Isabelle Frost's face twisted with rage, grief, and utter helplessness. I had no grasp of the nightmare unfolding before me; all I knew was that the Isabelle Frost standing here was a stranger—her whole presence felt alien and menacing, as if something monstrous had seized control.
"Get out, Ethan Zhang. I don’t need your help."
Isabelle Frost glared at me, her fury barely contained. The only explanation for this nightmare was what John Chou had said to her after entering this world—words that shattered her resolve and left her teetering on the edge of despair.
"Calm down, Miss Frost. Fighting won’t solve anything right now—you need to keep your cool."
Isabelle Frost suddenly broke into laughter—a hollow, brittle sound, as if she had already surrendered to oblivion and was welcoming death with open arms.
I won’t lose. I absolutely won’t lose. John Chou—how long does he intend to torment me? I won’t lose...
A flash of red light appeared before me. With a bang, Isabelle Frost struck my chest with her hand, sending me flying backward. Instantly, I spat out a mouthful of black blood. A hand grabbed me—I turned my head quickly. It was my shadow.
In that instant, I realized I was inside my Instinctive Space—a shadowy realm deep within my soul, where all my ghostly instincts and powers collided in chaos.
Isabelle Frost’s red dress billowed, her sense of self utterly lost. I didn’t know the full story between her and John Chou, but the history between them weighed heavily on this moment. Now, Isabelle Frost was possessed by pure, unyielding rage.
"Ethan Zhang, if you don’t find a way to stop all this, I’m afraid this woman will break down."
I stared in shock at my shadow. Although I was inside my Instinctive Space, I knew clearly that I couldn’t say anything to Isabelle Frost—her power had already completely seeped into my Instinctive Space.
Suddenly, the cry of the Vermilion Bird rang out. In the sky, a pitch-black Vermilion Bird charged at Isabelle Frost, and wild black flames erupted in an instant.
"Fool! Rush in like that and you’ll die horribly."
Spirit Snake transformed into a black python, rising up from the ground and moving toward Isabelle Frost. Isabelle, already somewhat delirious, suddenly raised her head—her crimson eyes emitted a red glow.
"Isn’t that Rage Blood?"
I stared in astonishment—Isabelle Frost was holding Rage Blood in her hand. Suddenly, with a whoosh, she flew toward Zhu Tang and swung Rage Blood at him.
With several swishing sounds, the black Vermilion Bird that Zhu Tang had become vanished in an instant.
"Yin Ghost."
I shouted, sending blades of wind formed from black baleful energy at Isabelle Frost. She was drawn by the black wind blades, swinging Rage Blood several times to disperse them. With a whoosh, Spirit Snake pulled Zhu Tang back to my side.
"You idiot, rushing in is useless. That girl’s current state is likely driven by her Instinct—Qingyuan, gather every ounce of your strength and end this before it’s too late."
I understood what Spirit Snake meant—now, the evil Isabelle Frost was no longer the person she once was. I didn’t know what had happened, but I had to wake her up.
"None of you come out. Give me all your strength."
As I spoke, I raised Belle. Spirit Snake and Zhu Tang disappeared, and I transformed into a stream of black energy, rushing toward Isabelle Frost.
With a clang, a streak of red light burst forth, instantly suppressing my raging baleful energy and sending me flying backward. I crashed to the ground—Isabelle Frost’s mind was clearly unstable.
"Die, die! Everything—just die!"
I immediately floated up into the air. On the ground, clusters of brilliant Red Spider Lilies bloomed everywhere. I felt my strength about to collapse—as if everything in my Instinctive Space was beyond my control, my power suppressed by the energy constantly emanating from Isabelle Frost.
"Help me, Ethan Zhang, Heavenly Soul!"
I shouted, facing a surge of red energy sweeping toward me. I kept rising, needing to distance myself from Isabelle Frost. If I got hit by that red energy, it would be disastrous.
I kept fleeing—the red energy flow followed close behind. My Instinctive Space was now filled with countless Red Spider Lilies. It wouldn’t be long before my Instinct was overtaken.
A stream of white energy descended from the sky—it was Heavenly Soul, who had heard my call.
With a thunderous boom, a towering tree radiating white light erupted from the ground. A powerful gust swept over me, and I was swept up, flying into the distance. The red current struck the white tree, and instantly, red and white energies intertwined.
