The clanging sound echoed as I gripped the Endbringer in my hand, hacking away relentlessly. The purple beasts surrounded me, lunging at me again and again. What shocked me most was that my strength couldn't cut through these purple beasts at all.
I was fully aware—everything that happened that day within the Divine Law was still vivid in my mind, echoing in my head. Lately, I often recalled everything from inside the Divine Law. I couldn't defeat Tan Tian; the gap was simply too vast. Even when Ethan Zhang gave everything and gained such power, he still couldn't kill the cold corpse before me. My own strength has grown so much since then, yet it's still like staring at the sky—there's no end in sight.
"You should understand, Earthly Soul, the gap between us is as great as heaven and earth."
Tan Tian's voice came over, cold as ice. My face twisted in anger as I swung the Endbringer, continually fending off the purple beasts lunging at me. As much as I hated to admit it, what he said was true—there was no arguing with that.
I couldn't swallow my pride. Even if I lost to Tan Tian today, I still wanted to try—to see just how great the gap really was.
The urge in my mind was overwhelming. Driven by anger, I kept blocking these purple beasts, relying solely on brute force, determined to overpower them.
I didn't know what Tan Tian saw in those eyes of his, but for a living corpse like him—who had no idea how many years he'd lived, utterly devoid of emotion—what did people and ghosts even look like to him?
Suddenly, in a split second of distraction, one of the beasts slashed past my Endbringer and tore a huge chunk out of my shoulder. I plummeted toward the sea, but a burst of air immediately caught me. I glared in fury as John Chou behind me started to laugh.
"A sword without substance can't defeat him. Use this blade, Earthly Soul."
As he spoke, I seemed to realize something. The Endbringer vanished from my hand in an instant. I reached out and caught the black machete John Chou tossed to me. The moment I gripped it, I felt its power. I stared quietly at Tan Tian, who frowned slightly as more purple beasts rushed at me. The moment I willed it, I flew forward—slicing through the air, purple beasts dissolved into wisps of vapor and disappeared.
"If you want to keep going, I won't hold back."
With a clang, Tan Tian grabbed my Bush Knife again. Black lightning crackled across its surface, and wild, erratic discharges erupted nearby. Yet the lightning couldn't advance at all—as if a thick, invisible wall surrounded Tan Tian. My power couldn't break through. It was the Corpse Barrier. He must've sensed something and put up defenses in advance.
John Chou sneered behind me. Only then did I realize Tan Tian was guarding against John Chou—and Redmane. True, even if we all attacked together, we might not be Tan Tian's match. But in battle, technique often matters most. I'd seen Tan Tian fight Ethan Zhang's daughter, Qi; that battle taught me a lot. Tan Tian's power isn't limitless—there are times when it wears down. When he weakens, John Chou's Bloodbane Power could invade the Golden Soulstone.
With a gust, Tan Tian retreated. I followed immediately. Even if it's just for a split second—if I can give John Chou and Redmane an opening, maybe we can make this bastard suffer.
"Domain... Thunder Prison..."
I roared, and in an instant, thick black lightning poured down from the sky like rain. Tan Tian reacted instantly, darting through the tangled bolts. I chased him, pouring power into the Bush Knife. To my surprise, the Bush Knife seemed to absorb limitless energy—an endless pit, devouring everything I fed into it.
Gradually, the Bush Knife in my hand began to glow with waves of black light. Tan Tian seemed to realize something too—he avoided direct confrontation, weaving through the lightning-filled sky, always keeping his eyes on my Bush Knife.
The energy poured in faster and faster. The glow on the Bush Knife's surface thickened, flowing like liquid. I laughed excitedly, finally understanding why John Chou chose this weapon. Its power even carried John Chou's own strength. I smiled coldly, chasing Tan Tian even faster as he desperately dodged, doing everything he could to avoid me.
"How long are you planning to run, Tan Tian?"
I shouted in fury, instantly appearing in front of Tan Tian. The moment I raised the Bush Knife, he vanished. Sensing his location, I merged into the lightning and moved after him.
"Sea-Sky Phenomenon."
Suddenly, it felt as if heaven and earth had swapped places. It wasn't just my imagination—above me was the ocean, below was the sky. Even farther out, kilometers away, everything was normal: ocean below, sky above. But Tan Tian had vanished somewhere.
I kept pouring energy in, searching for an opening. If I could land a single blow on Tan Tian, he wouldn't get away unscathed.
"Come out, Tan Tian!"
I called out, scanning rapidly. Then I noticed something—a slight change in air density in one spot. Instantly, I grinned with excitement.
With a rush, I swung my blade toward that subtle shift. Tan Tian's eyes went wide, but suddenly I saw a pair of pale hands block my Bush Knife.
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"You must be joking!"
I spoke each word slowly. My long hair fluttered in the breeze. The woman before me was utterly calm, silent as she stared at me. Her slender, pale hand gripped my Bush Knife—instantly, the raging power vanished. I even doubted what I was seeing.
"Undo your Manifest Aspect."
Loraine Locke said coldly. Tan Tian waved his hand, and everything around us snapped back to normal. The thick clouds overhead parted, sunlight poured down onto Loraine Locke, her body radiating a faint white glow. But the pressure I felt from inside her was overwhelming—like staring straight into the sun for the first time.
It was incredible. I'd built up so much power for that strike, but Loraine Locke erased it in an instant—like she absorbed it with a single gesture.
"How did you do that? It's beyond anything I could imagine!"
Redmond slowly surfaced from the sea, and the black water calmed.
"I've already said—I didn't come here to fight. I hope you'll all listen to me calmly for a moment."
Tan Tian spoke as Loraine Locke released my Bush Knife. I stared at her, sure she was hiding something—but I never expected her to be this strong. Tan Tian, meanwhile, slowly knelt before Loraine Locke, bowed, and then rose.
"Who are you, really?"
I asked. Everyone's eyes turned to Loraine Locke. She glanced around sadly, then sighed.
"I never wanted to be part of this world's conflicts again. But in the end, I'm back in the eye of the storm. You've gone too far, Tan Tian."
As Loraine Locke spoke, Tan Tian stood, glanced around, and said:
"The reason I helped Old Hell was to erase Ethan Zhang's existence."
"You bastard..."
I clenched my fists, grinding my teeth, but Loraine Locke pressed her hand on me.
"Calm down, Earthly Soul."
I had no idea what Loraine Locke wanted—who was she, really?
"Listen—if this world is to find peace, Ethan Zhang must die. If he doesn't, the world will be utterly destroyed one day soon. Only his death can prevent the resurrection of The Wraithlord."
Tan Tian continued, but John Chou started to laugh.
"What's meant to come will always come. No matter how you try to stop it, the future can't be predicted. So, Loraine Locke, who are you really? If I had to guess, I'd say you're a creation of Mother Goddess Nuwa!"
The moment John Chou said that, we all stared at Loraine Locke in shock.
"You're clever, John Chou. Yes, I am the first woman created by Mother Goddess Nuwa."
"What do you mean?"
I kept asking—the things I was hearing were far beyond my comprehension. Tan Tian looked at us, then nodded and said:
"As you know, The Wraithlord was the first man created by Mother Goddess Nuwa. The second person she made—a woman—was Loraine Locke. Loraine Locke is The Wraithlord's wife, and the mother of those three from Old Hell."
Suddenly, laughter rang out. Redmond appeared before Loraine Locke, his eyes blazing with anger.
"If you're so powerful, why did you just stand by and watch her die?"
Redmond's eyes reddened, but Loraine Locke simply shook her head.
"It was her choice—Rufina Howard chose death herself. I would never have interfered with her will."