(The synergy with the wind, that feeling, as if I myself were the wind; no matter how many swirling currents formed, I was within it, I was the wind… Not controlling the wind, but guiding it, turning this tornado entirely into my strength!) Slowly, a move was made… The entire tornado shifted with a slight disharmony. Instead of moving along its predicted trajectory forward, it began to tilt upward from the base, slowly deviating from its top-down configuration. Instead, it transformed into a bizarre, horizontally spinning vortex. This sight instantly stunned the gloating Weiniang (cross-dresser), who had never witnessed a tornado behaving like this. Could a horizontally rotating vortex even generate a tornado? The answer was no… at least, not naturally. In other words, this strange tornado could only be the product of deliberate manipulation. It must be Cheng Xiao, inside it, influencing the entire massive structure. This indicated a power far beyond the Weiniang's wildest imagination. Of course, the Weiniang was no fool; after seeing the tornado’s sudden change, he realized the implication within seconds and immediately decided to fly backward without hesitation.

It was just that… he realized it far too late.

The massive horizontal tornado began to rapidly unravel, and vehicles, rocks, and other debris were continuously flung out. This all happened in a matter of mere seconds. The immense suction and wind pressure generated by the tornado’s disintegration made it impossible for the Weiniang to escape. He could only watch helplessly as the tornado warped and shrank.

Soon, even Cheng Xiao’s figure could be vaguely discerned, but that was the extent of it.

Because as Cheng Xiao danced and moved, this section of the tornado actually coiled toward him.

This period of time was incredibly short; from the moment the Weiniang tried to flee until he was caught in the swirling airflow, it all transpired in only one or two seconds.

Then, the smaller tornado set in motion by Cheng Xiao slammed violently into him.

This was no longer just a collection of ordinary rotating air currents. It was a storm of wind force, rotating around the atmospheric pressure generated by Cheng Xiao’s movements. The moment it contacted the Weiniang's body, the cross-dresser, who appeared as a beautiful young girl, was instantly blown to smithereens. Even his bones were ground into fragments by the rotational air pressure. And it didn't stop there; even in its smaller iteration, the tornado had a diameter exceeding ten meters.

Carrying Cheng Xiao… Yes, you read that correctly—the small tornado was carrying Cheng Xiao, not the other way around. It sliced horizontally through a skyscraper.

It slammed heavily into a large expanse of sloping terrain.

A massive boom echoed, as if a small meteorite had impacted the ground.

A mushroom cloud rose from the earth. Although there was no fiery explosion, the resulting devastation was undeniable. Several buildings atop the slope collapsed instantly, and the slope itself bore a massive crater nearly a hundred meters wide and dozens of meters deep. Visually, the effect was nearly identical to that of a small meteor strike.

A tornado is a rotating air current, and its degree of cohesion and rotational cutting force were akin to a drill bit meeting wood… While the power was immense, Cheng Xiao, caught inside, truly wished the tornado's force could be slightly reduced, lest the current exaggerated outcome occur. After impacting the ground, he was flung upward by the airflow to a height of dozens of meters, only to plummet back down. If not for his peculiar martial arts, this fall alone would have killed him. Even so, the moment he landed, Cheng Xiao collapsed onto the ground, utterly unconcerned with any potential dangers around him.

“Damn it, my bones are mostly shattered. In this state, forget piloting the Goblin Glider; even a single scavenging zombie could devour me alive. Damn it, I’m going to die… That Weiniang turned out to be unexpectedly formidable. How does he rank in the Demon Team? He must be in the top three, right?” Cheng Xiao lay on the ground, cursing under his breath, utterly frustrated. After several long minutes, he endured the sharp pain and took out his box of golden needles. Slowly, gripping a needle with his only functioning right hand, he began inserting them all over his body. Only after his entire frame was studded with golden needles did he slowly settle into a cross-legged sitting position, utterly motionless, white smoke beginning to drift slowly above his head.

(Give me some time to regain my strength. Please, let nothing like zombies show up during this time. If I survive the tornado only to die in the mouths of these little things, I’ll have truly died unjustly…) Clearly, Cheng Xiao’s prayer had been answered, for the tornado’s immense destructive power had cleared the vicinity of any zombies or similar creatures. However… no zombies appeared, but two Chu Xuans did.

