Chapter 273: Unity

Chapter 273: Unity

The sky was shrouded by the clouds of Hell, and the land was being devoured by shadows like a black wave, while the sea was whipped by a fierce wind, threatening to submerge the entire world.

In just a moment of hesitation, the land, sea, and sky began to be rapidly devoured, and a doomsday scene unfolded with crystal clarity, engulfing the entire world.

Everyone seemed like tiny boats in the midst of a terrifying storm, at any moment in danger of being overturned and sinking into the depths, a sense of helplessness equally drowning each person.

Unaware of the situation, ordinary people cried out in shock, having never witnessed such a terrifying scene, thinking that the legendary apocalypse of 2002 had arrived early, while the informed mages were even more terrified than the average person.

As the celestial anomaly enveloped them, they clearly felt a change.

"The power of Just Magic has been suppressed!"

"I feel my magic weakening, this can't be right!"

"It's the shadows, the Shadow Wave is about to swallow us!"

At this moment, Lu Xie's voice rang in the ears of every mage, like a thunderclap, waking them from their dreams of freedom, power, dignity, and self-respect.

"Let the world be plunged into ultimate darkness!"

No matter what, survival was the top priority; if people died, everything would be lost.

Freedom is precious, but life is even more valuable! In the face of death, all are equal.

"I agree, the Saint Fighters are worthy leaders, please guide us through this catastrophe!"

Amid the silent group that had yet to give an answer, the first rebel appeared, hesitating a little, shrinking back a little, but finally speaking up.

With a leader, the tide of defections came like a tsunami.

"I agree, I want to live!"

"No one has a better chance of turning things around than the Saint Fighters."

"This breaks down the barriers between White Aura Mages, and I think it's a good thing."

Under the threat of doomsday, all the mages agreed to Lu Xie's request, joining his ranks and following his command.

...

"I'm just missing one more thing, and then I'll be truly complete."

Lu Xie's body vanished from its original spot.

The next moment, his body traversed space, instantly traveling from Hong Kong, China, to San Francisco, USA, appearing in District Thirteen, enveloped by impenetrable defenses.

With the arrival of the millennium, the place was empty, devoid of the usual hustle and bustle.

Lu Xie rushed towards the vault with a clear purpose, and with a horrifying giant claw, he effortlessly tore apart the security door, revealing Lope inside, adorned with ten talismans.

Upon seeing Lu Xie, Lope instantly sensed the power of this demon, a strength far beyond his reach, not to mention that he was just a counterfeit resurrected by the Rat Charm.

"I've come for the talismans." Lu Xie spoke with a cold tone, patiently waiting for a response.

"Just as a Ctenopharyngodon would protect its offspring, you must first step over my dead body." Lope's eyes held the determination of a martyr.

"What do I need your corpse for? You're just a statue."

"Xiao Yu and Lu Xie will defeat you."

Recalling the scene where he was saved by the two children after fighting the demon, Lope smiled, assured that the future was in good hands, and he would not fear or retreat.

Countless scrolls flew out from his sleeves, and Lope attempted to weaken the demon before him with another self-destruct.

Lu Xie sighed inwardly, "What a nuisance."

Dense demon energy enveloped everything, and before Lope's suicidal attack could take effect, the scrolls were corrupted and unusable, and his body once again turned into a statue.

Ten talismans appeared in Lu Xie's hands, and he took out the Sheep Charm from his body and the Snake Charm he had just retrieved from the Little Snake.

For the first time, the Twelve Seals were gathered, and Lu Xie absorbed them into his body.

"Now, I am truly complete."

Eight Great Demons, Eight Demon Energies, Ten Masks, and Twelve Seals.

At this moment, the power within Lu Xie's body became perfect, and he closed his eyes, seeing the world as a toy he could easily manipulate, an almost godlike feeling.

Lu Xie glanced at the Lope statue, and the slimy tentacles on his body broke off, wrapping around the statue and slowly merging with it, bringing the statue back to life, and this time, it became flesh and blood.

He was still not the true Saint Fighter Lope, but he had gained true life.

Lope looked at Lu Xie in bewilderment, "What do you mean by this?"

Lu Xie paid no further attention to Lope, and his body vanished from where he stood.

Now, only one thing remained.

...

Black clouds rolled in from afar, carrying a devastating momentum, and the recently escaped demon, having absorbed the energies of the Eight Great Demons and the Black Shadow Troops' dark energy, attacked again.

If there was a chance of victory in the initial battle against this demon, now it was an absolute death sentence.

Lu Xie took a deep breath and focused on the mages displayed on the magic screen, making a final confirmation.

"The World Devourer is about to arrive. Have you all made up your minds? Are you willing to let me lead you?"

Each mage nodded in unison, agreeing.

"Then, from now on, I will be in command."

