Chapter 134: Erased Time, Endless Human Shadows

"Zhang Dong!"

At this moment Zhang Hao was also erased; fortunately, thanks to the sheer number of his clones, the blow, though terrifying, still left many clones remaining.

Zhang Hao returned via a clone that had Restarted, and looking at the street that had turned completely blank, he couldn't help feeling astonished.

He even felt an unconscious urge to swallow a mouthful of saliva, but as a ghost he had no saliva at all.

Staring at the horrific scene, Zhang Hao hurriedly derived a clone entity.

He intended to use the same method he had just employed against Luo Qian to wear down Zhang Dong to death.

"Not dead yet?"

Inside the bus, an elderly man slowly stepped out.

The old man was very aged, yet exuded an extreme, overwhelming confidence.

If the head of Da Hai City's Supernatural Forum, Death Substitute Ghost Ye Zhen, could see this old man.

Perhaps merely because of a movement, an expression, and a gaze when he alighted, it could inspire reverence in him. He is an exceptionally unique man.

Facing the other Seven Elders, Zhang Hao could still roughly gauge their abilities by using Human Skin paper.

Yet when confronting the future in which this old man appears, Zhang Hao could see only terror.

It was as if Precognition was completely ineffective against him.

Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the foretold outcome was brutally erased by some incomprehensible ghostly power.

After the old man stepped off the bus, another elderly man carrying a medicine box soon emerged from the carriage.

Both elders exuded an extremely terrifying aura.

However, upon careful judgment, the first elder who stepped out was even more terrifying.

The old man's appearance caused the other elders present to halt their actions and turn their heads toward him.

Even Qin Lao, who was far away battling the Ghost Bride and the Dried Corpse Bride, stopped his movements at that moment.

"Finally going to make a move?"

If the current clash between these elders and Zhang Hao is a terrifying war.

Then the elder who just stepped out of the bus is undoubtedly the ever‑victorious general with the greatest prestige and martial strength.

The elder's arrival, even though he merely stepped off the bus, altered the situation and atmosphere on the scene.

The several elders, whose morale had been low due to earlier defeat, visibly lifted at that moment.

And Zhang Hao, who had been ignoring the other elders to focus on devouring Meng Xiaodong, after being Erased and Restarted, stopped his actions and simply stared quietly at the emerging elder.

Even the emotionless Fierce Ghost seemed, at that moment, to sense the cold and solidified atmosphere.

"Come back!"

Zhang Hao murmured softly, and the next instant the Ghost Bride and the Dried Corpse Bride returned to his side.

After the two brides returned, Zhang Hao did not let them stay here, but let them enter the world within the painting.

Previously, when dealing with Qin Lao, the two brides could rely on Infinite Derivation to fight, but now Zhang Dong has appeared.

If they were Erased by Zhang Dong, Zhang Hao would have no way to pull them back; who knows how long a battle with Zhang Dong would last.

Zhang Dong glanced at Zhang Hao, gave no indication about his actions, and slowly walked toward this side.

Meanwhile, the densely packed Meng Xiaodong, Luo Qian, and even Qin Lao all proactively cleared a path.

"Things that should not exist in this world ought to disappear from it."

Zhang Dong's expression remained calm as he looked at each Zhang Hao in the city, took a deep breath, and then his Palm twitched slightly.

In that instant, Zhang Hao sensed the dreadful danger and, with almost no hesitation, used Ghost Domain, Ghost Lake, and Gaze to envelop himself.

Simultaneously, his own form became ethereal and entered the world of his memories.

The countless Zhang Haos emerged, standing before Zhang Hao, prepared to use their bodies as the main form to stubbornly withstand the attack.

In front of Zhang Hao, countless ghostly powers belonging to him were unleashed.

Moreover, as Zhang Hao spread his fingers, although he and Zhang Dong were only dozens of meters apart, at that moment the distance seemed to expand by millions of times.

An eerie Cry echoed through the expanded space, and strips of White Curtain, like shrouds, fell from mid‑air and hung over the street.

At the same time, an indescribably strange ghostly power descended, and with Zhang Hao's gaze, the infinitely long derived road seemed cloaked in darkness.

In the middle of the road, countless pitch‑black paths with no visible end, whose destination was unknown, linked to this street.

At this moment, this road was both a road that had branched into countless others and a road whose distance had been stretched millions of times.

At the same time, it was also a road leading to the past and the future; if one could reach the end of any of these paths, one might follow it into a particular future or past.

On the road, each Zhang Hao stood there, each hailing from the past or future, appearing on this road in some incomprehensibly tiny unit of time.

This time unit was shorter than a second familiar to ordinary people, even shorter than the smallest observable interval, the attosecond (one hundred quadrillionth of a second).

It is a time unit beyond comprehension, even the theoretical Planck time cannot be much longer than this interval.

Seeing this scene, Meng Xiaodong's eyes showed surprise.

The ghost that had just fought him hadn't yet employed all its tactics.

If, when confronting her, one used this ability that can expand space countless times, even Meng Xiaodong's Ghost's Invasion would not be easy.

"This thing derives too quickly; after consuming part of Xiaodong's ghostly power, it can invade from past and future into the present. My burial speed can't match its derivation speed."

