Chapter 31: Under the Blood Moon, the First Kiss
Mount Wundagore, Dome Laboratory.
Purple-black energy surged like a tangible tide from within Wyndham, condensing into a ferocious purple-black armor on the surface of his body.
The surface of the armor was covered with writhing vascular veins—Chthon's mark had already fused completely with his body, indistinguishable from one another.
His aura was rising step by step—from its initial cryptic concealment, to A-Rank, to the peak of A+-Rank—and finally stabilized firmly on the threshold of S-Rankbeginner.
S-Rank.
On the same level as Li Heng.
But—this was Mount Wundagore, the home ground Wyndham had operated for twenty years. The suppression of the magic barrier, meticulously laid traps, dozens of Perfected warriors—all advantages were on his side.
Li Heng stood in front of Wanda, his dark gold and silver-white slit pupils looking straight at Wyndham without any change in expression—yet his clenched fists exposed the solemnity in his heart.
S-Rank against S-Rank—coupled with home-field advantage and overwhelming troop numbers—this battle would not be easy to fight.
"Wyndham." Li Heng spoke, his voice as calm as if chatting about the weather, "You have hidden in Mount Wundagorefor twenty years, using clones for experiments, using Chthon's mark as your trump card, using a group of brainwashed 'Perfected' as your thugs—"
"And the result? What have you created?"
"A bunch of failed products in culture vats, a group of soulless puppets, and one—"
He tightly grasped Wanda's hand.
"A girl more powerful than you can imagine."
"She was not created by you—she merely used your hands to come into this world—and then, by her own strength, surpassed your design."
Wanda's hand trembled slightly in Li Heng's palm—not out of fear—but because she was touched by his words.
Scarlet light danced in her eyes—Chaos Magic resonated—the dark gold of the blood pact ring responded to her emotions—her soul was burning.
Wyndham's expression changed slightly—then returned to normal.
"Finished talking?" His voice was as cold as iron, "If you are finished, you can go die."
He raised his right hand—purple-black energy condensed in his palm—forming an energy ball half a meter in diameter—sparks flashed inside the energy ball, and the emitted energy fluctuations caused the entire laboratory to tremble slightly—
"Chthon's Blessing · Dimensional Annihilation Bomb—Complete Progenitor—can you catch it?"
"Whoosh—!"
The purple-black energy ball left his hand—extremely fast—dragging a purple-black light tail—straight toward Li Heng's face—
The power of this strike—was enough to raze a small hill to the ground!
Li Heng did not dodge—he stepped out—compressing the twenty-meter distance to less than a body length—
Dark gold, silver-white, scarlet—three-color lights burst out on his fist simultaneously—
"Complete Progenitor · Three Powers in One—Break!"
"Boom————!!!!!"
The fist collided with the energy ball—the purple-black energy and the three-color light violently collided—the Impact spread in all directions centered on the collision point—the laboratory walls cracked under the Impact—culture vats exploded one after another—nutrient solution and defective experimental subjects spilled all over the floor—
Dust filled the air.
The smoke of battle dispersed.
Li Heng stood in place—the three-color light on his fist was still bright—his clothes were scraped with a few cracks by the energy—but his body was unscathed.
Wyndham's pupils S-Rank slightly—he underestimated the power of the Complete Progenitor—his Dimensional Annihilation Bomb—was shattered head-on.
But Wyndham did not panic because of this—he sneered, his fingers moved slightly—the Perfected warriors who had originally stood around moved simultaneously—they did not charge at Li Heng—instead—
They rushed toward Wanda with well-trained discipline!
The goal of the fifty-plus Perfected was not to defeat Li Heng—but to capture Wanda! Wyndham was very clear—as long as Wanda was controlled, it was equivalent to choking Li Heng's lifeline!
"Wanda—!" Li Heng wanted to turn back to rescue—but Wyndham himself was already blocking in front of him—energy surged violently on the purple-black armor—the S-Rank aura locked onto him firmly—
"Your opponent is me—Complete Progenitor—let your woman—face her own destiny!"
Li Heng's slit pupils suddenly contracted—time seemed to slow down at this moment—he saw those Perfected getting closer and closer to Wanda—
But in the second before their hands were about to touch Wanda—
Wanda raised her head.
In her green eyes—the scarlet light no longer danced—instead becoming calm, blazing, and unshakable—
"I am not a princess who needs to be saved—"
She raised her right hand—the dark gold ring on her ring finger erupted with dazzling scarlet light—Chaos Magicgushed out from her body like a volcanic eruption—
"I am—the Scarlet Witch!"
"Chaos Wave—!"
"Boom——————!"
Scarlet energy spread in all directions centered on Wanda—sweeping through the entire dome laboratory like a tsunami—the moment the Perfected rushing at the very front came into contact with the Chaos Wave—their bodies were hit as if by a heavy hammer—flying backward in unison—
The offensive of the Perfected—under Wanda's single-handed counterattack—collapsed across the board!
Wyndham's expression—changed finally at this moment.
Never in his dreams did he expect—Wanda's Chaos Magic—could actually erupt under the suppression of Mount Wundagore—and moreover—under the dual suppression of Chthon's mark—
This was unreasonable!
"It's impossible—the mark should have suppressed your magic—!"
"Your theory is correct." Wanda's voice was frighteningly calm, scarlet electric arcs winding around her body, "But your theory is outdated."
"I am not alone here—the blood pact ring is sharing my pressure—the Soul Contract is providing energy for me—and myself—"
She raised her hand, scarlet energy condensing in her palm into a crimson energy whip—
"I am no longer afraid of you!"
The whip lashed out—precisely entangling Wyndham's right arm—the moment the purple-black armor was touched by the Chaos Magic, it made a scorching sizzling sound—
"What—!" Wyndham was startled—he swung his arm trying to break free—but the whip wrapped tighter and tighter—the Chaos Magic was still continuously eroding his energy armor—
Li Heng did not waste the opportunity created by Wanda—his figure was like dark gold lightning—the moment Wyndham was entangled—he appeared in front of him—his right fist condensing three-color light—without any fancy techniques—only the purest power—
"Complete Progenitor · Space-Rifting Fist—Ten Percent!"
"Boom————————!!!"
The fist slammed solidly into Wyndham's chest—the purple-black armor on his body vibrated violently under the Impact of the Space-Rifting Fist, and then—the first crack centered on the fist appeared, followed by the second, the third, countless cracks—and finally burst open with a boom—armor fragments flew and splashed in all directions—
Wyndham spewed a large mouthful of purple-black blood—his whole body flew backward like a cannonball—smashing through the laboratory wall—continuously smashing through three layers of floor slabs—and finally was buried in the gravel and rubble—
[Ding!! Defeated High Evolutionary · Wyndham (First Form)!!]
[Combat Rating—SS-Rank!! The host and Wanda's coordination has reached a seamless degree! When fighting solo, the host's combat power can only play 70%, but when cooperating with Wanda, it can skyrocket to 130%!! This is the ultimate value of the Soul Contract!!]
[Bloodline Awakening Degree—3.0% → 3.2%!! All attributes are basically stable—but the tacit cooperation has greatly improved!!]
