Chapter 279 [mother box Technology Mastery]
Batman's question hung in the air.
Everyone in the conference room stared at Chu Hang.
Superman crossed his arms, Wonder Woman rested her hand on the lasso of truth, Flash stopped shaking his leg, and Aquaman leaned forward as well.
Chu Hang did not answer immediately.
He scanned the room and finally looked at Batman.
Bruce Wayne's eyes were full of vigilance; this was his standard reaction to all unknown threats.
"Who I am is not important."
Chu Hang raised his right hand, and a dark green ring appeared in his palm, its surface engraved with complex runes. "What matters is that I am qualified to stand here."
Hal Jordan stood up, his pupils contracting. "Is that... a Guardian's ring?"
"Ganthet gave it to me personally."
Chu Hang took the ring back; this was a token of trust."
Everyone was stunned.
"How could the Guardian give you this ring?"
Hal said in a deep voice, "What exactly did you do?"
"Repelled an invasion by the Anti-Monitor and saved the Green Lanterns of three sectors along the way."
Chu Hang shrugged. "It's that simple."
Superman and Wonder Woman exchanged glances.
They had just witnessed Chu Hang devouring the Anti-Monitor's projection of will; that kind of power was beyond their understanding.
Batman was silent for a few seconds. "What is your true purpose for coming to this Universe?"
"To stop the Anti-Monitor from collecting the anti-life equation."
Chu Hang did not hide anything. "If he succeeds, the entire Multiverse will fall. My mission is to get the fragments before he does, or destroy his plan."
"Sounds noble."
Batman's tone was sarcastic. "But why should we trust you?"
Chu Hang looked at him. "You don't have to. But right now, you have no choice."
He waved his hand, and the holographic projection in the center of the conference room lit up.
The map of Queens, New York, was clearly displayed, with a red dot blinking underground in an abandoned industrial area.
"The fragment of the anti-life equation is here. We leave now, and we still have a chance to get it before the Anti-Monitor."
Chu Hang turned to Cyborg. "Victor, use the mother box to scan this coordinate."
Cyborg hesitated for a moment and looked at Batman.
Bruce stared at Chu Hang for a few seconds and nodded.
Blue light shone in Cyborg's right eye, and the mother boxtechnology began to operate.
Data streams flashed rapidly across his vision; geological structures, energy fluctuations, spatial density—all information was being parsed in real-time.
But halfway through the scan, his body froze.
"What's wrong?"
Superman noticed the abnormality.
Cyborg's voice trembled. "There is... some kind of barrier there. The mother box cannot penetrate it."
Chu Hang walked to his side and placed his hand on Cyborg's shoulder.
In that very instant.
The mother box technology inside Cyborg resonated with Chu Hang's Alchemy Law.
Those obscure Apokolips runes became clear and transparent in Chu Hang's perception.
The construction principles of the Boom Tube, the core logic of energy conversion, and even the mark of will Darkseid left deep within the mother box were all laid bare before him.
[S-Rank Ability Detected: mother box Technology Mastery]
[Copy?]
Chu Hang thought to himself: Copy.
A massive torrent of knowledge flooded into his mind.
Tens of thousands of years of Apokolips's technological accumulation became a part of him at this moment.
The entire process took less than three seconds.
Cyborg only felt a gentle energy coming from his shoulder, and the barrier blocking the scan was torn open.
Data surged back in, and the image three hundred meters underground was clearly presented on the holographic projection.
"This..."
Cyborg looked at Chu Hang in disbelief. "What did you do?"
"Helped you open a door."
Chu Hang withdrew his hand. "Continue the scan."
Batman's gaze became even sharper.
He noticed Chu Hang's action just now, and also the Flashof shock on Cyborg's face.
This person could not only devour the Anti-Monitor's will but also interfere with Apokolips's technology?
On the holographic projection, the underground structure gradually became clear.
It was an abandoned subway tunnel, buried deep beneath the industrial area of Queens.
At the end of the tunnel was a sealed space, and energy readings indicated the presence of some kind of high-density anomalous matter there.
"Found it."
Cyborg pointed at the projection. "It's right here. But... there are Life signals around it. At least thirty, and the fluctuations are very abnormal."
"What do you mean?"
Flash leaned over.
"Their brainwaves are almost identical, as if synchronized by some kind of power. Heartbeat, breathing, neural activity—all exhibit mechanical regularity."
Wonder Woman gripped her sword. "Controlled?"
"Or rather, corrupted."
Chu Hang looked at the projection. "The fragment of the anti-life equation radiates mental pollution. Exposed to its influence for a long time, Life will lose its own will and become puppets that only know how to obey and kill."
Superman's expression darkened. "Can those people still be saved?"
"It depends. If the corruption isn't deep, I can try. But if they have been completely assimilated..."
He didn't finish, but everyone understood.
Batman stood up. "We need a detailed action plan."
"The plan is simple."
Chu Hang didn't look back. "I'll take the lead, you follow. If you encounter puppets, clear them; if you encounter the fragment, seal it. If Darkseid or the Anti-Monitor's people show up, I'll handle them."
"This is not a plan, this is recklessness."
Chu Hang stopped and looked back at him. "Do you have a better way?"
Batman was silent.
"Let's go."
Superman walked to Chu Hang's side. "We have no time to waste."
Five minutes later, a Boom Tube tore open outside the Watchtower.
