A vast chamber stretches beneath the earth, its ceiling studded with crystals that bathe the room in soft, shifting light.
Faint green runes crawl across the walls, pulsing gently as they bind the vitality of the extraordinary beast corpses scattered across the floor.
Between those lifeless forms, a single green heart beats, each pulse drawing essence from the corpses around it.
The heart swells, absorbing until the last wisp of vitality fades from the remains.
Then, it stops.
A sudden burst of radiance floods the chamber as the heart releases the stored life energy.
From that light, bones form—clean, translucent, perfect in shape.
Organs follow, then veins, muscles, and a hide of shimmering green scales.
Emerald eyes open within the forming skull.
Claws sharpen.
Lion-like fur grows around the neck like a natural mane.
Every feature of a beast manifests within the figure—avian grace, feline strength, reptilian defence—woven together into flawless balance.
Then the scales withdraw, sinking into the flesh.
The body contracts, shrinking into human form.
Lin Yu's life clone stands in the heart of the chamber, light fading from his skin.
A ripple passes through the air, and from the corner where the light fails to reach, another shape emerges—Lin Yu's shadow clone, eyes cold and calm.
"I cannot sense the main body anymore," the shadow clone says.
The life clone closes his eyes briefly, feeling the empty link within his soul. "That means the main body is sealed," he answers quietly. "Either within a place that blocks connection… or in another world."
The crystals dim as silence fills the chamber again.
The shadow clone breaks the stillness. "Should I go to the Blue Whale Kingdom to check?"
The life clone starts walking toward the far wall, his tone calm but heavy. "For our connection to be cut from the main body, something major must have happened. Before heading there, we wait for news from the spies."
He places his hand against the wall.
Light flares under his palm, and a small section parts open soundlessly.
He steps inside; the shadow clone follows.
The wall closes behind them, and the hidden lift begins to rise.
Two days pass.
A shadow guard kneels before them, offering a sealed scroll.
The life clone opens it, scanning the contents.
As he reads, the information flows directly into the shadow clone's mind through their shared spiritual link.
"The main body has fallen into another world or secret place," the shadow clone murmurs.
The life clone rolls the scroll and binds it shut. "Very likely."
He looks ahead, voice quiet. "If the main body doesn't return within a year, which of us will go to the Dark Continent?"
"I will," the shadow clone says without hesitation. "But what about Isolde?"
The life clone frowns, lost in thought—then his eyes glint faintly.
Their gazes meet, and understanding passes between them.
"Then I'll lead them," the shadow clone says.
He sinks into the floor, vanishing into shadow.
Moments later, he emerges miles away, in the city of the Purple Moon Kingdom.
They had decided to let Levi find Isolde.
Levi, blessed by the world, would draw fate's thread to every hidden clue.
The shadow clone appears before a grand mansion.
After mastering the new cultivation system, Levi had fled the Griffin Kingdom, now branded a traitor.
He found refuge in the Purple Moon Kingdom, where fate led him to its princess—one who cultivated the same system as him.
When war erupted three months ago, the Griffin Kingdom declared hostilities against all surrounding island kingdoms.
The others soon turned against each other as well, and chaos swept the archipelago.
Levi, now a Tier Three extraordinary, fought under the banner of the Purple Moon Kingdom's army.
The shadow clone raises his hand and knocks on the mansion gate just as the first rays of dawn spill across the horizon.
A guard opens the gate, weary-eyed and cautious. "Who are you, and what business brings you here at this hour?"
The shadow clone releases a trace of his aura.
The guard doesn't sense its full depth—but even that faint pressure makes him stumble back, fear flashing across his face.
"I came for Levi," the shadow clone says evenly.
The guard swallows hard. "Wait here. I'll inform the housekeeper."
Minutes later, the shadow clone finds himself surrounded by armed guards, blades drawn and trembling slightly in their hands.
An old man steps out from behind them, robes neat, hair silver. His tone carries quiet authority. "Who are you?"
Before he can blink, the shadow clone vanishes.
A ripple passes through the ground, and he reappears directly before the old man.
"I want to meet Levi."
The housekeeper's composure breaks. He stumbles back in alarm.
The guards try to move, but their feet remain fixed—their own shadows have turned against them, wrapping around their ankles like chains.
