With a creaking sound, Lord Wraith's body began to change little by little, and the entire ground trembled.
My cousin looked utterly exhausted, struggling to hold on. Lord Wraith's body slowly turned purple, and the bark-like things covering his skin had disappeared.
"In a thousand years, no one has ever seen me like this. Today, you're in luck—I'll let you witness it."
On the surface of Lord Wraith's body, purple Rakshasa Sludge squirmed continuously. One by one, Rakshasa Fruits fell from the tree, plopping into the black water and splashing droplets everywhere.
At the top of Lord Wraith's head, two purple horns, like those of a bull, slowly grew out. The purple Rakshasa Sludge on his skin ignited, turning into waves of purple flames that completely enveloped him.
An extremely chilling aura rushed forth. The Brahma Lock, which wound around the space around Lord Wraith, was already completely covered by golden light.
A flash of green light—suddenly, the flames scattered. I saw clusters of purple flames transform into thirteen skulls, floating around Lord Wraith.
A pair of protruding green eyes, huge and fierce, sat above a face with fangs and bluish skin, framed by drifting purple hair. A giant purple Skull Scythe spun in front of him, roaring with thunderous noise.
Lord Wraith now towered over us, three or four meters tall, his purple muscles bulging and impossibly strong.
A deep, guttural murmur escaped him. A mouthful of purple mist sprayed from Lord Wraith's mouth, and a bright red tongue flicked out from his demonic face.
Suddenly, I saw the Black Mire begin to churn. One after another, pale, ghostly shapes—like drifting souls—rose from the water.
"I'm so hungry..."
Lord Wraith spoke, and those pale souls surged forward, flocking toward him in a relentless wave.
"This Brahma Lock is a nuisance," he murmured.
As Lord Wraith spoke, he gripped the giant purple scythe. Waves of violet light surged forth as he raised the weapon high and brought it down upon the Brahma Lock before him.
With a sharp crack, the sound of chains breaking echoed through the air. The golden Sanskrit script, its light already dimmed, began to fracture—then shattered with a thunderous crash.
A wet splatter rang out. I cried out, unable to hold back.
"Cousin!"
With a heavy splash, my cousin fell into the Black Mire. Blood streamed from the corner of his mouth. His gaze was unfocused, yet he managed a faint smile as he looked at me.
"Little brother... find a way..."
As soon as he finished speaking, my cousin lost consciousness.
Lord Wraith opened his maw wide and inhaled deeply. Instantly, the sky filled with those pale, wailing souls, all of them streaming into his mouth.
Before me stretched a vast, blinding white expanse. Countless souls continued to rise from the Black Mire, flying straight into Lord Wraith's mouth.
Jun Huang and Mingxuan Yu were already unconscious, lying in the Black Mire. Only Hu Tianshuo and I remained awake, along with Ruofei Huangfu, who was half-crouched on the ground.
Anxiety gnawed at me—what should I do?
Suddenly, I remembered the Specter Pearl hanging at my chest. I hurriedly reached for it and pulled out the vivid green pearl.
"What is that, Qingyuan?" Hu Tianshuo asked.
"You two, buy me some time," I said.
As Ruofei Huangfu spoke, she shot into the air in a flash of pale blue light.
Ghosts continued to feed Lord Wraith, soul after soul. At last, he opened his eyes, fully satisfied, and stared at us.
"Enough. Let the guests outside witness what I've become."
With a wave of his hand, the Rakshasa Tree vanished. We were back on the wedding avenue, and Ruofei Huangfu was nowhere to be seen. I quickly explained the Specter Pearl to Hu Tianshuo.
Hu Tianshuo checked his watch.
"It's almost time. Damn it—what are Xiaoyu Mao and Datong Fang doing?" For the first time since we'd entered, I saw real urgency on Hu Tianshuo's face.
"Qingyuan, it's up to you. Hold out for twenty more minutes—things will turn around."
All the Blue Wraiths and other ghosts in the square wore expressions of terror. Lord Wraith radiated a suffocating aura of dread.
