Sorcerer Potential

Looking at the Ancient One's perfect stance, Zhang Ming realized she had improved significantly since their last encounter. This didn't bring him fear, only amusement. He had always wanted to fight a sorcerer truly worthy of his presence. What he didn't like about this scenario was the crowd of sorcerers who thought themselves strong and important but were nothing more than weaklings. Zhang Ming respected strength and despised those who only pretended to have it. To him, they were just big talkers with nothing to back it up.

His disgust grew every time he looked at the elders of Kamar-Taj. Before even attacking the Ancient One, he wanted to kill them all. Sharing space with them, even on a battlefield, was worse than suffocating for him.

Zhang Ming didn't even bother to take a battle stance. He looked directly at the sorcerers behind the Ancient One. Even speaking Zhang Ming's name made them cower in fear, and now he was looking at them with a killing intent so intense that they all wanted to flee. Some elders even started creating portals to escape. Zhang Ming's disgust only deepened at this. With a swift gesture, he summoned a hundred swords in the air and shot them toward the fleeing sorcerers. The Ancient One quickly cast a spell to shield them from the deadly attack.

"COWARDS!" Zhang Ming roared. "They're nothing but cowards with big mouths and no strength. These sorcerers are like dogs that bark but never bite. No, they're worse than dogs. It would insult those canines if I compared them to these pathetic people. So, Soraya, why protect these cowards? You know they'd turn on you in a heartbeat if it served them."

The Ancient One's voice was calm but firm. "Zhang Ming, there is wisdom in knowing which battles to fight and which to flee. Yes, some are cowards, but being poor at battle doesn't make a life less valuable. I will protect every one of them, even if it costs me my life. When I took the oath as Sorcerer Supreme, I accepted both the responsibility and the risks. So don't you DARE lecture me."

Zhang Ming's eyes narrowed. "You think you can protect them from me? I might have spared those who didn't flee, but now that you've shielded the weak, they'll all pay for thinking they could stand against me." A wicked idea crossed his mind, and he laughed hysterically. He looked straight into the Ancient One's eyes. "You dare challenge me, Soraya. I always get what I want. Since you're so confident in protecting them, let's play a game. I'll be right here, and you still won't be able to protect them. I see over a hundred sorcerers here. Choose your best thirty, and my five clones will hunt them down. If even one survives, I'll surrender to Kamar-Taj without a fight."

The Ancient One's eyes were steady, filled with resolve. "Unlike you, Zhang Ming, I don't trade lives. Even if it would benefit me, I won't sacrifice a single sorcerer." Her words brought mixed feelings among her followers; some felt relieved, while others felt ashamed, as if they were nothing but dead weight. Some of the younger sorcerers felt their blood boil, this was their chance to prove themselves against the strongest dark magic sorcerer. But deep down, they all knew they were no match for Zhang Ming.

Zhang Ming's face twisted with frustration. "You've ruined the fun, Soraya, haven't you? Are you afraid you can't protect them from me?"

"Come back to your senses, Zhang Ming," the Ancient One said, her voice sharp. "You've been the strongest for a long time, but times change. Even the brightest star fades. You're not the exception in this universe. You know that, deep down. That's why you're causing all this chaos—to prove you're still the strongest, even when you're not. You accuse others of being all talk, but you're doing the same."

Zhang Ming's smile vanished. His face was now a mask of rage. "Not the strongest, huh? So, who is? You? What a joke. Your council has filled your ears with so much praise that you've lost your grip on reality. And now you compare me to those low-lives I despise?"

He added, "Enough of this. I don't care about those weaklings. Talking about them leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'll give them ten seconds to run. If they fail, their fate will be worse than death."

The Ancient One quickly signaled for everyone to flee. She knew Zhang Ming didn't make empty threats; if anyone dared challenge him, he would chase them to the ends of the earth. Once all the sorcerers were gone, she felt a momentary relief, then turned her fierce gaze back to Zhang Ming, who was already counting down with a menacing smile.

As the ten seconds ended, the Ancient One cast the Mirror Dimension, hoping to prevent any real-world destruction, knowing the battle would cause immense damage and endanger civilians.

Zhang Ming sneered, "Mirror Dimension, huh? Still trying to protect the civilians, aren't you? If you want to fight me, FOCUS ON ME!" He didn't break the mirror dimension because, as a dark magician, it was his domain. He could manipulate someone else's mirror domain using the dark force. He always exploited every possible advantage, which is why he remained the strongest for so long.

The Ancient One smirked. "Quite the attention seeker, aren't you? I don't want to fight anyone. The only reason I have to go through this is because of people like you, who think strength gives them the right to do whatever they want."

Zhang Ming felt humiliated. He moved his hand, causing the air to slice like a blade toward the Ancient One. She blocked it with one of her fans and, with the other, unleashed a powerful gust of wind toward Zhang Ming.

Zhang Ming, with his quick reflexes, manipulated the space beneath his feet, moving aside to dodge and prepare for another attack. This time, he conjured a massive fire blast. The Ancient One waved her fan, splitting the flames apart, but as she did, she saw Zhang Ming propel himself forward, aiming straight for her throat. She barely managed to dodge by shifting herself deeper into the Mirror Dimension.

The real battle was just beginning. Both Zhang Ming and the Ancient One were probing, testing each other's defenses, looking for weaknesses. For now, they stuck to elemental magic, conserving their strength for what was sure to be an exhausting fight.

