that. If the Emperor God and his allies are destroyed and no longer threaten this world, maybe we could try it. But right now—especially with the Immortality Society—it's impossible."
Lord Shenyan spoke up.
"I understand, John Chou. Tell me exactly where Luna Quay is."
John Chou nodded, stepped to my side, and whispered the location. Once I knew, I nodded and floated away.
"Can you really hide this from the Wraithlord when you go back?"
Mona Ouyang asked, and I nodded.
"There's no way to hide it. But since he's already convinced, all I need to do is help him find the place. The rest doesn't matter anymore. Next, I'll use all my power. If I fail when the Wraithlord makes his move, everything will depend on you."
John Chou called out to me.
"Earthly Soul, if war really breaks out, you must protect Rachel Lan."
I immediately shook my head.
"I can't. If the Wraithlord tries to control me, I'll be under his power. So when Tan Tian and the Wraithlord clash, I'll join the fight and use everything I've got. I don't know what will happen after I die, but right now, I feel the same as you. We'll finish what Ethan Zhang left behind, and end this struggle between humans and ghosts ourselves."
As soon as I finished speaking, I appeared near Netherhell. After another spatial jump, I arrived at the Gates of Ghosts. But I stopped, because a streak of red light appeared before me—a taxi floated slowly past.
"Where to? I'll take you."
I thanked him and got into Lin Rui's car. Lin Rui looked tense—everyone was on edge, because a war of overwhelming forces was about to begin. None of us knew what the future would bring.
"Earthly Soul, what do you think will happen?"
"Survival or destruction. That's all."
I smiled faintly, watching the red currents outside the window. Soon, I returned to H City. Lin Rui bowed to me.
"I always have to watch from the shadows. There's nothing I can do—it's just my job."
After Lin Rui left, I raised my hand and punched the space before me. Instantly, a fiery red tunnel split open, and I dove in.
"Do you know the place?"
Just as I saw the woods, the Wraithlord appeared at my side. I nodded.
"Are you hiding something from me?"
I hesitated, staring at the Wraithlord, then spoke.
"Of course I hope to team up with them and take you down, Wraithlord."
The Wraithlord burst into laughter, pressing a hand to my shoulder.
"Let's start with a skirmish, then. Looks like we have to hurry. So that's it—Rachel Lan's time is almost up, and they've pinned their last hopes on her. Too bad. I'll personally crush that last shred of hope. Whether human, ghost, or world... I'll destroy every hope there is."
I glared at the Wraithlord, furious. Black smoke curled from my clenched fist as he stared back coldly.
"If you want to fight now, I can send you on your way, Earthly Soul."
I shook my head.
"Fine, follow me. Now that I'm resurrected, I need to stretch a bit. The first one I'll kill is Luna Quay!"