"What the hell is going on?"
Rachel Lan, now dominated by darkness, spoke with panic in her voice. I raised my Deathbane Sniper, aiming it at her forehead.
My instincts, which I still hadn’t fully adapted to, rejected all the power Rachel Lan carried from the Four Guardians Realm. Such recklessness was tantamount to courting death.
My mind was crystal clear about the current situation.
My goal was simple: force out the entity inside Rachel Lan’s body to face me head-on. If I could defeat him, I’d have a real chance to take Rachel Lan back.
With a bang, I pulled the trigger. A bullet grazed Rachel Lan’s cheek, blood splattering instantly.
"Come out and fight me. I’ll say it one more time."
I stared at Rachel Lan, focused and calm. The entity inside her was no match for me—I’d already confirmed that. He couldn’t recover quickly, which explained why he couldn’t fully control my instinct. In this world, Yin energy was inexhaustible.
If one could coexist smoothly with the Yin energy here, even severe wounds could be instantly healed using its abundance.
"Don’t get cocky, Ethan Zhang."
Rachel Lan roared and charged at me. Her path was clear. I took a deep breath, closed one eye, and fired two shots in quick succession.
Rachel Lan fell from midair, her legs now a bloody, mangled mess.
"Ah..."
Rachel Lan howled in anger and struggled to her feet. Above me, a mirror formed rapidly. I tossed aside the Deathbane Sniper and drew the Deathbane Aura Blade from my back. As Rachel Lan appeared overhead, thrusting Belle downward, my sword pierced her shoulder. I snatched Belle from her grasp and flung her to the ground again.
My mood was strangely calm—no agitation at all. The old me might never have dared to do this to Rachel Lan. I gripped Belle; as expected, I felt nothing from within.
"What did you do?"
Rachel Lan burst into laughter, climbing to her feet and staring at me in silence.
"Looks like I made a mistake—stripped away their consciousness and turned them into puppets for my power."
My heart skipped a beat. I’d sensed it earlier: Spirit Snake and Zhu Tang showed no emotion at all, cold as machines.
"Ethan Zhang, I don’t know what your subordinates have done, but stalling means nothing to those three."
As she spoke, a shadow shot out from beneath Rachel Lan at blinding speed—it was Spirit Snake. I immediately leapt back.
A snake with its jaws wide open sprang up from the ground.
"Long time no see, I suppose."
I smiled, watching Spirit Snake. The hostility in its eyes was unmistakable.
"Maybe so."
In the next instant, the massive snake head lunged at me. Overhead, the cry of a Vermilion Bird pierced the air. I glanced up—it was Zhu Tang, already there, wielding the Phoenix Blade and chopping down at me.
Being attacked by these two was all too familiar. I’d fought countless battles with my Ghost Souls before; I knew their every move.
I fired several shots at Spirit Snake while retreating. The bullets vanished into its gaping mouth, but it showed no reaction at all.
With a swish, I dodged the Phoenix Blade. Wild flames swept toward me. Shielding myself with both arms, I was blasted away by the force, slammed into the wall, and landed in a crouch, watching as Spirit Snake and Zhu Tang continued their assault.
"So you can only control two at once?"
I said coldly, cracking a smile. Rachel Lan burst out laughing.
"What’s wrong? Overwhelmed by your own former power?"
I said nothing, gripping the Deathbane Aura Blade in both hands as I slowly stood up. Both of them were made of Deathbane Aura—just the kind I used to wield.
"If you’d managed to control Curse Ghost and mark me with a curse when I couldn’t dodge, maybe I’d have lost already. Was I really that weak before?"
I roared, Deathbane Aura enveloping me in an instant. I swung the Deathbane Aura Blade at Zhu Tang and Spirit Snake.
"Sorry, old friends."
A slash of black light swept toward Rachel Lan. My Deathbane Aura Blade sliced past her side in a clean arc.
With a crash, the wall opposite shattered, leaving a gaping hole. Moonlight streamed in.
"Impossible... in such a short time..."
"Do you really understand coexistence?"
Rachel Lan spun around in terror, glaring at me. Spirit Snake and Zhu Tang had already vanished into wisps of black smoke.
"What do you want to do?"
I pressed the Ghost Eagle to Rachel Lan’s head, standing beside her, my eyes on the silvery night sky outside.
