"Ethan Zhang, what do you think is the most important thing, whether for a person or a ghost?"
I hesitated, looking at Xu Fu. The story he told about the thirteen evil ones—all of it began with tragedy. Along their path, the tragedy only grew, pulling everything and everyone into its wake. That is why they are evil. They have never once felt a shred of regret for what they've done.
"Is there anything wrong with doing this? That is the question behind all your actions on this journey."
As I spoke, Xu Fu clapped his hands and began to laugh.
"It's true, it seems you understand part of it. This is how it is: to deprive others of life, to toy with their minds, to create endless tragedies, to trample everything in sight, to shatter all that is self-righteous—what is truly wrong with this approach? Is heaven fair? If it were, we evil ones would have long been buried in the river of history. There is only one answer..."
Xu Fu stood up, spreading his arms wide before me. He was like a fervent orator, using his thoughts and actions to win others over, even if everything he did in this world was called evil.
"The human heart is hell itself. The human heart is evil—most people just haven't realized it. Reason suppresses this instinct. Chickens, cows, pigs, and dogs are all living beings, yet for humans to survive, they must depend on these creatures. Flowers, trees, and grass have life, too. When they're trampled, broken, or burned, the cries they make may be something humans will never hear in a lifetime. And you, Ethan Zhang?"
I said nothing, simply watching Xu Fu in his madness. He looked as if he was enjoying himself, and after saying all this to me, it seemed as though something inside him had been released.
"Hypocrisy is humanity's true nature. To survive, to live, to consider oneself first—so we deprive what we see. You understand this, don't you, Ethan Zhang? Your so-called coexistence is nothing but a fool's dream. All things in this world are different. Do you still want to go on? This path..."
Xu Fu's eyes were filled with an unbelievable power. He could see straight into people's hearts. Over these past days, I've realized that nothing escapes his gaze—not even the tiniest detail.
"Maybe calling you the Enlightened One of Evil would be more fitting. You understand evil better than I do—its essence, its true nature. But if your interest lies in evil, then my journey as Ethan Zhang, whether as a person or an evil ghost, has been driven by that same interest."
"It seems we are always on opposite sides, even if you can understand us, and we can understand you..."
Xu Fu held his wine glass; I lifted mine, and after a brief clink, we both drank it all in one go.
"I'm looking forward to it, Ethan Zhang. The fiercest collision in a person comes from the clash of deeply rooted beliefs. The light it produces, whether black or white—what does it look like in that moment? You still need to grow. Do you want to see what kind of power I use?"
I widened my eyes, staring at Xu Fu as he reached out a hand. I gave a slight smile.
"Aren't you afraid that if you teach me, I might end up defeating you?"
"It's not about teaching you—it's about letting you understand for yourself..."
Suddenly, a hand appeared on my forehead.
Spirit Domain, open...
With a loud bang, Xu Fu pressed his hand against my cheek. My mind buzzed, and in an instant, everything before my eyes changed.
"Where is this place?"
I looked around in amazement. The water's surface was crystal clear, the sky impossibly blue, and the two seemed to merge together. I couldn't tell where I was. If I reached out, I could touch the sky; if I stepped forward, I could walk on water. Ripples spread across the sky, yet when I lifted my foot, there was nothing—only the sky to touch.
Xu Fu stood before me, not far away. He raised his hand, and a mass of black energy surged out—it was Deathbane Aura. I felt it immediately.
In this space, I felt free. My power was completely unrestrained.
"This is the power you possess—Deathbane Aura. It's the source of your strength, whether it comes from the human world or the ghost world. It is born from the killing intent of thinking beings."
I nodded. Xu Fu walked over slowly, an evil grin on his face.
"In this space, you can't move as you did before, can you?"
With a swift motion, I drew Beauty, pointing it at Xu Fu. In my right hand, a Desert Eagle appeared.
"The power you possess is unique. No one else in this world can imitate it."
As Xu Fu spoke, the Deathbane Aura in his hand began to change shape, gradually becoming identical to the Desert Eagle in my hand. I stared in astonishment.
"Just one glance and you know how to condense its form?"
My Specter Web could sense that the Desert Eagle in Xu Fu's hand was real, its mass identical to the one I held. Even its structural components weren't fake.
Xu Fu slowly raised the Desert Eagle, aiming it at me, one hand on the trigger.