“…How much life force do you have left? Even with your Rune Technology constructs capable of converting energy into vitality, the law of conservation of energy still applies to this conversion. Beyond the energy consumption during conversion, the radiated energy must also be accounted for. Even if you convert the energy of both of us simultaneously, how much will become your life force? Twenty percent? Thirty?” “I give you the same reply… How many Karma Points do you have left? Having used so many Karma Points, how greatly are you and your team being rejected by this universal plane? Perhaps a stray rock will fall and crush you in a moment. Do you truly believe reversing causality is effortless?” “I return your words. Not only will I and everyone on my team be rejected by the world… similarly, as my enemy now, the other me, you will also be rejected by this world. It’s just a matter of degree between us.”

The two Chu Xuans were emitting brilliant, dazzling light—the external manifestation of using Driv. Perhaps there truly was some governing force in the unseen order, as these two identical individuals, split into different teams with entirely divergent experiences and perceptions, chose the exact same offensive method: using Driv as the primary attack, supplemented by self-mastered Gun-Fu techniques. However, one Chu Xuan had an ancient, simple bronze bell suspended above his head, while the other Chu Xuan had a girl holding a piece of paper floating not far behind him.

The Chu Xuan with the ancient bronze bell above his head suddenly fired his gun, the resulting radiance more brilliant than a rainbow.

But behind that brilliance lay the radiance of death. As the light scattered, two Gauss bullets shot toward the other Chu Xuan, the copied version.

These two bullets, radiating dazzling light, moved at incredible speed.

They reached the Copy Chu Xuan in the blink of an eye.

But it was unclear what he did, as these two masses of brilliant light bypassed his body and shot toward the distance, directly blasting a building below the three figures. Compared to the building, these two points of brilliant light were as tiny as ants beneath human feet, but when they struck the building’s wall, the visual effect was enough to make eyes bulge—it was as if an ant had bitten a person, and that person was instantly swallowed whole by the ant.

The spot where Lin Lei’s building contacted the brilliant light ruptured violently. Then, the brilliant light transformed into a violent shockwave, obliterating that building and the structures for a hundred meters behind it. Judging by the power, this should rightly be classified as a weapon of mass destruction.

Fengshen Bang… Reversing cause and effect, inverting heaven and earth… The Copy Chu Xuan was not to be outdone.

He raised his hand and also shot two streams of brilliant light toward the Original Chu Xuan.

These two streams of brilliant light reached the Original Chu Xuan head-on, and the ancient bronze bell shook automatically.

A crisp, clear bell tone rang out, and the two masses of brilliant light froze suspended in mid-air. Upon closer inspection, it wasn't just the radiant masses; the surrounding dust particles, and even the nearby Copy Chu Xuan and the little girl, were all motionless. Only when the Original Chu Xuan shifted his body did everything around them suddenly resume motion. The two masses of brilliant light also generated enormous shockwaves on the ground, no less powerful than the previous two shots.

Donghuang Bell… Suppressing the myriad universes, suppressing all of Primordial Chaos… Cheng Xiao watched the three figures drift farther away, breaking out in a cold sweat. Those last two brilliant streams had passed right to his left and right, leaving him isolated in the middle. It was only thanks to his fortunate positioning that those two shots hadn't claimed his life. He realized: cherish life, stay far away from Chu Xuan… He couldn't remain here; this was life-threatening! With this thought, Cheng Xiao sprang up without a second thought. Though the pain made him collapse again, he was fortunate that his acupuncture technique sealed the sensation of pain. When he rose again, his body was covered in needles, but he was at least mobile. He quickly pulled out the Goblin Glider and, without hesitation, flew in the exact opposite direction of the three Chu Xuans. Cheng Xiao’s guiding principle was truly to preserve his life by avoiding Chu Xuan… Cheng Xiao VS the Weiniang… Cheng Xiao wins! The main forces of the Central Continent Team and the Demon Team were engaged, and while the battle between the two Chu Xuans was drawn-out, the fights involving the others had reached critical moments.