Li Heng stood at the edge of the hole smashed by Wyndham—lowered his head and glanced at the motionless Wyndham in the ruins—
"Get up—I know you're not dead."
The ruins were silent for a few seconds—then the gravel began to loosen—a blood-soaked figure slowly stood up.
The purple-black armor on Wyndham's body had completely shattered—his experimental clothes were tattered—half of his face was dyed red with blood—but his pair of odd-colored pupils—were still glowing.
He was not angry, nor roaring—instead, he said a sentence in an extremely calm voice—
"Complete Progenitor—you are indeed very strong—"
"But you forgot—"
The corners of his mouth slowly split open—revealing a smile that was bizarre to the extreme—
"I never rely on my own strength to fight."
Wyndham's finger pressed a small remote control hidden in his palm—
"Hum——————!!!"
The entire Mount Wundagore—was shaking violently!
The floor of the laboratory split open with a huge crack—the crack was bottomless—purple-black light gushed out from the underground—illuminating the entire dome—
Following closely—a low roar, as if coming from ancient times—spread from the depths of the underground—
The sense of oppression contained in that roar—was even stronger than Wyndham's own S-Rank coercion—!
"You suppressed the darkhold—but you probably don't know—"
Wyndham stood at the edge of the crack—purple-black light gushed out from his wounds—his body was shriveling at a speed visible to the naked eye—he was injecting his life energy into the crack—
"The underground of Mount Wundagore—is truly the real treasure left by Chthon on Earth—"
"The darkhold is just a book—while the one here—"
His voice became weaker and weaker—but the light in his eyes became more and more crazy—
"Is a drop of blood of Chthon."
"The source blood—truly belonging to the body of the Old Gods!"
"Boom————————!!!!!"
The underground roar suddenly magnified tenfold—a giant hand condensed from purple-black energy—stretched out from the crack—just the palm—was as big as a house!
That was—Chthon's source blood—condensed into—a dimensional projection!
And the energy level of this projection—had reached—
S+-Rank!
Stronger than Li Heng and Wyndham combined—!
"Hahaha—Complete Progenitor—your current S-Rankbeginner combat power—against the S+-Rank Chthonprojection—"
Wyndham's body had shriveled like a skeleton—but his laughter was still crazy—
"Do you think—how many minutes can you last?"
Li Heng looked at the purple-black giant hand reaching out from the underground—silenced for a second—then he smiled.
"Last a few minutes?"
"No—"
He stepped out—standing directly between Wanda and that crack—
Wanda's voice came from behind, carrying eagerness and worry: "Li Heng—are you crazy—that is S+-Rank—you can't block it alone—!"
"Who said I am alone?" Li Heng looked back at her, a hint of a smile hanging on the corner of his mouth—
"I have you."
"Soul Contract—Soul Resonance—Second Stage—Complete Liberation!"
"Hum————!!!"
The dark gold ring on Wanda's left ring finger erupted with unprecedented light—at the same time, the blood pact mark on Li Heng's left chest also lit up synchronously—the souls of the two completely merged in an instant—not only the fusion at the mental level—even energy freely circulated between them—
Progenitor Bloodline—Chaos Magic—White Moon Radiance—the three powers circulated back and forth between the two—each circulation increased the strength by another layer—
Li Heng's combat power was soaring—S-Rank beginner—S-Rank intermediate—S-Rank intermediate peak—
"This is—?!" Wanda widened her eyes—she could feel her own power being injected into Li Heng's body through the Soul Contract—and the Ancestor Power inside his body was also feeding back to her—this circulation was two-way—was equal—not one party taking and one party giving—it was mutual achievement!
This was the second-stage form of the Soul Contract—Soul Symbiosis!
Li Heng stood in front of the crack, the three-color light forming a translucent armor on his body—
"Chthon—"
He looked up at the purple-black giant hand about to completely crawl out of the crack, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable resolution—
"Back then you were hunted down by Atum and fled Earthlike a dog—"
"Now—don't come back."
"Because here—"
"Is not welcoming you."
The purple-black giant hand stopped in mid-air—as if it understood his words—then—the giant hand clenched into a fist—
"Boom————!!!"
A punch smashed down—carrying terrifying power enough to raze the entire Mount Wundagore to the ground—
Li Heng did not dodge—
He swung his fist to meet it.
A small cluster of three-color light—facing the overwhelming purple-black—went upstream—
In Wanda's line of sight—
That dark gold, silver-white, and scarlet intertwined figure, like a tiny yet unyielding star, collided with the darkness capable of swallowing everything.
Chapter 32: Source Blood Projection · S-Rank Suppression! Soul Contract — — Reverse Counterattack!
The purple-black giant fist carried terrifying power enough to flatten the entire Mount Wundagore, smashing down like a meteor!
The S-Rank coercion was like a tangible tide, compressing the air of the entire dome laboratory into a solid.
Those Perfected warriors who were originally besieging Wanda knelt down in unison under this coercion — — their bodies were trembling and wailing — — the S-Rankenergy projection, even its aftershock, could make creatures below A-Rank feel fear from the genetic level.
Li Heng stood in front of that bottomless crack, and the three-colored light condensed into a translucent armor on him — — dark gold as the base, silver-white as the patterns, scarlet as the veins — — Ancestor Power, Moonlight Power, and Chaos Magic achieved an unprecedented balance under the reconciliation of the Soul Contract.
He did not dodge, he did not flinch — —
He threw a punch to meet it.
The intertwining dark gold, silver-white, and scarlet light condensed into a single point on his fist tip — — that point was extremely small and extremely bright, yet it contained the complete essence of all three powers — — it was not a simple superposition, but a true fusion, the perfect unity of darkness and light that Varna had waited twenty thousand years for without avail.
A small cluster of three-colored light — — facing the overwhelming purple and black — — surged upward against the current.
"Boom — — — — — — — — ! ! ! ! ! !"
The moment the two forces collided — — time seemed to stagnate for a split second — —
Then — — Impact suddenly burst open!
The ceiling of the laboratory was completely blown away — — revealing the night sky atop Mount Wundagore — — but the night sky was no longer a normal night sky — — the purple-black energy clouds formed a huge vortex in the sky — — in the center of the vortex, a pair of cold and ancient huge eyes was faintly visible — — that was the remnant of Chthon's consciousness fragment in the Source Blood Projection!
Li Heng's body was smashed into the ground by the huge force — — boom — — boom — — boom — — continuously crashing through countless rock layers — — finally stopping at a position about fifty meters deep inside the mountain, his entire person embedded in the granite, and the three-colored armor on his body covered with spiderweb-like cracks.
[Warning! The host has suffered a frontal Impact from the S-Rank projection! HP dropped to 67%! Armor damage rate is about 40%! The three-power balance was interfered by external forces — — stability decreased by 20%!]
"Hiss — —" Li Heng broke free from the rock wall, shook his somewhat dizzy head, "S-Rank... is indeed not to be trifled with..."
Before he could catch his breath, his dimensional perception went wild with alarms again, and he instinctively crossed his arms to protect his chest — — the next instant, the purple-black giant fist bombarded down for the second time.
"Bang — —!"
His entire person was directly smashed flying out from the depths of the mountain by this punch — — rushing out of the ground — — rolling countless circles in the air — — and finally heavily falling in the center of the laboratory ruins, plowing out a trench thirty meters long.