"Well, Zhang Qingyuan, now there are only two of you left. What's your plan? Hahahahaha..."
"Protect these three," I ordered, stepping forward. My mind was steady—I knew, no matter what, tonight I had to defeat Lord Wraith.
I took the Specter Pearl, opened my mouth, and swallowed it in one gulp.
A buzzing sensation hit me. My vision blurred, and waves of scorching heat surged through my body.
"What do you truly desire..."
A voice echoed in my mind as my heart pounded wildly. All other sounds faded away.
"What do you truly desire?"
The voice rang out again in my soul, and I dropped to one knee.
A surge like electric current shot through my entire body, every nerve aflame.
"Win... I want to win..." Suddenly, I jerked my head up. Black hair swept across my cheeks as my hair grew longer and my mouth filled with an unbearable, itching pain.
"As you wish."
With a creak, I dropped onto all fours, black strands of hair swirling around me.
Sharp claws sprouted from my hands and feet. My body swelled with power, growing larger by the second.
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Grinding my teeth, I felt two long fangs burst from my mouth. Instantly, I saw Lord Wraith's shadow—a streak of violet—looming before me, the massive Skull Scythe slashing toward me.
Instinct drove me to leap backward with a thunderous crash. As I landed, a blazing ball of Skullfire hurtled toward me. I knew I couldn't let it touch me—I sprang aside, every limb straining.
"Specter Pearl, is it? Heh, Zhang Qingyuan, how long can you last on borrowed power?"
A massive violet beam split the ground with a deafening roar, slicing toward me. I dodged like a wild beast, then launched myself at Lord Wraith with explosive force.
As I closed in, Lord Wraith grinned at me. Suddenly, I felt as if my stomach had been struck by a sledgehammer. I crashed to the ground, gasping for breath.
"You can struggle all you want, Zhang Qingyuan. It won't help."
As Lord Wraith spoke, he flew at me, Skull Scythe raised high. Ignoring the pain, I braced myself and leapt to the side.
With a thunderous boom, the ground erupted into a massive crater. Flying debris battered my body as I clenched my fists, ghostly energy swirling around them. I launched myself at Lord Wraith like a cannonball.
With a heavy thud, I landed a punch on Lord Wraith's abdomen. His bulging violet muscles caved in, and he roared in fury, grabbing my head and lifting me off the ground.
I kicked at his face, landing a solid blow. Lord Wraith opened his mouth wide in rage.
I felt the power within me growing stronger—each strike landed heavier than the last.
Lord Wraith seemed to sense the change in me. Several balls of Skullfire shot toward me.
Lord Wraith gripped my head, locking me in place. I roared, raising both hands—Deathbane Aura swirling around them—and smashed his arm twice. He howled in pain and released me.
I crashed to the ground. As soon as I landed, I bent my knees and sprang up, fists clenched, roaring as I punched Lord Wraith in the jaw.
With a heavy thud, my punch sent Lord Wraith's massive body flying.
Purple flames surrounded me. I raised my hands to shield my head as explosions rang out—I screamed in agony.
Purple flames devoured my skin and hair, and when I hit the ground, black smoke billowed from my body. My arm was stripped to bare bone.
I struggled to rise, desperate to stand—Lord Wraith had become a streak of violet light, speeding toward me.
I tried to leap aside, but suddenly my foot was pinned. A violet arm reached from the ground, grabbing my leg.
"Zhang Qingyuan—die!"
The massive Skull Scythe swept toward me—I froze in terror.
But a figure blocked my path—I cried out in shock.
"Cousin, why did you come here?"
The massive scythe pierced through my cousin's body—he crashed into my arms and tumbled backward.
With a heavy thud, Lord Wraith landed, his scythe clanging as it hit the ground.
"How dull, Zhang Qingyuan. Sigh... It's over. Time for the Wraith Wedding Banquet. The guests must be getting impatient..."
With a thunderous roar, flames erupted in the sky—a massive fist of fire smashed toward Lord Wraith.