"What exactly are you doing here?"
I looked down at the scene below the mountain, confusion stirring within me. Someone was fighting in the pitch-black woods—it was Rachel Lan. John Chou, his presence as cold as the grave, drifted silently to my side.
"It's nothing. I'm just helping Ethan Zhang train Rachel Lan. It's the last thing he entrusted to me."
The Immortality Society came looking for me. They told me Ethan Zhang is still alive, trapped in the Illusory Realm.
John Chou's face changed abruptly, surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Is that reliable?"
I shook my head.
I don't know if Xu Fu is trying to use news of Ethan Zhang to confuse me, or if it's something else. But the lock of Ethan Zhang's hair that he brought is real.
As I spoke, I took a strand of hair from my pocket. John Chou accepted it and placed it in his palm. After a moment, he smiled.
"It's definitely Ethan Zhang's aura. Keep it safe, and don't let Rachel Lan find out."
I grunted in response.
"I feel the same way. Other than you and me, I don't want anyone else knowing Ethan Zhang is still alive. By the way, what about that guy behind you—is he trustworthy?"
I asked, glancing sideways at the Green Wraith standing behind us—Evan Zhao. His face wore a crooked, insincere grin that made me uncomfortable. It was a smile for the sake of smiling, completely devoid of emotion.
Will you tell anyone else, Evan?
Evan Zhao shook his head as John Chou sneered and asked.
"Of course not."
I snorted. From below the mountain came the sound of a violent explosion. I could sense a surge of both Vitality and Death Energy in this place. Rachel Lan, fighting down below, was using both as well, which struck me as unbelievable.
Alright, Earthly Soul, tell me what happened these past few days. We need to come up with a plan. After all, a lot of people are searching for this woman.
I grunted again, clenching my fist.
"I will never let anyone succeed. If anyone tries to harm Rachel Lan, I'll kill them first—even if it means starting a war."
John Chou let out a low, unsettling chuckle. He sat beside me, his cold hand landing on my back with a weight that sent a chill through my spine.
You're a little too anxious, Earthly Soul. A few days ago, the Coexistence Instinct awakened inside Rachel Lan's body.
I gasped. The moment I entered this Shadow Realm, I sensed it—the Coexistence Instinct. Everything I suspected was true, and Evan Zhao had actually brought Rachel Lan here ahead of me.
"Are you planning to use this place to hide Rachel Lan? I doubt she'll stay hidden for long. You said yourself, this is your burial ground—if anyone investigates, they might find traces."
John Chou smiled and nodded.
"But by the time they find this place, everything will be beyond their control."
I watched the battle below. Flames kept flaring up in the woods, casting ghostly shadows. The power within Rachel Lan now felt utterly transformed—much stronger than before, surging with a force that seemed almost unnatural. Still, if she faced someone truly formidable, this power might still not be enough.
I began recounting everything the Immortality Society told me over the past few days, as well as the changes in the Ghost Burial Squad.
After about half an hour, I finished telling John Chou all the details. Laughter echoed from behind us.
"What's so funny?"
I asked, a little annoyed, as Ronan Wu walked over shaking his head.
"If they find our weak spot, things will slip out of our control. They've probably been planning this for years. As for why they're capturing Ghost Burial Squad members and those trainees—haven't you figured it out yet?"
I looked at Ronan Wu in confusion and shook my head.
Honestly, I couldn't figure it out. They went to so much trouble and even trained those Ghost Burial Squad members. It could be to keep the Living World stable, but there must be more to it. I glanced at John Chou, who sighed helplessly.
Earthly Soul, do you think people can truly stick to themselves? Like Ethan Zhang, or like you?
I shook my head.
"That's exactly why we're called human. Like Lao Chongyuan said, there are countless people driven by greed and ambition. It's easier to take shortcuts than to climb mountains. Yesterday, Hu Tianshuo took me to a place where I saw the Ghost Burial Squad using techniques that were completely different from before—much smoother and far more powerful. That's because Buddhism and Daoism now fully control the Six Paths, but such rapid progress is impossible for even the most gifted. True mastery requires gradual improvement; rushing only leads to ruin. That's why, for centuries, no matter how strong practitioners become, they can never defeat the evil ghosts—especially you Ghost Sovereigns."
