"Why?"
Redmond stared quietly at Loraine Locke. After hearing everything Tan Tian had said, everyone was shocked—myself included. The Wraithlord's wife, the first woman. I fixed my gaze on Tan Tian. What he said sounded unbelievable, but if it was true, she must have lived during the mythological era when the ancient gods still existed.
But just now, her strength in blocking my full-force attack bare-handed was astonishing. I glanced at the black Ghostfang in my hand—now completely drained of power. This blade can store limitless energy and release it in an instant at extreme density. Yet under such force, Loraine Locke was able to block it and even erase the violent impact. Just this alone is incomprehensible.
"Let's set other matters aside for now. This much ghost energy gathering will have a negative effect on the living world. We should head back inside."
Loraine Locke had no intention of answering Redmond's question and changed the subject. But I was still angry, glaring at Tan Tian. From Loraine Locke's tone, it seemed Zhang Qingyuan's death was also connected to her.
After a while, we all returned to Ronan Wu's Shadow Realm and stopped by the seaside. Everyone looked at Tan Tian and Loraine Locke. The mystery about Loraine Locke was resolved for now, but everything about Tan Tian remained an enigma. Judging by their relationship, Tan Tian likely survived from the mythological era as well.
"What was it you just said—that Ethan Zhang had to die? Was this all planned?"
I asked coldly. Tan Tian looked at me.
"You can't really call it planned. It was just a coincidence, but it was the best outcome. I once witnessed certain things in the Unreal."
As Tan Tian spoke, Yin Choujian watched him warily.
"It's related to Ethan Zhang's Coexistence Instinct!"
Tan Tian neither nodded nor shook his head, silently confirming it. But he seemed unwilling to talk about what he saw in the Unreal.
I can only tell you some facts: Ethan Zhang's Coexistence Instinct is slowly gathering and attracting the Wraithlord's human power.
My eyes widened. Loraine Locke quickly added:
When he was still human, he possessed power that rivaled the ancient gods. The reason he died was because that immense power from the past was enough to destroy everything, threatening the survival of the world. In the end, our mother, Mother Goddess Nuwa, had no choice but to kill him—to prevent the world created by the gods from being destroyed, and to ensure all beings would not perish. The place where he died is now the Unreal. After death, he became a ghost—the first ghost in this world.
Even if you say all this, it's still too far removed from us. It's basically...
Redmond hadn't finished speaking when Loraine Locke interrupted him.
You have no idea how terrifying he is. The part of the Wraithlord's power that belonged to his humanity hasn't vanished from the Unreal with his death—it became part of the Unreal itself. Now, this power is trying to return to the world by relying on Ethan Zhang's Coexistence Instinct.
None of this matters anymore. Tan Tian, what exactly are you here to do?
I glared fiercely at Tan Tian. Yin Choujian shot me a look, signaling me to calm down. Then he floated over and stood in front of Loraine Locke and Tan Tian.