I sat on the ground, staring at my own hands and feet. Although I could see them clearly, I felt nothing at all. Whenever I placed my right hand on the floor, it seemed as if it were made of mist—dissipating, then slowly condensing back into the shape of a hand. The same thing happened with my left foot. At that moment, with a buzzing sound, my phone started to vibrate.
"Currently, Deathbane Aura is condensed in the left hand and right foot. Success rate: zero. Please transform into a ghost as soon as possible—Walter Cao will return in 23 minutes."
I stared in shock at the phone—this Bing App had been a lifesaver. Without it, I never would have found the Ghost Domain Core belonging to Walter Cao. I hurriedly put the phone away. With 23 minutes left, I figured I could keep searching; there had to be more hidden in this photo-washing room of Walter Cao's.
I continued searching. In this room filled with tens of thousands of photographs, I wanted to find a picture of Boss Chang. After all, Boss Chang had already reincarnated, but he was growing faster than a normal person—probably because his remaining lifespan was still being continuously drained.
Walter Cao had mentioned the negatives before, but no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find them. I kept checking the time on my phone—minute by minute passed, but I still hadn’t found anything, nor any photos of familiar faces.
But then I changed my mind—I couldn’t let Cao Wanzhi continue unchecked. I immediately grabbed huge stacks of photos and threw them into that small white wooden bucket filled with green liquid. One by one, the photographs were washed away. When each photo was completely washed blank, I took it out, now just a plain white sheet.
Seeing that there were still more than ten minutes left, I kept at it, washing away photo after photo until they were all blank.
"Ethan Zhang, what the hell are you doing, damn it!"
With a furious roar, I was stunned—it was Walter Cao. He was standing right behind me. Then, with a sharp snap, I realized I was now in the middle section of his Shadow Realm, sitting on the ground.
"Do you have any idea how much effort these cost me, Ethan Zhang?"
Walter Cao stood right in front of me, glaring, his entire body radiating a green light. He looked angry, but there was no trace of rage on his face—apart from his voice, I couldn’t see any sign of fury.
"Forget it. I’ll just keep collecting slowly. There’s still plenty of time."
As he spoke, Walter Cao took out the Sword Camera.
"What are you two doing, anyway? Terry, David."
With a bang, the barely breathing Terry Chen and the terrified David Dong fell to the side. Walter Cao still stared at them with a blank expression.
"Enough. There’s no point blaming you. Go back. Just fix whatever’s broken."
As he spoke, Walter Cao raised the Sword Camera. With a click, Terry Chen and David Dong began to dissolve into glowing particles, slowly fading away. I looked over—there was a glimmer of hope in Terry’s eyes. I nodded at him.
"Leave it to me. It’s time for all this to end."
I said, bracing myself as I slowly stood up, balancing on one leg.
"What now, Ethan Zhang? Do you still want to fight me? You..." Walter Cao froze, looking at me as if he didn’t understand what was happening.
Deathbane Aura kept pouring out from all over my body. Gradually, my physique completely transformed into that of a ghost. A pair of massive black wings unfurled behind me, and I slowly began to float upward. All around, a fierce wind whipped up, chilling the air with an eerie coldness.
Deathbane Aura kept pouring out from all over my body. Gradually, my physique completely transformed into that of a ghost. A pair of massive black wings unfurled behind me, and I slowly began to float upward. All around, a fierce wind whipped up, chilling the air with an eerie coldness.
Walter Cao’s expression changed dramatically; he had no idea what was happening and stared at me in shock.
The wind raged through Walter Cao’s Shadow Realm, growing stronger and louder. The windows of the photo studio creaked as a thin layer of black ice formed on them. Then, with repeated bangs, the windows shattered one after another. I raised my hand and looked at the Deathbane Aura swirling in my palm—it billowed like black steam, icy and sinister, surging out from every part of my body.
All around me, wisps of translucent, black chill drifted upward. Then, black snowflakes began to fall in Walter Cao’s Shadow Realm, swirling and scattering everywhere.
As soon as they touched the ground, each flake formed a black ice blossom—more and more appeared, crackling as they grew. Walter Cao used the Sword Camera to break the thin layer of ice forming on his body, shaking himself off before floating upward.
