The massive Tri-Color Core Mushroom, streaked with red, black, and blue, began to fracture, crumbling like stone. Bits and pieces kept falling away. I watched quietly—unsealing it would take some time yet. I glanced at the Wraithlord’s face, a smile appearing on my own.
"Can you tell me what kind of world you want to create?"
"Of course—a world where humans and ghosts can coexist peacefully, where everyone can realize their desires."
I burst out laughing and shook my head.
"Tell me in detail. Let me give you some advice—maybe I can offer a suggestion or two."
At that moment, the Wraithlord glanced at Mother Goddess Nuwa, who was suspended in midair with her arms raised, working to break the seal. His eyes held a trace of bitterness—an emotion so rare among gods that it seemed almost human, highlighting the cruel divide between divine and mortal.
"It’s impossible. She’s a god, and you and I are mere mortals."
Seeing that the Wraithlord didn’t answer, I walked away a bit, planning to speak later. Since he agreed to my terms—to have the Hell Imprint branded on him, eight in total, one for the body and one for each of the Seven Spirits, as part of the Three Souls and Seven Spirits—this was already a huge advantage for me. It meant I could fully control the Wraithlord.
By then, even if the Wraithlord’s Three Souls merged, as part of the Three Souls and Seven Spirits, he wouldn’t be able to threaten me at all. I know he’s clever—clever enough to potentially break my Hell Imprint. So I’ve layered the Hell Imprint in a way that, if he wants to break it, he’ll have to enter Hell itself. He hasn’t realized this, or maybe their understanding of the Hell Imprint is only surface-level. In reality, the power, strength, and timing of the imprint allow for tens of thousands of ways to use it.
The eight types of Hell Imprint I’ve chosen are all tailored for the Wraithlord. When he’s powerless, I’ll devour him in one bite.
The Wraithlord was still silent, not answering my question. He kept his eyes on Mother Goddess Nuwa. I sneered coldly; the Wraithlord had always sought a mother’s love, but such a thing simply didn’t exist in this lofty goddess.
The gods’ work in this world ended at the dawn of creation. I remember clearly: I was split in two, starting from a single point, and then the originally chaotic, stone-like world began to fracture. After that, the world kept expanding, and gradually, I became the cornerstone—a central point, bearing the ever-growing world. My appetite grew with the world’s expansion.
So it’s not that I have to devour the world, but rather, the world’s boundless expansion inevitably leads to me consuming it. They’ve stretched my mouth so wide—endlessly wide—that now, even though the world has stopped growing, my mouth keeps expanding from the world’s power, my appetite increasing day by day. In the end, the world will fall into my mouth and be eaten.
To me, the Wraithlord looks more like a petulant child—trying to destroy the world, destroy the people his mother created, all to express his dissatisfaction and hope for her love. But no matter what he does, her face remains cold, her gaze forever lofty. All his efforts over the years have achieved nothing.
At that moment, the Wraithlord looked at me and beckoned. I drifted over slowly.
"The world you speak of exists only in ideals, or perhaps in your own delusions. It’s impossible to realize."
As I spoke, the Wraithlord suddenly laughed.
"If you want your memories back, when you brand me with the Hell Imprint, I can return Ethan Zhang to you."
I shook my head.
"Those things mean nothing to me. What I want to know is—what exactly are you after?"
I smiled faintly, quietly watching the Wraithlord. He stared at me without a word. The rumbling grew louder and louder, and suddenly the giant mushroom shattered into dust and vanished. Inside, I saw a statue carved from gray stone, identical to the Wraithlord. The statue landed heavily on the ground, making a deep thud and denting the earth.
"As long as you let humanity survive, I won’t interfere with anything else."
Mother Goddess Nuwa spoke coldly. The Wraithlord smiled and moved closer, standing before her, his eyes filled with hope and his smile innocent.
Mother Goddess Nuwa quietly watched us, then turned and began to float upward. I sneered. The moment she turned, I teleported behind her. She turned to glare at me coldly, and a burst of golden light shot out, instantly knocking me back. But I just raised a finger and smiled.
"It’s a pity, Nuwa. You can’t leave this world anymore. After all, this is part of the agreement between me and the Wraithlord."
