"The victor? Without absolute power, there can be no victory. John Chou, throughout the long river of history, only the victors have the right to write everything. Only the victor is qualified. John Chou, you have existed for so many years, do you still not understand this truth? Just like now, you are powerless. Once, you were the victor, but now, you are the defeated."
John Chou set down Rage Blood and began to laugh.
"Indeed, I am the defeated—utterly and completely. You are right. I am powerless now. But I am a ghost, and you... are human. Ghosts can wait thousands of years to achieve their goals, but humans are different. Humans don't have that kind of time to wait."
"Hahaha, John Chou, our time is nothing like ordinary people's. For the great purpose called immortality, we've walked this path for over two thousand years. Everything now is nothing but the foundation built on those two thousand years. Tell me, what exactly is this 'victor' you speak of?"
Zuo Quanyi laughed, his gaze instantly locking onto John Chou.
"If, when alive, you possess flesh and blood, and in death, you become bone—what, after all, is the difference between the two?"
"Naturally, it is life and death—the endless cycle of all things. Whether good or evil, no matter how the world changes, this cycle repeats, carved into the spiral of time. But we have begun to break free from all of it—life and death, the spiral of reincarnation, good and evil. The victor is justice."
The sound of clapping echoed; John Chou applauded and laughed.
"So this is the conclusion of you monsters? Then..."
As John Chou spoke, he raised his left hand and rested it on his cheek. Gradually, I watched in shock as dark red blood began to trickle down his face. In that instant, I felt a surge of overwhelming ghostly power erupting from his body.
"That's more like it, John Chou. Evil Ghost, don't bother preaching like others—this is your true face. The most wicked of ghosts, born from the blood curse of Abyssal Hell, driven by the instinct to kill. In both the human and ghost realms, you've committed countless massacres. In the end, you even tried alone to overturn the law of reincarnation set at the dawn of the world, and so you were sealed away as an Evil Ghost."
John Chou's entire body radiated defiance; he laughed wildly, blood dripping constantly onto the ground. Gradually, the blood on the ground began to evaporate, turning into blood-red mist. Soon, I saw the sky above John Chou's head slowly shift to a deep crimson.
"Yes, this is you, John Chou. It's been so long—hundreds of years—since your blood has surged like this."
A creaking sound echoed—Zuo Quanyi's bones were shifting inside his body. At that moment, his heart began to pound, and black mist started to pour from every part of him.
With a ripping sound, Zuo Quanyi's body began to swell, tearing his clothes apart. His eyes turned gold. With a thunderous boom, the members of the Immortality Society and the Ghost Fiend Star all fled far away.
The ground beneath Zuo Quanyi split open, and his immense power caused cracks to appear in the surrounding buildings and walls. Fierce winds swept around him.
"From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were a worthy opponent—one I must use my full strength to defeat. It's been so long since I've felt this thrill. My heart tells me so, John Chou. It's a pity I can't face you in your complete state."
There was joy and excitement in Zuo Quanyi's eyes, as if he'd encountered something that made him truly happy.
"Is it the same for you? The thrill of battle—whether victory or defeat—enjoying the rush it brings. Only by killing your opponent, or being killed by them... heh..."
John Chou slowly began to float. Then, I saw the mist behind him gradually condense into a humanoid shape, with only half a body.
Gradually, the figure grew clearer. The humanoid shape was massive and powerful, holding two blood-red transparent swords. It looked just like an Evil Ghost, with two upward-pointing fangs and white breath billowing from its mouth.
"Is this your instinct—to kill?"
John Chou laughed, then slowly raised Rage Blood, pointing it at Zuo Quanyi.
"Do you know? I was just about to ask you something. You said that victory is justice? Heh. Then let me ask you—do you have the resolve to endure the endless battles born of desire within this spiral?"
For a moment, Zuo Quanyi was stunned, while John Chou slowly floated upward.
Zuo Quanyi did not answer this question. Hesitation flashed in his eyes. John Chou turned sideways to look at us. At that moment, he was looking at me. For some reason, I felt that these words were meant for me—resolve?
