I had no idea how long the whole process lasted. All I could do was silently endure it—the constant sensation of writhing inside my body. All around me, countless snakes intertwined, slithering back and forth, the endless rustling never ceasing.
"You can open your eyes now."
A voice reached me. I opened my eyes and found myself restored, still lying in the middle of this ruined hall. At that moment, I saw thirteen snakes of all kinds and colors rising up around me, each one staring at me, flicking their tongues, encircling my body.
The Spirit Snake sat quietly in the distance, watching me with a faint smile in its eyes.
"Is it done?"
"Wait a little longer. They're still discussing something right now."
I let out a sound of surprise, looking at the Spirit Snake, then at the thirteen snakes standing beside me. Their eyes were all fixed on me. I could sense now that these things were nothing but pure manifestations of power—how could they possibly have consciousness?
The Spirit Snake smiled.
"That's where you're mistaken, Ethan Zhang. While these things are pure power, there are all sorts of strange things in this world. Just be patient and wait."
I didn't know how much more time passed. I was growing impatient and wanted to get up.
"You can sit up if you want, but don't leave the formation."
I glared at the Spirit Snake.
"Couldn't you have told me earlier?"
After sitting up, I stretched comfortably.
"What are they discussing?"
The Spirit Snake smiled and walked over.
"Of course they're discussing whether or not to give you this power. After all, you're a ghost. Three of them agree, six are against it, and four are still hesitating."
"So if they don't decide, I'm just stuck here?"
"Don't rush, Ethan Zhang. These things just take time. Now four have agreed—one of the six who opposed has switched sides. Just be patient."
I made a sound of acknowledgment. Just then, I noticed someone on the beach, slowly approaching. My eyes widened in surprise as the figure drew nearer, and I stared in astonishment.
"What's wrong, Ethan Zhang? What did you see?"
I pointed at the figure coming closer and closer, my mouth agape. The Spirit Snake followed my gaze.
"There's nothing there, Ethan Zhang. Maybe you've been here too long and are starting to hallucinate."
But I was sure—it was no hallucination. That figure, shrouded in black mist, was someone I'd seen once before. Yet the Spirit Snake couldn't see him at all.
I told the Spirit Snake about that figure. He widened his eyes, peering intently, flicking his tongue—but it seemed he still couldn't see anything.
"Kid, it's our second time meeting, huh? What, training here again?"
After more than two years, I was seeing this guy again.
"And you? What brings you here?"
The guy laughed heartily and sat down next to me, while the Spirit Snake stared at me in bewilderment, suspicion flickering in its eyes.
"I'm not hallucinating. That guy is really right in front of me."
I looked at the figure shrouded in black mist, wondering how he managed to get in here. The Spirit Snake had said that only those of the snake lineage could enter.
"By the way, what are you searching for?"
I asked tentatively. The figure turned toward me, his golden eyes meeting mine.
"I'm not really sure. All I can do is keep walking, keep searching."
"So you're wandering without a purpose?"
"Maybe. But eventually, everything comes to an end. Kid, it's been a long time—you've changed a lot. So, this time, are you planning to claim the power of the Spirit Snake?"
He seemed to understand everything. I asked him about the Thirteen Serpents—what was really going on?
"Well, since ancient times, thirteen has been the emperor's number, symbolizing authority. Right now, they're debating whether to grant you the right to wield the holy spirit's power. That's why it's taking so long—it's like a national congress that never ends."
I made a sound of acknowledgment, growing more and more puzzled about this figure. Who was he, really? Suddenly, I remembered—wasn't there someone similar at the bottom of Lake Desire? But that one showed his face, and he was doing the same thing as this guy, as if it would never end.
That figure was reading a book made of water, with no words in it, while this one kept moving through different spaces, not even sure what he was searching for.
"Alright, kid, I won't bother you anymore. I need to keep moving."
"You just keep wandering without a goal..."
The figure smiled and said,
"There will always be something. As you walk, maybe it'll just appear."
