"Are you trying to rebel?"
The Emperor of the Dead roared, unleashing a surge of powerful ghostly energy. With a thunderous crash, Wilson Wu was hurled across the room, slamming into the sealed doors. I crouched on the ground as Coco Wu screamed, clutching her hand tightly.
Images in my mind grew sharper—a spider, eight legs, and above its head, just as in my memory, eight glowing red eyes.
Slowly, I rose to my feet. Deathbane Aura seeped from every pore, transforming my appearance. My cloak billowed violently. Letting go of Coco Wu’s hand, I stared at the figure before me, now certain of its true identity—the Ancient Spider Wraith.
Once, with John Chou leading over a hundred fierce ghosts, we defeated a terrifying Blueshade Wraith. I laughed at myself, the laughter growing uncontrollable.
"Hmph, what are you laughing at?"
"Oh, Spider Wraith, it’s been a thousand years and you’re still hiding here? Weren’t you seeking revenge—hunting down John Chou, the one who defeated you? Yet you’re still lurking, still turning ghosts into your puppets, just like before?"
Those eight red eyes locked onto me, a gust of wind swirling through the room.
"Brother!"
Coco Wu screamed as a spear lunged toward me. My Deathbane Aura twisted, coiling around the spear thrust by Wilson Wu. I stared coldly at the figure before me—outwardly the Emperor of the Dead, but inside, nothing more than the rotten husk of the Spider Wraith.
Completely under its control, Wilson Wu’s ghostly energy burst out in waves. His suicidal attack seemed intent on taking me down with him, heedless of his own life. Coco Wu trembled as she watched me.
"Fakes—no matter if a thousand or ten thousand years pass—can never match what’s real. Spider Wraith, it’s been a millennium, but compared to John Chou, you’re worlds apart."
"Hmph, who are you? State your name."
"I am Blackfang."
"Hmph, Blackfang, what brings you here? Are you trying to steal my..."
"Don’t make me laugh. I’m just passing through. You’re in my way."
Roy Luo drifted over. Two streams of Deathbane Aura shot up, wrapping around them with a crackling sound. Two Blueshade Wraiths froze into blocks of black ice. In the air, I could see strands of black, shattered spider silk floating in the swirling black mist. The entire hall was filled with these tangled webs, crisscrossing and filling every corner.
"It’s fine. This only seals their movements for now."
I glanced at Coco Wu beside me. Her face was ashen as she clung to my arm. With a rush, the Curse Ghost emerged from my body, grabbing Coco Wu with one hand.
"Take her somewhere safe."
Slowly raising Hell's Sentinel, I slashed forward. The rotten shell of the Emperor of the Dead shattered into pieces, thick, viscous fluid gushing out. Roaring, I unleashed wild Deathbane Aura, destroying everything around me.
Just as Coco Wu described, before me lay pits covered in spider silk. I sneered.
"How many have you devoured? Spider Wraith, after all these centuries, your cruelty hasn’t changed."
"Hmph, only the one who laughs last is the real winner. I never lost to John Chou—he only used tricks..."
"Enough talk. Show yourself, Ancient Spider Wraith. I have just one question: do you know the path to the Underworld Court?"
"Of course I do. Everything here is mine. But listen, boy, since you’ve come in, don’t expect to leave. This is the spider’s lair."
A rustling sound echoed. From the small holes in the ground, I heard crawling, and then Blackbelly Greenstripe Spiders emerged—each two meters tall, massive. As soon as they appeared, shrill, piercing screeches filled the air.
Thick, sticky white fluid sprayed from the spiders’ mouths. Smiling, I ignited black flames across my body.
With a thunderous boom, the black flames erupted from me in all directions, burning away every trace of the white fluid.
"Not bad, kid. But what consequences will you face, hmm?"
After the flames died down, white mist swirled around me. I felt a faint stabbing pain in my ghost soul—it was poison mist, deadly to ghosts.
"Devour them, Tong Ghost."
Deathbane Aura surged from my spine, morphing into a huge black maw that began to suck in the white mist. In moments, the poison fog vanished.
