I waited quietly, my heart now utterly calm. The anger and sorrow had faded away, leaving only the anticipation of death.
Everything I saw was in chaos. On the silent, pitch-black ground, there was no sound at all. I crouched quietly beside Howard Zhang’s corpse. At that moment, I sensed a faint presence—it was Brother Owen, crawling out from a heap of dirt, gasping as he ran toward me.
"I never thought this day would come."
Brother Owen smiled and glanced at the nearby Wraithlord, sighing. At that moment, Emperor God, Sylvia Yan, and Phantom Sage were all present, facing off against the Wraithlord. Neither side made a move. Loraine Locke simply watched everything unfold, never reacting.
The Infernal Judges lay quietly on the ground, as if lost in sleep, not a trace of ghostly energy on them.
"You are clever, able to make use of everything available to you and ultimately achieve your goal. But you miscalculated. Did you really think I would be trapped in the Corpse Realm by that zombie forever?"
The Wraithlord smiled, shook his head, and slowly drifted toward his three children.
"Your plan was nearly perfect. The Infernal Judges, in order to stabilize Hell, ultimately chose to continue suppressing it. After all, if they didn’t, everything in this world would end. No matter which side wins, it’s despair—Hell or me."
As the Wraithlord spoke, he clenched his fist.
"Father, you’re always like this. Have you never considered us?"
At this moment, Sylvia Yan asked a question. Her usually frosty face showed a trace of sorrow, and the Wraithlord smiled and shook his head.
"From the moment you betrayed me, you ceased to be my family. So leave this world quickly, or I’ll clean up the mess myself!"
As the Wraithlord spoke, he clenched his fist. Emperor God and Phantom Sage looked shocked. Loraine Locke drifted over.
"You don’t need to do anything. Just watch quietly!"
The Wraithlord spoke sternly, raising his fist toward his three children.
"Father, is it really impossible to talk things over?"
Sylvia Yan looked agitated, while Emperor God and Phantom Sage’s expressions grew serious. I saw, in the distance, the Earth Soul supporting the now-awake Isabelle Frost and coming toward us.
"Take Rachel Lan and leave here."
As soon as we met, Isabelle Frost said this immediately. The Earth Soul laughed heartily.
"Do you think we could possibly escape?"
Isabelle Frost looked at the Wraithlord, trying to stand up, but the Earth Soul pressed her back to the ground.
"It’s useless. The Wraithlord will never let us leave. If he intended to, he wouldn’t have used such overwhelming power to drag everything he wanted here."
The Earth Soul said this. I looked at the Underworld Court, now so close. In an instant, the Wraithlord tore open a direct path and pulled the Underworld Court to us. Everything was now beyond redemption. I once hoped Ethan might return, but now, there was nothing left to be done. We were the only survivors, and death was only a matter of time.
The Earth Soul gazed helplessly upward, staring at the distant sky—now completely mingled together, the sky of the Living World and the Underworld. Everything had fused, plunging the world into chaos. I didn’t know if other places were affected, but it seemed the end had come everywhere.
Just then, a rumbling sound echoed. I looked at the red hell before me—the ground was shifting, writhing as if alive. The Wraithlord began to laugh.
"Time is running out. Will you leave, or..."
The Wraithlord bent down, speaking viciously.
"Let me finish you all myself!"
Emperor God stared at the Wraithlord, shaking his head. Phantom Sage floated over and grabbed Sylvia Yan, whose emotions were now in turmoil.
"Why, Father? We could join forces..."
"Don’t make me say it a second time!"
Black flames erupted from the Wraithlord. Instantly, I saw Emperor God and the others begin to fade away. Once again, we felt an overwhelming pressure—as if the entire world was crushing down on us. I collapsed to the ground, while the Earth Soul struggled to hold himself up.
"Father, maybe I should remind you—we didn’t expect you to possess Instinct. We failed. All our years of preparation have been for nothing."
Suddenly, a black mirror appeared in the sky. I looked up in shock and saw the Undertaker, the Memory Keeper, and the Sleeper, along with Old Cat—the Scarred. They all appeared beside Emperor God and the others.