The Mirror Dimension, a twisted reflection of reality, flickered around Zhang Ming and the Ancient One. Buildings warped and distorted like mirages, bending to the will of the powerful magic emanating from both sorcerers. Zhang Ming stood still, his face a mask of calm concentration, while the Ancient One took a defensive stance, her eyes narrowing as she prepared for what was to come.

"Why all the show, Soraya?" Zhang Ming called out, his voice bouncing off the distorted surroundings. "This isn't like before. I can see you've gotten better, but guess what? So have I."

The Ancient One held her ground, her voice steady. "I don't need tricks to beat you, Zhang Ming. How about I show you what I mean?"

With a swift motion, she extended her hand, tracing complex runes in the air. A series of glowing symbols materialized, spinning around her fingers. Suddenly, the ground beneath Zhang Ming's feet erupted into a cluster of jagged, crystalline spikes, shooting upward with lethal intent. Zhang Ming's eyes flickered with amusement, and with a flick of his wrist, he summoned a wave of molten earth that shattered the crystalline attack, sending molten shards flying.

The Ancient One didn't let up. She chanted under her breath, her words resonating with a strange, melodic cadence. The air around Zhang Ming thickened, compressing into an invisible vice, crushing inward. His breath caught in his throat as the pressure mounted, and his bones threatened to snap. But Zhang Ming was not one to be cornered easily.

With a sharp inhale, Zhang Ming clasped his hands together and muttered an incantation. The air around him shimmered, and a transparent barrier encased his body. He then twisted his hands, and the barrier expanded outward, forcefully dispelling the crushing pressure. As the force shattered, Zhang Ming seized the opportunity. He raised his hand and fired a volley of dark energy bolts at the Ancient One, each one crackling with destructive potential.

The Ancient One spun her fans, creating a swirling vortex of wind that intercepted the energy bolts, diverting them harmlessly into the twisted landscape of the Mirror Dimension. She then thrust her palms forward, and the vortex transformed into a spiraling tornado, its core infused with razor-sharp shards of ice. The tornado hurtled toward Zhang Ming, tearing apart the very fabric of the Mirror Dimension in its path.

Zhang Ming's expression remained unflinching. He slammed his palm into the ground, and the earth split open beneath him. A torrent of water surged from the fissure, crashing against the tornado and freezing instantly upon contact. The two forces collided, creating an explosion of ice and wind that sent shockwaves through the dimension.

The Ancient One smirked. "Impressive. But you're not the only one who can manipulate elements."

She thrust her hand toward the fractured sky, and a bolt of lightning descended with a deafening crack, striking Zhang Ming's position. But Zhang Ming was ready. He whispered an incantation and raised his hand to the sky, catching the lightning in his palm. His hand crackled with raw energy as he redirected the bolt, sending it arching back toward the Ancient One.

The Ancient One gracefully sidestepped the redirected attack, her movements fluid and precise. She raised her arms, and the lightning split into dozens of thin, electrified threads that formed a web around Zhang Ming, closing in on him from all directions.

Realizing he was trapped, Zhang Ming's face hardened with determination. He crossed his arms in front of him, and shadows began to coil around his body, swallowing the light. The electrified threads converged on him, but the shadows absorbed the energy, dispersing it harmlessly. As the shadows dissipated, Zhang Ming's form became visible again, his eyes burning with a dark intensity.

Zhang Ming scoffed. "You're better than I thought, Soraya. But enough games."

He thrust his hand forward, and the ground quaked beneath the Ancient One's feet. Dark tendrils erupted from the earth, snaking toward her like predatory vines. The Ancient One reacted quickly, summoning a ring of fire that incinerated the tendrils on contact. But Zhang Ming was relentless. He clenched his fist, and the tendrils multiplied, wrapping around the Ancient One's fiery barrier, tightening their grip.

The Ancient One's eyes flashed with determination. She clasped her hands together, chanting a new spell, and the fire around her flared brighter, transforming into a blazing inferno. The tendrils recoiled, shriveling under the intense heat. The Ancient One seized the moment and thrust her hands forward, sending a wave of scorching flames directly at Zhang Ming.

Zhang Ming gritted his teeth. He knew he couldn't dodge the attack in time. Instead, he raised his arms to form a protective barrier. The flames crashed against it, pushing him back several feet, his feet digging trenches into the ground.

As the fire subsided, Zhang Ming's barrier shattered, and he staggered, feeling the strain of the battle. He could feel the Ancient One's power pressing down on him, relentless and unyielding. His eyes narrowed as he realized he was being pushed to his limit.

The Ancient One pressed her advantage. "What's the matter, Zhang Ming? Feeling overwhelmed?"

Zhang Ming's expression darkened. "I won't be bested by you," he snarled. His fingers twitched, and a portal began to form behind him. Dark, swirling energy seeped out, tainting the air around him. He was drawing from the Dark Dimension, the forbidden power that even he had only dared to use sparingly.

The Ancient One's eyes internally thought. "So now you have decided to show you real face."

 The dark energy flowed into Zhang Ming, enveloping his body in a malevolent aura. His eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and his power surged, causing the Mirror Dimension to tremble violently.

Zhang Ming laughed, a low, menacing sound. "You wanted a fight, Soraya? Now, let's see if you can handle this!"

The air crackled with raw power as Zhang Ming prepared to unleash a devastating attack. The Ancient One braced herself, knowing that the battle had just reached a dangerous new level. She had to act fast, or everything she had fought to protect would be destroyed.