I plummeted from the air. John He’s hand was already severed by the solidified Deathbane Aura Blade in my grip. Clutching his wounded arm, he let out a howl of pain.
With a whoosh, I turned into a cloud of mist and began to distance myself from John He. I’d already noticed it—his skin would harden to an impenetrable shield in the instant of attack, but the moment the assault ceased, it became fragile. My Deathbane Aura could pierce it.
It was the Tong Ghost, transformed into an earthen giant, whose stone attack first tipped me off. Just now, when I used my Ghost Souls to surround John He on three sides, a single pebble easily lodged itself in his abdomen.
“Even if you’ve figured it out, Ethan Zhang, it’s useless. Today, here, I’ll show you what the Immortality Society truly is.”
My eyes widened. At that moment, I saw John He gripping what remained of his arm with his left hand. With a ripping sound, he tore it off, and black blood spattered everywhere.
I stood up, letting the Resentful Ghost return to my body. Raising both hands, Deathbane Aura surged outward. I now understood clearly—trying to fight John He with just two Ghost Souls was impossible.
A moment ago, because of my mistake, the Tong Ghost nearly died. Now, within me, I could sense only the faintest trace of its presence. The damage was so severe that it could no longer manifest as a Ghost Soul.
A buzzing sound rang out—it was my phone. I pulled it out, and suddenly the screen lit up again. The app called Bing was flashing with a red glow.
“Chance of defeat in battle: one hundred percent. Chance of escape: ninety percent...”
I didn’t wait for the voice prompt to finish. Instead, I yanked out the battery and tossed the phone aside. I’d never considered running away. Just facing one of the Immortality Society’s Black Masks had left me so battered and desperate—I was utterly unwilling to accept it.
Everything that just happened—if I truly had the ability, I could’ve resolved it. My power isn’t as strong as John He’s, and I’m not as fast as him either.
Thump, thump. I heard the violent pounding of a heart.
John He stretched out his left hand, pointing at his heart. I saw the left side of his chest rising and falling in rhythm—the violent heartbeat echoed again and again.
“You know, Ethan Zhang, you have no chance of winning against me. I’m done listening to those old men nagging. It’s easier to just take you back. You’re not running?”
John He asked, and I nodded, my heart filled with rage as I glared at him.
“The engine’s already started. Next, Ethan Zhang, I’ll show you what true despair feels like.”
I could no longer rely on Ghost Souls in battle. I had to focus all my power together, because if I released a Ghost Soul, I wouldn’t be able to successfully condense a solid sword.
Raising both hands, I began to condense two broken swords. Gradually, I felt their weight in my grip. The wings on my back unfurled, and I slowly rose into the air.
My only thought now was to increase my speed and strength, even if just a little. I might not even get a chance to defend myself. That heartbeat grew louder and more violent—the thumping echoed clearly through the night sky.
Then, I saw John He’s body begin to swell slightly. Those black muscles looked even more solid; the veins bulged beneath his skin, and black blood surged rapidly, sometimes protruding outward. He crouched low to the ground.
I stared at him quietly. It was likely time for a life-or-death decision. I’d already ruled out retreat for both of us in my mind. I feared I had to cross this threshold—otherwise, I couldn’t move forward.
Though I stood no chance against John He right now, the feeling was unprecedented. Not only did I refuse to back down—I even wanted to defeat him.
"Be careful, Ethan Zhang. You might die."
My shadow reminded me, and I nodded.
"I know even without you telling me. I’m no match for him right now, but I still want to defeat him—no matter what it takes."
I gripped the two broken swords tighter, and my shadow smiled.
"Then go do it, Ethan Zhang. Like I said before, it seems you’re finally starting to understand—your instincts, and what you’re truly capable of right now."
The anger faded from my face, replaced by a smile. Now, I could fully grasp the gap between the weak and the strong.
"Drown in this joy, Ethan Zhang. Destroy your enemy without mercy. Let there be only one thought—kill..."
I roared in fury and charged at John He. At that moment, my only thought was how to kill him. Everything else faded away—my mind was consumed by murderous intent.
John He’s eyes widened in surprise, but he reacted instantly. Raising his left fist, he shot forward and appeared right in front of me. He punched, and I crossed my twin swords to block. Bang—a massive force sent me flying.
"Mirror..."
Suddenly, as I was sent flying by John He, my shadow created a smooth black mirror behind him. In an instant, I appeared at John He’s back. Predictably, he could still react in time.
I’d already raised my twin swords, crossing them to block John He’s punch. He was still fast, and his strength was immense. I plummeted toward the ground.
"If you’ve never been bathed in darkness, you’ll never understand what we are."
As John He spoke, he was already in front of me. He raised his foot, bringing it down like thunder and lightning. I quickly adjusted my posture in midair, flapping my wings desperately. Though I dodged, the forceful gust sent me spinning through the air. Every strike from John He was filled with killing intent and crushing weight, as if he wanted to pulverize me.
After steadying myself in the air, I roared in anger. Facing John He’s fierce assault, I didn’t back down. I raised my twin swords and slashed at him.
Two swift strikes—my attack missed. John He dodged nimbly in midair. I saw only a blur before his fist came at my face.
I desperately pulled back my swords and swung at John He. Bang—I felt dizzy as another punch landed on my cheek. Deathbane Aura surged from my body. I’d hoped to turn into mist at the moment of impact, but he was even faster than I imagined.
Taking another punch, I felt I was about to collapse. The twin swords fell from my hands, stabbing into the ground as I crashed down hard.
At that moment, I realized that even after I let go of the Deathbane Blade, it didn’t dissipate. The Specter Web seemed different now—thicker than before. Just now, I’d felt something strange: a new method of using Deathbane Aura.
In that instant, I gathered all my Deathbane Aura, trying to dodge quickly. But the overwhelming force sent me crashing to the ground.
The pounding heartbeat left me no time to think. John He appeared before me, face down, left fist clenched, arm stretched far behind him. His bones creaked.
"Second... Extremity..."
I absolutely couldn’t let him hit me. The thought flashed through my mind. With a thunderous boom, I closed my eyes—but I realized I hadn’t been struck. Instead, I’d moved to John He’s side, dodging the punch.
Bang—where I’d just been, the ground bulged outward, forming a small crater. Every pebble and bit of debris turned to powder. The crater was deep, three or four meters, and a meter or two wide. Everything inside was reduced to ash.
I dodged it—completely. As his fist was about to hit me, I managed to evade. Because of his overwhelming strength, and missing a hand, John He started to lose balance in midair.
I seemed to have found an opportunity. I’d already sensed it—when confronting him head-on, I knew he was fast, but it wasn’t impossible to dodge. In reality, I hadn’t dodged before and could only block his attacks.
Without hesitation, I roared and raised my fist, aiming to strike John He. But in an instant, I saw him extend a finger, tapping the edge of the crater, then sweep his leg sideways.
He precisely kicked away my incoming punch. I staggered, and he used the momentum to flip in midair, landing right in front of my faltering body.
"Move!"
I shouted, spreading my arms wide. John He was already aiming a punch at my chest. With a swish, he seemed to realize something and twisted his body, halting his attack.
My gaze never left him, narrowing in focus. Ghost threads, Deathbane Aura—in an instant, I caught the two spinning, flying Deathbane Aura Broken Blades. As soon as I grasped them, I beat my wings, steadied myself, and slashed at John He with both swords.
Able to dodge, I felt a powerful force strike at me. At that moment, I noticed something—the pounding heartbeat seemed to slow.
Seeing his fist about to slam into my cheek, I roared, raised my twin swords, and charged to meet him.
"I absolutely cannot back down."