[Warning! HP dropped to 48%! The host has multiple fractures! It is recommended to activate Moonlight Body · Self-Healing Acceleration Mode!]
A trace of dark golden blood overflowed from the corner of Li Heng's mouth — — but he did not fall.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and slowly stood up. Although his movements were a bit staggered, his spine remained straight.
S-Rank — — a whole major tier higher than him.
Under normal circumstances, against such an opponent, he should avoid their sharp edge, look for flaws, and use tactics to maneuver — — but there was no space for him to maneuver here.
The Source Blood Projection exchanged by Wyndham with his life sacrifice was aimed at killing him in the shortest possible time — — leaving him no chance to breathe or think.
"Li Heng — —!"
Wanda's voice came from the other end of the ruins — — she was fighting hard amidst the siege of the remaining Perfected ones — — the scarlet chaos long whip danced in her hand like a living creature — — every whip could send a Perfected one flying — — but the number of Perfected ones was too many — — the previous wave was repelled by her, and the next wave immediately filled up — —
She had done her best, but she couldn't break away to come to his side.
"I'm fine — —!" Li Heng shouted toward her direction, his voice much calmer than he expected himself to be — — then he looked up at the purple-black giant hand in the sky — — it was suspended above the crack — — its five fingers spread open — — the palm was condensing the second wave of attacks — — whose power was stronger than the previous two punches.
His brain was running at high speed.
S-Rank — — frontal hard confrontation had an extremely low win rate — — but he was not without trump cards — — Ancestor Soul, Dark Moon Seal, and the core ability of the Complete Progenitor — — Ancestor Domain · Dark Moon Shining Together — — but all these required time — — three to five seconds of time to accumulate energy — — and the S-Rank projection would not give him this time.
A single punch could send you flying, leaving you with no gap to accumulate energy at all.
"Someone needs to stall it for three seconds." He muttered to himself, and then his eyes lit up — — right, I can create a feint to trick it into throwing a punch, using the Moonlight Cleansing of the white moon scroll to briefly interfere with its energy structure, but the effect of Moonlight Cleansing on an S-Rank was less than a second... no, a fraction of a second — — not enough.
Half a second — — far from enough to unfold the domain.
"Li Heng — —!" Wanda's voice came again, closer this time — — she finally repelled the last few Perfected ones — — covered in blood — — her own and the enemy's — — but her eyes were brighter than ever — — because she felt his thoughts through the Soul Contract — — he was trying to figure out a way to buy time.
"I can help you buy time!" Her voice carried a rush and undeniable firmness.
"No — — too dangerous — —!" He subconsciously refused — — but she had already turned and rushed toward the purple-black giant hand.
Her body began to burn with scarlet light while running — — that was the complete liberation of Chaos Magic — — she was overdrawing herself — — she was using the Ancestor Power transmitted through the Soul Contract to strengthen her chaos flame — — her aura was climbing step by step, from the state of being suppressed to near silence all the way up to A-Rank, A+-Rank, until the peak of A+-Rank — — but she still didn't stop, she was still burning.
"Wanda — — stop — — it will burn out your soul — —!"
"It can't be burned out — —!" Her voice resounded in his head through the Soul Contract, carrying an unprecedented resolution, "Because you are behind me — — however much I burn — — you will replenish — — we are one!"
She didn't stop her steps — — she rushed to the edge of the crack — — stood directly beneath the purple-black giant hand — — spread her arms — — the scarlet Chaos Magic condensed into a huge barrier above her head — — that barrier was continuously expanding and thickening, like a dam preparing to greet a tsunami.
"Come on — — Chthon — — aren't you looking for me — — I am the door — —" Her voice carried mockery and provocation — —
"But you have to — — walk in first — —!"
The purple-black giant hand paused for a split second — —
Then it clenched into a fist — — carrying a terrifying might even more terrifying than the previous two times — — toward Wanda — — smashed down with a punch!
The power of this punch — — was enough to wipe the entire Mount Wundagore off the map!
Wanda stood directly beneath the fist wind — — her lips tightly pursed into a line — — although fear made her fingertips tremble slightly — — she did not back down.
Because she knew — —
She didn't need to block this punch.
She only needed to — — block it for a fraction of a second — — a fraction of a second was enough.
"Right now — —!" She shouted in the mental link — —
The moment the fist smashed into the scarlet barrier — — crack — — the barrier shattered in response — — zero point three seconds — — was it enough?!
The purple-black fist passed through the shattered barrier — — continued to fall — — less than two meters from the top of Wanda's head — —
A flash of dark golden light streaked across the corner of her eye.
Li Heng — — appeared in front of her, with his back to her, facing the impending falling purple-black giant fist.
His hands — — had already formed the final seal.
"Ancestor Domain · Dark Moon Shining Together — — Unfold!!!!"
"Hum — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ! ! ! ! !"
The dark gold and silvery-white intertwined light burst forth abruptly from Li Heng's body, like a star exploding in the deep sea—that light swept in all directions centered on him—in an instant enveloping the entire mountaintop—wrapping the purple-black vortex, Chthon's consciousness fragments, and that giant fist about to fall—all inside!
Within the domain—darkness and light took effect simultaneously.
The purple-black giant fist rapidly S-Rank within the domain of the dark moon's shared brilliance—shrinking from the size of a house down to the size of a car—then shrinking from a car down to a basketball—finally—it stopped at a distance of less than a meter above Wanda's head—and stopped moving.
Chthon's blood source projection—under the suppression of the Ancestor Domain—was frozen in place.
Li Heng's figure appeared directly in front of the giant fist—three-colored light was burning in his dark-gold and silvery-white vertical pupils—blood hung from the corner of his mouth—but his smile—was more unbridled than ever—because he had won the gamble—Wanda had bought him those crucial fractions of a second, allowing him to successfully expand the Ancestor Domain at the very last moment.
Within the range of the domain of the dark moon's shared brilliance, he was the maker of the rules.
He extended his right hand—his five fingers spread wide—and pressed them against the surface of the purple-black giant fist—
"Complete Progenitor · Dark Moon Seal—Suppression!"
"Boom————!"
Three-colored light surged from his palm—spreading along the lines of the giant fist—like countless chains—wrapping the entire purple-black giant hand—along with the purple-black energy surging from the crack—layer by layer—
With each layer wrapped, the giant hand S-Rank a circle—and its power was weakened by a layer—
Wyndham's remains collapsed in the ruins—his eyes stared fixedly at the scene in the sky—his withered corners of the mouth moved a few times—and he emitted his final sound: "Impossible... The Complete Progenitor... actually able to suppress... Chthon's blood source..."
This was his last sentence left in the world—his body turned to ashes in the wind, drifting away in the dark golden light of the Ancestor Domain.
Five seconds later—the purple-black giant hand was completely compressed into a purple-black crystal the size of a fist—floating above Li Heng's palm—it was still beating slightly—like a sealed heart—but it no longer posed a threat.
[Ding!! Defeated Chthon's blood source projection (S+-Rank)!!]
[Combat Rating—SSS-Rank!! The coordination between the host and Wanda reached perfect synchronization! The Soul Contract achieved a breakthrough of self in a desperate situation!]
