Chapter 51: Ancient One's Choice! The Price of Soul Fusion — The Shackle of Never Separating
In the corridor of the Brooklyn Villa, moonlight spilled through the window onto Wanda's pale face.
Li Heng held her tightly, feeling the tremor in her body gradually subside.
The pair of purple-golden pupils had completely faded, turning back into clear green.
But the words she just said plunged into the bottom of Li Heng's heart like a thorn.
"There is my blood inside you. You forever belong to me."
Chthon's voice came out through Wanda's mouth — this was not an illusion, not a hallucination, but a real transmission of will crossing dimensional barriers.
"How can he speak through you?"
Li Heng's brows were tightly locked, his voice carrying suppressed anger, "The source blood of Asgard's core has already been absorbed by you — and 92% of the mark has been cleared — he shouldn't be able to reach you anymore."
Wanda shook her head, a hint of fatigue and confusion in her eyes: "I'm not sure either... But I feel that the state just now didn't look like Chthon actively contacting me — it felt more like something inside me was awakened after the moonlight blade was infused."
She looked down at her palms, the faint purple-black lines on her palms faintly visible in the moonlight: "My Chaos Magic became more active after the infusion — but also more unstable. I suspect that the complete awakening of the moonlight blade may have unintentionally stimulated some sleeping parts of the remaining mark."
Li Heng's dark-golden slit pupils slightly contracted — he immediately opened the system interface and brought up Wanda's status information.
[Wanda Maximoff — Current Status]
[Chaos Magic Fusion Degree: 97% (Normal)]
[Chthon Mark Clearance Progress: 92.7% (3.3% slower than expected)]
[Abnormal Signal Detection: When the host performed moonlight blade infusion, a very low-frequency dimensional energy fluctuation was detected being released from deep inside the moonlight blade blade body, briefly contacting Wanda's Chaos Magic core. The nature of this energy fluctuation — matches the characteristic of Chthon's origin energy!]
[Analysis Conclusion: As a magic tool used by Varnaduring his lifetime, the moonlight blade has clashed with Chthon's power multiple times. Over the long years, trace energy remnants of Chthon may have been adsorbed inside the blade body. This remnant is extremely weak and would not cause any impact under normal circumstances — but when the moonlight blade fully awakened and received Chaos Magic infusion, it was accidentally released and briefly invaded Wanda's magic core!]
"The moonlight blade adsorbed Chthon's energy remnant..."
Li Heng softly repeated the content of the system analysis, then suddenly clenched his fists, "In other words — it was I who personally used the moonlight blade to bring that trace of remnant into Wanda's body."
"It's not your fault."
Wanda held his hand, her green pupils staring straight at him, "You didn't know there was Chthon's remnant in the moonlight blade — none of us knew. This is not your fault."
"But if I hadn't let you infuse—"
"If it weren't for the infusion, the moonlight blade wouldn't have fully awakened."
Wanda interrupted him, her voice calm and firm, "Without a fully awakened moonlight blade, there's no way to open the Gate of Origin — and we wouldn't be able to find a countermeasure before Chthon fully descends."
"This is a necessary risk — and since we've discovered this problem, we can think of a way to solve it."
Li Heng looked at her, remained silent for a long time, and then let out a long sigh: "Sometimes I really wish you weren't so rational — at least let me feel guilty for a few minutes before lecturing me."
Wanda couldn't help laughing, although her face was still very pale, her smile remained bright: "Feel guilty for a few minutes? You would feel guilty? Aren't you the type of person who goes home to sleep right after a fight?"
"...I feel like you're scolding me."
"It's not a feeling — I am scolding you."
The tense and heavy atmosphere in the air dissipated quite a bit during this brief banter.
But both of them knew clearly in their hearts — Chthon's mark remnant was much more stubborn than they had previously anticipated.
Just as they were preparing to go back to their rooms to rest and figure something out when dawn came —
A pale golden portal opened silently in the center of the Villa's living room.
Li Heng's dark-golden slit pupils shrank instantly — he took a step forward in front of Wanda, his right hand already gripping the hilt of the moonlight blade.
But when the figure behind the portal walked out, his guard mostly disappeared.
Ancient One.
— The Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj, one of the most powerful white magic users on Earth.
But her state, however, made Li Heng's pupils shrink once more — Ancient One's face was as pale as paper, her purple pupils filled with dense bloodshot veins, and the edges of her iconic golden robe had multiple scorch marks, as if she had experienced an intense battle shortly before.
"Ancient One? Why are you..."
Li Heng's words weren't finished yet when Ancient Oneraised her hand to interrupt him.
"I tracked that energy fluctuation here — from the moment the moonlight blade fully awakened, the energy it released triggered a series of chain reactions at the dimensional level."
Ancient One's voice was hoarse and exhausted, but she still forced herself to stand straight, "It took me several hours to stabilize."
"Who were you fighting?"
Wanda noticed the injuries on Ancient One's body and stepped forward quickly to support her.
"Not a battle — it was preventing the chain collapse of the dimensions."
Ancient One took a deep breath, a hint of solemnity flashing through her purple pupils, "That energy you released when infusing the moonlight blade touched the weak point of the dimensional barrier. Chthon's prison at the edge of the Universe — was shaken by that dimensional energy fluctuation."
"He hasn't broken free yet, but his prison — has appeared its first crack."
Li Heng and Wanda looked at each other — both saw the same shock in each other's eyes.
"The prison has a crack?"
Li Heng's voice was low and solemn, "That means — he is closer to completely breaking free."
Ancient One looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke: "I came today not just to tell you this matter — I also brought something."
She reached into the inner pocket of her robe and took out a yellowish scroll — that scroll had weathered unknown years, its edges were tattered beyond recognition, but the handwriting written on the parchment was still clear and legible.
"This is one of the oldest collections of Kamar-Taj — records written by Varna's own hand. Before Atlantis sank, he entrusted a set of notes regarding the symbiotic relationship between the darkhold and Chaos Magic to the First Sorcerer Supreme of my lineage."
"He prophesied — one day, the Complete Progenitor and the Chaos Vessel would appear at the same time, and — would face the choice I am about to tell you."
Ancient One unrolled the scroll, which was covered with dense Atlantis runes.
She pointed to a passage in the center of the scroll, her voice becoming extremely solemn:
"Chaos Magic and Old Gods marks — according to Varna's research, there is a very deep symbiotic relationship between the two. When the host absorbs source blood, although the mark can be cleared, Chaos Magic itself — has already been permeated by the mark's energy over the long years."
"Even if the mark is completely cleared, the 'frequency' of Chaos Magic still retains resonance with Chthon. This resonance is extremely weak and will not be actively activated — but when the host comes into contact with energy homologous to Chthon, this resonance may be awakened."
