Not far from us, Wraithshade lay quietly on the ground, his right hand raised. The emerald-green spear had pierced through his chest and pinned him to the earth. There was a trace of sorrow in his eyes; it was as if he saw something beyond this darkness. His aura faded, bit by bit—he would die soon. Nearby, Yuna Grant tilted her head, her smile tinged with exhaustion and a haunting sadness, the oppressive darkness reflected in her gaze.
Yuna Grant stood silently to the side, the Boneguard Host of skeletons withdrawing and leaving her in solemn isolation. She stared at Wraithshade, her face weary—her eyes held neither hatred nor joy, only a deep calm. The wait had been endless. At last, she whispered to herself, "I've finally done it. I've waited so long for this battle of solace."
"Is it over, Yuna Grant?"
"It's over, Wraithshade. This time, you truly cannot escape death."
Wraithshade let out a cry; his raised hand slowly fell. In his eyes, a fierce unwillingness blazed—he refused to accept his fate as a Ghost Sovereign.
"Yuna Grant, why? What was it all for? Why did I come this far, and why did you? Was it for the Dark Power, or something else?"
"I don't know. Whatever the reason, it's over now. Your journey ends here. If you die in this darkness, your soul will be devoured by Dark Power, and you’ll become part of this place forever."
Wraithshade coughed and wheezed, then gave a dry, bitter laugh. In his eyes was resignation, as if he had already seen through the schemes of the Dark Banquet and Immortality Society. Mona Ouyang and Tan Tian watched in silence, the oppressive supernatural tension thickening.
"Yes, I will become part of this darkness. What happens next is no longer my concern. These thousands of years have stretched on too long, but they were extraordinary. Looking back, I witnessed so much—the Undertaker, the Sleeper, the Artisan, all of the Dark Banquet. Perhaps that is enough."
Wraithshade's aura grew fainter and fainter, his voice barely a whisper. He closed his eyes, his chest's rise and fall slowing, then stopping altogether. His presence vanished, leaving only the oppressive silence of the Immortality Society and Xu Fu's watchful gaze.
Yuna Ji tilted her head and smiled.
I've done it. The wait was far too long—for this battle of solace.
Hmph, even in death you talk too much. Trash.
Redmane cursed bitterly and walked over. Just then, Yuna Ji's body went limp, and everything around her quickly faded away. The Ninefeather Bird and Azure Luan playing in the sky returned to their respective masters.
Redmane caught Yuna Ji as she collapsed to the ground.
Still pretending to be strong, you wretch. I didn't expect you to open your Domain so early.
Jealous, aren't you? Envious, Redmane?
Yuna Ji grinned, her face radiant with an impossibly bright smile. Redmane turned away and snorted coldly.
I'll catch up to you soon, Yuna Ji. Don't get too full of yourself.
Sister Yunmei, do you think I...
Yunmei nodded as she walked over.
Just be yourself, Yuna Ji. It's been so long since I've seen you smile from the heart—so long that we've all grown numb, perhaps even forgotten what it was like to be alive.
Enough with the heavy talk. We need to focus on the worst-case scenario ahead. Yuna Ji won't be able to fight for a month—she's exhausted her ghost aura. It's up to us now. Get ready for the coming Dark Banquet and the Immortality Society.
Basil Bertram said, looking toward the direction of the ring-shaped city.
John Chou turned without a word and sat cross-legged. I noticed that every Ghost Sovereign wore a completely different expression.
Suddenly, I felt a tremendous surge of Dark Power gathering toward us.
Looks like a tough battle is ahead. Get ready.
Mona Ouyang muttered. I looked over, silently waiting for the approaching Dark Banquet. Tan Tian was still observing; I didn't know what he was planning, but he wouldn't take sides. That was the strongest impression Tan Tian gave me now.
They drew closer, the wind howling. Leading the pack were three figures—the Undertaker, the Sleeper, and the Artisan—followed by a large group from the Dark Banquet. They landed on the rocky ground about twenty or thirty meters away from us.
Then more figures landed beside them—thirteen from the Immortality Society, with Xu Fu at the front, wearing a devilish smile.