"You know this well enough, Earth Soul. Think harder about what they're really planning. The people taken from the Ghost Burial Squad all have close ties to Ethan Zhang."
I grunted. Long ago, Ethan Zhang was close with the Ghost Burial Squad members—they were friends, sharing countless experiences. For Ethan Zhang, not being able to find them all became a knot in his heart, making him sad every time it came up.
Maybe only someone like Ethan Zhang would think and act that way. I realized long ago that the weak don't even have the right to choose death. The Ghost Burial Squad was wiped out because they were too weak.
People in the Arcane Society were unwilling to help them. The Ghost Burial Squad's status in that community was always awkward. After they crossed paths with Ethan Zhang, they wanted to rely on him—which was the right thing to do, since many members were honest and good-hearted.
(Irrelevant web prompt skipped)
Thinking about it, everything Hu Tianshuo told me yesterday resurfaced. I seemed to understand now why the Immortality Society took more than a hundred Ghost Burial Squad members.
"It really was a clever move—a piece set on the board years ago."
"Looks like you've figured it out, Earth Soul. Let me explain further—why release all the Ghost Burial Squad members now? It's all about bringing the Immortality Society out of the shadows and establishing their order in the Living World, especially at a critical moment like this."
I smiled helplessly.
"Like sugar and a whip, huh?"
I'd figured it out. Bit by bit, they subtly convinced everyone in the Ghost Burial Squad that the Immortality Society wasn't their enemy—the real enemy was the ghosts. It's true, the greatest harm to the squad has always come from ghosts. The Immortality Society may have done some shady things, but everyone they captured was a villain. Only those villains qualified as their test subjects; ordinary people were rarely used for experiments.
The Immortality Society exploited this mindset. I don't know exactly what those people went through during their years in captivity, but I can guess—they weren't harmed, but were instead helped to grow stronger. The Society probably told them to keep living as guardians of the Living World.
When people face overwhelming fear and powerlessness, they have only two choices: seek help from greater power, or acquire it themselves. The Immortality Society forced them to choose at this very moment.
After years of oppression by ghosts and the constant risk of death, most members of the Ghost Burial Squad have likely changed inside. Ethan Zhang helped them many times, but that only works for a while—not forever. They have to become strong themselves to truly solve the problem of facing evil ghosts with less than a ten percent survival rate.
Many things in this world must be done by someone. Under the Immortality Society's influence, the Ghost Burial Squad members have completely changed psychologically. Now, they know they must gain power, stop relying on others, and protect the Living World on their own. Most of them have tragic pasts, which taught them how precious it is to control their own fate.
So the Ghost Burial Squad made their choice—they accepted the Immortality Society's help. This started after more than a hundred members disappeared, and Ethan Zhang recovered thirty-one of them.
But Hu Tianshuo never told me anything. I could understand his frustration and the pain of feeling powerless. Back when Ethan Zhang was alive, it was even harder for them to admit the truth—they had fully accepted the Immortality Society's goodwill.
This really is a contradiction, isn't it, Evan Zhao?
It doesn't matter, Earthly Soul. At this point, everyone has the right to choose. There's no need to judge anyone else's decision. All right, let me show you something.
As he spoke, John Chou floated up and slowly moved to the center of the lake. I followed. Gradually, the black water began to swirl, forming a vortex.
"Come with me."
I nodded and followed John Chou straight into the vortex.
The moment I opened my eyes, I saw a massive, pulsating crimson sphere floating in midair. Black, vein-like tendrils writhed across its surface, the whole thing throbbing as if it were alive and breathing. Beneath it, a corpse sat cross-legged, silent and ominous.
"That's your body, isn't it, John Chou?"
I said. John Chou nodded, but I was much more focused on the glowing red sphere—what exactly was it?
"This is my Bloodbane Power."
I swallowed hard, eyes wide with dread as the oppressive aura pressed in around me.