Whistling sounds pierced the air as six glowing arrows shot toward me. I reacted instantly, dodging every one of them completely. I stared quietly at the spot on my shoulder where the arrows had grazed me, and watched as they vanished after passing by.
"Not good enough, Ethan Zhang. Your senses are sharp and precise, but when it comes to physical reaction, you're still slow. In other words, your synchronization with your body might not even reach seventy percent."
I nodded with a quiet hum. The forest around us was silent, and Hayden Orion and I practiced in a clearing. This had been our routine for days. Ever since I arrived, Hayden had seemed genuinely happy, and I would occasionally tell him about what happened when I first came here.
After sparring with Hayden Orion again, I started to understand. My strength was formidable, but compared to the beasts here, there was a natural gap—especially in perception. As beasts, they possessed an innate, razor-sharp sensitivity to their environment, something cultivated from birth. As a human, my senses couldn't compare. What surprised me, though, was that Hayden's perception was almost equal to these beasts.
"Let's go eat first, Ethan Zhang."
I replied with a hum and followed Hayden Orion. The ground here had been cleared, covered in gray stones, with a three-meter-tall pole in the center. Atop it sat a ball woven from tree vines—Hayden's usual training tool.
The beasts here felt familiar, as if I'd seen them before—creatures called Asura. They, too, were born with a natural sense for combat. After I told Hayden about the Wraithlord, he smiled and said that his tribe had long passed down such stories, though not as accurately as I described.
Because Hayden Orion is also human, he naturally understands my feelings better. Humans strive for strength—once to overcome harsh nature, then for a better life, and now, to survive brutal competition among themselves. Humanity is a product of extreme adaptability and change.
To deal with abnormal beings like ghosts, humans have summarized and categorized all things under heaven and earth, developing techniques that make them effective against such entities.
For now, I don't plan to leave. Though my memories are important, at the moment I intend to stay with Hayden Orion and continue learning from him. After all, my body and Hayden's are the same—both human, not beasts.
After returning to the creek, the fish we caught this morning were soon roasting beside the fire. I had already marinated them with spices, and the air was filled with their fragrant aroma.
"Your body really is different, Hayden Orion. Can you explain how you do it?"
Hayden Orion scratched his head.
"Ethan Zhang, in short, it's all about perception. People in modern society lack the need to fight against harsh nature from birth. You changed nature, created society. But in my era, we could only live alongside nature from the moment we were born. The two different powers in your body are actually closer to nature, but they're hard to fuse. If you did manage to fuse them, your strength would surge, but you'd lose more than half your original power in the process. In reality, it's not worth it. In battle, you'd end up with immense power inside, but only half the force when you actually use it—a frustrating predicament."
I listened intently, nodding. What puzzled me most was that Hayden's strength wasn't overwhelming, yet in combat, I couldn't suppress him, and sometimes even found myself at a disadvantage.
"But using a soul-forged weapon does change things."
Hearing this, I remembered that Mother Goddess Nuwa had promised to forge a weapon for me—a topic I'd discussed with Hayden before.
"But if you could unleash your full power and add a soul-forged weapon, you'd be even stronger. Right now, you're nowhere near a match for the Wraithlord."
I hummed in response. By now, the grilled fish by the fire was nearly done, and Hayden and I began to eat. Over the past few days, I'd occasionally heard Hayden mention his wife, Selene. He never went into detail, but he often brought up one thing: that damned rabbit. It bewitched Selene, causing her to leave, and no one knows where she went. Since Hayden is human, unlike the other beasts who can travel between realms, he once tried to search for her, but not only failed, he was gravely wounded several times—almost killed. The beasts, deep down, harbor a certain hatred for humans.
In recent years, Hayden has had no energy left to search. He's been alone for many years, and that rabbit still comes by from time to time. Because its Moon Palace is next door, it always mocks Hayden whenever it visits. Hayden loathes that rabbit, wishes he could kill it, but it's too fast—he can't catch it.