Chu Hang, leading the core members of the Justice League, disappeared into the void.
---
New York, Queens, abandoned industrial area.
The Boom Tube tore open outside a rusty factory building, and Chu Hang stepped out first.
The night was heavy, and the surroundings were dead silent.
"There is a smell of blood in the air."
Chu Hang scanned the surroundings.
Superman took a deep breath. "I hear heartbeats, many of them, but the frequency is exactly the same. They are underground."
Batman took out a detector. "The entrance is on the east side, an abandoned subway tunnel."
"Let's go."
Passing through several dilapidated factory buildings, they arrived at an entrance sealed off by an iron fence.
A "Danger, No Entry" warning sign hung on the fence, the rust having corroded the text until it was blurry and illegible.
Flash touched the fence. "This lock looks like it hasn't been touched in a long time."
As soon as he finished speaking, the fence clicked and opened automatically.
Everyone looked at Chu Hang.
Chu Hang withdrew his hand, a trace of golden light still lingering in his palm. "Don't waste time."
The tunnel was narrow, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
The walls were covered in graffiti and mold, and the stagnant water underfoot emitted a pungent stench.
The further down they went, the more oppressive the air became.
After walking for about five minutes, a rusty iron door appeared at the end of the tunnel.
There was no handle on the door, only a recessed circular groove.
Cyborg stepped forward to scan it. "It requires a specific energy frequency to open."
"Move aside."
Chu Hang walked to the door and placed his hand on the groove.
The power of the Alchemy Law surged in, and the mechanical structure inside the iron door was parsed and reconstructed.
With a click, the door slowly opened.
A strong smell of blood rushed towards them.
Superman rushed in first, his Heat Vision illuminating the darkness.
Then he stopped.
The scene before them made everyone gasp.
This was a huge underground space, which should have been a subway platform, but it had now turned into some kind of eerie altar.
The walls were painted with black runes, and dozens of corpses—or rather, things that used to be human—lay on the ground.
Their skin was an unnatural grayish-white, and there were no pupils in their eyes, only pitch blackness.
Their bodies were twisted into various impossible positions, but their chests were still rising and falling faintly.
"They are still alive."
Wonder Woman whispered.
"No, they are already dead."
Chu Hang walked to the nearest corpse and crouched down to examine it. "It's just that their bodies are still functioning. Their consciousnesses were erased long ago."
Batman scanned a corpse. "Brainwaves are almost zero, but the nervous system is still active. This does not conform to any known biological laws."
"Because this is not biology, it is conceptual corruption."
Chu Hang stood up and cast his gaze toward the center of the space.
A black crystal, about the size of a fist, floated there, with strange patterns flowing on its surface.
The space around the crystal was slightly distorted.
"The fragment of the anti-life equation."
Superman said in a deep voice.
Just then, the corpses lying on the ground moved.
They stood up in unison, their movements stiff and mechanical, their hollow eyes staring at the intruders.
"Prepare for battle." Batman said in a low voice.
But before they could even make a move, a massive mental pressure descended.
Superman grunted and dropped to one knee. Wonder Woman's hand holding the sword trembled, and Flashcollapsed directly to the ground. Batman covered his head, veins bulging on his forehead.
Only Chu Hang remained standing.
He raised his right hand, and a soft white-gold light lit up in his palm. The Mind Stone Law fused with Professor X's telepathic ability, transforming into an invisible barrier that enveloped everyone.
The mental pressure receded.
Superman stood up, panting heavily: "Thanks."
"Don't relax," Chu Hang stared at the crystal, "The real trouble has only just begun."
As soon as he finished speaking, space vibrated.
A massive rift tore open above the crystal, and countless black figures poured out. Parademons, Darkseid's army. They let out piercing shrieks, brandishing energy weapons as they lunged at the Justice League.
At the same time, on the other side of the underground space, another rift opened.
This time, Shadow Demons appeared—the minions of the Anti-Monitor.
Two forces descended simultaneously, both targeting the floating crystal.
Chu Hang narrowed his eyes: "Interesting. It seems we aren't the only ones who have our eyes on this thing."
He turned to the Justice League members behind him: "You deal with the Parademons, leave the Shadow Demons to me."
"By yourself?" Batman frowned.
"By myself."
Chu Hang flashed, charging into the group of Shadow Demons.
Superman and Wonder Woman exchanged a glance and turned to face the Parademons.
The three-way melee began.
Chu Hang weaved through the Shadow Demons, and with every wave of his hand, dozens of black shadows were decomposed into basic particles by the Alchemy Law. His movements appeared casual but were precise to the extreme, with every strike hitting the core of a Shadow Demon perfectly.
On the other side, Superman and Wonder Woman joined forces to fight the army of Parademons. Clark's Heat Vision swept across, turning swaths of Parademons into charcoal. Diana brandished her sword, the lasso of truthacting like the scythe of the God of Death, reaping one enemy after another.
But the number of Parademons was too high.
They poured out from the rift endlessly. Worse still, these Parademons were clearly reinforced, their skin covered in a layer of dark gold armor capable of withstanding Superman's Heat Vision.
Flash moved at high speed, attempting to flank the Parademons, but was struck by an energy whip from one of them, sending him flying and crashing heavily into the wall.
Cyborg's mother box cannons fired at full power, but the effect was limited. The armor of these Parademonsseemed specifically optimized against energy attacks.
