Chapter Ninety-Five: Reforging the Soul

The formidable, ultimate evil power was enough to overthrow even mighty beings like the Ghost Rider. One by one, the fallen souls, empowered by this evil force, transformed into half-demon entities, instantly shattering the wall of Dementors and charging into the heart of the church, intent on tearing Gu Zhongyan to pieces.

At last, the first soul broke through the Dementors’ blockade and reached Gu Zhongyan. Yet, before it could touch him, the massive magic circle beneath his feet erupted in a dazzling golden light. The brilliance, like sunlight, coalesced into a complex array of magical symbols. Runes intertwined and tangled like vines, forming intricate patterns—triangles, diamonds, pentagrams, hexagrams, dodecagrams—all woven together in mysterious symmetry and difference.

The elaborate magic circle consisted of inner and outer rings. The moment the fallen souls entered the formation, the outer ring shredded them to pieces, their vast power instantly absorbed by the inner ring, transformed into pure energy, and injected into Gu Zhongyan’s body.

Compared to the power of the demonic beast he had faced before, this energy was much weaker, but its sheer quantity compensated for its lack. As one soul after another rushed in, massive power began to fill Gu Zhongyan’s body. His body, strengthened through several enhancements, was further washed by the tremendous soul force. Every cell reveled, overflowing with energy as his very essence evolved once more.

As the golden light continued to pour in, Gu Zhongyan’s own form began to emit a golden radiance. At first, this glow lingered on the surface of his skin, but gradually, it penetrated deeper, transforming and seeping through his veins, bones, organs, and even his brain. His powerful mind allowed him to sense clearly the jubilation of every cell in his body.

Finally, when the last corner of his body was saturated with golden light, the second transformation began.

A thunderous roar resounded.

The energy overflowing within his body rapidly surged into the sea of his mind. Unlike the subtle transformation of his body, the change in his mind was turbulent and profound. The power of over a thousand fallen souls—strength that targeted the mind and soul—now pressed upon him, and Gu Zhongyan felt the immense pressure as his core was touched.

The instant the golden energy merged into his mind’s sea, countless memories flooded his consciousness.

Men and women, young and old, joy and suffering—the memories of over a thousand souls rushed into his mind, nearly overwhelming him in an instant. Fortunately, Gu Zhongyan was prepared. As the torrent of information struck, an invisible barrier, like an indestructible wall, stood firm in the depths of his mind.

The Mind-Sealing Spell, which he had practiced daily since his first journey across worlds and never neglected, had become second nature—rooted in his mind, requiring no conscious activation. As the deluge of memories washed over him, the spell successfully shielded his spirit.

Yet, this was just the beginning. Beyond the flood of memories, the true terror lay in the fallen souls themselves. When they entered the magic circle, their souls were shredded, but the soul’s core—its immortal essence—remained. Only the wrapper of soul power was destroyed; the true soul had already followed the pure energy into Gu Zhongyan’s mind’s sea.

What happens when more than a thousand fallen souls appear simultaneously in one’s mind? There is only one result—war!

Each twisted, malevolent soul launched into a fierce battle within Gu Zhongyan’s mind. The interaction was mutual: as Gu Zhongyan absorbed the soul power, the fallen souls also took root and sprouted in his mind’s sea.

In an instant, it was as if a thousand different guardian spirits—or, in modern psychological terms, a thousand distinct personalities—emerged in his mind. They fought and devoured each other, growing stronger, gradually losing their original traits, and becoming, in a sense, new versions of Gu Zhongyan.

Because of this battle among dark personalities, the once serene sea of his mind grew increasingly murky. Except for the depths safeguarded by the Mind-Sealing Spell, Gu Zhongyan’s mind was in ruins.

Amid the carnage, souls were annihilated, leaving behind a single twisted, grotesque personality—one resembling Gu Zhongyan but imbued with utter evil.

As the victor, this personality possessed unparalleled power, nearly dominating the entire sea of his mind. Now, its greedy gaze turned toward the depths of his consciousness. Clearly, this dark persona was not content with its victory; it sought to control everything, to devour Gu Zhongyan’s soul and be reborn in his body.

But Gu Zhongyan acted faster than the dark personality could react.

He remained calm and waved his wand lightly. The Dementors surrounding him, just like the swarm of souls before, gathered close. They opened their mouths—like black holes—toward Gu Zhongyan, unleashing the dreaded Dementor’s Kiss.

The dark persona, poised to attack the depths of his mind, suddenly felt dozens of powerful forces pulling at it from every direction, tearing at its vast, twisted form. Although it was strong, built from the amalgamation of a thousand souls, its strength was superficial—grand but fragile.

Under the Dementor’s Kiss, streams of evil, chaotic energy were drawn out. Its massive, contorted body began to break apart, like a zebra torn by lions. As the pulling continued, the corrupted power within the sea of his mind was gradually purged.

Meanwhile, Gu Zhongyan released the Mind-Sealing Spell. Silvery-white seedlings radiated a powerful aura in the sea of his mind. After the Dementors had consumed the corruption, these seedlings emitted silvery light, binding the purified soul power.

This was Gu Zhongyan’s true purpose for bringing the Dementors here. He knew he was no demon; forcibly absorbing the energy of over a thousand fallen souls would inevitably taint his mind’s sea. Yet he was unwilling to forsake the immense power hidden within them.

Thus he devised this method: while protecting his core self, he allowed the brutality of the fallen souls to reshape a single personality. Before this new persona could fully merge, he used the Dementors’ power to devour it. In this way, the reconstructed dark personality acted as a natural vacuum, collecting all the negative energy from the fallen souls.

Combined with the Mind-Sealing Spell, since it had not merged with his core self, the remnants torn away by the Dementors would not affect Gu Zhongyan himself.

This was the fastest update for “Hufflepuff in the Marvel World,” Chapter Ninety-Five: Reshaping Personality, available for free reading.