All my life, I believed everything I did was right. I never doubted myself, no matter how dire the circumstances—I always thought my actions were justified.
I don't know when the notion of doing the right thing began to consume me. As Ethan Zhang, righteousness fused with my soul and flowed in my blood. It was the radiant, warming part of human nature—a light that beckoned me, drawing me in, bit by bit, until I truly became human.
But recently, all of this has collapsed. I lost the right to call myself human—the very thing I longed for and pursued for so long slipped away. All those righteous deeds now exist only in memory. Rightness lives only in the past.
No matter how I struggle, my heart feels nothing anymore. I cannot accept this reality. Yet everything before me is blindingly bright—the broad, straight back in front of me seems able to bear the weight of the world. The eyes hold nothing but purpose, and the confident smile remains.
"You once said that victory is justice, Xu Fu. Then tell me, what do you see when you stand before me? Have you ever witnessed this?"
As Lord Shenyan spoke, Xu Fu burst out laughing. A pale blue light flared in his hand—it was Zhanlu, the blade perfectly crafted, as if born of nature itself. A smear of blue radiance shimmered along its edge.
The blade itself was entirely black, thick and solid. On the hilt, a carved mark resembled an eye—something I hadn't noticed the last time I fought Xu Fu.
"Indeed! The label 'hypocrite' doesn't suit you at all. But what can you do? You can't change anything, can't accomplish anything, Lord Shenyan. After all this time, what has your justice truly achieved?"
With a ringing clash, Xu Fu appeared before Lord Shenyan in a heartbeat. Sinblade and Zhanlu collided—red and blue light intertwined, their violent collision instantly exploding into a shockwave that blasted outward.
"The spirit of righteousness endures within the heart. It needs no testimony, no judgment, no understanding—justice exists in every corner of this world."
With a thunderous crash, Lord Shenyan pressed Sinblade against Xu Fu in a moment of surprise. Xu Fu was sent flying backward, and with a whoosh, Lord Shenyan brandished Sinblade and gave chase.
"In my eyes..."
Xu Fu steadied himself in midair, sneering as he slowly raised Zhanlu.
"I simply can't understand, Lord Shenyan."
"Careful..."
Yvette Chao, standing to the side, seemed to sense something amiss and cried out urgently.
With a swift motion, Lord Shenyan lunged straight at Xu Fu. Xu Fu twisted his body in midair to dodge, then slashed down with Zhanlu without hesitation.
With a crash, Lord Shenyan and Xu Fu broke apart and landed on the ground. A deep gash appeared on Lord Shenyan's chest, blood streaming from the wound.
"Both sides are strong. To dodge such a direct thrust and immediately counterattack... Is he really just an alchemist?"
Yvette Chao muttered under her breath as Lord Shenyan slowly began to float upward. Xu Fu casually held his sword by the hilt with one hand.
Meanwhile, the Blue Wraiths had gathered in the center of Swordspire City, quietly waiting for whatever Xu Fu had set up. No one knew when it would be triggered.
But at that moment, Lord Shenyan seemed to notice something, his eyes filled with confusion as he looked at Xu Fu.
"Aren't you going to use your Hellfire, Lord Shenyan? That's quite the power—you might even be able to finish me off with it. Heh."
Xu Fu continued in a mocking tone, but Lord Shenyan remained unmoved, staring intently at him.
"Now things are getting serious!"
"Did you really break the blood curse of John Chou, Xu Fu?"
Lord Shenyan spoke, and Xu Fu just shrugged helplessly.
"What do you think? That wound in my chest was just pierced by Ethan Zhang. Your manifestation must have noticed it!"
With a whoosh, sword shadows flickered—Lord Shenyan appeared above Xu Fu in an instant, swinging Sinblade with a series of ringing clashes. Xu Fu blocked each strike with ease.
The Ten Swordmasters stood at the edge of the plaza, waiting in silence. Each of their expressions was grave. I couldn't keep up with the level of this fight—every move was meant to kill, with no wasted effort.
At this point, Lord Shenyan had the upper hand. Xu Fu's easygoing expression vanished, replaced by seriousness. Lord Shenyan hovered above, slashing with Sinblade, leaving Xu Fu only able to defend—he had no chance to strike back.
Relentless attacks, accompanied by bursts of red light, surged with increasing force—an overwhelming pressure pouring down on Xu Fu.
Suddenly, after blocking a blow from Lord Shenyan, Xu Fu shifted Zhanlu to the left. A fiery red sword energy swept toward us. Yvette Chao immediately sprang forward, raising her sword—ghost energy flared as she sliced through the force before it could break the barrier.
