Inside the Cosmos Gate.
The sound of something similar to a small campfire being smothered by a bucket of cold water could be heard along with worried grunts and jovial laughter.
"Let go of me, brat!" Jack shouted in a hoarse voice as he activated one of his spirit skills called Spectral Dread.
"Let you go? Don't be such a killjoy and let's dance together Mr. Ghost!" Bai Zemin laughed nonchalantly as the Spiritual Earring in his left ear let out a faint white glow that immediately denied the spiritual attack from Jack.
"Why the hell isn't it working!" Jack began to panic as he realized that his spiritual attacks weren't working and he didn't know the reason why such a thing was happening.
After all, Bai Zemin had positioned his head in such a way that it would be impossible for Jack to understand that it was all due to the earring in his left ear!
Jack's status and race were indeed a ghost. But what was a ghost? A ghost was basically something similar to the soul of a person or any other creature that did not possess a fleshly body to contain it.
Not possessing a fleshly body, it was obvious that Jack's physical stats were not at all high in comparison to existences of the same Order and level but of different races. However, as a sort of bonus to balance such a disadvantage, the soul of Jack, as well as the soul or spirit of all ghosts, was usually more powerful than that of those who did have a fleshly body.
While it was impossible to compare since Jack did not have access to his status window because the Soul Record had abandoned the Oblon World and all the natives of that world, his Mana and Magic were significantly higher than those of a flesh-bodied existence of the same level and at the same evolutionary stage.
This was because every time Jack absorbed the energy contained within a Soul Stone, unlike what happened when a fleshly-bodied existence absorbed the Soul Power of another being, Jack's soul absorbed all of it in its entirety without having to share with a fleshly body since he did not possess one.
Another great advantage was that the effect of physical attacks was tremendously weakened in beings like Jack. Of course, everything that had advantages also had its disadvantages and as in the previous case, this time was no exception.
Jack, like all ghosts and similar races, had a fatal disadvantage and this was that by not possessing a fleshly body to protect the soul, magical attacks deal more damage than they should; this was especially true for attacks that contained large amounts of energy similar to fire and lightning.
"Damn!!!" Jack shouted anxiously and activated a spiritual spell for the third time.
However, not to the surprise of Ghost Emperor Jack, the stubborn human who clung to him tenaciously still continued laughing unconcerned about the fact that his life was ending!
Never in his 7000+ years of life had Ghost Emperor Jack felt as humiliated as he did now. Not only was he being held back by a First Order existence but he was slowly but surely receiving wounds that hurt like hell!
Jack knew that he could not underestimate the existence on the other side of the Cosmos Gate even before he jumped inside as it was impossible for someone normal to launch terrifying attacks of such magnitude and even leave the proud but powerful Thannath in such a miserable state. However, it was impossible for someone like Jack not to feel some disdain and ridicule toward a First Order existence; it was completely natural.
Jack's confidence only shot up even more when he saw how easily he critically wounded the young human already in poor condition. However, just as Lilith had told Bai Zemin to exhaustion; overconfidence was usually the reason why great ones fell at the hands of small roles.
The power of the Endless Blue Lotus Flame was beyond the power that a normal Third Order flame could show to the world. The specialty of the little blue flame that had formed a Soul Contract with Bai Zemin was to spread out and burn forever using the smallest amount of Soul Power possible. Therefore, now that the little flame could sense through the contract between the two of them that its master had already surrendered to life, it did not hesitate to burn in all its splendor without worrying at all about consumption.
"Argh!!!"
Jack roared in pain.
It hurt! It hurt so much that it was unimaginable! Even if the wounds and the speed at which he was being injured weren't a short-term threat, the pain of having his soul incinerated was simply unbearable! Unbearable to the point where even someone like Jack who had already experienced countless hardships couldn't control his voice at all!
The current Jack was not too different from a fish out of the sea waiting to be dried by the sun.
If Jack tried to shake Bai Zemin's body, considering that the latter was clinging on viciously and with no intention of letting go even in death, Jack would fall into the void; If Jack tried to run back towards Oblon World, it was highly likely that he would fall since not only could Jack not look down or look back but the gray path was currently much smaller than before; To top it all off, the spiritual attacks of Jack were useless and his physical attacks had been denied as his limbs were tightly sealed inside Bai Zemin's body.
"In any other circumstances, as much as it pains me to admit it, I wouldn't be able to do anything in front of you, Mr. Ghost." Bai Zemin said indifferently after he stopped laughing.