"You sneaky bunch, huh."
The Earth Soul glared angrily. My mother just shook her head. Loraine Locke slowly drifted to the side of the three children, while the Wraithlord pressed a hand to his head and burst out laughing.
"Loraine, have you decided to join them?"
The Undertaker sighed, lowering his crossed arms.
"I didn’t expect us to fail so completely. But Wraithlord, I think you shouldn’t underestimate humans—especially the Watcher!"
The Wraithlord shook his head, then threw his head back and let out a fierce roar, stretching out one hand.
"The whole world belongs to me now. You can keep clinging to life, but if you dare step into this world again, I’ll invade that darkness myself and crush everything you hold dear. I’m busy creating a new world—I don’t have time for you right now. Got it?"
The Wraithlord spoke menacingly. The Sleeper nodded, while Old Cat gave us a faint smile.
"Young lady, I’m sorry I can’t help you. The world is cruel. Our Nether Syndicate has used all its strength to truly defend everything in Snowridge Springs. That place is gradually connecting to Hell, and one day it will be fully linked—but for now, it seems impossible."
With a whoosh, the Wraithlord passed through the group—now mere shadows. In the black light, they all gradually entered the mirror.
"Heh, you disgusting lot. It’s just the old story of the rabbit dying and the fox mourning. One day you’ll end up just like us."
The Earth Soul spoke as the group vanished. They had disrupted everything in the world of Yin and Yang, but in the end, they left.
The Wraithlord landed in Hell, laughing madly. He clenched his fist and pounded the ground. I saw the Ten Judges lying on the ground, turning to ashes and sinking into the earth.
"I’ve won. Long ago, you stabbed me in the back, but now, victory is mine—Hell itself!"
The Wraithlord roared with excitement. As the black flames faded, we could move again. The Earth Soul stood up, raising his hand to conjure a Deathbane Aura Blade that now seemed powerless.
The Wraithlord walked toward us, as if strolling, slowly drawing closer. He twisted his head, his face relaxed and content, until he stood right before us.
"What do you intend to do? Will you live to see me build a new world, or die and wake up to the world I’ve created?"
The Earth Soul raised his Deathbane Aura Blade, pointing it at the Wraithlord, black lightning flickering around him.
"I’m not interested. Though I’d like to leave and keep training, this Instinct isn’t truly mine, and the power I gained was granted by you. Catching up to you would be difficult, so I’ve decided to settle things right here and now."
The smile vanished from the Wraithlord’s face as he swept past the Earth Soul. Instantly, I saw a red Spider Lily petal fall onto the Wraithlord’s shoulder—Isabelle Frost appeared behind him. I tried to get up, but Ghostworm grabbed me, lifting me gently into the air with a child’s body. Looking back, I saw the Wraithlord clutching a ball of black lightning, while Isabelle Frost lay nearby, unable to stand.
"You still haven’t answered me."
Just as I heard the Wraithlord’s voice, we were back beside him, unable to escape. Ghostworm suddenly opened his mouth, sending streams of green and multicolored insects flying at the Wraithlord. The air filled with a sweet scent, but I couldn’t find the Earth Soul anywhere—he seemed to have vanished.
With a buzz, Ghostworm spat blood, crashed to the ground, and clutched his chest in pain. The Wraithlord didn’t kill him immediately, but quietly walked toward Isabelle Frost. Hesitating, I used the last of my strength to gather a golden flame and hurled it at the Wraithlord.
The flame died out. The Wraithlord grabbed Isabelle Frost, lifting her with one hand.
"One by one, don’t rush. You’re the last—I’ve made that clear."
I stared wide-eyed, and just then, in the corner of my vision, I saw a swirling, multicolored cloud in the sky—not far away, the apartment building that had long since vanished reappeared.
The Wraithlord released Isabelle Frost, then looked over in shock. I stared too, as the dark clouds slowly parted. With a thunderous boom, I was stunned to see, on both sides of us in the sky, a golden and blood-red orb, and a pure white orb, breaking through the thick clouds and descending.
"I didn’t expect you could really come back. But it’s all over now—what’s the point of returning, Ethan Zhang!"