I stared in surprise at the man in his fifties before me. I knew a bit about the matter involving John Chou—he was the one who helped take away Belle, the sword that sealed Cecilia. And from what Ethan's Cabin told me, it seemed like he was friends with Victor Fan, John Chou’s teacher, and had helped John Chou before. But then I realized something was off; after all, this era should be different from the one John Chou lived in.
At this point, Laozi should have already passed away, and John Chou must be long dead.
Zane Wu quietly sized me up, then smiled and spoke.
"Young lady, you really are remarkable. I’ve never seen anyone from Hades Circle your age with such presence. Which family of Hades do you belong to?"
"Lanworths."
I quickly replied. Ethan's Cabin had told me about this old man—he was Poison Dreadstar’s old flame, but seeing him now, he seemed quite proper. I couldn’t figure out how he ended up with that woman Poison Dreadstar. It puzzled me.
Besides, I didn’t intend to get involved with anyone from this era, but at that moment, Zane Wu was staring curiously at Belle in my hand.
"By the way, young lady, may I ask your name?"
"Rachel Lan."
I answered softly. Zane Wu seemed thoughtful as he looked at me, then glanced again at Belle in my hand.
"I didn’t expect this sword to be sealed for so long, only for someone from Hades Circle to obtain it. But it seems harmless now, so it doesn’t matter."
I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Zane Wu wasn’t going to question me about Belle, but then his expression grew serious.
"So you people from Hades Circle sensed it too, didn’t you? Something major has happened here."
I swallowed and nodded awkwardly, forcing a smile.
"Did Lan Miu give you any instructions before you came?"
I immediately shook my head. I remembered Lan Miu was our ancestor, probably Lan Yin’s grandfather. Thinking of Lan Yin made me sigh.
"Let’s talk outside, young lady. Since you’re here, there’s no need to hide. We’re all here for this catastrophe in the mortal world."
I let out a sound as Zane Wu started walking. Without thinking, I followed him, forcing myself to keep up. Besides, I was using Hades power, so there shouldn’t be any problem.
After following Zane Wu out of the woods, I saw the convoy—it stretched out like a train, so long I couldn’t see the end. Only then did I realize the people escorting the convoy weren’t ordinary workers. Each one had a solemn face; they looked nothing like laborers.
Gradually, I saw the convoy had stopped nearby and started unloading things from the vehicles. I was stunned—there were piles of yellow talismans, magical artifacts, and many swords. Looking closer, I saw a colorful flag raised far outside the city, and altars set up everywhere. There was even a large group of chanting monks—none of this was normal.
A profound, despairing darkness and an overwhelmingly powerful presence hovered just above this land before me. In an instant, all thirty paper cranes were annihilated.
I swallowed hard, completely unable to move forward.
"Miss Lan, what is this technique of yours? It's even more streamlined than our Blood Spirit Technique. I've never seen anything like it before."
I smiled immediately and replied.
"This is a technique from the Hades Circle."
I didn't think much of it. Seeing the situation before me, I realized there was nothing to do for the moment. Not wanting to draw attention, I said I was tired from traveling and would go rest in the woods.
At that moment, I noticed more and more people from the supernatural community arriving, some wielding peculiar techniques that looked truly bizarre.
The anomaly began over a month ago. A passing Taoist saw the death energy within the city and was stunned—the city was devoid of people, and a terrifyingly powerful ghost had appeared. The Taoist fled, not daring to approach, because even getting close resulted in burns from the miasma.
News spread quickly, and more and more supernatural practitioners gathered here, trying to uncover the cause. Yet those who risked entering the city never returned alive.
I looked at everyone here with concern. Even if they all went in together, they wouldn't be a match for the Wraithlord. I had witnessed his power firsthand, but there was nothing I could do or explain.
Feeling drowsy, I soon found a comfortable spot and fell asleep.
