"He is the Wraithlord."
As soon as I finished speaking, John Chou leaned in with a suspicious look. At that moment, the Wraithlord also glanced at John Chou, then revealed a chilling smile.
"We've met before, haven't we, John Chou? In Abyssal Hell."
Immediately, John Chou looked somewhat displeased at the Wraithlord, then waved his hand and turned to smile at me. I muttered under my breath.
"Trying to hide something from me again, aren't you?"
Now the Wraithlord stood up, walked over, and sat cross-legged in front of me. John Chou drifted quietly over as well.
"Looks like the doubts weighing on your mind have eased quite a bit, brother."
I nodded.
"John Chou, you clearly know all these things, yet you won't tell him. I understand your reasoning, but if you keep him in the dark at a time like this and let him keep acting recklessly, it could lead to disaster—one day, it might be irreparable. It's like knowing the brakes are broken but refusing to get the car fixed; sooner or later, you'll crash."
John Chou sat down too, giving a helpless smile and waving his hand as he spoke.
"What do these things have to do with me? Right, brother? The path you walk, you have to carve out yourself."
I stared helplessly at John Chou. The Wraithlord coughed and spoke.
"Earlier, when you fought Xu Fu, he was in complete control. His strength is so formidable that he can instantly see through his opponent’s power and devise a countermeasure. Xu Fu noticed you were borrowing my strength, handing over the power in your body for me to command. So, he came up with the simplest and most effective way to cut off that connection. That’s why you lost your ability to exert force; Xu Fu completely severed the power channel, leaving you weaker and weaker. And all this happened without your knowledge."
I swallowed hard. John Chou slapped his thigh and burst out laughing. I glared at him.
"That attitude of treating others like toys is pretty nasty, you know."
The Wraithlord glanced over at John Chou. I spoke up, slightly annoyed.
"Toys?"
"Brother, don't listen to this guy's sweet talk. I've never thought that way, honestly."
The Wraithlord snorted coldly.
"But in reality, that's exactly what you did."
John Chou fell silent, leaning back with his hands on the ground, gazing at the Wraithlord with a half-smile.
"Let's use the current situation in the Netherway as an example. The top power wielder is John Chou's steward, Zane Zhuang. He can unleash the full force of his power in one burst, like a massive cannonball ready to fire at any moment. By comparison, others might have great power, but to release it, they have to break it into many smaller shots. There's a big difference between being able to go all out at a hundred percent and not reaching full potential. And if you add technique, everything changes."
I murmured in agreement, and the Wraithlord continued.
The benefit of maximizing power like that is that you'll never suffer in a head-on clash. You'll always have the upper hand, all because of the nature of that power. But if you add technique, those who can't instantly unleash a hundred percent of their power might, in a moment, exert one hundred, two hundred, or even more percent—multiplying their strength dozens or hundreds of times over.
"When it comes to technique, Zane Zhuang falls a bit short. Using technique to bring out power requires timing and depends on the flow of battle. If you use technique but fail to defeat your opponent, in a contest between equals, you might not get a second chance."
John Chou laughed and looked over at the Wraithlord.
"It's true, Zane Zhuang is pretty weak when it comes to technique. But there's a reason he doesn't need it. With that overwhelming, hundred-percent attack, the enemy might not even have a chance to use technique before they're defeated."
The Wraithlord nodded.
"That's one reason. Now, let's talk about technique. In the Netherway, the strongest in technique is Lord Shenyan. You must have seen his battles."
I remembered immediately. Though at the time, Lord Shenyan was fighting Tan Tian, Xu Fu, and Luna Quay mostly on instinct and justice, he was still able to suppress all three.
"Technique also depends on personal talent, but with enough real combat experience, you can make up for a lack of natural ability. Lord Shenyan is the strongest in technique in the Netherway because both his experience and talent are crucial."
The Wraithlord continued, explaining that the use of technique comes down to minute differences—precision to the tiniest fraction. Even a slight change can trigger a chain reaction, and the strength of technique is built from these details.
"Next comes mastery over power. The stronger the power, the greater the need for restraint. In the Netherway, the one who excels at this is that young woman, Isabelle Frost."
I swallowed and glanced at John Chou. He didn’t argue, just gave a faint smile.
