Xu Fu laughed maniacally. His face twisted with madness, contempt, and scorn—the evil radiated from every feature. His voice, rising from a low whisper to a piercing wail, carried a sense of desolation.
"Things that exist only in myth—the Supreme Sage, Grand Supreme Elder, those who have transcended their own Tao and become Supreme Sages, living in harmony with Heaven and Earth. Such beings now stand before me. Impressive, truly impressive. To witness the infinite within the finite span of time is remarkable indeed."
Eli Lear smiled kindly and shook his head gently, offering no words. He sat cross-legged on the ground, and in the cold, lifeless space, a warm current began to flow.
I stared in astonishment at the ground, where golden particles of light rose and shimmered. This pure, boundless power surged around my body. For a ghost, such power—if wielded with intent—could erase me in an instant. It was vast and overwhelming, its boundaries unfathomable: the force of nature itself.
As the golden light spread, a faint image of a Taiji symbol appeared in the sky. At its center, I glimpsed a massive Tao Character.
The gray barrier slowly dissolved, seemingly assimilated by the golden light. My damaged Ghost Soul, pierced by the golden rays, was gradually recovering.
"Ms. Yi."
Startled, I looked over. In the blink of an eye, Isabelle Frost was lying before me. Her condition seemed much improved, except for her eyes, which were still bleeding. The black eye on her forehead was slowly closing, ceasing its flow and vanishing from sight.
A surge of green ghostly energy spilled out.
"Little girl, do not resist. Though you dwell in darkness, there is still light within you."
"Answer my question, Eli Lear."
Xu Fu glared furiously, striding toward us. Behind him, twelve Golden Mask Men had already risen. The one who damaged Isabelle Frost's heart, Oblivion, clenched his fists tightly.
"Interesting. Supreme Sage, is it? Heh."
"The One Qi creates Three Pure Ones; in the grand world, the Tao is everywhere—continuing, evolving, and taking shape."
Eli Lear spoke, opening his eyes. I saw Tan Tian crouched on the ground, his hands sticky and tense. Behind him, Luna Quay and the other zombies also crouched, pressing their hands to the earth like Tan Tian. Emperor God stood outside, fists clenched, waiting.
The gray barrier still held, resisting the force.
"Nothing in this world is more fascinating than this."
Wang Qi spoke. The twelve Golden Mask Men clenched their fists in unison. Suddenly, Isabelle Frost, Ethan Zhang, and Zhang Jizheng found themselves at the edge of the barrier, while Eli Lear was surrounded by the thirteen members of the Immortality Society.
Alarmed, I stood up. Zhang Jizheng grabbed my arm.
"Don't worry, Ethan. Though the Supreme Sage is but one of countless incarnations, he is more than enough to handle these wicked adversaries."
I had no doubt about Zhang Jizheng's words. Even facing an assault from thirteen adversaries, Eli Lear remained calm and composed.
A sour ache welled up in my heart as I gazed at Eli Lear's back, my mind filled with the kindly face of Master Zachary Wu. He had done so much for me—his power may have been humble, but his resolve to save me brought about the miracle before my eyes.
"Do not hesitate. Give it everything you've got. Immortality..."
Xu Fu's eyes turned blood-red. The twelve Golden Mask Men lunged at Eli Lear in an instant. I swallowed hard.
A shrill sound of air being torn echoed. I couldn't make out what was happening, but a burst of golden light shot out in all directions.
Thirteen golden Eli Lears, wielding swords, fists, ceremonial whisks, and various weapons, blocked the attacks from the thirteen members of the Immortality Society.
With a bang, a golden stream of energy pushed toward us. With a groan, Isabelle Frost got up. The thirteen Golden Mask Men were knocked back.
"Impressive. This power can withstand the attacks of all thirteen of us—and still has the upper hand."
Oblivion stood, spitting out a mouthful of black blood. His clothes were torn in many places, and the others had also suffered varying degrees of injury.
Xu Fu sat on the ground, but quickly got up, his body hunched over.
"Ms. Yi, your eyes..."
"Even without eyes, I can still see. That man took away my sight."
I looked around. The demons and monsters had vanished, and the items crafted by the zombies as mediums had dissolved in the golden light.
"Enough, Xu Fu. You people, get ready. We're about to move onto the Blood Path."
At that moment, the thirteen Golden Mask Men raised their right fists and charged at Eli Lear again. The screeching sound made it hard to stand. I immediately released Deathbane Aura to shield Isabelle Frost, drove Belle into the ground with a clang, and Isabelle leaned against my back.