Luo Qian looked at the overlapping youthful phantoms and said calmly.

If it were only the normal Six‑Tenths of the Ghostly Power, it would be manageable; though troublesome, he could barely keep up, albeit at great personal cost.

The problem is that after this thing consumes part of Meng Xiaodong's ghostly power, each derived entity differs little from the original, so Luo Qian's burial would take a long time.

Using this space‑expanding ability now makes burying his Grave Soil even more troublesome.

Fortunately Zhang Dong appeared at this moment; otherwise he would have been worn out to death here.

Zhang Dong's aged Palm rose, as if brushing away the filth before his eyes.

On that infinitely derived, infinitely extended road, all Zhang Haos from the past and future were being Erased at an incomprehensible speed.

If we say that the Zhang Hao appearing on the Road now is a sheet of paper folded innumerable times, we cannot grasp how many of him there are.

Zhang Dong's wave this time is like a laser that can pierce everything; the paper passes from its first folded side to the last.

"So this is Erase? Indeed a being that transcends the ages."

Zhang Hao felt a change within himself and muttered softly.

The paranormal of Zhang Dong's Erase is beyond doubt; that Erase is absolute, targeting every temporal node of Zhang Hao.

Fortunately, the paranormal on Zhang Hao is also strong enough; the stacked paranormal infinitely prolongs the incoming assault, though it cannot withstand this Erase.

Yet he was not suppressed at the instant of Erase, unlike ordinary Fierce Ghosts that are suppressed into a complete Dead Machine state.

"At least now I can proceed step by step; I have some resistance to Erase."

Zhang Hao cannot block Erase, but clearly he is not entirely powerless.

After being targeted by Zhang Dong, he did not lose consciousness immediately, proving he can resist this Erase to some degree.

However, that resistance is very weak.

"This ghost thing can actually reach this level."

Luo Qian stared at the past and future of Zhang Hao that were being erased, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Facing Zhang Dong's Erase, he has no way to resist.

Don't think that after Zhang Dong revived, Yang Jian and others escaped using a Hong Bai Shuang Sha balloon, which makes this Erase seem very flawed.

Don't forget, at that time Zhang Dong was the dead Zhang Dong; under his own arrangement, the dead him would only act according to the Killing Rule.

If it were Zhang Dong himself, distance would not trouble him in the attack.

The reason Erase can Suppress Fierce Ghosts, turning them into a Dead Machine instantly like an ordinary object.

Because it fundamentally erases all possibilities of your revival at the past, present, and future temporal nodes.

Even time can catch up; how can a slight distance or a Ghost Domain affect such an assault? Of course, everything has limits; even an erased Fierce Ghost, if it stays away from Zhang Dong for a long time, will revive, after all ghosts are immortal.

Although Zhang Hao seemed to contemplate many things in that instant.

In reality, the time Zhang Hao was erased had not lasted long.

It was only a few seconds; this Road that spans time, representing past, present, and future, was completely erased.

The uncanny city at this moment regained its normal colors, because some colors that had faded due to inexplicable paranormal causes returned.

"Is it over? Big brother, are you okay?" Meng Xiaodong looked at Zhang Dong, concern in his eyes.

"Hey hey hey, Xiao Dong, you're being biased now; just now I was almost hit by a revived Fierce Ghost, and you didn't even ask if I'm okay?"

Perhaps feeling that the great enemy was eliminated, Luo Qian relaxed considerably; a faint smile appeared on his stern face as he teased Meng Xiaodong.

"Anyway, when you get into trouble, big brother can immediately Sealing you, causing no danger."

Meng Xiaodong gave Luo Qian a glance, his words calm and slightly casual.

"Hehe, it's been a long time since we gathered; everyone looks so spirited."

Zhang Baihua stepped out of the car, a packet of medicine in his hand. "Lao Luo, need to replenish your health?"

"Don't actually revive halfway later; then we half‑dead old guys would have to arrange your funeral in advance."

"Uh…" Luo Qian's old face hardened, glaring at Zhang Baihua.

"Don't rush; that thing is stranger than I imagined, it hasn't completely entered a Dead Machine state."

Zhang Dong watched his friends chat and laugh, yet no relaxation showed on his face.

Hearing that, the previously relaxed expressions of the elders withdrew, becoming solemn.

Having survived an Erase without becoming a Dead Machine, it truly is troublesome.

As expected, shortly after Luo Qian finished speaking, a coffin abruptly appeared on the street.

The coffin was dim gray and somewhat ethereal; as it manifested, the street's colors began to fade.

The coffin seemed to have invaded from some incomprehensible place; the dim, ethereal coffin, along with everything around it fading, solidified and truly appeared in reality.

"Is this a part of my paranormal that has invaded the present from some unknown place or time?"

Meng Xiaodong stared at the dim, faded coffin in astonishment and vigilance.

"And the coffin's paranormal; it replaced some unknown thing and returned to reality," Luo Qian added.

"It should be that source‑less ghost causing it, and also that lake of Taiping Ancient Town," Qin Lao said, staring at Zhang Hao.

