The figure before me, forged in the process of sword-making, began to take human form. Amid the swirling cherry blossoms, I saw Rachel Lan collapse to the ground. In an instant, the baleful energy on the ground coiled around her, completely enveloping her.
I ignored the figure before me—his entire body pitch black, his features obscured except for his eyes and mouth. He twisted his neck and stepped toward me, one slow step at a time.
"Hmph, what is it, Ethan Zhang? Can't you feel it—the darkness within me?"
I quietly gazed up at the apartment building, at room 410. Rachel Lan now lay on my bed. Her evil side had already been consumed by darkness, her soul steeped in supernatural hostility.
The figure before me, shrouded in black mist, reached me and stretched out a hand, gripping my cheek tightly. I stared unblinkingly at the door to room 410.
"Sink into darkness, Ethan Zhang. This taste will make you wish you were dead."
Suddenly, I turned to face the figure before me.
"It's true, I don't want to get near this aura. Its stench disgusts me. But darkness? I've had it inside me since the day I was born."
With a roar, I grabbed the figure's head with one hand and slammed it hard into the ground.
"I have no time for you, scum."
I raised my sword infused with baleful energy and struck at Rachel Lan several times. Waves of black malevolent aura lashed out, but each attack was effortlessly shattered by the Phoenix Blade in Rachel Lan's hand.
With a boom, I blocked Rachel Lan's Phoenix Blade. The raging golden flames instantly vaporized the malevolent aura that enveloped me. The searing heat set my whole body ablaze.
The raging Deathbane Aura shredded and tore the figure apart in an instant. I stood up, slowly floating to the top of a cherry tree. My most troublesome enemy wasn't anyone else—it was Rachel Lan. The evil within her had already been steeped in darkness, her consciousness seeded with hostility toward me. If I didn't defeat her, nothing else mattered.
"How dare you treat me like this, Ethan Zhang..."
With a thunderous crash, golden light burst from the apartment building, shattering the door and balcony. Accompanied by the cry of a Vermilion Bird, Rachel Lan appeared, wielding a golden Phoenix Blade. Huge golden wings of the Vermilion Bird flared behind her, sending waves of heat surging forward. The cherry trees below the building began to wither and scorch.
"Ruoxi, it seems your consciousness has returned?"
As expected, even such a powerful weapon couldn't withstand that force. With a thunderous explosion, the malevolent aura was instantly devoured by the Vermilion Bird's flames.
"One last question—does it have to be this way?"
"I'll kill you."
With a click, I opened the shotgun's chamber, loaded the two shells, and sank into the ground, the shells brimming with malevolent aura.
With a crash, a huge hole opened in the apartment building. Rachel Lan kept searching for me—I was directly beneath her, inside the ground, surrounded by baleful energy.
With a boom, I blocked Rachel Lan's Phoenix Blade. The raging golden flames instantly vaporized the Deathbane Aura that enveloped me. The searing heat set my whole body ablaze.
Struck by tremendous force, I plummeted to the ground. With a crash, the earth beneath the apartment building warped and slabs of stone flew upward.
Suddenly, dazzling light filled the air. Rachel Lan brandished the Phoenix Blade, its blazing flames transforming into a boiling, burning golden Vermilion Bird. With a piercing cry, the Vermilion Bird dived at me.
There was no time to think. I scrambled to my feet, hands raised in support, rapidly weaving Deathbane Aura. A rocket launcher appeared on my shoulder—I pulled the trigger.
A fiery projectile screamed through the air toward the Vermilion Bird. I immediately moved to the side.
As expected, even such a powerful weapon couldn't withstand that force. With a thunderous explosion, the Deathbane Aura was instantly devoured by the Vermilion Bird's flames.
Bang—the shotgun fired. In an instant, black malevolent aura flooded everything, even wrapping around the golden flames. My aim was Rachel Lan's shoulder.
"I absolutely can't face her head-on."
I immediately realized that if I relied on brute force alone, with half my instinct missing, I couldn't match Rachel Lan. Even if I had all my instinct, her power is lethal to ghosts.
"Come out, Ethan Zhang!"
Rachel Lan shouted, brandishing the Phoenix Blade wildly. Waves of fire ravaged the apartment building, engulfing the street and surrounding houses in a sea of flames.
