Mysterious Revival

Chapter 1242 - 1208: The New Zhang Lei

After losing most of his emotions, Yang Jian also lost much of his temper and personality. If it were this time last year, Zhang Zhan in front of him would have already been kicked away by him.

But now, he had lost interest in many things, including teaching a lesson to a few inattentive people.

"Zhang Zhan, say a few less words. This is Zhang Lei's choice. You should respect his decision, not vent dissatisfaction at Yang Jian here."

Another assistant quickly pulled Zhang Zhan aside.

Zhang Zhan's face changed unpredictably. "I think his plan is reckless. Choosing to tell Zhang Lei at this time undoubtedly harms him."

"You can hold your opinion, but this has already happened. All we can do is wait for the result. Besides, Yang Jian is not someone easy to mess with. You should keep your temper in check." The other assistant continued to persuade.

Zhang Zhan said nothing, just stared at Yang Jian.

But Yang Jian ignored him. In his eyes, this was just a newcomer who, although somewhat brave, lacked judgement, and was unlikely to survive until next year.

And he didn't want to waste words on someone who wouldn't live long.

Meanwhile.

On the office floor.

Zhang Lei was engulfed in fire, twisting in agony, crying out as if enduring the most brutal torture in the world.

And as the flames gradually grew larger and spread, the pain he endured increased.

A normal person would probably have fainted by now.

But he didn't. He was a ghost handler, with supernatural power sustaining his life and keeping him conscious, unable to faint, forced to endure the pain and suffering.

Yang Jian watched with indifference, even ready to nail him dead at any time.

Because he knew very well that this is something all ghost handlers must go through. Once possessed by an evil ghost, many things are out of one's control. Just being alive is already a struggle, so expecting more is impossible.

"Can he succeed?"

This was the only thought in Yang Jian's mind.

Zhang Lei continued to wail, while the stench of burnt meat filled the air, strong enough to make people vomit.

The screams attracted a lot of attention, but no one approached to investigate, as they saw Yang Jian there, so they could only report the matter.

The supernatural issues involved exceeded many people's responsibilities, and they didn't even have the qualification to observe.

Those working here are aware of this.

As time passed.

The flames on Zhang Lei grew bigger, almost turning him into a man of fire, while the screams and sounds of struggle began to diminish... it seemed the new balance had failed, and he was about to be burned alive.

"Damn it, he's dying! Yang Jian, put out the fire quickly, if you continue, you'll kill him."

At this moment, the assistant Zhang Zhan couldn't hold back any longer. Enduring the scorching pain of the flames, he rushed over and grabbed Yang Jian.

"If he can't make it through, then dying like this wouldn't be a bad thing."

Yang Jian's expression was emotionless as he stared coldly at him.

"What are you saying? How can you say such a thing? He was fine, but your plan pushed him to the edge of death. If you stop now, Zhang Lei will be fine, so you need to put out the fire quickly." Zhang Zhan shouted urgently.

Yang Jian grabbed the assistant named Zhang Zhan.

The scorched ghost hand possessed incredible strength, lifting him up completely.

The scariest part was that Zhang Zhan felt the supernatural within him falling silent, without any response.

"You talk too much nonsense. The road was Zhang Lei's choice. Without understanding life and death, how can he be a ghost handler?"

Yang Jian casually flung Zhang Zhan away.

Bang!

The glass window shattered as he was thrown out of the building.

"Oh no, that's over thirty floors high," exclaimed another assistant in shock.

Yang Jian said nothing, just felt his surroundings quieten considerably.

Meanwhile.

The struggling and wailing of Zhang Lei gradually diminished, while the flames on him began to shrink rapidly, as if everything had burned out, leaving no fuel for the fire.

However, this was not the real situation.

Yang Jian saw that the ghost's head growing out of Zhang Lei's chest was now opening its mouth.

The mouth seemed connected to the abyss of hell, swallowing the burning flames bit by bit.

However, the ghost itself was set ablaze, with flames sprouting from its eyes, nose, ears, and even the entire scalp.

Zhang Lei's ghost was consuming the fire while also being ignited by it.

Yet the ghost did not revive.

Because the supernatural flames could ignite and suppress the supernatural: the stronger the flames, the stronger the suppression. Previously, when Yang Jian set a fire at the Caesar Hotel, even the scariest ghost had to retreat.

"Just as I guessed, a ghost that can devour ghosts will also attempt to consume supernatural flames. However, the flames use Zhang Lei's ghost as fuel, so no matter how much the ghost devours, it cannot extinguish the flames completely. In this way, the ghost and flames will form a cycle, whether representing balance or death depends on Zhang Lei's fate."

Yang Jian's eyes shifted slightly.

He had developed his understanding of supernatural conflicts, cycles, and standstills. By mastering the supernatural properties, he could create many similar scenarios.

If successful.

Even without relying on things like ghost skin paper or the Ghost Cabinet, Yang Jian could create a perfect balance himself.

"The cycle continues, but it depends on whether Zhang Lei can endure it. Perhaps, in the end, balance is achieved, but Zhang Lei might not survive."

Although the situation improved, Zhang Lei had little movement at this point.

But he was still alive, albeit with a weak aura.

Yang Jian wasn't in a hurry, continuing to stand and wait.

After a few more minutes.

Zhang Lei, scorched and charred, lay motionless, while the ghost on him continued devouring the emergent flames. The cycle persisted, entering a relatively stable state.

The flames settled to a very minimal level.

Everything was moving in a positive direction.

At this time.