[Bloodline Awakening Degree—3.2% → 3.8%!! Combat power stabilized at Mid S-Rank!! Dark Moon Seal strength greatly enhanced—can seal dimensional creatures below S+-Rank!]
[Special Reward—'Chthon's Blood Source Crystal' × 1! Contains a trace of primordial energy from the Old Gods' true body! Can be used to strengthen the Dark Moon Seal—or used to open passages to other dimensions—please use with caution!]
Li Heng put the blood source crystal into the internal space of the Ancestor Domain, and then turned around—
Wanda stood in place, her whole body wrapped in scarlet energy embers—she was also looking at him—her complexion was as pale as paper due to the previous overdraft—but her eyes—in those green eyes—there was only him.
"You did it." She said, her voice weak but carrying a smile.
"We did it." He corrected, stepping forward and reaching out a hand, "You bought me time—without you, I would have taken that punch solid."
Wanda reached out and grasped his hand—his palm had temperature—the dark golden Ancestor Power was warming her fingertips frozen by Chaos Magic—
She looked at him, the corners of her mouth curling into a shallow arc: "Then next time—you are responsible for blocking the punch—I am responsible for scolding—clear division of labor."
"Scolding whom?"
"Scolding Chthon—scolding him for being a coward who doesn't dare come himself."
Li Heng froze for a second, and then laughed out loud—on this mountaintop ruin flattened by battle—in the center of the scarred battlefield—two people covered in wounds laughed like two street punks who had just won a group fight.
Mount Wundagore's barrier—began to shatter the moment Wyndham turned to ashes, the purple-black vortex in the sky slowly dispersed, revealing a normal night sky—stars twinkling, moonlight bright—Sokovia's night breeze blew up from the foot of the mountain, carrying the fresh fragrance of the pine forest, blowing away the smoke and bloody smell on the battlefield.
[Ding!! Main Quest · Mount Wundagore—Completed!!]
[Comprehensive Evaluation—SSS-Rank!! The first official joint effort of the Complete Progenitor and the Scarlet Witch—perfectly suppressed the S+-Rank blood source projection! Chthon's two chess pieces on Earth (Wyndham+ blood source) have been completely rooted out!]
[Wanda's internal Chthon mark clearance progress—89%—the remaining 11% needs to be automatically resolved when the Soul Contract is fully mature—estimated time: 7-15 days!]
[System Evaluation—Host, you fought this battle brilliantly! But Chthon will not let it go—the blood source being sealed means his descent plan has completely gone bankrupt—he will look for new ways—and you—need to be prepared—to welcome his crazy counterattack!]
In the night wind, Li Heng and Wanda stood shoulder to shoulder at the highest point of Mount Wundagore, overlooking the dissipating purple-black clouds beneath their feet and the distant land of Sokovia. They didn't speak—but the Soul Contract transmitted information richer than language between them—exhaustion, peace of mind, the joy of victory, and an indescribable, firmer confidence in the future.
After a long time, Wanda softly spoke: "Li Heng—you say, before Wyndham died—did he ever regret it?"
Li Heng thought about it: "I don't know—but I hope he regretted it—regretted using the wrong way to pursue the right thing. If he chose to become a true researcher instead of Chthon's chess piece—he might really have been able to make the world better."
Wanda was silent for a few seconds—then gently leaned against his shoulder—her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of a smile: "You really are a strange good person."
"The title of the number one good person in the lazy world—isn't given for nothing."
They stood quietly in the moonlight like this for a long time, letting the night wind brush across their scarred bodies, washing away the bloody storm of this night.
And at the distant other end of the dimension—
In a void shrouded by purple-black energy—
An ancient pair of eyes slowly opened.
There was no longer the pre-calculated composure in those eyes—only cold, nearly solidified anger.
Chthon's voice echoed in this void—low and slow—every word was like an iceberg grinding against each other—
"Seal my blood source—suppress my manuscript—root out my mark—Complete Progenitor—"
"You did it very thoroughly... You are the most interesting enemy I have encountered in 3.2 billion years..."
After a moment of silence, those eyes narrowed slightly—
"You are interesting enough... to be worth me taking action personally."
In the void—purple-black energy began to condense—in one direction—the direction of Earth—but in front of an invisible barrier—it was blocked.
Dimensional barrier—the dimensional barrier reinforced by the Ancient One and Agamotto for thousands of years—was still holding strong.
Chthon looked at that barrier, a flash of cold light passing through his eyes—and then—he smiled—
A silent, hair-raising smile.
"No rush—I have plenty of time—and you also have plenty of people to protect."
"Earth's dimensional barrier—protected them for 3.2 billion years—"
"But it—cannot last forever."
"Complete Progenitor—cherish the time you have left—"
"On the day the barrier shatters—"
"I will come personally—to take back everything that belongs to me."
In the void—the purple-black energy slowly dissipated, and those ancient eyes faded away accordingly.
Everything returned to silence.
Under the moonlight of Mount Wundagore, Li Heng's ancestor core suddenly trembled slightly—he raised his head to look at the night sky—saw nothing—but he knew—
Chthon was looking at him.
Welcoming them, it might be the last tranquil time before the storm.
Chapter 33: The Calm Before the Storm"
"Sokovia, Mount Wundagore."
"The ruins on the hilltop after the battle appeared exceptionally quiet under the moonlight."
"The purplish-black energy clouds had completely dispersed, revealing a clear night sky—dotted with stars, the Milky Way stretching across the horizon, resembling a temporary full stop drawn by the Universe for this battle."
"Li Heng stood at the edge of the fissure, looking down into the bottomless darkness beneath his feet."
"The fissure opened by Wyndham's life sacrifice was slowly closing after Chthon's prime blood was sealed—the purplish-black energy fragments flickered a few times in the darkness like dying fireflies before extinguishing completely."
""It's over." He said in a low voice, his tone carrying a trace of fatigue that even he hadn't noticed."
"A hand reached out from the side and gently clasped his fingers."
"Wanda stood beside him, covered in scars and pale, but her green eyes held an unprecedented tranquility—a tranquility that was not the brief respite gained after a victory in battle, but something heavy truly let go deep within her heart."
""Wyndham is dead," she said softly, sounding as though she were stating a fact or confirming something. "That laboratory that created me—the place that defined my origin—is gone.""
"Li Heng turned to look at her and was silent for a moment: "How are you feeling now?""
"Wanda did not answer immediately—she lowered her head to look at her own hands, the hands that had just unleashed monstrous Chaos Magic, now hanging quietly by her sides, the tips of her fingers still bearing faint traces of scarlet embers."
""I feel…" She weighed her words, "As if a certain rock that had always been pressing on my chest has been moved away.""
""Ever since I can remember, I've always wondered—why am I different from others? Why do I have this power? Why do I always have nightmares, dreaming of a pair of purple eyes watching me in the dark?""
"She raised her left hand, looking at the dark golden ring on her ring finger—under the moonlight, that ring emitted a warm, gentle glow."
""Now I know the answer. I wasn't born naturally—I was designed. My genes came from Wyndham's experiments, my power from Chthon's curse, and my life was planned out before I was even born—""
"She raised her head to look at Li Heng, the corners of her mouth curving into a slight arc."