Batman hid behind cover, throwing explosive Batarangs one after another. He knew clearly that with his combat power, he could only provide support in a battle of this level.
"Victor, analyze their weaknesses!" Batman shouted over the communicator.
Cyborg's right eye flashed with blue light: "Armor coverage is ninety-five percent, but there are gaps at the joints! Attack their knees and elbows!"
"Received!" Wonder Woman immediately adjusted her tactics, her sword piercing precisely into the joints of the Parademons. Those seemingly indestructible monsters became sluggish after their joints were destroyed.
Superman also changed his strategy, no longer using Heat Vision for frontal attacks, but instead using super speed for close-quarters combat, specifically targeting their weak points.
The tide of battle began to turn.
But just then, an anomaly occurred on Chu Hang's side.
The group of Shadow Demons stopped attacking and retreated in unison, clearing a path. A tall figure slowly walked out from the rift, shrouded in black mist, with only a pair of scarlet eyes visible.
"An apostle of the Anti-Monitor." Chu Hang narrowed his eyes.
The figure did not speak, only raised a hand and clenched it into a fist toward the floating crystal.
The crystal began to tremble, and the patterns on its surface grew brighter. A terrifying mental wave erupted from within, causing the entire underground space to shake violently.
"Not good!" Cyborg's expression changed drastically, "It's forcibly activating the fragment!"
Chu Hang understood the opponent's intention. The Anti-Monitor's apostle was not here to seize the fragment, but to detonate it. Once the fragment went out of control, the entire East Coast would be swallowed by the energy of the anti-life equation.
"Everyone, retreat!" Chu Hang shouted, waving his right hand violently.
A massive Spatial Rift tore open behind the Justice Leaguemembers, and a powerful suction force pulled them all inside. Superman tried to resist, but Chu Hang's mental power directly suppressed his consciousness, forcibly sending him away.
The rift closed, and only Chu Hang, the Anti-Monitor's apostle, and the crystal about to lose control remained in the underground space.
"Do you think you can stop me by sacrificing yourself?" The apostle's voice was low and raspy.
Chu Hang did not answer, only raised both hands, with thirteen colors of light shining in his palms.
Space, Power, Time, Reality, Life, Death, Spirit, Alchemy, Devour, Light, Darkness, Phoenix, Greed.
Thirteen types of Law Power circulated wildly within him, forming a massive Law Domain that enveloped the entire underground space.
"I'm not here to stop you," Chu Hang curled his lips into a cold smile, "I'm here to devour it."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot, and the next second he appeared in front of the crystal.
The apostle's expression changed drastically, wanting to stop him, but it was already too late.
Chu Hang pressed both hands onto the crystal, and the concept of Greed was pushed to the limit. The fragment that was about to go out of control, along with the anti-life equation energy contained within it, were all swallowed into his body.
Intense pain struck him.
The power of the anti-life equation rampaged within his body, attempting to erase his self-will. But Chu Hanggritted his teeth, using the thirteen types of Law Power to suppress it firmly, digesting, transforming, and absorbing this power bit by bit.
The apostle let out an angry roar, turning into black mist and charging at Chu Hang.
But just as he was about to touch Chu Hang, a golden barrier appeared, knocking him flying.
"Get lost." Chu Hang's voice was icy and bone-chilling.
The next second, the entire underground space collapsed.
Parademons, Shadow Demons, and the apostle were all buried under the ruins.
And Chu Hang had already vanished into the void.
Watchtower, medical bay.
Superman opened his eyes abruptly, panting heavily.
"Clark!" Wonder Woman supported him, "Are you okay?"
"I..." Superman looked around, discovering that everyone was there, except for Chu Hang, "Where is he? Where is that person?"
Batman stood by the window, his back to the group: "I don't know. After the Spatial Rift closed, we lost his signal."
"Damn it!" Superman slammed his fist onto the bed, "We shouldn't have left him behind!"
"Do you think you could have changed anything by staying?" Batman turned around, "He is stronger than any of us. If even he couldn't solve it, we would only be throwing our lives away by staying."
Superman fell silent.
Just then, the communicator rang.
Cyborg answered, and Chu Hang's face appeared on the screen.
"Still alive?" Batman raised an eyebrow.
"Of course." Chu Hang's voice sounded a bit weary, "The fragment has been sealed by me. The Anti-Monitor's apostle is also buried under the ruins and won't appear again for a short time."
"Then where are you now?" Superman asked.
"Handling some private matters." Chu Hang paused, "By the way, Cyborg, there is a problem with the mother boxinside you."
Cyborg was stunned: "What problem?"
"Darkseid left a will imprint deep within the mother box. Over time, your humanity will be swallowed by mechanical divinity, eventually turning you into his puppet." Chu Hang's tone was very calm, "I have already helped you suppress it, but it treats the symptoms, not the root cause. When I finish what I'm working on, I will come to help you solve it completely."
Cyborg's face instantly turned pale.
Batman narrowed his eyes: "How do you know that?"
"Because I just copied the core technology of the mother box. I also happened to see the backdoor left by Darkseid. Rest assured, I have no interest in controlling you all."
The communication cut off.
The medical bay fell into a long silence.
Finally, it was Superman who broke the deadlock: "Should we trust him?"
Batman did not answer, only staring at the starry sky outside the window.
And on the distant Apokolips, Darkseid sat on his throne, his scarlet eyes narrowing slightly.
