"Feeling a bit better now, aren't you?"
The Earthly Soul nodded. We found a cluster of vines and climbed up onto a thick branch of a massive tree. Seeing that the tree was nearly three or four meters wide, I was genuinely astonished. The trees here are far larger than those in the Azure Domain.
"So what exactly should we do?"
The Earthly Soul quietly looked at me, then spoke.
"Why can't you smoothly use your instinctive power now? Have you noticed?"
Although I didn't want to admit it, I still nodded. It was just like what happened in the Underworld that time—awakening my instinct was extremely difficult. Before, even under worse conditions, I could still call upon my instinct, but now it's much harder to do so.
"Is it because of emotions?"
The Earthly Soul nodded.
"So the solution now is for me to share half of my heart with you, temporarily."
I let out a surprised sound. This kind of unbelievable thing has happened before, but now that the Earthly Soul and I are completely different beings, is it still possible?
I voiced my concern, but the Earthly Soul shook his head.
"About this, even though it's true for now, our origins are the same, and so is our birth. Only our nature changed after we were born. We successfully imitated the Human Soul, Heavenly Soul, and Earthly Soul merging into one to become a person. Even if we're separated, we can't escape our shared fate. I may dislike you now, but there's no other way. There's only one chance. Use your own body to remember this feeling well."
I responded with a hum. The Earthly Soul raised his right hand and reached out, then placed his left hand on his wrist.
"Blood is the pathway of the soul. Put your hand over here."
I did as the Earthly Soul instructed. With a sharp sound, he sliced open both his wrist and mine, then pressed our hands together. I felt a sting of pain.
Drip by drip, my blood and the Earthly Soul’s blood flowed out. Watching the Earthly Soul close his eyes, I quickly did the same.
A burning sensation spread from my wrist throughout my body. Suddenly, I opened my eyes wide as a tingling shot up my arm. My heart began to pound violently, and blood had already trickled down our wrists onto my white fur.
The sensation was truly strange. I felt power surging through my whole body, and it seemed the Earthly Soul felt the same.
"Don't think about anything else. I'll guide you into my instinctive space."
I hummed and closed my eyes. Gradually, waves of heat flowed through my heart, and a sense of unprecedented wonder washed over me. My excitement returned, and my consciousness felt as if it were melting away. Slowly, I lost awareness.
"Wake up..."
A shout echoed before my eyes, jolting me awake. I stared wide-eyed as a rumbling sound thundered in my ears—the sound of a collapsing building. I looked around in astonishment, finding myself in a city that was falling apart, standing on the rooftop of a high-rise. The Earthly Soul stood right in front of me.
Immediately, I felt a trace of fear. Everything in this space was heading toward death, over and over again. The collapsed buildings would slowly restore themselves, only to crumble once more. My eyes suddenly widened as I looked into the distance—a building I knew all too well stood a hundred meters away. It was an apartment block.
"Not in the mood to look at all this, are you?"
I let out a sound of surprise. My heart was still burning hot inside. I looked seriously at the Earthly Soul, feeling a mix of emotions. Bowing my head, I spoke.
"Thank you."
"No need."
The Earthly Soul's voice was still icy, but I didn't feel hurt at all. He had helped me, again and again. This kindness, I will never forget. Maybe that's the strange thing about emotions—even if he has already made contact or even cooperated with those Immortality Society people, even if one day he stands completely against me, he is still in my heart. I won't forget any of this.
The Earthly Soul has been secretly helping me for a long time. I know he despises me—my helplessness, my failure to notice his existence. He suffers greatly, and it was pain I should have borne, but he endured it instead.
"To put it simply, don't think that just because you've regained some emotion, you can relax. Quickly, call upon your instinct."
I hummed and pressed a hand to my chest, quietly calling for coexistence within. Still, there was no response. The Earthly Soul, sweating profusely, stared at me, clutching his shirt over his chest in pain.
"Hurry up, I can't hold on much longer. If you still can't summon your instinct, the darkness will seep out. I'll disappear from this world. I have to get the Blood Jade."
