The apartment building had been completely razed to the ground, debris scattered everywhere. I stood atop the ruins, not intending to restore the building to its original state. Instead, I entered my Shadow Realm. Whoever set up these traps was unlikely to reveal themselves so easily.
I kept reaching out with my senses. Then, I saw something moving in the distance. In an instant, I flew over—it was a rabbit, a black rabbit, hopping and skipping around.
Earlier, I realized my next opponent was the Rabbit Zodiac Heir. The image of a hopping rabbit flashed through my mind. On the ruins, more and more rabbits kept appearing. I stared in shock as countless rabbits burrowed up from beneath the rubble.
Gradually, the rabbits multiplied until they were impossible to count. These rabbits could explode, and their power was anything but ordinary—I had already learned that lesson.
A chilling thought crept into my mind—if all these black rabbits exploded at once, my Shadow Realm—and maybe even I—would be obliterated. I swallowed hard and quickly rose higher, silently watching as the black rabbits covered every inch of the apartment ruins.
How did they get here? Suddenly, a thought struck me and I drifted toward the wasteland. As usual, aside from a few scattered Bottomless Pits, nothing seemed out of place. I raised my hand, and with a rumble, those pits began to close.
Under my influence, the wasteland’s landscape began to change. Gradually, all the black Bottomless Pits disappeared completely. Looking back at the apartment building, aside from the rabbits I’d already seen, no new ones appeared.
"Very clever, Ethan Zhang. If you’d figured it out any later, you’d be dead. Now, with so many rabbits in your Shadow Realm, it’s like sitting on an unstable bomb that could go off at any moment. What will you do?"
This intruder who snuck into my Shadow Realm seemed to know everything about me. I had walked right into his trap. These rabbits undoubtedly came through the Bottomless Pits, which meant they entered from the outside.
By changing the landscape, I had completely severed the connection between my Shadow Realm and the outside. But now, with so many powerful rabbits inside, things were getting very tricky.
I couldn't afford to worry about anything else. I opened the Shadow Realm and swept out with a rush.
"You sly bastard."
I glared outside in anger. On the ground stood an old man, dressed in tattered gray clothes, surrounded by countless hopping black rabbits. He opened his mouth, revealing missing black teeth, and laughed wildly.
"I, Maoyun, haven’t been this happy in years. Heh, the sect master really is something—sent such an interesting ghost in. And a ghost that can enter the Naraku Pit, that’s a first for me. Everyone’s thrilled; I’d love to fight you. But the Twelve Earthly Branches must take turns, and those Ten Heavenly Stems folks won’t get their turn for now. You’re finished. My spell is on you—if I wish, you’ll die instantly."
I clenched my fist. Without hesitation, I appeared before Maoyun and swung Belle at his head.
With a slash, I watched in shock as Maoyun split in two under Belle. Blood sprayed everywhere. I stared at the black rabbits around me—they didn’t attack or explode, but kept hopping nearby.
"Over here, Ethan Zhang. Keep going."
I turned my head. Maoyun appeared on my right. I floated to him again, slashing rapidly with Belle. His body was shredded into pulp by black wind blades.
"Here I am. Keep going, hahaha..."
I roared in anger. Maoyun sat calmly in the distance, smiling at me as if nothing had happened.
Again and again, I swung Belle until my whole body was stained red. I lost count of how many times I had killed Maoyun, yet every time, he reappeared somewhere else.
Red blood, like droplets, streamed down my body and pooled on the ground.
"Wow, so bloody. Don’t you think so, Ethan Zhang?"
"You won’t die?"
I muttered in confusion, but Maoyun just shook his head.
"You ghosts have multiple souls—why can’t humans?"
I stared at Maoyun in shock. This was the first time I’d heard of humans having multiple souls.
"Among the Twelve Zodiac, the rabbit’s reproductive ability is unmatched—even stronger than the rat. I’m just constantly reproducing my own souls, using my own spell. Go on, Ethan Zhang, don’t worry—I’ve got plenty of clones left. You can keep chopping for a long time."
