The long wait was agonizing. Anxiety spread around the perimeter of the sealing array, leaving everyone at a loss. Some looked utterly exhausted.
Inside the seal, waves of Yin energy relentlessly corroded the array day and night. The Taoist Order outside could only take turns maintaining it, stabilizing the formation. I wasn’t sure what kind of array it was, but it seemed capable of temporarily trapping the Wraithlord. Yet on second thought, something felt off.
Recalling my entry earlier, I seemed to have glimpsed something—a faint blue light far away. It was morning, but there was no sun, only gray skies overhead.
I walked out of the woods, grabbed a bite, then found a cart and sat in its trailer. Unease kept spreading. Rumors swirled, while the Ghost Syndicate seemed to be discussing something, gathered together. Wraithshade was speaking with them.
The Taoist Order looked utterly exhausted. Strangely, watching them, I felt they were quite decent—completely different from my impression of Taoists. They were warm-hearted, and most importantly, possessed a strong sense of justice.
Unlike the Taoists I’d met in my era—stubborn, aloof, and unfriendly, especially toward us from Hades.
Now, I saw many Taoists seriously discussing how to stop the Yin energy from leaking out and harming the living world.
Just then, I saw Wraithshade leading a large group from the Ghost Syndicate toward the edge of the array. The Hades and Taoist Order members followed, so I hurried after them.
“Mr. Wraithshade, please don’t go in and risk more casualties.”
Sure enough, Wraithshade looked ready to enter, but Wu Zheng stopped him. Wraithshade quickly broke into a smile.
I murmured in agreement, feeling another trace of Yin energy. Neither of us spoke. With a wave of Lan Miu’s hand, a gentle breeze swept by, and the Yin energy vanished instantly.
I think the person you’re waiting for will arrive soon. Something strange is about to happen here.
I murmured in agreement, but seeing Lan Miu’s expression, I already understood what he meant by 'strange happenings.'
Day after day passed. With the Ghost Syndicate members entering daily to absorb Yin energy, the Taoist Order found things much easier. What concerned me most was the Zen Order—their presence in this era was just emerging, and they were the smallest among all the sects.
I advise you to leave here, young lady.
Suddenly, a voice sounded behind me. I jumped, instinctively looking back—nothing was there, but I knew it was Wraithshade speaking.
I glared in frustration at the Ghost Syndicate members who had just returned from inside. After coming back, they started heading toward the mountain, which was puzzling.
Time ticked by, and soon the Ghost Syndicate members were out of sight. They said they planned to go to the other side of the mountain and try to sever the massive ley lines—a major concern for many.
The night sky was pitch dark, illuminated only by the bonfires burning around the array. I leaned uneasily against a tree, unsure what Wraithshade meant by telling me to leave. Was something about to happen?
Nothing happened that night, but I didn’t sleep well. The next day, I dragged my aching body down the mountain for breakfast. The Taoist Order members were all saying Laozi was about to arrive.
The anxiety and unease seemed to fade. After the Ghost Syndicate members left yesterday, by morning many noticed the ley lines from the mountain had stopped flowing, earth energy had diminished, Yin energy began to dissipate, and the once gloomy sky broke open with beams of sunlight.
Everything seemed to be improving, yet I couldn’t shake a vague sense of unease.
Something’s wrong—the array is cracking!
Just as I feared, it happened. Everyone turned to look—right across from the city gate, fine cracks appeared in the sunlight. Many Taoist Order members rushed to repair the array, but the cracks kept spreading. No one understood the sudden cause of this collapse.
It’s Wraithshade’s doing.
Lan Miu, looking frustrated, came up to me. As the cracks widened, a flood of Yin energy burst out. Zane Wu began leading people to build a new array around the collapsing one. With so many Taoist Order members, it wouldn’t take long.
According to Zane Wu, the array might take until tomorrow to collapse—there’s enough time.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. I joined the Taoist Order members to help, and many from Hades pitched in as well.
