Past Ethan Zhang spoke as he led me to the edge of the third tier of the City of the Dead. He removed his Daoist Robe and spread it out. The robe emitted a golden glow and slowly floated upward. I sat on it and found it soft. Then, with a sudden whoosh, the robe carried us into the air at incredible speed, but I felt no rush of wind—everything was perfectly smooth.
I noticed that the golden pillars of light around us hadn't faded yet, and Past Ethan Zhang's eyes were filled with excitement.
Night gradually fell. Hours had passed. Past Ethan Zhang said nothing, slowing down as we flew. Below, in the darkness, I saw a single glowing lamp, then a vast bamboo forest, and, at its center, a small two-story building.
"Meng Po, I've come."
As soon as we landed, Past Ethan Zhang rushed over. The door creaked open.
A thumping sound echoed. It was Meng Po, leaning on her cane as she walked out. She glanced at me, her eyes full of sorrow.
"That's impossible, Zhang Qingyuan. Because you exist here, and at the correct point in time, the woman named Lan Ruoxi is Zhang Qingyuan's wife. Their relationship is extraordinary—she's an important person. Everything this world's timeline has passed through must have traces of Lan Ruoxi from the past. Even if she isn't your wife in this world, she absolutely cannot be nonexistent. So perhaps, for some reason, the woman named Lan Ruoxi was gradually erased and corrected by time itself."
Meng Po's words chilled me to the bone. Rachel Lan is safe for now, but that doesn't mean she'll always be safe.
"Meng Po, don't be so heartless."
Past Ethan Zhang laughed as he spoke, walking up to her. In a flash, Meng Po vanished at the door. Past Ethan Zhang darted inside and began searching everywhere.
I gave a brief reply and told Past Ethan Zhang and Tan Tian everything about my encounter with Seven and how he could know all about my past dreamscape.
"Go see Meng Po. She might know something. Ethan Zhang, don't disturb the peace of the Corpse Realm again."
But suddenly, it seemed Past Ethan Zhang understood something.
"I see now—how you were brought to this end point of Past Ethan Zhang."
A sorrowful sigh sounded. Meng Po was already standing behind Past Ethan Zhang.
I made a sound of acknowledgment. Now I understood how I got here—I connected from the present dreamscape to the past, and finally ended up in the endpoint of the past.
Because revenants are timeless, I reasoned that whether it was the past or the future Tan Tian, there would only be one. He exists on a single timeline.
Past Ethan Zhang smiled, took out the Daoist Robe again, and we floated upward. He led me swiftly through the sky.
Of course, not all revenants are like this. Only those as strong as Tan Tian can do it.
I lifted my head and saw a pair of determined eyes. Past Ethan Zhang burst out laughing.
Past Ethan Justice spoke as he led me to the edge of the third tier of Necropolis. He removed his Soulbinding Robe and spread it out. The robe emitted a golden glow and slowly floated upward. I sat on it and found it soft. Then, with a sudden whoosh, the robe carried us into the air at incredible speed, but I felt no rush of wind—everything was perfectly smooth.
"Relax. If things are as you suspect, once we find that revenant, everything will become clear. He should know a lot more than we do—at least more than us."
I had no idea how long we flew. We passed over mountains, rivers, cities, towns, and villages. Suddenly, my eyes widened—a gourd-shaped village appeared before me, looking as if it had been abandoned for ages.
With a whoosh, in the blink of an eye, we landed in Gourd Village.
All around were half-ruined houses. Future Ethan Zhang put on the Soulbinding Robe and led me slowly toward the far end of the village, as if sensing something.
"There's not a trace of life, not even the slightest hint of Corpse Essence. No ghosts or anything else exist here."
My eyes widened. We wandered for half an hour, searching every corner of Gourd Village, but still found nothing.
I sat helplessly on the ground, anxiety gnawing at me. I felt incredibly restless.
When Rachel Lan's Instinct first awakened, the newly born instinct held deep hostility toward me. I used to think it was because of my connection to the Wraithlord, which made the newborn instinct hate me. But now, after understanding the nature of time, I realize it might be my own fault that Rachel Lan disappeared.
"What's wrong? Are you giving up already?"
Just as I lifted my head, Past Ethan Justice drew the sword from his back with a swift motion. I saw three protruding tips on the hilt, each bursting with blinding light—so dazzling it was like staring into the sun.
