The sight before me left me stunned. The crimson glow flickering atop the skull was none other than John Chou's Bloodbane Power. Still, I could hardly trust my own eyes, for this Bloodbane Power radiated an immense surge of yang energy—a force associated with life, warmth, and vitality in Eastern traditions—something I simply couldn't comprehend.
"Is this really your Bloodbane Power?"
I asked, still uncertain. The sheer yang energy contained within this mass was astonishing. I’d witnessed the most formidable spells before—at best, a descent of the divine, where a surge of potent, life-giving energy flooded the caster’s body, briefly transforming them and granting overwhelming power.
But this power surpassed even divine descent, seemingly boundless. Just approaching it felt as if I’d be pulverized by the life force within. It was simply too shocking. I edged closer, swallowing hard.
"You can give it a try."
John Chou looked at me with a half-smile. I nodded, raising my hand as black lightning crackled in my palm. Endbringer was wreathed in strands of black lightning and white currents, crackling and snapping.
"You said it yourself, John Chou."
I turned to look at John Chou as I spoke. He nodded. I hunched forward, drawing Endbringer back, then suddenly swung a sword strike at the mass before me.
With a thunderous boom, the air split open. A bolt of black lightning shot toward the glowing mass. There was a loud bang as my power struck it, but what happened next left me utterly stunned.
My power was torn apart in an instant—like it was riddled with holes. The moment it touched the glowing mass, it was broken down, or rather, small explosions erupted in the air as my power attacked itself, then destroyed itself completely.
"Is this the true nature of Bloodbane Power, John Chou?"
I turned to look at John Chou. He smiled and nodded slightly. I stared at him in confusion, unable to fathom why. He was clearly a ghost—one who had broken through the limits of his kind to become a Ghost Sovereign. Their bodies were far colder than ordinary Blue Wraiths. These two forces should be irreconcilably opposed.
"Is it because of your instinct to kill?"
I tried asking. John Chou nodded, then shook his head.
"Half right. Earthly Soul, do you know why I'm showing you all this? After all, this is the secret of secrets."
"You want..."
Suddenly, I understood something, but for some reason, I couldn't say it aloud.
"You—are you planning to transfer Bloodbane Power into Rachel Lan's body?"
In the end, I said it. John Chou clapped his hands and laughed.
"Smart. Earthly Soul, you're much sharper than Ethan Zhang."
I widened my eyes, glancing back at Ronan Wu, who was smiling.
"If they don't want to cooperate, I'm done being polite. There are too many people in this world who don't know their place, always pushing their luck—like those idiots from the Immortality Society."
John Chou said coldly, then continued.
"Of course, it's not all of it—just a portion. Rachel Lan can use it for self-defense. If anyone tries to harm her, even if she can't defeat them, she'll at least be able to keep them down, maybe even kill them."
I burst out laughing, raising my hand with a thumbs-up.
"That's exactly how it should be. Rachel Lan can accept Bloodbane Power because her body is similar to yours, and now she has the instinct for coexistence."
John Chou nodded.
A body infused with yang fire—that's the secret behind my power. Yang fire, in Eastern tradition, represents the purest form of vitality and heat. It clashes with my ghostly body, but together they created Bloodbane Power. My current body is pure cold, the toughest among ghosts, different from the Blue Wraiths. Most Blue Wraiths have physical forms, but we Ghost Sovereigns do not. Now, I need to reclaim my power, so my corpse must fully absorb the Bloodbane Power. Since you're here, it's simpler. I’ll give a portion to Rachel Lan, though she probably won’t accept it willingly, given her temperament.
I grunted, then smiled.
"Leave it to me. I'll find a way to make sure she accepts the Bloodbane Power."
But then I reconsidered, looking at John Chou.
"If she finds out, she'll definitely..."
John Chou's expression darkened instantly. I was startled—his eyes were icy cold.
