With a thunderous crash, I felt an invisible surge of energy sweep over Quinn Lee. In the next instant, Quinn Lee transformed into his green sword, Resolute. The green glow on its surface began to peel away, and then, with a loud snap, Resolute broke. Quinn Lee spat blood and was flung through the air.
I roared, gripping the grenade launcher in my hands, aimed it at Mr. Oblivion, and pulled the trigger. With a crisp bang, a massive black round shot out. Mr. Oblivion caught the bullet with both hands. My eyes widened in shock.
"This is power, Ethan Zhang. Power you can never reach—a power called immortality. Submit, Ethan Zhang. You have no chance of winning."
A piercing screech rang out, followed by a bang as the grenade exploded. Instantly, waves of violent evil energy spilled forth. I felt a hand clamp around my neck, and then, with a whoosh, I was stunned—it was Mr. Oblivion. The red chains binding his hands vanished.
In the distance, a mass of black evil energy kept swelling, tearing and crushing a huge section of Jialan City. That was the grenade I had just fired. Mr. Oblivion watched me coldly.
I struggled and roared, grabbing the shotgun slung across my back. I chambered a round with a click, then aimed at Mr. Oblivion’s head. He pressed his forehead against the barrel.
"Go ahead, try to shoot, Ethan Zhang."
My hand started to tremble. Faced with this power I could never hope to match, fear instantly filled my heart.
"Shoot. Try it. Try to kill me—kill the man from the Immortality Society you hate most, Ethan Zhang."
Suddenly, Mr. Oblivion roared.
With a scream, I pulled the trigger. Mr. Oblivion reached out and, in an instant, gripped the muzzle of my shotgun. The explosion never happened. Right before my eyes, the shotgun was crushed and twisted, groaning under his grip until it was just a lump of scrap metal. My hands dropped, powerless.
"This is... power..."
Inside, panic started to rise. It felt like something was collapsing—my resolve. In this moment, under Mr. Oblivion’s overwhelming power, my resolve began to crumble.
On the ground, The Dragon and Quinn Lee lay quietly, their forms already beginning to fade away.
A whooshing sound echoed. The Six Ghost Souls inside me flew out, attacking Mr. Oblivion. Bangs rang out; my eyes widened in shock. Each of my Six Ghost Souls was struck with a punch and sent flying into the distance, leaving an emptiness inside me.
"Just like with your woman, there’s nothing you can do."
My consciousness began to blur, hollow inside. Mr. Oblivion twisted before me, looking more and more like a monster.
With a scream, I roared. The scene before me snapped into focus. I swung my fist, striking at Mr. Oblivion. With a bang, my powerless fist hammered his mask—it didn’t budge.
"Satisfied, Ethan Zhang? How many more times will you try? No matter how many times, we’ll take everything from you—again and again."
Mr. Oblivion spoke, loosening his grip on me. At that moment, my Six Ghost Souls flew back toward me.
"This time, it’s your Ghost Souls."
As he spoke, I turned my head and watched the Six Ghost Souls fly toward me. I roared and lunged at Mr. Oblivion, wrapping my arms tightly around his body.
"Instinct. Coexistence..." I roared, my skin splitting open, uncontrollable black evil energy surging out violently.
"Qingyuan..."
Six distinct voices rang out. A smile appeared at the corner of my mouth.
"If I can’t kill you, then I’ll send you to hell, Mr. Oblivion."
"You’ll be left with nothing—not even your bones."
On the ground and in the sky, massive rifts tore open. Through my Specter Web, the power of this ghost realm surged into my body, growing ever stronger.
Mr. Oblivion didn’t struggle—he just watched me, then started to laugh.
"Do you really think this can kill me?"
Suddenly, I froze. Mr. Oblivion broke free from my grip and grabbed my neck with one hand.
"Get some sleep, Ethan Zhang. When you wake, I’ll show you what true despair is."
Mr. Oblivion’s fist slammed toward my chest. My eyes widened; with a bang, I screamed. But then, golden light flared all around me.
Mr. Oblivion’s fist was stopped.
"Heh, I knew it. You’re watching, aren’t you? Since you’ve already intervened, why not show yourself? Or is there some reason you can’t come out?"
Mr. Oblivion raised his head, looking around. I stared in shock—the Six Ghost Souls rushing toward me were all bathed in golden light, just like me.
"Heh, you don’t want to come out? So our guess was right. Saint of the Underworld, what are you planning with Ethan Zhang?"
With a whoosh, I closed my eyes. The light was warm, but so bright I couldn’t open them. When it faded, I stared in disbelief—I was back atop the real Jialan City, before the stele.
"The Sixteen-Character Vow."
Golden words appeared on the stele. I stared, stunned. The Six Ghost Souls returned to my body amid the whooshing sound.
"Are you the Saint of the Underworld?"
I asked in astonishment. Then, the stele began to glow faintly.
"That’s just what the world calls me. I exist here, and yet I don’t."
A voice full of authority echoed out.
"Why did you save me?"
Though I was grateful to the Saint of the Underworld, I felt only awe before this god-like being—and total confusion.
"So-called gods are just a kind of human perception. Are there truly gods? Space and time intertwine, longing collides with action—Ethan Zhang, you must have your own understanding of faith."
I stared blankly for a long time, unable to grasp what the Saint of the Underworld meant.
"You should know about the Four Sacred Realm. It exists in a space, and only through accumulated human faith does it connect to the living world."
"So your existence—is it like the Four Sacred Realm, or like the Golden Howler?"
I asked.
"I cannot interfere with all things in this world. Space is different, time is different. This is the place where I made my solemn vow. Only you can sense me—you are the eighteenth to do so."
I was stunned, staring at the stele. The eighteenth—who were the previous seventeen?
"The Ten Judges, and the Seven Ghost Sovereigns. You are the eighteenth. Fate is nothing more than these four words, Ethan Zhang. I know your past, your future, and your present."
My heart skipped a beat. I looked up at the sky—the rift had healed. That was Brother Owen’s ghost domain. I had failed, completely. This time, I wanted to save my cousin, but I failed. There was no room to resist.
"Now, I am just a guide. Those who hear my Buddhist chant may reach the Western Paradise. But you, Ethan Zhang, do not need guidance—only you can guide yourself."
"What do you mean?"
I asked.
"Ghosts and humans, humans and ghosts, always exist between Yin and Yang. You are a paradox—a collection of contradictions. Now, as a ghost, you still live by human ideas. That’s why you cannot grow. So, what is a ghost, Ethan Zhang? Do you know this concept?"
I shook my head.