Chapter 61: God-Slayer Wanda! The Seven Seals Shatter Simultaneously — The End of the Era of the Old Gods
Brooklyn Villa, 6:00 AM.
Li Heng was awakened by a muffled sound.
It was not a commotion outside — it was beside the bed.
He snapped his eyes open, his dark gold slit pupils contracting slightly in the morning light — and then he saw a scene that instantly woke him up —
Wanda sat on the edge of the bed, her hands gripping the bedsheet so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Her expression was very calm — far too calm — and that calmness was not composure, but an extreme suppression of something.
And her right hand —
Was burning.
Not the crimson red of Chaos Magic — but gold — pure golden flames, flowing like liquid gold, spreading from her palm along her fingers to her wrist, outlining intricate patterns on the surface of her skin —
The shape of those patterns —
Li Heng recognized them.
Those were the patterns of the God-Slaying Power.
He looked down at his own hands — his dark golden skin was clean and spotless, without any traces of gold — the God-Slaying Power had indeed completely vanished from his body.
But it had not vanished —
It had transferred.
"How long?" Li Heng's voice was very calm as he sat up and reached out to cover the back of Wanda's hand — the golden flames receded tamely the moment they touched his skin, as obediently as if recognizing its master —
"It's the third day." Wanda's voice was somewhat hoarse, "It burns every morning — getting worse and worse — I can feel it growing — inside my body —"
She raised her head, golden specks of light twinkling like stars within her green eyes —
"Li Heng — the God-Slaying Power — is inside me."
[Ding!! Detected abnormal migration of the host's God-Slaying Power —!!]
[Target confirmed: Wanda Maximoff — Soul Covenantlinked entity — God-Slaying Power has completely transferred to her soul core!!]
[Transfer reason deduction: Under the Soul Covenantstate, the host voluntarily relinquished the God-Slaying Power — this power follows the "Imperishable Authority" law — automatically seeking the other end of the Soul Covenant as a vessel —]
[Current combat power evaluation of Wanda Maximoff—!!]
[— SSS-Rank!! Equal to the host's peak state!! And still rising!!]
Li Heng looked at the system panel popping up before him and fell silent for a full five seconds.
Then he laughed — not a bitter smile, not helplessness — but a laugh of genuine amusement.
"So — the power I worked so hard to give up — all went to you?"
Wanda looked at him, a trace of unease flashing in her green eyes: "You aren't angry?"
"What is there to be angry about?" Li Heng yawned, crawled out of bed, and shuffled in slippers toward the kitchen, "You getting stronger means I'm getting stronger — Soul Covenant — you still remember, right? You getting stronger means I get stronger too — what do you call this move — this is called keeping the benefits in the family."
Wanda froze for a moment — and then couldn't help laughing out loud — the golden flames in her palm slowly extinguished, receding back beneath her skin —
"You really are—"
"Very handsome? Thank you."
"So shameless."
"Same difference."
The two ate a quiet breakfast in the kitchen — Li Hengfried eggs, and Wanda toasted bread — everything looked no different from usual — except when Wandaoccasionally gripped her fork, a trace of golden light would flash across her fingertips —
But this calmness only lasted until 9:13 AM.
Li Heng's phone exploded.
It was not an exaggeration — it literally exploded — the screen popped up seventeen incoming call prompts within a second — Fury, Hill, Coulson, Natasha, Tony, Banner — almost everyone he knew called at the exact same time —
He answered Fury's.
"Li Heng—" Fury's voice carried a rare sense of urgency, "The global monitoring network simultaneously raised an alarm six minutes ago — abnormal fluctuations appeared in seven Old Gods seals—"
"Seven?" Li Heng's dark gold slit pupils narrowed slightly.
"Seven — two in Asia, two in Europe, one in Africa, one in South America, one in Antarctica —" Fury spoke at a very fast pace, "The decay rate of the seals is over three hundred times the normal value — at this rate — the fastest two seals will completely collapse within forty-eight hours —"
"Which two?"
"Egypt — Set." Fury paused for a second, "And Mexico — Mephisto."
Li Heng fell silent.
Set — the Serpent God — one of the three Old GodsChthon used back then to seal Atum.
Mephisto — the Lord of Hell — another of the three Old Gods.
Chthon was permanently sealed — but his two allies — were awakening.
And the only power capable of fighting the Old Gods — the God-Slaying Power — was no longer on him —
It was inside Wanda.
"I know." Li Heng hung up the phone and turned to look at Wanda — she was standing at the kitchen door, having evidently heard every word Fury said through the Soul Covenant — the golden specks of light in her green eyes were flickering at an accelerated pace —
"I heard it." Wanda's voice was calm, but her fingers gripping the doorframe tightened slightly — "Set and Mephisto — forty-eight hours —"
"I know what you're thinking —" Li Heng walked up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders, his dark gold slit pupils staring straight into her eyes —
"You don't need to go —"
"Why?" Wanda raised her head — the golden light in her green eyes intertwined with her usual gentle undertone — like a star on the verge of erupting —
"Because I have the God-Slaying Power — and I can better than you —"
"No." Li Heng interrupted her, his voice not loud, but exceptionally resolute —
"Because you haven't learned to control it yet."
Wanda fell silent — she could not find words to refute him — because this was a fact. The God-Slaying Power had only been inside her body for three days — she couldn't even achieve the most basic stability — her palms would uncontrollably burn every morning — entering the battlefield in this state — was not fighting — it was courting death.
"What should we do then?" Wanda's voice finally carried a hint of tremor — not out of fear — but out of unwillingness — she possessed power strong enough — yet could not use it when it was needed most —
"I'll teach you." Li Heng said — brief, crisp, and unquestionable —
"The God-Slaying Power stayed in my body for so long — my understanding of it is deeper than anyone's — the Soul Covenant allows us to share everything — including experience, skills, and control methods —"
"Forty-eight hours is not enough — but we don't need forty-eight hours —"
"We only need — twelve hours."
He turned around, and a dark golden portal lit up in the center of the living room — on the other side of the door — was a place he had never taken Wanda to before —
Kamar-Taj — the Mirror Dimension training ground.
"Let's go—" Li Heng held Wanda's hand — feeling the faint golden warmth radiating from her palm —
"To teach you how to be a — God-Slayer."
Mirror Dimension — one of Kamar-Taj's core training grounds.
This was a dimensional space completely isolated from the real world — the flow of time could be adjusted — one hour in the outside world could be a day inside the Mirror Dimension — meaning — twelve hours in the outside world would give a full twelve days inside the Mirror Dimension.
That was enough.
