The voices around me gradually faded, yet inside, it felt as if something kept hammering away. My consciousness had already spread out near the apartment block, and the Earthly Soul before me seemed to be doing the same, wielding some unknown power of perception.
A crackling sound echoed, with sparks of electricity flickering in the air. My perception collided with that of the Earthly Soul. He was shrouded entirely in black mist—though in truth, it was a fine web of lightning invisible to the naked eye.
I decided to fight him using three powers: Human, Buddhist, and Daoist. These were the forces I currently possessed. Though I wasn’t used to battling this way, I wanted to show everything I had—a feeling I couldn’t explain.
“After all this time, what have you really been through, Ethan Zhang?”
“I’ll tell you after we fight.”
As I spoke, the Earthly Soul nodded, raising the Endbringer Blade and slowly advancing toward me. My perception instantly contracted, locking onto him. With a swift motion, blackness flashed before my eyes—I raised my twin swords, blocking his Endbringer Blade.
A ripping sound—lightning tore through my sleeve, but I flicked my wrist gently and the Earthly Soul shot upward, vanishing above me. Streams of black lightning surged from all directions, sweeping toward me. The golden glow on my body was instantly devoured.
I knew clearly the Earthly Soul had moved behind me, the Endbringer Blade thrusting toward my back. Yet, just as the tip touched my spine, it stopped—a violent red current erupted at my chest, swirling into a vortex that instantly absorbed every bit of Endbringer force aimed at me.
“Your perception is far better than before.”
I nodded with a grunt, and as I turned, my twin swords already stabbed toward the Earthly Soul. He raised the Endbringer Blade, blocking twice, then, after breaking away, attacked me again.
For reasons unknown, as I fought the Earthly Soul, a surge of joy kept spilling from my heart. None of it was tied to the past, for I could no longer remember it.
Our next clash was not a contest of sheer strength, but a test of our ability to read each other's attacks. Earthly Soul seemed to think the same. Our blades met again, slashing at each other in midair.
With every collision, our senses sharpened, almost allowing us to predict each other's next move. I searched for an opening, and Earthly Soul did the same.
A sharp clang rang out. I was too slow—Earthly Soul spun and his Endbringer Blade pierced through my raised black-and-white swords, lightning-fast, aiming for my throat. I tilted my head just in time, but a surge of black lightning sliced across, and I barely blocked it with my black sword.
A thunderous boom crashed down. A massive bolt of black lightning pinned me to the ground, its edge like a blade, cleaving the earth beneath my feet and tearing apart huge sections of the city behind me. The scattered lightning began to annihilate everything in its path.
With a crack, my black sword shattered. Twisting my neck, I reconstructed another black blade. Crimson light curled around both swords as I fixed my gaze on the descending Earthly Soul and swung without hesitation.
A fierce beam of red light pierced through Earthly Soul, but it only struck his fading afterimage. The real him had already closed in at my side, his sword slashing toward me again.
But my form dissolved into a phantom; his sword sliced through mist. He stared at me in disbelief, yet I pressed my attack, both blades swinging toward him.
With a crash, Earthly Soul managed to block my swords with both hands. Unrestrained power erupted into red light, sweeping in all directions. The cracked ground glowed eerily red, torn apart by our force.
Earthly Soul was completely overwhelmed by my strength. He could not move or speak, staring at me in astonishment.
“Is that your full strength?”
I shook my head.
“I’ve only used half.”
“So it’s true. It wasn’t just my imagination.”
Suddenly, with a burst of force, Earthly Soul’s Endbringer Blade split into three. He was thrown backward, blood spraying. I instantly reined in my power, the air sizzling with blue smoke. As my strength withdrew, I lunged toward Earthly Soul again.
“I’ve won.”
I watched Earthly Soul in silence. When he landed, the ground caved in beneath him. My black sword was already pointed at him, then began to dissolve into dust.
Earthly Soul sat heavily on the ground, smiling as he nodded.
“You truly did win. That sudden power, like light and shadow, came from the Illusory Realm, didn’t it? John Chou once used it.”
A low hum filled my ears, dizziness overtaking me. I clutched my head—just hearing that name stirred something deeply familiar inside me. Reaching out, Earthly Soul grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.
Everything around us was utterly destroyed. The bottom of the apartment block was nothing but ruins, yet above, figures still moved—like memories, but not quite memories. This was the world of Law of Karma.
After a while, Earthly Soul and I reached the rooftop and sat quietly, gazing at the vast, ruined city. It would soon collapse, but there was still some time left. Earthly Soul sensed something strange in the air—no doubt, the Law of Karma was at work.
“Tell me, what have you been doing all this time? I need to report back to your wife.”
I was surprised for a moment, then smiled and nodded, beginning to recount everything that had happened. As I spoke, Earthly Soul’s expression grew increasingly grave. He raised a hand, and a white Blood Jade appeared in his palm.
I stared in shock as he handed me the Blood Jade.
“This is the sixth Blood Jade fragment. It’s safer with you.”
I took the Blood Jade from Earthly Soul and used my power to absorb it into my body. Now, all six fragments were scattered and sealed across the Illusory Realm. The power binding them could never be reunited; each fragment was sealed in a place of immense supernatural force.
“There’s still one left. I’ll find it somehow—and if I can destroy it, all the better. The Wraithlord is formidable.”
I nodded, watching Earthly Soul.
“And you? Did you fight the Wraithlord’s Threefold Soul?”
I asked, and Earthly Soul nodded, beginning to speak of everything that happened in the Forest of Desire. Images of an island surfaced in my mind—an island holding fragments of my memory, covered in woods, with a strange octagonal tower and, in the distance, a lake with a house made of water.
It was all part of my past. As Earthly Soul spoke slowly, I understood completely.
“Even now, you’re probably no match for that thing. Neither human nor ghostly powers work against it—not even Buddhist or Daoist strength. Since Mother Goddess Nuwa chose to help you, maybe there’s another potential within you.”
I nodded, feeling a vague discomfort in my heart.
Earthly Soul seemed to notice something, then smiled and stood, glancing at the distant sky.
“I’ll wait for your return. When you come back, you’ll be stronger—and so will I.”
I nodded as Earthly Soul began to float upward.
“Time is short. Things aren’t looking good on my end—the Wraithlord sent me here. Do you want to say goodbye? To those others.”
Ghosts gathered around me. I watched them silently as they merged into Earthly Soul’s body, and he smiled.
“I don’t know if we’ll meet again in this world of Law of Karma. Just remember: destroy everything—don’t hesitate.”
I nodded. Earthly Soul raised his Endbringer Blade, and I wondered how he’d managed to get here.
“How did you find your way here?”
“Karma is built on causes and consequences. I destroyed much of the past, and then I was sent here. I don’t know exactly why, but there must be a reason. Remember, Ethan Zhang, do whatever it takes to hone your power—otherwise, this world has no future.”
I nodded. With a whoosh, Earthly Soul floated away. Looking back, I saw Ethan Zhang asleep in Room 410. Black lightning rained down, and the ruined city began to fall apart, everything vanishing into nothing.
Gradually, Earthly Soul’s figure blurred, and soon I was swallowed by darkness. In a blink, sunlight flooded the world—I was still floating above the apartment block.
I stared in astonishment at everything behind me. Room 410 was restored, filled with new things. I drifted inside, checked the date—it was my freshman year. I looked around, puzzled by my return, sensing something was wrong.
At that moment, I noticed a ghost in Ethan Zhang’s apartment—lurking in the bathroom. It was a Yellow Page ghost, and Ethan Zhang seemed to know it was there.