Meanwhile, another member of the Central Continent Team had gone to enhance his Devil Fruit attributes. Imhotep was already an anomaly created by ancient Runic Sorcery; not only could he shape himself from sand, but he could also utilize many ancient Egyptian secret arts. As long as his energy persisted, his body could achieve infinite resurrection. However, having spent much time in the Reincarnation World, he knew it housed countless formidable individuals. His abilities were undoubtedly invincible against ordinary people, but against top-tier Reincarnation World experts like Zheng Zha, the Copy Zheng Zha, or Chu Xuan, he risked being instantly annihilated. After participating in so many horror movie worlds with the Central Continent Team, he had accumulated sufficient Reward Points and Sub-Plot Scenarios. Thus, he decided to enhance an attribute perfectly complementary to his own abilities: the Sand-Sand Fruit.

Coupled with Imhotep’s own energy reserves being more than a hundred times greater than a human’s, while he still couldn't wield the Fruit’s power as fearlessly as the Weiniang using Chu Xuan’s creations, the sheer scale of his power when unleashed was absolutely tremendous.

Unfortunately, Imhotep’s opponent, Hao Tian, was precisely his counter. This man’s origins were somewhat obscure, possibly related to Chu Xuan’s genetic engineering. Furthermore, his inherent strength was formidable. Even before entering the Reincarnation World, he could naturally use the Light of the Mind. After entering, although he met resistance within the Central Continent Team, being severely toyed with and then instantly defeated by Chu Xuan, his potential was vast. He not only joined the Demon Reincarnation Squad but also evolved his Light of the Mind telekinesis.

It became what was known as Holy Light Qi (Sheng Guang Qi), which happened to inflict enormous damage upon Imhotep’s energy. However, for some unknown reason, Hao Tian seemed unwilling to engage in a death match with Imhotep, seizing every opportunity to flee instead. This stalemate was the result. Otherwise, Imhotep might have been gravely wounded by the Holy Light Qi before he could even deploy the Sand-Sand Fruit.

But Imhotep had activated the Sand-Sand Fruit.

The ground within several thousand meters gradually turned to sand and pulverized. His true form was hidden within this transformation. Every attack manifested as a colossal sand Golem suddenly appearing, gathering sand from a thousand-meter radius into one mass.

The sand Golem stood a hundred meters tall.

Wavering slightly, it swung a fist as if crushing an ant, slamming it toward Hao Tian.

Hao Tian was truly skilled. He had mastered the use of the Light of the Mind exceptionally well. Back when he was still in the real world, he possessed the most basic telekinetic ability of the Light of the Mind. After entering the Reincarnation World, his strength grew continuously, greatly increasing both the quality and quantity of his mental power until it underwent qualitative change, becoming the integrated offense and defense of Holy Light Qi.

It was practically comparable to the AT Field of an EVA. More than that, because he had been using the Light of the Mind for so long, his control over it at the current level was astonishingly precise.

Every defensive maneuver, every punch thrown, utilized the exact necessary amount of Holy Light Qi—no more, no less. Even in a prolonged battle, even if his own energy reserves were less abundant than Imhotep’s, if the fight continued this way, Imhotep would be the first to collapse.

“Hey, listen, uh, how about we call a truce? Let me go, okay? I didn’t steal your wife or rob your savings, damn it, why do you keep chasing me?” Hao Tian shouted loudly while dodging the massive sand fist.

“Less nonsense! My mission is to kill you!” Imhotep was resolute; more accurately, he was trapped in a precarious situation. The power of the Sand-Sand Fruit was indeed formidable. Its initial activation caused the earth within a thousand meters to completely sandify, and he also gained some slight resistance to energy attacks, no longer collapsing near instantly when touched by golden light as before. This sand could clearly block the golden light effectively, and while it couldn't negate it entirely, it was certainly better than brute-forcing it. But this very advantage also trapped him. If he didn't use the Sand-Sand Fruit… frankly, he wasn't confident he could withstand Hao Tian’s attacks. Therefore, he had to press the attack relentlessly.

Hao Tian felt deeply aggrieved. He couldn't understand why, after this final battle, Chu Xuan hadn't assigned him a single task. This unusual silence made him deeply uneasy. Thus, when the confrontation began, his first thought wasn't to fight, but to escape the vicinity immediately—the faster the better! Who knew what scheme Chu Xuan was plotting? He certainly didn't want to be used as cannon fodder for no reason, especially in this final confrontation… “Please! I truly don't want to fight you! Why must you force my hand! Can't we exchange greetings and then run for our lives separately?” Hao Tian once again unleashed a burst of Holy Light Qi, a large sphere of golden light shattering a massive, sand-formed hand twenty or thirty meters wide. To be honest, even now, Hao Tian was filled with anger, and this was his final appeal shouted out loud.

