"What exactly happened, John Chou? Can you explain it clearly?"
Redmond glared angrily at John Chou, one hand in his pocket as he stood in midair, his face growing darker with rage. Yuna Ji sat on the ground, clutching her spear.
Basil Bertram and Mona Ouyang watched coldly from the side, not approaching. Basil looked a bit exhausted, and Mona's expression was also poor.
Yvonne May sat quietly atop a higher sand pile, watching the scene. Deathcurse was still helping Isabelle Frost check her physical condition.
Lord Shenyan sat not far from Redmond, supporting himself with the Sinblade.
"You tell them, brother. What exactly happened just now?"
John Chou sat down as he spoke. According to Redmond, after the Immortality Society members gathered, a burst of black light swept over them and they all vanished without a trace—no sign or even a hint of their presence remained.
I began to explain. As I spoke, Redmond gradually calmed down, and soon everyone gathered around.
"That's basically what happened."
I finished, and Redmond sat down, looking at John Chou.
"Why use such a complicated method? If you'd told us earlier, we could have worked together to deal with Tan Tian."
John Chou smiled and shook his head.
"You know how difficult it is to deal with that old man, and with the Immortality Society involved, how could you possibly take him down?"
Redmond curled his lip, while John Chou smiled faintly.
"Otherwise, why do you think that girl you brought didn't attend the Dark Banquet?"
With John Chou's words, we all looked at him. Rufina Howard clearly qualified for the Dark Banquet and was present that day, but she didn't come.
"Was that your doing, John Chou?"
John Chou nodded.
"Their plan had two parts—Tan Tian and the girl with the Prime Ancestor's bloodline. Either one missing would make things difficult, but I cut off the source directly, so their plan was doomed to fail."
"What about Mr. Brown? Is he alright?"
Yuna Ji couldn't help but ask. John Chou shook his head and smiled.
"I don't know either. But the Asura Realm is his territory—even Tan Tian can't get out quickly."
"What exactly are you planning, John Chou? Tell us clearly."
Lord Shenyan finally couldn't hold back and asked. John Chou nodded.
"Ms. Yvonne May, please hold on a little longer."
Yvonne May nodded. John Chou stood up, brushed off the sand, and looked into the distance with a half-smile.
"As you all know, this place is locked in time—no past, no future, only the present. What do you think that means?"
"It doesn't exist."
Mona Ouyang muttered coldly. We all looked at him in confusion, and he laughed.
"That's what you wanted to say, isn't it?"
"The reason I told you not to eat anything here yet isn't just because the darkness will corrode your body, or that those who can't comprehend it will be destroyed. There's a deeper reason."
A chill seized me and I sprang to my feet, my eyes fixed on Yin Choujian.
"That's not what you said before, Yin Choujian..."
A hand clamped down on my shoulder. Yin Choujian let out a low, unsettling chuckle.
"Brother, plans are always outpaced by change, aren't they? Besides, I only told you half the story. When we get back, I urge you all—never eat or drink anything from here again. Because when the Dark Banquet ends, we..."
"We'll simply cease to exist, won't we?"
Ouyang Meng broke into uneasy laughter. Yin Choujian nodded, his grin fading, his expression grave—no hint of jest remained.
"Think about the words of the Dark Banquet: 'Fall into darkness, never see the light again.'"
Yun Mei seemed to catch on; her eyes widened in surprise, which slowly twisted into shock.
"Time flows endlessly, with no true beginning or end. But if it stops—if the current freezes—then past and future are erased. The present is caught between two immense, never-touching points. If this continues, we'll be lost to oblivion."
I swallowed, my throat tight. Unease etched itself onto every face—disappearing meant our marks on the living world would be erased forever.
"There's no need to panic yet—eight days remain, don't they? And the Immortality Society knows this too. They'll have a way back, so..."
"If we wipe them out here, we'll never return to the world of the living."
Red Hair spat out the words, kicking sand and slamming his fists into the ground, rage twisting his face.
"For those people, everything in the world of the living is impossible to abandon. They must have a way back. Our job is to find it, secure it, and only then destroy them at our leisure."
The situation left us all restless and on edge. If the Dark Banquet ended, we'd be trapped—like the other residents here, condemned to eternal darkness. No past, no future, only shadows cast by sunlight, forever barred from its warmth.
"Just tell us, Yin Choujian—what else do you know?"
Red Hair paced restlessly, anxiety etched into every movement.
"One more thing—the way back might be hidden within the Dark Banquet itself. Why split it into thirteen nights? That question matters. Something unexpected could surface at the banquet. And the residents here—I've confirmed it—they can't be killed. Even if you kill them briefly, the stronger they are, the faster they revive. They fear nothing in this darkness. Which means..."
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