Chapter 2: This Body Is Mine

The mist grew thicker as Yanzhi stepped deeper into the mountains.

The sky above hung heavy, as if holding back a storm yet to break. No birds sang. No leaves rustled. Only silence—too deep to feel natural.

Her steps slowed. There was something in the air.

Something that made her skin crawl.

She didn't know what waited below… but her instincts had started to scream.

As if the very forest was warning her to turn back.

Still, she walked on.

The further Yanzhi descended, the heavier her steps felt. A strange chill crept into her bones. The wind had changed—it now carried whispers she couldn't understand.

She looked back. Nothing.

But her instincts screamed otherwise.

"…We're being watched."

"I know," the voice inside her replied, calm but grim. "The moment you touched the Black Lightning Herb… something awoke. An old aura that once lay sealed in this place."

Yanzhi frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"That herb wasn't just rare medicine. It grew on a battlefield long forgotten. This land… holds more than just spiritual beasts."

Thunder rumbled. Lightning slashed across the sky, revealing jagged trees in sharp silhouette.

And within the blinding flash—a shadow moved.

Yanzhi stopped. Her breath hitched.

A figure in black robes emerged from the mist, walking slowly. The hem of his cloak dragged against the earth, and beneath his hood… glowed two burning crimson eyes.

"Is that… a human?" she whispered.

"No. Not human. And not a spiritual creature, either."

The figure halted several steps away. The air itself seemed to freeze. The world fell silent.

Then, a deep voice echoed—not from the mouth, but from the earth itself.

"You… broke the seal?"

Yanzhi swallowed hard, unable to speak.

"That aura… I know it," the figure said, eyes narrowing. "The ancient spirit from the Southern Sky War. Impossible… you should have vanished long ago."

"Who is he?" Yanzhi asked within her thoughts.

"…An old enemy," the spirit answered darkly. "Someone I fought before losing my memories. I can't remember the full battle… but I know that malice. I'll never forget it."

"Release that power," the black-robed figure commanded. "That body is no longer yours. You are merely a vessel for destruction."

Yanzhi stepped back. "I… I don't understand."

The figure raised his hand. In his palm, a swirl of violet flame gathered—twisting, growing—until it formed a long, spear-shaped weapon forged of dark energy.

"If you won't give it up willingly… then I will rip it from you myself."

Yanzhi's panic surged. "Can we fight him?" she whispered internally.

"If I take control again… perhaps," the spirit said quietly. "But you know the cost. Your body… may not survive."

Lightning cracked through the clouds above.

The spear was hurled.

It tore through the air faster than any mortal eye could follow. The ground quaked. The wind screamed.

But just before it struck—

ZRRRHHH!!

—silver light exploded from Yanzhi's body.

She rose into the air. Her eyes changed—calm, sharp, deadly aware.

Her right hand moved swiftly, fingers splaying in precise motion as a circle of spinning energy formed before her. The temperature dropped sharply. The air trembled.

The spear struck an invisible shield—and shattered into dust.

The black-robed figure paused, then muttered, "So… you've truly awakened."

The spirit—now controlling Yanzhi's body—stared straight at him. "You still carry the stench of the old South. Blood. Hatred. As disgusting as ever."

"Still arrogant, I see."

"I thought we buried you and your army in the Red Valley."

"And now I return… to finish what was left undone."

Yanzhi descended to the ground. Her movements were light—but carried crushing weight. The earth cracked beneath her feet.

"Unfortunately, this body isn't stable. So let's end this quickly," she whispered, then raised two fingers and etched a silver symbol in the air.

The sky above them cracked like glass.

Silver light poured through, forming a massive rotating seal.

The black-robed enemy raised his hands, conjuring a wall of pure shadow.

But the silver light pierced through it like a blade through wax.

BRAAKK!!

A deafening explosion tore through the mountain's side. Dust surged. Trees flew. The earth split.

When the dust settled, the dark figure had been blasted backward. His robes were scorched. He stood—but barely, knees shaking.

"Old spirit… your power hasn't faded."

"But this body cannot last," Yanzhi thought from within—watching everything from behind her own eyes.

"What happens if I can't hold you anymore?"

"…Then the body will collapse. You'll die. And I… will sleep again. Or vanish altogether."

Yanzhi clenched her teeth. "Then why help me now?"

"…Because I hate him more than I hate you."

The figure hissed, retreating step by step. His crimson gaze dimmed.

"We'll meet again… when your body begins to crumble beneath his power."

And then, he vanished—melting back into the mist that crept through the trees.

Yanzhi collapsed, breath ragged, sweat pouring down her skin.

"…I'm alive," she whispered, almost disbelieving.

The voice inside her echoed softly. "For now."

Yanzhi closed her eyes, steadying her breath.

This… was just the beginning.

When the fight ended and the fog began to fade, Yanzhi sat beneath a tree, chest heaving. Her body wasn't just wounded—it was heavy, weighed down by the presence inside her.

"Answer me one thing," she said quietly, voice firm. "How do I get you out of me?"

No answer.

She turned her gaze forward. "You heard me, right? I don't want this. I don't know who you are, and I don't care how strong you are. I just… want to be myself again."

The reply came slowly.

"…I don't know."

Yanzhi's brows furrowed. "You know so much—about spiritual beasts, ancient battlefields, even names I've never heard before. But this one thing… suddenly you don't know?"

"I'm not lying," the spirit murmured. "I truly don't know. Or perhaps… I've forgotten. This bond… was formed under circumstances even I don't fully understand."

Yanzhi stood. Her fists clenched, her breath trembling slightly.

"This body is mine. This life is mine. You may have saved me… but you also stole my freedom."

Silence. Only silence between them.

"I'm going back to Langyun Clan," she said, her voice unwavering. "The elders there… they must know how to remove this bond."

Still no response.

But Yanzhi no longer cared.

She frowned, voice rising with frustration.

"I'm not ready to become the enemy of people I've never even met!

I didn't ask for this! I'm not prepared to face shadows from a past I don't even know!"

She exhaled deeply, trying to calm herself—but the tension remained clear.

"You think I can live peacefully with this constant threat looming over me? I want to be free. Free from you. Free from this curse."

Yanzhi stared blankly ahead, then added with a low, tired voice:

"If there's no way out… then I'll find one myself. I won't be a victim of something I never chose."

The spirit was silent for a while… then finally replied, voice tinged with bitter honesty.

"I understand your fear. I, too, am trapped in this bond. No freer than you are."

Yanzhi didn't respond.

Only silence lingered.

Then, she stood again. Took a deep breath. And walked—each step firm despite the fatigue.

The fog between the trees began to lift, revealing a clear path forward.

Each step brought her closer to Langyun Clan—a place she hoped held the answers.

And maybe… her salvation.

But in her heart, anxiety coiled tight, whispering of dangers still hidden.

Cold wind brushed her face as she entered the trail leading back to the sect—

where secrets waited in silence.

And so did the reckoning.