"Interesting bug," he muttered to himself, "To actually dare to pry into my power."
He raised his hand and clenched it toward the void.
"Go, bring him back."
Chapter 280 Steppenwolf
The far side of the Moon, Eternal Night Zone.
Chu Hang sat cross-legged at the bottom of a crater, surrounded by grayish-white dust that hadn't changed for hundreds of millions of years.
Earth hung overhead, its blue light dazzling.
He closed his eyes, the fragment of the anti-life equationwithin him going insane.
That thing was not matter, but a concept—the ultimate rule capable of erasing all free will and turning living beings into puppets.
It screamed inside Chu Hang's mind, attempting to wipe out his will.
Chu Hang did not resist.
He used the power of thirteen Laws to construct a furnace, trapping the thing inside.
The Alchemy Law dismantled its structure, the Devouring Law digested its energy, and the Concept of Greed tore and swallowed it like a hungry wolf.
The pain was real.
Cold sweat streamed down his forehead, and the veins beneath his skin bulged, turning black. That was the anti-life equation corroding him. But every time the black spread too far, the golden Alchemy Law forced it back.
A tug-of-war ensued.
As time passed, the black markings spread slower and slower.
The Concept of Greed within him began to transform—it had originally only been able to swallow energy and matter, but now it was starting to touch deeper things.
Will, concept, existence.
The dust on the Moon's surface suddenly trembled.
Chu Hang opened his eyes, and a golden light flashed deep within his pupils.
A gap tore open in the void, green energy surging out, accompanied by mechanical roaring.
Hundreds of Parademons poured out of the tunnel, brandishing energy weapons, circling and roaring above the Moon.
Then, a towering figure stepped out.
Three meters tall, gray skin, red eyes. He wore an old armor and carried a massive Electric Axe on his shoulder, the blade still stained with blood.
Steppenwolf—Darkseid's uncle, the Conqueror of Apokolips.
He stood at the edge of the crater, looking down at Chu Hang, a grin splitting his mouth.
"You are the insect who stole my nephew's property?"
His voice was deep and hoarse, transmitted through the vacuum via some energy fluctuation. He raised the Electric Axe, arcs of electricity dancing on the blade.
"Darkseid instructed me to bring you back. Alive or dead, he doesn't care."
Chu Hang stood up, dusting the moon dust off his body. The black markings had vanished.
"You're too late. The item is already mine."
Steppenwolf laughed, the kind of laugh reserved for those accustomed to the struggles of the weak.
He leaped down from the crater edge, slamming heavily into the ground ten meters in front of Chu Hang, sending moon dust flying.
"Yours?"
He advanced step by step, shouldering the Electric Axe.
"Little insect, do you know what you are saying? That is a fragment of the anti-life equation, a treasure My LordDarkseid has sought for millennia. Do you think your mortal body can withstand it?"
He stopped three meters away, his red eyes scrutinizing Chu Hang.
"No matter. Since you swallowed it, I will take your entire body back. My Lord Darkseid will personally dig the fragment out of your corpse."
The Electric Axe whistled as it swung down.
The energy on the axe blade left a green trajectory in the vacuum; this strike could cleave a battleship or cut an asteroid in half.
Chu Hang raised his right hand, spreading his five fingers.
Clang—
The sound of metal colliding reverberated in the vacuum.
The Electric Axe was caught by his bare hand. Not an energy shield, not a Law Barrier, but pure flesh and blood, five fingers clamping onto the axe blade.
Steppenwolf's smile froze.
He pushed down hard, muscles bulging, all the energy circuits on his armor lighting up. The Electric Axe remained motionless.
"How is this possible..."
"The power of your new gods comes from mother boxtechnology."
Chu Hang's voice was unhurried.
"Energy circuits, matter restructuring, spatial jumping—fundamentally, they are all applications of the Universe's basic Laws."
He exerted slight pressure with his fingers, and the energy circuits on the Electric Axe began to flicker.
"But you are only applying them. And I have already grasped their essence."
Crack—
The Electric Axe broke.
It wasn't snapped; it disintegrated at the molecular level. The Apokolips alloy was reduced to elemental particles under the effect of the Alchemy Law, reforming into a pile of metallic dust.
Steppenwolf stared at the half-handle in his hand.
"Impossible! This is the most durable alloy on Apokolips! Even Kryptonian Heat Vision wouldn't—"
"Shut up."
Chu Hang released his hand, and the metallic dust drifted away in the low gravity. He looked up at the army of Parademons circling above.
"How many did you bring? Three hundred? Five hundred?"
Steppenwolf took a step back and waved his hand. All the Parademons turned toward Chu Hang, their energy weapons fully charged.
"Kill him!"
Hundreds of energy beams shot out simultaneously, converging into a net of Death on the Moon's surface.
Chu Hang loosely clenched his right hand into a fist.
An invisible fluctuation erupted from his body, covering the entire battlefield. That was the core frequency of mother box technology, the underlying protocol for all Apokolipscreations.
The Parademons froze.
They hung suspended in mid-air, energy weapons still charging, their bodies completely rigid.
Steppenwolf's expression changed drastically: "What did you do to them?!"
"Nothing much. I just rewrote the control permissions. Now, they obey me."
He gave a Snap.
All the Parademons turned, aiming their energy weapons at Steppenwolf.