"This is why Wanda's will was briefly invaded by Chthonjust now — it's not that the mark wasn't cleared cleanly — but rather her Chaos Magic itself has already produced an irreversible resonance with Chthon's energy."
Li Heng's brows furrowed tightly: "Then what should we do? Is there really no way to completely cut off this resonance?"
Ancient One remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "There is — but that method comes at an extremely high price."
She pointed to the end of the scroll, where a complex rune was drawn — composed of two intersecting rings, with a constantly rotating hexagram at the center of the rings.
Li Heng had seen that rune — in Varna's Fourth Mark, on the stone doors of Vald's (Second Progenitor) ruins, and — on the blood pact ring between him and Wanda.
"This rune — 'Soul Covenant' — is deeper than the 'Soul Contract' you currently possess."
Ancient One's voice echoed in the living room — carrying a heavy texture, "Soul Contract connects the souls of two people, allowing them to share power, perception, and thoughts to a certain extent — but Soul Covenant merges the soul origins of two people."
"After merging — you will no longer be two independent souls — but two sides of one soul. Your perceptions, memories, and powers — will be completely shared. More importantly, the energy resonance left by Chthon in the Chaos Magic — will be counterbalanced with Li Heng's Ancestor Power, thus being completely neutralized."
"Because — after the two souls merge, the Chaos Magicwill no longer belong to Wanda alone — it will also belong to a part of Li Heng. And the God-Slaying Power inside Li Heng's body is the natural enemy of Chthon's energy."
"Theoretically — this plan can completely eliminate all of Chthon's influence on Wanda."
Li Heng fell silent.
He understood the meaning of this plan — and he also understood its price.
Soul Fusion — is not a simple 'connection', but 'oneness'.
He and Wanda will no longer be two independent individuals, but one person — possessing two bodies, but with a single soul.
In a sense — they will forever be unable to separate.
"The price?"
he asked — his voice so calm that even he himself was somewhat surprised.
Ancient One looked at him, a trace of complex emotion flashing in her purple pupils: "There are two prices. First — once merged, it cannot be reversed. You will change from 'partners' to'soul-bound ones' — bound together forever at the soul level. The death of either party will cause the other's soul to gradually dissipate due to incompleteness."
"Second — the merged soul will become a unique existence in the Universe. It is neither the soul of a Complete Progenitor nor the soul of a Chaos Vessel — but a brand-new, unprecedented soul form. This form — may attract the attention of higher-level existences."
"Including — The Silent One."
The living room fell into a dead silence.
Wanda looked at Li Heng, there was no fear in her eyes, no hesitation — only a calm firmness.
She reached out and held his hand — the warmth coming from her palm gave him an unprecedented sense of peace.
"Don't rush to make a decision."
She said, her voice very soft, but every word seemed to fall onto his heart, "We still have time."
The clouds outside the window slowly moved, and the moonlight spilled into the living room once more, illuminating the ancient runes on the yellowish scroll in Ancient One's hand.
In the night sky outside the window, that moon had begun to glow with an extremely faint, almost imperceptible dark red.
The Third Blood Moon —
is approaching little by little.
Chapter 52: Varna's Third Path! The Truth of the Soul Covenant — — Ancient One's Choice
In the living room of the Brooklyn Villa, Ancient One had already left for an hour.
Li Heng was still sitting on the sofa, with the moonlight blade laid horizontally across his knees, and its silver-white blade surface circulating a warm, gentle glow in the darkness.
The moon outside the window had risen to the mid-heaven, and that dark red shadow was a fraction more obvious than a few hours ago.
"What are you thinking about?" Wanda's voice came from the kitchen doorway; she walked over holding a cup of hot milk and sat down beside Li Heng.
Li Heng took the milk and took a sip, his gaze still not leaving the moonlight blade: "I am wondering — — how many traps Varna actually left behind."
"Laying out plans even before the sinking of Atlantis, leaving behind the darkhold, the ancestor core, the fourth imprint, the moonlight blade, the Second Progenitor — — every single layout is pointing to the same end point, which is to make me become the Complete Progenitor, make you become a Chaos container, and then let us face the choice of the 'Soul Covenant'."
"Why do I feel — — that every step we take is within his plan."
Wanda was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Perhaps — — Varna does not want to control us. He just saw the possibilities of the future — — and then left behind enough backups so that future generations would have room for choice when facing those possibilities."
She turned her head to look at Li Heng, her green eyes appearing exceptionally clear under the moonlight: "The Soul Covenant — — is the only method Ancient One told us about. But I feel that since Varna left behind so many things, it is impossible that he only left one path for us to walk."
Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils contracted slightly — — he lowered his head to look at the moonlight blade, and those dark golden bloodline patterns on the blade surface began to glow slightly under his gaze, as if sensing his thoughts.
He closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into the space inside the blade body — — that place where he had once seen Varna's lingering shadow.
This time, he was not disappointed.
In that silver-white sea of light at the core of the blade, Varna's soul fragment was waiting for him — — that lingering shadow only the size of a fingernail was curled up in the center of the sea of light, looking like a sleeping seed. But when he approached, that seed immediately awakened, blooming with dazzling light.
"Complete Progenitor — — you really did come." Varna's voice resounded in Li Heng's consciousness with a hint of a smile, "I knew Ancient One would find you and tell you about the Soul Covenant. I also knew — — you would definitely come to ask me if there is any other way."
"There is — — a third path."
Li Heng's consciousness shook: "Really?"
"There is — — but that path is more dangerous than the Soul Covenant, and more uncontrollable than soul fusion." Varna's voice became solemn, "Do you want to hear it?"
"Speak."
"The essence of the Soul Covenant — — is the fusion of two souls into a brand-new soul origin, thereby completely neutralizing the Chthon resonance in the Chaos Magic. But the fusion process is irreversible, and the post-fusion soul form will become a brand-new existence — — no longer the Complete Progenitor, nor a Chaos container, but a soul form that has never appeared in the Universe."
"But — — " Varna paused, "If you do not want to fuse — — you can choose'Synchronization'."
"Synchronization?"
"Synchronization — — is the prerequisite state of the Soul Covenant. Under the premise of keeping the two souls independent, through the mediating action of the blood pact ring and the moonlight blade, a deep energy synchronization is established. In this synchronization state, your Ancestor Power and Wanda's Chaos Magic can be exchanged at the soul level — — the Chthon resonance within her body can be continuously neutralized by your God-Slaying Power without needing to fuse souls."
"As long as the synchronization is uninterrupted — — Chthon will never be able to taint her through Chaos Magic."
Li Heng's heart thumped fiercely: "What about the price?"
