Chapter 3: The Soul Bound by Hatred Part 2 The ghost moved first. Its hatred erupted like a storm. The abandoned house trembled under the pressure of its emotions. Every broken wall. Every piece of forgotten furniture. Every corner that carried memories of the past... Began responding to its resentment. This was not a simple attack. The entire area had become the ghost's territory. A place where its hatred had existed for years. Adrian stood silently. His eyes observed everything. The darkness. The spiritual fluctuations. The emotional energy surrounding the ghost. This universe was truly different. In Aetherion's original universe... A soul was mainly connected to cultivation, existence, and the laws of one's path. But here... Emotion itself could become power. A person could die. But their strongest emotion could remain. That emotion could become a chain. A chain that bound the soul to the world. Adrian finally understood. "This is their system..." He whispered. "Their way of existence." The ghost suddenly appeared before him. Its distorted face was filled with anger. "You are still looking at me like I am something you need to understand!" "You are the same as everyone else!" The ghost's hand transformed into a sharp claw. It attacked directly. Adrian raised his arm. A thin layer of spiritual energy covered his body. Clang! The impact created a shockwave. The ghost was pushed back. But Adrian's expression changed slightly. The attack was stronger than before. Not because the ghost had learned a technique. Because its hatred had increased. Every moment of anger. Every memory of suffering. Every thought of revenge... Was feeding its existence. A dangerous system. A painful system. Adrian looked at the ghost. "You are not becoming stronger." The ghost stopped. "What?" "You are becoming more trapped." The words caused the surrounding darkness to shake. For a moment... The ghost's expression changed. Almost like Adrian had touched something it had forgotten. Then anger returned. "Silence!" The ghost released all of its hatred. The entire yard became covered in darkness. Countless voices echoed. Crying. Screaming. Regret. Pain. The emotions left behind by the spirit appeared around Adrian. A normal person would have collapsed. Even some supernatural beings would have difficulty resisting. But Adrian remained standing. Not because he ignored those emotions. Because he understood them. He had experienced loneliness. He had experienced despair. He had experienced losing everything. The difference was... He refused to let those emotions control him. The ghost looked at him in confusion. "Why..." "Why are you not afraid?" Adrian looked at it. "Because I know what it feels like." The ghost froze. "You think hatred makes you stronger." Adrian slowly walked forward. "But hatred is only a chain." The darkness around the ghost became unstable. "No..." The ghost shook its head. "Don't say that..." "I waited..." "I waited for so long..." Its voice changed. The anger slowly mixed with sadness. "I waited for someone to understand..." The illusion around the house changed. For a brief moment... Adrian saw fragments of the past. A person. A normal human. A life that ended with hatred. A promise that was never fulfilled. A betrayal that created endless resentment. A death filled with anger. And after death... Only one emotion remained. Hatred. The person forgot everything else. Forgot happiness. Forgot kindness. Forgot who they once were. Only hatred remained. The ghost suddenly screamed. "Don't look!" The illusion shattered. The hatred returned. "I don't want to remember!" Adrian became silent. Now he understood. The ghost was not refusing peace. It was afraid. Because if it let go of hatred... It would have to face the emptiness left behind. Adrian's eyes became calm. "That is why you attacked me." The ghost stared at him. "You thought I would erase you." "You thought I would destroy the only thing keeping you connected." The ghost did not answer. Because Adrian was right. The hatred was painful. But it was also the only thing left. Adrian raised his hand. A small amount of Originless Immortal Energy appeared. The ghost immediately reacted. "What are you doing?" Adrian looked at it. "Helping you." "I don't need help!" The ghost attacked again. But this time... Adrian did not dodge. He moved forward. The hatred surrounding the ghost entered his spiritual perception. He did not destroy it. He did not suppress it. He analyzed it. The structure of the soul. The emotional binding. The reason it remained. Everything became clear. And for the first time... Adrian used his cultivation not to destroy. But to understand. A faint light surrounded his hand. "This is my path." He whispered. "Not controlling." "Not destroying." "Understanding." The moment his energy touched the ghost... The entire haunted house became silent. The hatred that had existed for years... Finally began to weaken.