A rumbling sound echoed around us.
"If there's no path forward, then let's clear away every obstacle in front of us."
I stared in shock as the ground began to crack. Golden pillars of light erupted from the earth, accompanied by roaring sounds. I watched as radiant golden dragons soared out of the beams. In an instant, everything around us was engulfed in blinding white light and completely shattered.
Yet I wasn't affected by this power at all. The ground had vanished completely, and suddenly, darkness fell all around.
"Stellar Sign."
A voice, cold as ice, rang out. Past Ethan Justice smiled, sheathed his sword, and looked into the distance. The vanished ground was gradually restored, and everything that had disappeared returned in order. It was as if time itself was rewinding.
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"Impressive. You must be Ethan Zhang, able to restore everything destroyed to its original state."
It really was Tan Tian—exactly the same as the Tan Tian I knew, unchanged in any way.
"Are you Tan Tian?"
I noticed that the golden pillars of light around us hadn't faded yet, and Past Ethan Justice's eyes were filled with excitement.
"Give it up, Ethan Zhang. I don't want to fight you—it's pointless. You're strong, just like the future version of me who I could never defeat. That is the Ethan Zhang who exists in the future."
Tan Tian spoke, and as Past Ethan Justice straightened up, the pillars of light immediately dissipated.
"Tan Tian, do you know what exactly happened?"
I quickly asked, but Tan Tian shook his head.
"I know where you come from, your past and your future, but I don't know what's happening now. You walk a path different from both the past and future Ethan Zhang. The past Ethan Zhang was human; the future Ethan Zhang is a ghost. Your trajectory is coexistence of human and ghost. All I can tell you is, everything began with those who came from the dreamscape of the past. Think carefully about it."
My eyes widened—it was Seven, and that Outcast Wraith.
Past Ethan Justice immediately looked at me.
"Is there something you haven't told me?"
I gave a brief reply and told Past Ethan Justice and Tan Tian everything about my encounter with Seven and how he could know all about my past dreamscape.
"Go see Lady Meng. She might know something. Ethan Zhang, don't disturb the peace of the Nether Syndicate again."
Tan Tian turned around and vanished instantly. The starry night that had appeared also faded, and Past Ethan Justice looked at me with a grave expression.
"Did Seven say anything else?"
"He said I should trust him—he just wants to survive."
Confronted with an ever more confusing past and future, and the absence of Rachel Lan, I once again found myself at a loss.
"Let's go, Ethan Zhang."
Past Ethan Justice smiled, took out the Soulbinding Robe again, and we floated upward. He led me swiftly through the sky.
"Isn't this world just incredible?"
I lifted my head and saw a pair of determined eyes. Past Ethan Justice burst out laughing.
"That's how it should be—fighting with all your strength for those you love. That's Ethan Zhang, and the future Ethan Zhang is no different."
I kept mulling over everything Seven had told me.
Night gradually fell. Hours had passed. Past Ethan Justice said nothing, slowing down as we flew. Below, in the darkness, I saw a single glowing lamp, then a vast bamboo forest, and, at its center, a small two-story building.
"Lady Meng, I've come."
As soon as we landed, Past Ethan Justice rushed over. The door creaked open.
A thumping sound echoed. It was Lady Meng, leaning on her cane as she walked out. She glanced at me, her eyes full of sorrow.
"Ethan Zhang, as you exist now, even crueler hells await you. I know some of the reasons, but I've promised someone I won't say anything. Go back. For now, nothing will change, and Rachel Lan won't be in any danger. The newborn instinct will do everything to protect her. You're not ready to shoulder everything yet, so don't ask any more questions. Go back—I'll send you. The one who brought you here wants to force me to comply, but I'm not the same as I once was. I won't say a word."
Lady Meng's words chilled me to the bone. Rachel Lan is safe for now, but that doesn't mean she'll always be safe.
"Lady Meng, don't be so heartless."
Past Ethan Justice laughed as he spoke, walking up to her. In a flash, Lady Meng vanished at the door. Past Ethan Justice darted inside and began searching everywhere.
"That old witch really is too much."
I bowed my head in silence.
But suddenly, it seemed Past Ethan Justice understood something.
"I see now—how you were brought to this end point of Past Ethan Justice."
A sorrowful sigh sounded. Lady Meng was already standing behind Past Ethan Justice.
"Say nothing, I beg you."