Blistering currents crashed through the air, sending out crackling noises from time to time—the clash of powers had already begun.
I continued to conceal myself in midair, unmoving from my position. At this moment, a bizarre and chilling smile crept across the Wraithlord's face, making his rigid features look disturbingly unnatural.
"Disgusting."
Yuna Ji spat, and the Wraithlord glared at her. Tan Tian stood beside the Ghost Sovereigns.
"Yuna Ji, your turn will come soon. I'll send you to your beloved—but only if, after you die, you can still recognize each other."
As the Wraithlord spoke, Yuna Ji instantly raised her jade-green spear, but was quickly restrained by Redmond. John Chou stepped forward.
"Let's not bother with these childish taunts. I have a proposal—how about we call it quits right here?"
I stared at John Chou in disbelief, and even the Wraithlord was stunned for a moment. But he quickly shook his head and burst into raucous laughter.
"Scared, John Chou? I never thought you could feel fear."
The Wraithlord glared arrogantly at the six Ghost Sovereigns before him. John Chou drew Rage Blood from his back and held it casually in his hand.
"It's not fear—it's that this time, you might die. There won't be another chance."
The smile froze on the Wraithlord's face as he raised a finger and waved it.
"What a pity. That joke wasn't funny at all, John Chou. It's a shame—once you six stepped into this place, everything was already decided. If you could escape and hide out for a few centuries somewhere, maybe you'd pose a threat to me. But now, you have no chance left."
Lord Shenyan drew the black Founder's Sword from his back, while Redmond snorted coldly.
"Why waste words with him? Let's fight and settle it."
Mona Ouyang shot Redmond a sideways glare, clearly annoyed, and slapped him hard on the back.
"Attack as you please. I want to see what the six of you together are truly capable of."
The Wraithlord's face was flushed with excitement; he could barely contain his joy, and his body began to tremble.
"No need to rush into battle. Think about what your three offspring are scheming in secret. If we start fighting too soon, we'll only end up as prey for someone else."
The Wraithlord shook his head.
"What could those three scavengers possibly accomplish?"
I stared at the Wraithlord in shock—he showed not a trace of affection when speaking of his three offspring.
"That's truly heartless. Weren't they your children, after all?"
John Chou asked, but the Wraithlord simply shook his head.
"They were, once. But not anymore—after all, they no longer acknowledge me as their father. I can tell you what they're up to: they're collecting the hearts of the dead Gods."
As soon as the Wraithlord finished speaking, John Chou started laughing, as if he'd already guessed the plan.
"Isn't that a potential threat to you?"
I glanced at John Chou and the others, sensing that Mona Ouyang was up to something. Suddenly, I realized that when the fighting started, they might be able to suppress the Wraithlord. I didn't know why, but I suspected John Chou already had a plan.
"A threat? The feeble power of those I've already killed, gathered together, is nothing but a joke."
The Wraithlord took a step forward, and instantly, a suffocating ghostly aura flooded the entire Nether Syndicate. I knew he was about to get serious.
At that moment, the space around the Wraithlord and the Ghost Sovereigns began to twist and distort under the violent collision of ghostly energy. The black soil on the ground was turning to dust from the intensity of it all.
"Try to make this place more secure."
John Chou said, and Tan Tian nodded.
"I won't let a single bit of power leak out of here."
With that, Tan Tian vanished into the black earth, reappearing at my edge.
"My power isn't enough—it has no effect on him. Don't rush out; find the source of desire."
I nodded.
"I think so too. There's no point in leaving."
The Wraithlord floated up, stopping a few meters above the ground.
"When I first met you all centuries ago, I found you quite peculiar. You seven were completely different from any ghosts I had ever known."
The Wraithlord spoke with a hint of nostalgia, but his expression quickly grew serious.
"You've been preparing since then, haven't you, John Chou?"
John Chou shook his head.
"How could we? We didn't even know what you were—how could we prepare for you?"
The Wraithlord became completely calm, his smile vanished, and he looked like a statue buffeted by the wind. The Ghost Sovereigns' expressions were all markedly different.
Suddenly, I saw Yvonne May raise her hand. Instantly, waves of powerful ghostly energy surged, and the Ghost Sovereigns spread out in all directions.