"No—"
Steppenwolf roared, powerful energy fluctuations bursting from his body. He was a New God, a General of Apokolips; it was impossible for his own army to betray him!
The roar stopped abruptly the next second.
A far more powerful force descended. It wasn't physical suppression, but conceptual dominance. Steppenwolf felt his will being torn, corroded, and devoured.
He looked down and saw Chu Hang's eyes.
Something was burning in those eyes. It wasn't Fire, but something purer—the desire to possess everything, insatiable Greed, an abyss capable of swallowing all things.
"Kneel."
Chu Hang's voice was soft, but every word struck Steppenwolf's Soul like a heavy hammer.
This was not a command; it was a rule. The absolute right of dominance granted by the anti-life equation.
Steppenwolf's knees began to bend. He fought desperately, mobilizing all the power within him, but it was useless. His will was collapsing, his self dissolving, until only one thought remained—
Obey.
Bang—
Steppenwolf knelt on the Moon's surface, his forehead touching the dust.
Chu Hang walked up to him and placed his hand on his head.
"Let me see where Apokolips is."
---
Steppenwolf's consciousness was torn open like cloth, offering no resistance.
Apokolips's coordinates, defensive layout, troop deployment, and energy core location—all information flooded into Chu Hang's mind.
He saw the steel Planet floating in the void, saw countless Parademon factories operating day and night, and saw Darkseid sitting on his throne, looking down upon all things.
More importantly, he saw the manufacturing process of the mother box.
That was the core of Apokolips technology, the source of the new gods' power. Countless runes unfolded in Chu Hang's consciousness: spatial folding, energy conversion, matter restructuring, Life modification—all the technology was laid bare before him.
Chu Hang released his hand.
Steppenwolf collapsed onto the ground, bleeding from his nose and mouth, his eyes unfocused. His consciousness was still present, but it had been utterly defeated.
"Interesting."
Chu Hang looked at his palm, where golden runes flowed beneath the skin.
"Darkseid's mother box technology is certainly exquisite, but that's all there is to it."
He looked up at the Boom Tube that had not yet closed. The other end of the tunnel was Apokolips's Teleportation Hub, where thousands of Life signals were waiting for news of Steppenwolf's victory.
Chu Hang smiled.
He stepped on Steppenwolf's back, pinning him into the moon dust. Then he raised his right hand, loosely clenching his five fingers toward the tunnel.
Space began to distort.
The Boom Tube, which should have been controlled by Steppenwolf, began to operate in reverse under Chu Hang's command. The Teleportation Hub on the other side of the tunnel shook violently, and alarms blared.
Chu Hang picked up Steppenwolf and tossed him into the tunnel like garbage.
"Take a message back to Darkseid."
His voice was transmitted through the mother boxfrequency across the entire Teleportation Hub.
"I will personally visit him on Apokolips. Tell him to wait on his throne."
He flicked his finger.
Massive energy poured into the tunnel, instantly overloading the Teleportation Hub. A violent explosion was heard from Apokolips's side, and thousands of Soldiers were reduced to ashes in the blast.
The tunnel collapsed.
But in the final moment of collapse, Chu Hang saw those eyes.
Crimson red, filled with the desire for destruction and Conqueror.
Darkseid.
He sat on his throne, staring back at Chu Hang across the collapsing Spatial Rift. There was no anger, no shock, only the indifference of assessing prey.
The tunnel completely closed.
---
The Moon's surface returned to silence.
Chu Hang stood at the bottom of the crater, surrounded by hundreds of Parademons who had lost control and collapsed on the ground. He looked down at his hands; the runes on his palms had vanished, but the power still flowed within him.
The fragment of the anti-life equation was completely digested by him.
It was no longer an independent concept but had become part of "Greed." Now, Chu Hang could not only devour energy and matter but also conceptually seize an opponent's control, will, and even existence itself.
He looked up at Earth.
"Darkseid..."
He murmured to himself.
"It seems I need to go meet you sooner than planned."
He did not leave immediately.
He closed his eyes, sensing the newly acquired power within him. The anti-life equation fragment had completely merged with the Concept of Greed, but this fusion brought not only an increase in strength but also a certain deeper resonance.
It was a familiar feeling.
Chu Hang frowned, his consciousness sinking inward. Thirteen Laws rotated at his core, each emitting a unique fluctuation. But when he focused his attention on the anti-life equation fragment, he noticed an anomaly.
This power resonated with something in the Marvel Universe.
Not the Space Stone, not the Power Stone, but—the Mind Stone.
The essence of the anti-life equation is the erasure of free will, and the core ability of the Mind Stone is the manipulation of consciousness. The two are conceptually linked, like two sides of the same coin—one is absolute dominance, the other is subtle guidance.
"Interesting. If I could fuse the two..."
He didn't dwell on it. Now was not the time for such research.
Darkseid was targeting him, and the Apokolips army could descend at any moment. More importantly, the threat of the Council of Kangs was not yet resolved, and the Anti-Monitor was also stirring in the Void Layer.
Chu Hang raised his right hand, and complex mother boxrunes appeared in his palm. The runes intertwined and reformed in the air, condensing into a fist-sized golden cube.
This was a beacon he created using mother boxtechnology.
As long as Darkseid dared to step into the Main Universe, this beacon would lock onto his position and transmit the coordinates to Chu Hang. At that point, Darkseid wouldn't be looking for him; he would be looking for Darkseid.
