Under the afternoon sun, I stood beside the small cabin at the foot of the mountain, watching Daniel Li, Nina Li, and her son. Neither the past nor future Zhang Qingyuan appeared. I was already planning to follow the father and daughter into the mountains, entering the cycle of reincarnation through that cave entrance.
The moment I regained consciousness, a string of memories surged through me—instinctively transmitted by my coexistence. They revealed how to seize that patch of darkness, and that within coexistence, something special existed. At my will, a small black orb appeared in my hand. I’d seen these orbs before; at the Dark Banquet, people used them for gathering power and communication.
After a long night, my instincts woke me early the next morning. I followed the three of them into the mountains, just as I had before.
Eventually, I reached the mouth of that vast cave. After watching the father and daughter fall in, I jumped in without hesitation. This time, I felt a tremendous resistance holding me back, as if invisible hands were pulling at me. I fought desperately to keep my mind clear.
The Eye of Time didn’t seem to want me entering this cycle. Waves of dizziness crashed over me, and just as I was about to faint, everything around me suddenly stopped. White, shining threads appeared all around, and a hand reached out. I grabbed it in a hurry—it was Quentin Kwan. He looked at me, smiling, joy shining in his eyes.
One by one, Quentin Kwan peeled the time threads from my body. With a whoosh, I gasped for air as he pulled me into the forest of the Ghostrealm. Everything around was still frozen. I saw the terrified faces of Daniel Li and Nina Li, and once again, I was back in Quentin Kwan’s infinite cycle.
"I thought you’d never come back."
At that moment, Quentin Kwan finally seemed to believe me. He looked at me with joy. I nodded and got to my feet.
"Let me rest for a while."
Quentin Kwan hummed in response. I found a spot and sat down, but inside I felt something unsettled. I didn’t know how to tell Quentin Kwan about his child. After all, even if humans and ghosts were to unite, it would be impossible to bring forth new life.
"What's wrong, Miss Rachel Lan? Did you discover something? Please, tell me—no matter what it is."
Quentin Kwan seemed to sense the worry in my heart and the helplessness on my face. I gave a quiet acknowledgment.
"Strictly speaking, that child isn't your son."
As I spoke, Quentin Kwan seemed to awaken from a dream. But soon he nodded and sat down, a trace of sorrow in his eyes.
"You're right, Miss Lan. Maybe I sensed it long ago."
I quietly watched Quentin Kwan. His expression grew sad. After a while, he spoke again.
After falling in love with Nina Li, Quentin Kwan's world changed completely. The once dim and lifeless Ghostrealm suddenly became vibrant and colorful. It was something Quentin Kwan had never felt or experienced before.
Those days were joyful, but perhaps because Daniel Li was old and had health issues even before entering, he ultimately couldn't adapt to the Ghostrealm and passed away. Before dying, Daniel Li entrusted his daughter to Quentin Kwan. Though a ghost, Quentin Kwan was trustworthy.
No matter what, Nina Li was human and Quentin Kwan was a ghost. So Daniel Li hoped Quentin Kwan would find a way to send Nina Li back to the Living World, because only there could she truly belong.
Quentin Kwan promised Daniel Li, at the time of his death, that he would send Nina Li back to the Living World. But their happiness was short-lived, shattered by Nina Li's sudden pregnancy.
After Nina Li became pregnant, Yin energy gathered around her rapidly, eroding her body and tormenting her day and night. Quentin Kwan went from needing to extract Yin energy only a few times a day to hundreds. Nina Li grew thinner and weaker, her body nearly failing.
Quentin Kwan consulted many ghosts, but all said humans and ghosts could never truly unite. The child in Nina Li’s womb was already dead.
Hearing this, I stood up, eyes wide. But then I remembered what the Undertaker told me about the Dark Seed, and I understood.
At this critical moment, Quentin Kwan had a dream. In it, someone handed him a seed and sternly warned that if he wanted to save Nina Li and the child, he must feed the seed to her.
Waking from the sudden good dream, Quentin Kwan felt disappointed—Nina Li was still writhing in pain, her life fading. Yet, to his surprise, a seed emitting black mist was truly in his hand. He sensed it held an extremely dark power.
