"How is this possible!" Susan Morrow was stunned. She had no idea why her left hand was suddenly glowing, nor why her son had appeared out of nowhere.
"What the heck!" Jonathan Black was shocked too. He'd guessed his cousin might have a backup plan, but he never expected it to show up in a way like this.
Their surprise only lasted an instant, but in that brief moment, the clash between the powerhouses had already begun at lightning speed.
The instant the golden light flashed, the Archmage switched tactics in a heartbeat. He skipped the endless casting time, instantly firing off spells—maybe not max damage, but flexible, rapid-fire attacks. Meanwhile, his magic surged like a tidal wave, and his gear lit up one after another. Defensive spells flew left and right, dazzling and overwhelming. With just a snap, he could throw up a shield strong enough to block even a full-blown army barrage for a moment.
He was sure that, right now on Earth, only the Black Death Emperor could break his shield in a single heartbeat. And a heartbeat was all he needed to size up the situation, analyze his enemy, pick a strategy, kite for distance, keep up the pressure, and if worst comes to worst, still snag the MVP award.
That's the power of being a mage.
Too bad Teacher Yang didn't give him even that snap of the fingers.
In the shower of golden sparks, three Sunfire Halos suddenly appeared behind Teacher Yang's head. In a blink, Teacher Yang unleashed his strongest combat power.
With a single step, Jack Young turned into a phantom, and the first Sunfire Halo burst into action.
Simulated Heavenly King Phenomenon—Life on the Line!
His eyes blazed with a ghostly light, and his super-perception stretched the timeline. With Life on the Line, he yanked that timeline even further. All those so-called instant-cast spells looked like slow-mo in his eyes—countless runes rising and swirling, but he saw through every last one of them.
Teacher Yang might not practice magic, but after his studies in the Lord of the Rings world, he's got the basics down cold.
Weaknesses? He could spot them like a neon sign.
With his second step, the phantom turned into a beam of light, and the second Sunfire Halo erupted.
Simulated Heavenly King Phenomenon—Moonlight Unveiled!
Pure, flawless moonlight rose over Infinity Promontory, flooding everything and slipping into every crack. The Archmage was wrapped in moonlight, as were the runes of those instant spells. The white light sliced into the gaps between runes, drilling straight through every weakness and flaw. The moonlight, cold as the Ninth Heaven, slowed spells, dulled reactions, and froze thoughts.
Speed up yourself, slow down your enemy—even the Archmage’s shift from cool and collected to totally freaked out was so slow it looked comical to Jack Young.
With the third step, all his innate energy exploded. Lunar Chill Essence blasted from every meridian, spiraling and twisting. The Xuan Divine Weapon embryo formed at his fingertips, and Jack Young vanished completely, leaving only his spirit, energy, and will—all fused into an unstoppable, peerless edge.
That edge flashed by in a split second.
Tap. The soft sound of footsteps. Jack Young reappeared from that razor-sharp cold light, standing calmly in the courtyard with his hands at his sides.
Behind him, at the Archmage’s spot, limitless magic swelled like a bomb, unleashing a spellstorm that shook the chaos. In no time, the Archmage had stacked up a ridiculous mountain of spells.
But in the next moment, that swelling vortex of magic froze—then collapsed.
Boom! The blast of magic whipped Jack Young’s robes, his wide sleeves billowing in the storm, but his face stayed perfectly calm.
"Absolutely stunning..." The Archmage stiffly turned, gazing at Jack Young’s back, his eyes full of awe. "That last move... it was just, absolutely..."
Pfft—before he could finish, a cold flash burst from the Archmage’s chest. Then, pfft pfft pfft, icy light erupted from every corner, every pore of his body. It wasn’t just leftover sword energy—it was his body falling apart, his magic self-destructing.
Internal Kung Fu, mage-special edition: one hit, instant kill!
Bang! The Archmage was blown to bits, his magical gear blasted into useless junk by the shockwave of his own destruction.
No small talk, no pleasantries—even though it was just a split second, Teacher Yang had already used every trick in the book.
The fight hit its peak—and then curtain call.
Life and death—all decided in a heartbeat.
Only now did Susan Morrow and Jonathan Black finally speak out in shock—then realized, in a daze, that the enemy was already dealt with.
Nope—Susan Morrow’s expression changed. As the dust settled, the Archmage was still standing right where he’d been!
Uh... but looking closer, the Archmage was kind of see-through now, like a glitchy 3D projection with bad signal, warping and twisting. He tried to speak, but his voice kept cutting out, like an old gramophone: "I... Master Nature... Second Unit... Sage... Who... are you?"
Second Unit? Sage? Jonathan Black’s liver quivered in fear—so this Archmage wasn’t actually Master Nature, just some 'Second Unit'? If Unit 3’s gone and now it’s Unit 2, does that mean Unit 1’s coming next? Is this gonna go on forever?!
"Wait till your real self shows up, then we’ll talk." Jack Young raised his right hand, holding a spinning Cube of Truth. He stared at it, ignoring the Archmage, since the guy was just like the Silver Priest—a leftover wisp of obsession and soul.
"So that’s how it is... I’m... not good enough..." The Archmage reached toward Jack Young’s back. "No matter... If I know someone like you exists... My real self will gladly come..."
"He won’t be showing up any time soon." Jack Young studied the Cube of Truth for a moment, then his whole aura exploded—he powered up, transforming into the Cold Jade Demon God. His black-and-white eyes locked onto the Cube, and a blast of cosmic cold erupted. Jack gripped the Cube hard—crack! The outer shell of light warped and split.
With the shell gone, Jack Young’s left hand flashed gold, and the half-broken Cube of Truth slipped smoothly into his Pocket Vault.
The cosmic cold faded, and Teacher Yang finally turned around: "You’re not the key. This cube is what matters. Without it, your master isn’t getting through so easily."
The Archmage’s face twisted: "How did you—!"
Jack Young waved his hand, his psychic power slicing like a sword—pop! The Archmage’s lingering soul vanished like a burst soap bubble. With a flick, two dim Sunfire Halos, faded from the Simulated Heavenly King Phenomenon, spun back into his palm.
Two dim, one bright—Jack Young cradled all three Sunfire Halos as he approached Susan Morrow and Jonathan Black. "Mom, cousin, she and I still can’t show up on Earth at the same time. We’re far away now, but this place keeps pushing me out—I’m about to disappear. I’ve taken the Cube of Truth, so Master Nature can’t track us so easily, but he won’t give up. He’ll be back."
"Uh..."
"Don’t worry, I’ll handle it." Jack Young beckoned, and the Sunfire Halo belonging to Jill Young flew out of Susan Morrow’s mental sea.