The shockwave, carrying a rolling wave of air, swept through the entire forest, instantly reducing it to ashes. Under the intense heat and pressure, the ground turned into a scorched wasteland. Moments later, fiery orbs and billowing smoke rose from the cratered earth, forming a mushroom cloud that loomed behind the forest.
A deafening explosion followed, its shockwave, laced with immense air pressure, surged toward the central battle zone between the sorcerers and the Stone Golems.
The sudden, colossal disturbance froze the sorcerers and even the Stone Golems in their tracks. They looked up in stunned silence as the massive mushroom cloud slowly ascended.
"What the hell is going on?!" Janos muttered, his voice hollow with disbelief. His bewilderment seemed to mirror the thoughts of the sorcerers around him. All combat ceased as they stared blankly at the rising cloud.
A second, more violent shockwave struck, like a hurricane's fury. Trees were ripped from their roots and hurled skyward. Sensing the massive gale force generated by the attack, some sorcerers frantically shifted their spells, forming energy shields before them. Pouring all their magical energy into the shields, they crouched low, bracing themselves against the onslaught.
The Stone Golems, lacking sufficient intelligence, were swept into the air by the hurricane before they could react.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The storm struck the central battlefield, ripping up the entire ground and raising a massive cloud of sand and dust.
On the high platform, the three Demon Gods exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. Agamotto couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
"This Chen Chen... I'm starting to understand why the Ancient One wanted him to succeed," Agamotto murmured, stroking his chin.
Chen Chen's behavior was clearly reckless, the complete opposite of the Ancient One's orderly nature. While his unpredictable style made him a formidable opponent for enemies, it also posed a risk to his allies.
*This is a double-edged sword—it can slay enemies, but it can also slay oneself,* Agamotto thought, forming his initial assessment of Chen Chen.
"Exactly! Judging by that punch alone, he's already stronger than many of the Sorcerers present," another Demon God replied, failing to grasp the deeper meaning in Agamotto's words.
Hoggus, usually so taciturn, spoke in a rambling fashion, a flicker of passionate fire in his eyes. He seemed fascinated by Chen Chen's strength and combat style. "And that punch," he said, "wasn't even serious in my opinion. It was just a casual strike. I can't even imagine what his true power level might be."
"Hmm, I tried to gauge his strength earlier, but I couldn't. His aura and energy were suppressed to near nothingness. Even I couldn't detect a trace of energy," Agamotto said, frowning. He suddenly recalled the destruction at the three Great Sanctuaries and Dormammu's lingering presence, yet there had been no clear evidence.
*Could it be that Chen Chen defeated Dormammu and saved Earth?* He shook his head, not yet certain. But if that were true, Chen Chen's power would be truly terrifying.
While Agamotto and Hoggus discussed Chen Chen, Oshtur remained silent beside them. Yet as she watched Chen Chen below, a divine radiance seemed to flicker in her eyes, as if she were tempting mortals.
The self-willed man returned to the battle zone below.
*Swish!*
Janos struggled to support himself on the ground, a handful of yellow earth pouring from his body. He gasped for breath, his entire body having been drained in resisting the earlier shockwave. Now, he was merely clinging to life.
His body trembled as he felt his strength rapidly fading. Reaching into his robes with his shaking right hand, he fumbled for a moment before finally pulling out a bottle of red potion. Biting off the cap, he urgently poured the liquid down his pale lips.
A warmth spread from his stomach to every part of his body. Gradually, Janos felt his strength returning. With a surge of effort, he pushed off the ground, forcing his trembling legs to support his body as he rose to his feet.
The scene before him resembled a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The surrounding vegetation had been reduced to barren land, devoid of any green. The ground was cracked and fissured everywhere, and in the distance, a massive crater, as if from a nuclear blast, marked the edge of the battle zone. This area could no longer serve as the assessment zone.
The Sorcerers who had originally entered the competition now lay sprawled on the ground, motionless. The massive Stone Golems had vanished, replaced by scattered fragments of stone.
Janos stumbled back in terror, his head whipping around to survey the scene. He vaguely made out several figures still standing.
"Is that Chen Chen and the Shin'nadzuki Clan's eldest daughter?" Rubbing his eyes, Janos finally recognized Chen Chen and Kazusa. He wanted to curse them, but then remembered Chen Chen was the mastermind behind this catastrophe. How could he possibly curse someone with such overwhelming power without inviting his own death?
He shifted his gaze to the other Sorcerers still standing.
One was a burly man with two long black braids, the middle section deliberately painted white. His face was similarly coated in a white substance, as if transforming it into bone.
He wore a tight black suit with a red cape draped over his shoulders and a necklace of bone beads around his neck.
What surprised Janos even more was the man's overwhelmingly strong soul aura, a fluctuation that only long-term research into soul magic or immortal arts could produce. This strongly suggested that the man before him was far from merciful.
Subconsciously taking a step back, Janos slowly retreated until he was a safe distance from the crowd. He then sat down cross-legged to rest.
Meanwhile, Chen Chen, having casually defeated the Rhino Puppet earlier, realized he had used slightly too much force. He instantly moved to Kazusa's side, who had just defeated the Stone Lion, and shielded her. Otherwise, the residual force from his earlier attack might still have been too much for her.
Now, after the commotion, Chen Chen was quite surprised to see someone still standing so calmly in the assessment area. Being able to effortlessly withstand the aftershocks of his attack, this person's strength was far superior to the likes of Abe Seiya, who was nothing but a hollow shell.
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