Chapter 28:
"What kind of power is this? It's tearing my body apart, swallowing me whole, and pulling me into the abyss." Li Ji gritted his teeth as he circulated the energy in his body, fighting against the dark power emanating from Kunos.
"I didn't expect you would inherit one of Turvas's special skills—the Dark Curtain," the Ancient One realized, her voice tinged with surprise. She had thought Kunos was just an ordinary descendant, lacking talent, but she was mistaken. He had inherited a potent ability.
"Hahaha, Ancient One, if you're willing to let me go, I'll remove this dark curtain's power. Otherwise, everyone else will be buried with me!" Kunos's voice was menacing, rough, sending a chill through the air.
"Master Gu Yi, don't worry about us! Just act quickly. We can still fight against the dark power!" a voice rang out from the darkness. Li Ji recognized it as Baron Mordo's.
"He's truly a righteous man. I wonder what led him to the darkness in the future." Li Ji felt a twinge of arrogance, but pushed it aside as he fought off the last of the dark power from his body. He took a moment to observe his surroundings.
"This isn't Kama Taj." Li Ji's realization hit him instantly. The space was completely foreign. He could see his body clearly but had no sense of the environment around him. Darkness surrounded him, and despite walking around, the space felt enormous, larger than any room in Kama Taj. There was no sign of life, no energy to feel.
"Ancient One, even if you can cross the dimensional limits to find the dimension I'm in, can you find the others? Even if they can resist the dark power's erosion, so what? They'll be lost forever in parallel and independent darkness dimensions, starving to death in solitude!" Kunos's mocking voice filled the air, and the Ancient One's expression tightened.
"You're right. I underestimated you, Kunos. I didn't expect you to master the Dark Curtain so well," the Ancient One admitted, her voice betraying a hint of frustration. Li Ji's frown deepened as he sensed something was off.
"Hahaha, Ancient One, it's not often I get to hear you admit defeat! I've never seen Turvas, but the one thing I inherited from him was this Dark Curtain ability. You know the world of demon gods well—you can't survive without a skill like this!" Kunos's voice rang out, and Li Ji felt as if it was coming from right beside him.
"What's going on?" Li Ji's concern deepened as his brows furrowed.
"The Dark Curtain creates countless interconnected but separate parallel spaces, scattering enemies and defeating them one by one. Later, Turvas enhanced it with dark erosion, making it even more formidable. He created this technique with great ambition, but I never expected you'd use it here," the Ancient One said, her voice tinged with a subtle mockery. Kunos didn't seem to care.
"I'm just a baby demon. There's no need for sarcasm. My biggest goal now is survival. But you, Ancient One—have you decided yet? It seems like a mage's heart has already been corrupted by darkness!" Kunos's derisive tone made Li Ji uneasy.
"Do you really think you've won?" the Ancient One's voice turned cold.
"Of course not. Who doesn't know how ruthless you are, Ancient One? It's all for Earth's protection, so a few sacrifices are fine, right?" Kunos sneered. "Oh, by the way, don't even think about using the spiritual state. In that form, you can cross countless dimensions instantly, but your physical body will be completely vulnerable. Do you really want to be destroyed by me, the new demon god? Hahahaha!"
The Ancient One's expression grew serious as she slowly shook her head. "I was careless for not interrupting him before the Dark Curtain fell. It's going to take a lot of effort."
"Hulk!" From within the unknown dark dimension, Hulk's furious roar echoed.
"Hasn't Hulk returned to Banner yet?" Li Ji couldn't sense any energy in this dimension. The Dark Curtain's ability was frustratingly effective in isolating them. Though they were in different dimensions, the sounds of their voices echoed, and the isolation only intensified the despair.
"Master Gu Yi, don't worry about us. Death is a small matter; letting the devil go is the real issue! After we die, just focus on yourself!" Baron Mordo's voice rang out from somewhere in the void.
While Baron Mordo's words were technically correct, hearing them in such a bleak situation only made the air thicker with discomfort.
"That's enough, Karl, no more," the Ancient One replied with a flicker of irritation. "I understand."
In the dark dimension, the Ancient One floated calmly, an emerald green gem hanging from a pendant around her neck. With a gentle motion, the gem detached, floating upward with quiet elegance.
"Kunos, you know my title as the Demon God's Sorrow, but do you know the other name I prefer?" The Ancient One's voice was a soft yet ominous whisper.
Kunos's compound eyes widened in recognition of something far more terrifying.
"Mr. Gu Yi, please! I was ignorant, purely unintentional. Spare me!" Kunos fell to his knees, begging desperately, but the Ancient One remained unfazed.
"The Orderer of Time and Space," the Ancient One spoke slowly, each word carrying the weight of eternity. The Time Stone, now floating above her chest, radiated immense power. It emitted a green glow, turning into rays of light that spread through the darkness, linking the independent dark dimensions together. From a divine perspective, the green light resembled the branches of a colossal tree in the void.
"Though I rarely use the power of the Time Stone, as a demon god, you should never forget this crucial detail," the Ancient One stated firmly.
In an instant, she stepped into the belt of space-time light, appearing directly in front of Kunos.
"Lord Gu Yi, please forgive my ignorance. I'm just a newly born demon god. Let me go, and I promise never to harm the Earth or expose its time and space coordinates! You can banish me to endless time and space, punish me however you wish, but I beg you, spare my life!" Kunos pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation.
"Master Ancient One, may I deal with him?" Li Ji's voice emerged as he materialized in the dark dimension where Kunos was located through the space-time light belt.
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