Attack after attack thundered through the air. The Wraithlord's fists looked slow and weak, but if I failed to dodge in that instant, my body would be pulverized. If that happened, I'd have to expend a tremendous amount of power to restore myself—and if I used too much, my time in the world of Yin and Yang would be cut short.
I kept enduring, clinging to hope. I had to wrest Chronostone from the Wraithlord’s grasp. Its power shimmered faintly across his form, and I could feel only half its strength lingering inside me—a hollow ache, a reminder of what I’d lost. The metaphysical connection between me and the Chronostone was as fragile as my resolve, every pulse of its power a distant echo of what once made me whole.
I understood the whole process now. If I wanted to change everything, I had to use the Chronostone—end it all before leaving here. But the thought of Seven’s fate left me helpless, a weight pressing down on my spirit, as if every choice I made was dragging me further from salvation.
"You're distracted!"
With a deafening crash, the twin swords in my hands shattered. The Wraithlord punched straight through my chest. I hurriedly twisted the flow of causality to halt the damage, escaping the Wraithlord’s reach and landing far away.
"Heh, what are you thinking about, Ethan Zhang?"
I didn’t answer the Wraithlord. I charged again, streams of black and white energy shooting toward him. But he easily deflected them with ghostly force. I kept sensing the presence of Chronostone—if I found even the slightest chance, I’d pull it out from the Wraithlord’s body.
The Wraithlord’s ghostly form was nothing like what I’d seen before. I possessed all the memories of Hell; the Wraithlord’s body I’d seen previously was far stronger than this. It seemed John Chou and the others had broken his ghostly shell.
The Wraithlord seemed to realize I wanted to attack his body, and began subtly increasing the amount of ghostly energy. I could see it—the surface of his body couldn’t contain the mounting power, and the shape was becoming irregular, barely visible, with black smoke and dust swirling across his skin.
"What exactly do your children want to do?"
I asked, but the Wraithlord just sneered. Dodging my attack, he immediately swung a fist at me. With the power of causality, I pulled away the instant I saw it coming—a pillar of black light shot skyward. As I circled past it, I found a weak spot on the Wraithlord, pressing my hand to his ribs. Instantly, a red glow seeped out—another force of Buddha, able to neutralize much of his power.
A sizzling sound echoed as part of the Wraithlord’s ribs began to melt. He sneered, and causality shifted—violent impact sent me into unconsciousness.
When I came to, something furry brushed my cheek. I sat up at once—Nine-Tailed Fox was beside me, smiling faintly and shaking her head.
"You’re focusing too much on your opponent. Looks like he’s found a way to counter your power of causality."
I stared at a massive black pit ahead. The Wraithlord hovered above it. I must’ve only been out for a few seconds, but I was already badly hurt. Though Divine Law and the Human Realm kept supplying me with energy, Nine-Tailed Fox was right—the Wraithlord knew how to deal with causality now.
"Ethan Zhang, you see countless strands of causality, picking the one that keeps you undefeated. But as long as I use different powers, make different things, think different thoughts, and wield different sources—how many possibilities of causality are there?"
My eyes widened. So the Wraithlord’s earlier opening was deliberate. I summoned the twin swords of black and white again and drifted forward.
With a swoosh, the Wraithlord suddenly shifted. I swung my swords, but he didn’t appear where I expected—instead, he moved right beside me and attacked. I dodged selectively, but in an instant, a tremendous force struck me head-on.
With a thunderous crash, the Wraithlord hit me again, sending me flying. My body began to break apart, but endless power surged forth, instantly repairing the damage.
I rushed in again, but suddenly felt a hand grab me. Nine-Tailed Fox yanked me back—I looked at her in confusion.
"You really are easy to fool, Ethan Zhang. Just a few words and your composure is shaken. He can change causality through those methods he mentioned, but only the process—not the outcome."
Nine-Tailed Fox tapped her temple, and I seemed to understand. The Wraithlord burst out laughing.