Imhotep didn't slow down; or rather, he dared not slow down. He exerted himself again, and another sand Golem, over a hundred meters tall, coalesced. It opened its mouth and blew a massive cloud of wind and sand, completely burying Hao Tian within it.

“Damn it!” Hao Tian roared, and dazzling golden light violently erupted from his body. Under the illumination of this golden light, the sand Golem melted away as if snow meeting the scorching sun. That wasn't all; Hao Tian was now determined. His previous attempts to flee were repeatedly blocked by the sand Golems. Now that he had committed, he acted decisively. Golden light streamed ceaselessly from his entire being, making him appear like a small sun suspended in mid-air. Below him, the sand Golem rapidly diminished, vanishing into the ground in moments, as if utterly destroyed, leaving no trace of its existence.

Hao Tian knew that Imhotep’s strength wasn’t his primary asset, but his vitality was like that of a cockroach—such an attack could never kill him. He immediately continued without pause. He raised one hand, gathering a sphere of golden light, then gently tossed the sphere and kicked it sharply with his foot. This light sphere did not explode when struck by his foot; instead, it flew toward the sandy ground below like a soccer ball.

The moment the light sphere contacted the sand, it instantly transformed into a vast expanse of golden liquid, slowly merging with the earth. This happened in a flash: the golden liquid existed for only two or three seconds.

Beneath Hao Tian, the patch of sand infiltrated by the golden liquid suddenly exploded violently. The golden liquid acted like a hypergolic explosive, vaporizing the sand within a hundred meters below.

“I’m furious! You sand monster! Damn it, I’m not made of clay, either! If I die, we die together!” Hao Tian ignored the terror Chu Xuan inspired.

He was practically mad with rage now, showering the ground below with Holy Light Qi as if money were no object. Each burst caused an explosion, and the sand beneath was soon riddled with craters. After a long time, he finally stopped, panting, but as soon as he paused, the sand below began to writhe again.

Gradually, a sand Golem reappeared below.

“…Forget it, I don’t even have the strength to be angry anymore. I just have to finish you off, and then I’ll escape,” Hao Tian rubbed his temples in frustration. As he spoke, he kicked toward the sand Golem’s head. A burst of golden light erupted, and the Golem was instantly kicked into fragments. The Holy Light Qi truly lived up to its reputation as an evolved Light of the Mind.

The power of this single strike was no less than Zheng Zha’s Instant Annihilation state. Although it slightly lagged in raw destructive power, it surpassed it in terms of energy annihilation.

Although his attacks seemed ferocious and Imhotep appeared defenseless, Imhotep actually felt a growing sense of calm inside. Earlier, he had attacked desperately, while Hao Tian responded weakly, having expended too much energy, forcing him to continue attacking. Now, even though Hao Tian was attacking wildly, he could use the terrain advantage to maneuver continuously. In reality, Hao Tian hadn't sustained much serious damage. The situation had completely reversed; Imhotep now rather didn't want the fight to end. As long as he could keep Hao Tian from escaping, that was enough.

And so, golden light exploded across the sandy expanse continuously. When Hao Tian paused, attempting to leave, a sweeping sandstorm instantly surged up, and a sand Golem blocked his path of retreat. By grinding down the fight this way, Imhotep secretly rejoiced, thinking he could just slowly grind Hao Tian down to death.

Just as the two were locked in a standoff again, they suddenly saw a brilliant flash of light in the distance, followed by a violent shockwave erupting from the ground, completely pulverizing hundreds of meters of buildings in a line. Both looked up and saw three figures hovering high in the distant sky: two identical Chu Xuans and a girl floating nearby. One Chu Xuan had an ancient bronze bell hovering above his head. The three figures were flying at high speed, and for a long time, they didn't fire another shot.

This was due to the difference in the temporal flow experienced by the three because of the effects of the Donghuang Bell and the Fengshen Bang. Both sides sought to immobilize the other’s actions, but their abilities canceled each other out. Interacting this way made their attack speed appear very slow to outsiders. In reality, if anyone else had entered the space between them, they would likely have been pulverized instantly by Driv.

