A cold, mocking laugh echoed through the air, sending chills down my spine. Rachel (Shadow Self) rose to her feet, twisting her body as she slowly approached me.
"Do you really think you've won? Maybe it's just as you said, but there's an advantage to explosive power. Ever since I woke up in the Shadow Realm after my death, I decided to cast aside those weak thoughts from the past. That's crucial for us."
My heart trembled, and images flashed through my mind. I stared at Rachel (Shadow Self); her expression had completely changed, turning intensely serious.
I knew I couldn't let my guard down. Rachel (Shadow Self) hadn't fully manifested the Vermilion Mantle, saving her strength as much as possible. She believed she could defeat me with a single burst of power.
I smiled faintly, straightened up, and shook my head.
"Weakness? That's something we can never truly erase, because we're human."
As I spoke, I unfurled my wings and lunged at Rachel (Shadow Self) once more. This time, I chose to attack first—I couldn't afford to keep waiting. Time was running out, and I couldn't waste it here.
Rachel (Shadow Self) made no move, which puzzled me. She kept smiling as violet flames swirled around her body. I kept a close eye on the flow of power on her skin, ready to react the moment it shifted. After a while, my own body grew warm—the battle had sharpened my reflexes and senses.
I still didn't understand what was happening, but compared to before, my body felt much lighter.
With a thunderous roar, I thrust my sword forward, red flames trailing behind it. But the fire I conjured was instantly swallowed by the violet flames near Rachel (Shadow Self). She dodged to the side, and in that split second, her Phoenix Blade swept upward at me from below.
In an instant, two streaks of crimson fire shot out from my wings as I lunged forward, while a slanted burst of violet flame exploded right before my eyes. I stabilized myself in midair, then skidded a distance along the ground.
As expected, fighting like this was exhausting. If I'd hesitated for even a second just now, I'd already be lying on the ground.
"Good reflexes. When did you develop such agility?"
I didn't answer Rachel (Shadow Self), keeping my focus locked on her. Suddenly, I remembered something and stowed Belle away. In that instant, a flash of white appeared in my hand—the bow Old Yan gave me was now gripped tightly. This bow, like the mountain-splitting blade I once exchanged with John Chou, could absorb energy from my body. I shaped arrows from my thoughts.
Flaming arrows were already nocked on the bow. Firing them this way would greatly increase their power and speed—Rachel (Shadow Self) instantly understood my intent.
With a whoosh, I loosed arrow after arrow of fire at Rachel (Shadow Self). She began to flap her wings rapidly, dodging my attacks, but I didn't stop; one arrow after another flew toward her.
I could clearly sense her presence, as if I had eyes hovering above the battlefield. Today, everything felt strange. The arrows tracked her movements perfectly, yet instead of exploding, they remained suspended in the air nearby, still in arrow form.
John Chou had warned me before: arrows should achieve a certain effect when fired, otherwise it's just a waste of energy. He told me to find a way to control the arrows after shooting, so the power wouldn't dissipate.
It was hard work, but I had to rely on the scattered energy around me to connect with the power that had left my body. Unlike ghosts, who possess Specter Webs, humans must use their own strength and aura to stabilize the energy they've released.
Because I now had a complete Sunfire Body, I could manage it. Rachel (Shadow Self) sensed something was wrong, but it was too late. Dozens of arrows in the sky, guided by my will, turned and aimed at her. Her eyes widened as she dove toward me.
With a sharp whistle, I smiled and released one last arrow. On her raised Phoenix Blade, a dazzling violet flame appeared. Accompanied by a piercing Vermilion Bird Cry, a violet Vermilion Bird enveloped Rachel (Shadow Self) completely and charged straight at me.
With a bang, the arrow exploded against the Vermilion Bird, and the surrounding arrows converged toward us. I immediately raised Belle, my whole body cloaked once again in flames as I donned the Vermilion Mantle. Now was the time to fight with everything I had.
A deafening crash—the violet flames collided with the crimson ones, and my Vermilion Mantle began to unravel. Arrows exploded fiercely around us. My eyes widened as I blocked with Belle, but in an instant, the violet Phoenix Blade swung at my head.
