Chapter Thirty-Two: The Fusion of Demon and Ghostly Power

Suddenly.

From within the building, a bestial roar echoed, drawing the attention of some of the new recruits. Yet, as the hall was small and shrouded in gloom, with a heavy iron gate blocking the view ahead, none could discern exactly where the sound had come from.

The appointed hour approached.

At last, all the recruits had assembled.

Du Huaishan counted—there were about fifty people present. By his reckoning, those new to the 173rd class who brought a guardian spirit with them made up roughly three percent of the incoming cohort.

The two female recruits who had stood out during the afternoon’s balance test, one with her hair in a bun and the other with cropped hair, were also among them.

At precisely half past six, the heavy steps of military boots rang out.

Four soldiers, clad in yellowish cotton armor studded with bronze, sabers at their sides and Ma rifles slung across their backs, emerged from the interior and approached the iron gate, keys in hand, ready to unlock it.

It was the first time Du Huaishan had seen fully armed soldiers inside the military academy.

"173rd class recruits, step inside," the lead armored soldier called, swinging the gate open.

One by one, they filed in.

Beyond the iron bars lay a narrow concrete corridor. At the end, there were two rusted iron doors, one on each side.

Was this not the very image of an interrogation prison from a spy film?

"Male recruits to the room on the left, female recruits to the right!"

Following the lead soldier’s instructions, the recruits separated without protest.

As it turned out, this place was far stricter than Du Huaishan had imagined. The so-called rooms were actually security checkpoints; not only were they required to strip off their clothing, but their bodies were thoroughly inspected as well.

Once everyone had passed the checks, the lead soldier guided them to a staircase descending underground.

The air in the basement was damp and cold. The smell of mildew struck Du Huaishan first. There were no windows—only the dim glow of tungsten bulbs illuminated the vast, grayish-blue concrete chambers lining the hall.

"Roar!"

"I can't take it anymore..."

The beastly roar they had heard earlier resounded once more, this time mingled with the anguished screams of a human.

Many of the new recruits felt their hearts pound in unease.

Du Huaishan himself could not tell whether they were here for training or punishment. Before he could dwell on it further, Chang Sui’an’s deep voice rumbled, “Leave it to me.”

The lead soldier straightened, saluted, and then departed with his team.

"Follow me."

Clad in military uniform, Chang Sui’an led them into one of the iron-doored chambers. The space inside was immense, but at its center stood over a hundred iron chairs, each fitted with black cables and restraints—a chilling sight.

Surely they weren't truly to be tortured, were they?

Once all the recruits had lined up, Chang Sui’an nodded and spoke. “What I am about to explain is the core of the Yingzhou Army Academy’s training: the Power of the Demon Spirit!”

Finally, the moment they had been waiting for.

The recruits focused with all their might.

“I trust that Instructor Lin covered the basics of demon spirits in this morning’s theory class. In the 467th year of the Chiyu calendar, humanity first discovered the soul of the demon spirit, or the energy core of the demon spirit. Upon initial parasitization, it exists independently in our minds in a non-physical state, extending our life and strengthening our bodies. Every nation has a different term for this: guardian spirit, demon avatar, devil’s double, shikigami, and so on.”

“As far as we know, even once a demon spirit becomes a guardian spirit, it retains independent consciousness. We cannot control it directly, nor can it control us. The only way to wield the power of the demon spirit is to fuse with the guardian spirit. The demon’s energy floods the heart, triggering the transformation into a demonized state.”

“During this state, strength, speed, reflexes, muscle, bone—all physical attributes increase manifold, as does recovery, but the body will also undergo mutations. The demon’s energy will attempt to disturb your mind. You may hear all manner of eerie noises, your temperament may grow irritable and violent. The higher the degree of fusion, the stronger these effects will become—until you collapse under the strain and lose consciousness.”

As all these recruits had already completed the initial spirit fusion, Chang Sui’an skipped the basics and spoke directly on the application of the demon spirit’s power.

"The limits depend on the tenacity of your mind and your baseline physical condition. This is precisely why the academy emphasizes constant physical training. We measure the degree of fusion with demon spirit power on a scale of one to one hundred. Every ten steps, you reach a relative threshold, breaking through which awakens a special ability in your guardian spirit."

"But you must never let the fusion exceed half—fifty percent is called the absolute threshold. Relative thresholds can be surpassed with will and body, but the absolute threshold must never, ever be crossed!"

Chang Sui’an’s final words carried a weight meant to warn the recruits.

Many held their breath.

They had all experienced the terror of their first fusion; if one were to cross the absolute threshold, the demon’s energy would consume them completely, transforming them into monsters.

“In the early days of humanity’s contact with demon spirits, the rules were unclear and many such disasters occurred—those who were assimilated by the demon’s power. These assimilated ones retained human intelligence but lost the ability to control their cannibalistic urges. They did not possess the demon’s immortality, but could grow endlessly through feeding—extremely dangerous!”

“Fortunately, after generations of research, humanity has mastered the use and enhancement of demon spirit power. Every nation now has its own methods. Here in the Yingzhou Army, we have our unique training techniques as well.”

As Chang Sui’an spoke, the sound of wheels rolling echoed from outside.

Several soldiers in uniform, white masks over their faces, entered pushing a cart.

The cart was draped in a white cloth.

The soldiers pulled back the cloth to reveal a heavy iron chest, secured by a rectangular metal lock.

After the lock was opened, dozens of glass vials filled with a red, translucent liquid were revealed inside.

“This is a blended energy solution extracted from red marrow—an exclusive formula of the Yingzhou Army. Consuming it will greatly increase your fusion with your demon spirit. It is extremely precious. During your training, you will each receive one vial per week. Combined with electric stimulation, your fusion threshold will be continuously pushed higher in the demonized state. Now, each of you choose a chair and take your seat!”

My goodness, so it really was a form of punishment!

No wonder they’d heard so many screams on the way in.

Du Huaishan sat down next to Guo Tingyu.

The electric chair was icy cold, with a strong metallic sheen, unmarred by the slightest scratch. It was likely forged from red marrow steel; ordinary metal would never withstand the destructive power of a demonized recruit.

Soon, the masked soldiers began distributing the energy vials one by one.

After drinking, the recruits were cuffed at the wrists and ankles and fitted with helmets.

When it was Du Huaishan’s turn, a soldier with thick eyebrows handed him a vial. He opened it and sniffed—a faint, bloody tang lingered. He swallowed it in one gulp; it tasted of nothing.

But soon after the liquid hit his stomach, a wave of heat surged through him, racing along his veins straight to his heart.

Strangely, he sensed his quadrangular demon guardian spirit stirring restlessly in his mind.

When all was ready, Chang Sui’an gave the command with a wave of his hand: “Begin.”

The soldiers at the control station nodded and pressed the green activation button.

Sizzling sounds erupted.

The air rang with the clanging of metal.