Because he can converse with the future, Qin Lao understands many things.

After all, conversing with the future is essentially conversing with the past, only the titles differ across times.

The next moment, the coffin's lid abruptly opened, and a youth stepped out from the darkness.

"As expected of you, you almost completely erased all my past and future."

"But unfortunately, even if you erased my connection to past and future, there is still too much of me in the present."

Zhang Hao had previously been on the brink of being completely erased and suppressed.

However, because he caused S-level Paranormal Events in two cities of this world, too many people remember him.

Zhang Dong's Erase covers past, future, and present, yet he seems unable to erase people's memories.

Perhaps the true Zhang Dong could achieve this, but at least this time, ordinary people's deep memories still contain content about Zhang Hao.

Zhang Hao restarts from people's past memories, even though Zhang Dong has cut his link to the present.

Yet Zhang Hao will not get lost in the past like Shen Lin, because he possesses Meng Xiaodong's paranormal, allowing him to invade from past memories back to the present.

"Sure enough, a ghost thing from beyond the world."

Zhang Dong showed little expression, merely watching Zhang Hao quietly, as if seeing why he wasn't truly erased.

"But this time, do you think you can still resist?"

Zhang Dong said coldly, then tried to wave again.

Zhang Hao, however, this time did not choose to fight back hard.

Even if his replication speed is extremely fast, he cannot, in a short time, generate as many clones as before to help himself fend off Zhang Dong's assault.

When Zhang Dong's Erase occurred earlier, there were too many overlapping Zhang Hao, which prevented the dispersal of the paranormal.

This time, lacking enough clones to aid in dispersing the paranormal, Zhang Dong could still have erased the ordinary person's memories that belong to Zhang Hao.

Facing the waving Zhang Dong, Zhang Hao's form was enveloped by a hazy veil of paper ash and disappeared from the street.

"He actually got away?" Zhang Baihua stared at the vanished Zhang Hao with a hint of surprise.

He still thought that after this ghost blocked Zhang Dong's assault, it would choose to keep fighting Zhang Dong.

"This thing has growth potential; it likely wants to leave here and devour more Fierce Ghosts."

"Chase!"

Zhang Dong said to the crowd.

On the other side, Zhang Hao at this moment left that Ghostly City.

That place harbored some unknown paranormal isolation, which had a certain effect on Zhang Hao's spreading of Ghost Domain and Ghost Devouring.

This time, he intends to define the battlefield as the entire world.

Only then can he maximize the use of his advantage.

Just now, using the Ghost Bride's Ghost Domain to return to Dachang City, strange youths began to emerge around the whole city.

The youths that emerged spoke not a word, had no speech, yet each seemed to know exactly what their goal was.

They left the city like a swarm of locusts passing through, departing in all directions.

Whenever these youths passed a place, it turned into a colorless black-and-white city, where the Fierce Ghosts inside vanished without a trace.

As the youths spread, the aura around Zhang Hao grew terrifying.

City after city turned black-and-white due to the youths' spread, and this expanding trend even crossed the nation's borders toward other countries.

The colorful world at this moment seemed to be soaked by an incomprehensible black-and-white ink, stripping away its colors.

Bang!

At that moment, a bus pierced the black-and-white expanse of Ghost Domain and arrived at Dachang City.

"Did you escape into reality?"

Luo Qian stared at everything around, his complexion inevitably turning a bit sour.

Their pursuit speed was already rapid; Zhang Hao's front foot had just moved, and their rear foot caught up.

Yet with less than a minute's gap, this ghost had already affected so many cities.

The arrival of several elders did not cause any change in Zhang Hao's attitude.

"Not escaping? Do you think moving to another place will let you resist?"

Zhang Dong stepped off the bus and gave Zhang Hao a sudden wave.

The incomprehensible paranormal once again erased the Zhang Hao before them, and the long street regained its color.

However, this colorless city did not return to normal; aside from the colorful patch that appeared due to the Erase, the rest remained black-and-white.

Under the astonished gazes of the elders, the colorful patch that had just been erased turned gray-white at this moment, as if the colors were being devoured again.

"What's happening?"

Meng Xiaodong, with confusion, looked at Zhang Dong in surprise.

In her understanding, it was because no paranormal could yet achieve this level.

"After that thing left that county town, the paranormal grew stronger."

Zhang Dong, hands behind his back, surveyed the buildings around the city left and right.

"Here it comes!"

Qin Lao's expression grew solemn as he looked toward the city's tallest building, Shangtong Building.

On the top floor of the building, a pale figure dressed in Funeral Clothes, holding a White Bone Club, stood there.

The man's appearance caused grayish paper ash to begin falling over the city sky, with many burning Paper Money already aloft.

The emergence of the Funeral Clothes man was like a signal.

From the city's streets and buildings, one after another, pale‑faced, eerily expressioned people emerged.

At the same time, on the rivers, mirrors, and glass of Dachang City, bizarre silhouettes appeared, walking from incomprehensible places into reality.

At the city's outskirts, figures dressed in red, cloaked with Veils, exuding a terrifying aura, appeared.

However, beneath those red garments, each bore a swollen belly, as if pregnant.

(End of Chapter)