If I took a few more hits, my strength would wane and the Ghostrealm would collapse completely.
Baleful energy condensed in my hands. Again, a longer black sniper rifle appeared, with an effective range of over 800 meters. Its power was greater—I could only rely on long-range sniping to find a breakthrough.
Holding the sniper rifle, I exposed only half my body at the rooftop. I aimed at Rachel Lan and pulled the trigger.
In an instant, I moved elsewhere—atop a wall, sniper rifle raised. As the bullet neared Rachel Lan, the Vermilion Mantle burned it away completely.
Rachel Lan sensed the sniper's position and charged toward the rooftop, brandishing the Phoenix Blade. With a crash, a massive wave of golden fire destroyed one corner of the apartment building.
"Come out, Ethan Zhang!"
I still said nothing, silently strategizing. I finally understood how the Ghostcatchers fought within the Ghostrealm. In their natural domain, Ghostcatchers could hide, using everything in the Ghostrealm to launch attacks at any moment, then slowly plan how to break through and eliminate their enemy.
I fired another shot and immediately changed positions. Now I was certain—Rachel Lan couldn't sense my presence. In this vast Deathbane Aura-filled Ghostrealm, she couldn't accurately track my movements.
"Hmph, you think you can defeat me with tricks like that, Ethan Zhang?"
I discarded the sniper rifle, pondering how to drain Rachel Lan's strength without suffering too much damage myself.
I drew my trusty Deathbane Shotgun from my back. In close combat, no firearm is more powerful than the Deathbane Shotgun—it should be able to break through Rachel Lan's Vermilion Mantle.
Extending a hand, I began crafting bullets. This time, it was different—I would inject even more Deathbane Aura, compressing it continuously, while still keeping the bullets' shape intact.
Extending a hand, I began crafting bullets. This time, it was different—I would inject even more malevolent aura, compressing it continuously, while still keeping the bullets' shape intact.
Two Deathbane Shotgun shells appeared in my hand. I kept injecting malevolent aura, compressing it further—more and more of it was packed into each shell.
Outside, explosions rang out. Unable to find me, Rachel Lan began destroying everything in sight. I focused intently on the shells—the malevolent aura inside was now five times what it had been before, still within my control.
I kept injecting malevolent aura—seven times, eight times, nine times. As I neared tenfold, small bulges appeared on the shells' surface. I quickly withdrew my power.
With a click, I opened the shotgun's chamber, loaded the two shells, and sank into the ground.
With a click, I opened the shotgun's chamber, loaded the two shells, and sank into the ground, the shells brimming with malevolent aura.
"Come out, Ethan Zhang. If you don't, I'll destroy everything here."
Rachel Lan shouted, swinging the Phoenix Blade at the already crumbling apartment building. A wave of fire surged forth. I seized the moment, instantly appearing behind Rachel Lan, Deathbane Shotgun raised.
"You finally decided to show yourself, Ethan Zhang?"
Rachel Lan roared in fury, the Phoenix Blade in her hand slashing down at me.
"It's useless—your Deathbane Aura is nothing before me."
Bang—the shotgun fired. In an instant, black Deathbane Aura flooded everything, even wrapping around the golden flames. My aim was Rachel Lan's shoulder.
After withstanding immense force, the Deathbane Shotgun exploded in my hands. My ghost soul took a heavy blow, and I was thrown backward.
With a crash, I landed in the residential district, smashing through several houses. I slid a long distance across the ground before stopping, coughing up blood.
"Looks like it worked."
Even from afar, I could still see Rachel Lan—one of her wings destroyed, a third of her Vermilion Mantle ruined. She lay quietly in the rubble of the collapsed apartment building, her body drenched in blood. But soon she rose, shook her head, and stared coldly ahead.
"Ethan Zhang."
Flames surged over Rachel Lan's body again. The damage was effective, but I still needed to keep draining her strength if I wanted to defeat her.
A cry from the Vermilion Bird shook the ground. I watched Rachel Lan slowly float into the air, her flames now strangely unnatural.
"It's Nirvana—could it be...?"
I stared at Rachel Lan in shock—flames enveloped her, gradually forming a golden fireball.
"Zhou Fulai, be careful! Think of something—hide, quickly!"
I shouted, time running out for me to think. I placed my hands flat on the ground, quietly gazing at everything before me.
[End of chapter]