The sound of rushing water echoed. I sat quietly at the end of the steps, watching the stream below wind its way past. Everything at Universal Temple was back to normal.
With a flash of white light, I pulled out a Blood Jade from my body. It glowed orange, covered in countless mysterious patterns—like a maze. Holding it, I felt something strange inside: a powerful being, waiting to seize my mind.
I decided to wander a bit and grabbed a steaming cake. It was hot and delicious. As I walked down the steps, I wondered why this place existed. Maybe Abbot Fortune knew, but he never planned to tell me. The realm's original master, Golden Howler, should know too—but he's missing.
Eugenia hopped over behind me, grinning as she asked.
I turned my head. In the plaza outside the Great Hall, there was a steamer with some pastries cooking inside. Near the temple, there were some fields. I had gathered some grain from there, ground it up, added a bit of sugar, let it ferment, and planned to make them some steamed cakes.
This is a temple, after all. Blueflame Warden wanted to bring some meat, but I stopped him. I've been waiting three days—no sign of Abbot Fortune or anyone from the Immortality Society. Only that strange formation at the temple gate remains. The three of us tried our powers, but it didn't budge. Just like Wu said, we're trapped in the Illusory Realm.
"See? Drop it and it'll break."
"Ethan Zhang, make us more. That wasn't nearly enough."
Eugenia ran over, giggling. I just shook my head.
"Let's talk after we've eaten!"
Soon, I took the steamed cakes out of the basket. The two of them were already drooling, impatiently eating despite the heat. Zephyr, who had been lying in the corner, also came over, looking longingly at the food.
I planned to take a walk, grabbing just one steamed cake. It was piping hot and truly delicious. As I walked down the steps, I wondered about the true purpose of this place. Maybe Abbot Fortune knew, but he had no intention of telling me. The original master of this realm, the Golden Howler, should know as well, but his whereabouts were unknown.
I wondered how those special people from the Immortality Society managed to enter the Illusory Realm. I asked Eugenia and Blueflame Warden, but both said they'd never seen anyone enter the realm before. They insisted it was impossible.
Still, I decided to keep waiting. The Immortality Society wouldn't give up until they achieved their goals, so I was sure they'd come back. No matter what, I wanted to know about my past.
Unconsciously, I found myself at the mountain gate. I pushed it open and walked outside, staring at the strange, peculiar symbols on the formation. The formation was a blend of black, red, and purple, with a circular outer edge, an irregular diamond in the middle, and a triangle at the very center.
I returned to the mountaintop. The two of them had already finished all the steamed cakes and looked like they wanted more.
"Ethan Zhang, make us some more. This wasn't nearly enough."
Eugenia ran over, giggling. I shook my head.
"Take it easy. We've got plenty of time. I'll make you something different for dinner later."
With a flash of white, I pulled out a Blood Jade from my body. It glowed orange, covered in countless mysterious patterns, like a maze of intricate symbols. Holding it gave me a strange feeling—there was a powerful being sealed inside, trying to seize control of my mind.
"There's something inside this, isn't there?"
Eugenia leaned in and took the Blood Jade from my hand, weighing it in her palm.
"Hey, Plaguebringer, you'd better not touch that. If you break it, we'll be in trouble."
Blueflame Warden tried to snatch the Blood Jade from Eugenia, but she just giggled and moved away, still weighing it in her hand. Suddenly, she fumbled, tossing the Blood Jade into the air. As it was about to hit the ground, she stretched out a foot and gently kicked it.
With a swish, the Blood Jade flew toward me. Just as I was about to grab it, Blueflame Warden got there first, grabbing it and grinning smugly.
"See? If you plug it in, it'll break."
Just then, there was a crack. I sighed helplessly—the Blood Jade had split in two. Blueflame Warden stared in shock at the broken Blood Jade in his hand, then glanced at me.
"Forget it, just glue it back together."
