Golden sparks scattered through the air, and a pair of enormous golden wings appeared overhead—it was Lan Yin. I stared at him in surprise.
"Weren't you already..."
With a thunderous crash, Lan Yin landed right beside us. I felt a wave of warmth, but soon the ghostly power in me began to burn under the golden flames radiating from Lan Yin.
"Stay back, Zhang Qingyuan."
I stared blankly at Lan Yin—it was definitely him. But then I noticed Isabelle Frost watching from the sky not far away.
"Even now, someone from the Yellow Springs remains. I remember your name—Lan Yin, isn't it?"
The Wraithlord sneered and muttered, while Lan Yin simply shook his head.
"Do you really think you've already won?"
The Wraithlord cocked his head, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at us with contempt. Lan Yin glanced at me.
"This time, I will make a difference. I won't lose those things that matter again, Qingyuan. So you must understand one thing."
My eyes widened. Lan Yin wanted to say something to me, but held back, glancing instead at Rachel Lan, who stood nearby in astonishment. It seemed her presence kept him silent.
"Make a difference?"
The Wraithlord spoke coldly, straightening up.
"Soon, these flames will engulf the entire world. Enough—let me finish you."
With a deafening crash, the Wraithlord appeared beside Lan Yin and swung his fist. But suddenly, the flames on Lan Yin's body seemed to sink like mud, black mist surged around them, only to be instantly purified. The Wraithlord's fist was embedded in Lan Yin's body, stuck fast, unable to be pulled out. Lan Yin stared quietly at the Wraithlord.
"So that's it... The power of the gods—what method was used to draw it from the world of light?"
With a thunderous boom, the Wraithlord was sent flying. Around Lan Yin, small pockets of space began to collapse.
Lan Yin clenched his fist and slowly drifted toward the Wraithlord. He glanced back at me—I understood what he wanted to say and nodded.
"I've always been called the strongest in Yellow Springs. Do you know why? My grasp of the Four Guardians' power is far less than some of the chosen ones, and the same goes for my mastery of soul force."
The Wraithlord stared at Lan Yin in confusion, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"So that's it. The attributes of your power are truly bizarre."
With a sudden whoosh, I watched in shock as Lan Yin, in the instant he was sent flying, unleashed a crimson flame streaked with blue lightning that pierced through the Wraithlord's heart. The Wraithlord's eyes widened, cracks spread across his body, and then, as if sliced apart, he instantly disintegrated.
"I'll finish you, no matter if it's thousands or tens of thousands of times, no matter how many ghost bodies you have in reserve!"
With a thunderous roar, a Vermilion Bird of lightning appeared and instantly dispelled the massive explosion that was about to erupt from the destruction of the Wraithlord's ghost body. In the blink of an eye, only lingering remnants of ghostly energy remained in the air. The blue lightning Vermilion Bird flapped its wings and slowly returned to Lan Yin's body, but I saw a violent rift in the air, mixed with the power of the White Tiger.
"That's simply impossible."
Rachel Lan beside me was stunned as well. I clenched my fists, already prepared—I knew what Lan Yin wanted to tell me.
"Do you have enough ghost bodies in reserve, Wraithlord?"
In the blink of an eye, the Wraithlord was standing far away again. Lan Yin raised a hand, flames pouring from it like a stream.
"Don't think you can stall by trying to send Rachel Lan away. Qingyuan, what is the only solution? Think it through, then you must be the one to end this."
As Lan Yin spoke, he instantly transformed into a stream of splitting flames that surged toward the Wraithlord. Waves of fire, spaced evenly apart, rushed at the Wraithlord. The Wraithlord reacted, using intense ghostly energy to defend himself. With a bang, the golden Phoenix Altar in Lan Yin's hand erupted in violent golden flames, which swept outward in all directions.
The ghostly energy in the air was rapidly purified. The Wraithlord dropped his playful demeanor, his expression growing serious.
"How did you do it?"
The Wraithlord stared wide-eyed in shock. I was puzzled too—Lan Yin's mixed powers were fierce, and many of them counteracted each other.
Suddenly, I saw the Phoenix Altar in Lan Yin's hand blur and flicker like a mirage. With two swift movements, the Wraithlord leapt backward, his chest and body instantly marked by slashing wounds. Black blood sprayed out, igniting into flame as the Wraithlord quickly put distance between himself and Lan Yin.