Some things I didn't probe too deeply. Hayden once told me that he achieved all this by training in his own Illusory Realm. Nine suns blaze in the sky, constantly scorching the entire realm. The temperature here is the highest of all realms. Under this power, forget fighting—just standing under the sun for a few minutes is unbearable.
The nine suns in this realm's sky use the same power as Mother Goddess Nuwa to dissolve the Heaven-Mending Stone—celestial fire.
"After we eat and rest a bit, let's go outside and try again."
As I spoke, Hayden responded with a cheerful hum.
"I think you could..."
With a crash, Hayden's words were cut off and his expression turned furious. I heard the commotion too. After unleashing my power, I immediately sensed it was Jasper Luna at the edge of the forest. Hayden grabbed a hatchet and, with a whoosh, flew over. I tidied up and quickly followed.
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When I arrived, I was surprised to see Hayden holding the blade to Jasper Luna's neck. Jasper's mouth was still moving, and its big ears twitched slightly.
"Calm down, Hayden! I really didn't bewitch your wife—it was her choice to leave, honestly."
"That's bullshit! It was you, you damned rabbit!"
Jasper Luna's red eyes darted around, clearly looking for a chance to escape. He glanced at me with a pleading look, and I considered my options.
"Let's sit down and talk. Maybe we can..."
Just as I spoke, Hayden turned to me.
"This is between me and that damned rabbit, Ethan Zhang. You just watch—and tell me where my wife really is!"
Suddenly, as soon as Hayden lowered the blade, with a bang, Jasper Luna vanished like a spring released. A violent gust instantly flattened the surrounding trees. I couldn't sense Jasper Luna's presence anymore—he'd escaped again. Hayden, frustrated, tossed his knife aside.
"That bastard rabbit! Next time he shows up, I won't hold back—I'll kill him for sure."
I noticed that the flattened trees and grass were starting to recover, returning to normal within moments. Hayden stood up from the ground and sighed.
At that moment, I sensed something unusual. I reached out, and a pale blue Blood Jade floated into view. I stared in surprise as the Soul Fragment of the Wraithlord inside the Blood Jade was being burned away, its power fading and disappearing. Instantly, I turned to Hayden.
"Where's the hottest place here?"
Hayden scratched his head and pointed into the distance.
"It's far away. If you go, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it."
I shook my head.
"It's fine. I'll hold out as best I can."
I'd made up my mind: I would leave a piece of the Wraithlord's ghost domain inside Hayden's Illusory Realm. The celestial fire from the blazing sun here could erode the Wraithlord's power. For me, this was the best choice.
The moment I stepped out of the forest, a deadly heat hit me, and sweat instantly began to pour. Hayden floated ahead, signaling for me to follow.
With a rush of wind, Hayden and I left the forest in an instant, arriving on a vast, arid plain. I began to unleash my power, resisting the force of the sun's rays beating down from above.
Time ticked by, and I couldn't endure any longer. I dropped to the ground, pressing one hand to the earth. With a bang, the ground caved in. Using my original method, I dug a cave into the side of the pit. As soon as I entered, I felt revived. Hayden stood at the entrance, doing his best to shield me from the celestial fire.
We continued like this, stopping and starting along the way. I lasted nearly a full day before I couldn't take it anymore. Finally, I saw the terrain rise—a towering mountain loomed ahead. The air was so distorted it felt like we were in a sea of fire.
Gradually, we neared the summit. Not just me—even Hayden could barely move. I had rallied all my strength to withstand the celestial fire.
Waves of scorching heat threatened to burn my skin. At last, I saw the summit—a glowing sphere, like a miniature sun.
This sphere radiated an overwhelming power.
"All right, hurry up and throw it in."
Hayden said, and I struggled forward. The power covering my body was already being dissolved by the sphere's force. I took out the pale blue Blood Jade and threw it into the glowing sphere.
A sizzling sound echoed, and suddenly I felt a chill. The cold from the Blood Jade instantly made me feel much better, but soon, its power was all evaporated. Hayden and I quickly turned and rushed down the mountain.