Chu Hang stored the beacon within his body, turned around, and tore open a Spatial Rift.
The other end of the rift was the Avengers Base in the Main Universe.
But just as he was about to step through, the Moon's surface trembled.
It wasn't a physical tremor, but a fluctuation on the spatio-temporal level.
Chu Hang stopped and turned his head toward the sky.
In the void, a subtle fissure was slowly expanding.
That was neither a Boom Tube nor a spatial jump, but a higher-dimensional power tearing open Reality.
The edge of the fissure flickered with strange purple light, and countless twisted figures were vaguely visible inside.
Chu Hang narrowed his eyes.
He recognized the essence of that power—Time Paradox.
The Council of Kangs. They had finally found him.
Chu Hang did not panic, standing silently in place, watching the fissure slowly widen. He could sense dozens of Kang variants on the other side of the fissure, each mastering the power of a different timeline, and each waiting for the optimal moment.
Because Chu Hang had become the Multiverse's greatest variable.
His very existence was a threat to the sacred timeline.
Chu Hang smiled.
He raised his hand and flipped the fissure the middle finger.
Then he turned, stepped into the Spatial Rift, and vanished from the far side of the Moon.
The fissure stopped expanding, and the purple light slowly receded.
But just before the fissure closed completely, a voice emerged from it.
"Interesting."
It was a young voice, full of playfulness and curiosity.
"We will meet again."
The fissure closed completely, and the Moon returned to silence.
Only the collapsed Parademons on the ground silently attested to everything that had just happened.
---
Meanwhile, on the distant Apokolips, Darkseid slowly rose to his feet.
The floor of the throne hall began to shake, countless Parademon factories activated simultaneously, and the entire Planet entered a state of war.
"An interesting insect."
Darkseid whispered, his crimson eyes igniting with the light of the Omega Effect.
"To dare to deliver himself right to my doorstep."
He raised his hand and clenched it toward the void.
"Then I shall show you what a true God is."
Chapter 281: Earth's new gods
A Spatial Rift tore open above the Avengers Base, and the moment Chu Hang landed, his main body sensed it.
"Looks like there's an unexpected gain this time," Chu Hang said to his clone.
The clone spread his hands, "I don't have a habit of returning empty-handed." With that, he transformed into specks of light and merged into Chu Hang's body.
Tony rushed over. Although he was already used to the Spatial Rifts created by Chu Hang, he couldn't help but complain, "Can't you be a little quieter? You always make such a fuss every time you come over."
Chu Hang didn't answer. He raised his right hand, and a fist-sized golden cube, covered in intricate runes, appeared in his palm.
Tony's pupils contracted: "What is that?"
"A mother box. Apokolips' core technology in the DC Universe."
Chu Hang tossed the cube to him.
"Take it and study it. I need it in three days."
Tony caught the mother box. As soon as his fingers touched its surface, Jarvis's alarm blared inside his armor.
Energy readings surged beyond what the instruments could measure, and runes crawled across the metal surface like living things, attempting to invade the system.
"Damn it—"
Tony wanted to throw it, but Chu Hang waved his hand. Golden light enveloped the mother box, and the runes quieted down.
"Don't be nervous. I've rewritten its underlying protocol. Now it only listens to you."
Chu Hang turned and walked towards the main building.
"Gather everyone. Meeting room."
Tony held the mother box, feeling the warmth emanating from his palm. The energy density of this thing surpassed the arc reactor, the Tesseract, and all other energy sources he had ever seen.
"Tony, don't just stand there." Chu Hang's voice came from ahead, "The Council of Kangs won't give you time to slowly study it."
---
Ten minutes later, the conference room was full.
Tony, Steve, Thor, Wanda, Strange, Natasha, Clint, Rhodey, Sam, Bucky, and Nathaniel Richards, who had just rushed from the lab.
The Dimensional Beacon scar on the young man's wrist had healed, but faint golden patterns were visible beneath his skin.
"I'm telling everyone, I've decided to take the initiative and eliminate the Council of Kangs."
Silence fell in the conference room.
Tony broke the deadlock: "Are you going alone?"
"Yes. But before I go, I need to ensure Earth has sufficient defenses. Even if the Council of Kangs bypasses me and attacks here directly, you can hold out until I return."
He looked at Tony.
"So, I need you all to get stronger."
Tony toyed with the mother box, the golden cube spinning between his fingers.
"Stronger? How do you plan to do that? Give each of us an Infinity Stone?"
"Better than that."
Chu Hang walked up to him and placed his hand on the mother box.
"The new gods of Apokolips are powerful not because they are born that way, but because mother boxtechnology has transformed their Life essence. Matter reorganization, energy conversion, and spatial jumping are all acquired abilities."
He raised his other hand, and golden runes appeared in his palm.
"And I have mastered the essence of this technology."
The power of Alchemy Law surged into the mother box, and the runes began to reorganize and evolve. Tony felt the cube in his hand heat up, and the energy fluctuations became active but no longer violent.
"I will use the Alchemy Law to modify the mother box, adapting it to Earth's technological system. Your nanotech armor is already very mature, but it's still on the physical level. By incorporating mother box technology, you'll be able to manipulate matter on the concept layer."
Tony's eyes lit up: "You mean..."
"Your armor will no longer just be a combination of metal and energy, but a living entity capable of self-evolution, self-repair, and even self-awareness."