Li Heng stood in the center of the training ground — beneath his feet was infinite white void — overhead was a matching white dome — with no points of reference — only the two of them, him and Wanda —
"The essence of the God-Slaying Power — is not attack." Li Heng spoke, his voice echoing in the Mirror Dimension —
"It is a kind of 'authority' — the authority bestowed by the laws of the Universe upon the holder to execute judgment against the Old Gods — you can use it to attack — you can also use it to seal — and you can even use it to create —"
"But the premise is — you must understand its underlying logic —"
He raised his hand — although he himself no longer possessed the God-Slaying Power — the Soul Covenantallowed him to directly transmit his own understanding and memories of the God-Slaying Power to Wanda —
"Close your eyes — feel the memories I am transmitting to you —"
Wanda closed her eyes — a second later — her body trembled slightly —
She saw —
The scene when Li Heng first awakened the God-Slaying Power — — in the underground blood pool of New York — — the moment Atum's fragments merged into his body — — that burning sensation like a star igniting in his chest — —
She saw it — —
The scene when Li Heng used the God-Devouring Form in Central Park — — the dark golden energy swept across like a storm — — severing Chthon's purplish-black giant hand at the wrist — —
She saw it — —
The scene when Li Heng used the Law Adjudication on the dark side of the moon — — the golden power of laws surged forth like a torrent — — completely transforming Chthon's anchor point into a seal — —
All the experience, techniques, and insights — — surged into Wanda's soul like a tide — —
[ Ding!! Soul Covenant · Knowledge Sharing Mode — — Activated!! ]
[ Wanda Maximoff God-Slaying Power Mastery — — 3% — — 12% — — 28% — — Continuing to Rise!! ]
Wanda opened her eyes — —
She raised her right hand — — golden flames ignited in her palm — — but this time, the flames were no longer out of control and tyrannical — — instead, they were steady and docile — — like a tamed young beast — — slowly changing forms under her will — —
The flames turned into a sharp blade — — turned into a shield — — turned into chains — —
" I — — can feel it — — " A hint of amazement carried in Wanda's voice — — the golden light in her green eyes became soft rather than dazzling for the first time — —
" It is not a weapon — — it is a language — — "
" The language of the Universe — — "
" That's right. " Li Heng showed a satisfied smile — — the comforting smile of a teacher seeing a good student finally figure things out — —
" The God-Slaying Power does not choose the strongest person — — it chooses the person who understands it best — — and you — — Wanda — — you have Chaos Magic as a foundation — — your understanding of the 'language of the Universe' is faster than mine — — "
" You are more suited for this power than I am. "
Wanda looked at him — — the emotions transmitted from the Soul Covenant were sincere — — without a trace of jealousy or unwillingness — — only pure, heartfelt trust and pride — —
She took a deep breath — — golden flames bloomed around her like a halo — — the crimson of Chaos Magicand the dark gold of the God-Slaying Power perfectly blended within her body — — forming a brand-new, unprecedented energy — —
The intertwined light of crimson and dark gold — — like the first ray of dawn — —
[ Ding!! New Ability Awakened — — 'Chaos God-Slaying'!! Chaos Magic and God-Slaying Power Perfectly Blended!! ]
[ Wanda Maximoff Comprehensive Combat Power — — SSS-Rank → Breakthrough!! SSS+!! It has reached the current Universe bearing limit!! ]
[ Detected that both 'Law Adjudication' and 'God-Slaying Judgment' can now be used on Wanda — — and their power is increased by 200% due to Chaos Magicamplification!! ]
Li Heng looked at the data popping up on the system panel — — the corners of his mouth slightly raised — —
Back then, he could only produce 100% effect with pure God-Slaying Power — — with Wanda plus the amplification of Chaos Magic — — she could produce 300% — —
This is the meaning of the Soul Covenant — — it is not 1+1=2 — — but 1+1=10.
" Alright — — " Li Heng clapped his hands, " Theory class is over — — next is actual combat — — "
He snapped his fingers — — the white void of the Mirror Space began to twist and change — — countless simulated Old Gods projections condensed from dark golden energy emerged from the void — — some big, some small — — some strong, some weak — —
" These are Old Gods simulation bodies I generated using Ancestor Power and memory data — — the highest level is equivalent to 80% of Chthon's projection's strength — — you need to defeat them all within twelve days — — "
" Can you do it? "
Wanda looked at those covetous Old Gods projections — — the intertwined light of crimson and dark gold circulated around her — — she slowly raised both hands — —
" Twelve days is too much. "
" Three days are enough. "
* * *
Inside the Mirror Space, the first day.
Wanda used six hours to defeat the first ten low-level Old Gods projections — — she was knocked down three times during the process — — but every time she immediately stood back up — — the golden flames grew brighter — — and steadier — —
Inside the Mirror Space, the second day.
Wanda began to challenge the intermediate projections — — the strength of these projections was close to the level of a Complete Progenitor — — Wanda defeated all of them in eight hours — — she was knocked down once during the process — — only once — —
Inside the Mirror Space, the third day — — which was also the third hour in the outside world.
Wanda stood in front of the last high-level Old Godsprojection — — the strength of this projection was equivalent to 70% of Chthon's projection — — it was the strongest opponent she had faced so far — —
The projection's purplish-black energy surged toward her like a tsunami — —
Wanda did not dodge — — she raised her right hand — — the golden God-Slaying Power condensed in her palm — — the crimson of Chaos Magic circulated in her other hand — — the two powers converged in front of her chest — — fused — — and erupted into a dazzling crimson-gold light — —
" God-Slaying Judgment — — "
Her voice was calm and firm — — like a verdict — —
The crimson-gold light cut through the void — — piercing through the projection's chest — — the projection dissolved rapidly in the light like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun — — leaving not even a speck of residue — —
[ Ding!! Wanda Maximoff — — All Simulation Training Completed!! God-Slaying Power Mastery — — 97%!! Reached Actual Combat Standards!! ]
[ Current Comprehensive Combat Power — — SSS+!! Chaos God-Slaying Form Fully Adapted!! ]
Wanda stood in the center of the empty training ground — — the golden flames slowly extinguished around her — — she looked down at her own hands — — those hands that could once only manipulate Chaos Magic — — now grasped the power sufficient to slay Old Gods — —
She turned her head to look at the edge of the training ground — — Li Heng leaned against the virtual wall, pulling out a bag of potato chips from somewhere — — watching and chewing at the same time — —
" Is it good-looking? " Wanda asked.
" It looks quite good — — except that the closing posture at the end wasn't very handsome — — " Li Heng chewed the potato chips, " But overall, I'll give it eighty points — — "
Wanda couldn't help rolling her eyes — — but the emotions transmitted from the Soul Covenant betrayed him — —
— — Pride.
Full, undisguised pride.
" Let's go back. " Li Heng tossed the potato chip bag away and straightened up — — the light in his dark golden slit pupils turned sharp — —
" There are still two Old Gods outside waiting for us to deal with — — "
" Set — — Mephisto — — the seal will collapse in forty-five hours — — "
" It's enough for us to make two trips. "
A dark golden portal lit up in the Mirror Space — — the two walked in side by side — —
The moment they stepped into the portal — — the system's final prompt rang in Li Heng's mind — —
[ Ding!! Special Reminder — — Calculated based on the current decay rate of the Old Gods seal — — after Set and Mephisto awaken, they will attempt to jointly open the 'Old Gods Return Passage' — — by then, all the residual souls of Old Gods sealed by history may be awakened — — ]
[ Estimated number of participating Old Gods — — no less than twelve — — ]
[ This will be — — the twilight battle of the Old Gods era — — ]
[ Wish the Host — — good luck. ]
Twelve Old Gods.
Li Heng's footsteps paused slightly — — then he smiled — — that familiar, somewhat rogue smile — —
" Twelve — — "
" Isn't that just right — — "
" My wife takes on twelve — — MVP of the whole match. "
Wanda gave him a gentle push from behind — —
" Stop talking nonsense — — let's go. "
The portal closed.
The Mirror Space returned to silence — — but in the blank void — — a trace of intertwined crimson and dark golden light remained — — like the first morning star rising in the deepest darkness before dawn — —
The era of the Old Gods — — is coming to an end.
And ending it — — is not some chosen one — — not some ancient progenitor — —
It is an ordinary man who walked out of the Brooklyn Villa— — who likes potato chips and instant noodles — —
And his — — twelve-defeating — — wife.
Chapter 62: Battle of the Valley of the Kings! Set Awakens — — The First Battle of Chaos God-Slaying
Egypt · Luxor · Valley of the Kings.
The sacred sanctuary where the pharaohs rested three thousand years ago — — has now become the breakthrough point for the Old Gods to break free from their cage.
The moment Li Heng and Wanda stepped out of the portal, they choked slightly from the oncoming wave of heat — — the forty-seven-degree desert high temperature felt like an oven under the midday scorching sun — — the sand gravel whipped up by the wind stung painfully when it hit their faces — — but what truly made their brows furrowed was not the weather — —
But the sky above their heads.
The sky split open.
It was not a metaphor — — it truly split open — — the sky above the Valley of the Kings was like a smashed mirror, with countless purplish-black cracks spreading outward from the exact center — — at the intersection of the cracks, a huge vortex was slowly spinning — — deep purple light poured down from the vortex — — dyeing the entire desert in a sickly purple hue.
"The seal attenuation rate is even faster than what Furysaid — —" Li Heng looked up at the vortex, his dark golden vertical pupils slightly contracting — — although he had lost the God-Slaying Power, the Ancestor Power's perception was still there — — that power overflowing from the vortex made all the hairs on his body stand on end — —
That was the aura of a snake.
Ancient — — vast — — ravenous — — like a venomous snake that had slumbered in the darkness for three billion years had finally caught the scent of its prey — — and was slowly opening its mouth — —
[Ding!! Detected Old God-level energy fluctuation — — intensity grade — — S+!! Confirmed as the will projection of the snake god Set!!]
