"Is that you?"
I stared at Yuna Ji in shock. She let out a wicked giggle, tilting her head, her right hand pressed to her forehead with fingers splayed. That black-green eye sparkled with excitement.
"Yuna Ji had already lost all her power back then. Do you really think she could summon Grimclaw on her own? Who do you think helped her? After more than a hundred years in Universal Temple, nearly all her strength was purified. The only reason she still had a body was thanks to me—though I couldn't leave either."
Thinking back, it really was Yuna Ji. That day, Little Black nearly wiped us all out, but when Yuna Ji appeared, he immediately bowed his head. No matter how powerful a ghost is, after being in a place like Universal Temple for so long, if it weren’t for Yuna Ji, she would have completely vanished by now.
"What do you want? What will it take for you to let Yuna Ji go? The war is over. She already..."
"Let her go?"
For a moment, Yuna Ji's face twisted in a snarl and she roared in anger, pressing a hand to her chest.
"So who will let me go? Who will save me? No one. Only you can save yourself, isn’t that right, Ethan Zhang?"
A flash of gunmetal—Yuna Ji spun her emerald spear with lightning speed, and a fierce aura surged toward me.
"Enough talk. Let’s begin, Ethan Zhang."
I raised a hand, and Yuna Ji paused, confusion flickering in her eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"Maybe words are useless now, but thank you, Yuna Ji. For helping me again and again. Thank you."
I bent over, head lowered, and spoke with sincerity.
Yuna Ji laughed, and in a flash, she turned into a streak of green light, appearing before me. Her spear grazed my forehead—I leaned back to dodge, and instantly, Deathbane Aura surged toward Yuna Ji. With a boom, the Deathbane Aura that nearly enveloped her was scattered, and I quickly put distance between us.
Holding Belle, murderous intent surged within me. The moment Yuna Ji attacked, I swung with killing intent.
Suddenly, my eyes widened. Chaotic Deathbane Aura rampaged through the space around us. My sword was blocked—Yuna Ji caught Belle with one hand. The Deathbane Aura quickly dissipated, turning into a shockwave that burst outward.
"Let’s end this pointless fight, Zane Zhuang. Or do you really think Ethan Zhang can beat me now?"
"No."
Mr. Brown answered decisively, then cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted loudly.
"Don’t back down so easily. Keep going, Ethan Zhang."
A surge of rage flooded my body. I roared, Deathbane Aura pouring from me like water, instantly turning the space behind me pitch black.
"Reality is cruel. John Chou choosing someone like you—maybe that was his greatest mistake!"
A flash of green light streaked past my eyes. In an instant, the Deathbane Aura behind me collapsed like a crumbling house, fragments falling away. I clutched my chest as black blood dripped from the corner of my mouth. Yuna Ji was crouched behind me, her spear poised to strike.
"Ethan Zhang, what is the purpose of all that Deathbane Aura you possess? Think carefully about it!"
Mr. Brown kept shouting. In that moment, I gripped Belle, consciousness returning just as I was about to lose it. I put distance between myself and Yuna Ji, breathing hard, until gradually my breath steadied.
A scene from the Bridge of Remorse surfaced in my mind—Rufina Howard had denied me then. She believed if things went on as they were, both she and I would die in this life. There was no future.
"Don’t dismiss my future so easily, Yuna Ji."
I said coldly, crouched on the ground.
A stream of black energy appeared at my feet. With a swish, I plunged Belle into the tangible current.
"Instinct. Coexistence..."
Black Deathbane Aura began to surge rapidly, spreading outward, expanding relentlessly. Yuna Ji watched it all in silence, a cold smile on her lips.
"No matter how much there is, the result will always be the same."
As she spoke, Yuna Ji appeared before me, her spear thrusting at my heart. With a ripping sound, her spear pierced my heart. I smiled, looking at her.
"You’re absolutely right. I’m not human, Yuna Ji. The only reason I appear this way is because of my longing to be human. So I became one. But what am I, really?"
Yuna Ji instantly withdrew her spear.
"Looks like you finally figured it out. You really are slow, Ethan Zhang. What is the purpose of all that immense Deathbane Aura you possess? What is your origin? Haven’t you already realized it?"
I let out a sound, my back to Yuna Ji. The version of me she had just pierced dissolved into Deathbane Aura and sank into the blackness beneath my feet.
