Lydia Luo lay sprawled on the ground before me, rolling uncontrollably and gasping for breath. His entire body was coated in black dust, but even that could not mask the stench emanating from him.
I finally understood why these trees grew so thick and sturdy. Outwardly, they were unremarkable, but internally, they were rich in nutrients—most likely absorbed from the Great Marsh beneath, a treacherous region within the Four Sacred Realm.
By rough estimation, Lydia Luo had been trapped in that foul-smelling Great Marsh for thirty years, unable to see anything but the swamp itself.
"Tell me, what exactly are they researching in here?"
I asked. Lydia Luo stood up—his body had liquefied, and he could only maintain his shape because his Dual Soul remained intact. He trembled, then quickly reverted to a muddy form, slowly slithering in my direction.
"Don't come any closer."
Immediately, I pinched my nose. Lydia Luo nodded and stood about thirty meters away. I floated up and sat atop a nearby black tree, quietly staring at him.
"In short, they're studying the composition of the Dual Soul here. In Chinese tradition, the Dual Soul consists of two aspects: Hun (the ethereal soul) and Po (the corporeal soul). That's the gist of it."
I looked at Lydia Luo, puzzled. He had gotten to the heart of it, and to my surprise, it was something I couldn't have guessed. The composition of the Dual Soul—for the living, it's commonplace; everyone has a Dual Soul, and ghosts have ghost souls. In Chinese belief, all things in the living world are fundamentally made from souls—the Dual Soul is the basis for humans, animals, birds, beasts, and insects alike, consisting of Hun and Po.
The Dual Soul is pure, without any impurities. But the real question is: how is it formed, and where does it originate? My mind spun with countless possibilities, and I clutched my head in confusion.
"You seem to know quite a bit. Since ancient times, ever since souls first appeared along with humanity, it's all been rather unbelievable, hasn't it, Earthly Soul?"
Lydia Luo could read my thoughts, which astonished me even more.
"Don't be surprised. Ever since I woke up, I've been like this. My senses kept growing stronger—at first, I could hear sounds above me through the thick earth, then I started picking up movements on the surface, and eventually, I could even hear other people's thoughts."
I studied Lydia Luo closely. Her sensory abilities were astonishing, but her strength was harder to gauge.
"Earthly Soul, you could try to kill me if you want. I don't really have any offensive power, but it seems I can't be killed."
A smile crept onto my face as I slowly floated upward. I raised one hand, and a crackling sound filled the air as a ball of black lightning gathered in my palm. The lightning began to arc around my body.
"If you die, don't blame me."
Lydia Luo nodded. With a whoosh, I was suddenly in front of her, my right hand reaching out. Before I could touch her, the mud covering her body completely dried up and shattered.
With a thunderous crash, my eyes widened. The moment my Endbringer's Power tore through her flesh and was about to strike her Dual Soul, it suddenly split in two, as if something had blocked it.
A low hum echoed, followed by violent tremors. I stared at the black soul before me as a rustling sound arose—the surface of the soul began to ooze mud again, and the stench quickly returned. I went back to the tree.
Just as Lydia Luo said, she might truly be unkillable. I couldn't understand it—her soul was clearly fragile, a light blow should have shattered it, yet even at half my strength she was completely unharmed. There was no point in trying further.
Now I fully believed what Lydia Luo said—she couldn't be killed. In that instant, it felt as if I'd delivered a fatal blow to a phantom, yet Lydia Luo had a tangible body.
I snarled, roaring as I released Endbringer from my grip. With a crackle, I grabbed something soft—a shadow. Without hesitation, I unleashed Endbringer's Power.
I smiled faintly at Lydia Luo and nodded.
"What exactly is it? That secret."
"You need to leave quickly, Earthly Soul, or you won't get out. I..."
With a sharp crack, the sound of chains rang out. My eyes widened as black chains burst from the ground around Lydia Luo, instantly locking her in place and dragging her down into the earth.
With a booming crash, I landed at the spot where Lydia Luo disappeared, but I was still a step too late.
"Who is it? Show yourself."
I couldn't just watch this experimental subject—who held the secret—vanish before my eyes. Whoever came was strong; they could silently abduct Lydia Luo in an instant, moving so fast I couldn't react.