I was stunned, simply staring quietly at John Chou's back.
"Brother, you must never depend on another's path, never attach yourself to the public justice of this world. If you do, there is no future. What is your own way of survival? Remember—what color is your heart?"
With a thunderous boom, as John Chou finished speaking, he charged at Zuo Quanyi. The Rage Blood in his hand stabbed straight at Zuo Quanyi, while behind him, the Evil Ghost appeared to swing its two swords down.
With two swift swishes, I saw two streaks of red light. In an instant, Zuo Quanyi seemed to realize something and immediately retreated.
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"Quick reflexes."
John Chou spoke. Zuo Quanyi stood more than ten meters away from him. But what happened next stunned me—the steps in front of Zuo Quanyi instantly turned to dust.
"So this is slaughter? Mercilessly crushing everything that stands in your way."
With a deafening roar, the Evil Ghost on John Chou's back howled, making my head spin. The monster slowly raised its two blood-red swords, then with two swift strikes, slashed at Zuo Quanyi before it.
There was a ringing sound—it was Zuo Quanyi. In an instant, everything behind him turned to dust. He stretched out a finger toward John Chou, striking the tip of the Rage Blood sword. Suddenly, a massive shockwave, centered on the two of them, toppled buildings and split the ground with deep cracks.
A sizzling sound echoed—red lightning crackled around the two of them.
"Haa..."
Suddenly, Zuo Quanyi stomped the ground hard. In an instant, John Chou was pushed toward us. With a crackling sound, a burst of red particles flashed, accompanied by blinding crimson light.
Zuo Quanyi quickly raised both arms. With a series of loud bangs, I saw John Chou appear above Zuo Quanyi, swinging three swords down—all of which Zuo Quanyi blocked.
In an instant, John Chou vanished again in a burst of blood-red particles, while Zuo Quanyi suddenly straightened up, ducked down, and arched backward. With a swish, John Chou's Rage Blood sliced across Zuo Quanyi's golden mask.
"Sheer destructive force..."
Suddenly, Zuo Quanyi seized the moment, his right hand turning into a hooked claw and plunging into John Chou's chest. With a thunderous boom, a burst of black light erupted, instantly engulfing John Chou.
"You run pretty fast."
Zuo Quanyi straightened up, flicked his left hand, and a cloud of red dust rose upward.
Just then, streaks of red lightning flashed across the sky, followed by thunder. Drops of red rain began to fall, but not above our heads.
The sound of something slicing through the air rang out. Amid the red rain, Zuo Quanyi's afterimages darted about at incredible speed, dodging the crimson drops. John Chou had already made his move.
Thunder rumbled as Zuo Quanyi and John Chou clashed, leaving streaks of afterimages in the air. I couldn't see clearly, but Lan Yin stared intently, clenching his fists in deep worry.
"John Chou is already at a disadvantage."
Just as Lan Yin finished speaking, John Chou crashed to the ground with a bang. He stood up, gasping for breath, clutching Rage Blood. The red raindrops fell on him, soaking his hair and drenching his clothes.
At that moment, the raindrops around Zuo Quanyi began to evaporate as they fell. He stood in the rain, yet not a single part of him was wet. He raised one hand, forming a blade with it, then slowly lifted his left hand, shaping it into a blade as well.
John Chou was still laughing, seemingly enjoying it all. Suddenly, the red Evil Ghost instantly entered his body.
"So fast..."
With a swish, two twisted red streaks swept past Zuo Quanyi. Instantly, both of Zuo Quanyi's arms flew high into the air.
At that moment, Zuo Quanyi leaped up, kicked backward with both feet, and with two metallic clangs, landed on the ground. Instantly, with a squelch, his severed arms grew back.
John Chou had vanished, lost amid the falling blood-red rain.
Zuo Quanyi stood silently on the ground. Black, tentacle-like things squeezed out from around his golden eyes, his eyeballs bulging and spinning.
"Found you, John Chou..."