Inside the mansion, the princess steps out of her room with her maid beside her.
Levi meets them at the staircase, adjusting his coat.
"Princess, what happened?" he asks.
"Someone came asking for you," she says calmly, though tension flickers in her eyes. "I told Housekeeper James to capture him."
Before Levi can respond, a guard bursts through the door, panting. "Princess! The housekeeper—he's been captured!"
"What?" she exclaims, striding toward the courtyard.
They arrive moments later to find the cloaked figure standing before the trembling old man.
The guards remain frozen, their weapons useless, their shadows pinning them in place.
The princess steps forward, her presence regal despite the danger. "What do you want?"
The figure's gaze shifts past her, locking onto Levi. "I have business with him."
Levi tenses.
He recognises the control over shadows, the fluid stillness of movement.
A messenger from the Shadow Dukedom.
But why? His crimes in the Griffin Kingdom were trivial; no one of high rank would cross the sea for him.
The princess raises an arm, placing herself in front of Levi. "Levi is part of the Purple Moon Kingdom now. I will not surrender him."
The shadow clone's tone remains calm. "I didn't come to take him. I came to give him a task."
Levi glances at the princess, then nods slightly.
A few minutes later, they sit across from each other in a quiet room.
The curtains are drawn, the morning light dim.
Levi and the princess sit on one side of the table, the cloaked figure silent before them, shadows stirring faintly around his feet. Levi studies him carefully. "I'm not a member of Shadow City. Why should I take the task?"
The princess's tone is cold. "Yes. He belongs to the Purple Moon Kingdom now. He won't take orders from a foreign power."
The shadow clone raises his hand, and an image forms in his palm—a young girl with gentle eyes and short brown hair. Levi's pupils contract sharply.
"For her," the figure says.
Levi's voice trembles with anger. "She's dead."
"Really?" the figure replies softly. "You said she was injured and fell beyond the wall. But you never saw her die. Did you?"
The image fades, replaced by another—this time, a beautiful woman with crimson hair and calm eyes. "Find her."
From the darkness beside him, the figure pulls a file and places it on the table. "Here is the information. You have one year." Then he vanishes, leaving only a faint ripple of shadow behind.
Levi sits in silence, eyes locked on the file. The princess watches him quietly. "That girl… she's your sister, right?"
Levi nods.
"Then I command you to go," the princess says softly.
"I will," Levi answers. "But first, let me help you deliver the supplies to the fortress."
She nods.
Two days later, their convoy halts near the fortress. Levi and the princess stare ahead in disbelief. Above the battlements, instead of the Purple Moon Kingdom's banner, the flags of the Shadow Duke and the Griffin Kingdom flutter side by side.
A guard asks nervously, "Princess, do we proceed or retreat?"
The princess's face pales. "Retreat."
Three days later, back at the mansion, a royal messenger arrives with grim news.
The Purple Moon Kingdom has surrendered to the Shadow Duke and will now become part of his dominion.
The messenger adds that the king himself ordered the princess to aid Levi in his investigation.
Moments later, another letter arrives—stating that assisting the Shadow Duke no longer counts as aiding a foreign power.
The princess and Levi exchange uneasy glances.
For a single woman, the Shadow Duke crushed a kingdom.
Levi silently wonders, why me?
And beside him, the princess thinks the same. Why Levi?
--------------
Lin Yu opens his eyes as the flow of blood energy finally stops entering his body.
The woman still lies in his arms, her silver skin faintly glowing under the crimson light.
He focuses inward and senses the immense change within—his physical strength has advanced from Tier Six to Tier Seven, and his cultivation has reached the peak of Tier Three.
It halts there.
To step into Tier Four, he knows mere absorption is useless.
He must comprehend the mystery of death energy itself.
He needs to merge death energy with one of the four elements and create a complete spell system from the lower to middle levels.
Only then can he refine his extraordinary heart to ascend.
Finishing his inspection, Lin Yu opens his eyes again and meets the woman's silver ones staring back at him.
Silence thickens between them.
Hours ago, they tried to kill each other—now they lie half-entwined in blood, their breaths mingling.
The woman's voice is sharp. "Let go."
Lin Yu releases her at once and straightens. "My name is Lin Yu. What's yours?"
