The constant roar of explosions echoed around us. Bloodshade Sovereign and I were suspended in the sky, atop a hidden floating island. Below, the battle still raged on.
"When exactly do we make our move?"
I asked, and Bloodshade Sovereign shook his head.
Down below, Yuna Ji and Lord Shenyan were locked in combat. Their ghost energy wasn’t diminishing—instead, it kept rising. Lord Shenyan especially, his power surging, his attacks growing fiercer. It was clear Quentin Kue was feeding him vast amounts of ghost energy.
The only way to break the Wraithlord’s Extreme Calamity Body was to force him to use the power we’d seen in the Bone Realm. Nothing external could breach it—only the Wraithlord himself. Right now, he fought with ghost energy, but that new, unknown force had only appeared once, when he was fully trapped by Tanten.
That new power, born from the fusion of different forces, still hadn’t surfaced. If the Wraithlord used it, his body would react. Bloodshade Sovereign planned to unleash Blood Calamity for a third time, then the Ghost Sovereigns would strike with their strongest powers to shatter the Wraithlord’s ghost body. Finally, Rachel Lan would wield the newly awakened Blood Calamity power.
"We only get one shot at this. Isn’t Bloodshade Sovereign taking too big a risk?"
Mona Ouyang asked, but Bloodshade Sovereign just smiled and shook his head.
"Can you think of any other way?"
Yvonne May watched the fight in silence, manipulating space-time around the Wraithlord. Even with only the faintest traces of her power, she was ready—if Yuna Ji or Lord Shenyan showed any sign of losing, Yvonne would instantly shift the timeline, making sure the Wraithlord’s attacks missed them.
Redmond sat on the ground, visibly restless and uneasy.
"Still worried about the situation with the Infernal Judges?"
Bloodshade Sovereign asked with a smile, and Redmond nodded.
"Of course I am. We have no idea what's really happening down there, and those Infernal Judges can't leave Hell at all. If this keeps up..."
Redmond trailed off, and Bloodshade Sovereign patted him on the back.
"At this point, worrying won't change anything. Didn't I tell you that before we came?"
Redmond sprang to his feet, clearly agitated. I knew he was worried about his subordinates, but considering the Ghost Sovereigns' command over the Malice Wraith Syndicate, their strength should be enough to keep them alive. Now it all depends on what the Empire God decides to do.
"Earthly Soul, time is running out. You need to focus and deal with the force of desire outside."
I nodded, sat down again, closed my eyes, and kept sensing with my power. No matter what I tried, I couldn't find it. Thinking it over, if I still had the Endbringer instinct, maybe I could locate it.
But now the Endbringer was long gone. I gave a bitter smile and could only shake my head in resignation.
"There's nothing I can do. Maybe I just can't find it."
I was growing frustrated. The Wraithlord's attacks grew more ferocious—Lord Shenyan and Yuna Ji were no longer holding the advantage and began to falter. Every time Tan Tian appeared, the Wraithlord shattered his form instantly. It was clear the Wraithlord knew Tan Tian inside out.
He could always predict where Tan Tian would appear and what power he'd use, and dealt with him every time. Still, the Wraithlord couldn't escape just yet.
With a thunderous crash, Tan Tian—barely formed from the earth, not yet a beast—was reduced to ashes. Lord Shenyan and Yuna Ji seized the chaos and attacked.
Suddenly, a surge of mud bubbled up beside us. Tan Tian appeared, his eyes cold as ice as he looked at us.
"Someone wants to see you. Earthly Soul, come with me."
I stood up in surprise. Bloodshade Sovereign eyed Tan Tian suspiciously but said nothing—the battle had grown even more tense.
Tan Tian opened a brownish-yellow door. The moment I stepped through, my eyes widened—I felt it, that unmistakable presence. It was here.
In a mass grave littered with discarded coffins, I saw Black Moon. He stood smiling atop a coffin. Instantly, I moved in, pressed a hand to Black Moon’s head, and with a crack, his skull exploded. I stared at him coldly.
"What exactly do you mean by this?"