[Current Set awakening progress — — 61% — — still accelerating!! Estimated time to complete awakening — — 9 hours 17 minutes!!]
"Nine hours — — nearly three times faster than Furyestimated." Li Heng gritted his teeth — —
Then he looked at Wanda — —
Wanda did not speak — — she stood by his side, the light intertwined with crimson and dark gold already circulating around her body — — Chaos Magic and God-Slaying Power perfectly fused within her body — — forming an unprecedented energy form — — the golden light spots in her green eyes flickered like stars — — but her expression was very calm — —
Calmer than during training.
"I'll go seal the rift — —" Wanda spoke, her voice not loud but exceptionally clear, "You clear Set's derivatives on the periphery — — you cannot let a single Snake-Man enter the interior of the Valley of the Kings — —"
"You're sealing it alone?" Li Heng frowned, "That's Set — —"
"I'm enough alone." Wanda turned to look at him — — a trace of tenderness flashed in her green eyes — — but there was more determination — — "What you taught me — — God-Slaying Power is not a weapon, it's a language — — I can speak it now — —"
"And — —" she reached out — — a ball of crimson-gold flame in her palm beat slowly like a heart — — "Chaos God-Slaying — — you said, 1+1=10 — —"
"I believe you."
Li Heng looked at her — — for three seconds — — and then smiled — — that somewhat roguish smile — —
"Fine — — My Lady calls the shots — —"
"But if you get hurt — — I'll tear down the entire Valley of the Kings to vent your anger — —"
Wanda couldn't help curving the corners of her mouth — — then she turned around — — raising her hands — — the crimson-gold light unfolded behind her like wings — — her figure rushed towards the purplish-black rift in the sky like a shooting star amidst the desert heatwaves — —
Li Heng watched her back disappear into the purple light — — then he took a deep breath — — and turned to face the other end of the desert — —
Over there — — the sand was moving.
Not the kind of movement blown by the wind — — but as if something was sneaking beneath the sand — — dune after dune bulged like giant snakes winding through the sea of sand — — the sand surface began to crack — — purplish-black sharp claws reached out from the crevices one after another — —
Snake-Men — — Set's proxy creations on Earth — — a race created by Set millions of years ago to execute his will on Earth — — they were once enemies of humanity — — wiped out by the first King Bor — — but now — — Set was waking up — — and his creations also crawled out from the depths of the sand sea — —
One — — ten — — a hundred — —
Countless Snake-Men surged from the sand sea — — they had human torsos and snake heads — — purplish-black scales shimmered with a metallic luster in the sunlight — — holding spears and scimitars condensed from sand and dust — — there was no light of wisdom in their eyes — — only pure, driven murderous intent — —
[Ding!! Detected Set's derivative — — Snake-Man Legion — — estimated quantity — — 3000+!! Combat power grade — — ranging from B to A-!!]
"Three thousand — —" Li Heng looked at the purplish-black wave surging from the sand sea — — the corners of his mouth slightly rose — —
So what if he lacked the God-Slaying Power?
He was a Complete Progenitor who had lived for who knows how many years — — couldn't beat the Old Gods— — couldn't he beat this group of reptiles?
He raised his right hand — — Ancestor Power condensed in his palm — — dark golden blood energy surged from his body like a tide — — condensing behind him into a huge dark golden phantom — — Ancestor Dharma Form — — a ten-meter-tall dark golden vampire phantom stood tall in the desert — — its blood-red eyes overlooking the Snake-Man wave — —
"Come on — —"
"Just didn't eat enough this morning — —"
The dark golden Dharma Form took a step forward — — the sand gravel exploded underfoot — — a huge fist smashed into the Snake-Man array like a meteorite — — purplish-black scales and flesh flew apart in the Impact — — one punch — — at least fifty Snake-Men were crushed into dust — —
Not enough — — far from enough — —
The number of Snake-Men was too large — — one layer was killed and another surged out — — like an inexhaustible tide — — Li Heng's Ancestor Form rampaged through the Snake-Man crowd — — every punch and kick could take the lives of dozens of Snake-Men — — but they were completely fearless of death — — swarming forward wave after wave — — leaving scratches on the Dharma Form's body with spears and scimitars — —
Li Heng gritted his teeth — — the dark golden blood energy accelerated its circulation within his body — —
He didn't need to win — — he only needed to stall — — to buy time for Wanda — —
* * *
Meanwhile — — above the Valley of the Kings — —
Wanda hovered directly in front of the purplish-black rift — — the desert beneath her feet had turned into a purple abyss — — Set's will surged from the rift like a tsunami — — condensing into a huge purplish-black snake shadow in mid-air — — the head of the snake shadow was like a small hill — — its purple eyes like two ghost fires — — staring straight at the tiny human female in front of it — —
"User of Chaos Magic — —" Set's voice was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue in the desert — — hoarse and cold — — "Chthon's chosen vessel — — to think you've also obtained the God-Slaying Power — —"
"Interesting — — but to no avail — — Atum's God-Slaying Power cannot seal two Old Gods at the same time — — you sealed Chthon — — and you have no spare capacity to seal me — —"
"Who told you that?" Wanda's voice was calm as water — — crimson-gold light flowed around her body — — like a mist in the morning light — —
"This is — — a fact." Set's snake shadow slowly coiled — — purplish-black energy gathered around it like a sandstorm — — "Three billion years ago, Atum's God-Slaying Power was indeed powerful — — but it had a fatal limitation — — it could only take effect on one Old God — — because the core of God-Slaying Power is 'Adjudication' — — Adjudication can only have one target — —"
"You sealed Chthon with Law Adjudication — — the adjudication target of the God-Slaying Power is already locked — — you can no longer use it to adjudicate me — —"
Wanda listened quietly — — and then — —
She smiled — —
That was a gentle and resolute smile — — like a teacher hearing a student give a wrong answer — —
"Set — — you're right — — the core of God-Slaying Poweris adjudication — — adjudication can only have one target — —"
"But you forgot one thing — —"
"What I possess — — is not just God-Slaying Power."
She raised her left hand — — crimson Chaos Magic ignited in her palm — — that power that once made her fear, lose control, and think she would hurt everyone — — at this moment, it was like a docile stream at her fingertips — —
"The core of Chaos Magic — — is not adjudication — —"
"It is — — Reality Warping."
She raised her right hand — — dark golden God-Slaying Power ignited in her palm — — the power of the law was like golden flame at her fingertips — —
"God-Slaying Power adjudicates — — Chaos Magicrewrites — —"
"The two powers combined together — —"
Her hands slowly closed — — crimson and dark gold converged in her palms — — fused — — and burst into a dazzling crimson-gold light — — that light bloomed in mid-air like a newborn star — — illuminating the entire purple sky into a golden-red — —
"—— I can rewrite your existence first — — and then adjudicate your soul — —"
"—— Double blow — —"
"—— There is no such thing as 'unable to be sealed'!"
Set's snake shadow took a slight step back in the crimson-gold light — — that was the first time this old snake had retreated in three billion years — — for the first time, a wave of emotion resembling shock appeared in its purple eyes — —
"Chaos Magic — — and God-Slaying Power — — fused — —?! This is impossible — —!!"
"Nothing is impossible — —" the golden light in Wanda's green eyes reached their brightest — — like two miniature suns — — at this moment, her voice was like a verdict — —
"Chaos God-Slaying — —"
"Law rewriting — —"
"—— Set · Sealed!!!"
The crimson-gold light exploded from her palm — — like the Milky Way pouring down — — sweeping across the entire sky — — the purplish-black rifts healed rapidly in the light like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun — — Set's snake shadow let out a roar to the absolute extreme of hoarseness — — its purplish-black body melted in the crimson-gold light like a candle — —
"No — —!! This is impossible — —!! Chaos Magic shouldn't be compatible with God-Slaying Power — —!! Unless — —"
Set's voice suddenly changed before dissipating — — turning from shock into a kind of sudden realization trembling — —
"Unless — — you are not the user of Chaos Magic — — you are Chaos Magic itself — —!! You are — — the Reality Nexus — —!!"
"Wanda — — your relationship with Chthon — — is not vessel and host — —"
"You are — — of the same origin — —!!"
The voice stopped abruptly — — the snake shadow completely dissipated — — the purplish-black rifts completely closed — — golden seal patterns slowly emerged above the Valley of the Kings — — like a replica of the dark side of the moon — —
Set — — sealed successfully.
