"Looks like you've got some skill, but you're still too green."
I had no idea what just happened to my body. Earlier, I had forced my seven ghost souls and instincts to strictly suppress all my power, ensuring none leaked out. Yet, in that instant, a surge of energy burst forth—what was that?
I had no time to think. General Crimson Plume was already attacking, and just then, a shadow suddenly appeared before me—Yuna Ji. Surprised, I reached out and grabbed her.
With a loud bang, Yuna Ji and I were sent flying, crashing to the ground together.
"Are you alright?"
I stared in astonishment at Yuna Ji—one third of her skull was gone, a diagonal gash running down the left side, and her left eye socket was half missing.
General White Plume laughed as he chased after us. Though the ribs in his chest were missing, he moved as nimbly as ever, completely unaffected.
Suddenly, Yuna Ji shoved me aside and I tumbled away. With a thunderous crash, a huge pit appeared where we had just been. General White Plume roared with laughter and charged after us.
I sprang to my feet, facing General Crimson Plume as she closed in. Gripping Belle tightly, my fighting spirit surged. I roared, raising Belle to block her twin swords with a clang, but the overwhelming force nearly knocked me off my feet.
At that moment, I saw a fierce crimson light erupt from General Crimson Plume's swords. A woman wielding twin blades appeared before me. With a sharp crack, Belle split in two in my hands, and my vision began to blur. My whole head was sent flying.
Within the spiked defenses ahead, ranks of General White Plume’s skeletal soldiers began to withdraw. There were only a few hundred, and they hurried across the plain toward the horizon.
"Thanks to you three."
General Frostbite led his troops from afar, shouting as he approached. My body had fully recovered, but Yuna Ji glared angrily at the three departing generals, kicking a stone and stomping her foot in frustration.
"How dare they trample on me! Next time, I’ll make sure to crush them."
"Now’s not the time for tantrums."
Mr. Brown placed a hand on Yuna Ji’s shoulder.
"Your injuries aren’t minor. Don’t act on impulse."
Night had fully fallen, turning the sky black. Wisps of green aura drifted overhead, casting a veil like green gauze over the night. The Rebel Legion was already busy.
The channel dug to replenish troops was now completely blocked by stone cut from the mountainside. Soldiers worked to clear it, and the army buzzed with praise for today’s battle. But I felt no pride—only total suppression, and in the end, General Crimson Plume had cut off my head.
After a brief rest, Yuna Ji’s condition improved. She sat silently on a rock, lost in heavy thoughts.
"Mr. Brown, today I blocked General Crimson Plume’s attack. A force surged from within me—what was that? It felt like a violent explosion inside my body."
Mr. Brown nodded.
"It’s definitely Li Power, but everyone’s case is different. Keep honing it through battle. Ethan Zhang, enter the Four Saints Realm—Yuna Ji’s instincts are essential, and there’s still time."
After calming down, I seemed to understand what Li Power was. Instinct is one form of it.
The force I felt blocking that strike was the same as when I manifested my instincts.
I still remember the first time I manifested my instincts—by the Lake of Desire, where the strength of desire was hundreds, thousands of times greater than in the Desire Forest. If I hadn’t relied on instinct, I’d have been finished. Afterward, that power let me dive to the lake’s bottom, where I met the one reading the wordless tome.
"I used to enjoy the feeling—everyone crowding around me, supreme, no one dared defy my orders. But now, I find it repulsive."
Mr. Brown sighed and shook his head.
"You lived in an age of war. After your death, the war should have ended, but it never did, right?"
Yuna Ji nodded, then lay back against a rock. I could tell she was deeply saddened.
"I’m the one to blame for all this. The war should have ended long ago, but my obsession created this endless conflict. Eternal war—no past, no future, only the present. Everyone fights for the sake of fighting. There are no nations, no people, no purpose. The only thing left is the illusion of battle."
"Yuna Ji, you don’t need to overthink. I remember the young master once said, ‘Those in power must do what they must.’ Your resolve is shaken, but you bear the weight of a hostile empire. Among the Seven Ghost Sovereigns, you’re the only one fit for this—no small feat."
Yuna Ji sprang to her feet, clenching her fists and staring into the distance.
"Next time I meet them, I won’t show mercy. I’ll knock their teeth out—every last one!"
I shook my head helplessly.
"When will balance ever be achieved? Yin Chou’s theory is so subtle."
I muttered, while Mr. Brown shook his head and pointed at my chest.
"When the battle in your heart fades and you find peace, maybe then the war here will reach balance."
Suddenly, I heard a commotion—several generals were laughing, clearly satisfied with today’s results. After giving a few orders, General Frostbite headed for Crimson Plume Fortress. For the Rebel Legion, this was their first victory in a thousand years, seizing Yuna Ji’s enemy stronghold.
But from General Violetwing’s words, it sounds like a counterattack is coming soon—maybe tomorrow or the day after. I’ve already seen many reinforcements arriving from the central region. Even now, as darkness falls, more troops are marching toward Crimson Plume Fortress.
"Let’s take the Netherhell Citadel in one breath—hang the tyrant’s head on the throne! Ha!"
I watched a nearby general speak. Now that the Rebel Legion had broken through, they aimed to keep devouring the outer nine fortresses of the Ninefold Abyss. Suddenly, I stood up.
"If we can capture four fortresses, maybe balance will finally come."
"It’s not that simple, Ethan Zhang. On the battlefield, everything changes in an instant."
I looked at Mr. Brown in confusion.
"Mr. Brown, have you ever been to war? You seem to know a lot about it."
Mr. Brown shook his head.
"Not when I was alive. But after death, I’ve fought the underworld army many times."
At last, the soldiers cleared away the piled-up stones. The Rebel Legion began recruiting new troops, but just then, several fast horses raced toward us, their riders shouting urgently.
"Monsters from the Underworld River have attacked Crimson Plume Fortress—three of them!"
My heart lurched. The messenger relayed General Frostbite’s message—he wanted the three of us to rush over and help, or the fortress we’d fought so hard to take would be lost.
"What’s with those monsters? They were quiet at the river bottom all day—what changed?"
Yuna Ji looked suspicious, but the three of us mounted skeletal warhorses and sped toward Crimson Plume Fortress. It would take at least forty minutes by horseback. The generals were working with Frostbite to fend off the three monsters, and White Plume Fortress to the north seemed to be stirring as well.
"Your monsters are mischievous, aren’t they? Maybe they’re not attacking because the fortress fell!"
Mr. Brown seemed to recall something—his words were cryptic. Yuna Ji watched the distance, worried.
"Ethan Zhang, could you go to the Underworld River? Mr. Brown and I will head on ahead."
I cried out in surprise. Yuna Ji continued.
"Only your instincts might sense something. Now that the monsters are moving, there must be a reason."