"Leave everything else to me. Just stay quietly and watch from the side."
The Wraithlord kept roaring incessantly. I watched in confusion—he had lost all sense of self. For some reason, I felt a trace of familiarity emanating from him, something reminiscent of Past Ethan Justice.
The peculiar violet glow that had just appeared on the Wraithlord startled me—it carried the power of the Four Guardians. I was certain of it. Its nature was identical to the Vermilion Bird Flame, the strongest attack force of the Vermilion Mantle.
A chill swept through my mind. I wasn't sure if I should be suspicious. Suddenly, I remembered what Yin Choujian once told me: those seemingly ordinary things, full of hidden doubts, often reveal something different if you think deeper.
And now, most of the things surfacing in my mind were related to the Four Sacred Realm—the Four Guardians I had worshipped since childhood. This faith was one of the survival lessons my father taught me.
The only reason I could still stand here, alive, was my faith in the Four Guardians. Yet, something inside me was starting to waver. The power of the Four Guardians is truly unique. The violet glow on the Wraithlord’s body, like tiny needles, was actually flame.
I had only seen this kind of flame used once before, by Wendy Hsieh—one of the Ten Guides. My father said her attack power was the strongest among the Ten Guides.
A vague anxiety gnawed at me. An evil presence now filled the air around me—I could even see black, particle-like things drifting nearby. I started coughing. This malevolence had taken physical form; it was incredible. Stones all around began moving toward us.
With a boom, I saw the Wraithlord—now completely mindless—suddenly vanish. Blood-red eyes appeared before me. I stared in shock; neither Qi nor I could react in time. The Wraithlord’s fist was already swinging at me. My heart skipped a beat.
Qi spun around, crouched, and thrust her slender sword forward. The Wraithlord’s overwhelming power surged at me, capable of crushing everything. But just as it was about to hit, it abruptly stopped. The white robe shook violently—Past Ethan Justice had caught the Wraithlord’s fist. All the Wraithlord’s strength poured into Past Ethan Justice’s body, and I saw black currents swirling around him like water.
Soon, the Wraithlord’s power was sliced apart in waves. With a thunderous boom, a surge of energy blasted outward, dispersing all the force. The Wraithlord howled in rage as cracks formed in the surrounding space, spilling black aura.
"You’re being far too careless. Maybe it’s faster if we work together."
Past Ethan Justice spoke, but in an instant, Future Ethan Zhang had switched places with him. As the Wraithlord attacked, Future Ethan Zhang’s hand turned into a claw and pressed against the Wraithlord’s chest. A deafening crash followed—twisted, shattered space vanished at once, and the Wraithlord spewed black blood and flew backward. His insides convulsed as if struck by some force, rupturing in several places. Yet, his mangled, fragmented body quickly reformed again.
With a boom, as the Wraithlord’s body regenerated, the Greatsword Revenant suddenly appeared behind him. The ghostly engravings on the blade came to life—the upside-down ghost became upright, extending shriveled, pitch-black hands to clamp down on the Wraithlord’s shoulders. He shook violently, trying to break free.
"I’ll say it again—control your strength."
Past Ethan Justice sat at the edge of the massive rock beneath our feet, smiling leisurely.
"You really are annoyingly verbose."
Future Ethan Zhang strode through the air, approaching the Wraithlord. His body seemed to unravel, as if peeling away layers, drawing out the ghost from the sword behind him.
"Hurry up, Dad. I’ve had enough of this place."
Sylvia Blue shouted loudly. At that moment, Past Ethan Justice looked gravely at the stones gathering around us.
A rumbling echoed as massive black stones hurtled toward Future Ethan Zhang. The stones twisted and merged violently, forming a perfect, giant black sphere. More stones struck the sphere at a speed invisible to the naked eye.
The crashing continued—rocks smashed against the giant black sphere like meteors, causing it to grow larger and larger. Past Ethan Justice stood up, and I noticed the black stones were actually concentrated masses of power.
More and more power converged, and in the blink of an eye, the sphere had grown so large its edges were no longer visible.
"Now this is trouble. I told you before—your power is far too crude. You made it too easy for the enemy to exploit."
Past Ethan Justice spoke as he drew the sword from his back again, seemingly deep in thought. Suddenly, a crack appeared—a blood-red glow seeped from the surface of the sphere. The sphere kept splitting, but as more black stones struck its surface, it quickly healed, only to be driven by Future Ethan Zhang’s power to merge again.
Then I noticed the Instinct Fragments—those black humanoid entities gathering around Future Ethan Zhang. They floated in the air, grinning at us incessantly.
More and more Deathbane Wraiths crowded in, gathering toward us. Sylvia Blue looked around at the black humanoids in frustration, clutching her head.
"You guys are driving me crazy."
Past Ethan Justice seemed to have thought of a solution, but just as he was about to act, the giant black sphere began to dissolve. Black streams flowed down from it with a hiss. I felt a wave of despairing power—it made my head spin.
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"It's really too crude."
Past Ethan Justice spoke, instantly plunging the Ivory Blade into the ground. Intense white beams shot out in every direction, weaving and shifting in the air until they formed something like an array. The despairing aura from within the sphere was immediately cut off, and I felt some relief. Sylvia Blue propped me up.
"That bastard Dad always bragged about his control over power, saying mine was crude. But he's no different."
Sylvia Blue shouted. With a slap, scorching black liquid billowing with smoke surged around us like a tidal wave. In an instant, Future Ethan Zhang emerged, unscathed, gripping the Wraithlord’s head. Then I noticed something bizarre.
Beneath the Wraithlord’s head, something was trying to regenerate, but a force completely blocked it, making recovery impossible.
"Get back."
Facing the predatory Deathbane Wraiths all around, Future Ethan Zhang roared, and they scattered instantly. Intimidated by his power, they dared not approach.
"It’s over. Deliver the final blow to the Wraithlord’s body. This time, recovery will be nearly impossible for him."
At that moment, the Wraithlord’s bloodshot eyes faded, replaced by a black radiance.
"You win, for now. It’s a pity—if my Threefold Soul were united, you wouldn’t kill me so easily."