I barely slept all night. When I opened my eyes, there was no sun, only overcast skies. Yellow talismans kept flying into the air—their purpose seemed to be dispersing the dense yin energy that had already altered the weather.
But it was all in vain. From the woods, I watched the Taoists near the main road try various methods, but nothing worked. The city still showed signs of human activity, but it was just an illusion; only by entering could one see the truth.
I noticed Zane Wu and his fellow disciples arguing. Zane, apparently the highest authority here, wore a bitter expression as he listened to their debate—some wanted to go in, others insisted on waiting for their master.
But soon, those determined to investigate could no longer sit still. Zane Wu couldn't stop them; he could only let them go. They quickly disappeared from sight. I wanted to say something, but in the end, I held back. This was not the time to act—our purpose here was not to change anything.
By afternoon, while eating with some Taoists, I noticed many looked uneasy. Those who entered had lost contact—nearly thirty people went in, but none had returned. They were supposed to be back by midday.
"No, Senior Brother, you can't go in."
Many Taoists tried to dissuade Zane Wu from entering, but he seemed determined.
A strange thought suddenly surfaced in my mind. I glanced around, but just then, shouts erupted in the distance. Turning my head, I saw the Chimei, Poison Dreadstar, and a vast group from the Ghost Syndicate approaching. I stared in shock.
Their arrival was overwhelming, a tide of supernatural forces sweeping in. I could only watch, stunned.
A profound, despairing darkness and an overwhelmingly powerful presence hovered just above this land before me. In an instant, all thirty paper cranes were annihilated.
I swallowed hard, completely unable to move forward.
"Miss Lan, what is this technique of yours? It's even more streamlined than our Blood Spirit Technique. I've never seen anything like it before."
I smiled immediately and replied.
"This is a technique from the Hades Circle."
I didn't think much of it. Seeing the situation before me, I realized there was nothing to do for the moment. Not wanting to draw attention, I said I was tired from traveling and would go rest in the woods.
At that moment, I noticed more and more people from the supernatural community arriving, some wielding peculiar techniques that looked truly bizarre.
The anomaly began over a month ago. A passing Taoist saw the death energy within the city and was stunned—the city was devoid of people, and a terrifyingly powerful ghost had appeared. The Taoist fled, not daring to approach, because even getting close resulted in burns from the miasma.
News spread quickly, and more and more supernatural practitioners gathered here, trying to uncover the cause. Yet those who risked entering the city never returned alive.
I looked at everyone here with concern. Even if they all went in together, they wouldn't be a match for the Wraithlord. I had witnessed his power firsthand, but there was nothing I could do or explain.
Feeling drowsy, I soon found a comfortable spot and fell asleep.
I barely slept all night. When I opened my eyes, there was no sun, only overcast skies. Yellow talismans kept flying into the air—their purpose seemed to be dispersing the dense yin energy that had already altered the weather.
But it was all in vain. From the woods, I watched the Taoists near the main road try various methods, but nothing worked. The city still showed signs of human activity, but it was just an illusion; only by entering could one see the truth.
I noticed Zane Wu and his fellow disciples arguing. Zane, apparently the highest authority here, wore a bitter expression as he listened to their debate—some wanted to go in, others insisted on waiting for their master.
But soon, those determined to investigate could no longer sit still. Zane Wu couldn't stop them; he could only let them go. They quickly disappeared from sight. I wanted to say something, but in the end, I held back. This was not the time to act—our purpose here was not to change anything.
By afternoon, while eating with some Taoists, I noticed many looked uneasy. Those who entered had lost contact—nearly thirty people went in, but none had returned. They were supposed to be back by midday.
"No, Senior Brother, you can't go in."
Many Taoists tried to dissuade Zane Wu from entering, but he seemed determined.
A strange thought suddenly surfaced in my mind. I glanced around, but just then, shouts erupted in the distance. Turning my head, I saw the Chimei, Poison Dreadstar, and a vast group from the Ghost Syndicate approaching. I stared in shock.