"The price — — is time." Varna's voice became heavy, "Synchronization is not a one-time solution — — it requires regular maintenance. Every once in a while, you need to conduct an energy synchronization through the moonlight blade, otherwise the effect of synchronization will decay, and Chthon's resonance may be reactivated."
"Furthermore — — every synchronization will consume a large amount of your energy. In the next twenty-four hours, your strength will drop significantly — — if you encounter powerful enemies during this time, you will be very vulnerable."
"Therefore — — this is a long-term persistence scheme, not a once-and-for-all solution."
Li Heng was silent for a few seconds, and then asked a key question: "Synchronization — — can it be upgraded to a Soul Covenant?"
Varna's voice carried a hint of a smile: "Yes — — if one day, no matter what, you must face an enemy that must be fused to defeat — — the souls in the synchronization state can complete fusion much more easily than two independent souls."
"That is to say — — synchronize first, then decide whether to fuse or not — — this way, the initiative of decision-making can be grasped in your own hands."
Li Heng opened his eyes.
The blade body of the moonlight blade was emitting a warm silver-white light, and those dark golden bloodline patterns on the blade seemed to have come alive, slowly flowing before his eyes. He looked at Wanda, who was watching him beside him, and held her hand.
"Found it — — the third path."
Wanda was slightly startled: "What is that path?"
"Synchronization — — is not fusion, but establishing energy synchronization at the soul level through the moonlight blade and the blood pact ring." Li Heng relayed Varna's words to her, speaking quickly, but every single word was exceptionally clear, "Your Chthon resonance can be continuously neutralized by my God-Slaying Power, but we still maintain independent souls."
"The price is — — that regular synchronization is required, and there will be a period of weakness after synchronization."
"But at least — — we do not need to bet the completeness of our souls."
Wanda looked at him, was silent for a moment, and then the corners of her mouth curved up slightly: "You said 'require regular synchronization' — — how frequent is it?"
"Varna didn't say the specific time — — maybe half a month, or maybe a month."
"That's fine — — not too troublesome." Wanda gently gripped his hand tightly, "Come on — — how to do it?"
Li Heng raised the moonlight blade, aimed the blade edge at his own palm — — and then, gently sliced.
Dark golden blood gushed out from the wound and dripped onto the blade body — — then, he turned the blade toward Wanda, suspending the blade edge above her palm.
"Hold the blade — — let our blood intermingle on the moonlight blade."
Wanda did not hesitate — — she reached out and grasped the blade body of the moonlight blade.
The silver-white blade cut into the skin of her palm, scarlet Chaos Magic gushed out from her wound — — intersecting, fusing, and glowing with Li Heng's dark golden blood on the blade — —
"Hum — — — — — —!!!"
The moonlight blade erupted with an unprecedented brilliant light — — that light was no longer purely silver-white, but a perfect blend of three colors: dark gold, silver-white, and scarlet — — three-colored light gushed out from the blade body, enveloping Li Heng and Wanda at the same time!
Li Heng felt a warm energy surge from the moonlight blade into his ancestor core — — that was Wanda's Chaos Magic, carrying her unique temperature and frequency — — at the moment her energy entered his body, he could feel somewhere in his soul being gently touched. That was not fusion — — but a kind of "handshake" — — two souls extending their hands across an invisible wall, gently touching together across the wall.
[Ding!! Soul Synchronization — — Establishment Successful!!]
[Synchronization State — — 'Twin Resonance'! Duration: Undetermined — — The soul energies of the host and Wanda have established deep synchronization! Chthon's Chaos Magic resonance is being continuously neutralized by the God-Slaying Power within the host's body! Estimated neutralization cycle: 14-21 days!]
[During Synchronization — — The energy interoperability between the host and Wanda increases by 300%! Can borrow each other's abilities! Within the synchronization range — — injury to either party will automatically trigger the defense mechanism of the other!]
[Current Status — — Post-synchronization weakness period has begun! Estimated to last 12-18 hours! During this period, the comprehensive combat power of the host and Wanda drops by about 40%!]
The light gradually dispersed.
Li Heng looked down at his hand — — the dark golden Ancestor Power flowed in his palm, but it was slightly dimmer than usual. He could feel that a portion of the energy in his body had already been injected into the moonlight blade as the base energy reserve for synchronization.
Wanda stood beside him, her complexion even paler than before — — a part of her Chaos Magic had also been drawn out into the moonlight blade. But in her green eyes, the purple-gold color when she was invaded by Chthon's will had completely disappeared.
She looked down at her palm and gently clenched her fist: "I feel... that feeling of being stared at by Chthon — — has disappeared."
"Synchronization worked." Li Heng breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the back of the sofa, "But for the next dozen hours, both of us will be relatively weak."
"It's worth it." Wanda smiled, then also leaned back on the sofa, tiredly closing her eyes, "A dozen hours of weakness — — in exchange for the freedom of the soul — — this deal is not a loss."
The two sat quietly, feeling the subtle sense of connection brought by synchronization under the moonlight. That sense of connection was different from a Soul Contract — — a Soul Contract was a "thread" connecting two independent souls. As for synchronization, it was more like an extra "membrane" between two souls — — maintaining independence while perceiving each other.
In the night sky outside the window, the dark red shadow on the edge of the moon was a fraction more obvious than before.
The Third Blood Moon — — was approaching day by day.
But before that, at least they still had time — —
They found the third path.
The next morning, when Li Heng woke up, he felt that the sense of weakness in his body had mostly subsided. He glanced at the system panel — — [Remaining time of post-synchronization weakness period: about 7 hours].
Wanda was still sleeping, her breathing steady and even — — her complexion had returned to normal rosiness, and those traces of fatigue left by the intrusion of Chthon's will had vanished.
Li Heng did not wake her up — — he tiptoed out of bed, preparing to go to the kitchen to grab something to eat.
But when he pushed open the bedroom door and walked into the corridor — — he saw a letter placed on the coffee table in the living room.
That letter did not have any postmark or any address — — only a name written in gold powder on the cover: Li Heng.
He walked to the coffee table, picked up the letter, and opened it — — inside was a short note, the handwriting on it vigorous and powerful, carrying a sense of calm tempered by the passage of time:
"Complete Progenitor — — the fact that you were able to find this 'third path' shows that you have completely mastered the core power of the moonlight blade. Congratulations — — you did not let me down."
"Synchronization is your choice right now, but it should not become your end point. There is still power within your body that I haven't told you about — — that needs to be activated before the Gate of Origin when the Third Blood Moon rises."
"I am on the other side of the gate, waiting to meet you."
"— — Varna."
After Li Heng finished reading the last word, the note began to burn on its own — — the golden flames engulfed the note, leaving not even ashes behind.
Li Heng stood in place, looking at the dissipating golden light, and said in a low voice: "You are on the other side of the gate... waiting for me?"
