Bang! A dull thud echoed. Pain shot through my hand, as if I had struck solid iron. Luke Ling lifted me up in front of him, smiling as he looked at me.
"What are you trying to do, Ethan Zhang?"
"Don't stop, Ethan. Keep hitting."
Mr. Brown's voice rang out again.
I roared, blood spraying from my mouth, and kept my fist clenched, striking Luke Ling's cheek. Yet Luke Ling remained motionless, his gaze icy as he stared at me. No matter how hard I hit, it had no effect on him at all. My fist began to bleed, but I still didn't stop.
I was furious inside, and at that moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw John Chou grab Rachel Lan, holding her back as she tried to rush forward.
"Don't get in the way."
With that, John Chou threw Rachel Lan back.
"Repeat after me, Ethan."
Mr. Brown's voice grew clearer with every thud of my fist.
"I was once a lowly man, laboring but never boasting, achieving but never claiming virtue. With a strong will, I was always obsessed with the edge of my fists—Phoenix Eye, spiral form, tile ridge, bone-piercing, cup grip, monkey hand, twin pearls, sharp blade, using thrust, block, lift, pierce, chop, smash as my techniques..."
"What are you doing, Ethan Zhang?"
Luke Ling was initially surprised, and Ghost Grandpa also noticed that something was off. I ignored them, continuing to recite with Mr. Brown.
"Later, I was reborn in the Chou Family mansion. Above, a master of unmatched virtue and benevolence; below, a mischievous young lord and clever lady. My whole life, I served loyally, never mastering the fist, never bending the knee. Without fists, without courage, yet loyal and brave. In life, with flesh and blood, three heads and six arms; in death, reduced to bones, unable to pass on, cast into the Three Paths: blood, blade, fire..."
Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming surge of power inside me. I cried out in shock, and Luke Ling realized something was wrong, gripping my throat tightly.
"Something's wrong, Ghost Grandpa..."
Luke Ling shouted, and I could feel his grip growing stronger.
"Don't stop, Ethan."
Mr. Brown kept shouting.
"Before my death, I was a lowly man; after death, a lowly ghost. With no desires, I took on three heads and six arms. Never defeated in this life, like the heavens but not the heavens, crossing the Three Paths, always wandering their borders, in and out of the Three Paths, known as... the Ashura Evil Ghost..."
With a thunderous boom, six green fists suddenly appeared on my back.
"Do it, brother, haha—let them see."
I roared, raising my right fist and striking at Luke Ling's cheek. Intense green light burst from around my fist.
Bang! I shut my eyes as a powerful force exploded outward. Instantly, I felt myself flying backward, screaming in agony. The pain inside was like thousands of tiny needles stabbing me—all over, burning, excruciating.
A huge roar filled the air, everything before me shrouded in green light. Then, suddenly, I was caught, but the pain kept going.
"Ethan, are you alright?"
Rachel Lan rushed over.
"Brother, you've done well. Let Mr. Brown leave your body. There will be some damage, but you'll be fine."
I kept coughing up blood, and now my blood had turned green. Suddenly, Old Nine flew to my side.
"Brother Ethan, don't worry, I'll help you."
As he spoke, Old Nine wrapped my body in blue streams of water. Gradually, I felt the pain begin to ease. Old Nine shouted, pressing his right hand to my chest and aiming his left at the sky.
A deafening boom erupted as a surge of intense green light shot up into the sky.
I slowly regained consciousness, my awareness returning. I was stunned—Mr. Brown stood before me, three heads and six arms. The center head was green, the left red, the right blue. His six arms glowed with green light, and ribbons of green energy swirled around him like streamers.
Mr. Brown's figure was massive, nearly two meters tall, with bulging muscles. His face radiated anger, and his short hair, just a few centimeters long, stood on end.
A tremendous ghostly aura nearly drowned out every other force I could sense in this space.
"Haha, it's been ages since I've seen you like this, Mr. Brown."
"I'm moved. It's been half a century since I've witnessed this scene. If you couldn't use the ghost domain, Mr. Brown would probably be the strongest in the ghost path. Haha."
Ray Lin walked over step by step, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Mr. Brown.
"Impressive, this old man. That ghostly aura is beyond reach. To think such a being exists among ghosts."
Old Nine muttered beside me.
At that moment, John Chou crouched next to me. I realized a pitch-black arm was still gripping my neck—Luke Ling's right hand. His entire right arm had been torn off by an immense force in an instant.