I gasped and sat cross-legged on the ground, my mind drifting through all my past experiences as a human. Though there were tears and pain, I was once filled with hope. I hadn't gone astray or shown cowardice, all because of one person—Rachel Lan.
The most vivid memory in my mind was that first night at the inn in Exile Town. Rachel Lan and I shared a room, watching the dazzling night outside. Faces glowing like fireflies rose from the whole town, creating a breathtaking scene that captivated both humans and ghosts.
Rachel Lan was no exception. She laughed joyfully, her profile illuminated by green light—so beautiful it stunned me. From that moment, I truly fell for this stubborn, resilient girl. That feeling has always been hidden in my heart. Time and again, I wished I could tell Rachel Lan, 'I love you.'
But until that day, when Rachel Lan herself said she loved me, all I could do was helplessly watch. The days that followed were filled with endless regret—those words I've never managed to say, buried deep in my heart.
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Waves of anger surged from deep within me, racing up my sides. I opened my eyes; tears had already soaked my face. Streams of white energy flowed from my hands—warm and uplifting. Countless times, I've searched for this longed-for human warmth in my dreams.
A white humanoid figure stood before me, its eyes black at first, then gradually turning gold.
"You've finally found me, Ethan Zhang."
It was Coexistence, the part of my humanity I'd lost long ago.
With a splatter, the Earthly Soul—Ethan Zhang—spat out a mouthful of blood. His eyes turned crimson, and blood streamed from his sockets.
"Enough. Remember this feeling. To put it simply, that guy is coming."
"001..."
My eyes widened. At this most critical moment, Entity 001 had come. A hand landed on my shoulder as the Earthly Soul leaned in, coughing and gasping. He seemed to be in extreme pain, trying to suppress the surging darkness within—a ghostly force—while keeping his instinct functioning and ensuring I could share the same emotion with him.
"Listen carefully. When you get out, go down immediately and find a place to hide. Your emotions won't disappear for now, and you can use your instinct to conceal your presence completely."
"No..."
I clenched my fists and shouted. The Earthly Soul burst out laughing, then grabbed my furry ear.
"Look at yourself now—what can you do like this?"
The Earthly Soul paused, then suddenly shoved me away. My body began to fade, bit by bit.
"No one is a savior, Ethan Zhang. Not you, not me. Don't forget why you came here—there's only one reason, isn't there?"
The Earthly Soul roared in anger. I stared at him, clenching my fists.
"There are less than ten days left. This is your last chance. If you miss it, Rachel Lan will sleep forever in this cold world, never to see sunlight again. You want to tell her, don't you—the words buried deep in your heart."
Most of my body had already disappeared. The Earthly Soul reached out and embraced my head.
"There's one more thing I need you to do. If you get the chance, take the Blood Jade—don't hesitate. If you do, and the Immortality Society gets it first, things will be even worse."
"We can do this together..."
The Earthly Soul smiled, blood constantly dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"Let go. Why not? Wouldn't it be better to abandon me? In this situation, if you still can't let go, you won't be able to do anything. Think carefully—what is truly right? Saving everyone? Don't joke with me, Ethan Zhang. You don't have the right or the ability to save everyone. For everything that's saved, something else is lost. You and I are the same."
On that familiar face, it was as if tears were falling. All that unwillingness and everything unspeakable turned into sorrow, frozen on his cheeks. In an instant, I lost consciousness.
With a thud, I woke up, already falling downward. The Earthly Soul kicked me, then jumped off the tree trunk, running toward the junkyard.
"Bastard..."
I roared in fury. With a crash, I hit the ground. My body hurt, but my heart ached even more. I bit down hard on the pendant in my mouth.
With a boom, I felt a powerful fluctuation. The Earthly Soul's presence weakened in an instant. I fought to suppress my anger and the surge of power, lying quietly on the ground, my claws digging deep into the dirt.
"You actually dared to deceive me. The consequences will be serious. I'll make sure you can never return to the world of the living, Ethan Zhang."