There was no way to dodge. My mind went blank, but suddenly I snapped to attention—one hand gripped the Phoenix Blade. A searing pain shot from my left hand through my body. Gritting my teeth, I stared at Rachel (Shadow Self), who looked at me in disbelief. Power surged into my left hand as the wings on my back vanished. With a burst of strength, I released Belle with my right hand and grabbed Rachel (Shadow Self) by the collar, hurling her aside.
With another crash, both Rachel (Shadow Self) and I were blasted backward by the explosion. My eyes widened; as I landed, crimson flames ignited under my feet. I gripped Belle and charged at Rachel (Shadow Self) again.
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Likewise, there was no trace of fear in Rachel (Shadow Self)'s eyes. Her power had diminished greatly; if it came down to pure strength, I now had the advantage.
Violet flames began to overflow from the Phoenix Blade, tiny tongues of fire dancing along the blade. My eyes widened; Belle was about to strike Rachel (Shadow Self).
With a boom, the flames vanished instantly. A strong hand grabbed me—Past Ethan Justice smiled, while across from us, Rachel (Shadow Self) was seized by Future Ethan Zhang.
"What are you doing? Let go."
Rachel (Shadow Self) snapped angrily. I let out a breath—both of us were injured to varying degrees.
"Alright, alright, let's call it a draw. We've just recovered, and such intense fighting could affect our bodies."
Past Ethan Justice spoke as Rachel (Shadow Self) continued to struggle, but Future Ethan Zhang showed no sign of letting her go.
After a while, Rachel (Shadow Self) finally calmed down, sitting on the ground and catching her breath. I smiled and stood quietly, watching her.
"There will be plenty of chances in the future, but for now, I've won."
I didn't feel tired at all. If anything, I felt more energized, like I'd just finished a light workout. It was all thanks to John Chou making me battle my own corpse day and night—my body had changed. As long as the Eye of Time didn't interfere, even if I fought Rachel Lan for hours, I'd still be the last one standing.
Rachel (Shadow Self) gave a cold laugh, then her body began to dissolve into a stream of black energy, flowing toward me.
"Fine, let's say you win this time. But remember, I'll always be looking for a way to take control."
A voice echoed in my mind, accompanied by a chill. I shivered, blinked, and realized my body hadn't changed—except for a strange sense of satisfaction and fullness inside.
"At last, it's finally over."
Past Ethan Justice let out a breath. I smiled and nodded, looking at my filthy body—most of my injuries had already healed, but I was starting to feel hungry.
Next, we would head toward the future where the Wraithlord escaped from hell, to retrieve the Yang Aspect power of Laozi for Brilliant Star.
Back at Granny Meng’s house, I quickly ate something and went to soak in the hot spring. A deep sense of peace filled me, but as I gazed at the water’s surface, I saw Rachel (Shadow Self) there, staring coldly at me.
"Hmph, what's there to see? I'm the real Rachel Lan—just go to sleep."
As I spoke, a chill laugh echoed in my mind.
"Do you really think you beat me just now?"
I stuck out my tongue, ignoring her and continuing to enjoy my bath.
But then I noticed Rachel (Shadow Self)'s reflection in the water looked unusually serious. I splashed the surface, but strangely, her image didn’t ripple with the water.
"What’s going on?"
"Don’t celebrate too soon. The reason you have such stamina is because of your instincts, the interaction of coexistence and rebirth. Even if you haven’t used their power, they’re present in your body, helping you channel your strength."
My heart skipped a beat—Rachel (Shadow Self) was right about that.
"But I haven’t used my instinctive power. You’re still too weak."
"Hmph, someone who just lost to me doesn’t get to say that."
Rachel (Shadow Self) flashed a wicked smile and vanished. I blinked, startled by a sudden movement behind me. Turning around, I found Granny Meng smiling at me.
"What is it?"
I asked with annoyance.
"I want to talk to you about the girl. We may have rushed things before, but I hope you'll seriously consider what comes next after you hear me out."
I looked at Granny Meng in confusion as she grew serious.