[Ding!! Set successfully sealed!! Wanda Maximoff's first actual combat — — Chaos God-Slaying form — — perfectly operated!!]
[Current Wanda combat power evaluation — — SSS+!! Chaos God-Slaying mastery — — 99%!!]
Wanda hovered in mid-air — — panting heavily — — the crimson-gold light gradually extinguished around her body — — fine sweat beads oozed from her forehead — —
First actual combat — — successful.
She looked down at the desert below the Valley of the Kings — — Li Heng's Ancestor Form was still fighting fiercely among the Snake-Men — — but the number of Snake-Men had decreased a lot — — about a thousand left — — and because they lacked the drive of Set's will, they began to become sluggish — — like marionettes that had lost their signal — —
"Coming down — —" Wanda said softly — — then swooped down — — crimson-gold light condensed in her palms — — a blast of Chaos God-Slaying energy swept out — — sweeping down the remaining Snake-Men in patches like cutting grass — —
Three minutes later — — the desert fell silent.
Li Heng put away his Ancestor Form — — standing amidst the wreckage of Snake-Men all over the ground — — watching Wanda land from mid-air — —
"Where's Set?"
"Sealed."
"Beautiful." Li Heng gave a thumbs-up — — and then pulled a bottle of mineral water from his pocket and handed it over — — "Drink water — —"
Wanda took the water — — drank a couple of sips — — and then her expression suddenly changed — —
"Li Heng — — Fury says the situation in Mexico is worse — — Mephisto's seal is expected to collapse within twenty-four hours — —"
"How long did it take on Set's side?"
"From the start of the fight to the seal — — fifteen minutes."
"Then what are we waiting for — —" Li Heng moved his neck — — his joints making cracking sounds — — "Let's go — — to Mexico — —"
Just at this moment — —
His cell phone rang.
A call from Fury — — but this time the voice was more urgent than any previous time — —
"Li Heng — — you sealed Set — — well done — — but there's a problem in Mexico — —"
"The seal is not decaying naturally — — someone is actively sabotaging it — — I told you before — —"
"I know — —" Li Heng's voice sank, "You said Pierce is still alive — —"
"Not just alive — —" Fury's voice carried a heaviness Li Heng had never heard before — —
"Our satellites filmed the person sabotaging the seal — — it's not Pierce — — or rather — — not just Pierce — —"
"There's a whole army by his side — — wearing Hydrauniforms — — using some purplish-black device I've never seen before to conduct resonant sabotage on the seal — —"
"But what really makes me uneasy is not these — —"
"It's Pierce himself — —" Fury paused for two seconds — —
"Our thermal imaging shows — — his body temperature is zero degrees."
"He doesn't sweat. He doesn't breathe. His heartbeat — — does not exist."
"Alexander Pierce — —"
"—— Is not human."
Li Heng's dark golden vertical pupils suddenly contracted — —
"Then what is he?"
Fury's voice sounded like it came from an ice cellar — —
"Hydra's internal archives — — I had Natasha risk her life to steal — — there is a diary handwritten by Pierce on it — —"
"The last line of the diary — —"
"—— 'Hydra is not an organization. Hydra is a faith. Our faith comes from the Snake God. Set's first batch of believers — — are us. Hydra's nine heads — — are Set's nine will fragments. When the nine heads gather — — the Snake God returns — — and our King — — will walk the Earth forever.' "
"Pierce — — is the last will container left by Set on Earththree thousand years ago — —"
"He is not human — — he never was — —"
Li Heng's fingers holding the phone tightened slightly — —
Set had already been sealed — — but his will container was still around — — and was helping Mephisto open the door — —
The Old Gods — — were joining forces — —
"Fury — —" Li Heng's voice was low and steady, "Where is Pierce?"
"Mexico — — Palenque — — Mayan ruins — — right above Mephisto's seal."
"We'll be right there."
He hung up the phone — — and turned to look at Wanda— —
Wanda had heard everything — — Soul Covenant made it unnecessary for her to repeat or retell — — the golden light in her green eyes lit up once again — —
"Let's go." Wanda said.
A dark golden portal lit up in the desert — —
The two stepped into it side by side — —
The moment they disappeared — — those golden seal patterns above the Valley of the Kings flickered slightly — — like a silent promise — —
The seal was formed — — Set would not come out again — —
But the old snake's fangs — — had long been embedded deep into the bone marrow of human history — —
Hydra — — believers of the Snake God — — three thousand years of lurking — —
This was not a simple Old God invasion — —
This was a long conspiracy — — that began three thousand years ago — —
And now — — the final act of the conspiracy — — was slowly unfolding in the jungles of Mexico — —
Chapter 63: The Ninth Hydra! Pierce's True Form—Chaos God-Slaying · Dual-God Sealing!
Mexico, Chiapas, Palenque Maya Ruins.
This ancient city, which has existed for nearly two thousand years, was once one of the most glorious city-states of the Maya civilization—the pyramid temple has stood in the tropical rainforest for a thousand years—the Feathered Serpent on the stone reliefs is still lifelike—but today—those ancient reliefs are trembling.
The entire ruins are trembling.
The moment Li Heng and Wanda stepped out of the portal—a heat wave and humidity hit them simultaneously—the damp air of the tropical rainforest could almost be wrung out of water—but even more suffocating than this—was the thick, purple-black aura lingering in the air like a rotting corpse—
Mephisto's seal was right under their feet—and this aura—was the proof that the seal was collapsing.
"Saw it—" Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils narrowed slightly—
At the top of the pyramid temple in the center of the ruins—more than three hundred Hydra soldiers wearing purple-black tactical armor were surrounding a huge resonance device—the device issued a low humming sound—purple-black energy waves spread outward from the center of the device—every ripple was eroding the seal beneath their feet—
And right in the center of the soldier array—stood a man in a gray suit—
Alexander Pierce.
He looked exactly the same as before—gray hair, combed meticulously—a gentle face with that hypocritical smile unique to politicians—hands behind his back—as calm as attending a cocktail party—
But when Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils swept across his body—he saw it—
No heartbeat. No breathing. No body temperature.
A walking corpse that had lived for three thousand years.
"Welcome, Complete Progenitor—and—" Pierce's gaze fell on Wanda—his gentle smile suddenly became meaningful—"The new God-Slayer—Wanda Maximoff—"
"You sealed Set—well done—but what you sealed was only Set's main consciousness—"
"Instead of me."
Golden light spots flickered slightly in Wanda's green eyes—her voice was calm and alert: "You are Set's will fragment—the ninth head—"
"Correct." Pierce slowly applauded—clap—clap—clap—each sound was like a snake's tongue licking in the air—"The nine heads of Hydra are the nine will fragments scattered by Set in the human world—eight have returned—leaving only my last one—"
"And when the nine heads gather—"
His eyes changed.
The gray-blue iris peeled off like a faded canvas—revealing pure purple-black slit pupils underneath—snake-like slit pupils—no whites of the eyes—only a bottomless purple-black abyss—
"—I am Set—!!"
His body began to expand—his suit burst from the seams—purple-black scales emerged like boiling under the gray-white skin—spreading from the neck to the face—from the arms to the fingertips—his spine stretched rapidly amid a cracking sound—his legs fused—his limbs deformed—
Within three seconds—the person standing there disappeared—replaced by a huge purple-black snake—
Its size was identical to the snake shadow above the Valley of the Kings—even larger—the snake body coiled at the top of the pyramid—as if wrapping around the entire temple circle—its snake head held high—its purple slit pupils like two ghost fires—overlooking the two tiny people below—
This was Set's last fragment in the human world—the ninth head—when the nine heads gathered—the fragments condensed—he was Set—an incomplete Set—but enough to possess Old Gods-level power—
[Ding!! Old Gods-level entity detected descending—Set · Ninth Head · Will Aggregate—Combat Power Level SS!!]
[Warning: This entity combines Old Gods will and physical form—cannot be resolved by conventional sealing means—its physical body and spiritual core must be destroyed simultaneously!!]