"I am not human, nor am I a ghost. I am something called 'nature.' Now I finally understand what Master Li Er meant before—Dao is truly incredible."
The Deathbane Aura kept expanding. The ground turned completely black, and a thick layer of Deathbane Aura covered the stone surface. I was engulfed by it.
"What exactly do you want?"
Yuna Ji shouted, her spear slashing at the Deathbane Aura that surged around her.
In front of Yuna Ji, the Deathbane Aura posed no threat. I had completely merged with it, becoming one with the Aura.
"Just as you have your own way of fighting, I have mine. This Deathbane Aura is limitless. If you can’t break through it, you can’t destroy what’s called Ethan Zhang."
With a whoosh, I appeared beside Yuna Ji. The surrounding Deathbane Aura swirled with my attack, lunging at her.
Still powerless. My attacks were riddled with holes before Yuna Ji, and the Deathbane Aura that struck at her fell weakly back to the ground.
Water, air, earth, fire—these things born of nature exist eternally. They never perish, make no sound, simply existing in silence.
My heart was calm. Yuna Ji kept attacking, her face twisted with rage as she wildly swung her spear. Yet the Deathbane Aura continued to emerge endlessly. With a whoosh, Yuna Ji floated into the air.
"What’s wrong, Yuna Ji? Weren’t you eager to end this?"
Mr. Brown shouted from afar, and Yuna Ji glared at him.
"Hmph. Against such immense Deathbane Aura, even the strongest power can’t break through. But there’s still a way. As long as I find a certain thing, I can stop it."
As soon as Yuna Ji finished speaking, a surge of Deathbane Aura erupted from the ground, forming a thick pillar. I hid within it, clutching Belle tightly.
With a clang, Yuna Ji saw through my movement. She laughed wildly and suddenly reached out a hand toward me.
"The reason you possess so much Deathbane Aura isn’t by chance. There’s something inside you—I’ve found it."
I screamed. The Deathbane Aura on the ground surged toward me. In a flash of black, Yuna Ji pulled a jagged, fist-sized black stone from my body.
Immediately, all the Deathbane Aura rushed into my body. I stared in disbelief at the scene.
"Deathstone, as the name suggests. Heh, Zane Zhuang, you should know very well why Ethan Zhang suddenly gained nearly infinite Deathbane Aura. It’s because of this stone—condensed from John Chou’s murderous intent, belonging to the Bloodfiend Ghostlord. The Deathstone is inside Ethan Zhang."
Suddenly, Yuna Ji threw the Deathstone at Mr. Brown. With a smack, Mr. Brown caught it.
An incredible feeling swept over me. My body was flooded with Deathbane Aura, though it wasn’t as vast as before.
"If you want to experiment on me, forget it, Zane Zhuang. This ends here. I can’t wait any longer—I want to fight you."
With a swish, Yuna Ji swung her spear toward Mr. Brown. A black-green light erupted, thunder roared, and in an instant, Mr. Brown vanished within the beam. A bottomless chasm opened below.
A hand grabbed my collar. Yuna Ji’s spear flashed before my eyes, and suddenly I was dozens of meters away from her—it was Mr. Brown. His clothes were torn to shreds, his body covered in countless wounds.
"Ethan Zhang still pushed himself too far. The young master’s expectations were too much. Take care of the Deathstone."
As he spoke, Mr. Brown pressed the Deathstone into my body. Instantly, the vast sensation of Deathbane Aura returned.
"Watch carefully, Ethan Zhang. In this battle, what is it that you’re still lacking?"
Mr. Brown stepped forward, waving his hands. Green energy streamed from his body, and the wounds on his skin healed.
"So it’s clear now. Back then, the one who faced the young master head-on was you, wasn’t it?"
Yuna Ji giggled, floating slowly toward us.
"It was indeed me."
"That settles it. With Yuna Ji’s power back then, she couldn’t have fought the young master alone. Now let me see your strength—don’t die on me!"
Mr. Brown spoke in a low voice. His body creaked as it suddenly swelled. Black energy streamed from his sides, and four black arms appeared. Then I saw that all six of Mr. Brown’s arms had turned black, each wrist bound by a red bracelet. Rage twisted his face.
"Shura Evil Spirit—I finally get to see it. The greatest trump card in John Chou’s hand."
Mr. Brown burst into laughter, turning to look at me.
"You’re wrong. The young master’s greatest trump card isn’t me—it’s Ethan Zhang."