They moved deeper into the cave.
Step by step—
The darkness thickened.
The air grew heavier.
The silence… more suffocating.
Alex followed without hesitation.
His eyes sharp.
Observing everything.
Then—
The pressure hit.
An invisible force crushed down.
Alex's body trembled.
His steps slowed.
His knees bent slightly.
His breathing grew heavy.
"What… is this…?"
Yi Zhau did not stop.
"That…"
"…is pressure."
"Energy that has remained here for hundreds of years."
A pause.
"And this is only the beginning."
Alex clenched his teeth.
He forced himself forward.
Each step… harder than the last.
Finally—
They reached the depth.
A vast hollow space.
Dark.
Endless.
But not empty.
Two red lights appeared.
Glowing in the darkness.
Watching.
Alex's body tensed.
"It's… alive?"
The red lights moved.
A shape formed.
A massive shadow—
Twisted.
Broken.
Filled with rage.
The DEAD SOUL OF THE DARK BEAST.
Its presence exploded.
The cave shook violently.
Cracks spread across the walls.
A roar echoed—
Silent… yet deafening.
Alex stepped back instinctively.
For the first time—
Fear touched him.
Yi Zhau stepped forward.
Calm.
Unshaken.
"Stand still."
A pause.
"Do not embarrass me, boy."
His aura rose slightly.
The pressure around them twisted.
"That thing…"
"…is nothing more than a remnant."
A faint smirk appeared.
"And yet it dares to show itself."
The beast's soul lunged forward.
Darkness surged like a storm.
The ground shattered.
The air screamed.
Yi Zhau raised his hand.
Casually.
The attack stopped mid-air.
Frozen.
Crushed.
"Pathetic."
With a slight motion—
He shattered it completely.
Fragments of dark energy scattered.
"Focus."
Yi Zhau spoke without looking back.
"Take the pill from the ring."
"Sit."
"Cross your legs."
"Absorb."
"I will handle this."
Alex reacted instantly.
He took out the red pill.
Swallowed it.
Sat down—
Cross-legged.
Closed his eyes.
Energy surged into his body.
Violent.
Uncontrolled.
It burned through his veins.
He trembled.
"I can't… control it…"
Yi Zhau's voice cut through sharply—
"Of course you can't."
"You are weak."
A pause.
"Do not try to take everything."
"Take control… slowly."
"Or it will destroy you."
Meanwhile—
The beast roared again.
Its body expanded.
Absorbing darkness from the cave.
Its power surged wildly.
It attacked again.
This time—
Stronger.
Faster.
More violent.
Yi Zhau's eyes turned cold.
"So…"
"You wish to resist even now?"
His aura exploded.
The cave trembled violently.
Space itself cracked.
Invisible lines spread through the air.
A terrifying pressure descended.
"Know your place."
He stepped forward.
Their clash collided.
Darkness vs absolute control.
Shockwaves spread.
Rocks shattered into dust.
The ground collapsed beneath them.
The beast struck again—
A massive wave of destruction.
Yi Zhau did not dodge.
He raised his hand—
And broke it apart.
"Too slow."
The beast howled.
It changed direction—
Suddenly rushing toward Alex.
A desperate attack.
A final gamble.
Yi Zhau's expression darkened.
"You dare…?"
He moved instantly.
Faster than perception.
Appearing in front of Alex.
Blocking the attack completely.
The impact exploded.
Energy scattered wildly.
But Alex remained untouched.
Yi Zhau looked at the beast.
Cold.
Furious.
"You chose the wrong target."
A pause.
"Now…"
"…disappear."
He raised his hand.
A dense energy gathered.
Not flashy.
Not loud.
But absolute.
He struck.
The attack landed directly.
The beast's soul froze.
Cracks spread across its form.
Then—
It shattered completely.
Silence returned.
Only broken energy remained.
Meanwhile—
Alex's body calmed.
The energy within him stabilized.
Slowly…
Steadily…
He absorbed it.
Not all—
Only what he could handle.
The rest—
Was drawn into the ring.
Stored.
Controlled.
A faint glow appeared around him.
Water-like.
Flowing.
Alive.
His breathing steadied.
His body relaxed.
Then—
He opened his eyes.
A new presence surrounded him.
"What… is happening to me…?"
"Is this… heat?"
Yi Zhau looked at him.
A faint smirk appeared.
"Heat…?"
"How ignorant."
A pause.
"That…"
"…is your first element."
His eyes glowed slightly.
"Water."
Silence.
The cave felt different now.
Calmer.
Controlled.
Yi Zhau turned away slightly.
"Do not get proud."
"This is only the beginning."
"From darkness… power was born."
"And the path of cultivation… had begun."