Lu Xie's lips curled slightly, "Please channel your magic through the Communication Magic's runes; I need sufficient power to confront the demon.

"The true purpose of Communication Magic is to strengthen the connection between two related entities, and as the developer, Lu Ke, has an intimate relationship with this magic.

While physical objects may not be transferable, the transmission of energy is effortless.

Some mages vaguely sensed something amiss, as they were unaware that Communication Magic could transmit magical power. They had assumed it was merely a simple magic for transmitting sound and images.

Now, with this revelation, they felt like they had been outmaneuvered.

However, with a formidable enemy approaching and the world on the brink of destruction, they had already accepted Lu Ke's decision. Thus, they reluctantly placed their hands on the communication talisman.

Magical power began to gather from all directions, like a trickle turning into a mighty river and ocean. A dazzling light emanated from Lu Ke's body.

The Saint Fighter's staff, adorned with the Flowing Gem and the Shiva Temple Bracelet, absorbed this immense power, doubling it and channeling it back into Lu Ke's body.

At this moment, Lu Ke's entire body radiated an intense light, and an overwhelmingly righteous aura enveloped him, making him appear like a savior descended upon the world.

On the other side, a rolling dark cloud hovered before Lu Ke, then dissipated, revealing a hideous and indescribable demonic figure within.

The radiant Saint and the pitch-black, sinister Devil faced off in the air, creating a starkly contrasting scene.

Good versus evil, rebirth versus destruction, the minuscule against the colossal, order against chaos...

These two diametrically opposed figures slowly approached each other under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

All the mages held their breath, their hearts racing, adrenaline surging, as they anxiously awaited the epic battle about to unfold. They silently prayed for Lu Ke, the Saint Fighter, to emerge victorious.

Lu Ke, adorned in a pristine white sacred robe, took a step forward, and with each step, the holy light on his body dimmed. Meanwhile, Lu Xie, with each step, transformed the hideous demonic body into a more ordinary appearance.

When the two were just a meter apart, the World Devourer revealed his true form—a young man in his twenties, with a handsome face and a tall stature. Aside from his crimson eyes, there was no indication of his true identity.

'It's the big guy!'

Xiao Yu exclaimed, shocked to see the Devil was the Mafia Boss who had taken her to the amusement park. Her cry went unheard as everyone's attention was fixed on the two figures in the air.

The Devil's transformation wasn't over.

The young man's body rapidly shrank, his features contorting and changing into a face all too familiar to the mages.

It was the face of Saint Fighter Lu Ke!

The mages' worldview shattered in that instant, overwhelmed by the revelation. They stared in disbelief, too stunned to speak, even forgetting to breathe.

How could this be?!

Why did the World Devourer have the same face as the Saint Fighter?!

'A little later than expected, isn't it?'

The benevolent Lu Ke smiled faintly.

'I still can't stand the sight of your foolish face. Let's get this over with.'

The malevolent Lu Ke, now in his original youthful form, scoffed and spread his arms.

'Well, I'm not too fond of being overly righteous either.'

Lu Ke shrugged and also spread his arms.

The two youths embraced, their bodies glowing with a white light, merging into one within the radiance.

When the light faded, an individual named 'Lu Ke' slowly opened his eyes, experiencing the fusion of two sets of memories.

It was a peculiar sensation, different from having an alter ego; both the benevolent and malevolent aspects were parts of himself, and this feeling was extraordinarily wondrous.

However, he had no desire to repeat the experience, fearing it might lead to a split personality if overused.

Lu Ke looked at the mages on the magic screen and smiled.

'I hereby announce...'

He scanned the mages who were still reeling from the revelation, watching through the Communication Magic, and slowly spoke.

'All White Aura Mages are to join the Dark Energy forces.'

A collective gasp filled the air.

With Lu Ke's reappearance and this command, the scales that had just been tipped back in favor of the benevolent Lu Ke by a hair's breadth now completely toppled.

It was as if all the weights had been placed on one side of the scale, leaving the other side empty.

Like an elevator with its cables and safety mechanisms severed, a large metal box plummeted from the sky. The balance between Dark Energy and Light Qi had been disrupted beyond repair, and no adjustments could restore it.

The fate of the world was now in the hands of the Dark Energy forces, and the balance had to be maintained; the fundamental rules of the world had to be followed.

Reluctantly, a pure white illusory gate opened in the air.

Through this gate, a white, hazy world could be seen, where time and space seemed to merge, indistinguishable from each other.

This was the abode of the Immortal Deities.

From ancient times, after the eight Immortal Deities sealed the Ancient Demon, countless millennia had passed, and now the gate was opened once more.

In the instant the gate appeared, nine pairs of eyes turned towards it, each gaze burning with an unstoppable intensity.

(End of Chapter)"

Chapter end