The cold wind howled. Under the moonlight, the Ghoulgrave Desert was unusually tranquil, shimmering with silver light. The air carried a chill, crackling sounds echoed, and beside the flickering flames, Zhu Tang and I huddled close, shivering. Spirit Snake curled up in a corner by the fire, its back against the icy wall. Thankfully, this place kept the cold wind out, and as the fire burned, the temperature slowly began to rise.
"This really is strange."
I said, and Zhu Tang turned to glance at me.
"Why do you say that?"
"It's been a long time since we've gone through this—starving and freezing."
Zhu Tang let out an 'oh' and tried hard to keep his eyes open. Although we could use our powers to resist the cold, without food, our bodies had no supply. Once our strength was depleted, we wouldn't be able to go any further.
The shelter Spirit Snake found for us was bizarre—a building with no doors, completely empty inside. Yet outside, there were windows, balconies, and stairs. Only the interior was odd, with no way out. The facilities visible from outside vanished once inside.
There were quite a few buildings like this. We chose this one because the walls were airtight. The moon overhead was no longer visible, and the temperature kept dropping.
"Hey, if you two don't want to die, don't fall asleep."
Suddenly, Spirit Snake shouted, snapping Zhu Tang and me awake. It was unbelievable—I could actually feel exhaustion, and the urge to sleep.
According to Zhu Tang, this world existed even before the Four Guardians appeared. Although the Guardians once tried to investigate its mysteries, in this vast and barren land, survival itself was a challenge—let alone any investigation.
Yet, in such a harsh environment, the Guardians miraculously survived and took root here, building their own world and struggling against the unforgiving conditions to this day.
I saw Zhu Tang staring at a small patch of night sky above, lost in thought. His eyes carried a hint of sadness, his expression troubled, as if remembering something unpleasant.
"What's wrong?"
I asked, and Zhu Tang shook his head.
"Do you know how we Guardians were born?"
I'd wondered about this for a long time. At first, I thought the Four Guardians were just Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—only four. But after meeting Zhu Tang, I assumed he was the Vermilion Bird Guardian. Later, I saw Zhu Tang and Wendy Hsieh conversing with other Guardians after using their powers.
"I told you from the start, didn't I? We were born from people's faith in the Four Guardians."
I nodded.
"This faith can be one-to-one or one-to-many. The most powerful Guardians are usually one-to-many, with multiple believers or generations of believers. Their strength accumulates over time. Take Wendy Hsieh, for example—her family has been devoted to the Vermilion Bird for generations, almost obsessively."
I let out an 'oh' and asked.
"What about you?"
"Me...?"
Zhu Tang gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"I was only one-to-one. And the person who believed in me is dead. That girl saved me."
"You mean Roxie?"
Zhu Tang nodded.
"Maybe a lot of people underestimate that girl. Her intense faith saved me, letting me—a Guardian who should've vanished—survive, lingering on. Later, I connected with Martin Lane, and through his power, the Phoenix Blade was infused. In the end, he buried the Phoenix Blade within your body."
I knew about these things, but not the whole process. It seemed Uncle Lane had known about me for a long time, and his friendship with Yin Chou ran deep. It was Uncle Lane who gave me the Vermilion Bird's power while I was still human, helping me through countless crises.
"I thought I would disappear, but I survived until now thanks to your faith providing me strength. In the end, I became your Ghost Soul. I should've vanished from this world long ago. Thank you, Ethan Zhang."
I smiled and looked up.
"Why talk about all this now? Let's talk about this world—anything at all."
After the Guardians established their territory here, the harsh environment remained, but it no longer eroded their lands. Life in the Four Sacred Realm was abundant and joyful, with no conflict, under the leadership of the Kings of the Four Guardians.
"You know, Ethan Zhang, we can't investigate anything outside. There's another crucial reason—there are countless monsters here."
I swallowed. I had seen those bizarre monsters today, but when touched, they vanished like illusions.
"Those are low-level monsters. The powerful ones—even the Kings of the Guardians can't handle them."
Zhu Tang kept talking, and he seemed genuinely happy. Despite the harsh conditions, being able to return to his homeland after decades was a joy for him.
Spirit Snake raised its head and quietly watched us. It wasn't asleep—just listening.
"Careful—behind you."
Suddenly, Spirit Snake shouted. Zhu Tang and I rolled toward the fire. With a swish, the wall behind us split open, and in the cold moonlight, a humanoid monster stood there.
"Is it a ghost?"
I stared in surprise at the monster before me. I could sense Ghost Aura on it, and the fact that it could survive in this world was strange indeed. Its legs were thick and arched like a horse's, its muscular upper body sported fangs, and it wielded a massive black blade. Some parts of its body were clad in shiny black armor, others wrapped in leather.
It was a ghost, but not quite. Though it carried Ghost Aura, it was chaotic—better described as a monster than a ghost. I examined it closely; it looked just like something out of a video game.
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With a roar, the monster lunged at us, wildly swinging its blade. With a thunderous crash, Zhu Tang and I rolled in opposite directions, landing on the sand.
A streak of crimson flame flared—Zhu Tang was ready to fight. I shouted immediately.
"Wait!"
I shouted. The monster searched for us among the ruins. It seemed to have poor senses and was clearly incapable of communication.
"What are you doing, Ethan Zhang?"
"Let me test this world's strength."
I looked around; there was nothing that could be called a weapon. The noise drew the monster's attention—it roared furiously, raising its blade and charging at me. I crouched low.
With a whoosh, I easily dodged its powerful swing. It was slow—very easy to evade. The air was filled with swishing sounds as I nimbly dodged the monster's attacks.
"Don't waste your energy, Ethan Zhang."
Zhu Tang shouted. I nodded, leaping backward. The blade grazed my cheek, but as the monster prepared to attack again, I slipped to its side and raised a hand to its forehead.
A streak of red flame flared. With a boom, the monster froze—its head blasted away by the fire. It was easily dealt with. In that instant, I realized the Vermilion Bird's flame was a natural bane to these creatures.
With a crack, the monster vanished like a bubble. All that remained were the sounds and a trace of black substance as it disappeared. I tried to grab it, but missed.
"Let's go, quickly. It's not safe here—I sense a lot more things coming from afar."
Spirit Snake suddenly spoke. Zhu Tang and I looked into the distance. Beyond the bizarre buildings, clouds of sand were rising.
"Running doesn't seem practical—let's fly."
From afar, I saw a horde of creatures like that monster—just like something out of a video game.
Spirit Snake quickly climbed up onto my neck. I unfurled the Vermilion Bird's dark wings and slowly floated upward, feeling a bit tired. We quickly flew away, leaving the monsters farther and farther behind.
Suddenly, there was a strange, birdlike screech. A black shadow shot toward us—it was a bat, but soon I saw clearly: a human with bat wings, clad in dazzling white armor, wielding a massive sword. It looked just like a character from a video game.
With a boom, just as the creature reached us, Zhu Tang's flames pierced its body and it quickly vanished.
"So weak."
It looked strong, and its speed was impressive, but it was just a paper tiger.
We stopped. Before us appeared a ship—a floating ship in the air, bristling with cannons. Huge pipes beneath the hull spewed flames as if powering it, but strangely, the flames gave off no heat. As I approached and reached out, I felt nothing at all—it was like an illusion.
Looking at the massive air battleship, it was clearly a flying ship. Stepping on the steel deck, it was solid. Zhu Tang and I headed to the main turret, gazing at the long, thick cannon, and entered through a small side door.
"So it's like this after all? All show on the outside, but empty within."
Looking at the deserted interior, aside from some decorative objects, there was nothing functional.