Chapter 585: Sudden Battle
A Reluctant Envoy
"What, are you also going to blame the Corps' casualties on an outsider?"
Hal shook his head, rubbing his chin and saying hesitantly, "Thinking about it, Luke Shaw's actions are indeed questionable. It's strange that he chose to conceal information instead of cooperating with us."
"Don't worry about that now. The result is what matters. Hal, you go meet them now, as the representative of the Green Lantern Corps."
"Me? Is that appropriate?"
"It has to be you." Kilowog shook his head gravely. "The others are bottling up their anger. Sending them could easily lead to a bloody conflict."
Hal's expression changed; he seemed to realize the gravity of the situation.
The Final Seal
Although Tamar was gone, the impact of his accusations was just beginning.
His words circulated within the Green Lantern Corps, gaining considerable support. The current environment was already under high pressure; even a small spark could start a raging fire.
Kilowog dared not delay further and attended the negotiations with Hal. They quickly reached a preliminary agreement: the Justice League agreed to return Sinestro to the Green Lantern Corps, but not for another two days. As for Parallax, the decision was pending.
With the agreement reached, the volatile atmosphere finally subsided.
Clark and the others also breathed a sigh of relief. They weren't afraid of the Corps, but the time and location were inconvenient. Fighting on Earth was inappropriate, and Luke was at a critical juncture and could not be disturbed.
Time flowed silently. The sun set, the bright sun rose again, and the sealing process finally drew to a close.
Parallax's consciousness had been refined by the green flame, leaving only the Essence. Sixteen yellow thread balls floated in mid-air, each emitting a suffocating wave of fear.
The green flame burned, continuously permeating the thread balls until they were reduced to barely visible golden light, then it stopped.
"The final step."
Luke focused his mind. His pale face was now slightly flushed with an unnatural color. He opened his mouth and inhaled strongly. The golden lights flew in, passing through his flesh, and dissolving into his soul.
Instantly, a tearing pain erupted from the depths of his soul, like trying to stuff an extra ladle of water into an already full balloon.
"It's fine. Still within tolerance."
Luke muttered to himself, grabbing another ball of golden light. After swallowing seven consecutively, the pain abruptly intensified. He had to stop, panting while calming the turmoil inside his body.
"As expected, I'm still too weak. Three-quarters is my limit. To fully control it, I need to at least become a true god."
"But, this is enough."
Luke closed his eyes, beginning to restore his energy. Once his state was saturated, he raised his hand, and a Yellow Lantern Ring dropped in front of him.
The Lantern Ring was a weapon that channeled emotional power, but it could also serve as a vessel for sealing. The purpose of having Diana collect the rings was precisely to handle the current situation.
Luke stretched out both hands, grasping the ring in his left and the Essence in his right, forcibly fusing them. The golden light struggled fiercely but was held firmly by the green flame.
Luke formed a magical gesture with one hand. The burning flame transformed into nearly invisible golden runes. The tadpole-like runes wrapped around the ring, layer after layer, isolating the aura and sealing the energy. The exterior of the ring also subtly changed: the Yellow Lantern Corps insignia vanished, replaced by the character "Seal."
This process was slow, taking a full hour to complete.
Luke was sweating profusely, his limbs weak and sore, feeling a profound exhaustion. Even more despairing was that only one was done, and seven more awaited.
In a daze, the figures of Emily, Barbara, Linda, Carol, and others flashed before his eyes. Those lovely, blooming faces made him feel the powerlessness of an old man.
The Ambush
The appointed time arrived. Over a dozen Green Lantern warriors came to the island. Clark, as agreed, handed over the unconscious Sinestro.
A Green Lantern checked Sinestro's physical condition. After confirming he was alright, he nodded to Kilowog, who said gravely,
"In that case, we will wait a few more days. Oh, by the way," he paused and changed his tone. "There's something I want to confirm. Is your friend named Luke Shaw sealing Parallax?"
Linda coldly snorted, "That's none of your business."
Kilowog said nothing more, taking a deep look at the island before turning and leaving.
The other Green Lantern warriors did the same, glancing deliberately or unintentionally at the shimmering area in the center of the island before they left.
After they were gone, Diana felt increasingly uneasy. Suddenly, a fierce killing intent, carrying a bone-deep chill, struck from behind.
Boom!
A green energy beam shot from the distance. Diana leaped up, blocking the deadly strike with her shield.
The next moment, several more beams struck, all aimed at the island.
"Bastards!"
Linda roared in fury. A bloody tiger silhouette appeared around her, blocking three of the beams. Clark and J'onn used their bodies as shields, intercepting the other two attacks.
The air warped. A dense crowd of figures appeared in the distant sky—over a hundred people.
"Is that the Green Lantern Corps?"
Barry's eyes widened. "Are they crazy? Why are they attacking us?"
"I knew it! We shouldn't have trusted them."
Linda clenched her fists, her eyes burning with murderous intent.
Clark and J'onn's faces were ashen. This turn of events was completely unexpected. The Green Lantern Corps had violated the agreement and launched a forceful attack.
Diana glanced behind her.
"How much longer for Luke?"
"I don't know. He hasn't answered."
"Damn it!"
Diana cursed under her breath. Surrounded by Green Lantern warriors on all sides, they were caught between advancing and retreating.
Linda shouted angrily, "You guys hold the line here. I'll go take them out."
"Wait!"
Clark quickly stopped her. "The situation is unclear. Don't use lethal force so easily."
J'onn added, "Didn't you notice? Hal isn't among them, nor is Kilowog, the acting Corps Commander who negotiated with us."
Barry paused.
"Could it be that..."
J'onn nodded. "It's certainly possible."
Linda also realized, a look of suspicion in her eyes.
Clark said gravely,
"Barry, contact Hal immediately and ask him what is going on. As for us, we focus on defense. Protecting Luke is the absolute priority. Everything else can wait."
Though Linda was reluctant, she had to agree. The five heroes took positions in the center of the island, ready for a fight.
Seeing their defensive posture, the surrounding Green Lantern warriors completely unleashed their attack. Various forms of assault came from all directions. The five heroes fought hard, forming an impenetrable wall that deflected all incoming attacks.
After three minutes of continuous assault, they still had not breached the defense.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Clark and the others were holding back, but the Green Lantern Corps was also hesitant to use their full strength. They had two goals for coming here: first, to retrieve the Fear Essence; second, to confront the Earthling named Luke Shaw and demand an explanation.
Instead, the situation had escalated into this.
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