"Just how many backups did you leave... old fellow."
He did not feel fear — — instead, he felt a long-lost excitement. Because Varna's words meant — — behind that Gate of Origin, it wasn't void — — someone was waiting for him.
That "person" was Varna.
That Progenitor who had "committed suicide" for tens of thousands of years — — his consciousness had always existed on the other side of the gate.
Outside the window, the light of dawn spilled into the living room.
Distance to the Third Blood Moon — —
Still five days left.
Chapter 53: Antarctica Layer 4.5! Varna's Last Secret Room — The Master of the moonlight blade
Brooklyn Villa, early morning.
Li Heng sat on the sofa, holding the note that had already burned to ashes — strictly speaking, watching the last trace of golden light remaining on his fingertips dissipate into the air.
The letter Varna left him burned on its own after he read the last word, leaving not even ashes behind.
"The other side of the gate... waiting to meet me?"
He whispered this sentence again, a complex look flashing through his dark golden-white vertical pupils — Varna had already committed suicide tens of thousands of years ago, which was a universally recognized fact in the history of the vampires.
But now, the soul remnant he left behind not only existed within the moonlight blade, but also claimed to be waiting for him on the other side of the Gate of Origin.
What did this mean?
It meant that Varna might not have truly died at all — his consciousness, or rather a part of his soul, might have survived on the other side of the Gate of Origin.
"What are you thinking about?" Wanda's voice came from the stairway.
She was wearing a loose sweatshirt, her hair scattered casually over her shoulders, holding two cups of freshly brewed coffee in her hands — looking much better in complexion than last night.
Those green eyes were clear and bright, without the traces of being eroded by purple-gold like last night.
"Thinking about how many secrets Varna still hides." Li Heng took the coffee and took a sip, "He said in the letter that he is waiting for me on the other side of the Gate of Origin — this is not a metaphor, meaning he is really still alive over there."
Wanda sat down beside him, her brows slightly furrowed: "Varna is still alive? This... is unlikely, right? If he is still alive, why hasn't he shown up for so many years?"
"The vampires experienced so many crises — Dracula's tyranny, Mephisto's invasion, Chthon's infiltration — if he was still around, why didn't he come out earlier?"
"There are two possibilities." Li Heng raised two fingers, "First — he is trapped on that side of the Gate of Originand cannot come out. Second — he cannot move freely on that side and can only contact us through specific methods."
"No matter which possibility — it shows that the Gate of Origin is not only a path leading to the primordial sea of the Universe, but also a channel connecting to a certain'special space'."
Wanda was silent for a moment, and slowly spoke: "Then... are we going?"
"We will definitely go — but not now." Li Heng leaned against the sofa back, his gaze falling on the skyline outside the window, "The synchronization has just been completed, and we are both still in a period of weakness."
"And — we have a more urgent problem to deal with."
He looked at his phone — the screen displayed an unread message from Nick Fury.
The content of the message was very short, but every word made him feel heavy:
"New discoveries in the Antarctic ruins. Call back immediately."
Li Heng was just about to call back — when the phone vibrated.
Caller ID: Nick Fury.
"Speak of the devil." He answered the phone, turned on the speakerphone, "Director Fury — early in the morning, what good news do you have?"
The other end of the phone was silent for about two seconds — then Fury's voice sounded, carrying a sense of tension that Li Heng had never heard from him before: "Good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?"
"Bad news."
"The bad news is — the exploration robot eight hundred meters underground in the Fourth Seal Antarctic ruins transmitted back a piece of footage at 3:17 early this morning."
"The footage showed that about fifty meters below the sealed space you explored before — there is another space."
"We call it — Layer 4.5."
Li Heng and Wanda exchanged a glance.
Wanda said in a low voice: "Another layer? We used the ancestor core perception to scan the entire ruins back then, and didn't find a deeper space."
"Our experts analyzed that that layer of space is covered by an extremely sophisticated energy shielding layer — it is almost impossible to detect its existence from the outside." Fury's voice became deeper, "But early this morning, a crack appeared in that shielding layer — a very tiny crack — and our exploration robot captured the energy signal leaking from the crack."
"The frequency of that energy signal — is completely consistent with the energy characteristics of your moonlight blade after it fully awakened."
The air in the living room seemed to freeze.
Li Heng's fingers holding the phone tightened slightly, a sharp light flashing in his dark golden vertical pupils: "You mean — that building sensed the awakening of the moonlight blade and actively opened the shielding layer?"
"It seems so — that building is waiting for your moonlight blade."
Fury paused, his voice carrying a rare solemn tone: "Do you want to go take a look? I can arrange a quinjet to send you to Antarctica within three hours."
Li Heng did not answer immediately — he turned to look at Wanda.
She looked at him, was silent for two seconds, and then showed a smile identical to Li Heng's: "Let's go — nothing better to do anyway."
Li Heng said into the phone: "No need for a quinjet, we will go ourselves."
"Yourselves? How are you —"
Before Fury could finish his words, Li Heng had already hung up the phone.
He stood up, moved his shoulders, feeling the power inside his body that, although weakened, was still full — the period of weakness after synchronization had not completely passed, but his remaining power was already enough to support a short-distance spatial teleportation.
"Let's go — and see what Varna hid in Layer 4.5."
He reached out his hand — a dark golden portal silently opened in the center of the living room, and on the other side of the door were the howling blizzard on the Antarctic ice sheet and the silent dark golden ruins.
Li Heng held Wanda's hand, and the two walked side by side into the portal.
Antarctica, Wexler Ice Shelf.
The blizzard was even heavier than the last time they came.
Gray clouds hung low in the sky, completely blocking out the sunlight.
That Atlantis building that once emitted a dark golden glow deep in the ice had now become a silent ruin — those rune-carved walls scattered on the ice after the building disintegrated, like a pile of forgotten building blocks.
But Li Heng and Wanda's attention did not stay on the surface of the ruins.
The moment their feet stepped on the ice — Li Heng's ancestor core vibrated slightly — in his perception, a faint energy fluctuation did exist below the ruins — and when the moonlight blade approached, that fluctuation obviously became more active.
"Did you feel it?" Li Heng asked softly.
Wanda nodded — her Chaos Magic was also resonating: "It's like it's... summoning us."
The two looked at each other, tightly holding each other's hands at the same time — then, Li Heng raised the moonlight blade, the silver-white blade shining in the blizzard like a beam of moonlight in the dark.
"Layer 4.5 — here we come."
Accompanied by the slash of the moonlight blade, the ice surface was torn apart as if by an invisible force — deep within the ice, a pillar of dark golden light soared into the sky, illuminating the entire ice sheet amidst the overwhelming blizzard —
The end of that light pillar — led to a space Li Heng and Wanda had never seen before —
A secret room — intertwined with pure moonlight and dark gold.
