I have no idea how much time has passed. Earthly Soul is still probing the surroundings, and my home has vanished. The seed remains inside the house—how will I reach John Chou and the others in the Shadow of the Moon in about twenty days?
At last, Earthly Soul came over from the big pillar. Even as a shadow, he can no longer enter the Dark Banquet. It seems they've done something sinister to keep us out.
The city has vanished. We're lost, with no idea what to do next.
"Ethan Zhang, you idiot."
Earthly Soul was furious. Xu Fu had found him and demanded that he cause such chaos—otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to rescue my cousin and the two masters.
Everything has changed now. Maybe John Chou and the others will be exposed, since the seed I hid in the bedroom wall will react in thirty days. I have no idea how they'll respond.
"Forget it."
Earthly Soul said, sinking to the ground. My cousin was still unconscious, while Master Jianyun and Grandmaster Mingde had become utterly unresponsive, lost in a trance-like state.
"Deathcurse and Xu Fu will surely find a way."
"Let's go. I'll take you somewhere."
As I spoke, I drifted upward, ordering the Deathbane Ghost, Deathbane Aura Snakes, and Yin Ghost to each escort three people behind us.
"Where exactly are we going, Ethan Zhang?"
Earthly Soul asked irritably. I nodded and replied.
"The black humanoids—Deathbane Wraiths, similar to what we once were. Natives of the darkness, and they seem especially interested in me."
Earthly Soul looked at me in surprise, then smiled faintly.
"No wonder, the moment I entered this darkness, it felt strangely familiar. Maybe we really were born here."
We were nearly there. I slowed down, and behind me, Howard Zhang regained consciousness.
"Qingyuan, thank you."
"Are you alright, Howard?"
I came to a halt, gazing down at the abandoned village in the small basin below. I descended, and began telling Earthly Soul and Howard about the Deathbane Wraiths.