Ethan Zhang told Luo Yu that he only learned of Luo Yu's plight after visiting Mount Immeasurable and hearing about it from Master Boundless, which compelled him to come and help.
Luo Yu was moved. He recounted how, for two years, he had sought help from the Arcane Society, but many turned him away. Even the Daoist Order harbored deep hatred for corpse handlers like him.
Ethan Zhang shook his head, telling Luo Yu that the Nether Syndicate's problems weren't ignored by the Arcane Society—it's just that no one could spare the time. The havoc left by the seven evil ghosts in the Living World demanded their attention, leaving most sects overwhelmed.
But looking at Ethan Zhang, Luo Yu felt a cold hopelessness settle in his chest. He spoke bluntly, admitting that the revenants were terrifying beyond measure.
After hearing Luo Yu's account of the revenants, Ethan Zhang seemed to understand. He smiled faintly, saying that his ancestor was now only a Flying Revenant—nothing to fear. The true danger lay with the three revenants that followed.
Luo Yu thought Ethan Zhang was boasting, but kept silent. Ethan Zhang noticed and explained that although he appeared in his thirties, he was actually seventy years old—and one of the newly appointed Nine Dao Gate Elders.
Luo Yu didn't trust Ethan Zhang. Ethan said he planned to convene a Taoist Grand Assembly, personally inviting the Zen Order and several major sects to discuss strategy. He hoped Luo Yu would continue to track the revenants. Luo Yu listened in silence, haunted by memories of his ancestor's power—he knew the Arcane Society was no match. But the Blue-Faced Men were something else: their strength was monstrous, inhuman.
Days crawled by, and Luo Yu stayed busy. He had already resolved to accept the Blue-Faced Men's terms, whatever the cost.
As the appointed day approached, dread built in Luo Yu's heart. That night, a Blue-Faced Man arrived at his home, just as promised.
The Blue-Faced Man warned Luo Yu not to trust the Daoist Order. Luo Yu was shocked. The Blue-Faced Man explained: the Daoist Order wanted to strike at the source—the corpse handlers. Because corpse handlers endlessly supplied the Nether Syndicate with revenants, the Arcane Society might soon target them all.
Panic seized Luo Yu. He agreed to cooperate with the Blue-Faced Man, who demanded the family's most precious artifact—the Corpse Banner.
Luo Yu hesitated, torn, but ultimately relented. The Blue-Faced Man took the Corpse Banner and, with chilling insistence, warned Luo Yu again: never trust the Arcane Society.
A few days after the Blue-Faced Man's departure, Ethan Zhang arrived at Luo Yu's home, smiling. He announced that the Daoist Order and Zen Order had resolved to take action against the Nether Syndicate. When Ethan asked about the current state of affairs, Luo Yu shook his head, claiming he'd been home all year, busy teaching children secret rituals. Ethan sensed something was off—Luo Yu's demeanor had changed.
The conversation ended in uneasy silence. Ethan Zhang could see Luo Yu's distrust, but said nothing, only promising to return with the Daoist Order and Zen Order representatives.
After Ethan Zhang left, the Blue-Faced Man appeared at once, instructing Luo Yu to do nothing and simply wait. They promised to rid Gourd Village of its revenants. Luo Yu's thoughts turned to his father—guilt gnawed at him, but he forced himself to remember: his father was gone, now just a cold corpse.
A few days later, the Blue-Faced Man returned, demanding large quantities of Corpse Clay. Suspicion flickered in Luo Yu's mind, but he complied. The Blue-Faced Man took the Corpse Clay and assured him the matter would soon be resolved.
Days slipped by. Luo Yu waited, uncertain if the Blue-Faced Men would ever keep their promise. Doubt gnawed at him—was he being deceived? Still, he clung to his resolve.
It was then that Luo Yu married Lucy Lu, the girl whose laughter had brightened his darkest years. To Luo Yu, she was everything—his only solace beyond the family's burdens.
One day, his uncle Jude Luo staggered home, bloodied and battered. He told Luo Yu he'd been attacked by the Arcane Society. Several corpse handlers were killed on the spot. The practitioners were furious, vowing to exterminate every corpse handler.
Just as the Blue-Faced Man predicted, the Arcane Society came for them within days. Luo Family could not resist—their bodies tainted by corpse energy, they were helpless as the Arcane Society subdued them with ritual arts.
Luo Yu stared at the seething crowd of Arcane Society practitioners, unable to grasp the depth of their rage. Among them, sect members from all corners had gathered. Suddenly, Luo Yichen appeared—without a word, he unleashed a merciless slaughter, leading his revenants in a massacre that drenched the sects in blood.