"Wait."
Steve stood up.
"Self-awareness? Isn't that Ultron?"
"Not the same. Ultron's problem was that Tony gave it free will but not the correct values. mother box technology is different; its core is absolute obedience. As long as Tony is the Master, the armor will never betray him."
Tony was already impatient: "How long will it take?"
"Three days. But before that, I need to deal with something else first."
He looked at Nathaniel.
The young man sat in the corner, silent. When Chu Hang's gaze fell on him, he instinctively clenched his fists, and the golden patterns on his wrist glowed faintly.
"Nathaniel, come here."
The young man hesitated, then walked to Chu Hang.
"There's still residual Dimensional Beacon energy in your body. Although I've stripped the beacon's main body, that energy has already merged with your genes."
Nathaniel's expression changed slightly: "So... the Council of Kangs can still track me?"
"No. But you can track them in reverse."
Chu Hang's palm glowed, and golden energy seeped into Nathaniel's body. The young man grunted, cold sweat beading on his forehead, but he gritted his teeth and didn't retreat.
Wanda stood up, wanting to go forward, but Strangestopped her.
"Don't disturb him." Strange whispered, "What Chu Hangis doing is more complex than we imagine."
His Golden Eye fully opened. Chu Hang's energy was not destroying, but reshaping. The residual Dimensional Beacon energy in Nathaniel's body was being stripped, purified, and reorganized by the Alchemy Law, bit by bit.
Three minutes later, Chu Hang withdrew his hand.
Nathaniel knelt on the ground, gasping for breath. On his wrist, the golden patterns had spread to his entire arm, forming intricate circuit-like designs.
"Now, you are no longer a living coordinate for the Council of Kangs." Chu Hang said, "You are our radar."
Nathaniel looked up: "I can feel... many Kangs. They are on different timelines, but I can pinpoint their locations."
"Very good."
Chu Hang turned to face everyone.
"For the next seventy-two hours, I will empower each of you. Tony's armor will be upgraded, Thor's stormbreakerwill be infused with new power, Strange will receive stronger defensive magic, Wanda..."
He looked at Wanda, his gaze softening slightly.
"Your Chaos Magic is already very powerful, but it's not stable enough. I will help you build a mental defense line to ensure that even if Kang modifies the timeline, your memories and will won't be tampered with."
Wanda nodded, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes: "What about you? Where are you going?"
"Chronopolis. The main base of the Council of Kangs."
Gasps echoed in the conference room.
"Are you crazy? I thought you wanted to deal with them one by one, but you..."
Tony's eyes widened.
"That's their home turf! Countless Kangs, countless timelines, you alone—"
"I alone am enough."
Chu Hang interrupted him.
"Moreover, I'm not going to die. You cannot comprehend the power of a Single Universe level being. The reason I didn't go immediately after advancing was because I was worried about a sneak attack on our home."
He raised his right hand, and a mass of black energy appeared in his palm. That was the power of the anti-life equation fragment, which, after being completely devoured by the Concept of Greed, had transformed into a purer power of domination.
Chu Hang drew a line on the table with his finger, and golden runes appeared, reorganizing in the air into a complex three-dimensional structure.
"The Council of Kangs controls the Law of Time, can modify causality, and can jump through timelines. But they cannot change one fact—their existence is still built upon the concept of order."
Strange's Golden Eye on his forehead opened slightly: "So, you're going to use the anti-life equation's concept of absolute domination to counter their concept of order?"
"Not counter, but devour."
Chu Hang flicked his finger, and the three-dimensional structure disintegrated into countless specks of light.
"The essence of the anti-life equation is to erase free will and establish absolute obedience. The essence of the Council of Kangs' order is also a form of control. Both are homologous on the concept layer, just different in their manifestations."
"I have already devoured the fragments of the anti-life equation and integrated them into my Concept of Greed. Now, I can not only devour energy and matter, but also seize control of opponents on the concept layer."
Thor gripped stormbreaker: "Sounds powerful. But are you sure you can deal with the entire Council of Kangs?"
"I'm not sure. But I must go. It's not about fearing a thief's theft, but fearing a thief's constant plotting. Who knows what other tricks they might pull later?"
He looked around at everyone in the meeting room.
"I don't want to see that outcome."
Steve spoke: "What should we do now?"
"Get stronger."
Chu Hang turned to Tony.
"Starting with you."
---
Tony raised his right hand, and nano-particles surged from the arc reactor. Three seconds later, the complete Mark 85 armor covered his entire body.
Chu Hang walked up to him and placed his hand on the chest of the armor: "Release control permissions and let me access Jarvis's core system."
Tony complied. The arc reactor on the armor's chest lit up, and all energy circuits were opened.
Chu Hang closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the armor.
He saw Jarvis's core code, the control protocols for the nano-particles, and every node of the energy distribution system. This armor was exquisitely designed, but essentially, it was still a mechanical creation on the physical level.
The power of the Alchemy Law surged into the armor, restructuring the nano-particles from the molecular level. Particles that could originally only deform and reorganize began to acquire new properties—energy conversion, matter absorption, self-repair.
Then, he engraved the core runes of mother boxtechnology into every nano-particle.
Ten minutes later, he opened his eyes.
Tony felt the armor vibrating, not a physical vibration, but a deeper resonance. The nano-particles seemed to come alive, flowing and reorganizing on his body's surface, forming entirely new patterns.
