Jill Young crouched low and darted forward, her body trailing a succession of phantom images. She slipped past the Balrog’s furious blow as if she were a mirage, three dragon shadows twining around her waist, legs, and arms, merging into one seamless flow from top to bottom. With a stomp, a thrust of her hips, and a skyward punch, the three dragons fused into a single great dragon—The Sauce Root!
Boom! A skyward punch landed squarely on the Balrog’s jaw.
Splurt—fiery blood sprayed everywhere, and the Balrog’s head nearly snapped onto its own back, sent flying uncontrollably into the sky.
Thud! Thick lava churned into rolling waves beneath Jill’s feet as she shot upward, eyes flashing cold and electric, fist clenched for the chase.
Meanwhile, at the foot of Mount Doom, just as the elven archers loosed their arrows and the spider-mutant monsters swung their blades, a deafening thunderclap shook the earth. Pale lightning illuminated the entire battlefield in an instant. Even in the chaos, both sides—Light and Darkness—couldn’t help but turn and stare. What they saw left everyone, friend and foe alike, utterly stunned.
Whoosh—air currents went wild. Mana surged backward, and thick clouds at Mount Doom’s crater began swirling like the eye of a hurricane, spinning faster and faster in this world where science takes a back seat to magic. In a blink, the hellish clouds accelerated to a mind-boggling speed, defying all meteorological logic.
Even the garrison all the way over at Ironhold Fortress was rattled, with lookouts craning their necks so hard their chins nearly hit the watchtower. Lightning crackled like spiderwebs, slicing through the clouds from the depths of Mordor, sending chills down spines and bathing the world in blinding white. The strange field swept out in all directions, covering all of Mordor and the entire Doom Mountains in the blink of an eye.
Every soldier rushed out of the barracks, panic-stricken, gazing up at the sky. Even in far-off White City, nobles tumbled out of bed in a mess, scrambling for their prized spyglasses to peer toward Mordor. And once they saw it, their jaws just wouldn’t close.
“Th-this is—!” The soldiers were dumbfounded, unable to believe their eyes: “The thick clouds over Mount Doom, they—they’re gone?!” “No, it’s more than just gone—unlike two years ago, this time they’ve completely retreated!”
That’s right—the pitch-black hellish clouds churned like a bowl of soup being stirred, surging toward the volcano’s mouth with a thunderous roar. This wasn’t just a local phenomenon; it covered all of Mordor’s skies. Everywhere in Mordor, hellish mana shrank and converged along with those clouds.
From Deathswamp to Ghostpath Pass to Necropolis, hellish mana surged away in waves, leaving not a trace behind.
With the clouds gone, the sky appeared. A cool breeze swept in, natural mana rushing to fill the void, surging forward. Only then did everyone notice the heavy starlight overhead—it was the darkest hour before dawn.
The clouds galloped like wild horses across the steppe, endless and unstoppable, surging toward the volcano’s mouth like a wave of greasy smoke. Faint howls and thunderous blows echoed within the clouds, mingling with the rolling thunder overhead. The monsters exchanged pale glances—they knew only the commander could transmit orders through the toxic clouds. Judging by the sound, the commander was clearly in bad shape.
“Sauron’s evil curse is weakening, fading—he’s almost done for! Charge!” The Alliance of Light soldiers were fired up, their spirits soaring as hellish mana retreated, giving them a second wind to strike at the remaining monsters. Meanwhile, the monsters, though not completely stripped of hellish mana’s protection, were panicking, their morale dropping lower and lower—no longer able to fight the Alliance head-on.
Halfway up Mount Doom, flashes of lightning flickered at an insane rate—the three-way battle had reached a white-hot frenzy.
“This scene—looks just like when the Black Death Emperor showed up!” Jasper Xiao managed a quick glance at the sky in the middle of the chaos, took a sword slash from the wind, then slammed shield-first into the Great Winged Demon trying to break out. Boom! The Great Winged Demon was barely hindered, but Jasper was sent flying, his shield shattering with a loud crack.
He spat out a mouthful of stone chips, wiped the blood off his forehead, and burst out laughing: “You guys can cause such a ruckus now? Looks like you’ll catch up to the Black Death Emperor in no time!”
“Just a knockoff—a high-end imitation, that’s all. If you want, I can set you up with one next time!” Jack Young seized the opening, elbows up, closing in for a point-blank brawl with the Great Winged Demon. The demon swung fists and swords at lightning speed, but Jack stuck close, giving it no room to use its strength.
Shorter reach, greater risk—this close-quarters fight was unusually dangerous. Jack’s eyes flashed cold, hair and beard bristling. His elbows struck swift and hard—bang, bang, bang—hitting the demon’s weakest spots, jamming up its punches and sword swings. His hands kept waving in front of the demon’s visor, trying to block its sight and mess up its moves.
But by now, the Great Winged Demon had learned a trick or two. It knew Teacher Yang’s skills were wild, but brute force could break through.
“Roar—!” The Great Winged Demon let out a howl, ignoring defense entirely and smashing its head straight at Jack Young.
Jack’s elbows snapped up like scissors, jamming into the demon’s throat with a crack. But his face flushed red, and the ground split beneath his feet—he couldn’t withstand the sheer force, his body bending under the pressure. The demon’s strength was leagues above his; brute force was a losing game.
“Ha!” Jack roared, his whole body shrinking and swelling. His spine arched like a drawn bow, snapping back in segments. Within that tiny space, his elbows struck again and again—bam!—making the demon pause just long enough for him to regroup.
