"Hahaha..."
Cao Wanzhi clutched his heart, laughing wildly in midair, as if he'd just heard something utterly hilarious.
"Heart, Ethan Zhang, what is a heart? Heh... hahaha..."
In an instant, a wild mania filled Cao Wanzhi's face as he stared blankly at me.
"I can't feel anger, I can't feel sorrow. Is this what you call a heart? And me? What am I? Heh, right now, I feel great, Ethan Zhang. My affairs are none of your concern—just take care of yourself."
As he spoke, Cao Wanzhi slowly drifted toward me, raising the Sword Camera. He landed, took a step, and came closer and closer.
Deathbane Aura began to spill from me. By now, the Spirit Snake had completely exhausted the Vermilion Bird's power and was starting to recover. Though not much better than before, as strands of Deathbane Aura seeped out, the wounds on my body slowly began to heal.
"Ethan Zhang, stop thinking. Feel with your body. In our current situation, thinking is meaningless. Strike faster than your opponent, dodge quicker than their attacks."
At that moment, a voice echoed in my mind. I widened my eyes in surprise, gradually sensing something. In a flash, Cao Wanzhi struck—the Sword Camera lunged straight at my head.
I reached out with my right hand, eyes wide. I absolutely couldn't think of dodging—if I tried, I'd be finished. But I sensed something, just barely. As my right hand brushed past Cao Wanzhi's Sword Camera, I suddenly roared.
"Snake hand..."
In an instant, my right hand turned into a black Deathbane Aura Snake, coiling around Cao Wanzhi's Sword Camera. It twisted and wrapped, baring its fangs, and lunged for Cao Wanzhi's neck.
"Too slow."
With two sharp cracks, my right hand was instantly shattered into several pieces by Cao Wanzhi's swinging Sword Camera.
I knew I had to dodge. I was certain of Cao Wanzhi's next move, so I quickly used Ghost Thread to shift aside. But I was still a step too late—the Sword Camera stabbed into my left chest, and with a flick from Cao Wanzhi, I was sent flying and crashed to the ground.
I gasped for breath, never taking my eyes off Cao Wanzhi.
"Too chaotic, Ethan Zhang—your breathing."
I cried out, and the Spirit Snake extended its head onto my left shoulder and began to speak.
"What breathing?"
"Humans have human breathing. Ghosts have ghost breathing. You can't synchronize with the ghost souls, so it's chaotic. Stop thinking, Ethan Zhang."
The Spirit Snake spoke again, and this time, Cao Wanzhi noticed the snake head on my shoulder.
"Well now, Ethan Zhang, this is interesting. Your body is quite something—I’m intrigued. Maybe I’ll take you back and let those freaks at the Immortality Society study you. I could learn a thing or two myself."
As Cao Wanzhi laughed, a surge of flame burst inside me. With a roar, I used Ghost Thread to leap above him and kicked at his head.
Cao Wanzhi casually raised the Sword Camera to block. In an instant, my kicking right foot transformed into a snake and coiled around his Sword Camera. He looked surprised—by now, I had emptied my mind of all thoughts.
I had to be faster, beat him with sheer speed. My only thought was to unleash everything I had. As the snake formed from my right foot wrapped around Cao Wanzhi, I grabbed a Deathbane Aura Dagger and stabbed viciously at his neck.
With a clang, a white, circular frill unfolded from the Sword Camera’s hilt like a barrier, blocking my Deathbane Aura Dagger.
I let go immediately—the Deathbane Aura Dagger dissolved into wisps of black smoke. Instantly, my whole body contracted, squeezing itself into a ball. I became a snake. As the circular barrier retracted, Cao Wanzhi stabbed at me with his sword.
Twisting my snake body, I nimbly dodged Cao Wanzhi’s attack and immediately coiled around him. Just as I was about to squeeze, he vanished with a crack, turning into a ball of green light.
"Continuous Shutter..."
I barely heard Cao Wanzhi’s shout before I reacted. Silhouettes of green light, accompanied by rapid shutter clicks, shot toward me at incredible speed, as if the camera was firing off a barrage of photographs.
With a crack, my entire body instantly split into countless black Deathbane Aura Snakes, surging toward Cao Wanzhi. Suspicion flickered in his eyes.
