Liu Chen stood in absolute silence, watching Zhang Ming slowly collapse under the weight of the spectral spirits that had infiltrated his soul.
Time seemed to pass slowly, as if it had frozen at this critical moment, but Liu was in no rush. He had witnessed this scene many times before.
Some succeeded, but most failed. However, every failure carried a new lesson, a new power to be exploited.
"He won't survive..." Liu muttered to himself, his eyes glinting with a touch of mockery.
"But that doesn't mean I'll let him die so easily."
As Zhang appeared to have completely surrendered, Liu stepped forward.
The time was right for intervention. Although he didn't mind losing Zhang, he knew there were other ways to profit from failure, ways to turn losses into gains.
For Liu, this moment was an opportunity to extract something even more valuable from Zhang.
Liu slowly raised his right hand, channeling a hidden internal power that surged through his body.
He controlled a current of dark spiritual energy that began flowing from within him toward Zhang.
This energy was like black threads weaving through the air, making their way directly toward Zhang's faltering body.
"I'll take over now..." Liu whispered, then directed his energy toward the spirits that had seized Zhang.
He knew he couldn't simply crush or completely control these spirits, but they were weak in the face of someone like him.
His dark energy was like poison to them.
Suddenly, the spirits began retreating, as if they sensed a real danger approaching.
Some disappeared entirely into the darkness, while others hovered cautiously around Zhang's body.
This was precisely what Liu wanted to create chaos among the spirits, giving him a chance to take control.
Zhang, who was breathing heavily, sensed the changes happening within him.
Something was growing inside him, something he hadn't possessed before.
Was it the influence of the spirits? Or was something else at play?
"Liu..." Zhang muttered weakly, trying to comprehend what was happening.
"Silence. Leave it to me now," Liu commanded firmly.
"I'll help you this time, but the price will be steep."
Zhang couldn't reply. He knew he had no choice.
The energy flowing from Liu was unnatural, dark, yet it carried with it a sense of overwhelming power.
He felt as if a greater force was now controlling him, something beyond his understanding.
As Liu continued to control the spectral spirits, Zhang felt something within his soul change. The spirits were trying to possess him, but with each passing moment, he began to feel as though something new was forming within him.
This change was accompanied by a strange feeling of power, but at the same time, it carried a sense of fear.
"What is happening to me?" Zhang wondered inwardly, as the spirits that hadn't retreated began to merge deeper into his soul.
At that moment, he realized that this wasn't the end of his path but a new beginning, an unexpected transformation.
"I feel...powerful. But this isn't my power," Zhang muttered to himself, his eyes half-open, as if he were dreaming.
Liu suddenly stopped channeling his energy toward Zhang.
The right moment had come. He had achieved what he sought.
Instead of the spirits devouring Zhang completely or leaving him broken, Zhang had now become a conduit for these spectral entities, but in a subtle way.
The spirits had become a part of him, but they no longer threatened him as they once had.
"You survived," Liu said in an emotionless tone, stepping back.
"But that doesn't mean you've won. What happened now is only the beginning."
Zhang, barely able to stand, looked at Liu in confusion and astonishment.
"What... what do you mean?"
Liu smirked.
"You've become stronger, but this power is not pure. The spirits that merged with you won't leave you easily. They will remain a part of you and will try to take control of you in the future. If you don't tame them properly, they will consume you in the end."
Zhang couldn't speak. He knew Liu was telling the truth, but at the same time, he could feel the power coursing through his body.
It was immense, but he understood that controlling it wouldn't be easy.
"The path ahead has become more dangerous," Liu said as he turned his back to Zhang.
"But if you can survive this, you may be able to open the Gate of Power."
Liu's words left Zhang frozen in place.
"The Gate of Power?"
Liu slowly turned around, a mysterious smile spreading across his face.
"Yes, the Gate of Power. It's the true key to everything. The power you seek, everything you desire in this world... all of it requires you to find this gate. But it's not something that can be reached easily. It's guarded by ancient laws and spirits far more powerful than the ones you encountered here."
Zhang felt a spark of hope ignite within him. "Where do I find it?"
Liu chuckled quietly.
"That's the challenge. I won't tell you exactly where it is. But the path to it begins now. Every step you take, every decision you make will either bring you closer to or further from this gate."
Despite all the doubts swirling in his mind, Zhang knew this was the path he had to follow.
"I'll find it."
"I hope so," Liu said with a cold smile.
"But remember... power isn't everything. If you can't control yourself, the power will destroy you."
After this encounter, Liu left Zhang alone to face his challenges.
He knew that Zhang had changed now and that he possessed an unstable power within him.
But this was exactly what Liu wanted. If Zhang succeeded in controlling the spirits, he would become a powerful ally.
If he failed, his death would be just another step toward Liu's greater goal.
As for Zhang, he began to think about the next steps. He knew his journey wasn't over yet, but had only just begun.
Everything had become more complicated, and the spirits that once tried to control him had now become a part of him.
…