After I crashed to the ground, I looked up—Isabelle Frost was floating in the air, holding Rage Blood, a wicked smile at the corner of her mouth.
Everything stopped. The earlier frenzy ceased, and Isabelle Frost did not continue her assault on me.
Panting, I sat on the ground, staring at Isabelle Frost, who stood motionless across from me.
"For now, it’s best not to confront that girl, Qingyuan. You’re no match for her."
I saw a white figure appear beside me—it was Ethan Zhang, Heavenly Soul.
The red glow faded away within the giant white tree.
"Do you know something?"
I looked at Heavenly Soul—his gaze was fixed on Isabelle Frost, and he nodded.
"Instinct is a strange thing—it can give you great power, but it can also cause your true self to collapse. Right now, Isabelle Frost’s Instinct has replaced her own being. Ethan Zhang, you must find out what happened and talk to Isabelle Frost. Otherwise, you won’t be able to resolve this. I’ll hold back her power for now, but only for a short while."
I nodded. Heavenly Soul waved his hand, and a stream of white energy appeared beneath me, lifting me gently into the air.
I had never seen Isabelle Frost so terrifying before—her entire being radiated a destructive force. With one misstep, I could be swept into it.
"You only have one chance, remember that, Ethan Zhang. You must talk to Isabelle Frost—otherwise, nothing will change. Wake her up."
Heavenly Soul reminded me again. I felt myself rising to the top—black columns extended downward, and I immediately sensed something strange. I roared.
"Instinct... Coexistence."
A blurry mass of red energy appeared before me, and I immediately plunged into it.
It was Isabelle Frost. I stared at her in shock—her face contorted in anguish, her cries raw and desperate, as if her soul itself was being torn apart.
"Don’t cry, Miss. Please, don’t cry anymore."
Mr. Brown stood nearby, his attempts at comfort futile against Isabelle Frost’s agonized, soul-rending cries. She collapsed before a corpse, wailing as if her world had shattered.
And the owner of that corpse—I knew all too well. It was John Chou. I remembered that John Chou was killed by Lord Shenyan, and after his death, he became a ghost.
"Miss, please get up. Young Master is gone. If you keep..."
"Ah, why, why, John Chou, why did you do this? We made a promise, you said you wouldn’t leave me—you liar, liar..."
Isabelle Frost’s cries were relentless, her agony filling the room. Mr. Brown watched in silence, powerless. Then I saw a haze of gray—it was John Chou, now a ghost, his face devoid of emotion as he stared at the woman he once knew.
"Young Master, what should I do? Miss is..."
John Chou spoke, and Mr. Brown slowly approached Isabelle Frost, his movements deliberate and grim, reaching out to strike her neck.
John Chou spoke, and Mr. Brown slowly walked toward Isabelle Frost, reaching out and striking her neck.
With a heavy thud, Isabelle Frost—her voice hoarse from relentless sobbing—collapsed unconscious beside John Chou’s corpse. Mr. Brown gazed at her with a sorrowful, defeated look, sighing deeply, while John Chou’s lips curled into a cold smile.
"Even if my foolish little sister wakes, she’ll never understand, Mr. Brown. Just invent a reason—whatever it takes to keep her from falling apart."
"Ah, Young Master, that’s not right. Miss knows why you died. If I just make something up, she..."
John Chou walked to Isabelle Frost, gently placed his hand on her forehead, and smiled.
"Burn my body. Tomorrow morning, tell my foolish little sister that I’m not really dead—it was just a feigned death. Tell her not to spread the news, and to pretend to be sad. In a few years, let her come find me at the Garden—I’ll be watching her."
Mr. Brown stared in astonishment at John Chou, who burst out laughing.
If we don’t do this, my foolish little sister might destroy herself—and then no one could save the Yin family. I am the heir, and there are things left unfinished. You understand that, Mr. Brown.
Mr. Brown’s face was full of conflict. He looked at Isabelle Frost, who lay unconscious on the ground, then at John Chou, now a ghost.
Young Master, if you treat Miss this way... I fear for what may come.
"It’s fine. Even if my foolish little sister learns the truth later, it won’t matter. By then, I’ll be a powerful ghost and can talk to her face-to-face. That will solve everything."
Mr. Brown sighed and nodded. John Chou walked over to Isabelle Frost and reached out, but he could no longer touch even a strand of her hair.
Foolish little sister, don’t you dare think of dying. Finish what you must for your brother—only then can you choose death if you wish.