The wounds carved into Sophie Sun's body began to heal, and a green glow radiated around her. I broke out in a cold sweat—I'm afraid I'm no match for her. I need to think of a way.
"Cousin, you have to keep a close eye on her position. Tell me as soon as you spot her."
"Don't worry, I'll watch her. Go ahead."
As soon as my cousin finished speaking, Sophie Sun lunged at me, her target clearly me. Without hesitation, I grabbed my twin blades and charged at her, swinging them with no mercy.
"Hmph, child's play." Sophie Sun snorted coldly, extending her hands—now nothing but bone—and instantly crushed my twin blades.
"It's not over yet!" I roared, and from the ground, spikes of Deathbane Aura erupted upward.
Suddenly, Sophie Sun screamed. My eardrums felt like they were about to burst. The spikes of Deathbane Aura that had risen vanished into thin air.
I had to suppress her. That was my only thought now. I couldn't lose to her in terms of presence—after all, this wasn't a fight to the death. Sophie Sun just wanted what was inside my cousin, and failing that, she wanted to use me as a substitute. I refused. As long as she realized we weren't easy targets, we'd have a chance.
I clenched my fists, ignoring the pain, and slowly infused them with Deathbane Aura.
The moment my fists swelled with power, I aimed at Sophie Sun and threw punch after punch. My blows landed solidly on her, sending her flying toward the artificial rockery, where she disappeared with a whoosh.
I screamed, my fists unleashing a torrent of Deathbane Aura. Agony exploded in both hands.
"Ethan, watch out, go—"
Howard shouted behind me. Instinct prickled in my gut. I ducked—something sliced past my head with a sharp snap, and a string of Sanctified Prayer Beads flew overhead.
With a furious shriek, Sophie Sun materialized above me, her hand clamped around the beads. She yanked hard—crack!—the beads scattered, clattering across the floor.
"Howard Zhang, are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Sorry, sorry, Sophie—let's not fight, okay? No need to make things worse. We can talk this out. I got tricked by the old monk at Universal Temple, so I'm stuck for now. If we find this Ghost Sovereign, maybe there's a way out, right? What do you say?"
"Shit, Howard, help me out here!"
While Howard rambled on, something tightened around my feet. I looked down—dead branches, brittle and gnarled, had snaked up from nowhere, winding around me.
Sophie Sun laughed—a chilling, twisted sound. Her body cracked and contorted, moving like something boneless, slithering down toward me. Her neck stretched impossibly long, stopping just inches from my face.
"Howard, hurry!" I roared again, but this time, Howard just stood there, frozen. He wasn't afraid—he simply didn't want to help me.