When their feet landed at the bottom of that secret room, the sight they saw made them both hold their breath at the same time — the secret room was not large, less than ten meters in diameter.
The walls were made of a translucent dark golden crystal, inside which countless faint light spots floated — those light spots moved slowly within the crystal, like fireflies sealed in amber.
And in the center of the secret room — floated a round mirror about a person's height.
The frame was crafted from a silver-white metal, its surface carved with complex Atlantis runes — the mirror surface was as smooth as a mirror, yet it could not reflect any scene standing in front of it — only a blackness like an abyss was slowly rotating deep inside the mirror.
"This is not an ordinary mirror." Wanda whispered, her Chaos Magic producing violent fluctuations in front of this mirror — as if encountering some natural counter-existence, "I feel... like something inside is looking at me."
Li Heng stood in front of the mirror, the moonlight bladetrembling slightly in his hand — he could feel the blade yearning to get close to the mirror, just like two magnets attracting each other.
He walked up to the mirror, raised the moonlight blade — and aimed the tip of the blade at the mirror surface —
The moment the tip of the blade touched the mirror surface — the entire mirror suddenly lit up!
Those black mirror surfaces rippled like the surface of water — countless images emerged from deep within the mirror —
The night before Atlantis sank, the image of Varnastanding in the crumbling palace holding a knife pointing at the sky — followed by a scene switch, the image of Varnaholding the moonlight blade fighting a huge black figure in the void — Black Magic and moonlight collided in the starry sky, tearing countless planets apart —
Then —
The image switched again.
In the mirror surface, a figure appeared that made Li Hengand Wanda both hold their breath —
That was an old man wearing an Atlantis-style black robe, with an aged face but a gaze like a torch — holding a short blade in his hand — shockingly the moonlight blade itself!
And on the blade of the moonlight blade — a line of runes was engraved — the meaning of those runes was translated by the system in the next second —
"moonlight blade, taking my blood as the guide."
"Whoever holds this blade — must bear its weight."
"Complete Progenitor — you have finally reached this step." The old man spoke — Varna's voice carried the weathering of tens of thousands of years, yet it remained as clear as yesterday, "The mirror in front of you is named the 'mirror of existence' — it is the last barrier leading to the Gate of Origin."
"Only by passing the test of this mirror — can you truly obtain the ultimate authority of the moonlight blade —"
"Become the true Master of this blade."
Li Heng looked at the figure in the mirror spanning tens of thousands of years, was silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke — his voice carried his usual nonchalance, but with an added sense of solemnity: "What test?"
Varna's image looked at him — in those eyes carrying the power of ancient bloodlines just like Li Heng's, a trace of satisfaction flashed through.
"Very simple — face your deepest fear."
"Pass — and you are the true Master of the moonlight blade, able to open the door leading to all origins."
"Fail — and both you and the Chaos vessel will be forever trapped in this mirror — until the end of time."
As the words fell — the mirror surface suddenly erupted with dazzling light — that light, like an invisible giant hand, pulled Li Heng and Wanda simultaneously, dragging them into that bottomless black mirror surface —
In the final instant, Li Heng held Wanda's hand tightly, transmitting the final thought through the Soul Contract —
"Don't be afraid — I am here."
Then — they also fell into that boundless darkness.
And the light on the surface of the mirror suddenly converged after they entered, returning to calm — as if it had never been touched.
In the Antarctic blizzard, the ruins stood quietly.
And in the secret room eight hundred and fifty meters below the ruins, the mirror of existence floated quietly — within its mirror surface, two tiny figures could be faintly seen slowly falling in a boundless darkness —
What they need to face is Varna's final test left for the Complete Progenitor.
Chapter 54: mirror of existence! Fragments of Varna's Memory — — The Final Night of Atlantis
Li Heng felt his body continuously falling.
Surrounding him was boundless darkness — — no sound, no light, no wind, not even the sensation of time passing. The only truly existing thing was the warmth coming from his palm — — Wanda's hand was still tightly held by his, and the steady, powerful heartbeat transmitted through the Soul Contract.
"Li Heng — — can you hear me?" Wanda's voice rang out in his consciousness, carrying a hint of tension, yet remaining calm.
"I can hear you." Li Heng replied, while simultaneously attempting to mobilize the Ancestor Power to stabilize his body. "This should be the internal world of the mirror of existence — — the test Varna spoke of should be right here."
The moment his words fell — — the darkness beneath his feet vanished abruptly!
The two of them fell simultaneously onto a hard and cold ground — — the instant he landed, Li Heng quickly flipped over and stood up, his right hand already gripping the hilt of the moonlight blade, and his dark golden vertical pupils scanned his surroundings vigilantly — —
Then, he froze.
The place where they were located was a city.
A city he had never seen with his own eyes, yet recognized at a glance — — Atlantis.
The towering crystal towers refracted golden light in the afterglow of the setting sun. The buildings on both sides of the street were constructed from white and light blue stones, their surfaces engraved with complex and exquisite Atlantis runes. On the street, vendors were packing up their stalls, children were chasing and playing, and robed wizards were whispering to each other — — everything appeared so tranquil and peaceful, as if it were just an ordinary dusk.
However, Li Heng's Ancestor Power perception was frantically sounding warnings — — he could feel an extremely faint yet ubiquitous energy fluctuation permeating the air. That was not the aura of Atlantis itself, but a much older, much deeper existence, watching this city from some corner.
"This is..." Wanda stood beside him, her green eyes reflecting those ancient and beautiful buildings. "Atlantis— — it hasn't sunk yet."
"It's not real." Li Heng's dark golden vertical pupils scanned everything around him — — he could see pedestrians passing by them, yet they seemed completely unable to see them. "It's memory — — Varna's memory fragments. We are trapped inside his memory."
Right at this moment, a commotion came from ahead.
— — The crowd at the end of the street began to part to both sides, making way. A young wizard wearing black robes was walking quickly from the other end of the street — — his face was stern, his brows tightly locked, and he held a silver-white short blade in his hand.
The moonlight blade.
Li Heng lowered his head to look at the moonlight blade in his own hand, then looked up at the one in the young wizard's hand — — the two blades were identical, the only difference being that the moonlight blade in his hand emitted a dark golden glow, while the one in the young wizard's hand flowed entirely with pure silver-white moonlight.
"That is... Varna when he was young." Wanda said in a low voice.
The young wizard — — Varna — — paused slightly when he walked up to Li Heng and Wanda.
He did not look at them — — within the memory fragments, they were merely bystanders and could not be seen by Varna at that time. But his pause gave Li Heng an illusion — — as if he had perceived something.