One by one, the Deathbane Aura Snakes turned to ash before Cao Wanzhi’s Sword Camera. But no matter how fast or numerous his attacks, they had their limits.
A massive swarm of Deathbane Aura Snakes lunged at Cao Wanzhi. Even after wiping out a large number, the remaining snakes closed in on him like a tide, surging over his body.
Cao Wanzhi radiated green light, clearly desperate to escape.
"Don’t even think about running."
I roared, revealing my head and both hands. My hands turned into snakes and, with a swift motion, flew at Cao Wanzhi, sinking their fangs deep into his shoulders.
"What the hell are you, Ethan Zhang?"
Cao Wanzhi roared as hundreds, thousands of tiny snakes crawled all over his body, biting and tearing.
"To finish you off."
I shouted, pulling back my right hand. A Deathbane Aura Blade appeared in my grip, and I slashed at Cao Wanzhi’s body. With a swish, his green blood splattered as he staggered backward.
Just then, I heard a series of shutter clicks. I kept roaring as the Deathbane Aura Snakes quickly converged. Returning to my original form, I hurled the Deathbane Aura Blade at Cao Wanzhi, who was floating in midair.
With a rip, the Deathbane Aura Blade pierced through Cao Wanzhi’s chest. I raised my hands, gripping the broken Deathbane Aura Blade, and moved beside him, hacking at his body again and again.
Suddenly, I stopped attacking. As I tried to turn, my chest was pierced by the Sword Camera. I cried out in pain, black smoke hissing from my body as my Deathbane Aura rapidly drained away.
The figure of Cao Wanzhi, now hacked beyond recognition, faded from sight—just a shadow. But I couldn’t dwell on it. One hand gripped the Sword Camera, while the other turned into a snake and wrapped around Cao Wanzhi from behind.
I couldn’t care about anything else now. If I got hit by Cao Wanzhi again, I might never get up. Deathbane Aura was draining fast, and the extent of my ghost soul’s damage was now painfully clear.
"What are you trying to do, Ethan Zhang? Planning to die together?"
Cao Wanzhi screamed. I grinned, shouting as I gripped the Sword Camera that pierced my chest even tighter.
"What is it, all those things that really happened—Cao Wanzhi, what are they? Everything carved into your body, all that's happened—is it all an illusion? Not even a trace left behind? Tell me, Cao Wanzhi."
I howled, gathering my Deathbane Aura, focusing it all into the Deathbane Aura Snake that had split from my body and was coiled around Cao Wanzhi. My ghost soul began to tremble and wail, buzzing incessantly.
"Ethan Zhang, are you insane?"
Cao Wanzhi stared at me in terror as I linked my Ghost Thread with his, gathering power. The collision of our forces was more than my Ghost Thread could withstand. The only outcome was explosion.
If my power exploded now, Cao Wanzhi wouldn’t escape unscathed. I decided to gamble everything.
Cao Wanzhi began to struggle, realizing that if he didn’t break free, the ever-increasing clash of power would be disastrous.
"Answer me, Cao Wanzhi. All those memories carved into you—everything that really happened before you died—was it all a lie? Was Grace Hu, the woman you loved, just an illusion too?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ethan Zhang."
Suddenly, Cao Wanzhi pressed the shutter. With a click and a thunderous boom, a massive explosion erupted. The shockwave blasted me away, slamming me into the photo studio buildings.
Black light rampaged through the space, chaotic currents from the explosion shredding every building around us. After a long while, the blast subsided. Cao Wanzhi floated in midair, gasping, his clothes in tatters, green blood dripping from the hand gripping the Sword Camera.
In that instant, Cao Wanzhi activated the camera and broke free of my hold, severing the Deathbane Aura Snake that had split from my body. Though the explosion erupted, he had already escaped and flung me aside.
"Enough, Ethan Zhang. It’s over. You really are a handful. I’ve used up more than half my strength. Heh—just come back to the Immortality Society with me. There’s nothing you can do to stop what’s happening outside."
"Ah, it’s over, Cao Wanzhi. You win—are you happy? I can’t even stand, and you’re still on your feet."
Cao Wanzhi looked at me expressionlessly, silent, as he landed and walked toward me.