Gu Panxi casually tossed aside Gedu’s severed head, her diamond-like eyes fixed on Mr. L. She took a step forward, shield held before her, a pair of wings unfurling behind her.
Mr. L’s eyes widened. Flesh and blood writhed before him, and two new blade-arms sprouted, four massive scythe-like blades held parallel before his chest, ready for battle. He had been pursued by Gu Panxi for a time, and knew how terrifying this woman was.
Gu Panxi was also a superpowered individual specializing in combat, and far stronger than Mr. L!
Once both sides were in position, Gu Panxi’s body flared with white light. A cold glint flashed in her eyes. With a powerful push of her right leg, she shot towards Mr. L like a cannonball – the Holy Shield Charge!
Mr. L swung his four blades at Gu Panxi, but all of them were blocked and deflected by the shield before her. The massive body of the Black Mantis was directly knocked down by Gu Panxi’s shield!
Using Mr. L’s body as a brace, Gu Panxi stopped herself. She then retracted her shield, slashing twice with her right hand’s long sword. After the dazzling sword energy, the two newly grown blade-arms both dropped to the ground!
In just one round, Mr. L was at a severe disadvantage!
While Mr. L was being overwhelmed by Gu Panxi, Lin Zhe Yuan, free from Mr. L’s interference, found his destructive actions proceeding more smoothly.
After several flashes of green light, the Ferris wheel’s structure was compromised, and it collapsed entirely. Lin Zhe Yuan and Gu Panxi both breathed a sigh of relief; the mission was over.
But immediately, their expressions grew more solemn. Although the Ferris wheel had fallen, the summoning formation was still floating in mid-air!
Mr. L laughed maniacally, spewing large amounts of dark green blood as he did so.
“Did you really think I’d place the crucial part of the ritual in such a conspicuous location?”
“This was merely bait to attract you and stall for time. Everything is already done, and there’s nothing you can do to change it now.”
“Then I’ll kill you first!”
Gu Panxi roared, pointing her white crystalline long sword at Mr. L. Mr. L retreated a few steps. After fighting Lin Zhe Yuan and enduring Gu Panxi’s barrage, he was at the end of his rope.
“Where is the energy core?” Lin Zhe Yuan, now in human form, demanded.
“Do you think I’d tell you? Even if you found it, it would be useless. I’ve set up powerful defensive traps around the energy core. Even someone as strong as you or I would need some time to break through them.”
“And most importantly, the energy core, like this formation, appears to be in this world, but you can’t actually touch it. You’ve already lost.”
Mr. L spoke wildly. The space above his head was disintegrating, and powerful entities from the inner world were about to come through the passage he had opened.
“We might have already lost, but you won’t live to enjoy the fruits of victory either,” Gu Panxi said. Spreading her wings, she transformed into a white comet, charging at Mr. L.
Mr. L didn’t even try to dodge, merely looking at Gu Panxi calmly.
Before she could reach him, a red energy pillar descended from the sky, engulfing Mr. L. Gu Panxi was directly repelled by this energy pillar.
Lin Zhe Yuan looked up, seeing that the space had already torn open. The red energy was pouring down from that opening. A massive finger, several meters thick, was poking at the tear in space, creating a gap.
Then, a crimson eye peered through the gap, looking curiously at the real world!
At the center of the energy pillar, Mr. L knelt on the ground, spreading his hands to receive the energy from the other world. The injuries he had sustained were rapidly recovering.
“Praise my Lord, thank you for the divine envoy’s grace. I implore the messenger to descend upon this place and purify this defiled world.”
As the energy poured in, Mr. L’s eyes turned bloodshot, and his body began to swell irregularly. The black, massive mantis grew red pustules, within which something seemed to writhe, wanting to break free.
The eye surveyed the entire amusement park. From its gaze, one could see killing intent, brutality, madness, and all sorts of emotions, but not a trace of positive sentiment.
Ordinary people hiding all around could even feel that sense of despair. In that instant, they felt utterly insignificant, like insects on the ground.
Ordinary people closer to the Ferris wheel also began to undergo physical changes: flesh tumors, granulation tissue, superfluous organs, rampant hair growth…
Even more devastating was the mental collapse!
“What do we do?” Gu Panxi landed beside Lin Zhe Yuan, tilting her head to ask. She had never been a particularly astute person, so she needed Lin Zhe Yuan to make the decisions.
“What can we do? You can’t harm Mr. L, and we can’t sever the connection between the two worlds. Once that thing above descends into the world, we won’t be able to deal with it either. So, it’s all over,” Lin Zhe Yuan said dejectedly.
Gu Panxi, in her angelic state, looked at the eye in the sky and felt a trace of powerlessness.
“This is at least a Cataclysm-level threat. An invasion of reality by a monster of this magnitude is destined to cause a tragic disaster. It would be good if there were 'True Self' level superhumans near Furong River City, but the problem is, there are very few superhumans of that level in the entire Huafu district!”
The two exchanged glances, seeing the despair in each other’s eyes. If they escaped the protective shield now, they might still have a chance to survive, but that would mean abandoning everyone else to die.
Suddenly, the red energy flow weakened, and the gap in space began to shrink. Mr. L, who was transforming into another state, froze in surprise.
“Impossible, with such a massive blood sacrifice, the energy shouldn’t be insufficient. Could it be the energy core…”
Mr. L’s face was filled with disbelief. He had assigned the very capable but not overtly powerful Ba Ji Shuang Sha to guard that place precisely to avoid drawing attention.
With him drawing fire here, coupled with the energy core’s own defenses, there shouldn't have been any possibility of it being destroyed, unless there was a hidden powerhouse in Furong River City that he didn’t know about!
…
Wen Wen stood beside the energy heart, feeling the increasing pressure from the sky. Without hesitation, he slowly approached the energy heart with his right hand.
Red energy streams appeared out of nowhere, striking the Disaster Gauntlet. Each energy stream was capable of cleaving metal and shattering jade, yet Wen Wen felt no pain. However, due to the presence of these energy streams, Wen Wen’s right hand was temporarily unable to touch the energy heart.
With each push forward, Wen Wen encountered a greater repulsive force, but overall, he was still making progress. If not for the Disaster Gauntlet, Wen Wen himself would have turned to ash before he could have touched this energy heart.
“As expected of something the Disaster Gauntlet fancies, it is truly extraordinary. If it weren’t so dangerous outside, I could play with this all day,” Wen Wen muttered while grappling with the energy flow.
Suddenly, Wen Wen’s heart gave a sharp tug, as if being gripped. That previous aura had reappeared!
And this time, it felt different from the last time; it felt stronger, and closer, as if it were right beside him!