Chapter 568: The High Guardians
The Guardians' Appearance
No one knows where the Guardians came from or what their names are. Judging by their blue skin, they should be the same species, though perhaps not.
They have existed for countless eons, as immeasurable as the universe itself.
According to Oa's records, the Guardians were already present before the planet was born. They developed Oa and created the Green Lantern Corps based on the green light of Willpower, a history that spans ten billion years.
Ten billion years—a near-infinite length of time. Some planets aren't even that old.
For most of that long age, they have been in a state of slumber, only awakening to protect the planet when faced with a fatal crisis. As for their fighting power... historical records are sparse, but it was the Guardians who defeated Parallax when the creature ran rampant across the universe.
Now, standing before Sinestro were two of the seven Guardians.
One was a blue-skinned, white-bearded elder known as Ganthet, representing Law. The other was a bald female with purple eyes, Appa Ali Apsa, representing Justice.
Sinestro clenched his fist.
"So, you've been hiding here all along."
Appa Ali Apsa said expressionlessly, "Leave this place. Leave Oa."
Sinestro gave a scornful laugh. "Since I've come, I don't intend to leave. But what about you two..." His gaze swept around. "Where are the other five? Why don't they come out? Are they afraid?"
Ganthet sighed.
"You have indeed taken the evil path, as fate foretold."
"Isn't this exactly what you wanted to see?"
Sinestro spread his hands. "You imprisoned me and spread rumors everywhere, plunging Korugar into war. My wife, my child, my friends, my family—they all died. You caused this."
"You are the true culprits!"
Ganthet said grimly, "No one targeted you, and no one spread rumors. The rebellion on Korugar was destined the moment you resorted to tyranny. Absolute Willpower has two facets: submission or compliance, Law and Justice. You chose the former."
"Nonsense!"
Sinestro exploded in rage. "I brought long-lost peace to a war-torn Korugar! I saved millions of children consumed by war, helped them build homes, and gave them happy lives! I pushed Korugar's civilization a great step forward! I gave everything, yet you call it servitude and submission?"
"Parallax was right. You are nothing but a group of hypocritical dictators!"
Seeing his state, Appa Ali Apsa shook her head in resignation. "In some cases, Willpower is also called obsession. It is not absolutely correct. In the long eons, anomalies inevitably arise. Thaal Sinestro, we had high hopes for you. Unfortunately, everything has reverted to its original state."
"What's the point of saying all this now? Come, show me how you deal with anomalies."
The Guardian Counterattack
The two Guardians spoke no further. Appa Ali Apsa spread her hand, emitting yellow lightning that struck Sinestro's body. Ganthet teleported behind him and slammed a fist into the battle armor. The terrifying force pierced directly through the armor and exploded within his chest cavity.
Puff!
Sinestro spat blood. A powerful shockwave erupted from within his body, shaking off the lightning. He flashed into the sky, his face devoid of a smile, now extremely grim.
With Parallax's amplification, his body was incredibly durable, impervious even to nuclear blasts. Yet, Ganthet's strike had pierced him. Furthermore, Appa Ali Apsa's yellow lightning could not only slow down time but also affect his mind.
"As expected of the Guardians."
Sinestro wiped the blood from his mouth. The hole in his chest healed, returning to its original state. The next moment, the yellow electric light struck again, impossibly fast. He had barely formed a thought before the lightning hit him.
Time slowed. His consciousness began to blur.
Bang!
An iron fist passed through his chest, gripping his relentlessly beating heart.
Sinestro's eyes widened. He stared blankly at the fist in his chest. Rage piled up in his heart, transforming into a savage killing intent. Parallax surfaced, opening its mouth to bite Ganthet, but the Guardian instantly shimmered back to the core center.
The exchange had only been a probe, but the result shocked Sinestro.
He finally understood why Oa had survived for ten billion years. The power of the seven Guardians was far beyond imagination.
With one controlling Time/Mind and the other controlling Space/Destruction, their teamwork left Sinestro with virtually no ability to fight back, unable even to dodge their attacks.
Parallax transmitted a thought: "You better find my other half of the body first."
Sinestro sneered.
"You want to run."
"Nonsense!"
Parallax raged. "I will never run away."
"You won't run, but I will. But before I run, I have a mission to complete."
"Give me your energy."
Parallax didn't hesitate, injecting all its energy into Sinestro's body. His body instantly swelled into a ball. The energy continuously compressed, and the air fluctuated like ocean waves.
The surrounding temperature rapidly rose—hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of degrees. The blinding, scorching light turned Sinestro into a sun.
The ultra-hard alloy used to build the energy battery complex began to melt, turning into puddles of liquid that evaporated before they could hit the ground.
The compressed energy created extreme heat, which evolved into a world-destroying tide.
Appa Ali Apsa realized what was happening, her face shifting dramatically.
"Oh no, he intends to destroy the core center!"
Ganthet also reacted and immediately attacked. Unfortunately, Sinestro was now encased in boiling liquid energy. Ganthet's punches failed to cause any damage. Appa Ali Apsa also fired yellow lightning, but it was deflected by the yellow shockwave.
"You all die!"
Sinestro broke into a grin, his cheeks twisted. All the energy compressed to the extreme was released.
Boom!
A yellow pillar of light shot into the sky. The entire planet began to shake.
The shockwave, composed of extreme heat, intense light, ions, pulses, and vibrations, possessed the power to destroy everything. Everything in its path was instantly reduced to molecular form. The core center was instantly obliterated, and the Central Power Battery suffered irreparable damage.
Looking down from space, one could clearly see the extent of the destructive blast circle. It spread out for a full six hundred miles before stopping, then continued to spread in the form of radiation waves.
The land was cratered, forming an endless chasm.
The explosion woke the five other Guardians. They rose from their slumber and appeared directly above the core center.
Ganthet, covered in wounds, gasped,
"Sinestro escaped. His location is unknown."
Appa Ali Apsa added, "I suspect his target was not us, but another star sector."
The core center was responsible for the Green Lantern Corps' energy supply. With its destruction, the Green Lanterns scattered across various sectors cannot return to Oa. Similarly, Oa cannot provide long-distance support.
The shortest of the Guardians asked in confusion, "I recall Parallax's body was divided into two parts. Where is the other half?"
Ganthet sighed deeply.
"I fell for it. His true target is Earth."
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