I quietly watched Spirit Snake and Deathbane Ghost. Since there was nothing urgent at the moment, and the Wraithlord had mentioned pages 11 and 28, I wanted to learn more about their backgrounds first.
"What exactly do you mean by a fundamental difference?"
At this, Spirit Snake and Deathbane Ghost exchanged glances. I looked at the two spirits in confusion, noticing their hesitation.
With a resigned sigh, "Fine, I'll go first."
Spirit Snake said this, settling down with a measured calm. Shadows seemed to gather around him as he prepared to speak.
"When did you first realize that the snake was considered one of the twelve human zodiac signs?"
I stared at Spirit Snake in confusion, racking my brain. After a while, I finally spoke.
"It was when we gained intelligence that we began to understand human society and what animals meant to people. Slowly, I learned about the twelve zodiac signs. You seem to be revered as sacred spirits, but that's not entirely true, is it?"
I looked at Spirit Snake. He nodded, confirming my guess. Deathbane Ghost had just said they were both similar to spiritual entities. The concept of 'spirit' is vast and complex—countless entities exist in this world, each with their own nature.
Long ago, there were no humans. As an animal, all I had after birth was raw instinct and the most basic habits for survival.
I gave a quiet acknowledgment, and Spirit Snake began to speak.
In that era, the world was actually very small, nothing like its vastness now. The birth of animals was the result of repeated efforts by the Gods, emerging bit by bit.
From the moment snakes came into existence, they preferred to hide in the shadows to hunt their prey. They have survived from ancient times until now, showing no signs of extinction. As animals, snakes possess no sentience—only instinct.
When hungry, they hunted by instinct; when sated, they sought a place to sleep. Upon death, they sank into a world opposite the sunlit realm—a boundless land of ashes.
Everything that died would sink below. After death, there was nothing—no souls, no lingering essence. Death was simply death, and life was life. The dead became nourishment for the living, and the entire world followed the law of the jungle.
Endlessly, things died; endlessly, things were born. The cycle repeated, everything simple and clear—until the arrival of humans.
When the Gods finally sealed away the Wraithlord, and ghosts began to emerge, the world of death—once a mirror to the sunlit realm—started to change.
With humans dying and transforming into souls, or rather, ghosts, many animals—once destined only for death—began to possess souls as well.
Yet the souls of these animals were feeble, insignificant. Most became food for ghosts; they could do nothing, only exist as weaklings in the spirit world.
But at that time, humanity's survival was once again threatened by ghosts. They began to use their intelligence, but humans—born weak—had no means of resistance. All they could do was place their hopes and spirits into fierce beasts.
Gradually, the pure souls of many animals began to possess unknown powers. In ancient times, people used the animals they had seen as tribal totems, hoping to learn from them and survive more easily.
Over time, this practice gave animal souls power—the power of faith. From the earliest worship of fierce beasts to the formation of true belief, these forces grew stronger, eventually helping humans drive away darkness and evil, protecting their kind.
These Saints then began to destroy ghosts, and the most direct way was to devour them—this was the safest method. Gradually, the faith in the twelve zodiac signs began to take shape, but at that time, it was not yet the twelve; people chose many animals as objects of worship.
Cats were among these animals, but the good times did not last. The Saints who consumed ghosts could not purify all of them; some residue remained. Over time, some Saints acquired powers from ghosts, such as intelligence, and were gradually tainted by darkness.
As the human population grew, faith in the Saints diversified. There were Teng Snake, Basilisk, and many complex deities, as well as Vermilion Phoenix, Phoenix, White Tiger, and Qiongqi.
Humanity began to divide by region; different tribes, surnames, and birthplaces held different beliefs. Wars erupted over food and faith, and the Saints worshipped by humans began to slaughter one another.
Devouring ghosts gave them a savage aura, and the Saints fought among themselves like humans, seeking to establish a single dominant faith. Yet all were powerful, and the final outcome of their battles was the birth of the Twelve Zodiac Saints.
In the end, humans settled on twelve zodiac beliefs, and those who reached the pinnacle became the true Saints.
I swallowed nervously as I looked at Spirit Snake. His expression was grim, as if he were recalling something he wished to forget.
"The war among Saints was brutal—devour or be devoured, those were the only choices. Whoever stood at the top became the king, the one worthy of being called a Saint."
I quietly watched Spirit Snake as he continued to speak.
At that time, the Saints suffered greatly. They had to devour their own kind to secure their place as objects of human faith. As the number of humans grew, so did the power of their beliefs, and tribal wars ultimately determined the fate of the Saints.
It was in this merciless illusion that Spirit Snake devoured all his fellow Saints, surviving in the end.
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As time went on, faith began to shift. Beyond the Twelve Zodiac Saints, the beliefs in other Saints—like the Four Symbols—grew weaker. Even within the Twelve, new Saints occasionally emerged, so the twelve established sanctuaries to house the newly born Saints.
"So that's how Serpent Hall came to be? Or, to be precise, if your power ever wanes to the point where you can't fulfill your role as a Zodiac Saint, you'll be devoured by another."
I roughly understood. Spirit Snake gave a quiet affirmation and sat in silence, lost in thought. Soon, he returned to my body without another word. I turned to Deathbane Ghost, my curiosity about his origin growing stronger.
At that moment, Deathbane Ghost laughed.
"If he can't even bear such a small burden, that guy is close to death. His power is weaker than ever, but he can still suppress the serpents in Serpent Hall. If this continues, Spirit Snake will disappear from your body completely, and a new one will be born."
I gave a quiet acknowledgment and looked at Deathbane Ghost. He stared into the distance, scratching his head in frustration.
"My origin is completely different from Spirit Snake's. I came into being with the emergence of Deathbane Aura."
My eyes widened. I still didn't truly understand Deathbane Aura, but since it was now part of my power, I needed to learn more. Most importantly, I still hadn't figured out the nature of the gray Deathbane Aura that Zhang Qingyuan used before his death.
"Time truly is endless. Among Zhang Qingyuan's Ghost Souls, Desire Ghost is likely the youngest; the others have existed for an unknowable length of time."
With that, Deathbane Ghost began his tale.
As for Deathbane Aura, it is fierce, but not evil. Its true origin cannot be traced. Even Deathbane Ghost himself doesn't fully understand it—he only knew that when he first opened his eyes, humanity had already become the world's dominant force, building nations and societies. His vague awareness told him he'd existed since the day Deathbane Aura first appeared.
Strictly speaking, Deathbane Aura began with humans. Some people are born gentle and kind, growing up mild-mannered. Others are born irritable, becoming even more unruly and prone to anger. Such traits are passed down through generations—some erupt, some are suppressed, and gradually, Deathbane Aura fades away.
Deathbane Aura is common among the fierce, and those who walk the path of evil become truly malevolent. Once they begin committing evil deeds, the mark of death appears. Death energy merges with the sharp, gloomy Deathbane Aura, creating a force that is intensely aggressive.
"Those born fierce, if not properly guided by parents, elders, or friends, easily turn to evil and become truly vicious. After death, most are destined for the Hell Realm, which is why so many Evil Ghosts are born. Many ghosts can wield Deathbane Aura, but true Deathbane Aura is different—it contains both vitality and death, and only through their fusion can it be called Deathbane."
Deathbane Ghost spoke, then gave a resigned laugh.
"Many people don't understand this truth, nor do many ghosts. That's why Deathbane Aura has gradually become unusable. When its vital essence is completely extinguished, Deathbane Aura vanishes as well."