A violent shockwave pressed in from all directions, blowing me away. Under this immense force, I slammed into an invisible wall with a bang.
Blood kept spilling from the corner of my mouth as I struggled to steady myself. The roar continued, and I saw a crack slowly appear in the sky, opening into a massive hole.
"Get into the Shadow Realm, brother."
John Chou's voice echoed in my mind. I immediately opened the Shadow Realm and dove in with a whoosh, collapsing to the ground, gasping for breath as I looked at John Chou. Mr. Brown came over and helped me up.
"Why so hasty? That red-haired idiot."
John Chou stared solemnly at the space in front of him, which was slowly closing.
"If you have something to say, hurry up. I still need to go back out—those two..."
"Worry about yourself, brother. Didn't you notice?"
I let out a confused sound and looked around, puzzled, at John Chou.
"The dreamscape Mona Ouyang created to split the battlefield has been destroyed. What do you think the Immortality Society will do next?"
Yin Choujian spoke with a wicked smile. At that moment, Master Zhuang raised his hand, and with a thunderous boom, a massive hole appeared before our eyes. I swallowed hard as Yin Choujian slowly floated upward. With a rush, the slaughter blurred and then entered Yin Choujian’s body.
“Although the timing isn’t ideal, we have no other choice now. Let’s go, brother. I’ll explain what to do once we’re through.”
In an instant, Yin Choujian and I were swallowed by the black space before us—a feeling both familiar and unbelievable, long and endless.
It was somewhat like the space I’d entered when I visited the future. Back then, I encountered a monster and only escaped by devouring its flesh and blood.
Yin Choujian was ahead of me, his profile filled with worry.
“So, what exactly do you need me to do?”
“Coexist with the Sanzu Force. That’s all there is to it. Then, through your instincts, I’ll temporarily reclaim my Bloodbane power. This way, the Sanzu Force won’t notice right away. All you need to do is hold out.”
I responded with a simple “Oh.” Yin Choujian smiled.
“It’s simple, isn’t it, brother?”
“It doesn’t sound simple. Can you tell me? What’s your real plan?”
I was genuinely confused by Yin Choujian’s so-called plan.
“Tampering with those Dark Hearts.”
I let out a puzzled “Ah” and looked at Yin Choujian.
“Xu Fu talks a big game, but it’s just his own obsession. He disdains methods that lock down one’s time and space, but that doesn’t mean the others won’t be interested. To them, these Dark Hearts are essential—their power increases dramatically. After all, the heart is their core, and great power needs something to contain it. The strength of these Dark Hearts is enough for them to unleash even stronger abilities.”
I started to understand and then asked,
“You’re going to tamper with those hearts and then kill them when they least expect it?”
Yin Choujian nodded.
“Something like that. You know about Ada, the drug slave, right?”
I nodded. Ada had been Xu Fu’s drug slave since childhood, but I wasn’t clear on what happened after that.
Because of years of drug erosion, his physique mutated in ways that seemed impossible. In short, his endurance increased dramatically—so much that it defied belief. That’s why the Immortality Society always had him try the most significant experiments first.
“So the heart implants were his, too?”
Yin Choujian nodded and then said,
“I’ve already tampered with all those semi-finished hearts. They’d never expect it. The Dark Banquet crowd—one faction is planning to trade with the Immortality Society after the banquet. Once their deal is done, we’ll attack. Naturally, they’ll want to try out their new acquisitions. That’s when the perfect opportunity to strike arises.”
I swallowed, a chill running down my spine at the thought. Yin Choujian had planned so far ahead. But now, with our sudden attack, who knows what the outcome will be? Both sides are bound to suffer losses. Everyone knows this, and that’s why they’re willing to fight.
Years of accumulated grudges—not just among the Ghost Sovereigns, but even between me and the Immortality Society—we’re mortal enemies now.
When I nearly defeated Lao Chongyuan, I felt a surge of joy—a joy so intense it was the only way I could honor the fallen members of the Ghost Burial Squad.
Even now, Old Stone’s helpless cries from that night are burned into my memory.
“We’re almost there, brother. Get ready.”
I acknowledged, and a hint of baleful energy began to surface on my body.
In a daze, I saw a flash of blinding white light. Shielding my eyes, we were suddenly outside. For a moment, my attention wasn’t drawn to the three massive spheres representing the Sanzu Force, but to Lady Meng, who blocked our way.
“Well, long time no see, Lady Meng.”
Yin Choujian greeted her with a smile, but Lady Meng was stern, her eyes filled with anger.
“You really intend to take back your Bloodbane power?”
“Will you help me? Or will you try to stop me?”
Yin Choujian spoke each word deliberately. Lady Meng quietly watched him, then looked at me and nodded slightly.
“You should thank Zhang Qingyuan. He’s the only person this old woman can trust.”
I thanked her, and Yin Choujian slowly floated past Lady Meng.
“Let’s begin, brother. We don’t have much time.”
I acknowledged and floated over, staring at the three giant spheres. Ghost threads spilled out from my body, then began to twist together, forming three thick ghost cords that stretched toward the spheres.
Above us, a streak of black light burst forth, instantly spreading to block out the sky—even covering the bright white sphere overhead.
“You even tampered with the Asura Path, Yin Choujian. You really think ahead!”
Yin Choujian didn’t answer, but floated before me, his face glowing with excitement.
“Aren’t you going to ask, brother?”
Yin Choujian glanced back at me. I shook my head.
“There’s no need for words between us. Even if something goes wrong in the future—say, you want to do something unjust—I’ll use my fists to bring you back.”
I raised a fist, gray baleful energy flowing from my body into the ghost cords.
“That’s enough, brother. Just hearing you say that is enough.”
I closed my eyes and sat cross-legged, gray baleful energy seeping from my back.
“Instinct. Coexistence...”
Suddenly, I felt a tearing sensation, burning pain, and a suffocating cold. The moment my ghost cords penetrated the Sanzu Force, three strange sensations hit me. I stared in agony as the evil spirit on my back appeared, its translucent gray form growing larger.
“Hold on, Zhang Qingyuan. With this old woman here, you won’t die.”
Lady Meng pressed a hand to my shoulder, and a warm yellow light flared. I felt a surge of warmth, my body relaxing. I kept my eyes closed as my mind filled with the cries, roars, and resentful wails of lost souls.
All I could do now was keep talking to the Sanzu Force—again and again—until we achieved coexistence.
Gradually, my consciousness faded. In a haze, I seemed to see Yin Choujian’s worried face, and a hint of sorrow too subtle to notice.