""So what? Design cannot define me, background cannot limit me, and even the person who created me—he cannot control me either.""
""Because the me right now is my own choice.""
"Li Heng looked into her eyes—in those green eyes, there was no confusion, no pain, only a nearly scorching steadfastness."
"He understood one thing in an instant: she had truly grown up."
"Not a growth in power, but a growth in mind—from that girl who terrifiedly manipulated Chaos Magic in the Hydrabase into a woman who dared to face her own destiny and rewrite it with her own hands."
"He tightened his grip on her hand: "Let's go down the mountain. There's nothing left here to be nostalgic about.""
"Wanda nodded, and looked back once more at the collapsing laboratory—the nutrient solution flowing from the shattered culture tanks seeped into the mountain through the gaps in the ruins, and the remains of those former test subjects reflected a desolate light under the moonlight, resembling the afterimage of a long nightmare."
"She let out a soft breath, then turned around and followed Li Heng along the path down the mountain."
"After walking a few steps, she suddenly stopped: "Where is Pietro?""
""Before the battle started, I had Blood Baron take him to evacuate first," Li Heng said. "Wyndham's target was you and Chthon's Mark—it was too dangerous for Pietro to stay here.""
"Wanda was stunned for a moment, opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again."
"After a moment, she lowered her head: "Thank you. You thought of things more thoroughly than I did.""
""Not thoroughly—" Li Heng shrugged, his tone reverting to that teeth-grating casualness, "Just learned to be a bit smarter after experiencing too many lessons of being ambushed.""
"Wanda gave a soft laugh and said no more."
"The two walked side by side on the mountain path under the moonlight, surrounded by scorched Earth and rubble from the aftermath of war, but their steps were light and steady—as if those ruins were no longer ruins, but the shadow left behind by a mountain that had already been crossed."
"When they reached the foot of the mountain—in the night wind, a golden portal slowly opened in the forest clearing—the Ancient One's figure stepped out from behind the door, her purple eyes sweeping over the two of them—seeing the scars and fatigue on their bodies—but at the same time seeing the calmness in their eyes."
""It seems—you succeeded." The Ancient One's voice carried a trace of rare gentleness."
""Wyndham is dead, the prime blood is sealed, and the Mark is almost cleared," Li Heng reported briefly. "The only problem—Chthon dropped a harsh threat before the prime blood was sealed—he will come looking for me personally after the dimensional barrier shatters.""
"The Ancient One's expression did not change at all, as if she had long anticipated this: "How much longer the dimensional barrier can hold—I'm not certain. When Agamotto established it, he built it based on the power of the entire Vishanti pantheon, but for thousands of years, it has been corroded by various dimensions—Dormammu, Chthon, Set... they have never stopped trying.""
""But at least today—you bought it more time.""
"She nodded gently—reaching out to draw a glowing rune in the air—the rune transformed into golden light powder that showered down upon Li Heng and Wanda—when that light touched their skin, it was warm and comfortable—the minor wounds from the battle began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye."
""This is the healing spell of Kamar-Taj—although it cannot instantly fully heal you, it can alleviate most of the pain and fatigue.""
""Thanks." Li Heng moved his shoulders—his bones made a few crisp cracks, but the soreness was noticeably lighter."
"The Ancient One smiled slightly: "You're welcome—this is what you deserve.""
""Go back to New York—have a good rest. Chthon won't make any more moves for the time being—he needs time to regroup his power—and you also need time to prepare.""
"She glanced at Wanda again, a hint of profound meaning flashing in her purple eyes: "Chthon's Mark will still take some time to completely dissipate—during this period—do not let anyone touch the position of the seventh vertebra on the back of your neck in any form—that is the final anchor point of the Mark.""
""If touched by an external force—the Mark may be reactivated.""
"Wanda was slightly startled—then nodded earnestly: "Got it.""
"The Ancient One said no more—waving her hand to open a portal leading to New York—on the other side of the door was the night scenery of Brooklyn—familiar streets, distant lights, and the silhouette of the Villa repaired overnight by the Blood Baron—standing quietly in the dark."
"Li Heng looked at that Villa, a subtle feeling welling up in his heart—he had already grown used to the days of changing residences every time he finished a fight. Looking at that rebuilt house, he was actually somewhat unaccustomed to it."
"He muttered in a low voice: "Finally won't have to move this time...""
"Hearing his words, Wanda couldn't help laughing out loud: "Did you develop feelings from living here?""
""Nonsense—I finally managed to cram the refrigerator full of instant noodles—if you didn't let me stay anymore, I'd flip the table.""
"Wanda laughed out loud—on the streets of Brooklyn late at night—her laughter crisp and relaxed, as if casting all the heavy past away into the mountain wind behind them."
"She took his hand: "Let's go—home.""
"Li Heng tightly grasped her hand: "Mn—home.""
"The two walked side by side into the portal. The Ancient One stood in the mountain wind of Sokovia, watching the portal slowly close behind them—after the golden light dissipated—she remained silent for a long time, and said a sentence in a low voice:"
""Complete Progenitor... Scarlet Witch... blood pact ring... Soul Contract...""
""This timeline—is much more interesting—than I expected.""
"She turned around—her golden cloak fluttering loudly in the night wind—her figure dissipating into a halo of golden light."
"Brooklyn, Villa."
"The moment Li Heng pushed open the door—the living room lights turned on."
""Welcome back—!!" Pietro's voice came from the living room—followed by a "bang" sound—party poppers exploded—colored confetti and golden ribbons drifted down from the air—"
"Li Heng stood expressionlessly at the door, a golden ribbon perched on his head: "...What are you guys doing?""
"Pietro, Blood Baron, Morbius, Blade—four people stood neatly in the center of the living room—behind them was a coffee table, upon which sat a cake with "Congratulations on coming back alive" written on it—the handwriting was crooked, looking like it was personally written by some silver-haired guy."
""Celebration banquet!" Pietro put his hands on his hips, completely justified, "My sister defeated an S+-grade prime blood projection! You became the Complete Progenitor! Such a big deal—can we get away without celebrating?!""
""Where did you learn this kind of operation?""
""From movies.""
""...Watch fewer movies in the future." Li Heng sighed, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved up slightly—he turned to look at Wanda—she stood at the door, looking at the festive decorations in the living room and those figures sitting or standing, something flashing in her green eyes—not tears, but light."
"She took a deep breath, flashing a brilliant smile towards the room: "Who cut the cake? I want the biggest piece.""
""I cut it—the biggest piece was hidden by me." Pietro said smugly."
""Pietro Maximoff—you hid my cake?!""
""Sis—that's a surprise left for you—!""
""A surprise isn't something you hide—!""
"A burst of laughter rang out in the living room. Li Hengleaned against the door frame, watching this group of people arguing and making a ruckus—he suddenly felt that the battles he had experienced before didn't seem entirely meaningless after all."
"Being able to protect such everyday life."
"Perhaps that is his power—the meaning of existence."
"He walked into the living room—amid everyone's surprised gazes—reached out and dipped a bit of cream from the cake—and smeared it onto Pietro's face with lightning speed."
""You—!!!""
""We're even.""
""I'll fight you to the death—!!""