The moment Zhang Zhan, who had been thrown from the thirtieth floor by Yang Jian, appeared again at the office door, panting heavily. His face looked especially grim, covered in blood, yet he was still not dead, and his damaged body was gradually recovering its original form.

He glanced at Yang Jian intensely.

Although enraged by Yang Jian's earlier actions, his rationality told him that the gap between himself and Yang Jian was indeed immense, making him incapable of even defending against a casual attack.

"As long as you're fine, he's the captain; there's no need to go against him."

Another assistant walked over to persuade him, "I looked at the situation just now, and Zhang Lei seems to be recovering. If everything goes smoothly, perhaps he can genuinely find a new supernatural balance to live again, meaning Yang Jian is indeed helping Zhang Lei, not harming him."

"If you keep messing around like this, and Yang Jian really kills you, it would truly be a pointless death."

"I understand, I'll stay calm."

Zhang Zhan took a deep breath to steady himself.

He said nothing further, merely stood by and watched Zhang Lei, who lay on the ground, now a charred corpse.

Despite being a charred corpse, Zhang Lei's chest still rose and fell; he remained alive.

As long as the ghost within him wasn't completely suppressed, the supernatural presence would persist, thereby keeping Zhang Lei, who relied on it for life, from dying.

Thus, the most dangerous moment had passed.

A few more minutes passed.

At this moment, Zhang Lei's body began to undergo some eerie changes.

His charred skin started to peel off piece by piece, exposing the inner appearance of a person emerging from a shell, akin to an egg being peeled.

"The supernatural is restoring his body," Yang Jian thought to himself.

Under the peeling charred skin wasn't normal human skin—Zhang Lei's skin was bright red, like red-hot iron, with flickers of flame vaguely seen under this crimson surface.

"The ghost continually devours the furnace fire, and simultaneously erodes Zhang Lei's body, yet the furnace fire suppresses the supernatural force. This leads to an unpredictable metamorphosis in Zhang Lei's body, making him more of a fusion between a ghost and the furnace fire—a body purely constructed by supernatural elements."

"The furnace fire must not go out, or Zhang Lei would be killed instantly by the ghost inside him. Nor can the ghost be lost, or he would be ignited and burned to death by the furnace fire."

"This is an extreme and fragile balance, but without question, under this balance, Zhang Lei would be terrifying."

Yang Jian observed and reached a conclusion in his heart.

He had a premonition that if Zhang Lei survived this time, his ability under the codename Ghost Eater would truly be unleashed.

The fierce ghost devoured would no longer transform into a poison corroding oneself, instead being suppressed by a furnace fire within, becoming fuel for the furnace fire.

The stronger the ghost devoured, the stronger the supernatural force within, and the stronger that supernatural force, the more vigorous the furnace fire.

Thus the cycle continued.

Before reaching that limit, Zhang Lei would consistently maintain a powerful state.

After observing for a while longer.

When Yang Jian saw that Zhang Lei's condition continued to improve, he stopped watching.

He knew that Zhang Lei had succeeded and survived.

"Tell Zhang Lei that if he can't stay here anymore, he's welcome to come to Dachang City."

With this remark, Yang Jian turned and left.

Zhang Zhan and the other assistant's expressions shifted unpredictably.

As soon as Yang Jian left, they hurriedly stepped forward to check the status.

However, they didn't dare get too close.

The burning furnace fire left a scorching pain that filled them with dread, fearing that they might be ignited by such a fire; any accidental contact could indeed result in death.

"Yang Jian's gone. His words just now implicitly indicated that Zhang Lei is fine." The other assistant said.

Zhang Zhan said, "But he still hasn't woken up yet."

"No rush, let's wait a little longer."

After waiting for another moment.

Finally.

The near-unconscious Zhang Lei gradually regained consciousness. His eyes suddenly shot open as he sat up abruptly, with charred dead skin continually peeling off his face, revealing the crimson skin.

"Zhang Lei, you're awake." Zhang Zhan's voice lifted with delight, but quickly changed to shock.

"Your, your face… what happened to it…"

At this moment, Zhang Lei's face not only changed color but completely transformed in appearance, becoming hideous and sinister.

The furnace fire had burned his bones, distorting his facial structure, entirely altering his appearance.

Zhang Lei slightly turned his head, looking towards a nearby piece of glass, finally seeing his face clearly.

Crimson, twisted, menacing, resembling an evil ghost from the depths of Hell.

It seemed there was nothing in the world uglier than this.

Zhang Lei couldn't help but reach out his hand to touch it, then said, "I'm fine—it's merely a deformity of the bones, no big deal. So, I succeeded in finding a new balance? Where's Yang Jian? Where did he go?"

Sweeping his gaze around.

No sign of Yang Jian was found.

"Yang Jian left earlier, leaving a message saying that if you can't stay here anymore, you're welcome to go to Dachang City," Zhang Zhan said.

Zhang Lei's gaze shifted, "I indeed wish to be his teammate; unfortunately, sometimes one is not master of oneself. If I leave, there would be no qualified person in charge of this city… If Gao Ming hadn't died before, I would have resigned and left here."

Saying this, he struggled to stand up.

The charred dead skin on his body completely fell off.

A crimson, strange body that instilled fear in others.

Zhang Lei, who crawled up from the Hell Abyss, seemed truly to have become an Evil Ghost, looking completely different from before. Yet he felt his condition was remarkably good.

The resurrection of the fierce ghost, the erosion of the supernatural, all vanished at this moment.

The supernatural power remained.

Only, it was within a controllable range.

The two assistants, upon seeing Zhang Lei in this form, felt a strong sense of dread.