Chapter 112: Peering into the Soul

Sealing the vengeful spirit was no challenge with Johnny’s cooperation. In mere moments, the restless flame was bound within Johnny’s body.

Though it was not yet night, Johnny could already sense the uncontrollable fire within his soul, as if a switch had been flipped. Only when he willingly activated it would he transform into the Ghost Rider; otherwise, even at night, he remained an ordinary man.

Now restored to normal, Johnny eagerly sought to reunite with his ex-girlfriend, Roxanne. Unfortunately, before he could act, Gu Zhongyan appeared and brought him to the headquarters of the Los Angeles Young Avengers.

The purpose of bringing Johnny here was twofold: to foster mutual familiarity for future cooperation and, more importantly, to investigate the Yuan One Staff.

After handling various minor matters, Gu Zhongyan finally turned his attention to this legendary artifact.

Among the entire Avengers Alliance, the Ghost Rider was undoubtedly the most powerful being besides himself—there was no equal. Even in an enhanced state, Gu Zhongyan could not guarantee victory over him.

The Yuan One Staff was deeply connected to the Dark Dimension and Morgan le Fay, and it also had a profound link to souls. In terms of affinity, the Ghost Rider was the most suitable entity to explore its secrets.

Unless one possessed godlike abilities, no manipulation of the soul could escape the Ghost Rider’s gaze.

Summoning Nicole alone once again, Gu Zhongyan set up a mirrored space before turning to Johnny.

“Understood,” Johnny nodded, the flame within his heart blazing instantly.

Boom!

Black and red flames burned along his skin; the flesh layered upon his white bones ignited into hellfire. In the blink of an eye, the fiery skeleton clad in a leather jacket and pants, chained at the waist and astride a sleek motorcycle, materialized within the mirrored space.

“Hmm?”

The moment he transformed into the Ghost Rider, a peculiar expression flickered across Johnny’s skeletal face. No one could fathom how a skull devoid of flesh could convey such vivid emotion.

Yet, by the tilt of his skull, it was evident there was something amiss about Nicole.

“What is it? Did you notice something?” Gu Zhongyan asked quickly.

The Ghost Rider’s hollow eye sockets fixed intently on Nicole, his throat bones grinding as he spoke with a deep voice.

“In the depths of her soul, I see a staff entwined with thick darkness, leading to an unknown realm—a place darker than hell itself, beyond my full comprehension.”

“From the darkness, I seem to hear the cawing of ravens.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Zhongyan’s eyes flickered. The staff could only be the Yuan One Staff, its dark power deriving from the Dark Dimension.

As for the ravens, they symbolized Morgan le Fay. It seemed that when she was banished from Earth, she indeed left a contingency, entwining her power with the Yuan One Staff.

Because of this, as the staff continuously drew strength from the Dark Dimension, her power would slowly be drawn out, eventually escaping that shadowy realm.

“Can you discern the staff’s secrets?” Gu Zhongyan pressed.

“No,” the Ghost Rider shook his head. “The staff’s magic is profoundly arcane; even my eyes cannot penetrate it. Moreover, that darkness constantly disrupts my thoughts, preventing me from uncovering more secrets.”

Gu Zhongyan was not surprised. The Yuan One Staff was a top-tier artifact, steeped in advanced magical knowledge.

Though the Ghost Rider was immensely powerful, he merely inherited the might of Zatanos, not Zatanos himself, and thus could not comprehend such complex magic.

The Dark Dimension was a realm rivaling even hell, so it was natural that it could disturb the Ghost Rider’s mind.

As expected, Gu Zhongyan nodded and produced the Dragonbone Wand.

“Very well. Then I’ll take it from here. Keep a close watch and don’t let anyone ambush us.”

With that, the pallid Dragonbone Wand was waved forcefully, causing the mirrored space—only the size of a room—to rapidly expand.

The entire world began to rotate clockwise; the ground beneath twisted into walls, the ceiling stretched endlessly sideways, and beneath them lay layers of geometric glass floors.

The mirrored space overlapped and morphed continuously. Viewed from above, this layering formed a colossal magical array.

The massive array, centered on Nicole, spun, expanded, and intertwined.

The entire mirrored space trembled violently, complex magical runes weaving together. A vast tide of mana flooded this growing realm like a roaring sea.

Since regaining his peak power, this was Gu Zhongyan’s first full-scale assault, and its grandeur exceeded all expectations.

Boom! Boom! One by one, rune-engraved magical pillars rose around Nicole. These pillars bore a striking resemblance to those in the Hall of Eternal Night.

However, the runes etched upon them were far more intricate, surpassing even those recorded in the Vampire Bible.

“True Manifestation!”

Finally, when twelve magical pillars surrounded Nicole firmly, Gu Zhongyan waved his wand and chanted a spell.

“True Manifestation” was an advanced version of “Swift Appearance.” As the name suggested, this spell stripped away illusions to reveal the truth.

Though seemingly simple, this magic was extremely perilous.

To mystics, truth symbolized knowledge, power, and the essence of magic itself.

Peeling away facades to reveal reality appeared ordinary but was an immensely potent capability in the magical arts.

Powerful spells often inflicted backlash upon their caster; the stronger the magic, the harsher the recoil.

“True Manifestation” was no exception. If used on mundane objects, the risk was minimal, but when applied to magic-related entities, the backlash could be severe.

The mightier the target, the stronger the counterforce.

As one of the rare enchanted artifacts, the Yuan One Staff’s power was formidable, and the backlash from probing it was naturally substantial.

Otherwise, Gu Zhongyan would not have erected such an imposing magical array.

Boom!

The moment magical light bathed Nicole, the mirrored space trembled like an earthquake. Cracks spider-webbed across the mirror’s surface with sharp creaks.

The runes on the twelve pillars flickered intermittently as a tremendous dark force suddenly surged from Nicole’s body.

The roaring black mist resembled a cataclysmic tsunami at the dawn of the apocalypse, sweeping forward with earth-shattering fury toward the twelve pillars.

“Stand firm as a mountain!”

A cold gleam flashed in Gu Zhongyan’s eyes as he thrust his wand downward with great force.