"If you want someone to disappear without leaving even a corpse behind, not even a Curse Killing user of Blue Wraith rank could do it. That person is likely at the Blue Wraith rank."
When Isabelle Frost said this, I looked at her in surprise. She continued speaking.
"Of these seven powers, Ethan Zhang, you currently lack the Ghost Array and Curse Killing abilities, so for the last two, you only need to be aware of them. Next, your task is still to control your power."
I nodded.
Using a force of 1 to exert a force of 1—right now, that's what you're doing. Sometimes you even use a force of 1 and end up with a negative effect. That's why you must learn to control your power with extreme precision.
I finally understood what Isabelle Frost wanted to teach me. What Henry Hu said before probably wasn't deep enough. Even if I've learned the techniques, if I can't control my power, the energy I use—for example, something as simple as flying—would be wasted for no reason.
"So, Ethan Zhang, what you need to do now is figure out how to use a force of 1 to achieve an effect of 100."
I nodded happily.
"Next, you need to find the positions of your Thirteen Ghost Gates, and then keep practicing. Release your Ghost Aura through the Thirteen Ghost Gates, and fly. This will probably take much longer for you."
After suffering through the previous stage, I now clearly understand what comes next. No matter how difficult it is, with this tiny amount of Ghost Aura, forget flying—even passing through walls is impossible.
After Isabelle Frost finished speaking, she left, leaving me alone, standing there in a daze, pondering everything she had just explained.
With Isabelle Frost's practical demonstration and patient, detailed explanation, I was very clear on what I needed to do now.
Ghosts, when flying, usually release Ghost Aura around their bodies to achieve flight.
I've seen many ghosts; most can only fly a limited distance before falling, because their Ghost Aura is depleted too quickly and their Ghost Soul can't replenish it fast enough, so they can't keep flying.
I quietly closed my eyes and tried to use a tiny amount of Ghost Aura, just like Isabelle Frost did. There was no reaction at all. Even though I controlled my urges and kept my body from getting heavier, nothing happened.
"It's so difficult," I muttered helplessly, sighing. I decided to take a proper rest today and start again tomorrow.
How to use such a tiny amount of Ghost Aura to float is a huge challenge I now face. This step might be even harder than the last. So I'll rest early today. Starting tomorrow morning, I'll practice day and night.
I spent the whole day wandering in the woods, thinking. But I decided to start tomorrow. Just before dinner, I crossed the stream and went to see Yvonne Yang. She was the same as always, just sitting there in a trance.
"The person you eat with every day—is she your sister?" I asked again. She still didn't respond. I smiled and was about to turn away when, suddenly, Yvonne Yang seemed to react. She looked up and smiled.
I looked at her in surprise. That smile was so innocent and pure, I wondered if I was imagining it. But I wasn't—Yvonne Yang really did smile. I pressed her with more questions, but she put her smile away, fell silent again, and stared blankly ahead.
After dinner, I sat on my bed waiting for nightfall, planning to sleep. Suddenly, a pair of gentle arms wrapped around me from behind. It was my desire, the one named Rachel Lan. I smiled, feeling the warmth that shouldn't exist, but still comforted my heart.
"Rachel, I'm a bit tired. Even though a long time has passed, I still haven't gotten used to everything here without you. Go ahead and laugh if you want—I'm still the same as before... just a little different now. I will keep our promise. Good night..."
The next morning, after breakfast, I started trying again. The first priority was to find the positions of the Thirteen Ghost Gates. This wasn't too difficult. In just one morning, by trying to release Ghost Aura and let it overflow from my body, I found the positions of all thirteen gates, which form the foundation of my Ghost Soul.
But wanting to fly is another matter. After breakfast, I lay on the ground, looking around helplessly. It felt like I was back to square one, knowing nothing. This time, I didn't even know which direction to work toward.
To release Ghost Aura and use power, it must pass through the Thirteen Ghost Gates. As I practiced more, the pathways in my mind became clearer.