I joked, but Blueflame Warden started to panic, and my smile faded. An orange mist slowly drifted out from the Blood Jade, gradually forming a humanoid shape. Soon, an old man appeared—he looked about fifty, but what surprised me was his face and body: chiseled, almost sculpted, sharper than any Buddha statue standing in the plaza.
He looked like a clay figure molded by a child—awkward and stiff.
"We meet again, Ethan Zhang. After all this time, you still can't escape me."
I looked at the old man in confusion.
"Hey, old man, what exactly are you?"
Eugenia had already rushed over, shouting first. Blueflame Warden also looked at the old man in confusion.
"You're not human, and you're not from the Illusory Realm. So what are you?"
The orange mist faded. I stared at the Blood Jade in Blueflame Warden's hand, puzzled. The Wraithlord had grown weak after that blow. As his soul fragment returned to the Blood Jade, its cracks healed.
I shook my head.
The figure before me called himself the Wraithlord. I truly had never seen him before, nor could I recall anything, but he seemed to know me.
"Can you tell me about my past?"
"Take me to Nuwa. She's in this Illusory Realm, isn't she!"
I stared in shock. The Wraithlord seemed to know everything. There was anger in his eyes, then he burst into loud laughter. As he stood up, I saw white motes of light rising from the ground all around us—the temple was vanishing.
"What are you trying to do?"
With a whoosh, I grabbed the Wraithlord's shoulder, stopping him from absorbing the temple completely.
"Don't interfere, Ethan Zhang. You're already dead—none of this concerns you anymore. You'll never leave this Illusory Realm, not for the rest of your life. Even if you learn your past, what difference does it make?"
I stared in shock. This was the third person to say that to me—Wu and Abbot Fortune had said the same before.
"I told you not to interfere, didn't I, Ethan Zhang?"
A powerful force surged toward me from the front with a buzz. I didn't dodge, still standing in front of the Wraithlord.
"If you make this place disappear, I really might never get back."
A bitter, icy wind swept past on both sides of me, but couldn't hurt me at all. I stared quietly at the Wraithlord. He turned to size me up, then started laughing.
"So that's it. You're nothing like you used to be, but in front of me, you're still just a child."
I stared in shock as the Wraithlord suddenly swung a fist at my chest. For some reason, a flash of fear crossed my mind, but then pale blue mist swirled around my chest.
With a boom, the Wraithlord's powerful punch was absorbed by the pale blue mist, like the surface of the sea. I looked down—Eugenia was there, holding up a hand and looking annoyed.
"If it's so hard for you to get out, old man, then show some respect. If you don't, we won't, either."
With a swipe, Blueflame Warden appeared behind the Wraithlord, pressing a claw to his head and slamming him into the ground. I saw the Blood Jade in Blueflame Warden's hand had already healed, and the Wraithlord's body turned into mist, slowly returning to the Blood Jade.
"If you can stop me, I have nothing more to say. Remember this, Ethan Zhang: bring me to Nuwa, and you'll learn everything."
The orange mist slowly faded away. I looked at the Blood Jade in Blueflame Warden's hand, puzzled. The Wraithlord was already weakened after that attack. As his soul fragment returned to the Blood Jade, the cracked jade was restored.
"What are you doing, Ethan Zhang? Maybe the old Wraithlord was right—you really are just a kid."
I looked at Eugenia's annoyed expression and sighed. I'd held back just now, but didn't expect that holding back would almost get me hurt by the Wraithlord. It wouldn't have killed me, but it wouldn't have felt good either. Both of them acted decisively, without a trace of hesitation.
"Sorry, it's just..."
"Alright, alright, I get it. You want to learn about your past from the old Wraithlord, so you hesitated. You were afraid if you used force, he'd disappear. Now come down here and make us something to eat!"
I answered and dropped to the ground, but Blueflame Warden was still examining the Blood Jade.
"Did you find something?"
"This thing can't be shattered. It can't be destroyed."