Then, Varna continued his stride, walking toward the highest Golden Palace in the center of the city.
Li Heng and Wanda exchanged a glance — — tacitly following behind.
Inside the main hall of the Golden Palace, the atmosphere was as heavy as the sky before a storm.
The king of Atlantis and several high ministers stood on both sides of the main hall, everyone's gazes focused on Varna, who stood in the center of the hall. On the wall behind them, a huge mural depicted the legend of Atlantis's birth — — Poseidon holding a trident, establishing this legendary city amidst the waves.
"Grand Wizard — — have you really decided to do this?" The king's voice was low and heavy, carrying a trace of undisguised trembling. "Opposing Chthon — — opposing the source of all Black Magic — — do you know what this means?"
Varna, standing in the center of the hall, raised his head, his gaze calm like water: "Atlantis's magic originates from nature, from the order of the Universe, from the origin of life — — but the Black Magic taught by Chthon's cult grows stronger through devouring and plundering. If this continues, Black Magic will erode the foundation of this world — — all life will become nourishment for his power."
"I would rather die standing than kneel and watch him devour our world."
[Ding! Triggered hidden memory fragment — — 'The Final Night of Atlantis'!]
[This is the most important night in Varna's life — — he made that choice which determined the future of the vampires and humanity for tens of thousands of years!]
The main hall fell silent for a moment, Varna's voice echoing in the hall, unwavering.
The king fell silent for a long time, then slowly stood up, walked over to Varna, and placed a hand on his shoulder: "Then go do it. Atlantis — — will always stand behind you."
Varna looked at him, a trace of imperceptible emotional stirring flashing through those deep eyes — — but he did not say anything more, only nodded slightly, then turned around and strode out of the Golden Palace.
Li Heng and Wanda followed closely behind.
Varna walked through the streets, through the square, through those alleys still immersed in the tranquil dusk — — finally, he arrived in front of a tall tower located at the edge of the city.
The tower body was pitch black, completely different from the mainstream white and light blue architectural style of Atlantis — — its surface was covered with a layer of purplish-black runes slowly flowing like living creatures. The energy fluctuations emanating from those runes caused the God-Slaying Power within Li Heng's body to instantly boil.
"This is — — the temple of Chthon's cult in Atlantis." Wanda's Chaos Magic also became active and alert under the influence of those purplish-black runes.
Varna pushed open the tower door and walked in.
The space inside the tower was much larger than it appeared from the outside — — in the center was a huge altar, surrounded by countless black stone pillars carved with runes. In the void above the altar floated a fist-sized purplish-black crystal — — Chthon's Primordial Blood Crystal. Unlike what Li Heng had previously seen at Mount Wundagore and with the Ancient One, this Primordial Blood Crystal was purer, more massive, pulsing just like a purplish-black heart.
Below the altar knelt over a dozen wizards wearing purplish-black robes — — followers of Chthon's cult. Seeing Varna walk in, the leading wizard raised his head, revealing a face covered in wrinkles and rune tattoos, his voice hoarse and cold: "Varna — — you have finally come. My Lord has waited for your reply for far too long."
"Join us — — you will gain power that surpasses all magic. Atlantis will become the sanctuary for my Lord's descent — — and you shall become his spokesperson in the mortal realm."
Varna stood before the altar, looking up at the floating Primordial Blood Crystal of Chthon, his voice frighteningly calm: "What promise did Chthon give you? Eternal life? Power surpassing mortals? Or the authority to rule the world?"
The corner of the lead wizard's mouth curled into a smug smile: "All of them."
"But there is one thing he definitely did not tell you." Varnaslowly turned toward him, his deep eyes burning with a light sufficient to tear apart the darkness: "Once he truly descends into this world — — all believers who have been 'blessed' by him, whether of the first generation or the last generation, will have their souls sucked dry by him in an instant, becoming sacrifices for his descent — — the so-called multi-dimensional vessels are nothing more than door locks for him to cross planes."
The lead wizard's smug smile froze on his face.
Varna turned back to the altar, tightening his grip on the moonlight blade in his hand: "Is this the ending you chose? In the Eternal Flame, illuminating the path forward in the name of a lighthouse, guiding lost souls? Or are you willing to fight for protection, even if the price is turning into dust in the darkness?"
The Primordial Blood Crystal did not answer — — but at that moment, the purplish-black crystal suddenly trembled violently — — a large mass of purplish-black energy gushed out from the crystal, condensing in high altitude into a vague humanoid silhouette — — that silhouette had no fixed shape, only a pair of burning purplish-black eyes gazing down at Varna below.
"Varna — —" That voice sounded hoarse like the superposition of one hundred million souls, echoing throughout the entire tower: "Do you think you can stop me?"
Chthon's projection descended into the high altitude, the law-level oppressive feeling pressing down like a physical substance.
Varna stood before the altar, his black robe fluttering violently in the aftermath of the energy waves — — but his hand gripping the moonlight blade did not tremble in the slightest. He looked up at Chthon's projection, and in those young eyes not yet eroded by the years, flashed the kind of light Li Heng had once seen in the Fourth Mark — — a resolve spanning tens of thousands of years.
"I am not here to stop your descent — — I am going to completely sever that finger you stretched into this world."
Varna swung his blade — —
A beam of silver-white moonlight radiance tore through the void like a sharp blade, slashing toward that Primordial Blood Crystal with unstoppable momentum!
Chthon's projection burst into a roar of Fury — — purplish-black energy surged from the crystal like a tsunami, attempting to block that moonlight radiance — — but the light slashed out by the moonlight blade pierced through the purplish-black energy barrier as if cutting tofu — — accurately striking the main body of the Primordial Blood Crystal — —
Crack.
A crisp shattering sound.
The Primordial Blood Crystal — — that heart nurtured within Chthon's will for tens of millions of years — — had a fine crack emerge on its surface.
Then came the second — — the third — — countless cracks covered the entire surface of the crystal like a cobweb — —
Then — — it exploded with a roar.
The fragments scattered like a purplish-black rainstorm, splashing onto the ground and onto the faces of those utterly shocked wizards of Chthon's cult. After losing its core, the energy of the primordial blood began to spread outward uncontrollably — — the entire tower began to tremble violently — — the runes on the walls began to fracture — — the ceiling began to collapse — —
Amidst the flying fragments and collapsing smoke, Varnastood before the altar, holding the slightly warm moonlight blade, his head lowered, expression unclear.
Li Heng stood not far away, looking at the thin back of the young wizard, suddenly realizing — — Varna at this moment was not yet the legendary "Vampire Progenitor" of later generations. He was still just a young wizard who wagered everything to protect his city, facing an enemy far exceeding his power limit, holding that short blade blessed by the Goddess of the Moon and a heart that never retreated — — making the choice that changed the fate of the world.