But as for flying, it was basically impossible for me now. The whole day, I kept using just this small amount of Ghost Aura, trying to float, but by nightfall, I still had no clue.
That night, Isabelle Frost was reading again. This time it was a book called Strange Records, and the author was the Ghost Painting Book Immortal. I was a bit surprised—just how many books had she bought from that guy?
Isabelle Frost looked up coldly at me and pointed to a small cabinet beside her, which was filled with books. Judging by the titles, they were all sorts of strange things: Ghost Immortal, Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, Flower and Moon in the Mirror, and so on.
"Not many, just these. They're just to pass the time."
"What kind of books are these?" I asked again. Isabelle Frost shot me a look, and I quickly smiled. If they're from the Ghost Painting Book Immortal, they must be ghost stories.
But then I thought about it and stared at Isabelle Frost. She's already a high-level Blue Wraith. Would she really find these things interesting?
I walked over to the bookshelf, intending to pick up a book. Suddenly, Isabelle Frost slammed her book onto the table. I quickly stopped, feeling awkward as I looked at her.
"You can read it, but at your own risk."
I replied with an 'oh.' I couldn't sleep anyway. All these days, I've been thinking about how to float, and my mind is tired. I needed to relax a bit. I looked around and found a book called 'Specter.' I decided to read it, but as soon as I picked it up, my mind buzzed and my body felt extremely uncomfortable.
I staggered and nearly fell to the floor. I quickly sat down opposite Isabelle Frost, but I still felt uneasy and uncomfortable all over. I rubbed my eyes, thinking maybe I was just too exhausted from the past few days.
I opened to the first page, and suddenly the words blurred. It seemed like there were two books. I rubbed my eyes, but something felt wrong—my mind was dizzy.
"What's going on?"
I asked, but Isabelle Frost ignored me and kept reading. After a long while, I finally saw that at the beginning, there was a long passage: 'Only those with ability may read this book.' The signature was Ghost Painting Book Immortal, the handwriting wild and artistic but a bit messy.
I swallowed and prepared to turn the page, feeling more and more exhausted. The opening told the story of a peddler who often visited a place called Longyin City, buying things cheaply in the city and selling them in the surrounding villages.
But just as I started reading, everything went black. With a thud, I collapsed onto the table, my mind extremely fuzzy. It was the book—I couldn't even speak. Isabelle Frost looked at me coldly, took the book from my hands, and the discomfort vanished.
Then I realized my body felt empty. The Ghost Aura in my Ghost Soul was gone. I watched as Isabelle Frost put the book back in the cabinet. That book drains your Ghost Aura—I realized too late. I couldn't stand up. Isabelle Frost said nothing, raised her hand, and green light shimmered over my body. Then I floated out of the second floor and gently landed on my small bed.
The next morning, harsh sunlight shone on my face. I struggled to open my eyes and get up, but it was extremely difficult. Desire struck again, and I had to control it immediately.
"What is..."
Isabelle Frost stood outside, looking at me coldly.
"Human curiosity never dies, Ethan Zhang."
At that moment, I felt the Ghost Aura in my Ghost Soul was very low. After a whole night, only a tenth had recovered—all because I read that book last night.
"Books by the Ghost Painting Book Immortal aren't for casual reading. Please don't touch them again in the future."
With that, Isabelle Frost left. It was time for breakfast, so I had to get up. I struggled to my feet and watched her walk away. I was even more amazed by her Ghost Aura—last night, just a glance at the book had emptied my Ghost Soul, but she read for so long without any problem.
When I reached the breakfast spot, the stone table was gone. Isabelle Frost looked satisfied. I sighed.
"If your Ghost Soul releases all its Ghost Aura in a short time, it will be damaged, Ethan Zhang. This is the power of Curse Killing. Remember, whenever a ghost makes something, it's always with careful consideration, not done without reason."
I nodded seriously and checked my Ghost Soul. It really was damaged, and recovery would take many days.