The last rays of the setting sun vanished from the treetops. Amid thunderous crashes, houses collapsed one after another. In just a few seconds, every building around us had fallen—except for the spot where we stood. 001 clapped her hands and grinned at me. I sat on the rooftop, picked up the bottle of liquor from the table, and started drinking.
Just then, Xu Fu came up as well, sitting down with a gentle smile.
"We'll know by tomorrow—what this place really is."
I gazed quietly at Xu Fu. He had just gone downstairs to report everything he'd witnessed in this world.
"Aren't you going to try using your power?"
Xu Fu asked. I shook my head—I wasn't planning to reveal my power to him. Over the past two months, I'd often entered into Dissolution alone, my consciousness expanding infinitely. I saw many things. Now, Xu Fu was probing the power inside me. He seemed to sense something.
Privately, I'd already told 001: find a chance to send Xu Fu away, or shake him off. I couldn't trust Xu Fu at all. Where did he go when he vanished alone before? That's the biggest reason I don't believe him. Maybe, in secret, he's already made some deal with Emperor God and the others.
I'm not a fool. During this time, we've been searching for the cities left behind by Emperor God and his group. We didn't find any major cities—only some small towns, with few people. More than once, Xu Fu would casually mention a place, and when we went there, we'd find it. After what happened last night, even the last shred of trust I had in Xu Fu has completely disappeared.
"What's wrong, Heavenly Soul?"
Xu Fu looked at me, picked up a bottle of liquor, and smiled helplessly at the drink.
"Some things, I think we should lay out openly. If this keeps going, you won't be able to trust me."
"You clearly have the means to contact the Living World, yet you lied and said you couldn't. How can we trust you?"
001 spoke bluntly. Xu Fu nodded slightly.
"The war has already begun. What I know is that both the Underworld and the Living World have been trapped by Emperor God and his group using some method."
I immediately stood up, urgency in my voice.
"It's similar to the methods we studied in that horror story, but far stronger. Emperor God and his group instilled fear of ghosts throughout human society, draining people's vitality. Then they used a technique to send dead ghosts into the Living World, possessing humans and siphoning their yang energy. Even if a ghost is killed, another appears instantly to possess someone else. Haven City has become a city of the dead."
My eyes widened. Xu Fu then began to explain in detail about Rachel Lan and Tan Tian going to the Shadow Realm—he seemed to know everything.
"How do you know all this?"
I stared, fists clenched. Xu Fu picked up a bottle of liquor, twisted off the cap, and took a drink.
"Emperor God told me about Rachel Lan and the others. I don't know why, but one thing is certain—they're not trying to resurrect the Wraithlord, but have a much deeper purpose."
As Xu Fu spoke, I caught a glimpse of Forest City bathed in tranquil moonlight. Xu Fu abruptly stood and leaped onto the rooftop across from us. The city we had destroyed earlier was restored, as if nightfall had rewound the damage.
Xu Fu raised his fist, and with a thunderous crash, the building beneath him was shattered. Yet before the dust could settle, the entire structure was restored. I joined Xu Fu, who poked a hole in the floor with his finger and burst into laughter.
"Strange, isn't it?"
I nodded. A sense of dissonance crept in. 001 was already behind us, as was another presence. The feeling appeared suddenly, without warning. I turned and saw a smiling man—Agent Seven.
"At last, we meet, Heavenly Soul."
I looked at Agent Seven, confused. 001 immediately showed hostility.
"Are you really Agent Seven?"
Agent Seven nodded without hesitation.
"It's only natural for you to doubt me. I come from the future!"
My eyes widened instantly. Xu Fu clapped his hands and laughed heartily.
"Time is running out. In the future, I did gain power, and 001 taught me some things, but that's not what I need to say..."
As Agent Seven spoke, half his body faded away. I stared at him—his lips still moved, but we could no longer hear his voice.
In a daze, Agent Seven vanished. Xu Fu seemed to realize something, then burst out laughing.
"Zhang Qingyuan did something, which led to all this. The place you visited before—the Land of the Dead—is the same. You must have entered the future Yang Realm, seeing only what is yet to come. Your instinct is origin, while Earth Soul's is the end. It's begun—the worst possible scenario."
I swallowed hard. Now I understood why this place kept restoring itself—it was the effect of countless overlapping times and spaces. Everything here was chaotic; the past and future had merged.
"So we're running out of time, Heavenly Soul. If we can't find a real solution, everything here could change drastically—even affect the true bodies of the Forsaken in the Living World."
I nodded and looked at 001. She was groggy, so I carried her downstairs. I didn't know what Agent Seven wanted to say, but it must've been important—something was interfering with him.
"Why not use your power to take a closer look? Maybe you'll see something different—someplace new."
I stared at Xu Fu, his eyes bright with excitement—he clearly wanted me to use my power. But I couldn't. I sat on the ground and closed my eyes.
Suddenly, I was floating above the ground, seeing countless shadowy cities below, all trembling. My body and Xu Fu's began to flicker with faint, trembling shadows. I didn't know what would happen next, but I knew we couldn't stay here—otherwise, we'd be in danger.
I snapped my eyes open, hurried downstairs, scooped up 001, and floated upward.
"We have to leave—otherwise we'll be in danger too."
I said this and quickly carried 001 toward the snowy plains. Xu Fu darted through the trees, and soon we reached the snow. 001 whimpered in discomfort. I watched the distant forest as it began to twist and warp.
"Such a strange power, Heavenly Soul. What did you see?"
I shook my head, watching the forest shift and twist. It looked like a painting soaked in water—only blotches of color and blurry shapes remained, deeply eerie.
"Something's definitely wrong."
As Xu Fu spoke, I turned and saw two Xu Fus—conjoined from the torso up, both speaking at once. The discordant double voice was profoundly unsettling.
"Does your body feel strange?"
I asked. Xu Fu shook his head, then suddenly punched his left side with his right hand—a loud bang, flesh splattered, but the smashed Xu Fu instantly recovered, just as before.
"No way we can go back looking like this!"
Xu Fu now looked half-deformed, walking slowly. I set 001 down in the snow—the twisted forest had returned to normal, but now looked even eerier, with many identical and conjoined trees, just like Xu Fu.
All the flowers, grass, and trees looked identical. We crept to the edge. Xu Fu laughed and stepped in, but his form stayed unchanged. It seemed this power didn't affect me or 001, but it did impact humans or ghosts.
I said this and quickly carried 001 toward the snowy plains. Xu Fu darted between the trees, and soon we reached the snow. 001 whimpered, clearly uncomfortable. I watched the distant woods—they began to twist and distort.
"Such a strange power, Heavenly Soul. What did you see?"
I shook my head, watching the forest shift and warp. It looked like a painting left soaking in water—only blotches of color and blurry shapes, disturbingly eerie.
"Something's definitely wrong."
As Xu Fu spoke, I turned and saw two Xu Fus—conjoined from the torso up, both speaking at once. The discordant double voice was profoundly unsettling.
"Does your body feel strange?"
I asked. Xu Fu shook his head, then suddenly punched his left side with his right hand—a loud bang, flesh splattered, but the smashed Xu Fu instantly regenerated, just as before.
"No way we can go back looking like this!"
Xu Fu now looked half-deformed, shuffling forward. I set 001 down in the snow—the twisted forest had returned to normal, but now looked even eerier, with countless identical and conjoined trees, just like Xu Fu.
All the flowers, grass, and trees looked identical. We crept to the edge. Xu Fu laughed and stepped in, but his form stayed unchanged. It seemed this power didn't affect me or 001, but it did impact humans or ghosts.