Olden Days

 "Let's fight one last time, old friend!"

Su Yan smiled slightly, a nostalgic expression on his half-charred face. They were best friends who always began their day with a spar.

Bai Xian Ming looked at his friend in disbelief, blinking a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Su Yan was like a brother to Bai Xian Ming; he knew him inside and out. If Bai Xian Ming had to describe his best friend in three words, he would choose 'righteous', 'upright', and 'benevolent'.

However, he couldn't understand how Su Yan had turned into a monster. Even though Su Yan had told him not to feel guilty, it only deepened his sense of guilt. If only he had not made that foolish decision ten years ago, Su Yan would still be alive and enjoying his retirement with his family.

Su Yan seemed to anticipate this and let out a sigh.

"Do you want to know what happened to me back then?" Su Yan asked in a flat tone.

Bai Xian Ming was certainly curious and wanted to know what had happened to him and Shi Zhongxian. Bai Xian Ming took full responsibility for the loss of the two emperor-class heroes, even though no one else blamed him.

He had dedicated his life to the Hero League, increasing the heroes' power to eliminate the dangers in the north.

However, his best friend had returned, not as an ally, but as an adversary. Bai Xian Ming was eager to learn what had happened to his closest companion. If the secret operation was the cause of his best friend's change, he was willing to redeem himself with his life.

Seeing the eager expression on Bai Xian Ming's face, Su Yan spoke up.

"Back then, Shi Zhongxian and I fought three Zombie Kings with all our might. However, the Zombie Kings were too powerful and subdued us within ten minutes!"

Bai Xian Ming noticed the keyword in Su Yan's statement: 'subdue'. The zombie kings did not kill their captives but instead kept them alive.

Shi Zhongxian was also still alive, but his happiness was short-lived as he saw his best friend.

If Su Yan had turned into a specter, then Shi Zhongxian would have suffered the same fate.

Su Yan seemed to read his best friend's thoughts and added, "Shi Zhongxian committed suicide after he saw what Zombie King did to me! He refused to become a monster like me and committed suicide!"

"Look at this," Su Yan said, taking out the Seed from his cloak and showing it to Bai Xian Ming, "As soon as this seed enters a human's body, they will become a specter like me!"

"You may be wondering why I turned against humanity. As I mentioned earlier, I am no longer human." The moment my body contorted in this way, everything changed, including my emotions! It's as if I am being reborn!"

As he spoke, he gazed at the fallen heroes and added, "Seeing these heroes fall, I not only feel sadness but also joy! Since I became a specter, everything about me has changed!"

"If you wish to stop me, you must fight and kill me!"

"Furthermore, if you defeat me, I will reveal a significant secret about the Shadow Fang. However, the Shadow Fang is merely an empty shell. There is a terrifying force behind it.

Let us fight for the last time, old friend, and please kill me. This is the only way to stop me and allow me to rest in peace."

After Su Yan finished speaking, a long white bone protruded from his back. Su Yan extracted the bone with his right hand.

Upon contact, it turned pitch-black. Bai Xian Ming observed that the two-meter-long bone resembled a spear.

He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his own spear. As Su Yan had warned, he had to fight to stop his best friend.

Bai Xian Ming noticed a change in Su Yan's expression as he raised his spear. Su Yan warned him with a smile, 'Be careful, Old Friend! The current me is different from the old me!'

Su Yan's body then merged into his shadow and caught Bai Xian Ming off guard. Despite this, he was still able to see the shadow rushing towards him. Suddenly, the shadow appeared in front of him and a black spear emerged from it.

The spear was aimed at his chest, but it was quickly frozen by ice. The ice continued to spread over the spear and Su Yan's voice could be heard from the shadow, 'You have become stronger, my old friend!

However, you must be careful!' The specter's physical strength surpasses that of a human body.

With a cracking sound, Su Yan pulled back the bone spear as the shadow turned towards Bai Xian Ming's back.

Su Yan emerged from the

shadow and thrust the spear forward, causing it to blur. Bai Xian Ming held only one spear, but it produced dozens of afterimages.

He turned around and spun the spear in his hand, creating a series of metallic clashes.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As he did so, his eyes widened and he muttered in a low voice, "...hundred".

He distanced himself and looked down at his shoulder. He had failed to block two out of a hundred spears, resulting in two deep wounds.

His wrinkled hands trembled slightly as he looked up, shock written on his face.

Bai Xian Ming exclaimed, "Finally, you have achieved your dream of striking with a hundred spears in one go!"

"Hahaha" Su Yan laughed heartily, but then his expression turned sad. "It's thanks to this body, If it were my old body..."

Bai Xian Ming smiled, unaffected by his old friend's dejection."He felt like he was back in the old days, but he knew he wasn't."

Bai Xian Ming approached Su Yan with a smile, eager to show something new.

Su Yan did not hide in his shadow this time. He was ready to face his Old Friend's attack directly.

To his surprise, Bai Xian Ming threw his spear at him halfway through, but his aim was off.

Su Yan remained still as Bai Xian Ming's spear landed beside him, causing him to be shocked as ice burst out from the weapon.

The ice quickly spread and covered the ground, reaching Su Yan's feet. Before he could break free from the ice, Bai Xian Ming's hands landed on his shoulder.

Bai Xian Ming smiled at him and said, 'Old friend, rest up!

I swear I will find a way to turn you back into a human!' Su Yan's body was frozen by the ice that spread from his words. Bai Xian Ming's body was also covered in ice and both were sealed within it. 

Soon after, cracks appeared on Bai Xian Ming's body. The ice cracked. Soon, it crumbled, and Bai Xian Ming was freed.

Bai Xian Ming looked at Su Yan's face with a complicated gaze. His plan was to seal his old friend in the ice and find a way to turn him back into a human.

Hahhhh!

He released a long sigh before turning around to attend to the other specters.

As he took his third step, the ice beneath him crumbled, and he found himself facing a black spear aimed at his head.

Su Yan's familiar voice rang out just as he heard it. "Old friend! You're too careless! Never show your back to your enemy! It could cost you your life!"

The spearhead was only 20 centimeters away from his head.

Death!

Bai Xian Ming thought as he was facing the spear.