Chapter 36: Willpower
Chen Ning and the Crimson Tyrant were still locked in a fierce struggle for control over the body. Not far away, Da Yan and Niu Er—now turned into zombies—staggered to their feet.
After the two zombies stood up, they actually began tearing at each other.
However, after a few moments, they seemed to recognize each other as the same kind and stopped.
At Chen Ning’s feet lay Xiao Zihao, with broken arms and legs. Despite the cloth gagging his mouth, the man couldn’t suppress low, muffled moans of pain.
Meanwhile, Chen Ning’s body, convulsing as he and the Crimson Tyrant fought for control, created enough noise to quickly attract the attention of the two zombies not far away.
The zombie that Da Yan had become first stared blankly at Chen Ning and Xiao Zihao, then caught the scent of their blood permeating the air. Like bees drawn to sugar, the smell instantly triggered the zombie’s innate craving for blood and its desire to attack. Then, the Da Yan zombie began shambling forward first.
Seeing its companion move, Niu Er’s zombie followed—until it spotted something else: Su Luo, lying unconscious not far away. It immediately changed direction, staggering toward her instead.
When Xiao Zihao realized the zombie was coming for him, sheer terror took hold. He thrashed feebly, his muffled screams growing urgent. But his limbs were shattered—escape was impossible. All he could do was watch, wide-eyed, as death drew near.
Chen Ning’s blood contained the zombie virus, he wasn’t worried about being attacked..
What did make his heart seize, however, was the sight of Niu Er’s zombie moving toward Su Luo. If she was bitten, she would be finished.
“Damn it—give me back my body!”
His voice burned with fury. Chen Ning’s will surged, pouring every ounce of strength into reclaiming control. His body convulsed violently, his skin rippling like boiling water. It looked as if he might explode at any moment.
Inside his mind, the clash of wills raged on—two consciousnesses locked in brutal combat. Chen Ning felt as if his very soul were being scorched by fire, every nerve screaming in agony. Yet he refused to yield even an inch. His determination was absolute—either he or the Crimson Tyrant would perish.
The Crimson Tyrant wasn’t faring much better. While Chen Ning’s consciousness felt as if it were burning, the Tyrant’s own awareness was likewise seared by pain. When two minds inhabit one body and neither surrenders, there are only two possible outcomes:
Total neural collapse, the brain gets fried and nobody drives this body, leaving the body a lifeless shell.
The other, more likely possibility is that the weaker consciousness is completely extinguished, leaving only the stronger one behind.”
Willpower is a mysterious thing. Some people may have disabled bodies and be physically weak, but they are like wild grass—their willpower is remarkably tenacious. No amount of mental torment or physical pain can break them.
Others may have strong bodies and possess great power, but their character is weak and cowardly at heart. When things go their way, they are fine, but once they encounter setbacks or blows, they collapse and cannot recover.
True willpower has little to do with physical strength.
The Crimson Tyrant’s mind was fierce, but compared to Chen Ning—a man who had trained himself daily to his very limits, who had danced on the edge of life and death—its will was lacking. And this body was his to begin with. Its instincts leaned toward its rightful owner; its bond with him was deeper, its sense of belonging stronger.
Chen Ning’s spirit flared like a storm. The Crimson Tyrant’s awareness began to burn, its essence trembling under the searing pressure. For the first time in decades, the ancient monster felt fear.
If it continued to fight, its consciousness might truly be erased.
At last—it yielded.
The bone mask covering Chen Ning’s left face melted away, dissolving into his flesh and vanishing completely.
In an instant, Chen Ning finally regained control of his own body.
The Crimson Tyrant was once again back in Chen Ning’s spiritual realm, its ferocious head suspended above the spiritual lake. The old scoundrel was somewhat frustrated and unwilling to accept this. He had finally tricked his way into gaining control of Chen Ning’s body, but never expected Chen Ning to ultimately seize it back.
The fact that he, the mighty Crimson Tyrant, had actually lost to a demigod kid left him so angry he was speechless.
By now, the Big Eyes zombie had shambled up to Chen Ning, opening its mouth to bite him. But Chen Ning lowered his head, nimbly slipped past under the zombie’s arm, and then sprinted like a leopard towards the Niu Er zombie to prevent it from harming Su Luo.
Having failed to grab Chen Ning, the Da Yan zombie seemed momentarily perplexed, but then noticed Xiao Zihao on the ground nearby. Its eyes lit up, and it immediately moved towards him.
Xiao Zihao watched, uttering muffled cries through his gag, unable to escape.
He, who had earlier tied the injured Chen Ning to a tree trunk, intending for zombies to come and devour him, never imagined he would end up in the same situation—watching a zombie approach, powerless to resist.
Su Luo, still on the ground, stirred. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she finally woke up.
But the first thing she saw was a zombie bending down over her, clawed hand reaching for her throat. Terror froze her completely—she couldn’t even think to resist.
Just as the creature’s fingers were about to pierce her skin, Chen Ning arrived.
He seized the zombie by the back of its neck and yanked it away with terrifying strength.
Before it could react, Chen Ning slapped it across the face. “Your food’s over there!” he snarled.
He shoved it aside—the blow sent it stumbling several meters, right toward Da Yan’s zombie and Xiao Zihao.
At that very moment, Da Yan zombie sank its teeth into Xiao Zihao’s shoulder. Blood spurted wildly. Xiao Zihao’s eyes went wide with despair.
Niu Er zombie gave an eager howl and lunged in, joining the gruesome feast.
Chen Ning helped Su Luo to her feet, his voice low and steady. “Are you okay?”
“I—I’m fine,” she stammered, shaking her head. Her wide eyes were still full of shock.
She had no idea what had happened while she was unconscious—how a wounded Chen Ning had somehow turned the tables on their attackers.
And that slap! He had actually struck a zombie barehanded. The instructors had always warned: never let your hands near a zombie’s mouth. One bite meant certain death.
Was this man insane—or just fearless beyond reason?
A short distance away, the two zombies continued to tear Xiao Zihao apart. The scene was too horrific to watch. Su Luo turned her head aside, whispering, “Chen Ning… what exactly happened here?”
Chen Ning, of course, couldn’t tell her the truth about the Crimson Tyrant. So he offered a gentle lie.
“It was Xiao Zihao, Da Yan, and Niu Er. They ambushed us. He had a grudge against me—you know that.”
Su Luo nodded. She knew all too well. Ever since their first day in the elite squad, Xiao Zihao had made Chen Ning his enemy.
Chen Ning went on, “He tried to get revenge, but ended up dragging you into it.”
Su Luo frowned. “But you were shot—how did you… turn this around?”
Chen Ning glanced toward the feeding zombies. “His men were wounded earlier. They must’ve already been infected, though Xiao Zihao didn’t realize it. When they attacked us, they changed into zombies. He panicked, and I took the chance to strike back.”
Su Luo believed him. She looked again at Xiao Zihao’s corpse being torn apart and whispered through clenched teeth—
“Serves him right. Evil meets its own end.”
Join the Discussion