My mind buzzed, and I felt something changing within my body. The sound of my heartbeat was clear and distinct, while everything outside faded away—no other sounds reached me. Everything around me seemed to slow down, as if time itself had come to a halt.
Inside me, a tremendous roar echoed again and again, resonating clearly. My mind felt blank, like a sheet of white paper. Victor Duan had already raised his hand, laughing wildly, but in my eyes, there was only Rachel Lan’s pair of eyes—deep and dark as the night sky, shining with hope.
“This is enough. This is just right...”
I slowly stood up, white smoke and dust rising from my body. My wounds were gradually healing, bit by bit.
“Ethan Zhang, what do you think people are? Clearly so weak, clearly powerless against these evil ghosts, unable to do anything—so, what do you think people are?”
In the end, I smiled, and now, I seemed to gradually understand. For the voice in my heart that kept asking me, I finally had an answer.
"Yes, humans are weak. It's precisely because we are weak that we refuse to accept it—not for any reason, but simply because we are human!"
“Hahaha, you finally understand? The resolve of being human—always wanting to rely on ghosts, Ethan Zhang, that really annoys me. Tell me, what are you?”
I stood up, lowered my head, then raised it high and shouted loudly.
“I am human!”
“My body is human, my heart is the blade. I have faced countless ghosts—those I cannot defeat, I guard against; those I can defeat, I strike. In the realm of humanity, heaven and earth are clear, anger fuels my fire, and as long as I move, I fear nothing. Humanity is my foundation, will is my power. Through trials and rebirth, my resolve becomes the sword. My body is the blade—cutting down all ghosts, opening the path for mankind. Its name: Phoenix Blade...”
With a thunderous surge, I stood tall. Waves of heat erupted from all around me, a fiery red light forming a blazing halo that radiated outward. My right hand reached for my chest in a sword-drawing gesture, poised to unleash the Phoenix Blade.
My heart burned with fire; I felt something about to descend. Flames ignited at my chest, and a piercing howl echoed. Black smoke surged wildly from my body, swirling around me.
I plunged my hand into my burning chest, grasping something real—something alive. With a forceful pull, I tore it out. Suddenly, a cry like a bird’s call rang out.
All around, flames blazed to life. In my grip appeared a greatsword—over a meter long, crimson from hilt to tip, three inches wide. Its blade was etched with markings, as if fire flowed within them. The Phoenix Blade had arrived.
With a crack, the mirror before me split open. Gripping the Phoenix Blade with both hands, I smashed it down onto the mirror. Instantly, flames enveloped me, and I charged forward, wreathed in fire.
Victor Duan turned his head, his face contorted in shock.
"What’s happening? Such powerful yang energy..."
"Give her back to me. Give me back the one who means the most to me..."
I roared, raising the Phoenix Blade overhead and bringing it down with fury. A torrent of flames erupted, blazing skyward in a deafening explosion.
"One day, you’ll regret this, Ethan Zhang..."
A voice echoed in my mind, and then a coil of black smoke seeped from my shoulder, twisting upward.
"Damn, Ethan Zhang, where did you get such overwhelming yang energy? You’ve turned it into fire!"
Victor Duan hovered behind me, his body charred in places, and the two mirrors containing Rachel Lan and my parents had vanished. His silhouette was scorched black, some areas burned to ash.
"It’s all because of you—because of all of you! Go to hell..."
I swung the Phoenix Blade with all my strength, and with a thunderous crash, Victor Duan’s figure was swallowed by a raging sea of fire.
"Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ethan Zhang."
Victor Duan’s voice rang out behind me. I spun around, just as a surge of green light exploded, the bridge beneath us collapsing with a deafening roar. I leapt onto the guardrail, flames trailing at my heels.
With a sudden motion, Victor Duan tore open his clothes, revealing a body composed entirely of mirror shards, dazzling green light stabbing in every direction, threatening to swallow everything.
"Hmph, I don’t know where you got this power, Ethan Zhang. Ghost Rosa was the same way last time, but this just proves you’re the perfect core for this horror story. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt such a rush—let’s have a real fight."