"Over here, Earthly Soul."
"Wraithshade."
I turned and glared furiously at the figure behind me—a person wearing a conical hat, a wide black cloak, tall boots, tight black clothes and pants, and gloves.
"None of this concerns you. Go back now, Earthly Soul."
"What if I refuse to leave—and demand you hand over Lydia Luo?"
I asked coldly. A bolt of shadow lightning appeared in my right hand, Endbringer instantly materializing in my grip. Deathbane Wings slowly unfurled from my back, radiating waves of black death energy as I bent forward slightly.
"You're no match for me."
With a thunderous boom, I was already in front of Wraithshade, swinging Endbringer at his head. There was a low hum, as if I'd struck mist—Wraithshade's form dissipated. A chill ran down my spine, and I spun around instantly. With a series of metallic clangs, several black needles were knocked to the ground.
Wraithshade hovered in the air before me, watching me like a predator.
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"The outcome's already decided, hasn't it, Earthly Soul?"
Wraithshade spoke, a smile in his eyes as he looked at me.
"Not necessarily."
A crackling sound filled the air as I flashed in front of Wraithshade. The air around us was already filled with shadow lightning, and a look of surprise flickered in Wraithshade's eyes.
"It's only natural you'd notice, after all, I've already taken out dozens of your officers."
With a thunderous crash, streams of shadow lightning, guided by Endbringer, surged like dragons, swirling and closing in.
With a bang, black light erupted, and the violent explosion instantly cracked the surrounding walls. I gazed calmly at the ground—Wraithshade was crouched there, his black cloak now only half intact, fluttering in the air.
He looked at me in disbelief.
"Surprised? After killing dozens of your officers, my power has grown considerably."
Wraithshade stood up. Just now, I nearly struck him down, but he managed to escape using shadows.
"It's not that strange. After all, you were always strong. You're nothing like Ethan Zhang—your hunger for power is on a whole different level. Like heaven and earth."
"Correct answer."
With a thunderous boom, I charged at Wraithshade again. He spread his arms, and a ghostly shadow appeared behind him. Wraithshade's hands formed seals at a speed too fast to see—he finished a spell the instant I struck.
In that instant, I stared in shock. With a crash, my sword struck—but suddenly, everything went black. I couldn't see a thing. I was blind, or rather, my ghostly eyes were blocked by something. I could only rely on my Specter Web.
I stood still, releasing my Specter Web in all directions, but sensed not a trace of Wraithshade.
"No need for dirty tricks. Fight me fair and square."
I roared.
"I don't want to waste time. Fighting you won't defeat me, but it's a pointless delay. With such a unique soul appearing, I want to hurry back and study it."
A chill ran through me as I sensed nothing behind me—not a trace of Wraithshade, even through my Specter Web. It was like being lost in utter darkness: I could see nothing, sense nothing. Only the Dark remained.
"Farewell, Earthly Soul. We'll meet again when the Dark Banquet begins!"
For a moment, I smiled.
"You think a cheap trick like that could fool me?"
I snarled, roaring as I released Endbringer from my grip. With a crackle, I grabbed something soft—a shadow. Without hesitation, I unleashed Endbringer's power.
With a deafening crash, my vision cleared. Before me was something fading away, but Wraithshade was nowhere to be found.
"Over there."
With a boom, I became a streak of shadow lightning, instantly appearing by the wall.
"Too bad! Your reflexes aren't bad, but your senses are lacking. I don't want to waste time with you, Earthly Soul."
With a bang, the wall burst open—a massive hole, at least a hundred meters deep. But inside, there was nothing. No sign of Wraithshade. He had completely vanished.
"Damn it."
I roared, clenching my fists, and slowly walked upward.
A gentle breeze blew past. I stood atop the pitch-black mountain—there was nothing left in this base.
"Is that John Chou and his group?"
I gazed in surprise at the brightly lit city, sensing their presence.
"Why has the fighting stopped?"
Immediately, I flew toward them, furious. I had hoped to join the battle against the Immortality Society, but now it had abruptly ended. I had no idea what they were doing.