"The living room descended into utter chaos—Wandastood to the side—laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up—Blood Baron silently took out his phone and snapped a photo—Blade turned around and walked out expressionlessly, then backed in to grab a piece of cake, and turned around to walk out again."
"Morbius held his teacup, watching this group of people making a ruckus together—the corners of his mouth slowly curving into an arc."
"Having lived as a vampire for so many years—for the first time, he felt—"
""Being a vampire wasn't bad either.""
"Late at night."
"The hustle and bustle dissipated, and everyone returned to their respective rooms to rest."
"Li Heng stood on the second-floor balcony, overlooking the night view of Brooklyn—in the distance, the lights of Manhattan twinkled in the night sky, and the outline of the empire stood majestic and towering in the dark."
"Within the link of the Soul Contract, a warm fluctuation came through."
"Wanda's voice sounded in his mind: "Still not sleeping?""
""Thinking about some things," he answered. "Chthon's threat—the time limit of the dimensional barrier—and—""
"He paused."
""The Ancient One said 'when the next crisis comes, it might not be something we can handle alone'—I was wondering, should we consider—finding some helpers.""
""Avengers?""
""Maybe." He nodded slightly, "But now is not the time.""
"He turned around—Wanda stood by the balcony door frame, wearing a loose bathrobe, the moonlight spilling onto the side of her face, softening her fatigue."
""When the time comes that they are needed—" she said, "we will find them.""
""Mn.""
"In the night wind, the two stood side by side on the balcony—looking at the sleeping city in the distance—quietly waiting for tomorrow's sun."
"And in a void billions of light-years away from Earth—"
"That pair of ancient purplish-black eyes slowly opened once more."
"This time—he had no anger, no roaring—"
"Just quietly looking in a certain direction—the direction of Earth—"
"Then—his lips—moved silently—"
"As if speaking a single word."
""Wait.""
"The void returned to silence once more—as if nothing had ever happened."
"But that single word—like a drop of water falling into a deep pool—in the boundless darkness—rippled out an imperceptible wave."
Chapter 34 Abnormalities in New York! The Shadow of Hells Kitchen — Mephisto's Gamble
Brooklyn, Villa.
The morning sunlight spilled into the bedroom through the gap in the curtains, and the first thing Li Heng did when he opened his eyes was to confirm that he was still alive.
Last night's battle was too exhausting — Wyndham, Source Blood Projection, S+-level confrontation — even with the recovery power of a Complete Progenitor, it had plunged him into unconsciousness in his sleep.
He glanced at the phone by the bedside — seven-twenty-three in the morning.
The sunlight was just right.
He stretched, walked over to the window, and pulled back the curtains — on the streets of Brooklyn, there were already early morning joggers and dog walkers, a completely peaceful daily scene.
If one ignored those black outlines flashing past in the shadows of the streets and alleys.
Li Heng's movements stopped.
His dark golden vertical pupils shrank slightly in the sunlight — in his field of vision, those black outlines wriggled in the shadows, like some kind of living shadows. They had no physical body, but were pure energy aggregates — yet he was too familiar with the characteristics of that energy.
The aura from Hell.
Mephisto.
The Hell Lord of the Marvel Universe — an Old Gods-level entity of the same rank as Chthon — but Mephistobelonged to Earth's native dimensional demon system, was not under Chthon's jurisdiction, and did not need to cross dimensional barriers to descend.
He was already on Earth.
He was simply sealed in the Hell dimension and could not easily set foot in the mortal world.
But now — those black outlines — were the tentacles he extended.
"It's only been peaceful for a few days..." Li Heng cursed in a low voice.
Emotional fluctuations from Wanda came through the link of the Soul Contract — she had also woken up.
"Li Heng — those things on the street — did you see them?" Wanda's voice came through telepathy, carrying a hint of alertness and tension.
"Saw them. Visitors from Hell."
"Mephisto?"
"Besides him, who else could place so many 'lookouts' on Earth without being stopped by the Ancient One?" Li Hengput on his hoodie, walked toward the living room, and said, "Downstairs for gathering."
In the living room of the Villa, everyone had already arrived.
Pietro rushed down from upstairs with messy hair, a piece of toast in his mouth: "I saw the news! Something happened in Manhattan — several incidents of'shadows attacking passersby' appeared on the streets of Hells Kitchen — the attacked people all fell into a coma, and after waking up, they remembered nothing, but an extra strange mark appeared on their bodies."
He took out his phone, and on the screen was a news picture — on the arm of an unconscious person, there was a distorted black mark — like a burning eye.
Pietro's voice lowered a bit: "S.H.I.E.L.D. has already sealed off that area — but the news still leaked out — it is said that this kind of mark will even 'grow' on those victims, expanding a circle every few hours."
Morbius pushed his glasses, his expression solemn: "Hells Kitchen... Mephisto's sphere of influence. He chose to make a move there, not by coincidence."
"Hells Kitchen is one of New York's magic nodes, and the energy barrier there is relatively weak — Mephisto wants to open a gap there and establish a mortal outpost."
"Once he succeeds — the entire New York will become his playground."
Li Heng sat on the sofa, his legs resting on the coffee table, holding a cup of leftover coffee in his expression as calm as if he were listening to today's weather forecast: "He has his strategies, and I have my ways."
"He places shadows in Hells Kitchen, and I will dismantle shadows in Hells Kitchen."
Wanda walked out of the kitchen holding two freshly toasted slices of bread, handing one to Li Heng: "Do you know how to dismantle them?"
"Don't know."
"... Then why do you speak with such confidence?"
"But I know who might know." Li Heng took a bite of the toast and said vaguely, "Ancient One has lived for eight hundred years and has dealt with Mephisto countless times. She definitely knows how to deal with these shadows."
He took out his phone and dialed Ancient One's number — three seconds later, Ancient One's calm voice came from the other end of the phone: "I know what you are calling for. The shadows of Hells Kitchen, Mephisto's stepping stones — I already discovered them while you were sleeping."
"Those shadows are Mephisto's avatar fragments — each piece contains a trace of his will. Ordinary people and low-level magicians cannot dispel them — but the power of a Complete Progenitor can. Your Ancestor Power and White Moon energy have an innate restraining effect on Hell creatures."
Wanda frowned slightly: "Then I'll go down the mountain to deal with it now?"
"No." Li Heng held down her shoulders, "The Chthon mark in your body hasn't been completely cleared yet — if you lose control in battle, Mephisto might seize the opportunity to meddle with Chthon's residual mark."
"He is a Hell Lord — there is no friendship between him and Chthon, but they are both dimension lords — who can guarantee that he won't make a move against you to gain Chthon's favor."
"Then you go?" Wanda's eyes carried a hint of uneasy hesitation.
"It's actually more convenient for me to go alone." Li Hengmoved his wrists, "Ancestor Power and Moonlight Bodyenergy specifically counter Hell creatures — as long as I don't court death, those shadows are no match for me."
"Besides — I want to see what Mephisto really wants to do."
Wanda looked at him, was silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "Then you must be careful. If something feels wrong — come back immediately."
"Rest assured — I am a Complete Progenitor, not a hothead. Can't I run if I can't beat them?"
Li Heng changed into a black hoodie, lowered the brim of his hat, and pushed the door open to go out.
