Violent coughing continued as Lady Meng gently patted Lord Tai Shan’s back. Lord Quintus stood quietly to the side, staring intently across at the opposition.
"This isn't your hell, so don't cause such chaos here. Do you want all these people behind you to be buried with you?"
Lady Meng turned her head and glanced at us as she spoke. I struggled to my feet, Luantian Xuekui withdrew her supporting hand, and Lucas Dao’s expression grew grave.
"Lord Tai Shan, Lord Quintus, Lady Meng—do you have any chance of victory against that guy over there?"
As soon as Lucas Dao finished speaking, I looked over. A pair of icy eyes were locked on us—Tan Tian and his group. Behind him, six members of the Immortality Society sat unscathed, Luna Quay was seated beside Tan Tian.
"So strong."
I muttered to myself. So far, this was the strongest opponent I had ever seen. The ghostly aura around Lord Tai Shan was no longer as fierce and overwhelming as before—it had diminished. Lady Meng appeared to be simply patting his back, but in reality, she was treating him.
"He existed even when I was still human. Back then, he was with Luna Quay. Later, I learned he was the first zombie to appear since the dawn of humanity."
Luantian Xuekui spoke, and Cui Jue came over.
"We in the Underworld have been aware of his existence since our founding, and have monitored him closely all these years. He’s never instigated trouble, and even solved many cases of zombies acting in the living world when the modern era arrived. Only in the matter of Ji Yuner did he show a hardline attitude. When the powers of Nether Hell first began to emerge years ago, we did nothing precisely because of his stance—if we intervened, he would stop at nothing to destroy Hell."
This was the first time I’d heard of such a thing. Yuna Ji did indeed become Ghost Sovereign by collaborating with the Nether Syndicate. I glanced at Tan Tian, recalling the last incident—Yuna Ji and Luna Quay’s wedding. Missing that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, perhaps that’s when Tan Tian began seeking another path, eventually getting involved with the Immortality Society.
Lady Meng sighed. I looked over; I’d seen Yuna Ji’s memories clearly. Since then, Tan Tian had been pursuing one thing: regaining his emotions. I don’t know what Xu Fu promised him, but it wasn’t just empty words—he actually saw something. In the shadow world, I once saw those black cylindrical coffins, where some kind of experiment was underway. The gas released inside—when zombies inhaled it, they truly could temporarily feel emotions.
A chill crept through me. Because I had lost my own emotions, I could understand the plight of these zombies—emotion was a coveted luxury for them.
"I don’t want things to get any worse. Hand over the Blood Jade, and we’ll leave immediately."
Tan Tian finally spoke, his voice icy and his attitude uncompromising. Xu Fu moved closer; they were on a nearby black floating stone, not far from us.
Lord Quintus glanced around and shook his head helplessly.
"That guy really is formidable. Lady Meng and I barely managed to save you all. Not only did he rescue those Immortality Society members, but he also instantly unfurled a corpse membrane I’ve never seen before, and absorbed all your Heavy Prison’s power."
As Lord Quintus spoke, he turned to look at me, then asked solemnly.
"Ethan Zhang, what do you think about his proposal?"
I quickly shook my head.
"I will not hand over the Blood Jade."
Immediately, a faint smile appeared on Lord Quintus’s grave face. He nodded.
"Good."
"It’s been a long time since I stretched my muscles. We may not stand a chance, but we won’t be defeated so easily. The others will be here soon."
A tingling sensation ran through me. I stared in surprise at Luantian Xuekui as strands of blood pierced into my body. I felt a strange itch, but my Ghost Soul quickly returned to normal. I raised a hand—the Deathbane Aura could be released again.
Lady Meng glanced at me, then began to count.
"Find a chance to get Ethan Zhang out first. We may not be able to escape this corpse membrane easily, but Ethan Zhang can."
Lord Quintus nodded. Across from us, Tan Tian had already bent slightly, ready to attack at any moment.
"Wait for Tan Tian."
Just as the battle was about to erupt, Xu Fu stepped forward.
"How about this: in such a confined space, if we start fighting, none of us will come out unscathed. So, I propose a one-on-one duel. After all, you’re some of the top figures in the ghost realm. Or do you plan to attack together?"
With a loud bang, Lord Tai Shan slammed the ground and stood up, glaring fiercely at Tan Tian across from him.
"One-on-one it is. Let’s go."
Lady Meng sighed helplessly, and everyone’s eyes fixed on Xu Fu, who wore a wicked smile at the corner of his mouth.
With a roar, Lord Tai Shan flew forward, raising both hands and standing before us. The floating debris in the air began to swirl, and a powerful ghostly aura instantly swelled, nearly filling the entire space.
"Even now, you still insist on being stubborn."
Lady Meng muttered, while Lord Tai Shan burst into wild laughter.
"Come on, I’ll be your opponent. If you really think you can defeat me so easily, then give it a try."
With a boom, Tan Tian appeared in front of Lord Tai Shan in an instant, crouching low and thrusting a hand toward Lord Tai Shan’s chest.
Lord Tai Shan smiled. Two small black spheres appeared in his hands. In an instant, Tan Tian’s hand strike stopped at Lord Tai Shan’s chest, as if restrained by some force and unable to move forward.