Where there is light, there must be shadow. A shadow is the proof of everything that exists in this world. Only ghosts lack shadows. But I, even as a ghost, possess a shadow.
A shadow is a person's proof of existence. I don't know when I began to let go of my humanity—my body already dead, reduced to a cold corpse. When the Evil Ghost's disguise was stripped away, I seemed to understand at last what he was truly angry about, what he grieved, and what he hoped for.
In this moment, I understood completely. I had abandoned hope. In my consciousness, at the instant of death, I thought of myself as dead, as a ghost—unable even to recall what it meant to be human.
Hope had already shattered in that moment. What remained in my chest was not hope, but obsession. Obsession can never become hope.
That sliver of light in the dawn—no matter what it shines upon, it is always of utmost importance. Yet I closed my eyes, choosing to reject that glow buried deep within my heart.
"Did you find it, Ethan Zhang? The thing you were hoping for?"
I opened my eyes. Xu Fu was sitting right in front of me, grinning wickedly. I shook my head.
"Though I didn't find it, I received something even more precious."
Xu Fu's smile vanished. He immediately moved several meters away from me, his eyes burning as he stared at me.
"Now this is something extraordinary, haha. Ethan Zhang, it seems you've evolved!"
Survival of the fittest. From the moment I chose the path of coexistence, there was no turning back. The burdens on my shoulders kept piling up, growing heavier and heavier. I became more and more exhausted, every step a struggle. No matter how much I wanted to act, on this path, without hope, nothing could be done.
A cracking sound echoed. On the left side of my face, fine fissures began to appear, like stone crumbling bit by bit. Flecks of dust scattered, and a streak of white—I could feel it. It was the power of Origin.
Earlier, when I spoke with Origin, it refused to help me, turned me away. Now, I seem to understand why. No one is willing to give everything to someone who has lost hope.
A stream of white energy gradually spilled out, swirling around my body and mingling with the black Deathbane Aura. The external force suppressing me was weakening.
"That's right, haha. Ethan Zhang, you've shown me something truly fascinating."
Xu Fu burst out laughing, a manic gleam in his eyes. He clenched his fists, staring at me in silence.
This feeling—it's incredible. I could clearly sense why the world was rejecting me, suppressing our power as ghosts.
In this world, we are anomalies. But now, the power of Origin is helping me reconcile, little by little. My instinct for coexistence began to function. Black and white intertwined. I quietly watched my right hand—it had turned pure white. The cracked skin, the white spreading, covering my right hand.
The left side of my face had completely split open—white replaced it, crisscrossed by fine black cracks radiating Deathbane Aura. On the right side, the red tear marks were still strikingly visible.
"Killing intent..."
Soon, I sensed it—along with Origin's power surging forth, the killing intent within me was fully unleashed. Gradually, white mingled with the black Deathbane Aura, stabilizing my killing intent. The sound of cracking filled the air as the Deathbane Aura around me condensed, then shattered, dissolving into drifting black particles.
"It's been ages since I had a proper duel. Let me be your sparring partner."
Xu Fu spoke, raising his right hand. From the wide sleeve, a blue-green glow radiated, and countless luminous particles spilled out.
Suddenly, I felt a rush of heat. Then, with a swift motion, Belle flew out from my back, landing before me with a ring. I stared in astonishment, then gripped her in my right hand—a wave of warmth coursed through me. Belle radiated heat, as if responding to something. I looked at Xu Fu.
"Is that..."
Radiant light burst forth. In an instant, Xu Fu held a sword that glowed with a deep blue hue. The hilt was engraved with labyrinthine markings, intricate as a maze. Though the blade didn’t look sharp, the sword was strikingly beautiful. I swallowed hard—the blade seemed to bear seven shining stars, twinkling on its surface.
"Sevenstar Abyss, haha. Crafted by Ou Yezi himself..."
My heart skipped a beat. I had seen this sword before—in that memory, it was a gift from Ou Yezi to King Cyrus of Chu, one of three peerless swords.
"You know how to use a sword?"
I was a little surprised. In my impression, Xu Fu was never a swordsman. Instead, there was something indescribable about him—he seemed more skilled in the mystical arts.