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^—click next page to keep reading!
With a twist and a stomp, Jack stepped out in a Bagua pattern and instantly appeared behind the Great Winged Demon. Dragon force surged, coiling around his right arm, powering up for three consecutive elbow strikes—all landing on the same spot at the back of the demon’s neck. Skin vibrated, bones rang, and the combo elbow plus mountain-crushing technique hit home!
Bang bang bang! After the triple strike, the Great Winged Demon was left a bit dizzy from the overlapping shockwaves. Jasper Xiao didn’t waste the opening—he swung his warhammer and charged. He didn’t even bother aiming for vital spots, knowing neither of them could break through the demon’s defenses. He just swung the hammer in a wide arc, smashing down hard on the demon’s wrist.
Clang—! The dark greatsword spun out of its grip, flying away. Jack didn’t hesitate, his palm forming a grip as frigid yin energy condensed into an ice dart. He spun and flung a streak of light—ding!—the ice dart struck the sword hilt, sending the greatsword flying off the cliff. In this steep mountain terrain, a single slip meant disaster. The dark greatsword plummeted far below, and the demon’s threat dropped with it.
“Nice!” Jasper Xiao pumped his fist in excitement. “No sword, no bite—just a tin can now! Let’s keep going!”
But the Great Winged Demon didn’t panic. Ignoring their relentless attacks, it suddenly reached out its right hand toward the falling sword, fingers spread wide. Mysterious black-red runes flashed across the sword’s blade. With a hum, the sword hovered in midair, then shot back like a missile, aiming straight for Jasper Xiao’s back.
“Damn—! It’s got tricks like a sword immortal from Mount Shu! Can we even win at this point?” Jasper narrowly dodged the stab, a lock of hair drifting to the ground, cold sweat popping out on his back. “It even has Blade Demon skills—now we’re really in trouble!”
“Don’t panic—it can only recall its weapon, not control it at will.” Teacher Yang stepped forward, doing everything he could to stop the Great Winged Demon from stirring up trouble at the volcano’s mouth. “Twenty seconds left—whatever happens, we have to hold it!”
“Aaargh!” Jasper Xiao and Jack Young roared together, charging in and clinging to the Great Winged Demon. Right now, Mount Doom was still in chaos, and even the demon couldn’t help but howl in frustration, throwing heavy blows left and right.
Twenty seconds—twenty crazy, legendary seconds.
The Great Winged Demon was born to fly, fast as lightning. Its attacks were unstoppable; its defenses, unbreakable—making it nearly the perfect powerhouse. Its natural armor, unlike anything made by hand, had no gaps, no weak spots. On these steep cliffs, it had a massive advantage. A single flap of its wings could send it soaring into the volcano’s mouth. But thanks to Jack and Jasper’s relentless tangle, it just couldn’t cross that short distance.
Fifteen seconds!
The Great Winged Demon, Jack Young, and Jasper Xiao tangled together in a blur of light atop the cliffs of Mount Doom. White, blue, and black-red flashes exploded again and again, unleashing mind-blowing power. Jack, in particular, was turning his agility into a true art form. His ice-dust counterattacks blasted through the air like anti-aircraft fire, bursting in midair. Blue-white beams darted and refracted, stabbing repeatedly through the void—becoming the demon’s biggest headache.
Ten seconds!
Overhead, the hellish clouds churned into a sky-filling mass, while sparse starlight shone down on the foot of Mount Doom. A cool, natural breeze swept across the battlefield, soldiers feeling reinvigorated while monsters wilted—making the balance of power even clearer.
At this world-shifting moment, the Great Winged Demon finally snapped.
“ROAR—!!” It threw its head back and howled, ripping a massive chunk of mana from the clouds like gulping air before a dive, sucking it all in. Boom—black-red light exploded, flames blazing across its black armor. Destructive power radiated everywhere as the demon charged straight for the mountaintop, all caution thrown aside.
Five seconds!
"Don't even think about it!" Jasper Xiao, paying no mind to his injuries, shouted and dove straight for the Great Winged Demon. Holy white flames collided with the demon's black-red fire, sparking a terrifying clash. Within seconds, Jasper was covered in scorch marks. He swung his fists wildly, brawling like a street thug, hammering away at the demon with no regard for technique.
Four seconds!
"Hah—!" Jack Young darted in, both knees slamming into the demon's shoulders as he unleashed all his internal power for a thousand-pound drop. His hands, sharp as blades, chopped at the demon's temples in rapid succession, sounding like war drums. Black-red flames scorched his icy body, ice shards bursting with every hit. Jack gritted his teeth, chopping away like mad, doing everything he could to throw off the demon.
Three seconds!
The Great Winged Demon couldn't bother with its foes any longer. Dragging both of them along, it barreled toward the mountain pass. Their airborne brawl sent its flight zigzagging, but the demon was unstoppable, surging toward the top of Mount Doom. When you’ve got brute strength, sometimes the simplest approach is the best.
Two seconds!
Clouds overhead kept shrinking into the volcano's mouth—just a bit more and the ritual would be complete. But the Great Winged Demon seized the last moment, climbing higher and higher. Like a bomber, it blasted toward the volcano’s edge, determined to snuff out the source of the mutation.
One second!
So close—just a hair away! One second may be gone in a blink, but for the strong, it’s a universe apart. Miss that one second, and your whole plan could go up in smoke.
But right then, just as the Great Winged Demon peeked over the volcano’s rim, there was a loud bang—something shot out from the crater and smacked the demon square on the forehead.