A thunderous crash erupted as a torrent of black ghostly energy engulfed everything. Tan Tian beside me had vanished, clearly using all his power to stabilize the Nether Syndicate's space.
A streak of jade-green light shot through the darkness—Yuna Ji stood behind the Wraithlord, her spear thrusting straight at him. The ground changed violently, a swath of scorched earth replacing the black soil. Mona Ouyang had vanished, while Yvonne May and John Chou stood at a distance.
Redmond hovered in the air, raising a hand. Black flames instantly shattered the powerful ghostly energy released by the Wraithlord.
A metallic clang rang out as the Wraithlord raised a finger, deflecting Lord Shenyan's sword aimed at his brow. But as the blade was knocked aside, its tip twisted nimbly, slashing toward the Wraithlord's head. The Wraithlord dodged, stepping to the right, and grabbed Yuna Ji's spear with his left hand.
"Do you really think victory is assured for you?"
With Yuna Ji's furious roar, Lord Shenyan suddenly retreated. In the space behind him, a flaming red lotus appeared—he stepped onto it, channeling its power. The Wraithlord looked on in confusion at Yuna Ji, who was now radiating black-green energy.
In an instant, the Wraithlord released his grip on the spear, and Yuna Ji's Jade Spear plunged into his chest. He stared in disbelief at the weapon embedded in him, while in the distance, John Chou held Rage Blood aloft, scattering crimson particles into the air.
"Not bad. Very impressive."
The Wraithlord burst into laughter, gripping the spear with one hand and swinging his fist at Yuna Ji. But as flames flashed, Yuna Ji retreated; Lord Shenyan crossed his twin swords to block the Wraithlord’s blow, and at the moment of impact, he deflected the attack.
A thunderous crash echoed as flames rained from the sky. The Wraithlord’s furious ghostly aura was devoured by black fire, and skeletal hands erupted from the ground, seizing his feet. Yuna Ji, transformed into a streak of black-green light, lunged at the Wraithlord with impossible speed.
With a metallic ring, the Wraithlord coldly blocked Yuna Ji's attack with a single finger. Wild black-green currents tore outward, but Lord Shenyan’s twin swords whistled in, striking at the fresh wound in the Wraithlord’s chest, which was still oozing blood and hindered by a sinister purple-black substance.
"You think I can't see through your petty tricks?"
Suddenly, the Wraithlord lunged toward John Chou. Before I could react, his fist crashed down on Rage Blood, which John Chou held aloft. Grinning, the Wraithlord glanced at Yvonne May, who had withdrawn to a distance—he seemed intent on eliminating her first.
"Where exactly are you looking?"
As John Chou spoke, his form dissolved into blood-red particles, reappearing behind the Wraithlord, who widened his eyes in shock.
"Slaughter!"
With a swift slash, the Wraithlord twisted aside, but a gash was still carved into his back. He dropped to the ground, quickly distancing himself from the Ghost Sovereigns. I watched John Chou in surprise—his innate power of Slaughter had manifested suddenly, wounding the Wraithlord, though the wound was already beginning to heal.
"Arrogance must have its limits. Our resolve is nothing like yours."
As John Chou spoke, Lord Shenyan and Yuna Ji attacked in tandem—red and black-green flashes streaked toward the Wraithlord. He blocked their assault with both hands, his face stripped of all arrogance and laughter, now fixed on John Chou.
Yuna Ji and Lord Shenyan shifted positions around the Wraithlord, striking relentlessly. He was completely suppressed, forced to parry their attacks again and again. Waves of immense power battered the Nether Syndicate, yet the realm itself remained eerily undisturbed—Tan Tian must have done something to stabilize it.
At that moment, John Chou shot me a sideways glance. I was startled as a streak of blood-red particles drifted past my ear.
"Hurry, Earth Soul—find the source of desire and resolve the external threat, or the Grand Celestial Four Symbols Array may be forced to activate ahead of schedule."
I immediately resumed searching. The Wraithlord was completely suppressed, but I wondered why he hadn’t unleashed the power that could devour and destroy everything. I didn’t know the reason, but it seemed something was preventing him. For now, he could only defend with ghostly energy. I sensed he was searching for something—then, suddenly, he charged at John Chou once more.