Though their rate of attack was slow, after a while, they each fired another shot, leaving two massive furrows in the ground. Then, the two figures gradually moved farther apart… Unfortunately, those two furrows appeared precisely on the edge of the sand field, one to the left and one to the right. Had the attacks been slightly more focused, Hao Tian and Imhotep would have narrowly been hit.

“…Imhotep, let’s finish this quickly, shall we? What do you say?” “Your request will be granted…” The expressions of both men showed lingering fear. Those attacks were different from the Holy Light Qi. They were attacks that resembled energy annihilation; the shockwaves created deep trenches. Apart from the rocks and sand pulverized by the waves, everything within the trenches was directly annihilated by the power of conviction. If those blasts had hit either of them… they dared not imagine the consequences. Not unimaginable, but unthinkable.

Both men were terrified, and in that first moment, they unleashed their respective ultimate powers. Under the immense pressure to survive, neither entertained any thought of holding back. The mantra, "Cherish life, stay away from Chu Xuan," was not mere slogan for the members of the Second Demon Squad of Central Continent, who had suffered so much under Chu Xuan's torment.

"Do you know? The secrets of Holy Light Qi are countless. This is one of the most supreme forms of the Light of the Mind. Besides this, the highest Light of the Mind I know is comparable only to Logandao’s AT Field... or perhaps Zuo Tian’s World-Ending Flame can surpass it, but only those two! One equal, one superior!" Hao Tian roared loudly.

In truth, what Hao Tian said was factual; apart from those two Lights of the Mind, he had discovered no others that reached the heights of Holy Light Qi.

Perhaps the external manifestations of those other individuals' Lights of the Mind had not yet appeared, but this fact alone testified to the terrifying power of Holy Light Qi.

As Hao Tian fully channeled his Holy Light Qi, this golden radiance gradually materialized, transforming into a half-body golden armor that enveloped him. Except for the head, chest, wrists, and a few vital areas, the rest was covered, and in his hand, a golden long spear appeared.

Behind him, a vast expanse of golden light spread out like wings, truly resembling a magnificent battle angel... except his expression was a mixture of terror and madness; in every other respect, he was flawless.

As for Imhotep’s manifestation, it was equally astonishing: a fully materialized giant made of granite.

Its color was no longer the earthy yellow of the desert sands.

Instead, it possessed a color akin to amethyst-hued granite. The appearance of this massive purple granite man, though not reaching the exaggerated height of a hundred meters, still stood over fifty meters tall. A single glance was enough to gauge the astonishing power he commanded; compared to the tiny Hao Tian suspended in the sky, Imhotep appeared even stronger.

Of course, what the naked eye perceived was not the full reality; the gap in their strength was not solely what was visible.

When this granite giant materialized, Hao Tian raised his spear and thrust downward from above. Across the mere hundred meters, in two or three seconds, Hao Tian drove the long spear directly into the arm the granite giant had raised to block his forehead. A deafening crash echoed.

This arm, several meters thick, was instantly severed by the seemingly small spear.

Just as Hao Tian prepared to strike again at the granite giant, the giant's other arm swung violently towards him.

It connected from above, slamming Hao Tian deep into the sand. Simultaneously, the granite giant even lifted its severed wrist and hurled it down toward the spot where Hao Tian had crashed, sending plumes of sand dozens of meters high with every impact. The immense force quickly gouged a deep crater into the ground.

"This is a pure energy attack, isn't it? Damn it, I didn't think you'd learn so fast!" Hao Tian’s enraged roar erupted from the deep pit, followed by a flash of golden light, and a blood-spattered golden figure appeared before the granite giant.

Energy is relative; there is no absolute mutual restraint. Light can suppress darkness, and darkness can just as easily suppress light. Hao Tian’s energy could dissolve the core energy of Imhotep, and vice versa. It all depended on which side inflicted greater damage. This brutal exchange completely shattered Hao Tian’s usual composure; he was now fighting like a street brawler who had finally lost his temper.

Hao Tian was not hesitant. Golden light erupted fiercely from his entire body. Driven by the pressure of survival (or more accurately, the ripple effect of Chu Xuan’s pressure), he unleashed an unimaginable fervor for battle. Even after being severely beaten, he violently plunged down from the top of the granite giant’s head, landing a kick directly onto the giant's skull. With a blinding golden flash, the granite head shattered like powder. The granite giant roared in agony, its entire body trembling violently, but fortunately, it only shook and did not fall. Instead, it began swinging its arms again, aiming at Hao Tian suspended in mid-air.

