The wind howled fiercely; the forest was nearly devoid of animals. Heavy snow, swept along by the wind, quickly erased any trace of footprints.
In this blizzard, Wraithshade wrapped his head tightly in burlap. This was the deep mountain, a place forsaken by all. He had already bypassed Grant City, heading toward Jiang Capital, his steps never pausing for a single moment.
There was a palpable hostility in the wind and snow. Wraithshade could distinctly feel it—an icy, frosty malice emanating from the distant northwest. The closer he drew, the more sharply he sensed it.
"It seems I'm not welcome here!"
Wraithshade spoke and sat down, gazing quietly toward the northwest amid the storm. Soon, the wind and snow swallowed him whole.
Morning sunlight filtered into the snow-laden forest. In a clearing, a mound of snow rose up. Suddenly, flakes shifted atop the mound, and two cold eyes stared out from twin holes.
A sudden gust of wind swept through. Wraithshade stood up as snowflakes scattered. Before him stood a man, expressionless, with eyes devoid of emotion.
"I figured, since you don't welcome me, I'd be polite and wait for you to come. My name is Wraithshade."
"Tan Tian."
Tan Tian coldly uttered his name, then extended a finger, pointing behind Wraithshade.
"Go back."
Wraithshade nodded, then spoke.
"I will go back, but I came here to ask you a question, Mr. Tan Tian."
Tan Tian gazed quietly at Wraithshade.
"What exactly are you? A corpse?"
Wraithshade asked.
"What I am doesn't matter. That's not truly what you want to ask, is it? The darkness and chill in your mind—your origin—I've already glimpsed it. I can foresee the destruction your future will bring."
Wraithshade was stunned. He stared at Tan Tian, realizing his thoughts had already been laid bare. Yet how Tan Tian had done this, Wraithshade did not know. It reminded him of those ghosts who radiated a greenish glow, able to wield something called the Specter Web.
"It seems you don't intend to answer what I truly wish to know?"
With a whoosh, Tan Tian appeared before Wraithshade. With a boom, Tan Tian extended a hand, and instantly the snow on the ground split apart, revealing the black earth beneath. A deep trench appeared in the snow-covered forest.
The sound was deafening; birds in the surrounding forest scattered in fright. Wraithshade looked at his right hand—it was gone, completely vanished. For the first time, he encountered such a formidable opponent. Not just speed, but even physical strength was beyond belief. In the instant he tried to cast a spell, his right hand, forming a seal, was obliterated.
"Do you want to continue?"
Tan Tian asked. Wraithshade nodded and smiled, his body hunched as black mist seeped from his back. Wailing sounds echoed through the forest.
A creaking sound rang out. The sides of Wraithshade's mouth split open, his body shriveled like old tree bark, turning blackish-green all over. His missing right hand grew back, now covered in sharp black claws like daggers.
With a swift motion, Wraithshade's left hand was before Tan Tian's eyes, its sharp claws stabbing forth. With a metallic ring, Wraithshade stared in disbelief at Tan Tian.
The man's amber eyes were as hard as stone.
"I saw your fate."
Tan Tian said coldly. Suddenly, his eyes flickered and a stream of gray energy shot out. With a harsh tearing sound, Wraithshade's left hand was shredded. He was hurled backward, crashing into a tree, landing in the snow. He got up, crouched, and panted, staring at Tan Tian.
"What was that just now? Even if it was only for a moment, I truly saw the trajectory of your attack. But I couldn't react in time."
"I can see all kinds of faces, that's all. Do you want to continue?"
Tan Tian asked again, this time his tone heavier.
"You're stronger than anyone I've ever faced. I want to test it—just how far can human strength go?"
Suddenly, Wraithshade let out a roar. His hair grew long in an instant, making a rustling noise as thick, vine-like black strands stabbed into the ground. The snowy earth began to rise in irregular mounds, as if something lurked beneath.
Black mist flooded the forest, and the ground trembled faintly.
Tan Tian remained motionless, quietly observing. Suddenly, the snow around him exploded, and black strands of hair appeared in an instant.
"Fragmentation, staff dissolution, passage to the nether... ghostly arts..."
