"Now you can come out safely, Earthly Soul."
John Chou spoke, and in an instant, I materialized in midair and landed on the ground. Yvonne May and Redmond arrived as well. I stared at the Wraithlord in astonishment, while Mona Ouyang still sat to the side.
"Heh, do you really think you can control me like this? Dreams are nice enough, but unfortunately, they're far too brief. There's a time limit, isn't there?"
In that instant, I saw Mona Ouyang's expression change. John Chou smiled and nodded.
"You really are clever. Yes, this power does have a time limit. But I'm afraid you won't be able to wait it out. You've never dreamed before, have you?"
The Wraithlord stared at us coldly. I smiled, glancing around. The place looked the same as before, but there was a subtle difference—a heightened sense of reality. I must be inside Mona Ouyang's dream, but this dream mirrored reality, or perhaps it was synchronized with it. The Wraithlord's body existed only in the dream now, so Mona Ouyang could control the Wraithlord in the dream, and naturally, control him in reality as well.
"Even in a dream, it doesn't look like taking him down will be that easy."
As I spoke, the Wraithlord burst into wild laughter.
"Dreams? Such meaningless things—what's the point, really? Utterly boring."
As he spoke, the Wraithlord closed his eyes. After a moment of thought, John Chou looked over at Mona Ouyang.
"Mother, what are you trying to do? I am your child... your child..."
With a sharp sound, Mother Goddess Nuwa plunged the colorful spike directly into the Wraithlord's heart. He roared in pain and fury. In an instant, the scene rewound to just before Nuwa stabbed the spike into his heart, and the Wraithlord was still howling.
Again and again, the process repeated before my eyes. The Wraithlord shook his head, despair etched on his face as he watched his creator, Mother Goddess Nuwa, drive the spike into his heart.
"It seems to be working. His will is fading, though his ghostly power remains strong."
Redmond said as the scene kept repeating. Each time, the Wraithlord's face twisted with sorrow and despair. When the spike finally pierced his heart, his expression contorted with rage. In that moment, I seemed to understand the root of his hatred—the reason he wants to destroy everything and create a new world.
The nightmare kept repeating, but for some reason, the Wraithlord's face turned ashen, void of any reaction or cries. Suddenly, I noticed a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"This is the moment of greatest pain you see in my mind, isn't it? Hahaha."
With a snap, the chains broke. My head buzzed, and the Ghost Sovereigns looked unwell too. The Wraithlord charged at the giants, smashing their heads with his fists.
Everything around us descended into chaos. I held my aching head, and so did John Chou.
"Keep your mind clear."
John Chou spoke, and suddenly I was shocked to see the Wraithlord appear before me. The Ghost Sovereigns around us had all vanished, and the Wraithlord stood right in front of me.
"It's over, Earthly Soul. In the end, I'll just devour you."
I didn't know what the Wraithlord meant, but I immediately noticed the world around us had turned to scorched earth. The whole city was ruined, nothing remained. It was as if everything had been wiped out.
"What exactly happened?"
I asked in terror, but then I recalled what John Chou had told me. I stared warily at the Wraithlord before me.
Suddenly, a new scene appeared before my eyes. The Ghost Sovereigns were struck down by the Wraithlord, turning to ash. Only Lan Ruoxuan tried to resist, but the Wraithlord's fist was already coming for him.
"Didn't I already tell you? What you see now is a precognitive dream, Earthly Soul. It's all over."
I lunged at the Wraithlord, but a powerful hand grabbed me. I turned around—it was John Chou. I was still in the Bone Realm. Sylvia was floating in midair, lying down, eyes closed, as if trapped in a nightmare.
"I told you long ago, don't use this method."
Redmond grumbled, and I realized I must have returned to reality.
The Wraithlord before me was as quiet as ever. Purple smoke drifted from both sides of his forehead, and yet he wore a happy smile. Sylvia, on the other hand, looked increasingly tormented.
"Wake him up quickly."
This chapter does not end here ^.^ Please click the next page to continue reading!
Redmond was about to move when Divine Sovereign Shen stopped him.
"Sylvia must rely on herself. If we force her to wake, she could be remade."
I didn't know what Sylvia had been through, but she looked utterly tormented. Black smoke seeped from her mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. Something was terribly wrong.
"Everyone, step back."
John Chou spoke, and we all withdrew from the Wraithlord's side. Blue smoke rose around the Wraithlord's body. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he let out a thunderous roar. A massive explosion erupted, but it was quickly absorbed by the Bone Realm.
The Wraithlord gripped the unconscious Sylvia, grinning menacingly at us.
"It's a shame your plan failed. Next comes the slaughter. What should I do first?"
The Wraithlord looked at Sylvia beside him. In the instant I glanced over, Sylvia shuddered violently in his grasp, then dissolved into purple fragments that scattered away.
"So that's it. The real body is outside!"
The Wraithlord spoke. I breathed a sigh of relief, but Sylvia seemed unable to join the fight for now. Divine Sovereign Shen and Ji Yuner stepped forward, ready to continue battling the Wraithlord, but John Chou stopped them.
"Are you underestimating the power of the dream realm?"
John Chou asked, and the Wraithlord was already approaching us. Just as I was about to leave, John Chou pressed down on my shoulder.
With a crash, the Wraithlord slammed into an invisible wall before us. Colored smoke billowed around him, and he stared in confusion at the rainbow mist swirling around his body.
"I told you, you underestimate dreams..."
John Chou hadn't finished speaking when the Wraithlord nodded and said,
"This isn't the power of the dream realm. It's an illusion. I've spent time here with Ethan Zhang, so of course I know."
I stared at the Wraithlord in shock. John Chou's face darkened. The Wraithlord kept talking, pressing his hand against the invisible wall.
"Let's see what else you can endure."
As he spoke, the wall before us shattered with a bang. Darkness swallowed everything, and a giant mouth devoured us. Before I vanished, I saw dawn breaking. Suddenly, I was back in the sky, surrounded by Ghost Sovereigns and Sylvia. This time, dawn stepped forward to block the Wraithlord.
"That was close. We were nearly eaten alive."
Sylvia spoke, and Ji Yuner sighed in relief.
"There's no way. His body is too resilient—we can't pierce it. Can you still use the power of Bloodshade, John Chou?"
John Chou shook his head. Using the power of Bloodshade had taken a heavy toll, and his ghostly aura had weakened.
"Let me do it."
Divine Sovereign Shen spoke, but Redmond shook his head in disagreement.
"Even if you're skilled, you can't fight him head-on for long. Your power will fade, while his only grows. In the end, the result will be the same—don't waste your strength."
John Chou fell into deep thought. The Wraithlord, now crazed, struck at Dawn with his fists, tearing through the Bone Realm again. I watched him, still unable to find the source of his desire-fueled power.
"Begin the second phase of the strategy. Stall him."
John Chou said, and Redmond sighed.
"We should've done this sooner. Are you sure Ethan Zhang can really solve this?"
Redmond asked, and John Chou shook his head.
"Waiting won't help. I'll go first."
Ji Yuner said, preparing to attack. But just then, I stopped the Ghost Sovereigns.
"Don't move yet. When the Wraithlord was granting me power, I saw something—though I can't quite name it, I think I understand now. Maybe it will work."
Review and revise translations for lines 11-77 for coherence, immersion, and glossary consistency.