I was left speechless. I had to calm down and find the real body. No matter what, Maoyun had to have a true form—where was it?
"No need to look. My real body is in your Shadow Realm, Ethan Zhang. If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you."
Suddenly, my eyes widened. With a boom, I spat out black blood and my body shattered instantly. Massive explosions erupted in the Shadow Realm, affecting my ghost souls.
After pulling myself together, I crouched on the ground, watching Maoyun as he stood and walked toward me step by step.
"As the sixth generation leader of the Nether Syndicate, do you know why I died?"
I swallowed. This guy was just like Yin Qiu before—dangerous, with his own unique spells.
"I was killed by our first leader, Big Cat."
Suddenly, I opened the Shadow Realm and returned in an instant. The Shadow Realm was restored, but everywhere—inside the apartment, across the wasteland—black rabbits hopped in dense swarms.
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"Back then, I tried to overthrow everything in the Nether Syndicate, but I failed. None of the other factions could kill me, but in the end, Big Cat did it. That’s how I ended up in the Nether Pit, for a very long time. Fighting those guys got boring—let me see your instincts, Ethan Zhang."
The voice came from the top of the apartment building.
With a rush, I appeared on the top floor of the apartment. I aimed my Spectral Shotgun at Maoyun, who stood at the edge, and pulled the trigger.
With a thunderous bang, I was stunned. Two large black bullets were caught tightly between Maoyun’s outstretched hands. A golden light flared, crackling, and black smoke rose from my body as I was scorched.
"In the Nether Syndicate, I rank fourth in strength—no higher. Let’s take our time, Ethan Zhang. If we keep going, the top three might show up, and you might not even get a chance to fight back."
With another boom, Maoyun tossed the two Deathbane Rounds behind him, triggering a violent explosion. Turbulent currents swept through instantly.
This move was just like what Xu Fu could do—using force several times stronger than my own Deathbane Rounds, he instantly sealed off the space around us and suppressed the internal explosion.
He’s strong—stronger than Yin Qiu before.
"What’s your real goal?"
I asked. Maoyun just laughed.
"Don’t you know? Big Cat told us to take turns playing with you."
I watched Maoyun quietly. These guys had been here for who knows how many years—each one a hardened survivor, cruel and cunning. Nothing they said could be trusted. This wasn’t just a game; it felt more like a test.
"Want to keep going, Ethan Zhang?"
Suddenly, Maoyun appeared before me, pressing a finger to my forehead. Crackling sounds erupted—I screamed, unable to move.
This was inside my Shadow Realm, but Maoyun’s strength, several times greater than mine, sealed all my movements. When he let go, I could move again. Roaring with fury, I slashed at his neck with Belle.
With a hum, I saw an incredibly bizarre image, then was hurled backward, crashing to the ground, my head spinning.
Shaking my head, I staggered to my feet. What I’d just seen was a rabbit with red eyes, mouth agape, two protruding teeth—an extremely eerie sight.
"Let’s play a little, Ethan Zhang... Bottomless Pit..."
Suddenly, Maoyun waved two fingers downward. A huge pit opened beneath my feet. I tried to float up but was instantly restrained, falling straight down, screaming.
All around me were pitch-black walls. I was at the center, the space about five or six meters wide, falling straight down.
I gripped Belle, channeling Deathbane Aura through the hilt. With a clang, sparks flew and crackling sounds erupted. I was still falling, but much slower now. Gradually, I stopped, finally grabbing Belle lodged in the wall. Looking up, I could barely see the top.
"Try climbing up, Ethan Zhang! Hahaha..."
Maoyun’s voice echoed from above. Furious, I turned into a stream of black mist and floated upward, but soon stopped, suspended in midair.
I remembered I hadn’t been falling that long. Even after floating for a while, I never saw the exit above. I was still in the Shadow Realm—I was sure of it.
"What is this thing? What exactly is it?"