The rumbling never ceased. I sat atop the kasaya, my heart cold as ice. I looked toward the gathering storm clouds—four pillars, each carved with the Four Sacred Beasts, were already beginning to crack. The power was still surging upward, but with a single blow from the Wraithlord, all that accumulated force could be destroyed.
The pounding noises echoed relentlessly as the ground shattered, splitting apart. Black beams of light kept erupting from the earth, while the Wraithlord continued his frenzied assault on the Saint of the Underworld.
At that moment, the eleven scattered Buddha statues drifted toward Howard Zhang and me. I lay on the kasaya, quietly watching the sunken pit now filled with nothing but black dust. Gourd Village had vanished completely, leaving only scattered rubble faintly visible.
The Saint of the Underworld simply sat quietly on the ground. I noticed he no longer emanated any aura. The Wraithlord kept laughing maniacally. Not far away, I saw Grandmaster Mingde standing atop a string of prayer beads, watching us in silence. Sanskrit script kept surfacing on Howard Zhang’s body, the letters peeling away from his skin like drifting currents.
I kept silent, fully aware of what Howard Zhang was about to do. Bit by bit, I stood up as he smiled and nodded at me.
“It’s alright, Rachel Lan. I think we still have a chance.”
I wiped the tears from my cheeks and gazed quietly at the Wraithlord, who was still laughing wildly on the ground.
“Ksitigarbha, you passed into nirvana long ago, but you guarded the Six Realms for so many years. Now, you can finally be freed.”
Just then, the Saint of the Underworld smiled faintly. The Diting in the sky also began to turn to dust, but this dust was different from the gray ash left behind by dead souls—it shimmered with crystalline gold light.
The Saint of the Underworld smiled gently, saying nothing. I heard a surge of Sanskrit chanting as Grandmaster Mingde sat cross-legged atop the prayer beads, reciting scripture. Gradually, the Saint of the Underworld faded into the breeze. Howard Zhang stepped off the kasaya, floating in midair, his whole body glowing with golden light.
At that moment, the Wraithlord turned to face us, slowly rising. I raised my trembling hand, and Howard Zhang reached out, grasping it. A rush of warmth surged into my body as he turned to me with a gentle smile.
“Rachel Lan, at this point, no amount of thinking will change anything. Tears won’t solve our problems. I remember my cousin used to say the same thing to me. I used to cry whenever I made mistakes or felt hurt. He always said the same words. But now, we have nothing left to lose.”
I stared blankly at Howard Zhang. He let go of my hand and drifted forward. Golden Sanskrit letters fluttered around him like ropes. Howard Zhang looked at Grandmaster Mingde and nodded with a smile.
“Monk, if I die, you’ll have to chant for my soul. I don’t want to end up in Hell.”
Howard Zhang moved slowly toward the Wraithlord. My trembling stopped as I recalled the alternative offered by the Underworld Agent. I knew that the Ten Guides, my parents, and the other agents—those still alive—had merged into the Fourfold Beast Array, controlling it and waiting to strike. I could serve as a vessel to carry that power.
The Wraithlord yawned and twisted his body, inching closer to Howard Zhang. Then, about three meters away, he sat down cross-legged.
“So that’s it. You’re the last Buddha statue, aren’t you?”
I sat quietly atop the kasaya. My only option now was to let the Fourfold Beast Array become the source of my power. The Taoist formation was still slowly dispelling the Wraithlord’s aura, but clearing the heavy ghostly air outside was nearly impossible. The ghost energy kept rising every second. Time was running out—the time left for us as humans.
I felt more and more warmth surging inside me.
“Are you ready, Rachel Lan?”
I nodded. A faint earthen-brown color appeared across my skin, circles of Tortoise Sigil patterns forming. I stood, golden wings unfurling from my back, and flecks of golden fire danced through the air.