Wailing resounded, blotting out the sky. In an instant, all light vanished. At the tips of those strands of hair, pale, expressionless human heads appeared, their mouths open, unleashing piercing screams at Tan Tian.
Snowflakes swirled, the entire space shook. Wraithshade crouched, hands pressed together, muttering incantations. Gradually, black blood streamed from his eyes, mouth, and nose.
The anguished cries grew louder and louder. Tan Tian remained motionless, quietly watching Wraithshade. At this moment, Wraithshade sensed something strange.
"You..."
Suddenly, a strand of hair on the ground turned into a sharp spear, thrusting at Tan Tian. With a thunderous crash, Tan Tian exploded like a stone statue, fragments scattering across the snow. Wraithshade flew to Tan Tian's side, puzzled as he stared at the stones.
"Actually..."
"There's no need to continue. You've already lost."
Tan Tian's icy voice drifted through the air. The fragments on the ground seemed to come alive, each piece rising and forming a circle. In an instant, they shot around Wraithshade, riddling his body with countless holes. He made no movement as the darkness faded, his form gradually returning to normal. From the black mist within him, ghosts wailed and rose, then turned to ash.
"One hundred and thirty-four, is it?"
Tan Tian stood behind the now unharmed Wraithshade, reciting a string of numbers.
Wraithshade sneered and sat cross-legged, glancing back at Tan Tian.
"You wiped out so many ghosts inside me in an instant. It took me a lot of effort to gather them, and now I'll have to start over."
"How did you get that wound on your chest?"
At this moment, Tan Tian noticed a blackish-green glow at Wraithshade's chest—a power he had never felt before.
"This power is dangerous."
Tan Tian crouched behind Wraithshade, extending a finger. As soon as he touched the blackish-green energy, his finger instantly separated from flesh and bone, and the bone itself slowly turned blackish-green.
Suddenly, Tan Tian exclaimed, standing up and staring in shock at his missing finger. Though it was healing, he seemed deeply shaken. His face showed no change, but his tone was different.
"Well? What do you think of this power?"
"Where did this power come from? I feel an unprecedented heat within it."
Wraithshade stood up and glanced at Tan Tian.
"So that's how it is? You truly have not a shred of emotion. Just now, you must have felt the will to fight, didn't you?"
Tan Tian uttered a sound, staring intently at Wraithshade's chest. He had indeed felt a surge of heat within his body—a sensation both familiar and nostalgic, yet also deeply alien. It was the will to fight.
"This power was born from someone named Yuna Ji. It should have arisen from illusion. Its effects are still unclear, but I imagine you're quite interested."
Tan Tian nodded.
"Tell me, what are you really planning?"
"Right now, I just want to wait for Yuna Ji to die and claim her soul. And you? Why don't we each take what we need? You've wanted to reclaim your emotions, haven't you? You've been a walking corpse for a long time now."
Tan Tian quietly sat down, then nodded.
"Understood. When I return, I'll have James Grant try to persuade King Jiang to mobilize the troops. I'll go myself as well."
Tan Tian rose, slowly floating upward. Wraithshade nodded.
"But this plan will take a long time!"
"Time means nothing to either of us, doesn't it?"
At this moment, Wraithshade glanced around, then called out.
"Mr. Deathcurse, since you're here, why not come out and meet us?"
The cry of an eagle rang out, and one swiftly descended from the sky, gradually transforming into human form. Deathcurse gazed coldly at Wraithshade.
"To have devised a way to deceive the Heavenly Dao, allowing a calamity that should have occurred to pass safely..."
"So it was you near the Ghost Pit that day. I owe you thanks. The original outcome was supposed to be my death, but I accepted it without resistance and died peacefully. Perhaps Heaven did not wish for me to truly perish."
"You sensed it from the beginning, didn't you? The Dark Banquet has been watching you."
Wraithshade nodded, then shook his head.
"Not exactly. That day, I was supposed to die. When the spear pierced my chest, I heard a voice: 'Fall into darkness, never see the light again.'"
Wraithshade spoke, looking at Deathcurse, and continued.
"Mr. Deathcurse, aren't you going to join us?"
Deathcurse shook his head.
"No need. I prefer my freedom in the forest."