"My idiot little sister may be strong, but she’s still too easy to defeat. She’s never won against me in any of our fights."
I gasped, staring at John Chou in surprise. The Wraithlord shot him a glare and continued.
"Then there are the schemers like this guy beside me—he’s the all-rounder. He may not have overwhelming power, but his combat thinking is unmatched. He can quickly spot an opponent’s weakness and press it, waiting for the moment they slip up to finish them off. Xu Fu is much the same."
I remembered the first time I met Isabelle Frost—she was furious with John Chou, but thinking it over, that's only natural, given how cunning he is.
"Alright, let’s leave John Chou aside for now. There's another type, like Yuna Ji, whose endurance is incredible. It’s hard to find an opening against her, no matter how long the fight lasts—she can keep dragging it out with her vast resources. This style is a headache for her enemies. And you, you don’t have any of these traits."
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I gasped, then lowered my head and glanced at John Chou. He pointed at the Wraithlord and said,
"Yuna Ji may be strong, but she’s not unbeatable. There were several times when I nearly settled things with her."
Suddenly, the Wraithlord sprang to his feet and looked at John Chou.
"Hey, hey, I’m the one giving the lesson here! Why are you interrupting? Or do you think you can beat me?"
John Chou got up, brushed off his pants, and smiled slightly as he stretched out a hand. A streak of blood-red appeared, and a crimson longsword materialized in his hand. Then he tossed it to the Wraithlord, and another blood-red longsword immediately appeared in his other hand.
"That's more like it. I may not be confident I can beat you, but it’s better to back up your words with actions, right, brother?"
I looked at John Chou—he’d dragged me into this again. What he said sounded like showing off, but little by little, he was getting the Wraithlord in the mood for a fight.
"Alright, you cocky brat, let me teach you a lesson—there’s always someone stronger out there."
John Chou clapped his hands and nodded, then whooshed away into the distance.
"Just swordsmanship—no powers. How about that?"
The Wraithlord nodded and floated over as well. He glanced at the longsword in his hand and smiled.
"You're a clever one. They look like identical swords, but you know there's a built-in advantage for you. That's why you gave me a sword just like yours."
Immediately, John Chou shook his head and waved his hand, looking innocent.
"I didn’t do anything sneaky. Want to swap?"
In an instant, the Wraithlord’s gaze changed, radiating a commanding presence. He raised his longsword slightly.
"This sword is about a meter and a half long, and you’re about twenty centimeters taller than me. That means you’ll have the upper guard and keep pressing me. If I attack your upper guard, my sword will be a bit short, and then there’s our arm lengths. Heh, you really are a crafty guy, thinking through all the details."
I gasped and looked at John Chou. He seemed a bit embarrassed, but the Wraithlord slowly started to swing his longsword.
"No worries. I don’t want to bully you."
"Same to you."
John Chou chuckled, then suddenly stepped forward in a flash, sword thrusting at the Wraithlord’s neck. With a clang, the Wraithlord twisted his wrist and easily deflected John Chou’s attack, sending the sword off course.
But in the next instant, the Wraithlord leaned back as John Chou suddenly swung his sword, slicing dangerously close along the Wraithlord’s body—almost cutting him.
It was bizarre—mid-swing, John Chou switched hands, catching the sword in his left hand after tossing it from his right, then slashed fiercely at the Wraithlord.
With a rush of air, I saw the Wraithlord step back just in time, dodging John Chou’s attack by a hair. The sword tip traced a line straight down the Wraithlord’s chest.
"Heh, as expected of the Wraithlord. You saw through every attack."
The Wraithlord said nothing, just stared quietly at John Chou.
"I didn’t see through your attacks. I just watched your fights before—in the Infernal Abyss, the basics are what show everything. They reveal a lot."
John Chou’s smile froze. He gripped his sword, and I saw a trace of unwillingness in his eyes.
"No matter how stunning or lavish a building looks, the foundation is key. Without a solid base, there’s no castle in the air, no mirage. Only when each brick is stacked does the tower stand."
With a rush, John Chou attacked again. A flash of coldness flickered in the Wraithlord’s eyes.
With a ripping sound, John Chou rolled backward and dropped to one knee. His black suit was sliced open.
"Good judgment. One millimeter further and you would have lost."