"It’ll be over in an instant, Walter Cao."
I said coldly. At that moment, the immense power overflowing from my body made my heart stir restlessly; the urge to defeat my opponent was almost electric, tingling through every nerve. Cao Wanzhi now was no match for me at all.
Walter Cao smiled, calmly raising the Sword Camera.
Cao Wanzhi smiled, calmly raising the Sword Camera.
"Only by defeating you, Walter Cao... Thank you..."
"Only by defeating you, Cao Wanzhi... Thank you..."
With a snap, I roared, and instantly, the air around me froze over. I halted my attack and turned—at that moment, the Sword Camera was only a few centimeters from my throat, but Walter Cao was completely encased in black ice.
With a snap, I roared, and instantly, the air around me froze over. I halted my attack and turned—at that moment, the Sword Camera was only a few centimeters from my throat, but Cao Wanzhi was completely encased in black ice.
With a wave of my hand, the ice burst apart. On the ground, two pitch-black Deathbane Aura Snakes sprang up, biting into Walter Cao’s legs. In my right hand appeared a Western sword identical to the one Walter Cao wielded—a black Deathbane Aura sword—which I drove straight into his chest.
With a sickening splatter, Walter Cao spat out a mouthful of green blood, staring blankly at me as the green liquid dripped steadily from the corner of his mouth.
"Why? Back then, why did you take away my ghostly side?"
I asked. Walter Cao shook his head.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about, Ethan Zhang. Maybe it was just a coincidence, haha."
Walter Cao actually started laughing. With a sharp motion, I pulled the Deathbane Aura sword free and waved my hand, dispersing it.
"Still can’t remember? All those things from the past—etched deep in your soul, those things that mattered most."
Walter Cao slowly landed on the ground, then began to laugh. I touched down in front of him, surprised by the state of his Shadow Realm. I’d already pierced his ghostly core with a single blow; even if he wasn’t dead, he was barely hanging on. He shouldn’t have been able to maintain the Shadow Realm at all.
Yet there was no sign of the Shadow Realm collapsing. I stared at Walter Cao, lying on the ground.
"Back then, I just happened to see a kid on the street who seemed different. He carried the aura of a ghost, so I took a photo of him. That’s all—nothing more, haha."
I crouched in front of Walter Cao and slowly released my ghostly network, gradually piercing into his body. It was empty—there was nothing inside. Even now, there was still nothing. Anger, sadness, joy—none of it; I couldn’t feel a thing.
Gradually, the scenery around us changed. These were Walter Cao’s memories. I saw a young man in a bustling city, his expression heavy and joyless, short-haired, dressed in black jeans, sneakers, and a white shirt.
It was me—me before I went to college. At that moment, I also saw Walter Cao. The whole world seemed faded and gray, except for me and Walter Cao, who still held their original colors.
I could barely remember any of it—all of this.
"Is that really me?" I muttered, forcing a smile. Just then, someone appeared beside me—Walter Cao, like a phantom.
"You looked so serious back then. College should’ve been something to be happy about, but I couldn’t see any joy on your face."
Walter Cao said. I nodded. Back then, I had no friends—except for Li Nan, whom I’d meet once a month. Li Nan had taken me out several times, introducing me to her male and female friends, but I was so awkward that I always felt like an accessory, quietly watching their happiness, never able to join in.
Going to college meant I’d have to interact with more people, but I didn’t want to. I remembered telling my father once that maybe I shouldn’t go to college, that it would just be a waste of money—maybe I should just get a job. But my father rejected the idea.
I still remembered what my father, Zhang Qiling, said to me.
"Ethan, what other parents can give their children, we can too. Go and enjoy your youth—I don’t want to see you without a single friend."
"Your heart is crying, Ethan Zhang." At that moment, Walter Cao whispered beside me, smiling. I stared at him in surprise.
In the street, in my memory, I seemed to need a photo for my college registration. That’s when Walter Cao walked up.
"Hey, need a photo? Our studio offers great quality at a good price—special back-to-school promotion, I’ll give you a discount. Want to try? The pictures come out really well."
Walter Cao said, handing a flyer to the memory version of me.