Sorcerer Potential

The battle between the two giants had reached a level that ordinary sorcerers could only dream of achieving. The moment Zhang Ming began absorbing energy from the Dark Dimension, he was brimming with its corrupting power. His eyes didn't just glow—they turned the darkest black in the universe, a black that seemed to consume everything in its gaze. This blackness symbolized his true nature—someone who only knew how to take, never to give. Zhang Ming was a man who hoarded knowledge and power, but never shared them with the world.

The Ancient One found it increasingly difficult to maintain her barrier. Continuing to hold the Mirror Dimension would only disadvantage her. As soon as she stopped, large cracks appeared, and within seconds, it looked as if massive chunks of a transparent mirror were falling from the sky. That's how immense her Mirror Dimension was, it reached the stratosphere, protecting all life forms within Zhang Ming's attack range.

Watching the Mirror Dimension shatter, Zhang Ming mocked the Ancient One. "Already getting exhausted, Soraya? Is this all you've got? You can't even hold a Mirror Dimension anymore. If you want to rest, I can give you some time. Meanwhile, I'll hunt down those cowards."

The Ancient One replied calmly, "I thought people became wiser with age, but you're an exception—you've only grown arrogant. The only reason you've done this much is that I've been holding back to prevent unnecessary destruction. Yet, it was you who felt the need to use the Dark Dimension's energy, not me. So, tell me, who's truly exhausted here,You or Me?"

Zhang Ming felt a surge of frustration because he knew the truth, the one who was really exhausted was him, not the Ancient One. Angrily, he raised his hands, and the energy around him coalesced into dark, swirling orbs. With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Ming launched the orbs toward the Ancient One. They moved with blinding speed, tearing through the air with a deafening roar. Each orb radiated dark energy that threatened to consume everything in its path.

The Ancient One reacted instantly, her hands moving in a blur as she traced intricate symbols in the air. A golden shield materialized in front of her, absorbing the impact of the first orb. The shield trembled under the force, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface, but it held. However, the remaining orbs continued to close in, their destructive energy pressing against her defenses.

Realizing that her shield wouldn't withstand the full onslaught, the Ancient One quickly shifted tactics. She dissipated the shield and, with a swift motion, opened a portal beneath her feet, dropping into it just as the orbs collided with her previous position. The explosion that followed sent shockwaves through the battlefield.

Zhang Ming's eyes narrowed as he searched for the Ancient One, but she reappeared behind him in a flash of golden light. Without hesitation, she thrust her hands forward, sending a wave of golden energy crashing toward him.

Zhang Ming barely had time to react. He spun around, raising his arm to summon a barrier of dark energy. The two forces collided, creating a blinding flash of light that temporarily obscured the battlefield. When the light faded, both sorcerers stood their ground, neither willing to back down.

"You're persistent, I'll give you that," Zhang Ming sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "But persistence alone won't save you."

The Ancient One's eyes were steely, her voice calm and resolute. "It's not persistence, Zhang Ming. It's determination. A determination to protect this world from those who seek to destroy it."

Zhang Ming's expression twisted into a snarl. "Spare me your self-righteous speeches, Soraya. Power is the only thing that matters, and you know it."

Zhang Ming's confidence grew with each passing moment. He could feel the Dark Dimension's energy coursing through him, granting him strength and power beyond anything he had ever known. The Ancient One, for all her skill and experience, was beginning to falter. Her golden defenses, once impenetrable, were starting to crack under the relentless onslaught of Zhang Ming's dark magic.

"You're weakening, Soraya," Zhang Ming taunted, his voice full of contempt. He unleashed another wave of dark energy, this time a series of jagged spikes that erupted from the ground, racing toward the Ancient One with terrifying speed.

The Ancient One conjured a shield of golden light, but it was thinner than before, flickering at the edges. The spikes slammed into the shield, shattering it into fragments. The force of the impact sent the Ancient One skidding backward, her feet barely finding purchase on the fractured ground.

Zhang Ming smirked, his eyes glowing with dark power. "Is this really the best the Sorcerer Supreme has to offer? I expected more."

The Ancient One remained silent, her breathing heavy as she focused on maintaining her composure. She could feel her strength waning, her connection to the mystical energies of the world growing weaker. Zhang Ming's relentless assault was overwhelming, his power fueled by the Dark Dimension's limitless energy. She was on the defensive, struggling to keep up with his attacks.

Zhang Ming didn't let up. He summoned a torrent of black flames that surged toward the Ancient One, a relentless inferno that consumed everything in its path. The heat was unbearable, the flames searing through the air with a malevolent hunger.