Suddenly, Xu Fu pulled the trigger. With a snap, the Desert Eagle in his hand dissolved into scattered Deathbane Aura—the form collapsed.
"See? I can't do what you do. Even if I can copy it, I can't use it. It's like how Yin cannot be Yang, and Yang cannot be Yin—they can only transform into each other. But your use of Deathbane Aura is different. You fuse reality and illusion into one. That is your power."
Xu Fu spoke, raising both hands. In his left, a ball of crimson flame appeared; in his right, a sphere of deep blue water. The flame danced restlessly, while bubbles rose and popped in the water sphere.
Next, Xu Fu merged the fire and water in his hands. With a sizzle, a puff of blue smoke rose, and the flame was extinguished.
"Water overcomes fire, but if there is no limit, nature will always reverse itself."
As he spoke, the flame in Xu Fu's left hand burned again, but this time, the water sphere in his right hand evaporated completely.
"Water and fire can never truly merge. But what about you? Give it a try."
I nodded, raising my left hand—a black flame burned fiercely. In my right, a black sphere of water steamed and swirled.
In that moment, I understood what Xu Fu meant and what he was trying to show me.
"Here, you might actually be able to do it."
I tried bringing the water and fire in my hands together. But then, something incredible happened—the flame wasn't extinguished by the water. Instead, the water wrapped around the flame.
I swallowed, staring at this impossible, otherworldly sight.
"Now you don't need to call upon it—you can use your instinctual coexistence. Try withdrawing your coexistence power."
I nodded, closed my eyes, and as my coexistence power faded, there was a snap—the things in my hands exploded, and blue smoke rose as the flame was finally extinguished by the water.
"Interesting, isn't it?"
I nodded. In that instant, countless possibilities flashed through my mind. With Deathbane Aura as my foundation, and aided by instinctual coexistence, I understood my own potential.
"Possibility—heh. The reason those inside you chose you is because of that limitless possibility. If you keep growing, you'll be even more troublesome than the Seven Ghost Sovereigns, Ethan Zhang. Be sure to thank your other instinct—Origin."
My heart skipped a beat—Xu Fu had already noticed the presence within me, the Heavenly Soul Ethan Zhang, who possessed the instinct called Origin.
"As the saying goes, things created by heaven can survive no matter what. That's enough for today—Rachel Lan will be back soon."
With a rush of air, I suddenly found myself back in the kitchen. Xu Fu was gone. My hands trembled slightly, the feeling from that impossible moment still lingering in my mind, refusing to fade.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and cook—I’m hungry."
It wasn't until a cold voice called out that I snapped back. Rachel Lan was already standing in front of me. I mumbled an 'okay,' opened the fridge, took out the ingredients, and started preparing the meal.
"The Emperor God plans to summon you, Ethan Zhang."
After a long while, Rachel Lan spoke. I looked up at her.
"What does he want with me?"
"It's not just for tea and conversation, is it?"
"Possibility—heh. The reason those inside you chose you is because of that limitless possibility. If you keep growing, you'll be even more troublesome than the Seven Ghost Sovereigns, Ethan Zhang. Be sure to thank your other instinct—Origin."
"When?"
"As the saying goes, things created by heaven can survive no matter what. That's enough for today—Rachel Lan will be back soon."
I mumbled an 'okay' and kept cooking. By dinner, Xu Fu still hadn't come back. After Rachel Lan and I finished eating, I sat in the living room, waiting—Emperor God was supposed to come tonight.
It wasn't until a cold voice called out that I snapped back. Rachel Lan was already standing in front of me. I mumbled an 'okay,' opened the fridge, took out the ingredients, and started preparing the meal.
"Ethan Zhang."
A voice sounded before my eyes. I saw him—it was Emperor God, already sitting across from me. There hadn't been a single sign. I hadn't sensed anything.
After a long while, Rachel Lan spoke. I looked up at her.
"I can give Rachel Lan back to you, but I need you to do something for me. If you succeed, I'll tell you how to leave this world and return to the Underworld."
I mumbled an 'okay' and kept cooking. By dinner, Xu Fu still hadn't come back. After Rachel Lan and I finished eating, I sat in the living room, waiting—Emperor God was supposed to come tonight.
I didn't hesitate at all—I rejected him immediately. Rachel Lan, sitting beside me, stared at me in shock.
"Rachel, you wouldn't want me to do this either, would you?"