The spiders on the ground reared up, launching themselves at me. With a slash of Hell’s Sentinel, I split one midair, its fluids splattering and sizzling on my skin, sending up clouds of black smoke.
Grinning, I dodged the relentless barrage of leaping spiders.
"Not planning to show yourself?"
Spiders shot into the air, spinning out white, silvery threads that whipped toward me. More and more spiders crowded the ground as a chilling laughter echoed.
Slowly, I released Deathbane Aura from my hands. In my mind, I recalled a weapon—one I’d forged in the Forest of Desire after long, grueling effort. Now, I could finally use it.
Deathbane Aura coiled around my hands, shifting shape. With a crack, a spider lunged at me, only to be pierced a thousand times by my aura’s needle-like spikes.
"Synchronize. Condense. Gatling."
"What is that?"
The Spider Wraith gasped in shock. Slowly, twin Gatlings—each over a meter long—materialized in my hands. I roared and aimed at the swarm of leaping spiders, squeezing the trigger.
The rapid-fire bursts thundered as jet-black bullets tore dozens of spiders apart, shattering them instantly. Raising a Gatling in my left hand, I fired into the sky.
Bullets streaked upward like wild stallions, transforming the overhead space into a sea of black flames.
The new spiders emerging from the ground couldn’t match my rate of fire. Everywhere, shattered spiders littered the ground, some whimpering in agony.
My twin Gatlings kept spinning, mechanical sounds filling the air. No more spiders crawled out of the holes. Silence fell.
"Your proud puppets—all wiped out."
I shouted mockingly. The Spider Wraith fell silent. After a moment, a green light flashed before me, and just like years ago, the Spider Wraith appeared—eight blade-like black legs jutting from its back.
"Hmph, nothing but cheap tricks."
With a rush, the Ancient Spider Wraith lunged at me, eight legs shooting out. I dissolved into black mist, reappearing above its head, and brought Belle down without mercy.
Metallic clangs rang out as I tumbled through the air, clashing fiercely with the Ancient Spider Wraith’s eight massive legs. Its mouth, a grotesque spider maw, spat streams of silk, but I dodged every attack without fail.
Deathbane Aura thickened around me, pressing down on the Ancient Spider Wraith. Its claws kept slashing at me—hard as steel, impossible to sever easily.
With a sharp clang, I deflected another blow and surged away on a wave of Deathbane Aura, putting distance between us. Murderous intent boiled inside me, and Deathbane Aura pulsed violently along Belle’s blade.
"Wait, let’s talk—there’s no need…"
With a slash, I severed all eight of the Ancient Spider Wraith’s legs. It stared at me in terror and tried to flee.
With a crash, the Ancient Spider Wraith slammed into something—a mirror, impossibly hard. Its body began to sink into the glass. Panicked, it tried to retreat, but mirrors now stood on all sides.
"Took you long enough. Did you have to wait for me to do all the fighting before showing up?"
Victor Duan appeared atop one of the mirrors, smiling.
"You couldn’t even handle this trash, Zhang…Blackfang. As the boss of Blackfang, aren’t you a bit weak? Maybe I should take over."
Isabelle Frost’s voice drifted from behind me.
I waved my hand helplessly. Now, the Ancient Spider Wraith stared in despair at Blackmoon.
"Don’t worry, boss. The area’s sealed by the others—no one from the Underworld Court will sense your presence."
"So you want to gang up on me?"
The Ancient Spider Wraith spat with hatred. I drifted closer.
"Just one question—where’s the passage to the Underworld Court?"
The moment I saw Blackmoon, information flooded my mind. They’d nearly turned Necropolis upside down, but still hadn’t found the passage to the Underworld Court.
"Heh, you’re all dangerous—so many powerful ghosts invading my territory. Let’s make a deal: I’ll tell you about the passage, but you…"
"A deal only works if both sides are equal. You, and us—Blackfang—are not equals. So…"
Suddenly, I stepped aside. With a click, the camera shutter sounded—Cao Wanzhi raised his old camera and snapped a photo of the Ancient Spider Wraith.