His voice sounded cheerful. He walked past me, while the Spirit Snake remained oblivious. As he got farther away, the figure turned back, a smile in his eyes as he looked at me.
"Hang in there, kid. I have a feeling you'll be even stronger the next time we meet. The things you want can't be rushed—you have to take them one at a time. It's nice to just have someone to talk to."
He was exactly like the figure I'd seen in the Forest of Desire. After just a few steps, I blinked, and he was nothing but a black dot—then he was gone, as if he'd never existed at all.
"How far have their discussions gotten?"
I asked. The Spirit Snake's expression darkened as he continued to watch the Thirteen Serpents.
"What's going on?"
"Wait, all of you."
The Spirit Snake stood up and suddenly moved over, glaring angrily at the Thirteen Serpents.
"What's wrong?"
I asked weakly. The Spirit Snake looked furious.
"Right now, it's six against six. The last one has decided not to grant you the power."
I let out a sound of surprise.
"With such caution, there's no future."
The Spirit Snake spoke sternly, crouching beside the Thirteen Serpents, his face dark.
"So what if he's a ghost? Haven't you considered the possibilities? It's not unrealistic—it's real, something you can see and touch. You're all just a bunch of stubborn old fools! Damn it."
The Spirit Snake roared in anger, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked.
"Forget it. If they're unwilling..."
"No way. We've come all this way."
The Spirit Snake said, then glared furiously at the Thirteen Serpents.
"You bastards."
The Spirit Snake cursed them out, then told me that two of the six who supported me had switched sides. Now the vote was four to nine—my right to use the power had been completely denied.
"Why are you so convinced that the possibilities I've discovered are unrealistic? Why? Are you really going to let this chance slip by?"
The Spirit Snake kept saying things I couldn't fully understand, but all I could do was wait. At that moment, the Thirteen Serpents began to sink into the ground.
"Even if Ethan Zhang has no talent, you can't deny his potential. The one you chose—Fan Xiaoran—sure, he fits your standards. But who caused all this? Isn't it your own mistake?"
In an instant, the Thirteen Serpents, who had been sinking into the ground, stopped. They all raised their heads, staring at the Spirit Snake.
"Fine, since you all say that, I'll show you Ethan Zhang's potential."
"What just happened?"
I asked, and the Spirit Snake's expression softened. Then the Thirteen Serpents emerged again.
"You'll see."
The Spirit Snake spoke firmly, then looked at me.
"Ethan Zhang, they said if you can kill Fan Xiaoran, they'll acknowledge your potential."
I made a sound of acknowledgment, but then thought—there's no way I could beat that guy right now.
"It's not something you have to do immediately. At least they've given you a certain amount of power—not complete, but enough for now."
The Spirit Snake nodded as he spoke. The Thirteen Serpents burrowed into my body and vanished. I stared in surprise as my cloak began to change.
Red markings, like snake scales, appeared on the cloak, though the color was faint. I stood up and looked at the Spirit Snake.
"You can go now, Ethan Zhang."
I made a sound of acknowledgment. The Spirit Snake smiled, its golden-red eyes fixed on me as I glanced around.
"Go? How do I get out of here?"
The Spirit Snake pointed to the sky. I looked up in confusion. Suddenly, the vanished mark on my chest reappeared, glowing with blue light. The Spirit Snake came to my side, grabbed my hand, then transformed into a thin snake and wrapped around my body.
I began to rise slowly into the air. The blue light grew stronger and my consciousness started to blur, then faded away.
Suddenly, I opened my eyes and saw Grandpa Cat, sitting motionless on the ground. I called out softly, and Grandpa Cat opened his eyes, looking tired as he wiped sweat from his forehead.
"It went fairly smoothly, I guess."
Grandpa Cat asked, while the Spirit Snake stood beside me, shaking its head.
"Not exactly smooth, but not too bad either. At least I got the eyes."
I looked around. My body hadn't changed, and my eyes were just as usual. Only now did I notice that, although we were still in Sima Ying's ghost domain, all those others were gone.
"It's already been a week, Ethan Zhang."