"Whoa—" Li Heng looked at the giant snake that was larger than any building he had ever seen—and couldn't help whistling—
"If this thing gets to New York—real estate developers will cry—"
"You still have the mood to joke—" Wanda's mouth twitched—but the emotions transmitted from the Soul Covenant told her—Li Heng was not nervous at all—not pretending—really not nervous—
This heartless sense of relaxation—at this moment, it became the best tranquilizer—
"Rules—" Li Heng moved his wrists—dark golden Ancestor Power circulated at his fingertips—"I'll clear the mobs—you fight the BOSS—just like last time—"
"You clear three hundred people plus a snake?"
"The snake is yours—the people are mine—if fast—five minutes—"
"Three minutes." Wanda took over the conversation—scarlet-golden light bloomed all over her body—Chaos God-Slaying form fully opened—
"Deal—"
Li Heng took a step forward—the dark golden Ancestor Incarnation rose from the ground behind him—the ten-meter-high phantom descended like a god of war—a huge dark golden palm swept out—directly overturning the first row of Hydra soldiers at the bottom of the pyramid—
Resonance device!
His target was that device—as long as the device was destroyed—the collapse of the seal would be terminated—
The Ancestor Incarnation rushed into the Hydra array like an out-of-control train—wherever the dark golden fists and feet went—the purple-black armor shattered like paper—soldiers were swept away in batches like bowling balls—but they were completely fearless of death—just like the snake people Li Heng met in the Valley of the Kings—succeeding one another—
"Not afraid of death again—" Li Heng punched five away—"Hydra really has cannon fodder traits from start to finish—"
Top of the pyramid—
Wanda hovered directly in front of Set's Ninth Head—the scarlet-golden light dyed the entire rainforest gold-red—the giant snake's purple slit pupils stared at her fixedly—like two purple moons—
"Chaos God-Slaying—" Set's voice came from the giant snake's mouth—hoarse and cold—"You sealed my main consciousness—but you don't understand one thing—will fragments are not subordinate—they are parallel—I have the same power as the main body—independent will—independent judgment—"
"I don't need the main body—I am Set—"
"And you—there is only one—after you sealed my main body—the target of the God-Slaying Power's judgment has been locked—you can no longer launch Law Adjudication against me—because judgment can only have one target—"
"Your main body said this too—" The golden light in Wanda's green eyes became more and more brilliant—like two collapsing stars—
"I have already answered him—"
"Chaos Magic—reality warping—"
"I will rewrite your existence definition first—rewrite you from'Set will fragment' to 'independent Old Gods entity'—"
"And then—launch Law Adjudication against you—"
"Dual Strike—Set · Sealing—PLUS—!!"
The scarlet-golden light exploded from Wanda's palm—like the Milky Way pouring down—but this time—the light split into two streams—
One stream was scarlet Chaos Magic—it surged toward Set's giant snake body like a tide—at the moment of contact—the giant snake's scales, bones, muscles—the flesh composed of all matter began to be rewritten—not destruction—but redefining—rewritten from "a part of Set" to "an independent existence"—
The other stream was the dark golden God-Slaying Power—it penetrated the surface layer of the scarlet magic—striking directly at Set's spiritual core—Law Adjudication—judgment descended—
"No—!!" Set's Ninth Head let out an extremely hoarse roar—the purple-black snake body began to melt like a candle under the dual forces—the ghost fire in the purple slit pupils was extinguishing—
"This is impossible—!! You cannot launch both powers at the same time—God-Slaying Power and Chaos Magic are incompatible—!!"
"Incompatible?" Wanda's voice was like a verdict—the scarlet-golden light unfolded behind her like a pair of huge light wings—like an Angel of doomsday judgment—
"Then make it compatible—"
"Chaos God-Slaying—its original meaning—is to break the rules—"
"The rules set by the Old Gods—why should they be obeyed—?!"
The scarlet-golden light—reached its peak—
Set's Ninth Head's giant snake body completely disintegrated in the light—the purple-black scales scattered in the wind like ashes—the three-hundred-meter snake body turned into nothingness within a mere ten seconds—
[Ding!! Set · Ninth Head · Will Aggregate—Eliminated!! Old Gods-level entity—completely cleared!!]
[Law Adjudication · PLUS—Effective!! Mephisto seal resonance has been blocked—the seal is self-repairing!!]
[Mephisto seal repair progress—30%—65%—100%—repair complete!!]
Two system prompts popped up simultaneously in Li Hengand Wanda's fields of vision—
Li Heng stood at the bottom of the ruined pyramid—all three hundred Hydra soldiers fell to the ground—the resonance device was smashed into scrap iron by his punch—he raised his head and looked at the top of the pyramid—Wanda's figure slowly fell in the scarlet-golden afterglow—like a meteor returning to the Earth—
"Done?" he asked.
"Done." Wanda landed—breathing slightly—sweat beads on her temples shining in the humid air of the tropical rainforest—
"Set—is completely gone—the main body is sealed—the ninth head is eliminated—there is no more gathering of the nine heads—"
"Hydra—this name—is finally living up to its name—leaving only a group of mortals without a snake god—"
Li Heng looked at her—then stepped forward—reaching out to wipe the sweat from her temples—
"Three minutes—"
"Hmm?"
"You said three minutes to finish—I counted—two minutes and forty-seven seconds—" Li Heng showed that iconic rogue smile—"Faster than me—"
Wanda was slightly stunned—and then couldn't help laughing—smiling and smiling—her eyes turned slightly red—not because of grievance—but because of relief—
Set—was finished.
Mephisto—was sealed.
The two biggest threats among the seven Old Gods seals—within a day—were all resolved.
"Let's go—" Li Heng put his arm around her shoulders—a dark golden portal lit up behind them—"Go home—you promised to make tomato stewed beef brisket for me—"
"It's already afternoon—won't eating beef brisket be too—"
"No—beef brisket can be eaten anytime—this is a matter of principle—"
The two walked into the portal side by side—before disappearing—Wanda looked back at the Palenque ruins—the ancient Feathered Serpent reliefs on the pyramid shone with golden light in the setting sun—humans a thousand years ago carved them to revere the snake god—a thousand years later—the snake god was ended by two ordinary people from Brooklyn—
History is sometimes so ironic—
The portal closed.
The Palenque ruins returned to silence—the cicadas of the tropical rainforest sounded again—the setting sun dyed the pyramid orange-red—everything looked as if nothing had happened—
But deeper in the Universe—
In that void that even The Silent One and Atum could not touch—
That pair of pure white eyes opened again—
"Set—perished—"
"Mephisto—sealed—"
"Chthon—trapped forever—"
"Three Old Gods—all out—"
The owner of the white eyes slowly got up—his outline existed in the absolute void like a humanoid silhouette—no face—no features—only that pair of pure white eyes—like two miniature supernovae—
"Thirty years—"
"I spent thirty years—manipulating everything in secret—guiding the Complete Progenitor to awaken the God-Slaying Power—guiding him to seal Chthon—guiding the God-Slaying Power to transfer to Wanda—guiding her to eliminate Set—"
"Everything is going according to plan—"
"But there is one last step—"
The white eyes slowly turned to another direction in the Universe—there was a dark red planet—floating in the void like a solidified drop of blood—
"Although Mephisto has been sealed—his main body has never truly left that planet—the seal only cut off his connection with the Earth Universe—but if the connection is restored—"
"He will return within one second—"
"And the method to restore the connection—is only one—"
"Destroy the seal node itself—"
"That is—destroy the golden seal left by Atum—"
"But to do this—a special power is needed—"
"A third power that neither belongs to the Old Gods nor the God-Slayer—"
The owner of the white eyes was silent for three seconds—then—he laughed—
That kind of laughter had no sound—but in the void it spread outward in circles like ripples—like gravitational waves emitted when a black hole feeds—
"Fortunately—I happen to have this power—"
"After all—"
"I am not an Old God—nor a God-Slayer—"
"I am—"
His figure slowly became clear in the void—the outline gradually became distinct—first a human face—then limbs—then body—
An extremely ordinary human face—a male around thirty years old—short black hair—deep eyes—wearing a simple white shirt—like a programmer who just got off work—
But his eyes—were pure white—no iris—no pupils—only two burning white stars—
"—The third kind."
"The Observer—no—"
"The Tamperer."