[Ding!! Memory fragment received!!]
[The truth behind the sinking of Atlantis — — unlocked!]
[Chthon's descent plan — — unlocked!]
[Varna's final choice — — recorded!]
At this moment, the entire memory world shattered like a mirror, countless golden fragments merging with Li Heng's consciousness.
When Li Heng opened his eyes again, he found himself still standing before the "mirror of existence" in the Antarctic secret room — — the mirror surface had returned to calm, and deep within the mirror, the image of Varnawearing black robes was slowly dissipating.
A gratified smile hung on his lips — — "You have seen that memory — — that was the most important night of my life."
"Complete Progenitor — — you have already passed the test of the mirror of existence. You do not need to become a second Varna, but you possess your own right of choice."
"The true power of the moonlight blade does not lie in what it severs, but in what you choose — — to protect."
The image completely dissipated — — and the mirror surface of that mirror of existence slowly transformed into a dark golden stream of light after the image dissipated, merging into the blade body of the moonlight blade.
[Ding!! Final authorization of the moonlight bladeunlocked successfully!!]
[Current status — — 'mirror of existence' has merged with the moonlight blade!]
[Unlocked final ability — — 'True Retrospection': Can briefly reproduce the weaknesses of any energy or seal severed by the moonlight blade!]
[Final form of the moonlight blade — — activated!]
Li Heng stood in the center of the secret room, looking down at the moonlight blade in his hand — — on the silver-white blade body, a dark golden fine line had appeared, extending like blood vessels inside the blade body, emitting an even heavier aura. He slowly sheathed the blade, letting out a long breath — — when he released Wanda's hand, he noticed that her palms also had a slight trace of sweat.
"The pitfalls left by the old fellow are numerous and deep... Fortunately, he always left a way out every time." Li Hengstretched his somewhat stiff shoulders. "Let's go — — it's time to go up. I feel that if we don't go back now, Pietrowill turn Brooklyn upside down."
Wanda couldn't help laughing, lightly punching him. "Can't you ever be serious?"
"No." Li Heng pulled her hand with righteous confidence. "Being serious is for fighting — — after finishing a fight, one must return to the slacking mode."
The moonlight blade was put back into its sheath, and the two of them walked side by side out of the secret room, returning along the original path to the ice surface. The Antarctic blizzard was still howling, but amidst the flying snow, a dark golden portal lit up once again, bringing them back to Brooklyn's living room — — the sunset happened to be spilling in outside the window, Pietro was slumped on the sofa holding a bag of potato chips, the Tesseractmodel on the coffee table had been knocked slightly crooked, sports news was playing on the television, and a coupon for frozen pizza was stuck on the refrigerator.
Everything was exactly the same as when they left.
However, within the dimensional cracks invisible to them — —
The dark red shadow on the edge of that moon had expanded by another fraction — — less than four days remained until the rising of the Third Blood Moon.
In the living room, Pietro saw them return and jumped up from the sofa. "You guys are finally back! Fury called three times, saying that the energy fluctuations over in Antarctica shook every single alarm in S.H.I.E.L.D. — —"
Li Heng waved his hand. "Let them shake — — I'm going to make some instant noodles first."
The afterglow of the setting sun paved the living room, and the night of Brooklyn gradually enveloped the area — — while at the remote edge of the Universe — — in that dimensional prison holding Chthon, countless cracks like spreading rivers were crawling all over the inner walls of the prison at a speed visible to the naked eye — — even a few fragments had begun to flake off.
Deep within the prison, a pair of purplish-black eyes slowly opened, churning with a hunger and ecstasy suppressed for three billion years.
"Complete Progenitor... you have already walked onto the first path paved for you by Varna... continue walking down it... the moment you open that door... will be the moment I break free from the prison..."
"This feast I have waited three billion years for... is finally about to begin..."
His whisper echoed in the void.
And outside the prison, an extremely faint golden figure stood silently — — the Balance Envoy's pair of white eyes watched all this, neither stopping nor leaving, merely faithfully recording this scene, and sent a brief thought to The Silent One — —
'The Valakasa Rift has expanded to the third stage.'
'Over at The Silent One's side... it's time to make a move.'
Chapter 55: Third Blood Moon! Chthon Descends — Complete Progenitor vs Old Gods Proper
The tranquility of the Brooklyn Villa was completely shattered at 6:17 PM.
Li Heng was lying on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, holding a newly opened box of original-flavor potato chips in his hand, while a boring variety show played on the TV.
Wanda sat beside him, holding an ancient magic book borrowed from Kamar-Taj, reading it intently.
Everything was peaceful—until the sky outside the window suddenly darkened.
It wasn't the normal darkness of sunset—but a much deeper, much more ancient darkness.
That darkness pressed down from the sky like a substance, enveloping the whole of New York in a suffocating shadow.
The box of potato chips in Li Heng's hand dropped to the floor with a "clack".
He sat up abruptly from the sofa, his dark-golden and silver-white slit pupils looking through the window at the sky—in that darkness, a blood-red full moon was suspended directly above the city.
The color of that moon was like fresh blood, and its edges exuded an eerie purple-black glow, as if something was stirring on the back of the moon.
"Third Blood Moon—" Wanda also stood up, the light of that blood moon reflected in her green eyes, and Chaos Magic automatically activated around her body, forming a layer of protective barrier, "—it's nearly two days ahead of schedule—!"
Boom—!
A purple-black pillar of light shot straight down from the center of the blood moon, piercing through the clouds and the gaps between the skyscrapers—and violently crashed into Central Park in Manhattan!
The moment the pillar of light landed, the entire New Yorkfelt that vibration—the tremor of the ground spread along the streets, the glass windows of the buildings emitted a harsh humming sound in the tremor, and countless car alarms sounded simultaneously, the synthesized humming echoing between the canyons of Manhattan.
The crowd on the street began to scream and flee in all directions, the traffic lights flashed a few times and then went completely dark, followed by the streetlights in several blocks extinguishing simultaneously.
A fissure about three meters high, with its edges burning with purple-black flames, was forcibly torn open at the landing point of the pillar of light—the edges of the fissure continuously expanded outward, and the flames twisted into eerie rune shapes in the air.
"Beep beep beep—"
Li Heng's phone exploded with rings at the same time, a series of call prompts on the screen almost vibrating the phone to fall off the coffee table—Fury, Blood Baron, Blade, Pietro—four names flashed alternately on the screen, obviously all entities with supernatural perception had sensed the aura of that fissure at the same time.
"I'll take Fury's call, you see what's going on with the others."
Li Heng threw the phone to Wanda, and had already walked to the edge of the balcony, vaulted out with one hand supporting the railing, and steadily landed on the lawn of the Villa's front yard.