Even as Victor Duan spoke, he was already above me. His hands transformed, turning into gleaming blades, and he slashed down at me.
I gripped the Phoenix Blade with both hands, blocking the heavy blow. The force nearly knocked me off my feet. I broke away from Victor Duan, lunging toward the only spot not yet destroyed—where Wang Jianhui still lay dazed.
To my astonishment, Wang Jianhui’s deathly pale face and bloodless skin were slowly regaining color. Unsure what was happening, I instinctively placed a hand on his body.
A gentle warmth flowed from my hand into him, and Wang Jianhui’s body began to recover, little by little.
"What are you doing, Ethan Zhang?"
My instincts took over—I let go, pushed off the ground, and with a burst of fire, leapt away as fast as I could.
"Damn it..."
Wang Jianhui was still there, untouched by the flames. Not a single mark of injury remained on him.
[Irrelevant passage skipped]
"Your flames are formed from immense yang energy. He’s human—of course he won’t be hurt."
Victor Duan’s voice echoed to my side. I turned just in time to swing my sword, but he blocked it, his right hand lunging straight toward me.
With a sharp crack, my shoulder was pierced, and I was hurled backward.
"Too naïve. You may be able to hurt me now, but you’re still too weak, Ethan Zhang."
Before I hit the ground, Victor Duan appeared above me and stomped down. I shouted, flames bursting from my body, but I still took the blow and crashed to the earth.
I grabbed the edge of the bridge, dragging myself up, panting hard. Victor Duan was so fast, I couldn’t keep up—I needed a new plan.
In a flash, I raised my sword again, but my eyes couldn’t follow his speed. He struck my jaw, sending me rolling across the ground. I staggered to my feet, lifted the Phoenix Blade, and swung at the empty space before me.
With a deafening roar, a massive flame split the bridge in two, surging wildly to both sides, engulfing the space in fire.
"Trying to trap me with a wide-range attack? Hah, you’re struggling, aren’t you, Ethan Zhang?"
When the flames faded, Victor Duan stood not far away, water vapor swirling around him, his glass-like body half-melted but already beginning to recover.
"Qingyuan, attack!" Wang Jianhui’s voice rang out. Victor Duan froze, unable to move, and I unleashed a surge of fire, charging at him with the Phoenix Blade raised.
Wang Jianhui suddenly shouted, and in that instant, Victor Duan’s face twisted in terror, his body immobilized. I roared, flames swirling around me as I struck down with the Phoenix Blade.
"Damn you both..." Victor Duan exploded, flames erupting everywhere.
A barrage of explosions rang out as Victor Duan’s entire body burst apart, flames detonating in every direction.
"Glazed Ghost Domain—activate!"
In an instant, the surroundings transformed into a kaleidoscope of colored glass, shimmering with every shade of light.
Victor Duan’s fury boiled over, directed at me and Wang Jianhui.
I stared at the ghost domain—mirrors everywhere, even beneath my feet. Victor Duan’s voice echoed from all directions.
"Show yourself! Where are you?"
I shouted, but only Victor Duan’s laughter answered, coming from every corner.
"Do you know why Soul Capturing Ghosts are so hard to defeat? Every time someone tries to destroy or seal one, there’s always a heavy price. Let me show you the difference between fighting inside and outside a ghost domain."
As he spoke, I sensed something was wrong. I raised the Phoenix Blade and struck down with all my strength.
"It’s useless. You can’t break my ghost domain."
The flames I had just unleashed split apart and turned against me, forcing me to defend with the Phoenix Blade.
Victor Duan appeared before me, his body a prism of multicolored glass. He struck my chest with a heavy blow—I spat blood, and suddenly my legs were seized.
"Burn..." I shouted, the word echoing in my mind.
A bird’s cry rang out from the Phoenix Blade, and in an instant, flames erupted, forming the shape of a phoenix. My vision was engulfed by fire, expanding without end.