I sat in the small pavilion, my mind unable to settle for a long time. The gulf between us was simply too vast—just staying alive in the face of the Immortality Society was already a struggle against the impossible.
"To put it simply, your strength means little before the Immortality Society. Unless you can utterly crush them, defeat is inevitable."
Ma Yongjie took a sip of water, speaking as Basil Bertram beside him smiled faintly and sighed.
"Take your time, Ethan. When I first became a ghost, I spent centuries in silence—my strength back then was nothing compared to yours now."
I murmured in response, just as Lord Shenyan rose to his feet.
"Your path is still long, Ethan. There's no need to rush. My teacher once told me: 'Those without strong will cannot reach wisdom. The day you claim what is yours is the day you stand among the powerful.'"
With a faint rush of wind, Lord Shenyan floated upward. Basil Bertram let out a helpless sigh.
"People aren't plants. Even plants need the cleansing of wind and rain, and the foundation of time to grow strong."
"Alright, enough talk—let's head outside. It's late, aren't you hungry?"
At this, Sylvia Blue called out in protest, and I could only offer a helpless smile.
It was already half past one when we left the Spirit Realm. Agent Seven led Sylvia Blue and Entity 001 to the kitchen, while I sat with Earthly Soul, whose gentle smile never faded.
"Why not use the power you gained at Hidden Falls Temple?"
I gave a quiet sound of surprise, then shook my head.
Earthly Soul looked intrigued, so I turned away. Just then, Ma Yongjie emerged from my Spirit Realm, looking deeply satisfied.
"If you all make it back this time, Ethan, I have a favor to ask... Ethan..."
"Why say such bleak things? It's not like we can't come back."
Earthly Soul grumbled in dissatisfaction, while Ma Yongjie shook his head.
"Years ago, before the Immortality Society ever contacted the Dark Banquet, they were already aware of its existence. And no one who’s ever gone to the Dark Banquet has returned."
As he spoke, Earthly Soul’s expression grew heavy once again.
"Go on, say it."
"I hope you'll let me fight each of the Ghost Sovereigns."
I gasped in shock.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Earthly Soul shot back coldly, while Ma Yongjie just shook his head.
"I've already reached the limits of my strength."
Ma Yongjie spoke, clenching his fist, then looked up and continued.
"If I can fight them and survive, my power will leap forward."
"That's not necessary..."
I was about to speak, but stopped myself. Mercy has no place here—I've come to realize this as my strength has grown. No matter how powerful someone is, once the killing starts, stopping is nearly impossible.
"If I can't keep growing, I may never reach those thirteen men."
"You just said the Immortality Society has been watching the Dark Banquet for a long time. Did they find anything useful?"
Ma Yongjie shook his head.
"Every year, countless people go missing in this world—gone without a trace. The Immortality Society noticed this early on, thanks to their vast intelligence network."
During wartime, the Immortality Society would use people for more experiments—no one paid attention to disappearances. War brought famine and disease, and death was everywhere.
In times of peace, the Immortality Society recruited members on a massive scale. Their intelligence network was so vast, it left no trace. Hidden among the crowds—street vendors, servants in wealthy homes, powerful officials, even palace maids and eunuchs—people of every kind were planted throughout the Living World.
To date, the Immortality Society has observed five large-scale disappearances. Though 'large-scale,' each site lost only a handful of people. But across the Living World, the numbers mounted. At first, the Society didn't pay much attention, until important figures began to vanish. Then they started to investigate.
Their investigation uncovered countless unexplained disappearances. Not a trace remained in the Living World, nor in the Spirit Realm. No one knew what fate befell them.
The Immortality Society kept searching, investigating again and again, until they finally witnessed a few disappearances firsthand. The missing all uttered the same words: 'Fallen into darkness, never to see the light.'
"Fallen into darkness, never to see the light."
Ma Yongjie repeated the words softly, and everyone fell silent.
"Dinner's ready!"
Sylvia Blue's voice came from the kitchen, and soon she emerged carrying dishes, her face bright with joy.
"What exactly do you want to use them for?"
I asked, looking at Earthly Soul. He didn't settle here on a whim—he must have a purpose. That purpose, I suspected, was the Forsaken's powers. Thanks to Rachel Lan's instinct, they gained new life and a second chance in the Living World. The unique powers they possess as Forsaken have also manifested in the Living World—perhaps as a form of materialization.
"Why haven't we seen 016—that guy called Winter?"
For a moment, Agent Seven, who had just come out, smiled, and Earthly Soul also smiled.
"So that guy's name is Winter? Thank you, Ethan Zhang! I've been worrying about where the soldiers are!"
I made a surprised sound, and Entity 001 immediately pulled out her phone to search. Soon, she had the answer.
"Looks like this is him—Winter the dancer. He lost use of his legs in a stage accident, could never dance again, and tried to kill himself several times. So his faith died then, and he became Forsaken 016."
[System message skipped]