She doesn't answer. Instead, she turns and starts swimming toward the edge of the vast pool—no, the lake of blood that stretches endlessly around them.
"We're in a new world now," Lin Yu says, his tone calm but firm. "Until we understand where we are, we shouldn't separate. What's your name?"
She keeps swimming, her voice cold as steel. "Francis Amelia."
Lin Yu repeats softly, "Francis Amelia…" The name stirs something in his memory. His expression changes as he recalls. "You're the eldest daughter of the Francis family."
She stops instantly. A wave of killing intent rises from her like a blade cutting through the blood mist.
Lin Yu raises a hand. "Easy, woman. Calm down. I'm Isolde's lover. My full name is Lin Yu Weston."
Francis Amelia turns sharply. Shock flashes in her eyes. "The Shadow Duke?"
Lin Yu nods and swims closer, his expression turning solemn. "Yes. Do you have any information about Isolde?"
Amelia's gaze hardens. "Our family was attacked by the Blood Guards and the Mendelson clan."
"The Mendelson?" Lin Yu frowns.
She continues, her tone low and edged with grief. "I was lucky I cultivated the Way of Death. I faked my death and escaped. But Isolde… I think she was captured by the Blood Guards."
Lin Yu's eyes narrow as he absorbs her words. "Why did Isolde go to your family?"
Amelia rises from the blood lake, her movement graceful despite the exhaustion in her face. "My ancestor was a friend of Master Isolde. She came to visit us."
Ghostly energy gathers around her body, forming a flowing silver dress that clings to her form like mist given shape.
She lifts her head, staring at the ceiling above.
Lin Yu pulls himself out of the lake.
Instead of forming clothes from his energy, he reaches into his shadow and retrieves a black robe, wrapping it around himself before following her gaze upward.
In the center of the ceiling, a swirling black hole spins slowly, its edges crackling with faint violet lightning.
Lin Yu extends his spirit toward it—and feels it cut cleanly in two the instant it touches the portal.
He exhales, brows furrowed. "A space storm is raging around the portal. Looks like we can't return anytime soon."
Amelia hums softly, her face unreadable, and starts walking toward the tunnel that leads upward. Lin Yu follows in silence.
The narrow passage spirals for a long while before light begins to seep through the cracks ahead. When they finally step out, cold wind sweeps against their faces.
They stand atop a jagged mountain peak. Around them, ghostly energy drifts like mist—thick, heavy, and alive.
The sky above is a deep, oppressive gray, and where a sun should hang, a dark sphere pulses faintly, radiating no warmth.
Lin Yu surveys the land below—endless ruins, rivers of black mist, and countless drifting souls whispering through the air.
Every breath confirms it. This is not the world of the living. It is a world of death.
He closes his eyes and lets his spirit expand.
The laws here are clear, vast, and cold. Death breathes in every gust of wind, in every drifting wisp of gray mist.
Then, like a blade cutting through his mind, memories stab into him—disjointed, vivid, real.
They are not foreign. They are his own.
He realizes what he's seeing—the memories of his lust clone.
When the battleship of the Ancient Divine Race shattered him into fragments, even his inner world was torn apart.
The two clones within were destroyed along with him.
But before his consciousness sank into the void, he scattered fragments of his will, letting his clones drift into different worlds.
If one of them survived, he would not truly die.
And now, the connection forms. His spirit links across death and chaos, and the memories of the lust clone flood back—its twenty-two years of existence in this realm of death.
When it ends, Lin Yu opens his eyes.
Twenty-two years of memories now rest inside him, clear as if he had lived them himself.
After entering this world, his lust clone had struggled.
It couldn't absorb the ghostly energy, couldn't conceal its aura.
The world's will struck it down with thunder, scattering its consciousness into fragments.
Yet, by some unknown means, that shattered consciousness gathered again—drawn by the flow of life—and reincarnated twenty-three years ago into a human fetus.
He was born into the Great Zhou Dynasty, within the Ji family—the most powerful military house in the empire.
His name was Ji Jingxuan. His father, the patriarch of the Ji family. His mother, a concubine.
Without his past life's memory, he lived as a normal boy—a prodigy blessed by talent and hard work.
At six, he began practicing martial arts, though they were of the mortal path, not extraordinary.
