SomePurifyingDude grew a wiry smile as he listened to Echo's endless chatter, then said:
"Please stop calling me hubby, lest you give others the wrong impression. And besides, although we aren't from the same Daoist lineage since you left, you're still my senior sister and I'm your junior brother."
Echo replied with a smile,
"Wha-what, is this you finally confessing your true feelings?"
As she was about to continue, the atmosphere chilled. They were in the void, so where did the strange chill come from? SomePurifyingDude's originally warm face tensed in fury and disgust, as if he sensed something that utterly disagreed with his very soul. And there he was.
A brown-haired man in a black suit walked deliberately toward them, hands in his pockets with a faint smile, leaning forward in a slow yet steady manner. The void echoed with "thud, thud" sounds, as if something heavy was hitting a floor. The strange thing was that they were in the void, yet his legs touched a flat surface of dark expanse, and his constantly writhing shadow covered the space around him.
As he walked toward them, the will-o'-the-wisps flickered and faded. A blue aura radiated from SomePurifyingDude and a red aura from Echo, clashing with the dark yellow aura of Dead_Soul. Still, he continued walking with a faint smile before stopping a few feet away, leaning back a bit, and saying
"Hi"
SomePurifyingDude's face looked calm, though the intensity of his aura slapping against Dead_Soul said otherwise. Then he said only a word, the chill in his voice almost freezing the void
"Why"
Dead_Soul, still with a smile on his face, replied in a calm voice:
"The question is not why; in fact, it was never even a question. The problem between us is our clash of ideologies. You believe in purity and relief from suffering for all beings—'The Way of Clear Purity,' Qīngjìng Dào—while I believe all souls should be judged. It's as simple as that. Besides, with the world ending, a lot of people went crazy, and I specifically stayed until the end so they could pay their dues." The moment he said dues, screams rung out from the writhing shadow below him. "Is there anything wrong with that?"
Saying nothing, SomePurifyingDude let his aura recede back into his body, putting his hand in his Daoist robe and looking at the abyss. Echo, still with her usual smile, rolled her eyes
"Are you guys going to continue with this, or do you want Big sis to teach a lesson? And besides, if we waste time here we're going to miss the show."
As she said that, she glanced toward the first plane in the abyss. Her smile grew more pronounced, possibly wanting to laugh,
Dead_Soul and SomePurifyingDude raised their heads to look at the first plane, where Vague Auras was already brimming with force.
..
.
First Heaven, Shadow Slave. A dim moon towered above the sky. Floating islands held by chains crisscrossed the sky, and below them a vast river flowed endlessly, its beginnings and ends unseen. The waters rolled endlessly, and there it was. It had no form, though you could make out a vague humanoid shape.. Its body was constantly shifting as it stood upon the edge of the land, gazing at the seas
Then it turned back and looked ahead. A crow was flying toward it; when the crow reached the island, it turned into a man with black hair, dressed in a black suit with crimson embroidery tracing the lapels and cuffs. The silver raven crest gleamed sharply under the dim moon. He stood there, ran his hands through his hair, and looked at Null.
The two circles in his eyes seemed like headlights, locking fiercely onto him. Then a low, jarring voice came out from the shadows
"Hunter"