A chill swept over my back, making me shiver. Suddenly, I sensed something—when I turned around, my eyes widened as a black fist emerged from the crack, releasing an overwhelmingly cold, powerful force.
Give it everything you’ve got.
With Zane Wu’s shout, the array collapsed instantly. A fierce black aura swept across the ground like a cold wind, and with a powerful shockwave, my eyes widened.
Suddenly, a dazzling gold appeared before my eyes, accompanied by a whooshing sound and intense roaring in my ears. I felt dizzy and, after a moment, realized I was wrapped in a Spirit Veil.
This really is a disaster.
Lewis Lu was nearby, golden Spirit Veils drifting across the ground. Many were pulled back, but some weren’t saved. Jay Su, looking grave, controlled the Spirit Veils. Lewis Lu flew over, gusts sweeping up the unconscious Taoist Order members. Zane Wu glowed with golden light, watching The Wraithlord emerge from the array. Everyone was stunned—so many were left unable to rise after just one strike. It was like the end of the world.
A fierce wind barrier blocked The Wraithlord’s path. Zane Wu and Jay Su were busy moving people to safety. The Wraithlord reached into the wind barrier—a technique from Hades using White Tiger Power, which I’d seen before. The wind barrier, usually offensive, vanished instantly with a wave of The Wraithlord’s hand. Lewis Lu looked ready to rush forward.
Don’t go near that thing. Fall back—Taoist Order needs time to prepare the array.
Lan Miu shouted. The Wraithlord finally stopped more than a hundred meters away. The ground was scorched, everything in the forest began to wither, and The Wraithlord seemed to be asleep.
Everyone stared at The Wraithlord, faces pale. Many finally came to their senses—against such a powerful ghost, any effort seemed futile.
Yet the Taoist Order didn’t flinch. They kept guarding and making a last effort. Over a hundred were already dead, and no one knew when the ghost would move again. Everyone raced to finish the preparations.
Hades suffered no casualties. When the anomaly occurred, Jay Su wrapped all the Hades members in golden Spirit Veils and led us in retreat.
Given the situation, I think we should retreat. If that thing wakes up, we’ll be in trouble…
Jay Su tried to persuade Zane Wu to leave, but Zane Wu just smiled calmly and shook his head.
Retreat to where? If we don’t stop this ghost before it moves, how many lives will be lost?
The Taoist Order showed no intention of retreating. I swallowed nervously. The most reasonable thing now would be to do as Jay Su said—fall back and reconsider.
The Hades members began to retreat, leaving only Jay Su, Lewis Lu, and Lan Miu behind. I blended in with the Hades crowd, falling back even though I wanted to stay and help. If I stayed, I’d be exposed sooner or later. Staring at the distant sky, I wondered when the two Ethan Justices would arrive. Far away on the horizon, where sunlight still shone, a carriage was approaching.
The air was thick with dread. Everyone watched the carriage approach, its wheels grinding over the scorched earth. It felt as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for something catastrophic to unfold.
As the carriage drew closer, I could see two figures inside—Ethan Justice and his other self. Their faces were grim, eyes reflecting the chaos around us.
No one spoke. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the distant crackling of flames and the eerie howl of the wind.
The carriage stopped at the edge of the battlefield. Ethan Justice stepped out first, his expression unreadable. His presence seemed to draw all eyes, the tension in the air growing even heavier.
His other self followed, and together they walked toward the center of the devastation. Every step felt like it carried the weight of the world.
Ethan Justice paused, scanning the faces of the survivors. He spoke quietly, his voice carrying a weight that made everyone listen.
"We’re not finished yet. Prepare yourselves—what comes next will test us all."
For a moment, hope flickered among the crowd, quickly swallowed by the darkness that loomed over us.
The wind picked up, carrying the stench of death and the promise of disaster. No one dared to move.
And so, beneath the broken sky, we braced ourselves for the end.