"I really do want to fight you all properly. You were born of Imagination, yet possess power that rivals mine."
Nine-Tailed Fox smiled, resting her chin in her hand and shaking her head.
"From the moment we’re born, we fight powerful foes. Everyone wants to devour the other, and the only way not to be eaten is to keep growing stronger."
The Wraithlord nodded in agreement. Nine-Tailed Fox patted my shoulder.
"If the power of causality could really be broken so easily, it wouldn’t be hard for him to master it, right? It wouldn’t be just you, Ethan Zhang, who’s qualified to wield it."
Nine-Tailed Fox’s words made everything clear. I stared at the Wraithlord, then charged at him again. I dodged his fist in an instant, my twin swords scraping his skin and drawing out streams of black ghostly energy.
With a swish, I crouched on the ground. As my swords broke, I instantly formed two more and kept slashing at the Wraithlord. Scratches appeared on his body—I understood now: the result of using causality is absolute, while the process can change countless times. The outcome may vary, but the fact that I can injure the Wraithlord is unchangeable.
Black smoke kept rising from the Wraithlord’s skin, fine cracks appearing on his body. My power was finally starting to take effect, but the Wraithlord still looked completely unfazed.
"Do you want it that badly? The other half of Chronostone."
My eyes widened. Suddenly, the Wraithlord punched, shattering my twin swords of black and white. Then I saw a stream of white energy surging toward me—I grabbed it, and it merged into my body.
"Now you won’t be distracted. Use all your power against me, Ethan Zhang—only then will I truly enjoy this!"
I charged in, swinging my twin swords and slashing at the Wraithlord again and again. This time, he didn’t try to clash head-on, but kept dodging, a smile always in his eyes.
"You’re the last one standing on this stage with me. In some ways, we’re very much alike."
I didn’t answer the Wraithlord. He kept widening the distance, retreating. I stopped, having overexerted myself—I needed to wait a bit, let my strength recover, so I’d have enough power to attack him again.
"I was like that once—and still am. For a goal, I’m obsessively persistent, so I could stand here in the end. You’re probably the same, Ethan Zhang. How about we join forces? I’ll give you half the world, and you can do whatever you want. When you’re truly ready to fight me, we’ll battle then."
A smile lingered on the Wraithlord’s face. I shook my head.
"Then I’ll put an end to this farce, Ethan Zhang."
I immediately sensed the power on the Wraithlord’s skin changing—it wasn’t ghostly energy, but a force I’d never encountered before. I’d felt it once: a power able to devour everything. I had no idea how to face it.
In an instant, the Wraithlord was right in front of me. The power on my skin vanished under his violent assault, and his fist landed squarely on my chest.
With a thunderous crash, I was knocked backward. I slammed into the apartment building, and the whole structure began to collapse.
I heard Rachel Lan calling out. I scrambled from the rubble and returned to the courtyard. Rachel Lan ran up to me.
"Ethan Zhang, are you really okay? Should I..."
I shook my head.
"No one can defeat that guy. But don’t worry—I’ll handle him."
I floated up again. Eugenia sighed.
"Be careful, Ethan Zhang. The power of those two spheres isn’t what it used to be."
I grunted in response, fully aware of what Eugenia meant—my overuse of Divine Law and the Human Realm had drained them, and now their power was no longer flowing smoothly. The Wraithlord’s strength was still abundant. The new power he wielded was a huge threat, and I had no way to counter it. He hadn’t even used his instinct yet—the one called The World. I’d tried summoning its will through coexistence, but got no response at all.
I faced the Wraithlord again. He sat down cross-legged, black flames spilling from his body. His terrifying gold-red eyes locked onto me.
"I’ll finish you with this instinct, Ethan Zhang."
As the Wraithlord spoke, he closed his eyes. Instantly, I felt myself trapped—a mighty force pulling at my body. But I quickly found a way out. With a deafening crash, The World struck where I’d just stood, leaving only a void of blackness.