The sunlight of Brooklyn spilled onto the street, looking very warm, but those black shadows piled up in the corners of the walls were like corners the sunlight could never reach — they were wriggling, waiting, as if countless eyes from Hell were watching every corner of this city.
Hells Kitchen, Ninth Avenue.
Li Heng stood in the shadow of an abandoned apartment building, his dark golden vertical pupils glowing slightly in the dark, and his dimensional perception told him — there were at least four of Mephisto's avatar fragments wandering nearby.
One of them — was right in the abandoned gas station fifty meters ahead of him.
He sneaked over silently — the aura of the Complete Progenitor was suppressed to the lowest, and his Moonlight Body made his footsteps almost blend with the surrounding noise.
The gas station had been abandoned for many years, with broken glass and rusted iron frames scattered on the ground. In the corner of the gas station, a lump of black shadow was wriggling — its form constantly changing, sometimes like a humanoid, sometimes like a beast-form — and at its core, a dark red eye was slowly turning.
That was it.
Li Heng didn't give it time to react — he stepped out, his right hand's five fingers brought together, and the dark golden Ancestor Power condensed into a sharp spike in his palm — stabbing directly at the core of the black shadow!
"Hum —!"
The moment the shadow's core touched the Ancestor Power, it was as if burned by fierce flames — it let out a sharp hiss — and then — shattered.
But the moment it shattered — that dark red eye — locked eyes with Li Heng.
Li Heng felt an ancient and cold will touch his consciousness at that instant — and then — that will receded — like a snake retreating back into its cave after touching hot metal.
A deep voice echoed in his mind, carrying a hint of playfulness and pleasure:
"Complete Progenitor... You really came..."
"I have been waiting for you for a long time."
A chill instantly surged up Li Heng's back.
He immediately looked around — but there was nothing around — only that cluster of shattered shadows was gradually dissipating.
Lowering his head, he looked at the remaining dark golden energy embers in his palm and muttered to himself: "Mephisto — you've been waiting for me all along?"
In the distance, in another corner of Hells Kitchen, a second cluster of shadows was wriggling — as if responding to his voice.
Chapter 35: Battle of Hells Kitchen! Complete Progenitorvs Hell Lord Avatar
Hells Kitchen, abandoned gas station.
Li Heng stood in front of the shattered black shadow remains, his dark gold and silver-white vertical pupils reflecting the trajectory of the last wisp of purple-black energy dissipating.
Mephisto's voice had disappeared, but that feeling of being stared at lingered.
"He has been waiting for me for a long time." Li Hengrepeated this sentence in a low voice, his brows slightly furrowed, "Not because I came to Hells Kitchen today—he has been laying out his plans long before that."
[Ding! The system detects Mephisto's residual will! The host has been marked by the Hell Lord! Marking effect: Mephisto can remotely perceive the host's approximate location—but cannot penetrate the mental shield of the Ancestor Soul to read the host's thoughts!]
[System suggestion—Host, Mephisto's hell avatar fragments in New York number at least seven! Every time one is shattered, the power of his main body in hell will weaken by a fraction! But at the same time—every time one is shattered, his interest in you will increase by a fraction!]
[This is a double-edged sword—please proceed with caution!]
"Seven?" Li Heng raised an eyebrow, "The one just now was the first, and there are six more."
Without hesitation, he immediately activated dimensional perception—the perception power of the Complete Progenitor was like an invisible net, spreading from him as the center to the entire Hells Kitchen—three seconds later, he captured the signals of the remaining six fragments.
One in an abandoned church three blocks away, one in the underground tunnel of the East River pier, one in the underground casino in Chinatown, one in the abandoned theater in Harlem, one in the abandoned hotel in Midtown, and one in the underground drainage system of Central Park.
Seven locations, seven fragments—Mephisto had woven an intricate net in Hells Kitchen.
"Taking them apart one by one is too slow." Li Heng took out his phone and dialed the Blood Baron's number—"Old John, call Blade and Morbius—we have work to do."
The Blood Baron's steady voice came from the other end of the phone: "How many targets?"
"Six coordinates, one for me—the five of you handle them separately. The fragment levels are not high, around B-grade, but they are Mephisto's avatar fragments and have mental pollution capabilities—have your men wear the Ancestor Blood Crystals I gave you to resist mental erosion."
"Understood."
Hanging up the phone, Li Heng looked toward the direction of the nearest fragment signal—the abandoned church—and then stepped forward.
Dark golden light trails flashed under his feet, and his figure disappeared into the street corner of Brooklyn.
Abandoned church, third block.
This church had been abandoned for more than ten years, half of its roof had collapsed, the stained glass windows were shattered to pieces, and only the smoke-blackened cross barely stood above the altar.
Li Heng pushed open the rotten wooden door, and the interior of the church was pitch black.
But his dark gold vertical pupils saw clearly—in the shadow beneath the altar, a black shadow three times larger than the one at the gas station was writhing—at its core, a dark red eye stared straight at him.
"Complete Progenitor... You came faster than I expected..." The shadow's voice was no longer a whisper echoing in the mind, but came directly through air vibration—deep, hoarse, with a texture like metal friction—it slowly rose from the shadow under the altar, condensing into a humanoid outline about three meters high—without facial features, only that dark red eye burning right in the center of its forehead.
"Mephisto's avatar—or your main body's consciousness?" Li Heng put his hands in his pockets, standing straight in the aisle in the center of the church, his expression calm as usual, "To actually be able to condense such a massive avatar on Earth—it seems Ancient One's dimensional barrier has indeed cracked."
"Hahahaha—!" The shadow let out a low laugh, "The crack in the dimensional barrier is even bigger than you think—Complete Progenitor—you think that by sealing Chthon's Source Blood everything is fine? You are wrong—his failure happened to open up an opportunity for me."
The shadow's body expanded again—soaring from three meters high to five meters—flames of greed and mockery burning in its dark red eyes.
"Chthon wanted to descend to Earth through a chaos vessel—but he was too anxious—he chose Wyndham's path—and ended up being intercepted by you—whereas I am different—I don't need a vessel, don't need a book, don't need source blood—"
"I only need—to let my shadow spread all over New York—when every corner of Hells Kitchen is stained with my aura—I can—"
"Build a living hell right here."
Hearing Mephisto's avatar declaration, Li Heng raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and then said something completely unexpected to the shadow: "Finished speaking?"
The shadow's dark red eyes paused slightly.
"Since you're done, it's my turn." Li Heng slowly withdrew his right hand—dark gold, silver-white, scarlet—three-color light intertwined and wound around his fist—
"Your plan is very good—starting from Hells Kitchen, gradually eroding New York, and eventually turning the entire East Coast into your territory—"
"But you missed one thing—"
He took a step forward—the stone bricks of the church beneath his feet shattered inch by inch—
"I am the Complete Progenitor—as long as I am here for a single day—"
"Don't even think about stepping foot into the mortal world."
"Ancestor Domain · Dark Moon Shining Together—Expand!"
"Hum—————!!!"
Light intertwined with dark gold and silver-white erupted from Li Heng's body, sweeping across the entire abandoned church like a tsunami—those black shadows piled in the corners and the purple-black energy remnants evaporated instantly like ice and snow meeting a blazing fire under the illumination of the Ancestor Domain!