"It's useless."
Suddenly, Lan Yin swung the Phoenix Altar. This time, instead of flames, streams of wind-like lightning shot out, instantly sealing off the Wraithlord's movement. The crackling sound echoed through the air.
The Wraithlord raised a hand, making a grasping gesture.
"The World!"
With a buzz, Lan Yin was pulled forward, his form twisting and warping.
"I told you, it's useless."
At the instant Lan Yin closed in, his left hand gripped a pale blue sword with white, blue, and black stripes. He stabbed it into the Wraithlord's chest, and three colored streams of energy tore the Wraithlord's ghost body apart from within, splitting even the black ghost energy that formed after its death.
"This is the first time I've seen anyone wield the Tiger Roar."
Rachel Lan spoke. I turned to her, and she continued.
"The power of the White Tiger is the hardest to master. Only those who possess a physical form can wield the Tiger Roar sword, but this sword is not a weapon of the Four Guardians."
I hummed in response, unable to comprehend it all. Lan Yin's strength was staggering. I'd seen how powerful he was in the world of light—even 001 was no match for him—but that power was limited to the world of light. Now, Lan Yin's abilities surpassed anything I could understand.
Everything that had just happened before us—twice, Lan Yin had killed the Wraithlord with ease. It wasn't that the Wraithlord had grown weaker; it was that Lan Yin was simply too strong.
"So that's it... Lan Yin, what is your true instinct?"
Like a black meteor, the Wraithlord instantly moved to Lan Yin's side, raising a hand—the same power he used against me in Hell. Black substance, thick as mud, instantly covered Lan Yin's body. I felt Lan Yin's strength being rapidly devoured.
"It's useless!"
Lan Yin turned to look at me, just as black substance began to crawl over his face. Suddenly, he swung the Phoenix Altar, and to my shock, the split black substance became fuel for the altar. Black flames erupted, and although the Wraithlord dodged, half his body was instantly scorched.
After slowly recovering, the Wraithlord stared coldly at Lan Yin, not attacking again but clearly puzzled, or perhaps strategizing.
"It's useless. If you still had your original ghost body, maybe I couldn't deal with you. But your body was broken in the battle with the Ghost Sovereigns, and now your ghost soul is incomplete. That's why your power is unstable—even if it's still strong, you're no longer my match."
As Lan Yin spoke, he charged at the Wraithlord again. The Wraithlord clenched his fists, striking out to the sides. Ghostly energy surged like waves, crashing down from both directions.
But in the ocean of ghost energy before me, I saw a flash of white light. In an instant, strips of white silk shot out from the black mist, whirling and shredding the ghost energy. Lan Yin closed in on the Wraithlord, swinging the Phoenix Altar and the wind sword—Wraithlord couldn't defend at all and began to retreat.
Lan Yin didn't pursue, but stopped in front of the Wraithlord.
"You have two choices—die here, or leave this world immediately."
Lan Yin was utterly firm. The Wraithlord burst out laughing.
"You're right, my ghost body is finished, and my soul is incomplete because Zhang Qingyuan devoured part of it. So my power has weakened a bit. But why should I leave? How long can you last in this state—a few hours, days, months, or years?"
I clenched my fists. I knew exactly what Lan Yin wanted to tell me. I looked reluctantly at Rachel Lan beside me. Even now, I still harbored a bit of hope, but that unrealistic hope would only hold me back and prevent me from defeating the Wraithlord. Lan Yin saw right through me.
"What needs to be done hasn't changed, even if the process is different. Zhang Qingyuan, have you figured it out yet?"
I nodded. At that moment, Rachel Lan grabbed me.
"What are you planning to do, Qingyuan?"
I shook my head.
"It's all right, Rachel. I'll take care of everything."
As I spoke, I reached out a hand. Juchen Realm emerged from Rachel Lan and entered my body.
Earth Soul seemed to understand, and came over to pull Rachel Lan aside.
"My time is running out, Rachel. And Lan Yin can't finish off the Wraithlord. If this drags on, the advantage we've gained will be lost."
With a swoosh, the Wraithlord transformed into a streak of black light and flew off into the distance. Lan Yin immediately chased after him, and I quickly rose to follow.