In a haze, I felt as though I was trudging through a muddy swamp, surrounded by utter darkness. I didn’t know where I was headed, or why I even existed in this place, but I knew I had to keep walking. If I stopped, the mire beneath my feet would swallow me whole.
My body was completely drained of strength—I could barely move. Each step was a struggle, and I was on the verge of collapse. I panted for breath, and suddenly, eerie, shrill laughter echoed around me, piercing and unbearable. I clutched my head, agony splitting through my skull.
I was on the brink of breaking down. Then I noticed a hole in my chest, black ichor constantly spilling from the pitch-dark wound. Horrified, I tried to flee, struggling desperately as black liquid oozed from my eyes, mouth, nose, and ears. Inch by inch, I was dragged downward, sinking into the mire.
Suddenly, I snapped awake, eyes wide. I was standing in a strange, twisted forest. Instinctively, I checked my body—nothing seemed wrong. Yet I felt weightless, almost insubstantial. Around me, the trees bore contorted, struggling human faces, each one twisted in agony.
I drew a sharp breath. This place didn’t resemble the Yin World, nor the boundary between worlds—it was somewhere unknown. I moved slightly, and my form passed through several trees. Swallowing hard, I gazed quietly at my surroundings. Then I heard a rhythmic knocking, and just as I wondered what it meant, a voice echoed in my mind.
"Don’t be afraid, Rachel Lan. I am your domain. I don’t have a name yet, because although you’re aware of my existence, you don’t know what I am. Here, you’ll find all the answers—the ones that have long troubled your heart."
I swallowed and drifted toward the distant knocking. After a while, I felt I could control my body again. I came to a slope, below which a well spewed black water. In the distance, countless black pillars were linked together, resembling a cave but not quite. The knocking grew louder as I floated closer.
A flicker of green light caught my eye. I saw an old man holding a hammer, striking what looked like a blade on a round platform, pounding away relentlessly.
In a daze, I glanced to my left—Black Moon. My eyes widened; there was something odd about him. Swallowing, I stared quietly. On the pristine platform, at its base, sat a white stone chair. A man in black robes occupied it. Instantly, I was stunned.
"Qingyuan?"
I immediately drifted over, and in an instant, Zhang Qingyuan burst into hearty laughter before me.
"Eugene Smithson, not bad at all. This blade is truly impressive. I'm looking forward to seeing the next wielder."
"Boss, all we need to do now is follow the plan. The war between the Yin-Yang worlds benefits us. The Underworld is about to collapse, and once it does, Boss, you’ll be able to descend directly into the Yin-Yang world. As for the Ghost Ancestor, he won’t be able to reassemble. When the time comes, you only need to imprison part of him in Hell, and he’ll never be able to return."
Zhang Qingyuan nodded and stood up. I stared in shock at this Zhang Qingyuan before me—he was indeed Zhang Qingyuan, but this figure was the will of Hell itself. What I was seeing now was Hell, and the old man forging swords was Eugene Smithson. The relentless waves of shock left me unsettled, and I glared angrily at Black Moon.
It finally made sense. He’d said he would never betray Zhang Qingyuan, and now I understood why—he was originally a denizen of Hell, and he would never betray Hell. At that moment, I noticed a hurried woman in the distance, clutching an orange-red sword as she ran over.
"Sir, sir, when can I go to the Living World?"
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head helplessly.
"Jean Xu, I always keep my word, but I never said when. Can you be quiet for a moment? When the time is right, I’ll let you go to the Living World."
The woman named Jean Xu tried to climb onto the platform, but suddenly slipped and fell face-first into the mud. Zhang Qingyuan and Black Moon both laughed, while I stepped in front of Zhang Qingyuan. He couldn’t see me. I swung a fist, but my hand passed right through his head. Suddenly, I saw Zhang Qingyuan’s eyes—black with piercing, luminous dots—staring straight at me, as if he could see me. Abruptly, Zhang Qingyuan’s laughter stopped.
"Black Moon, keep watch here. If Eugene Smithson needs anything, help him find it. I’m going somewhere."
With that, I saw Zhang Qingyuan float upward, slowly drifting toward the outer edge.