"I told her from the start—there's no time for heartbreak. I was too merciful before, letting those scum off again and again. But now, I need a new approach. If they keep going, they'll claim the moral high ground, and we'll be branded as villains disturbing the peace. That's just human nature: no matter what filth the Immortality Society committed, people forget as soon as it's out of sight. Give them enough benefits, and they'll gladly join hands with those same monsters. Isn't that right, Ronan?"
"That's right, Boss Chou. Sometimes evil can only be answered with greater evil. Maybe the living world has forgotten what we ghosts truly are—or what it really means to be a ghost."
I watched John Chou quietly. Ever since Ethan Zhang died, something in him had shifted—a change I hadn't seen before. Now, every move he made was calculated. When this was over, he'd gather his hundred ghosts once again.
"Think carefully, Earthly Soul, about what to do. My corpse and Bloodbane Power are nearly synchronized. Soon, I'll reclaim my body."
Across from me, Ronan Wu's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Finally, we get to see the complete form of Bloodbane. I can barely contain my excitement, Boss Chou."
"Ronan, stand guard at the perimeter. Not even a fly gets through. The Immortality Society is searching for us everywhere, along with members of the Arcane Society. Yesterday, Martin Lane sent word that a lot of practitioners are quietly probing for Rachel Lan’s whereabouts."
I clenched my fist, glaring furiously at John Chou.
"Why are you only telling me this now?"
"Would it have helped to tell you earlier? Every side in the living world is scrambling to consolidate power—taking benefits from the Immortality Society while working their own angles in secret. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You know what I mean, Earthly Soul. In chaotic times, it’s the best era for certain things."
I snorted, then floated upward.
"I'm going to check on Rachel Lan and figure out what to do. Her instinct probably won't let us go through with this, and that coexistence instinct is probably hostile to anything but Rachel herself."
I returned to the pool at the mountaintop. The commotion below had stopped. The creatures moving in the forest surprised me—their bodies were built from dead energy, but inside, their souls held abundant vitality.
This strange state left me deeply astonished.
"They’re the living dead."
A gentle voice sounded in my ear. I turned to look at Ronan Wu.
"Didn't John Chou tell you to stand guard outside?"
I muttered, and Ronan Wu nodded.
"Relax. The moment I stepped out, I secured the perimeter. My Shadow Realm is a bit different from other Blue Wraiths'. All these years, I've helped John Chou in the living world by hiding with this realm. Earthly Soul, I think we're kind of alike!"
I chuckled and replied.
"Maybe so."
The guy beside me radiated an aura of hatred—innate, it seemed, a loathing for people, much like I once had.
A hand reached out.
"Pleasure working with you."
I grunted and shook hands, a cold smile on my face. A flash of green light darted before my eyes and vanished instantly. I burst out laughing.
I planned to go check on Rachel Lan. She was probably still asleep. I’d wait until she woke up. Getting her to accept part of John Chou’s Bloodbane Power was definitely going to be tough.
The hardest part would be getting the approval of those two instincts. When I entered the Shadow Realm earlier, I sensed something off—coexistence was radiating anger.
After spending so much time with Ethan Zhang, I could feel it—coexistence was angry.
"Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to just talk to coexistence directly."
I said, floating upward, planning to check the forest first.
But then a presence appeared behind me, and I stopped.
"What is it, John Chou?"
"Hold on. Don’t rush—haste makes waste."
I looked at John Chou in confusion.
"Did you sense something at the perimeter?"
I asked, and John Chou nodded.
Ronan spotted several ships out on the distant sea.
I shouldn’t have been exposed when I came over, but...
John Chou raised a hand and floated upward. I followed him into the air as a gap opened in the Shadow Realm, and we exited together.
I saw a distant point of light—a ship was heading our way.
I’ll go take care of it.
I was about to head over, but John Chou shook his head.
If they can’t find us, they’ll leave. There are plenty of uninhabited islands around here, not just this one. They probably know I took Rachel Lan out to sea, but they don’t know exactly where. Relax, Earthly Soul—let’s wait and watch for now.