A brown bamboo hat, face veiled, with eyes as sharp as an eagle's yet gentle, a tattered gray-white robe fluttering in the wind, worn-out straw sandals, a burly figure—he is called Wraithshade.
"Are you Mr. Wraithshade?"
I could hardly believe it—the man before me was the founder of the Ghost Syndicate, Mr. Wraithshade. He is the mentor of the Three Dread Stars and the father of Dreadstar.
"Sorry, Ethan Zhang, I let myself in. It's been a long time since I've sensed such overwhelming Deathbane Aura. The last time must have been at the base of the Fallen Shade Temple."
My heart jolted as I looked at Wraithshade.
"You've been to Fallen Shade Temple? You've seen the Deathbane Ghost?"
Wraithshade nodded, then strode toward us. I watched both of them warily—if I fought them, my chances of winning were zero.
"By the way, Ethan Zhang, how is John Chou doing?"
I nodded.
"Is that so? Heh, still the same, I suppose. Quite the formidable guy. If only I could see him again. Ethan Zhang, if you meet him next time, could you pass along a message for me?"
I nodded.
"Go ahead."
"Tell John Chou: the one by his side he should watch out for is Old Tom."
A chill ran through me. Eyes wide, I stared at Wraithshade, who smiled and casually sat down beside Lan Miu.
"So, what exactly are you planning to do?"
I steeled myself, facing two enemies far beyond my reach; from the start, I was ready to use all my strength.
"No need to be so tense, Ethan Zhang. The two of us aren't here to harm you, just to talk. After all, in our nonexistent Living World, a stranger even more peculiar has appeared. That's why I took this chance to come."
I sat down, but my mind was racing. My Seven Ghost Souls were already preparing; the moment a fight broke out, I'd unleash all my power.
"You go first, Lan Miu. There are things Ethan Zhang should know, since he's your great-granddaughter's husband. At least he deserves some truth."
I gave an awkward smile, then looked at Wraithshade. He nodded, and Lan Miu began to speak.
The reason Rachel Lan can produce a Dark aura is most important—she was born with the blood of darkness. She's a member of the Lan Family, and Lan Miu, due to certain reasons, fell into darkness.
"So Rachel, she's just like me..."
"She was born that way, but you weren't, Ethan Zhang. Yours came from..."
"Enough, let's cut to the chase. I'd rather state our purpose directly. You're always so troublesome to talk to, Lan Miu—it's really quite annoying."
Wraithshade spoke, and Lan Miu laughed heartily, scratching his head. Neither of them seemed to harbor any malice toward me.
"We're here to invite you to the Dark Banquet. Though, due to certain reasons, the Dark Banquet is currently paused and won't be open. I can tell you clearly, it's because of the Immortality Society—they've delayed the timing of the Dark Banquet."
"I refuse."
Wraithshade nodded, smiling as he spoke.
"Straightforward, I like that. By the way, just so you know, your other self has already accepted the invitation and is at the Dark Banquet now."
"Earth Soul... Ethan Zhang?"
Eyes wide, I stared at Wraithshade, who nodded.
I didn't ask why. When it came to Earth Soul Ethan Zhang, I felt an inexplicable sorrow.
"Ah, looks like this trip was for nothing. Time's almost up—we can't remain here much longer. All right, Ethan Zhang, I have a suggestion."
I nodded. Wraithshade stood up and began to float, glancing around.
"If you want to get stronger, you must know how far you are from being the strongest. Use all your power to attack me, Ethan Zhang. I won't fight back—this is the only help I can offer. The ghostly power you wield is unique, already moving toward your own path. Your guide has finished their task; the rest, you must do yourself—find your own way."
Wraithshade's proposal sparked a strong interest in me. With a whoosh, I floated up.
Wraithshade, enigmatic and elusive. For ages, people have called all harmful ghosts and monsters 'wraithshade,' but he is the one who has dealt with them best throughout history. Thus, he is known as Mr. Wraithshade.
With a wave, Belle was in my hand. I quietly watched Wraithshade, who simply stood in midair.
"Come, Ethan Zhang. Show me the power you've gained since your rebirth."
In an instant, I struck with murderous intent, slashing at Wraithshade. With a crisp clang, my eyes widened—Wraithshade simply drew a circle with his right hand over his chest, and my attack vanished.
A surge of Deathbane Aura exploded in all directions—I swallowed hard.
"I only used a simple technique. You're still a ghost, and my understanding of ghosts rivals anyone from Naraku. Your attacks always carry ghostly energy. If you could perfectly remove that ghost energy—the impurity from your Deathbane Aura—your strikes would reach a whole new level."
I pulled away from Wraithshade, quietly pondering what he'd just said. I tried to find a way, but failed instantly. I realized—it was basically impossible as long as I remained a ghost.
"It's not impossible. The gun in your hand has already achieved it."
My heart skipped a beat. I quickly drew the Xiadang Shotgun from my back and floated before Wraithshade, pulling the trigger. Bang—a burst of black light and a violent explosion flung me backward.
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Two of them caught me—Zhu Tang on the left, Spirit Snake on the right. At that moment, Yin Ghost appeared, her smile sickly and sharp.
"Wraithshade, long time no see. Heh, I'm out now."
But Yin Ghost's voice was filled with joy.
"I've told you before—in this world, there are definitely those who can sense your existence. Since you exist, there must be someone who can hear you. As for me, I can only sense it."
"That's thanks to my dear Ethan."
Yin Ghost came right up to me, excitement on her face, nuzzling my neck. I shoved her head away.
"Knock it off."
But what caught my attention was Wraithshade. In that instant when the bullet exploded, my Specter Web had completely enveloped Wraithshade, but he split my Deathbane Aura apart—it's the only thing I sensed. He divided the immense power into countless fragments, which collided and neutralized each other.
"That's a technique Isabelle Frost used before."
As I spoke, Wraithshade looked at me in surprise.
"Impressive. Just like her brother John Chou, you're a genius. It took me countless years to master this, Ethan Zhang. I don't think you're suited for a 'wait-and-pounce' style of fighting."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you're not suited for the kind of combat where you scheme and wait for the enemy's weakness, then deliver a fatal blow."
Wraithshade was right. When I fought Rachel Lan before, that's exactly what I tried, but I failed. So I went all out, stopped thinking, and just used pure strength—and finally broke through Rachel Lan's power.