"When did this happen?"
Mother Goddess Nuwa looked at the Hell Imprint on her back, which was faintly glowing. The Wraithlord nodded, satisfied.
"Did you forget? I possess the power of causality. I merely altered the causal thread of our conversation in this time segment."
As I spoke, Mother Goddess Nuwa’s face turned pale and she grew weak. The power of the Hell Imprint was already beginning to lock down her consciousness. No matter what it is, once branded with the Hell Imprint, its only destination is Hell.
Mother Goddess Nuwa began to struggle desperately. The Wraithlord watched her coldly, sadness in his eyes. He looked at me, and I nodded.
"As you wish. For now, we’re allies on the same front, aren’t we?"
I burst out laughing. Only now did I truly understand why the Emperor God, Sylvia Yan, and Phantom Sage devoted themselves to studying emotion—because in a world governed by supernatural laws, genuine feeling is the rarest and most coveted power.
"Mother, you don’t need to worry. One day, in the world I create, you’ll smile—smile like a human."
At that moment, Mother Goddess Nuwa turned into stone, then shattered, the fragments instantly turning to dust.
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"No matter where you run, the result is the same. Once branded with the Hell Imprint, you can’t escape Hell."
I said coldly. The Wraithlord walked up to the stone effigy identical to himself, ran his hand over it for a while, then looked at me. I approached, raised a finger, and summoned black flames on its tip. I pressed it to the effigy’s chest, branding it with a black Hell Imprint.
The rumbling continued; the effigy began to destabilize, showing signs of cracking.
"Only one imprint can be applied at a time. Each of your Spirits must get used to the Hell Imprint, or you won’t be able to withstand it."
As I spoke, the Wraithlord sat quietly on the ground, gazing off into the distance, lost in thought.
"You’re doing the right thing. No one can take away your right to be loved, so I support you. Keep her confined until the day she truly sees you—until she reaches out and gives you a gentle embrace. I’ll help you keep Mother Goddess Nuwa captive until that day. Don’t worry, you’ll be resurrected soon, and the world is about to change. The new beings you create will become the dominant force in this world."
The Wraithlord stood up, regaining his composure. He grinned slightly.
"Feels good, but you really are clever—to see right through me."
I nodded and said.
"Mother Goddess Nuwa just doesn’t want to see her creations destroyed by you. When you said you planned to make new people like she did, her dissatisfaction vanished. She only wants to leave this world that’s imprisoned her for who knows how many years, so she’ll help you resurrect. You need her love, and I plan to help you."
"Don’t try any tricks, Ethan Zhang. Do you really think the Hell Imprint can hold me?"
I shook my head.
"I’ve made myself clear, Wraithlord. There’s no need for threats. We both benefit, just like when I split the world—half for each of us. I only devoured half, but it didn’t vanish completely; it’s still connected to your domain. We can keep cooperating. If I devour everything, I’ll just return to the world’s original point."
I stared coldly at the Wraithlord. He floated up, as if heading to find Mother Goddess Nuwa. Soon, he vanished.
"Working with the Wraithlord really is a wise decision."
At that moment, I realized everything would succeed—the only obstacle was gone. I didn’t plan to retrieve Ethan Zhang’s original memories; everything now was just fine. All I needed was to find the laws of this world and break them. Once the Wraithlord purges everything, I’ll descend and claim all I desire.
All around, the mushrooms began to wither. It seemed that with the death of the core giant mushroom, this illusion would fade. I smiled faintly and walked on as motes of colored light drifted in the breeze. The world would soon grow lively. The method I taught Lan Ruoxi for using the Hell Imprint was meant to recreate a Fengxue River in the shadow realm—but only if Lan Ruoxi uses it, and the odds are fifty-fifty. I know exactly what that woman is thinking.
Gradually, the ground beneath my feet turned pitch black. I looked up at the distant sky and felt a gentle breeze brush my face.
"Ethan, you’re back?"
Eugenia appeared before me. I smiled and shook my head.
"I don’t know either. I just woke up here."
As we spoke, I noticed the exotic beasts nearby drawing closer.