But seeing Nina Li’s agony, Quentin Kwan was out of options. In the end, he fed her the Dark Seed.
A miracle happened. Nina Li was no longer tormented by the dead child in her womb, and the child gained life—half Yang, half Yin—a hybrid of human and ghost. Quentin Kwan had never heard of such a thing. The unborn child could even speak directly to Quentin Kwan, asking him to find ghost medicines for Nina Li.
Quentin Kwan did as the child instructed, and eventually, the child was born.
"Actually, I’ve always known this child isn’t mine. But... but..."
I walked over slowly, squatted in front of Quentin Kwan, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"He truly is your child. Bloodlines and other things don’t matter. Now, take me to the moment when the darkness appeared."
Quentin Kwan looked at me, face pale, and nodded.
I’d rested enough. For matters like this, I was always willing to help. Quentin Kwan had never given up on his wife and child, always thinking of them, and even now, after everything I’d said, his resolve never wavered.
(This chapter is not yet finished~.~ Please click next page to continue reading!)
Gradually, Eli Lear faded from sight, and everything around me began to rush by. My body grew hot; the rapid flow of time left me dizzy, but I had no choice but to endure. As things sped up, the world spun, but I already held the black orb in my hand.
Now I needed to find Eli Lear’s Yin Aspect. Perhaps his Yang Aspect already existed as the Supreme Sage in the Tao Space. This was likely my task.
Gradually, the black orb in my hand began to emit a dark aura, as if sensing something.
"Now."
I shouted. Instantly, everything around me stopped. I stumbled to the muddy ground, and from a small cabin ahead, a terrifying black aura poured out. Drawn by the orb in my hand, the aura began to converge toward me.
The black mist slowly condensed before my eyes, forming a human shape. Behind me, Quentin Kwan stood frozen, eyes wide, and slowly approached. It was Eli Lear. Before me, Eli Lear appeared—first as an old man, then gradually younger, handsome, and refined.
"Father."
As soon as Eli Lear appeared, he bowed. Quentin Kwan ran over, overcome with emotion.
"Is it really you? Do you recognize me?"
Seeing Quentin Kwan’s excitement, Eli Lear nodded.
"I’ve known for a long time that you were suffering here, Father. But I could do nothing. This time, I truly owe thanks to this young lady."
Eli Lear bowed to me. Smiling, I turned and left, not wanting to intrude on the long-awaited reunion between father and son.
From afar, I watched the two talk happily. I couldn’t hear a word, but soon their expressions grew serious, and they walked toward me.
"What’s wrong? You both look..."
I didn’t finish. Quentin Kwan hadn’t seen Nina Li yet. Later, I learned Nina Li had always lived in that darkness, but remembered nothing. Eli Lear came here because Ethan Zhang entered the world of the Yin Aspect.
At the time, Ethan Zhang was in grave danger. Eli Lear contacted his Yang Aspect in the Living World, forcibly channeling immense power into the world of Yin to help Ethan Zhang survive. Seizing the chance, Eli Lear’s Yin Aspect entered the world of Yin and Yang through Ethan Zhang’s instinctive coexistence. When he regained awareness, Eli Lear found himself back at his birthplace, watching his parents, not understanding what was happening.
No matter how Eli Lear spoke to his father, Quentin Kwan couldn’t see or hear him. This had gone on for a long time—Eli Lear couldn’t even remember how many cycles he’d shared with his father.
"Is there any way for Mr. Kwan to leave this cycle and return to the proper timeline?"
I asked. Eli Lear nodded and replied.
"There is a way, but it’s difficult. However, young lady, you’ve brought the Starshard Radiance. I created it when I achieved mastery of the Tao, but one more condition must be met."
As Eli Lear spoke, Quentin Kwan’s face grew troubled.
"What is it?"
"It is my death."
I stared in shock. Quentin Kwan’s face instantly fell, shaking his head and choking back sobs.
"Isn’t that backwards? He originally was..."
Eli Lear smiled and shook his head.
"I was dead to begin with. But meeting my father again, talking with him, is still a blessing."