He reached out his hand—the dark red planet was reflected in his white star-like eyes—
"Mephisto—I'm coming to pick you up—"
"You are the last puzzle piece of the Old Gods era—as long as you return—"
"The Old Gods era—will never end—"
"And what I need—is for the Old Gods era to continue forever—"
"Because only in chaos—does The Tamperer have the meaning of existence—"
"Order is my enemy—chaos is my food—"
"Li Heng—Wanda—"
"You established order—"
"Then I will come—to break it."
The white figure dissipated in the void—as if it had never appeared—
But the afterglow left by those two white stars—burned in the void for a long, long time—
Like two silent exclamation points—
Chapter 64 Seal Reversal! The Tamperer Descends — — Seven Gates Open Simultaneously · Old Gods Return!
Brooklyn Villa.
Li Heng felt that the happiest moment of his life — — was right now.
Curled up on the couch — — holding a throw pillow in his arms — — the television playing the seventh season of "Friends" — — the coffee table set with the freshly made tomato stewed beef brisket by Wanda — — steaming hot — — the aroma drifting all the way from the kitchen to the living room — —
No Old Gods — — no seals — — no Hydra — — only him and Wanda — — and an evening ordinary to the extreme — —
"The beef brisket is ready — —" Wanda walked out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of rice — — her apron stained with tomato juice — — a satisfied smile carried within her green eyes — —
"Perfect — —" Li Heng reached out to take the bowl — —
The very moment his fingertips touched the rim of the bowl — —
Everything changed.
The TV screen went black — — not turned off — — an eye-piercing red crack appeared on the screen — — splitting apart from the center of the screen like lightning — —
The windows shattered — — not smashed — — countless red cracks appeared on the glass simultaneously — — spreading outward like a spiderweb — —
The floor was trembling — — the ceiling was cracking — — the entire Brooklyn Villa was gripped tightly as if by an invisible giant hand — —
And most terrifying of all — — was Li Heng's ancestor core — — it was beating frantically — — like a heart encountering a fatal threat — — emitting a violent throbbing like an alarm — —
[Ding!!!!!!!!!!]
[Emergency Alert!!!! Old Gods seal — — total reversal!!!!]
[Anomalies appeared in seven Old Gods seals worldwide within the exact same second — — the sealing logic is being reversely rewritten — —!!]
[Seal function transformation — — changing from a "lock" to a "gate" — — changing from "enclosure" to "inhalation" — —!!]
[It is projected that all seals will completely transform into dimensional passages within 6 hours — — at that time Mephisto's true body will descend upon Earth from the passages — —!!]
The system panel went wild, refreshing the screen frantically — — red warning characters gushing out like a waterfall — —
The bowl in Wanda's hand dropped to the ground — — the shattering sound mixed with the system alarms — — golden spots of light flickered frantically within her green eyes — — Chaos God-Slaying Power autonomously activated within her body — — like a defense system that had detected a threat — —
"What is going on — —!" Wanda's hands clenched tightly — — scarlet-gold light burned on her fists — —
"The seal — — has been reversed — —" Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils suddenly contracted — — he stood up — — looking out the window — —
New York's sky — — split open.
Not a metaphor — — it truly split open — — like a piece of glass smashed by a hammer — — countless dark red cracks spread from the zenith toward the surroundings — — at the intersection of the cracks — — a huge dark red vortex was slowly forming — — like an eye slowly opening — —
And not just New York — —
Li Heng's ancestor perception extended to its absolute limit at this moment — — he could feel it — — seven locations across the globe — — Egypt's Valley of the Kings, Mexico's Palenque, the Antarctic ice sheet, the peak of the Alps, the depths of the Amazon, the Himalayas, the Pacific trench — — seven Old Gods seals — — simultaneously — — in the exact same second — — began to reverse — —
"Someone did this — —" Li Heng gritted his teeth — — "It's not natural decay — — someone is reversing the sealing logic from the outside — — someone turned the lock into a gate — —"
The phone rang — — Fury — —
"Li Heng — —!!" Fury's voice was practically a roar — — in Li Heng's memory, this old fellow had never been so uncomposed — —
"The seal's self-reinforcement direction has reversed — — it's not locking what's inside — — but sucking what's outside in — — the seven seals are turning into seven gates — — and on the other side of the gates — — is Mephisto's true body planet — —!!"
"Someone is reversing the sealing logic from the outside — — we need to find that person — — immediately — —!!"
"Fury — —" Li Heng's voice remained calm amidst the explosions and vibrations — — "That person who reversed the seal — — he's not human — — right?"
The other end of the line fell silent for two seconds — —
"How do you know — —"
"Because the power capable of reversing the Old Godssealing logic — — does not belong to humanity — — nor does it belong to the Old Gods — — let alone God-Slayers — —" A cold light flashed in Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils — —
"It is a third kind of power — —"
"I vaguely sensed it within The Silent One's domain — — but never saw its true face — —"
"Now — — he has finally made a move — —"
Fury's voice sank: "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s deep-space monitoring satellite captured an abnormal energy source five minutes ago — — located above Earth's geosynchronous orbit — — approximately thirty-six thousand kilometers — —"
"That energy source is simultaneously outputting some kind of white energy toward the seven sealing nodes — — it is precisely this white energy that is reversing the sealing logic — —"
"We magnified the satellite image — —"
"That person — — wearing a white shirt — — looks like an ordinary human male — — but his eyes — —"
"Are purely white — — without irises — — without pupils — —"
"Li Heng — — do you know who he is — —?"
Li Heng fell silent for three seconds — —
The Tamperer — — the shadow manipulating everything deep within the void — — the observer who existed when Atum was sealed — — the entity whose name even The Silent One dared not mention — —
He knew — — this fellow was the true final boss — — Chthon, Set, Mephisto — — were merely his chess pieces — —
"I know — —" Li Heng hung up the phone — — and turned to look at Wanda — —
Wanda was already fully armed — — scarlet-gold Chaos God-Slaying Power circulated around her body — — like battle armor — — the golden light in her green eyes was like two burning stars — —
"Let's go." Wanda said only one word.
"Wait — —" Li Heng reached out and pressed down on her shoulders — — a rare solemnity flashed within his dark golden slit pupils — —
"This time is different — — we had ways to deal with Set and Chthon — — but this The Tamperer — — his ability is rewriting logic itself — — although your Chaos God-Slaying can rewrite reality — — rewriting reality and rewriting logic are two different tiers — —"
"You mean — — he's stronger than me?" Wanda slightly frowned.
"No — —" Li Heng shook his head — — "It's that his rewriting of the seal has already taken effect — — even if we defeat him now — — the seven gates are already half open — — Mephisto will descend through the gates — — we need to do two things at the same time — —"
"Close the doors — — and beat people up."
"You go close the doors — — use the Law Adjudication of Chaos God-Slaying — — to reverse the seven gates back into seals — — I'll beat him up — —"
Wanda looked at him — — the emotion transmitted from the Soul Covenant was earnest — — more earnest than ever before — —
"You don't have God-Slaying Power yourself — — how will you fight? He is an entity that rewrites logic — — is Ancestor Power enough?"
Li Heng smiled — — that iconic, somewhat roguish smile — —
"Ancestor Power of course is not enough — — but I have other things — —"
"You forgot — — the system is still here — —"
[Ding!! Host's current available abilities list — — Ancestor Power · Complete Form, Ancestor Dharma Image, Blood Clan Full-Clan Resonance, Soul Covenant · Bidirectional Sharing — —]
[Special Note: Soul Covenant · Bidirectional Sharing — — can establish a temporary power channel with Wanda Maximoff — — borrowing 50% output of her Chaos God-Slaying Power — — duration — — 15 minutes — — cooldown — — 24 hours — —]
"15 minutes — —" Li Heng moved his neck — — his joints crackled — — "Enough — —"
"15 minutes to beat The Tamperer — — more than enough — —"
Wanda looked at him — — fell silent for three seconds — — and then reached out her hand — — a ball of scarlet-gold flame in her palm beat like a heart — —
"The power channel — — open it now — —"
"Are you sure? After opening it, you'll only have half output — — closing the doors will be even harder — —"
"Half is enough — —" Wanda's voice was as firm as iron — — "You need this power more than I do — — because the thing you have to face — — is not an Old God — — it's more dangerous than the Old Gods — —"
She pushed the flame in her palm toward Li Heng's chest — —
Scarlet-gold light flowed like blood into Li Heng's ancestor core — — the two powers collided and fused within his body — — scarlet-red veins emerged on the dark golden background of the Ancestor Power — — flowing like magma beneath ice — —
[Ding!! Soul Covenant · Bidirectional Sharing — — Activated!!]