"If you can’t understand it, you can’t use it. If you can’t use it, then give it back to me."
"Aren’t you afraid..."
With a bang, I pulled the trigger. Blood splattered—Rachel Lan’s head burst open, and she slowly collapsed.
I released the Ghost Eagle; it clattered to the ground. Suddenly, Rachel Lan’s eyes widened. She grabbed the Ghost Eagle and aimed at me.
"Hmph, Ethan Zhang, is this what you created? Manifesting weapons with Deathbane Aura."
I stared coldly at Rachel Lan, saying nothing. She laughed wildly and pulled the trigger.
With a bang, Rachel Lan screamed—the Ghost Eagle exploded in her hands. Wild Deathbane Aura blasted her across the room. I stood motionless; the Deathbane Aura I created stopped at my side, then gently swirled around me.
(Irrelevant system message skipped.)
"Impossible—I possess coexistence."
I snorted, looking at Rachel Lan with contempt.
"That’s why you don’t understand what coexistence truly is, or what I truly am. Hurry up—don’t waste time. No matter how many times you try, it’s useless."
Suddenly, a red glow appeared behind me—it was Curse Ghost. I immediately sensed it; a hand pressed to the back of my head, slightly warm.
Felix Zhou, it’s up to you now.
I shouted inwardly. Behind me, a crack split open with a snap.
"Thanks for the reminder, Ethan Zhang. Your power now surely..."
Deathbane Aura instantly pierced Curse Ghost behind me, riddling her with holes. She dissolved into black smoke and vanished. I walked toward Rachel Lan, step by step.
I gripped the Deathbane Aura Blade tightly in my hand.
"If you still refuse to come out and fight me, then I won’t be polite any longer."
"How about this Ghost Soul, the thing you call your trump card?"
I widened my eyes, sneering coldly. A petite, childlike Rachel Lan suddenly appeared, crying out and running toward me.
"Drown in your desires."
With a smack, I pressed down on the Desire Ghost’s head. She struggled, and rainbow-colored streams of energy burst from her hands, rushing toward my face.
"Waaah, watch how powerful I am!"
The Desire Ghost, her voice tender, grabbed my hand. The power of desire wrapped around my entire body like clouds. I smiled faintly, then suddenly exerted force and flung the Desire Ghost aside.
"Qingyuan, that hurts! Can’t you be gentler?"
With a crack, the Desire Ghost exploded in a surge of Deathbane Aura, and I strode toward Rachel Lan.
"Come out quickly, or I’ll finish you off in an instant."
"Aren’t you afraid Rachel Lan will die?"
I sneered. Threats no longer worked on me.
A cracking sound echoed as fissures appeared in the ground around us. Deathbane Aura rose from the earth, drifting like mist.
"Hmph, as you wish. I’ll come out and fight you—let you witness the power of darkness."
I raised my Deathbane Aura Blade and slashed at Rachel Lan. Suddenly, a hand stopped my blade—it was Xiaoyan.
A violent surge of Deathbane Aura burst outward, shattering the ground and forming massive holes. Xiaoyan gripped my Deathbane Aura Blade tightly.
I roared, and with a swift motion, sliced Xiaoyan’s palm in two. She vanished, grabbing Rachel Lan and moving farther away.
"Don’t be reckless. If you come out, you’ll definitely lose to Ethan Zhang."
Xiaoyan spoke calmly. Instantly, I drifted toward her—she planned to take Rachel Lan away.
"It’s useless, Miss. Unless you defeat all three of us, you can’t interfere with Ya’s affairs."
Lin Rui appeared behind Xiaoyan, thrusting his Tenfold Annihilation at her. Xiaoyan, displeased, released Rachel Lan. As I reached Rachel Lan, a crack sounded—Shadow Realm opened behind her.
"I’m counting on you."
I shouted, and the Ghostly Calligrapher and Duan Wentian appeared.
"Without Jiang Tianci, how could you possibly..."
"Is there anything in this world faster than light?"
Duan Wentian waved at me as he spoke. I grabbed Rachel Lan and dragged her into the Shadow Realm.
"You’ve angered me, Ethan Zhang."
The moment we entered the Shadow Realm, black mist began to rise from Rachel Lan’s body, and a humanoid figure appeared—it was Darkness.