The leader of the Maoshan Sect and the woman in the purple cloak stood locked in a stalemate on the ground and in the sky for a moment before the sky ripped open again with thunder and lightning, a massive bolt searing across the horizon.

The woman in the purple cloak rejoiced. With a flick of her hand toward the lightning, it instantly transformed into a colossal serpent of electricity that coiled into her grasp. Channeling the electrical elemental energy within her, she reshaped the giant serpent into a dragon of pure lightning, then flung it downward. The immense electric dragon immediately thrashed its head and tail as it hurtled toward the Maoshan leader.

The Maoshan Sect leader suddenly saw an incomparably huge lightning dragon bearing down on him. Though he feared no direct electrical assault, the sheer size of the dragon compelled him to instinctively dodge.

The Maoshan leader managed to evade the colossal dragon’s attack with agile footwork. However, the beast moved as if imbued with life; seeing its target evade, it didn't immediately strike the ground but executed a sudden, sharp turn, accelerating viciously to pursue the Maoshan leader.

The Maoshan leader continued to dodge at his previous pace, but the suddenly faster, gigantic electric dragon caught him completely off guard. He was instantly overtaken. The colossal creature struck, resulting in a violent explosion upon impact with the Maoshan leader, generating thick clouds of acrid smoke from which tiny electric arcs flickered in and out of sight.

The woman in the purple cloak in the sky stared intently at the area of the blast on the ground. Once the explosive smoke dissipated, she saw a massive figure standing at the center of the impact zone—it was the Maoshan leader. His entire body still shone with a golden brilliance, utterly unharmed; not a single strand of hair on his head was missing.

The Maoshan Sect leader roared again in fury. Ever since fusing with the Golden Zombie, he believed his martial prowess was unmatched—a god-slayer, a Buddha-slayer. Yet, barely having left seclusion, before even encountering that so-called expert, the Black Hero, he was forced to deal with this bizarre electrokinetic sorceress. Her repeated attacks had left him helpless due to his inability to fly, a frustration that brought his anger to a breaking point.

Just as the Maoshan leader’s rage peaked, the talismans covering the Golden Zombie’s body began to writhe inexplicably. This movement created a fissure in the seal binding the power within the Golden Zombie, allowing its sealed, colossal strength to pour forth. In that instant, the Maoshan leader felt his power surge to an unbelievable degree. Elated, he hefted the enormous spear in his hand and hurled it toward the woman in the purple cloak standing atop the electric serpent in the sky.

The woman in purple had already witnessed the Maoshan leader’s spear attack and was confident in her aerial position. She watched him with mocking contempt, considering his effort futile. In her eyes, the Maoshan leader was nearly driven mad by her onslaught, senselessly throwing his weapon when he knew he couldn't possibly strike her four hundred meters above him.

Unexpectedly, the Maoshan leader erupted with the savage potential of the Golden Zombie, his internal power skyrocketing. The spear he threw actually managed to strike the electric serpent directly beneath the purple-cloaked woman, four hundred meters high in the heavens.

The immense energy contained within the spear instantly shattered the electric serpent. The woman in purple gasped in shock; stripped of her serpentine support, her body began to plummet rapidly toward the ground. The Maoshan leader below grinned menacingly, waiting for her to fall so he could rush forward and finish her. The woman quickly spread the purple cloak behind her, attempting to slow her descent. She looked around frantically, but despite the torrential rain, not a single lightning bolt appeared in the sky.

Perhaps it was not her fate to die yet. Just as she was about to impact the earth, a fresh burst of thunder and lightning ripped through the sky directly above her head, and another enormous bolt materialized. The woman in purple instantly beckoned, transforming the massive lightning into an electric serpent once more. In that moment of imminent peril, the serpent zipped beneath her, catching her and whisking her away.

Shaken, the woman in purple directed the electric serpent to carry her up to an altitude of five hundred meters—the maximum height she could sustain flight. She looked down at the enraged Maoshan leader, secretly terrified by the near-fatal incident. She had never anticipated that the Maoshan leader could suddenly unleash such potential, enabling his spear to reach her at four hundred meters. Thus, even at five hundred meters, she still felt profoundly uneasy.

Seeing his quarry escape yet again, the Maoshan leader was consumed by bitter resentment. He opened his mouth wide and unleashed a silent roar toward the sky. He then hurled his spear skyward again. His newfound strength allowed the projectile to reach five hundred meters, but the woman in purple, now highly vigilant, had dodged, causing all his spear attacks to miss.