By sixteen, he had reached the peak of mortal strength and entered the imperial military examinations.
He placed second.
Awarded the rank of officer, Ji Jingxuan's rise through the military was steady and relentless.
From a common guard to a captain commanding hundreds, his reputation grew across the dynasty. His future blazed bright.
Then came the day he saw her—the Princess Royal, the emperor's sister.
One glance, and his heart was taken. He pursued her openly, daringly.
During a royal hunt, as he rode beside her through the crimson woods, assassins struck.
He pushed her aside, shielding her with his body.
The arrow pierced his chest.
Poisoned.
He saved the princess, but darkness took him.
Lin Yu opens his eyes again, his gaze distant and complex, fixed toward the north as if he can feel his lust clone stirring awake somewhere across this world.
A thoughtful light flickers in his eyes.
With the clone's memories returning, its next course of action is certain—cultivation.
And in this world, there are two cultivation systems.
Two paths—but only one can be walked while alive. The other begins only after death.
The first is the *Divine Ghost Way*, the most revered path in this realm.
When a mortal of fame and virtue dies, their soul does not scatter immediately. In those brief minutes before dissolution, if they can condense a ghost body, they escape oblivion.
From then, they absorb faith from the living to build a divine domain—a sanctuary where ghostly energy is purified, where vitality is reborn from death.
Through this, they transform barren ghostlands into living lands, extending the realm of the living into the world of the dead.
The other path is its opposite—feared and hated. The *Warlock Way*.
Where the Divine Ghost cultivator turns death into life, the Warlock walks into madness.
To cultivate the Warlock Way, one must raise ghosts and weirds within their own body, nurture them, let them gnaw at the soul until the edge between sanity and corruption blurs.
Many lose themselves and become the very horrors they hunt.
Even though warlocks fight against ghosts and weirds, the living fear them.
Because no one knows when a warlock will cease to be human.
Lin Yu wouldn't tread either path himself, but through his lust clone, he decides to test the water.
The clone, reborn as Ji Jingxuan, chooses the Warlock Way—cultivating with the secret method obtained from his family's hidden vault.
Lin Yu exhales, his gaze steady, his thoughts retreating from the memory.
His focus shifts inward again—toward the core of his true body.
Now, it is time to break through to Tier Four of the Death Way.
Lin Yu opens his eyes and notices Amelie's presence is gone. He looks around the misty peak but finds no trace of her. "With her strength, she wouldn't be in any danger," he murmurs.
He walks to a large stone jutting out from the mountain's edge and sits cross-legged upon it.
In one palm, he gathers the cold, oppressive essence of death; in the other, the sharp and flowing force of wind.
Slowly, he begins to merge the two, their energies twisting and resisting like rival serpents.
While Lin Yu cultivates, far away, his lust clone—Ji Jingxuan—stirs awake. His eyelids flutter, and a weak groan escapes his lips.
His body feels hollow, frail, and drained of strength.
Then, a voice filled with relief and excitement breaks the silence. "Master Jing, you're awake!"
Jingxuan turns his head and sees Xiaoling, his personal maid, her eyes wet with tears. "Xiaoling," he says hoarsely, "how long was I unconscious?"
She hurries forward, helping him sit upright. "Around three months, Master."
Jingxuan nods faintly and closes his eyes, turning his senses inward.
He can feel the lingering poison traces already neutralized, yet his meridians still tremble with weakness.
"Master, I'll go call Madam and Lord," Xiaoling says.
He gives a slight nod without opening his eyes, focusing instead on feeling the rhythm of his heart and soul.
Moments later, a familiar, trembling voice reaches him. "My son is awake!"
Before he can react, he feels arms wrap tightly around him. "Mother, I'm awake," he says softly. She snivels quietly, refusing to let go until a firm, deep voice sounds from the doorway.
"Yue'er, release your son. He must be hungry."
His mother reluctantly lets him go. Jingxuan looks toward the tall, broad man standing there. "Father."
Xiaoling steps forward with a food tray and sets it on his lap.
His father's stern face softens. "Eat slowly. I've already called Doctor Chen to examine you."
Jingxuan smiles faintly, picks up a piece of food, and places it in his mouth.
The warmth of life spreads faintly through his cold body.