[Host temporarily gains — — Chaos God-Slaying Power · 50% output!!]
[Host comprehensive combat power evaluation — — SS-Rank → temporary breakthrough to SSS!! Duration — — 15:00 — — Countdown begins — —]
Light interwoven with dark gold and scarlet blossomed around Li Heng — — he lowered his head to look at his own hands — — two colors of energy circulated in his palms — — like two entangled dragons — —
Long-absent God-Slaying Power — — although only half — — although merely borrowed — — that feeling — — was like reuniting with an old friend — —
"Let's go — —" He clenched his fists — — a dark golden portal tore open in the center of the living room — — on the other end of the portal — — was Earth's geosynchronous orbit — — thirty-six thousand kilometers high — — The Tamperer's location — —
Wanda stood beside him — — the two exchanged a glance — —
"You close the doors — — I'll beat him up — —" Li Hengsaid — —
"15 minutes — —" Wanda said — —
"Enough."
The two stepped into the portal simultaneously — —
The moment they disappeared — — outside the living room window of the Brooklyn Villa — — the dark red vortex in New York's sky expanded by another circle — — like a huge eye slowly opening — —
And deep within the pupil of this eye — —
A white figure — — was standing in the void — — hands behind his back — — like a spider sitting in the center of a web — —
He looked at Earth — — as if looking at an egg about to hatch — —
"Come — — God-Slayer — — Complete Progenitor — —"
"You established order — — and I — —"
"Come break it — —"
The white shirt fluttered wildly in the vacuum — — purely white eyes like two miniature supernovae — — under his gaze — — seven dark red beams of light shot simultaneously toward space from seven locations on Earth — — like seven nails pinning Earth onto the dark red curtain — —
Seven gates — — were opening — —
The end of the Old Gods era — — is not the end of the Old Gods — —
But the return of the Old Gods — —
The Tamperer smiled — — on that extremely ordinary human face — — a dark smile not belonging to a human, like an abyss, was revealed — —
"Mephisto — — your ship has arrived — —"
"Board the ship — —"
"This planet — — starting today — —"
"— — belongs to the Old Gods."
Chapter 65: Rule Collision! Ancestors Blood Law vs. The Tamperer Logic — — 15-Minute Countdown!
Earth synchronous orbit. Thirty-six thousand kilometers high.
There is no air — — no sound — — only absolute silence and eternal darkness — — but at this moment — — this darkness was torn apart — —
Seven dark red beams of light pierced straight into the sky from the surface of Earth — — like seven nails pinning this blue planet to a blood-colored curtain — — and right in the center of this blood-colored light — —
Li Heng and The Tamperer stood facing each other.
There was less than ten meters between the two of them.
The Tamperer wore that blindingly white shirt — — his short black hair motionless in the vacuum — — his pure white eyes like two cold stars — — without any temperature — —
"You came so fast — —" The Tamperer's voice did not come from his mouth — — but exploded directly in Li Heng's mind — — as if someone was scraping a chalkboard with their fingernails — — every syllable rewriting the surrounding physical laws — —
"Complete Progenitor — — no — — you should now be called 'Half God-Slayer' — —"
"15 minutes — —" The Tamperer tilted his head — — a trace of playful mockery flashing in his pure white eyes — — "What do you think you can do in 15 minutes?"
Li Heng looked at him — — light intertwined with dark gold and crimson flowed around his body — — like a burning meteor in this absolute zero vacuum — —
He did not answer — —
Instead, he threw a punch directly.
The dark golden Ancestor Power mixed with the crimson Chaos God-Slaying Power — — condensed into a crimson-golden miniature star on his fist — — slamming fiercely toward The Tamperer's face — —
This punch — — was enough to shatter a mountain range — —
The Tamperer didn't even raise his hand — — he just blinked — —
[Ding!! Logic rewriting detected — — Attack behavior redefined as — — "Healing"!! Host physical strikes will be converted into target vitality restoration!!]
Li Heng's fist smashed into The Tamperer's face — — crimson-golden light burst open — — but The Tampererdidn't move at all — — instead, a comfortable sheen flashed across his skin — — like he had just had a high-end SPA — —
"Thank you — —" The Tamperer smiled — — "I haven't had a facial treatment in a long time — —"
"I rewrote causality — — 'Attack' equals 'Healing' — — the harder you hit me — — the more comfortable I feel — —"
Li Heng withdrew his fist — — looking at the residual crimson-golden light on his fist — — the corner of his mouth twitched — —
"Rewriting causality — —? Interesting — —"
[System Prompt: Countdown 14:38 — —]
"Then let's change the way — —"
Li Heng spread his hands — — his ten fingers flicking — — dark golden blood energy shot out from his fingertips like silk threads — — weaving into a huge dark golden blood array in the vacuum — —
vampire forbidden technique — — Ancestors Blood Law— —
This is the supreme law inherited by the vampire race since ancient times — — all vampires, regardless of strength or weakness — — must bow before the Ancestors Blood Law— — this is an absolute command engraved deep within the bloodline — —
"In the name of the Progenitor — — I command — — kneel — —!"
The dark golden Ancestors Blood Law rushed toward The Tamperer like an invisible torrent — — this was not a physical attack — — but an absolute suppression at the bloodline level — —
[Ding!! Ancestors Blood Law activated — — Target non-vampire unit detected — — Blood Law suppression effect — — Unknown — —]
The Tamperer stood in place — — a trace of surprise finally flashing in his pure white eyes — —
"The authority of the vampire Progenitor — —" He felt that tremor from deep within the bloodline — — although he was not a vampire — — this ancient law based on 'dominance and submission' still produced a faint interference on him — —
Faint — — but enough to prove effective.
"Interesting — —" The Tamperer's pure white eyes narrowed slightly — — "In all vampire legends — — whether those pseudo-vampires relying on technology and bat DNA mutation, or the Dark Night Nobles attempting to establish a vampire kingdom and make humans fall into blood servants — — they must ultimately submit to the Progenitor's bloodline — —"
"But you got one thing wrong — —"
"I am not a vampire — —"
"So your Blood Law — — is ineffective against me — —"
He raised his hand — — white light flowed from his fingertips — —
"Logic rewriting — —'Submission' equals 'Rebellion' — —"
The moment the dark golden Ancestors Blood Lawtouched the white light — — like oil meeting fire — — instead of suppressing The Tamperer — — it bounced back — — surging straight toward Li Heng himself — —
[Ding!! Logic rewriting takes effect — — Ancestors Blood Law reversed — — Host suffers backlash from own Blood Law!!]
A strong sense of dizziness struck Li Heng's brain — — his knees softened — — almost kneeling — — but he clenched his teeth — — the ancestor core spinning frantically — — forcefully enduring this backlash — —
"Fuck — — hitting myself — — your move is really dirty — —" Li Heng steadied his stance — — shook his head — —
[Countdown 13:15 — —]
Time was passing rapidly — — every second was as precious as gold — — and he hadn't even been able to make The Tamperer move a single step — —
Not right — —
Li Heng's dark golden vertical pupils suddenly constricted — —
He had always been using "power" to fight "rules" — — but this was fundamentally wrong — — what The Tamperer rewrote was logic itself — — you hit him with a fist — — he rewrote the meaning of the fist — — you suppressed him with the Blood Law — — he rewrote the definition of submission — —
At this level — — the greater the power — — the easier it was to be rewritten — —
Then what would not be rewritten?
Wanda's face flashed in Li Heng's mind — — the warmth transmitted from the Soul Covenant flashed by — — her back standing above the Valley of the Kings sealing Set flashed by — —
Emotion.
Belief.
These things have no logic — — no definition — — they are not "rules" — — they are "existence" itself — —
Can The Tamperer rewrite rules — — but can he rewrite "existence"?
Can he rewrite the meaning of the three words "I love you"?