Mephisto's avatar let out a deafening roar—its body contracted sharply in the domain—compressed from five meters to three meters—compressed from three meters to two meters—finally—its entire body was suppressed to one knee—its dark red eyes filled with incredulous anger and—fear.
"This is impossible—the Ancestor Domain should only have a 30% suppression effect on hell creatures—how could you—!"
"30% is for ordinary progenitors." Li Heng stood in front of it, looking down at the five-meter-tall hell lord avatar, "But I am the Complete Progenitor—and—I brought this with me."
He flipped his left hand—a purple-black crystal appeared in his palm—that was Chthon's Source Blood crystal—although it was only the size of a fist, the energy fluctuations it emitted made Mephisto's avatar feel like it was struck by lightning—
"Chthon's Source Blood—! You actually brought it with you—!" The shadow's voice was filled with shock and dread, "You are crazy—that thing will make you a target for all dimensional lords—!"
"I know. But I just want them to see it." Li Heng raised the Source Blood crystal to his eyes, three-color light circulating on the crystal's surface, "I want them to know—the Complete Progenitor not only has the power to seal them—but also—the determination to kill them."
He clenched the Source Blood crystal—the three-color light condensed into a sharp energy spear on the crystal's surface—the tip of the spear pointed directly at the dark red eyes of Mephisto's avatar—
"Mephisto—this avatar of yours—I'll take it."
"Ancestor Power · Moonlight Cleansing Erosion—Three-Power Demon-Breaking Strike!"
"Boom————!"
The three-color energy spear left his hand—transforming into a meteor—piercing through the core of Mephisto's avatar—that dark red eye—amidst a shrill roar—shattered—exploded—and turned into nothingness.
The shadow's body collapsed rapidly after losing its core—purple-black energy fragments scattered in the air—purified one by one by the Dark Moon Shining Together of the Ancestor Domain—in the end—nothing was left.
[Ding!! Shatter Mephisto's hell avatar (B+ grade)—completed!]
[Remaining fragments: 5/7—Other teams are handling them!]
[Host combat power assessment—In the engagement with Mephisto's avatar, the suppression effect of the Ancestor Domain on hell creatures exceeded expectations! The actual suppression effect reached 52% (far exceeding the conventional 30%)! The deterrent effect of the Source Blood crystal on dimensional lords is significant—it is recommended to use it as a standing weapon!]
[System reminder—Mephisto's main body has perceived that the avatar has been shattered—his attention is concentrating toward New York—it is expected that within the next 24-72 hours, he will take larger-scale actions—please be prepared!]
In the church ruins, Li Heng withdrew the Source Blood crystal and looked around—the church's stained glass windows were all shattered in the battle—sunlight poured in from the holes—those residual energy fragments of Mephisto completely dissipated in the sunlight.
The sunlight was just right.
He walked out of the church—his phone vibrated three times—it was a message from the Blood Baron:
"Coordinate 2 (East River Pier)—Cleared."
"Coordinate 3 (Chinatown)—Cleared."
"Coordinate 4 (Harlem Theater)—Cleared."
"Coordinate 5 (Midtown Hotel)—Encountered a little trouble, resolved."
"Coordinate 6 (Central Park drainage system)—Blade is handling it, expected to be completed within three minutes."
Li Heng finished reading the message and put away his phone with satisfaction: "Good efficiency—go back and reward them with chicken legs."
He was about to return to the Villa—but his dimensional perception suddenly captured an abnormal signal—coming from the direction of the East River—not Mephisto's fragment—but a kind of energy he had never perceived before—ancient, profound, with an unfamiliarity that did not belong to Earth.
He stopped and looked in the direction of the East River—his dark gold and silver-white vertical pupils contracted slightly.
On the surface of the East River, an extremely faint layer of golden mist was slowly rising—that mist was almost invisible in the sunlight—but Li Heng's dimensional perception made it inescapable.
That was not Mephisto's energy—nor Chthon's energy—let alone Kamar-Taj's white magic—it was a completely unfamiliar energy—ancient and pure—carrying an aura so ancient as if it came from the very beginning of the creation of the world.
"What is that?" He muttered to himself—but in the link of the Soul Contract, Wanda's voice came over—her tone carried a hint of confusion: "Li Heng—did you feel it? Over by the East River—there is a very strange energy—it's like... calling me?"
Li Heng's pupils shrank slightly—not good—he didn't answer, and immediately turned and sprinted towards the direction of the East River—the dark golden light trail pulled out a long wake behind him—
On the banks of the East River, under the noon sunlight.
The golden mist was slowly rising on the river surface—not thick—just an extremely faint layer—but its very presence already gave the air an unspeakable sense of oppression.
Wanda had somehow already stood on the river bank—Pietro, the Blood Baron, Blade, and Morbius also arrived one after another—everyone's eyes focused on the faint layer of golden mist on the river surface.
"This is not Mephisto's stuff." Blade's voice was low and alert, "I've hunted vampires for so many years—I've never seen this kind of energy."
"This is not Earth's energy." Morbius pushed his glasses, his voice carrying a scientist's caution and excitement when facing unknown things, "Its frequency—is not in any energy spectrum I know."
Li Heng stood at the very front of the bank, his dark gold and silver-white vertical pupils gazing at the golden mist—he could feel—there was no hostility in the mist—it was an invitation—a waiting—like waiting for someone to touch it, to respond to it.
He hesitated for a moment—and then reached out to touch the nearest wisp of golden mist—
The moment his fingertips touched the mist—a warm, sun-like gentle energy surged into his consciousness along his fingers—then—a voice rang in his mind—
Not Mephisto's deep hoarseness—not Chthon's aged coldness—but a gentle and powerful voice—like the whisper of an ancient elder across time and space: "Guardian of balance—your mission—has only just begun—"
"When the blood moon rises again—I hope you can find the true answer."
"Come to Asgard—at the end of the Bridge of Eternity—I am waiting for you there—"
The voice dissipated.
The golden mist also dissipated with it—the river surface returned to calm—only the afternoon sunlight jumped on the sparkling river surface—as if everything just now had never happened.
Li Heng withdrew his hand—looking down at his fingertips—the dark golden Ancestor Power pulsated beneath his skin—and with that warm power just now—produced a certain resonance.
Wanda walked to his side, her green eyes filled with confusion: "That voice just now—who was it?"
Li Heng was silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke—his voice carrying a trace of solemnity that even he himself found hard to believe: "If I guessed correctly—"
"That is Odin."
"The Allfather of Asgard."
The river breeze blew, and everyone's expressions froze at this moment.
Pietro opened his mouth: "...Asgard? That Asgard in Norse mythology? Thor's dad?"
"Asgard in the Marvel Universe—that is that Asgard."
Li Heng looked up at the sky—his gaze seemed to pierce through the atmosphere, seeing the golden star field rotating deep in the Universe—Asgard—the center of the Nine Realms—Odin's territory.
Mephisto's layout in Hells Kitchen was thwarted—Chthon's Source Blood was sealed—they had just gained a brief respite—but now—Asgard—Odin—had issued an invitation.
And this invitation—whether it is a blessing or a curse—no one knows.
More chapters available on WTR-Lab up to chapter 70