"The mystical arts are long lost to us—have you forgotten? Those of us in the Immortality Society wield only absolute force."
I raised Belle. Her blade began to tremble, while the Sevenstar Abyss opposite radiated dazzling brilliance.
"After all, that's the sword Ou Yezi poured his heart and soul into forging. No wonder it reacts—it's perfect for this battle."
I slowly raised Belle, pointing her at Xu Fu.
"The way I am now, I might just take you down."
"That's how it should be—intense, isn't it? Sooner or later, we'll cross blades in a fight to the death. Let this be your first battle after evolving, Ethan Zhang—against the Immortality Society."
With a swift motion, Xu Fu swung the Sevenstar Abyss. Instantly, a pile of rubble was split clean in two, the strike leaving a mark on the ground.
This chapter isn't finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the exciting story!
"The impact of absolute force is just like this. You've seen it countless times—our fists are powerful, aren't they?"
I cried out, my body trailing a stream of black and white energy. In an instant, I was before Xu Fu. With a ring, Belle and the Sevenstar Abyss collided.
Instantly, the ground around us warped. Xu Fu raised the Sevenstar Abyss with one hand, blocking my strike. A surge of Deathbane Aura crawled onto Belle, sizzling. With a boom, Xu Fu retreated swiftly.
The raging Deathbane Aura instantly reduced the rubble around us to ashes. I hovered in midair, gripping Belle with one hand—now fully in control. The killing intent mixed with the Deathbane Aura, dramatically increasing its potency and giving it unparalleled offensive power.
Drip, drip—Xu Fu's right sleeve was gone, his arm covered in fine wounds, blood streaming down.
"Excited, aren't you, Ethan Zhang? It's been ages since I felt this way—hahahahaha..."
Suddenly, Xu Fu floated toward me, swinging the Sevenstar Abyss rapidly. I raised Belle to meet his attack.
In an instant, the two of us clashed in midair. I saw clearly—each of Xu Fu's strikes became more apparent to my eyes. The clash of blades rang out, each collision sparking brilliant flashes.
Each of Xu Fu's blows was incredibly heavy, but I insisted on meeting them head-on, refusing to compromise. The killing intent boosted my strength, raising it to a new level.
Deathbane Aura used to collapse easily, but now, the aura around me was like invisible weapons. As Xu Fu attacked, he could only keep using his sword to deflect the Deathbane Aura striking at him.
Deathbane Aura lashed around me like razor-sharp whips, ringing out with each strike. Xu Fu had switched to a defensive stance. I raised Belle, thrusting at Xu Fu's head.
With a hiss, Belle scraped along the spine of the Sevenstar Abyss, sending bursts of green light flying. Xu Fu seized the moment, swinging his sword toward my chest.
Instantly, the Deathbane Aura seemed to gain consciousness, gathering at my chest and forming a shield. With a ring, it blocked Xu Fu's sword, but the immense force pushed me backward.
As soon as I landed, there was a crash—the ground erupted in flying rubble. Xu Fu's sword followed close behind as he laughed wildly, slashing down.
I twisted aside, dodging in the nick of time. Deathbane Aura, sharp as blades, stabbed at Xu Fu. He spun, dodging left and right, narrowly avoiding every strike before retreating to a distance.
"Not using your gun? If you did, you'd be even stronger now."
Xu Fu spoke. I shook my head.
"Then come on! This kind of fight really gets the blood pumping."
Xu Fu's eyes widened. In a flash, he was in front of me. I roared—Deathbane Aura surged like a tidal wave toward Xu Fu. I gripped Belle tightly, the aura coiling around her.
With a bang, our swords clashed violently once more. I was stunned—above my head hovered Xi Shi, a blush of crimson; above Xu Fu's, a gentlemanly figure glowing green.
In my moment of hesitation, I was sent flying. With a slash, my left-side Deathbane Aura was severed, and my chest was sliced open along my spine—black blood splattered everywhere.
The pink and green vanished. I swallowed, grinning at Xu Fu as he charged at me, laughing wildly.
"Don't lose focus, Ethan Zhang! In a fight like this, you dare get distracted—do you want to die?"