He raised his head, his dark golden slit pupils traversing a distance of several kilometers, locking tightly onto the purple-black fissure in Central Park.
The Complete Progenitor blood within his body—which fused Ancestor Power, God-Slaying Power, Moonlight Power, and Chaos Magic—boiled and resonated at an unprecedented speed under the illumination of the blood moon's brilliance—he could feel that an extremely ancient, extremely massive, and extremely hungry aura was coming from the other side of the fissure.
Chthon.
Not a projection, not an afterimage, not a clone—
It was a part of his true body, trying to cross that fissure and descend into this world.
[Ding!! Dimensional barrier breach detected—Chthondescent progress: 7%—Warning! Energy level breaks through S-Rank, approaching SSS-Rank—Chaos Magicresonance abnormally elevated—]
[Current combat power equivalence assessment—Host Complete Progenitor form (S-Rank Advanced) + moonlight blade fully awakened form (S+-Rank) + God-Slaying form (S-Rank Advanced) + Wanda Chaos Magicsoul synchronization state (A+-Rank), comprehensive combat power can briefly reach SS-Rank—but is still lower than more than 35% of Chthon's true body energy intensity!]
[Risk factor—Extremely high!!]
"A gap of more than 35%? Even if I can't beat him, I have to fight."
Li Heng's voice was extremely calm, as if discussing what to have for breakfast tomorrow, "—I can't just watch him descend and destroy the entire New York."
Wanda walked out from the house—she had changed into that silver-white Asgard light armor, scarlet Chaos Magiccirculated around her body, and the green and purple-golden halos in her eyes alternated flashing—after soul synchronization, her power had also greatly increased.
"Pietro says he is rushing to Central Park—Blood Baronand Blade have already set out from Hells Kitchen."
She said, "—Fury says the Avengers have entered combat readiness—but he also said that if it's really Chthon's true body descending, their conventional weapons probably won't even be able to get close."
"Then tell them not to get close—this is our battle."
Li Heng gripped the moonlight blade, and on the silver-white Blade, those dark golden fine lines pulsated like breathing.
Boom—!!!
The second pillar of light descended from the blood moon—this time landing closer—the waters near the BrooklynBridge.
The purple-black energy Impact spread along the river surface, the water surface of the East River was forcibly lowered by a layer, and the churning dark waves beat against the embankments on both sides.
Opening the hell fissure required extremely massive rule support, and Chthon was sparing no cost to tear open more anchor points, using flesh and blood as the price to accelerate the descent speed.
"No time."
He gripped the moonlight blade, feeling the tremor transmitted from the Blade body resonating with the blood moon—the moonlight blade was craving battle, craving to tear open that fissure, craving to wound once again that Old Gods that it had once cut off the arm of.
A dark-golden portal suddenly opened on the lawn in front of the Villa, and the other side of the door—was the edge of Central Park in Manhattan.
"Let's go—don't let him in."
The two disappeared into the light of the portal.
Central Park was now completely unrecognizable at this moment.
The lawn had turned charred black, the trees were eroded by purple-black energy into twisted dead branches, and the air was filled with a strong smell of sulfur and blood.
That three-meter-high fissure stood in the center of the park—expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye—within the purple-black flames inside the fissure, a huge finger condensed from pure purple-black energy, covered in scales, with its fingertips burning with flames, was slowly extending out.
Every inch that finger reached outward, the temperature in the air dropped by one degree, the cracks on the ground extended by another meter, and the purple-black flames at the edge of the fissure burned more fiercely.
Several nearby streets had completely collapsed, several overturned cars lay across the intersection, their headlights flashing to illuminate the deserted street.
In the distance, Pietro's silver figure was sprinting rapidly along Fifth Avenue, kicking up a long trail of dust and smoke, avoiding scattered rubble and warped subway manhole covers at supersonic speed.
At the street corner behind him, Blood Baron spread his huge bat wings and glided through the gap between two buildings, and Blade, carrying his special ultraviolet silver sword on his back, leaped over the top of an overturned van, and steadily landed by the fence at the entrance of Central Park—the three of them were in place almost simultaneously within three seconds before Li Heng and Wanda arrived.
Four figures assembled on the charred lawn in front of the fissure, and standing ten meters behind them were the newly landed Li Heng and Wanda.
"That is—Chthon? The real Chthon?"
Pietro's voice was a bit tight—he had seen quite a few powerhouses in the Marvel Universe, but never had any enemy caused him to produce such instinctive trembling from the depths of his soul.
"Not all of it yet—just a part of him."
Li Heng walked to the very front, the moonlight bladetilting slightly in his hand, the tip pointing at the fissure, "He is just reaching one hand over—his true body is still trapped in the cage at the edge of the Universe."
"But—if this hand of his successfully descends—he can use this hand as a coordinate to pull his entire true body over."
"So—before that, chop off that hand of his."
The corners of Li Heng's mouth rose slightly, but his pupils became cold and resolute in this instant—dense blood patterns suddenly appeared on the dark golden ground, and blood-red light spread outward along the patterns—the power of the Complete Progenitor spread like a tide centered on him, shrouding the entire Central Park within the range of his domain.
Inside the fissure, that huge finger condensed from purple-black energy paused for a moment—then, a voice came from the depths of the fissure.
That voice was heavy, aged, and hungry, like a whisper coming from the chaos at the beginning of the Universe's birth—
"Complete Progenitor—"
"You've finally come—I've waited for this day—for three billion years—"
Li Heng gripped the moonlight blade, and the silver-white Blade suddenly erupted with brilliant light—that light was stained with a layer of dark red halo under the illumination of the blood moon, echoing the dark golden fine lines inside the Blade body—
"Then don't make the Old Gods wait too long."
He stepped on the dark golden teleportation light track, his body turning into a meteor-like light, rushing straight towards the giant hand extending out in the center of the fissure—the Blade edge of the moonlight blade dragged out a silver-white arc of light in the void, piercing through the purple-black energy barrier!
This knife-slash will sever Chthon's path reaching towards Earth—
But everyone knows—
This is only the beginning.
Because that finger after—there will still be the entire palm—the entire arm—and—the true body of that Old Godssealed three billion years ago.
And Li Heng wants to use the moonlight blade and the power of the Complete Progenitor to make Chthonunderstand—Earth is not a place he can come to just because he wants to.
The dark-golden energy and the purple-black power of the Old Gods collided violently for the first time in the night sky of Central Park—the Impact spread outward like ripples, instantly shattering all glass windows within a radius of hundreds of meters, and the fragments fell like a heavy rain under the blood-red moonlight!
A war determining the fate of Earth—on the night when the Third Blood Moon rose—officially kicked off.