At that moment, Luo Yu was oblivious to the true chaos: the Blue-Faced Man had stolen the Corpse Banner, attacked the Arcane Society, and used Corpse Clay to transform their members into revenants. Sects fell into turmoil, and the Arcane Society, consumed by fury, rose up in retaliation.
One day, Luo Yichen staggered home, grievously wounded. He urged Luo Yu to take the family and flee to Gourd Village—if they stayed, they would be slaughtered. Then, Luo Yichen disappeared into the night.
With hope and dread warring in his heart, Luo Yu gathered his family to escape to Gourd Village. But before they could depart, the Arcane Society besieged Luo Family Village. Corpse handlers were butchered without mercy. Luo Yu fled with his wife, unable to fathom the sudden, savage hatred directed at them.
Luo Yu and his wife failed to escape. The Arcane Society seized him, Ethan Zhang among them. Ethan's eyes were cold—his attitude toward Luo Yu now utterly changed, chilling and merciless.
Ethan Zhang's words were venomous: corpse handlers were never to be trusted. He accused Luo Yu of luring the Arcane Society into a trap set by the Nether Syndicate. Luo Yu sneered, his voice bitter—calling them cowards who hid behind the mask of righteousness.
The menace of revenants was no secret, yet most in the Arcane Society chose blindness. Ethan Zhang recounted how, in the last six months, countless practitioners had been attacked, their corpses delivered to the revenants. With Luo Yichen's rampage, the Arcane Society could no longer stand by. They targeted the root—the corpse handlers—to purge the revenant threat.
Luo Yu managed only a bitter, broken smile. Desperate, he pleaded with the Arcane Society: spare his wife, and the wives and children of the corpse handlers—they were innocent, untouched by ritual or secret arts.
Some in the Arcane Society relented, but Ethan Zhang was unmoved. Even if the innocents had not yet participated, they might one day continue their family's dark legacy. As long as the Luo bloodline endured, the revenants could help the family rise again.
Luo Yu railed against the Arcane Society, but it was too late—Luo Family Village was surrounded. They planned to burn everything. Helpless, Luo Yu was consumed by regret for trusting the Blue-Faced Man. At last, the grim truth became clear.
All Luo Yu could do was tell the Arcane Society about the powerful Blue-Faced Man who had manipulated him, but his pleas were met with disbelief and cold dismissal.
That night, fire devoured Luo Family Village—everything reduced to ash. Luo Yu awoke to devastation, screaming in horror, yet untouched. The Blue-Faced Man stood before him, his presence chilling and absolute.
Luo Yu demanded answers. The Blue-Faced Man confessed: he had incited the Arcane Society's hatred using the Corpse Banner and Corpse Clay.
Luo Yu sobbed in despair, powerless to undo the horror. Then the Golden Mask Man appeared, his voice cold and tempting—Luo Yu had great potential. He was formally invited to join the Immortality Society.
Luo Yu hurled accusations at the Golden Mask Man, but was met only with icy philosophy: suffering was a lesson, exposing the world's cruelty and his own helplessness. All the tragedy was born of his weakness.
In the end, Luo Yu joined the Immortality Society. On the Golden Mask Man's orders, he burned his own face—pain and ash his only companions—as he donned a white mask, sealing away his former self.
Night after night, Luo Yu woke from nightmares, seething with rage—rage that made him want to slaughter every member of the Arcane Society. The Immortality Society's brutal training broke him, but he survived. Finally, he was given a mission: with several Black Mask Agents, he set out to capture Arcane Society practitioners.
But this time, Luo Yu snapped. He ignored orders to capture minor sect members—instead, he butchered them mercilessly, pouring all his hatred and pain into the slaughter.
He expected rebuke from the Blue-Faced Man, his superior, but instead received praise. The Blue-Faced Man told him: anger was power, and he had wielded it well.
Within a few years, Luo Yu had become a Red Mask Agent. His power grew relentlessly, his thirst for vengeance unquenched. The Blue-Faced Man warned him to wait—the time for revenge would come. Then, through the revenants, they would annihilate the Arcane Society.
But Luo Yu shook his head. The Arcane Society, united, was formidable. The Blue-Faced Man replied: the Nether Syndicate had stood unbroken for years, even challenging the Underworld Court. Its three clan leaders were so powerful that even the founders of the Zen and Daoist Orders together could not defeat them.