Twisted spheres of black space appeared before Eli Lear, their darkness overwhelming the gold for a moment.
Suddenly, a golden Taiji spread around Eli Lear's body, spinning and swallowing the blackness. The thirteen members of the Immortality Society were flung away, and the crushing, terrifying power vanished in an instant.
Eli Lear stood up, his usual gentle humility gone, anger slowly surfacing on his face.
I vaguely saw the plain robe Eli Lear wore begin to change, transforming into a red, blue, white, and gold Taoist robe that fluttered in the swirling currents.
With a low bellow, I saw a blue-black ox appear beneath Eli Lear. Unlike ordinary cattle, it had a single horn jutting from the center of its forehead.
Xu Fu and the others stood up. Warren Qi clutched his mangled left arm, while the rest bore wounds from the previous attack. Yet in the eyes of all thirteen, there was not a hint of retreat.
[Irrelevant passage about reading the next page. Skipped in translation.]
"Xu Fu, that's enough. Hurry up."
"Shut up, old man Tan Tian."
Xu Fu replied coldly, then silently stared at Eli Lear.
Suddenly, Xu Fu's expression changed. He quickly retreated, and the other Golden Mask Men fell back as well. Golden pillars of light rose from the ground where they had stood.
A crushing pressure descended from the sky, as the golden Tao Character slowly pressed down.
Isabelle Frost and I both felt the pressure, while the thirteen members of the Immortality Society gradually bowed, then knelt on the ground.
"The root of the Tao is nature itself—actionless, formless, without substance or attachment. Within the Tao, nature arises: from nothing comes existence, from existence returns to nothing; yin and yang cycle and merge. The end of the Tao: the way of the road, the way of reason, the way of humanity, the way of commerce, the way of cunning, the way of filial piety, the way of ruler and subject, the way of knowing the Tao. Thus, the Three Ways: the innate Tao, the acquired Tao, the ways of left and right..."
Gradually, I saw the thirteen Golden Mask Men nearly collapsed to the ground, their bodies swelling and blood pouring from their seven orifices.
With a bang, the golden Tao Character in the sky scattered. Instantly, the Taiji pattern on the ground spread outward, filling the entire space.
All around, Tao Characters floated in space. Where Isabelle Frost and I stood, we only felt the pressure—there was no pain at all.
With a roar, Xu Fu howled in rage and rose to his feet. The other Golden Mask Men did the same, charging at Eli Lear in an instant.
"The Tao is all things... Only those with heart may ascend. The Great Tao is simple... Your Tao is immature, so it is an evil Tao—yet still a Tao."
With a boom, as Xu Fu and the thirteen approached Eli Lear, they collapsed to the ground. The entire space was enveloped in gold.
At that moment, I saw an orange figure—Tan Tian. But my vision was quickly blinded by dazzling golden light.
Gradually, the golden light faded. I swallowed hard. Nothing remained on the scene, and Emperor God stood before Eli Lear.
"They got away."
Eli Lear smiled.
"All ways are constant. One day, these paths will converge, young man. You too must seek your own Tao—hold fast to your integrity."
"Thank you, Mr. Lear."
I bowed respectfully. At that moment, Eli Lear approached us and reached out a hand toward Isabelle Frost. With a slap, Isabelle knocked his hand away.
"My affairs are none of your concern."
"Young lady, though your eyes are lost, do not lose your spirit."
Eli Lear smiled, his body enveloped in golden light, slowly dissolving into golden particles that filled the space.
"Is this what it means to be a Taoist?"
Emperor God spoke slowly, then smiled. The expression on his face seemed to sweep away years of dust from his heart. Even Xiaoyan's cold demeanor melted, and Huansheng sat on the ground like a child, reaching out to play with the golden particles.
"Ethan."
Zhang Jizheng called from behind. I turned and nodded with a smile.
"Just as the Patriarch said, one person's kindness can change another, and another's kindness may one day change the world."
"Ah... that's how it is."
I looked at Emperor God, who smiled.
"Are you returning, Ethan Zhang?"
I nodded.
"There are still many things waiting for me above."
"Let me take you back."
Emperor God spoke, reaching out a hand. I quietly watched him, then extended my own, and we clasped hands.
"Those with heart may take different paths, but always find the same destination."
Emperor God murmured. I looked at him, said nothing, and simply nodded.