"Go away, Luna..."
Yuna Ji gripped her spear tightly. The immense ghostly power that had previously enveloped her body was now steadily diminishing, like a balloon slowly losing air, shrinking bit by bit.
Yet there was no trace of fear on Yuna Ji's face. Her eyes shone with determination, completely unmoved by Tan Tian's earlier words.
I looked around. Since Tan Tian had turned entirely into a puddle of mud, there had been no further movement. I tried to sense him using the Specter Web, but felt nothing.
Luna Quay simply smiled faintly, then slowly descended to the ground, sitting cross-legged beneath Yuna Ji with a relaxed grin, closing his eyes.
"I told you, Luna, leave. You're not needed here..." Yuna Ji continued to shout, but Luna Quay showed no intention of leaving.
"Once Tan Tian makes a decision, nothing can change it. Likewise, what I decide will not be changed either."
Luna Quay's gentle yet assertive voice echoed once more. I glanced around, beginning to release a surge of Specter Web—there was something I had to do.
"Ethan, put away your Specter Web. It's useless—you won't sense anything from that old monster."
Yuna Ji spoke softly, then suddenly leaned back, thrusting her spear upward into the air.
I stared at the empty sky above as it suddenly erupted in a fierce burst of Spirit Fire. A powerful gust swept through, kicking up sand and debris all around.
"Very clever, Yuna Ji..." Tan Tian's voice drifted from all directions.
"Hmph, old monster. Since you spoke of the Formless Face, you must have become one with the Nether Syndicate itself."
As soon as Yuna Ji finished speaking, I had no idea what was happening. Suddenly, blood splattered from her body as she flashed with green light, dodging something unseen, twisting and turning in midair as if evading invisible attacks.
But her back and arms were already streaked with bloody wounds, and they showed no signs of healing. Instead, blood dripped steadily from them.
I couldn't make sense of anything happening here. I wanted to help but had no idea where to start. I had already withdrawn my Specter Web—if Yuna Ji said so, she must have her reasons.
Watching Yuna Ji, I saw that she wasn't using her Specter Web either, but was scanning her surroundings with her eyes, searching for something.
Just as I was thinking this, it happened again. Yuna Ji darted toward a small pavilion. As she neared its ruined, pillar-only remains, she suddenly flashed to the ground, and with a bang, I watched in shock as the entire pavilion crumbled to dust.
The dust swirling in the air was swept up like a sandstorm, spreading rapidly. At that moment, Yuna Ji was already soaring upward.
"What the hell is going on?"
I stared in shock as the swirling sandstorm swept toward Yuna Ji. With a thunderous roar, her figure was instantly engulfed by the clouds of sand.
Within the storm, I saw streaks of green light flash—brief but numerous, like countless fireflies darting about at high speed.
When the sand finally settled, I cried out in alarm.
"Yuna Ji, you..."
Yuna Ji immediately raised her blood-soaked left hand, shook her head, and forced a smile. Her entire body was stained with blood, yet her eyes remained resolute and unyielding. Despite her wretched state, she showed no sign of wavering—if anything, she was brimming with fighting spirit.
"What's happening?" I stared blankly, watching as Yuna Ji's wounds showed no sign of healing—in fact, her condition was steadily worsening.
"So that's it, Yuna Ji. This is your instinct as a Ghost Sovereign. To fight until death—that's what it means."
"If you have the guts, come out and face me. Stop hiding in the shadows."
I shouted furiously, Deathbane Aura surging from my body.
Suddenly, another invisible attack struck at Yuna Ji. This time, she twisted in midair, dodging the blow without injury, while the ground below was etched with fine, sharp lines.
"Ignorant brat who doesn't know the meaning of death."
Tan Tian's voice sounded behind me. My eyes widened as I saw Yuna Ji transform into a streak of green light, flying toward me.
"East Sea, Nuo Ru; West Sea, Ming Si... The two forms beyond, in the Great Vehicle, the law is boundless. Ha!"