"Boss, where are you going? Why not just move there instantly?"
I immediately followed, quietly trailing Zhang Qingyuan as he flew ahead of me. From their brief conversation, I seemed to have learned something extremely important.
Suddenly, Zhang Qingyuan stopped, spun around, and grabbed me by the neck, pulling me close until his cheek was right in front of mine.
"What a surprise, Roxie. How did you end up here? Though I think I know the reason now."
"How can you see me?"
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head coldly, a sneer on his lips.
"Of course I can see you. You used the power of the Hell Imprint, and that’s a force you cannot bear. You shouldn’t use it recklessly, or you’ll fall into Hell. Roxie, you never needed to come to Hell at all, so let me tell you a way to control the Hell Imprint."
I shoved Zhang Qingyuan away, glaring at him in fury.
"You’re not Zhang Qingyuan."
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head.
"I am Zhang Qingyuan, Roxie."
Suddenly, my eyes widened. The terrifying look in Zhang Qingyuan’s eyes faded away, returning to normal. He gazed at me with emotion and floated closer, pressing a hand to my cheek. For a moment, I shook my head.
"Roxie, listen closely. I’ll only say this once. My vessel in the Ghost Forest is at the end of the Path of Fire. You just need to reach the end and find a way to destroy my spirit form, or tell him everything about me. He’ll self-destruct. That’s the only way, Roxie."
I swallowed hard. Zhang Qingyuan looked pained, clutching his head, and I reached out to steady him.
"Qingyuan, we’ll find a way. There has to be a solution."
"There’s no way, Roxie. Listen to me—Hell must never descend upon the Living World. I can’t keep suppressing this will any longer. It’s my will, but also Hell’s. I’m exhausted. If not for Zachary Justice, I couldn’t hold on for even a second."
Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face, though no actual tears came. Overwhelmed by grief, I looked at Zhang Qingyuan as he pressed both hands to my cheeks.
"Now that you know everything, Roxie, you have to do this. If you don’t, no one will be able to stop it. What I started, I must end. Don’t worry, it’s all right. Someone has to bear this burden, someone has to finish it. Yin Choujian once told me—someone just needs to do what must be done, Roxie."
I kept shaking my head, and Zhang Qingyuan pressed his head in pain, eyes wide.
"I am you, but I am not you. Get out."
Zhang Qingyuan stared at me quietly. I didn’t know what to say or do. If that day comes, when Zhang Qingyuan is completely devoured by the will of Hell, he’ll be gone forever, and I’ll have to face Hell myself.
"Isn’t there any other way, Qingyuan? Maybe I should go back and ask Yin Choujian."
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head.
"Even if you find Yin Choujian, it won’t help. He’s powerless here. This time, I have to solve it myself. When you return, go to the Ghost Forest and find my spirit form—destroy it. That way, Hell can’t descend, and if we win the war, there will be hope. Then you can focus on dealing with the Ghost Ancestor."
As soon as Zhang Qingyuan finished speaking, his lips curled into a smile, and he burst out laughing.
"Too bad, Roxie. My will is back. But I’ll still tell you how to control the Hell Imprint, and I can tell you everything else. The curse fire inside you—I had Huang Quan find a way to implant it in the bodies of the Huang Quan clan. It’s difficult to trigger, but you managed it."
I said nothing, just stared at Hell in front of me. He pulled me by the hand to a flat spot, squatted down, and tapped the ground with his finger—a red Hell Imprint appeared on the earth.
I swallowed hard.
"Listen carefully, Roxie. I’ll only teach you once. You’re smart enough to remember. I hope you stay safe. When the day comes that I devour everything, you’ll be in Hell too. Then we can be together forever."
"Can’t you not do this?"
I stared blankly at Hell and asked. Hell shook his head.
"I’m sorry, but this isn’t something I can change or decide. From the moment I was born, I was the opposite of your sunlit world. I can’t compromise. I have to see this through."
I said nothing more. Hell began to explain the actual function of the Hell Imprint, and I listened carefully, taking notes.
"That’s all for now. If you ever come here again, I’ll teach you something else."