The Ancient One barely had time to react. She raised her hands, summoning a barrier of water that cascaded around her, but it was not enough. The flames clashed with the water, creating a massive cloud of steam that obscured the battlefield. The Ancient One gritted her teeth, struggling to hold the barrier as the flames pushed against it, the dark energy slowly seeping through the cracks.

She knew she was losing ground. The flames were not just fire—they were imbued with the dark energy of the Dark Dimension, a power she had long forbidden herself to use. But now, in the midst of this battle, she could feel that very energy calling out to her, tempting her with its promise of power.

Zhang Ming, sensing her hesitation, pressed his advantage. "You can't win, Soraya," he sneered. "Not without power. Real power."

He thrust his hands forward, and the flames intensified, burning hotter and brighter. The Ancient One's barrier began to buckle under the strain, the water evaporating as the dark flames consumed it.

For the first time in the battle, doubt flickered in the Ancient One's eyes. She was cornered, her options running out. Zhang Ming's power was overwhelming, his control over the Dark Dimension far greater than she had anticipated. If she didn't act soon, she would be defeated—and the consequences of that defeat would be catastrophic.

But there was one option left. An option she had sworn never to take, for fear of what it might do to her soul. The Ancient One closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she reached out with her mind, feeling the tendrils of the Dark Dimension's energy just beyond her grasp. She had resisted its call for so long, but now, there was no other choice.

"I cannot allow this world to fall," she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible above the roar of the flames. "Even if it means..."

With a heavy heart, the Ancient One opened herself to the Dark Dimension, allowing its energy to flow into her. The power surged through her veins, cold and exhilarating, as if a floodgate had been opened within her. Her eyes flashed with an eerie, unnatural light, the same dark energy that Zhang Ming had wielded now coursing through her

Zhang Ming's eyes widened in shock as he felt the shift in the Ancient One's aura. The golden light that had once surrounded her was now tinged with darkness, the very energy she had sought to protect the world from now enveloping her like a shroud.

"Impossible," Zhang Ming muttered, taking a step back. "You… you're using the Dark Dimension?"

The Ancient One's expression was unreadable, her eyes glowing with a mixture of gold and dark energy. "You leave me no choice, Zhang Ming. You've forced my hand."

With a single gesture, the Ancient One unleashed a wave of dark energy that collided with Zhang Ming's flames, extinguishing them in an instant. The power she now wielded was immense, far beyond anything Zhang Ming had encountered. The dark energy swirled around her, crackling with raw, untamed power.

Zhang Ming staggered backward, his confidence shattered. He had believed himself to be the only one who could manipulate the Dark Dimension's energy with such precision, but now he realized there was another—someone who was not only his equal but perhaps his superior in every aspect of dark energy manipulation.

"No… this can't be…"

The Ancient One advanced, her steps steady and deliberate. The ground beneath her feet cracked and splintered as the dark energy radiated outward, distorting the very fabric of the battlefield. "You sought power, Zhang Ming," she said, her voice echoing with the duality of the energies within her. "But power comes with a price."

Zhang Ming tried to summon his dark energy, but it was no use. The Ancient One's power had overwhelmed his connection to the Dark Dimension, leaving him defenseless. He could feel the energy slipping away, his strength fading as the Ancient One closed in.

"You wanted to destroy me, to prove your superiority," the Ancient One continued, her voice calm but resolute. "But in the end, it is not power that defines us, but how we choose to use it."

With a final surge of energy, the Ancient One raised her hand, the dark energy swirling around her palm. Zhang Ming could only watch in helpless terror as she prepared to strike, the force of her power threatening to tear him apart.

But at the last moment, the Ancient One hesitated. She could see the fear in Zhang Ming's eyes, the realization that he had overstepped his bounds. For all his bravado, he was still just a man, consumed by his own thirst for power.

The Ancient One lowered her hand, allowing the dark energy to dissipate. "This battle is over, Zhang Ming," she said, her voice filled with quiet authority. "Leave now. I know you seek death, but I won't grant you that. Instead, I'll give you a punishment worse than death. You will live, knowing that you will never be the strongest sorcerer in existence. Every day, you will contemplate your life and look back on your actions."

Zhang Ming, shaken and beaten, took one last look at the Ancient One before retreating into the shadows. He opened a portal to the Dark Dimension, his form disappearing into the darkness.

As the portal closed behind him, the Ancient One took a deep breath, releasing the last of the dark energy from her body. The battle was won, but the cost was great. She had crossed a line she had sworn never to cross, and the consequences of that decision would haunt her.