Suddenly, a massive pale blue Heavenly Trigram Array appeared around me, its light dazzling as characters emerged one by one on the glowing barrier.
As I turned, I caught sight of a transparent figure—only a faint outline was visible.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Rufina Howard floating in midair, holding an azure talisman in each hand. Above her head, a golden Spirit Scroll unfurled with a rustling sound.
"Ignorant fool."
Suddenly, I heard Tan Tian's furious, venomous shout and quickly looked over at Rufina Howard.
"Thank you, little girl."
Yuna Ji appeared next to the transparent outline, smiling, as her emerald spear thrust toward it.
With a deafening roar, I quickly covered my head and pressed myself to the ground, anchoring myself with Deathbane Aura so I wouldn't be blown away.
A wailing sound rose as the dust cleared, and I saw Tan Tian's figure gradually emerge. Then, with a crack, his body exploded, dissolving into a cloud of yellowish smoke.
Just when I thought Yuna Ji had succeeded, her smile faded and she turned her gaze toward Rufina Howard.
A sharp ringing sounded. I looked over to see Luantian Xuekui standing in front of Rufina Howard, her body surrounded by red, vein-like strands blocking some invisible attack.
"What do you mean by this?"
"Tan Tian, I won't say much. This young lady is of noble status, unique in all the world. If you intend to harm her, I won't stand by and do nothing."
"Enough."
Tan Tian spoke coldly. Suddenly, the pale blue barrier before me vanished, and in an instant, Yuna Ji was at my side, one arm around my neck, dragging me rapidly toward the center courtyard.
With another thunderous crash, I watched in astonishment as the entire mountain gate collapsed, crumbling away—half the mountain had disappeared.
"What the hell is going on?"
The moment Yuna Ji let go of me, she was already standing high in the sky, her spear whirling in all directions to fend off invisible attacks.
"This is Tan Tian's true strength. Now, he has become one with the entire Nether Syndicate. Here, anything visible is Tan Tian, and yet it is not. This is called the Formless Face."
Luna Quay spoke leisurely from behind me, flashing a charming smile. I looked around in astonishment, then shouted up at the sky.
"Girl, stay out of this."
It seemed Luna Quay's reminder triggered something in me. I suddenly thought of a way to break the spell, though I wasn't sure if it would work. I dropped to the ground on all fours.
Threads of Specter Web burrowed into the earth. The only way was to attune myself to the Nether Syndicate, to truly understand everything here. I carefully injected the Specter Web, making sure not to let the power of this realm seep into my body.
In an instant, I saw a strange vision in my mind: Tan Tian as a giant, and all of us dancing in his palm like puppets.
I snapped back to reality, silent, eyes closed, continuously calling out the name of my own instincts. I desperately wanted to understand, to truly comprehend the Nether Syndicate.
With a crash, Yuna Ji fell from the sky, landing hard. She was covered in wounds, blood pouring from her body, with no sign of recovery.
"Hmph, Yuna Ji, you can't open the Netherhell. Right now, even with your instincts, you're nothing more than an ordinary evil spirit. It's smart of you not to split your power, or else..."
"Stop your whining, old monster! If you want my life, come and take it. Today, it's either you die or I live..."
Yuna Ji shouted, slamming her spear into the ground. Instantly, green light burst from her body, shooting out in all directions like countless tiny needles.
Though I was worried, I gradually sensed the immense and chaotic power within the Nether Syndicate. Many of these forces felt overwhelming and impossible to bear.
Yet among these powers, I detected a peculiar force—more volatile than the others. Whenever my Specter Web approached, it vanished instantly.
"Yuna Ji..."
I shouted, but Yuna Ji remained in place, firing green rays in all directions, oblivious to the volatile power surging toward her.
In an instant, I used the Specter Web to move behind Yuna Ji, raising my Deathbane Sword and slashing at the empty space before me.