With a tearing sound, Xu Fu slid backward, his clothes ripped open in a long gash. With a clang, Lord Shenyan's sword stabbed into the ground, all the way to the hilt.
Xu Fu gripped Zhanlu with his right hand and pressed the blade with his left. He had just broken through the barrier and nearly split Lord Shenyan in two. A smile appeared on his face, but it froze in an instant.
With a rumble, the ground bulged upward. Lord Shenyan gripped his sword and pulled toward Xu Fu. The ground on both sides heaved, dust flying, and a streak of red sword energy slashed past Xu Fu.
"He dodged it?"
I stared in astonishment as Xu Fu slightly twisted his body. As the dust cleared, a bloody scratch appeared on his cheek. Strangely, the blood didn't flow—it seemed to congeal, and soon the wound healed completely.
Lord Shenyan leaned on Sinblade, panting heavily as he watched Xu Fu. He was at his limit—the immense ghost energy he'd summoned was rapidly fading.
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Xu Fu burst out laughing, his voice sharp and piercing.
"You're already growing weak, aren't you, Lord Shenyan? Is this all your justice amounts to?"
Xu Fu laughed as he ran toward Lord Shenyan. Suddenly, he vanished—gone from sight, and even my Specter Web couldn't sense him.
With a swish, Lord Shenyan thrust his sword to the left. Xu Fu reappeared, a strange smile on his face.
"I'm right here!"
With a tearing sound, Lord Shenyan's abdomen was pierced. He immediately swung his sword, but Xu Fu nimbly retreated several meters away.
"Phantom Blade..."
Lord Shenyan clutched his abdomen, glaring angrily at Xu Fu.
"So you recognize that move, huh? Old Tan Tian taught me—didn't I pick it up quickly?"
Lord Shenyan straightened up, the wound already healed, but I knew he couldn't last much longer.
Xu Fu attacked again, vanishing before Lord Shenyan's eyes just as suddenly as before. But this time was different—he reappeared at an impossible angle behind Lord Shenyan, and in that instant, Zhanlu was already sweeping toward Shenyan's neck.
Yvette Chao darted forward, but a hand yanked her back—blood spattered through the air. Lord Shenyan pitched forward to evade the blow, yet Zhanlu still sliced his neck, unleashing a torrent of blood. He spun in midair, stabbing repeatedly at Xu Fu, but each thrust was effortlessly deflected.
"You've always been alone, haven't you, Lord Shenyan? Circumstance made you the Hellfire Ghostlord, forced you to lead these hypocrites. It must be unbearable, suffocating—unable to express anything inside. I know how it is for someone like you."
I rose to my feet and watched Lord Shenyan in silence. His ghost energy was growing chaotic, no longer flowing smoothly. Zhong Kui's aura had leaked out, disrupting his power—he couldn't dodge Xu Fu's attacks like before. The next strike would cost him his head.
Suddenly, I felt a hand slap my shoulder. I turned—instantly swallowed by darkness.
"Ethan Zhang."
"Old Zhong."
I stared in surprise at the red glow in the darkness—Zhong Kui stood before me.
"This is my manifestation. Take it."
As Zhong Kui spoke, he tossed me a waist token inscribed with the character for 'Order.'
"What do you need me to do, Old Zhong?"
"My soul and Lord Shenyan's can't share a single ghost core—it would cause problems. So you must enter Shenyan's instincts, then use them to harmonize me and him, so we can coexist."
I nodded, gripping the token in my hand.
"How do I do that?"
Zhong Kui pointed past me, and in a daze I glimpsed a streak of white energy.
"Heaven Soul, help me."
I called out immediately. Heaven Soul looked at me with exasperation, while Zhong Kui chuckled softly.
"You've known all along, haven't you? Lord Shenyan's instincts—he just never told Ethan Zhang. Isn't that right, the other Ethan Zhang?"
Heaven Soul reached out a hand.
"Grab on. I'll take you into Lord Shenyan's instincts."
I immediately reached out, and Heaven Soul pulled me forward. A white path unfurled beneath our feet, flanked by pale tree patterns that kept appearing along the sides.
"Origin, lead me to the passage."
We kept running, pushing through the darkness. Zhong Kui never left my side, his face urgent as he watched me.
"After all, I don't want to get hurt. Soon, I'll hold out as long as I can—you find a way to make our powers coexist. It won't take long."
I nodded. Zhong Kui vanished from my side, and Heaven Soul came to a stop.
"What's wrong?"
I stared blankly at Heaven Soul.
"Why meddle in things that aren't your concern? That instinct shouldn't be awakened, Ethan Zhang."