Buddha statues clustered around Howard Zhang. I recalled the arrow I’d shot before, which pierced the Wraithlord’s defenseless body. Though Yin Chou and the others couldn’t harm him further, his once-impenetrable flesh was no longer invulnerable. Our only goal was to break through the Wraithlord’s ghost energy—he kept defending with it, making himself nearly untouchable. But there was still a chance.
“Ever since I was little, I dreamed of the Buddha. In those dreams, I actually saw you.”
The Wraithlord laughed and nodded.
“Indeed, I have seen you. I know everything you’ve been through since you were a child. Not just you—Rachel Lan, you’re the same. Nothing in this world escapes my gaze, because I have always watched everything in this world. This world, which fills me with rage every time I think of it, was created by my mother and the gods.”
As the Wraithlord spoke, he clenched his fist. Suddenly, a fierce, blade-like wind swept past my back. The power I’d just gathered was instantly blown apart by the chill, my golden wings scattering into countless sparks that vanished as smoke. I coughed, clutching my chest.
Ghost energy began to invade my body, wildly devouring the power I released. The Wraithlord stood up and stared silently at us.
“Soon everything will be calm. My next stop is the Underworld Court. I won’t give those who resist me another chance. Once peace returns, a new world will be born. Out of mercy, I’ll let your souls remain—so you can keep living in the world I create.”
Suddenly, the Wraithlord clenched his fist and appeared before Howard Zhang. I cried out in shock, but Howard blocked his punch with his monk’s staff. With a loud crash and a blast of air, Howard Zhang spat blood and flew toward me. At once, Buddha statues began merging into his body, and Howard quickly regained his composure.
Howard Zhang wiped the blood from his mouth, laughing heartily and shaking his head. Golden lotus patterns appeared on his skin, and a faint Lotus Platform formed beneath his feet.
“Buddha Body!”
With a thunderous roar and a surge of golden energy, Howard Zhang charged at the Wraithlord, swinging his monk’s staff. But the Wraithlord caught it easily, and golden light erupted. The Wraithlord smiled faintly—one squeeze and the golden glow vanished. Howard spun in midair, barely regaining his balance, when the Wraithlord’s fist slammed down with a crash. This time, Howard couldn’t block it. The staff broke, and the Wraithlord’s punch landed squarely on his shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground.
With a deafening crash, Howard Zhang was pinned to the ground by a powerful force. The earth kept sinking, sand and stones rising all around. The Wraithlord raised his fist, grinning coldly.
With a boom, I was sent flying. My golden wings spread once more, a Golden Phoenix Blade in my hand. But now, Tortoise Sigil patterns appeared across my skin.
The flames shot out, but before they could reach the Wraithlord, they split and veered aside. The Wraithlord stared coldly at me.
“The Black Tortoise Mantle is indeed tough—but before me, it’s no stronger than dust.”
Stunned, I watched as the Wraithlord pressed a single finger to my brow. With a crack, the formidable power covering my body shattered instantly. The Wraithlord turned away. My head spun, and I plummeted toward the ground.
As I landed, I saw Howard Zhang lying on the ground, unable to move, suffering. I was the same—a crushing force from the sky pinned me down, leaving me completely helpless.
I pressed my hands to the earth, but with a sudden crash, the weight overwhelmed me and I was flattened against the muddy ground.
“To crawl on the earth is the fate of sand and gravel. It’s over. Everything—Why are you here, Loraine Locke?”
Startled, I looked up and saw a woman in white appear in the sky. Her face was delicate, almost sculpted, but radiated humanity. Though created by Nuwa, she was the second human ever made—and the first woman.
“I’m here to stop you. Please, end this. Let’s leave together as a family and find peace somewhere else.”
The Wraithlord waggled a finger, then moved to Loraine Locke’s side, placing his hand on her shoulder.
“I’ll show you—the new world I create with my own hands. And those three—did they fail? Hahaha.”
I knew the Wraithlord meant the Emperor God and his companions. But given what they’d prepared, it was impossible they’d failed. Sure enough, Loraine Locke shook her head, pushed the Wraithlord’s hand away, and glared at him.