This punch landed solidly again, sending Hao Tian flying a full hundred meters away. It was only thanks to the golden light protecting him that this strike didn't pulp him into a bloody mess. However, the granite giant was clearly not satisfied. It tore off a large chunk of granite from its own body and violently hurled it toward the distant Hao Tian. With a loud bang, a sphere of golden light exploded upwards against the granite rock. A massive shockwave rushed outwards, kicking up sand that obscured the granite giant’s vision. It took more than ten seconds for the dust to settle on that side. Within that shadowy dust cloud, no fewer than a hundred fist-sized spheres of light materialized around Hao Tian, bathing the area in brilliant golden radiance.

"I really am an idiot, wasting so much time with a weakling like you... Forget it, I’ll go all out to kill you. As for the massive drop in power afterward, I don't care. If I don't kill you, I'll be dragged down here. Everything else is up to fate!" Hao Tian laughed maniacally, his body visibly trembling. Releasing this much Holy Light Qi at once was, for his level of power, a depletion of his life force. If he couldn't kill Imhotep this time, he was done for. This was the very definition of staking everything on one roll.

Imhotep clearly understood the situation. The assembled granite giant began to slowly disintegrate, clearly attempting to retreat back into the sand. However, its rate of dissolution was much slower than that of a sand creature. Hao Tian had no intention of waiting for him to slowly escape. The man leaped up again, brilliant golden light blazing from both feet, driving forward with all one hundred light spheres to kick the granite giant. As the first light sphere made contact with the granite giant, the golden radiance instantly spread across the giant’s surface like acid. One by one, layer upon layer, the golden corrosive force ate away at the giant’s body. Hao Tian’s seemingly mighty kick against the granite giant proceeded at an agonizingly slow pace, as if stuck in mire, yet every inch moved tore open the thick granite shell, corroding the black energy within simultaneously. After more than ten seconds, half the granite giant’s body had been dissolved, and the remaining structure had collapsed into a mass of black energy.

This large mass of black energy surged furiously downwards, but for some unknown reason, under the crushing pressure of the golden spheres raining down, it could not penetrate the sand even an inch. It could only issue frantic roars, constantly struggling against the immense pressure exerted by the descending light spheres. Unfortunately, this pressure was too great, rendering the shadow incapable of even a slight movement.

"You can’t escape! Die!" Hao Tian was nearly insane, having exhausted every ounce of strength he possessed. When he had jumped up to attack earlier, a portion of his Holy Light Qi had already infiltrated the sand, blocking the granite giant’s escape route. With this total eruption, there was not a single trace of residual power left inside him. The Holy Light Qi external to his body, the Holy Light Qi covering his skin, and the Holy Light Qi buried in the sand—these three forces merged, determined to annihilate Imhotep. Soon, there was a resounding thud, like a pot lid hitting the ground. Hao Tian finally brought his foot down onto the sand, crushing the last sliver of shadow into the earth. Faintly, he thought he heard a man roar the name "Ansuona," and then, there was silence.

"Did I win...?" As soon as he landed, Hao Tian collapsed onto the ground without regard for appearances. He looked utterly wretched. The final, frenzied assault—the immense power of the exploding golden light—had shredded all his clothing. He was now completely naked, not even retaining his underwear. Inside his body, there was not a single shred of Holy Light Qi remaining. At this moment, forget fighting; his condition was terribly similar to that of Cheng Xiao earlier. The appearance of just one extra zombie could kill him.

Yet, it was perhaps Hao Tian's luck that the previous engagement with Imhotep using the Sand-Sand Fruit had turned nearly a thousand meters of the surroundings into a sandy wasteland. Combined with the residual effects of Chu Xuan's battle, there genuinely were no zombies or mutated creatures nearby.

After another long half hour, Hao Tian managed to stand up, trembling all over. He silently looked at the desert beneath him, sighed, took out the Green Goblin Skateboard, and then flew up into the sky.

"We are all just pawns in a game; neither our life nor our death is truly ours to command. Why must we fight until both sides are ruined? What was the point? What was the use..." Hao Tian VS Imhotep... Hao Tian Wins! [ ] Jump to