Then John Chou yanked Luke Ling's right hand from my neck and tossed it toward Mr. Brown.
With a hiss, it was as if an invisible barrier stood two meters from Mr. Brown. As the hand neared him, it turned to dust and scattered in the wind.
Mr. Brown's entire face was filled with rage—just one word described him: furious.
"Young master, what should we do now? I've unleashed all my power—this place can't hold much longer."
Sure enough, the sky all around was cracking—the world here was collapsing bit by bit. John Chou smiled and walked over to Mr. Brown, patting him on the shoulder.
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"Just go ahead and unleash it. It's been so long since I've seen your fists in action. I'm here, and with these Blue Wraiths, we'll absorb the overflow of your power. It should be fine. Go on, Mr. Brown."
As soon as John Chou finished speaking, Mr. Brown suddenly bent down, his six arms retracting behind him. He stepped forward with his right foot, and with a thunderous boom, the ground beneath him caved in.
"Yes, young master."
Suddenly, Mr. Brown charged forward. As the dust cleared, Luke Ling and the others could see again—Ghost Grandpa was crouched on the ground, a layer of black barrier standing before them.
At that moment, Luke Ling's right half of his head was gone, and his right hand had vanished.
"Child's play. Huh..."
Mr. Brown faced the black barrier without a trace of fear, swinging his fists and charging straight at it.
"Six Fists... Hundred Hits..."
A barrage of green fist shadows struck the barrier instantly.
"Need some help, huh? Haha."
Suddenly, a man stood before the black barrier—Lao Chongyuan. He raised his fist, whipped off his suit with a swish, and a tremendous roar erupted. The ground seemed to flip over, sending sand and dust surging toward us.
"Ha..."
Old Nine shouted, and instantly a stream of blue water appeared before us. The rushing sand and stones were swept up by Old Nine and flung to the left.
Gradually, as the dust cleared, Mr. Brown was dozens of meters away from us. Lao Chongyuan, who had just appeared, was now in tattered clothes, his raised fist dripping black blood. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and crouched on the ground, his body sizzling as black smoke rose from him.
"If it weren't for me, those guys behind would have been smashed to pieces."
Lao Chongyuan spoke, and we looked over. The black barrier was now riddled with cracks, and Ghost Grandpa, sitting cross-legged on the ground, was coughing up blood and gasping violently.
"Let's call a temporary truce, shall we? I think it's better to resolve this peacefully."
Lao Chongyuan spoke, dark energy swirling around him as he stood up, his wounds slowly disappearing.
"Lao Chongyuan, I don't need your help. Get out of the way. You people are just dead weight for the Immortality Society."
"Shut your filthy mouth, Luke Ling. Things can't escalate any further. But Zane Zhuang, there are two waiting for you. Haven't you fought them yet?"
Lao Chongyuan asked in confusion, and at that moment, John Chou walked over.
"There's no rule saying we have to fight."
Then Lao Chongyuan glanced around and laughed.
"It's Yuna Ji, isn't it? Hmph."
Sure enough, just as Lao Chongyuan finished speaking, a green light appeared above John Chou's head. Then I saw a stone gate open, and Yuna Ji slowly descended.
"Ah, since I've been discovered, I might as well come out and play."
"If you want us to stop, hand over the flame. You can't escape."
Lan Yin suddenly stepped forward, glaring fiercely in that direction.
"The Ten Soul Collectors are already on their way, Lan Yin. Indeed, we can't escape now. Given the situation, we'll have to fight to the death."
Lao Chongyuan spoke, raising his fist, and Mr. Brown was preparing to attack again.
"Hold on, Mr. Brown."
John Chou spoke, grabbing Yuna Ji and walking over to us.
"What are you doing, John Chou?"
"Let's save Ethan Zhang first, or he might die."
Yuna Ji giggled, leaned over my chest, and kissed me.
"What are you doing?" Rachel Lan shouted, reaching out to block Yuna Ji.
"Oh, little sister, I'm saving your man. The ghost aura from Mr. Brown has contaminated him—now the ghost power inside his body is eroding him."
"You... you don't have to do it like this. You could..."
Rachel Lan blushed, her voice barely audible, fading away.
"That's enough, you hussy. Be serious."
John Chou turned around and shouted sternly.
"Alright, I get it. At such a critical moment, I was just joking."