The current Bai Zemin was nervous but not because of his certain death; he was nervous because of the fact that the three uses of the Spiritual Earring had been expended…. Then, if Ghost Emperor Jack used some powerful spiritual attack again, Bai Zemin was not at all confident that he could stand his ground like now.
Therefore, he could only try to buy time until the gray road beneath his feet became thin enough for both him and Jack to fall into the void after the Cosmos Gate closed.
Bai Zemin ignored his wounds which were only getting worse as the seconds passed and his enemy's attempts to pull his limbs out of the bloody holes in his chest and abdomen as he continued speaking with bone-chilling calm:
"However, in this kind of circumstance, if you want my life then you will have to surrender yours as the price of payment. There is nowhere to run here and in 20 seconds at most both you and I will be sealed in this separate space before falling off the edge of the cliff and being torn apart by the lightning beyond the magical barrier."
Jack took a deep breath and as he fought through the pain he did his best to calm himself, something that considering his age and experience he managed to do after not long but still precious seconds subtracted from the countdown that went lower and lower:
"Human, I have a deal for you."
"A deal?" Bai Zemin pretended to think for a moment before saying in a serious voice, "Tell me what you have in mind."
Jack watched as the rift leading to the other world had shrunk to about half of what it was when he stepped into the space corridor so he spoke hurriedly not wanting to waste a single second more:
"You and I have no death hatred and the only reason I pursued you was because the flames you left behind were a threat to the ghost race. My offer is that both you and I can step back and return to our respective worlds. I can sense that in your waist pouch you have a potion that can recover your fatal injuries with no problem. What do you think?"
"Mmm…." Bai Zemin scoffed in his heart but on the surface he seemed to be thinking seriously.
Jack might be an old monster but Bai Zemin was not a 3-year old nor was he mentally retarded. He was sure that if he released Jack, he would immediately be broken into pieces by the Ghost Emperor.
All the First Order existences that Bai Zemin had met on Earth were proud since they were basically the peak of mankind. In that case, it didn't take a genius to understand that a Fourth Order being like the one in front of him would be tremendously proud and arrogant considering his power; moreover, even though Bai Zemin didn't know who Jack was or what his rank was within his race, he definitely shouldn't be much lower than the emperor of the asura race…. In fact, judging by how Jack referred to the asura emperor as "Thannath", Bai Zemin judged that the being he was facing was the emperor of the ghost race.
How could an emperor like Jack allow a disgraceful First Order existence that had humiliated him and caused him so much pain to escape? Bai Zemin was 100% certain that his body would be shattered the first instant Jack found the ability to move his limbs.
"About that… That's a tempting offer…"
Jack began to grow impatient as Bai Zemin continued to drag things out.
One wanted to live while the other had already given up on life.
Even a small mouse could take a ferocious bite out of a cat if it was cornered; this was what Jack was experiencing now that Bai Zemin had made up his mind to die and take his enemy with him to the grave.
Rumble…
Suddenly, space began to rumble fiercely and the gray road made of some kind of special energy began to waver in such a way that Bai Zemin and Jack could no longer stand steady.
After about ten seconds passed and as they felt the space around them begin to collapse, how could Jack not notice Bai Zemin's thoughts?
"Damn human! I swear on my ancestors that if I manage to escape from here alive I will destroy your world until there is nothing left of it!" roared the Ghost Emperor as he struggled to free himself while trying his best not to fall.
"Hahahahahaha! Well, let's see you escape from this one then!" Bai Zemin laughed out loud as he tried to pull himself and Jack to fall towards the abyss.
One who was straining for balance and the other who was trying to break that balance.
One was struggling to survive while the other was doing everything he could to die.
Bai Zemin was prepared to die, but he could not deny that in his heart he felt bitter. After all, everything else aside, he was only 20 years old.
What 20-year-old with a seemingly limitless future would wish for death? Probably none. Bai Zemin didn't want to die either, but circumstances didn't leave him much choice to cling to.
RumMBLE…
Space shook harder and harder and finally, a part of the magic barrier protecting the gray corridor collapsed, letting the white lightning bolts lash part of the energy road and like piranhas began to devour it rapidly.
"Damn, at least this senior gave his first kiss recently, or else I'd really have to chase you even if I turn into a ghost…. Eh? That's not right. You're a ghost and you're dying too HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Bai Zemin laughed on the verge of insanity.
"BASTARD!" Jack continued to struggle amidst the embracing pain and fear flashing in his pupils.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, another change happened without warning.
A black portal appeared right behind Jack and with lightning speed, a golden spear with crimson engravings shot out from its interior.
Neither Ghost Emperor Jack nor Bai Zemin had time to react before their bodies were impaled by the weapon that came seemingly out of nowhere.
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