Having been targeted repeatedly by the Maoshan leader, the woman in the purple cloak’s temper flared, though she still lacked a better countermeasure. If not for the pride associated with her noble mage status, she would have long since retreated from the battlefield. However, positioned high in the air, she calculated that with sufficient caution, she could remain undefeated. Moreover, she reasoned that the bizarre zombie below must be burning through his temporary surge of power; once depleted, she might yet prevail against him.

And so, with one on the ground and one in the air locked in a battle of offense and defense, the resulting clamor finally drew the attention of the "Star City" forces. Above "Star City," a blinding, dazzling light suddenly ascended. This intense beam solidified in the air, eventually congealing into an immeasurably vast, white sword of light. This colossal weapon flew toward the location of their combat, halting directly before them, its enormous tip pointed squarely at the Maoshan leader and the woman in the purple cloak—the two unauthorized intruders.

Standing upon the hilt of this white light sword was a figure clad in black leather, wearing a black bowler hat, an eyepatch covering one eye, and a black cloak trailing behind him. He gazed coldly upon the two eccentrically dressed individuals before him.

"Black Hero…" The woman in the sky and the leader on the ground both ceased their attacks, their eyes fixed on the newcomer. The name formed simultaneously in both their minds. The signature attire left no room for misidentification.

The Black Hero standing before them was, in fact, the primary objective of their venture to "Star City"; they had simply encountered and engaged in a fierce battle with a strange opponent along the way.

The Maoshan Sect leader looked up at the Black Hero and felt waves of immense power radiating from him, filling his heart with grief and indignation. He was now certain: his son, Gu Yuezi, had been killed by this man. Among the Star City Group, no one but the Black Hero could have slain Gu Yuezi, who was protected by the Silver Armored Zombie.

The leader’s purpose in coming to "Star City" was not only to kill Liu Hui but also to slay the legendary Black Hero and avenge his only son. Thus, the moment the Black Hero appeared, the leader wasted no words, immediately launching the spear in his hand toward the Black Hero perched atop the white light sword.

The Black Hero snorted and pointed a finger. The white light sword beneath his feet abruptly split into two streams of sword energy, both lashing out. One stream of energy struck the spear dead center, shredding it into fragments in mid-air. The other stream hit the Maoshan leader’s body, its contained power blasting him far into the distance. He tumbled upon landing, rolling several times before managing to stagger back to his feet.

The Maoshan Sect leader was aghast. Ever since merging with the Golden Zombie, he had felt the creature’s inexhaustible power. Moments earlier, fueled by rage, he had channeled a portion of that sealed strength, inflating his confidence to the point where he believed he could withstand any force in the world. To be sent flying by a single beam of the Black Hero’s sword energy left him deeply shaken.

The Black Hero on the light sword frowned when he saw the Maoshan leader rise up, unharmed despite being struck down. He was surprised by the incredible defense afforded by this strange zombie.

However, the Black Hero instantly dismissed the leader on the ground. Turning toward the woman in the purple cloak, who remained suspended in the air, he inquired, "Who are you? Why have you come to our 'Star City'?"

The woman in the purple cloak watched in mild astonishment as the Black Hero reduced the ground-bound Maoshan leader to a state of disarray with just two arcs of sword energy. Nevertheless, she remained confident. While her electrical magic might have failed against that strange Golden Zombie, the Black Hero before her was a living man. She doubted he could be immune to the paralyzing effects of electrical magic, even after being struck by the electric serpent.

The woman in the purple cloak chuckled. "Black Hero, you certainly have skills. To manipulate the air around your body to project sound, and to dispatch that bothersome zombie on the ground with a single move."

The Maoshan leader on the ground opened his mouth and directed a series of silent snarls toward the woman upon hearing her words.

"Stop wasting time, or don't blame me for showing no courtesy," the Black Hero replied, his voice still vibrating the surrounding air, making it impossible to discern any distinct gender or vocal characteristics.

The woman in the purple cloak paused for a moment before speaking again. "Black Hero, I came specifically for you. My name is Lu Nong-Augustus, and I am from the Augustus family in Europe. A young genius from our family joined the Holy See of the Vatican, becoming the new Grand Inquisitor. Several years ago, he visited Hong Kong and suddenly disappeared. We later learned he was murdered. Black Hero, Hong Kong is your territory—surely you cannot claim ignorance of this matter?"