Chapter 577: The Deeper the Love, the Deeper the Hate
A Calculated Deception
Luke's persuasive speech left Parallax greatly tempted. As its thoughts churned, its energy supply to Sinestro experienced a momentary lapse.
Luke seized the opportunity, splitting open the giant beast's outer shell with all his might. His spear shot out like a dragon, piercing Sinestro's chest and hoisting him into the air.
The green flame on the spear erupted in a violent explosion.
Wave after wave of flame shockwaves blasted Sinestro into a bloody pulp.
"See that? This is the failure you chose. Without your protection, I would have killed him tens of thousands of times over."
Aaaaargh!!!
The re-formed Sinestro screamed wildly,
"Fool! Don't listen to him! He's lying to you!"
"Fool?"
Luke sharply rebuked him. "Parallax represents the essence of the universe and possesses ultimate power. You dare call it a fool... A superior being should be treated with respect. Don't you even understand that much, Sinestro?"
Luke launched a furious assault, as if he had been deeply humiliated. The two exchanged blows fiercely.
Parallax maintained a cold, silent gaze. On one hand, it believed the Earthling was deliberately provoking them. On the other hand, it found Luke's words resonated. Sinestro was a failure, an arrogant one at that. If not for his relatively strong will, Parallax wouldn't have chosen him as a host in the first place.
Luke sensed Parallax's wavering and intensified the temptation.
"Parallax, give me a chance, and give yourself a choice. Leave Sinestro's body and let me duel this failure."
"I guarantee you that once I become Parallax, I will immediately travel to Oa, slaughter every single one of those ancient Guardians for your revenge. Afterward, we will conquer the universe together, stepping on the New Gods and Old Gods, and become the source of fear for all sentient life!"
"What are you waiting for? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Sinestro's eyes were bloodshot, filled with maddening hatred. What worried him more was that as Luke spoke, the energy supply within his body became unstable.
"Are you an idiot?! Can't you see he's trying to sow discord between us?"
Sinestro roared uncontrollably. "This is a battlefield! How can you trust the words of an enemy?"
Luke sneered. "My only enemy is you. Parallax is not. I admire it, I revere it, and I yearn to embrace Fear and merge with it. If not for your meddling, we would have reached a partnership agreement long ago."
"Sinestro, I am the true vessel of Parallax. You are nothing but a thief."
The enraged Luke raised his longsword. A point of green light appeared at the tip. The light rapidly expanded, becoming a giant fireball over forty meters in diameter. The flame condensed and compressed into crackling electric arcs. Green lightning intersected in the void, forming tree-like patterns.
"Die, you thief!"
Luke leaped up and slammed the construct down.
The colossal spherical lightning bolt, carrying a world-destroying fluctuation, appeared before Sinestro. His face contorted in horror. He quickly tried to establish a defensive barrier, but after only three layers, his energy cut out.
Sinestro turned around in disbelief.
"You..."
He managed only one word before his body was consumed by the electrical light. Green lightning surged back and forth through him. His armor shattered. His flesh evaporated piece by piece, filling the air with the smell of scorching meat.
Sinestro's eyes widened. With his last bit of strength, he roared,
"Don't listen to him! He's lying! He and Hal Jordan are teammates!"
That final statement jolted Parallax awake. It immediately tried to repair Sinestro's body, but it was too late. Luke rushed forward. His six hands simultaneously performed a magical gesture. Countless golden talismans shot from his fingertips, interweaving in the void to form a specialized energy field.
"The Deification Sealing Method, activate!"
Luke raised his glittering golden right palm and slammed it onto Sinestro's head. An ancient seal character, "Seal," silently materialized. The surrounding talismans seemed to come alive, forming nine golden chains centered around the character.
In that moment, Sinestro vanished. He was right there, but Luke could no longer sense him.
Parallax's eyes widened.
"What did you do to him?"
Luke grabbed Sinestro's body, retreated, and chuckled.
"I originally intended to kill him, but your presence made that impossible. I reluctantly chose to seal him instead."
"Seal? What kind of seal?"
"The Deification Sealing Method, focused on the soul and perception. The secret forbidden technique of the Celestial Master's Scroll. Simply put, I severed his soul from you."
Parallax instantly understood. A terrifying, murderous glare erupted from its eyes. "You tricked me?"
"What else?"
Luke spread his six hands, laughing coldly. "If you were a woman, I might consider merging with you, but you're a bug. I'm not an exterminator; I have no interest in dealing with snakes, insects, rats, or ants."
Screeech! Screeech!
The void violently shook. The enraged Parallax transformed into a giant beast that blotted out the sky, attacking with reckless abandon.
Luke clutched Sinestro's body and ran without looking back, mentally transmitting to his teammates.
"Sinestro has been sealed! Only the big bug is left! Get over here and help!"
Clark and the others, having received the message, immediately moved out. The remaining eight Green Lantern warriors followed suit. The group intercepted Parallax, attacking it using every method they had.
Linda took the opportunity to fly up to Luke.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Luke shook his head. His soul merged back into his physical body. The sudden onset of exhaustion hit him hard. His vision swam, and his body trembled.
"I..."
"The energy drain was too much. I just need to rest a bit."
The girl breathed a long sigh of relief. The fight had been terrifying to watch, and she'd been tempted to jump in and help several times.
Just then, a powerful surge of energy came from the front. Parallax broke through the team's interception, staring intently at Luke. Even from a hundred miles away, they could feel the terrifying killing intent it radiated.
The creature had gone completely berserk.
Luke's mouth twitched slightly. He whispered,
"Run!"
Linda rolled her eyes, grabbed him, and flew away. Parallax pursued relentlessly. Clark and the others trailed behind, constantly attacking, leaving wounds large and small on the creature. But the "big bug" ignored everything; its eyes were focused only on that shameless, despicable, disgusting Earthling.
It wanted to eat him. It wanted to tear him into one hundred and eight pieces.
The situation had become very strange, making even Linda curious.
"What did you do to it? Why does it hate you so much?"
Luke sighed lightly. "Perhaps it's a case of the deeper the love, the deeper the hate!"
The girl's eyes widened. "Are you suggesting Parallax is female?"
Luke gave Linda a deep, look-of-pitying-an-idiot gaze. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly shut her mouth.
"How is Diana doing?"
"Her injuries are stable."
"That's good."
Linda huffed. "You seem awfully concerned about her."
Luke looked helpless. "We're teammates. Is it a crime to be concerned?"
"I'm not talking about that kind of concern. I mean the other kind. I feel like there's something off about your relationship. Did you two sleep together?"
Luke: "..."
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