"Wanda — —" Li Heng whispered in the Soul Covenant — — "I need a channel — — to transmit all your power over — — not 50% — — 100% — —"
On the other side of the Soul Covenant — — Wanda was frantically reversing the seventh seal on the surface of Earth — — she heard it — —
"100%? Then your own body — —"
"Hold on for 15 minutes — — won't die — —"
Three seconds of silence — —
Then — — Li Heng's ancestor core beat frantically like an ignited star — — a crimson-golden power far surpassing before poured in from the Soul Covenant — — like the Milky Way flowing backwards — — his dark golden body emitted unbearable cracking sounds under the sandwiching attack of the two powers — — fine cracks appeared on the surface of his skin — — dark golden blood seeped out from the cracks — —
[Ding!! Soul Covenant · Full Power Transmission Mode — — Activated!!]
[Warning!! Host physical body bearing limit has reached 87%!! 90%!! Continuing to rise!!]
[Wanda Maximoff's comprehensive combat power temporarily superimposed into the host's body — — Current output — — SSS+!!]
[Countdown 12:47 — —]
Li Heng clenched his teeth — — every blood vessel in his whole body was screaming — — but he smiled — — that lunatic-like smile — —
"The Tamperer — — you can rewrite rules — — you can rewrite causality — —"
"Then can you rewrite — — this thought that I must win against you — —?"
He threw a punch again — —
But this time — — there was no Ancestor Power on his fist — — no Chaos God-Slaying — — not even any energy — —
Only himself — —
The fist of an ordinary man who just wanted to go home and eat tomato stewed beef brisket made by his wife — —
The Tamperer's pure white eyes shrank slightly — — he instinctively raised his hand — — preparing to rewrite this logic — —
But he found — —
It could not be rewritten — —
Because this punch had no logic — — no rules — — no causality — — it was just a pure "action" — — the fact of "I am going to hit you" — —
You cannot rewrite something without a definition — —
Just like you cannot erase the blankness on a piece of white paper — —
"Bang — —!!"
The fist smashed into The Tamperer's face — —
This time — — there was no reversal — — no healing — — no logic rewriting — —
Only pure, physical-level — — pain.
The Tamperer's head jerked backward — — shock appeared in his pure white eyes for the first time — — even — — fear — —
He was struck — —
He bled — — white blood flowed down from the corner of his mouth — — like milky-white stars in the vacuum — —
"You — — how did you do it — —?!"
"Very simple — —" Li Heng rubbed his numb fist — — an unprecedented brilliance flashing in his dark golden vertical pupils — —
"What you have ever rewritten is never reality — — what you rewrite is other people's cognition of reality — — fists equal healing — — submission equals rebellion — — these are all conceptual games — —"
"But when you face someone who doesn't care about concepts at all — —"
"Your ability — — is zero — —"
He threw another punch out — —
The Tamperer hurriedly rewrote logic — — "Distance equals infinity" — — but Li Heng's fist passed through his rewrite — — because the belief of "not caring about distance" itself was not defined by distance — —
Another punch — — smashed into his chest — — The Tamperer flew backwards — —
[Ding!! Logic rewriting failed!! The Tamperer's defense system collapsed!! Host hit judgment — — Effective damage!!]
[Countdown 10:22 — —]
Enough — — there is still enough time — —
Li Heng chased up like a burning meteor — — his body intertwined with dark gold and crimson left afterimages in the void — — every punch smashed onto The Tamperer's body — — every punch carried the pure will of "I just want to give you one on the face" — —
The Tamperer continuously tried to rewrite logic amidst the beating — — "Pain equals pleasure" — — "Enemy equals friend" — — "Destruction equals creation" — — but every rewrite was mercilessly torn to pieces by Li Heng's fists — —
Because you cannot define someone who refuses to be defined — —
"You — — you lunatic — —!!" The Tamperer roared — — cracks appeared in his pure white eyes — — like a shattering mirror — —
"You are not a hero — — you have no belief — — you are just a — — loser who only wants to lie on the sofa and eat snacks — —!!"
"Right — —" Li Heng kicked him in the stomach — — kicking him toward the orbit in the direction of Earth — —
"But this loser — — has someone he must protect — —"
"And you — — just happened to block the way — —"
The Tamperer crashed into an abandoned satellite in orbit — — the satellite exploded into fragments behind him — — his white shirt was finally no longer pristine white — — stained with white blood and the dust of satellite fragments — —
In his pure white eyes — — the cracks became more and more numerous — —
He smiled — — like a distorted smiling face reflected in a shattered mirror — —
"You think — — beating me — — means it's over — —?"
"Look at your countdown — —"
"Then — — look at Earth — —"
Li Heng lowered his head — —
[Countdown 08:15 — —]
His dark golden vertical pupils pierced through the atmosphere — — seeing the scene on the surface of Earth— —
Seven dark red beams of light — — were still there.
Wanda had already reversed five of them — — but the last two — — the two in Palenque, Mexico, and the Antarctic ice sheet — — not only did not weaken — — but became even thicker — —
"You have already knocked me down — — but the doors are still opening — — do you know why — —" The Tamperer coughed up white blood — — his smile becoming increasingly frantic — —
"Because these seven doors — — were never opened by me — —"
"I just — — gave them a reason — —"
"The one who truly opened the doors — — was Mephisto's own power — — he waited three billion years on that dark red planet — — accumulated three billion years of power — — just for this moment — —"
"Seven doors — — only need two to be open — — and he will be able to come over — — while you — —"
"You are only one person — — your wife — — is also only one person — —"
"How can the two of you close two doors at the same time — —?"
Li Heng's dark golden vertical pupils suddenly constricted — —
Right — — this was the hardest part — —
Wanda reversing the seal alone — — could handle at most one at a time — — but the last two doors were wide open simultaneously — — Mephisto only needed one second to cross over — —
And he and Wanda — — lacked the ability to be in two places at once — —
The Tamperer laughed louder and louder — — cracks densely covered his pure white eyes like a spiderweb — —
"You see — — this is logic — — no matter how you beat me — — no matter how strong your belief is — — mathematics won't lie to you — — 1 is less than 2 — — one person cannot close two doors — —"
"The return of the Old Gods — — is unstoppable — —"
Li Heng fell silent — —
[Countdown 07:33 — —]
He was thinking rapidly — —
Then — — he smiled — —
That somewhat rascal-like smile, the one that always made Wanda both angry and amused — —
"You're right — — 1 is less than 2 — — one person cannot close two doors — —"
"But you forgot one thing — —"
"I am not one person — —"
He raised his hand — — dark golden blood energy condensed at his fingertips — — then — — he bit his thumb hard — — the dark golden blood wriggled like a living creature in the vacuum — —
Ancestors Blood Law — — Clan-wide Resonance — —
This was an ability he had almost never used since awakening — — because it wasn't needed — — but at this moment — — he needed it — —
"All those connected by bloodline — — listen to my command — —"
On Earth — —
Hannah — — Michael — — Victor — — Elena — — all vampires in Newlin City and across the globe — — no matter what they were doing — — stopped their actions at the exact same moment — — a dark golden light flashed in their eyes — — the Progenitor's will passed into their souls through the bloodline like an irresistible command — —
"Give me power — —"
Not a single vampire hesitated — —
Dark golden blood energy surged out from thousands of vampires around the globe — — like thousands of streams converging into a river — — passing through the atmosphere — — passing through the void — — merging into Li Heng's body — —
[Ding!! vampire clan-wide resonance — — Activated!! Received energy feedback from vampire units — — 2417 people!! Host temporary combat power — — Continuing to climb!!]
[Warning — — Physical body bearing limit — — 93% — — 95% — —!!]
Li Heng's body was expanding — — the light intertwined with dark gold and crimson was like an igniting supernova — — there were even more cracks on his skin — — dark golden blood seeped out from the cracks like magma — —
Pain — — piercing pain — — every inch of flesh and blood was screaming — —
But he didn't care — —
He looked at The Tamperer — — two raging fires seemed to burn in his dark golden vertical pupils — —
"You said 1 is less than 2 — —"
"Then I'll let you see — —"
"How 1 — — is greater than 2417 — —"
"vampire unity — — Progenitor descent — —!!"
His figure disappeared in place — —
The next second — — a fist appeared in front of The Tamperer — —
This punch — — carried the beliefs of 2417 vampires — — carried Wanda's 100% Chaos God-Slaying Power — — carried the entire obsession of a man who just wanted to go home and eat beef brisket — —
In The Tamperer's pure white eyes — — the cracks completely exploded — —
"No — —!!"
The fist fell — —