"Try it." Chu Hang stepped back, "Imagine you want to turn the armor into something else."
Tony concentrated, and the shape of a sword appeared in his mind.
The nano-particles on his right arm detached from his body, reorganized in the air, and became a two-meter-long greatsword. The blade was covered in runes, emitting a faint golden glow.
"My god..."
Tony gripped the hilt.
"This isn't an illusion, it's real matter reorganization."
"More than that. Try energy absorption."
Tony swung the sword at the metal wall next to him, and the blade cut into the wall—the wall began to melt. It wasn't melted by high temperature, but decomposed into fundamental particles and absorbed by the blade.
The golden runes grew brighter, and the blade grew longer.
Tony released his grip, and the greatsword floated in the air, transforming back into nano-particles and returning to the armor.
"This is insane. What can I do now?"
"Theoretically, as long as there's enough energy, you can reorganize any matter. Including yourself."
Tony froze: "What do you mean?"
"Your armor is now not just equipment, but an extension of your body. If you're injured, nano-particles can replace damaged organs. If you need greater strength, you can have the particles reorganize your muscle structure."
"You're turning me into a cybernetic Life form?"
"No, I'm turning you into a New God. The new gods of Apokolips are powerful precisely because their bodies have integrated with mother box technology. Now, you are the same."
Tony was silent for a few seconds, then smiled: "Okay, I admit, this is cooler than I imagined."
He looked at the others.
"Who's next?"
---
Chu Hang turned to Thor: "You. Give me your axe."
Thor handed over stormbreaker. Chu Hang took the axe, feeling the power it contained—thunder, space, Reality, and the energy of six Infinity Stones.
"This axe is already very powerful, but it still has potential."
He raised his left hand, and black energy appeared in his palm.
"I'm going to infuse a new concept into the axe—'Immortality.'"
Black energy flowed into the axe handle, and the runes began to glow. The six indentations on the axe blade simultaneously lit up, and the power of the Infinity Stoneswas drawn out, merging with the black energy.
Five minutes later, Chu Hang released his grip.
stormbreaker had changed. A layer of black and gold patterns appeared on the axe body, emitting a terrifying aura.
"Now, this axe will no longer be destroyed. Even if it's shattered, it will self-repair. And it will evolve with your growth."
Thor took the axe, feeling the change in its weight. Not a physical weight, but a conceptual one—this axe now carried the meaning of "Eternity."
"Thank you." Thor said seriously.
Chu Hang nodded, then turned to Strange: "Your defensive magic needs an upgrade."
The Sorcerer Supreme stood up, his Golden Eye on his forehead fully open: "What do I need to do?"
"Nothing."
Chu Hang waved his hand, and golden runes flew from his palm, merging into Strange's forehead.
Strange grunted, his consciousness pulled into an unfamiliar space. There was no time, no space, only countless interwoven concept lines.
"This is the concept layer."
Chu Hang's voice echoed in his mind.
"I will teach you how to build defenses on this level. Even if the Council of Kangs modifies the timeline and erases your history, as long as your concept remains, you can be reborn."
Strange looked at the concept lines: "You mean... I need to turn myself into a concept?"
"Yes. 'Sorcerer Supreme' will no longer just be a title, but an eternally existing concept. As long as Earth needs a Guardian, you will not truly die."
Golden runes took root deep within Strange's consciousness, merging with his Soul.
When he opened his eyes, the Eye on his forehead had turned pure gold, emitting a sacred light.
"I feel... different."
"You are now one of Earth's anchor points. Even if the timeline collapses, you can stabilize Reality."
---
Chu Hang finally looked at Wanda.
The Scarlet Witch walked up to him, her eyes calm, but Chu Hang could sense her inner unease.
"I don't want you to take risks." Wanda said softly.
"I know. But it's necessary."
He pressed his forehead against Wanda's, and the Chaos Magic resonated with the thirteen Laws within his body.
"I will leave a mark deep within your consciousness. No matter how the Council of Kangs modifies the timeline, this mark will protect your memories and will."
"And... if something really happens to me, this mark will guide you to find me."
Wanda closed her eyes, feeling Chu Hang's power seep into the depths of her Soul. It was a warm and firm feeling, like someone lighting an unextinguishable lamp for her in the darkness.
When Chu Hang released his hand, Wanda opened her eyes, a scarlet glow flashing within them.
"I'll wait for you to come back."
Chu Hang nodded, then turned to face everyone.
"Now, you all have the power to confront the Council of Kangs. But remember, do not attack proactively. Defend Earth, and wait for me to return."
"If I don't return after seventy-two hours..."
"You will return." Tony interrupted him, "Because you owe me a drink."
Chu Hang smiled: "Deal."
He raised his right hand and clenched it in the void.
The golden patterns on Nathaniel's wrist glowed, and a powerful causal link was activated. That was the residual Dimensional Beacon energy between him and the Council of Kangs, now being used in reverse by Chu Hang.
Space began to distort, and a huge Spatial Rift tore open in the center of the conference room.
On the other side of the rift was a city floating in the void—Chronopolis, the main base of the Council of Kangs.
"I'm leaving. Take care of Earth."
Chapter 282: The Hunting Ground
A Spatial Rift tore open, and Chu Hang stepped into Chronopolis.
Time was solidified. Light condensed in mid-air into twisted crystals, and all things were frozen in a magnificent yet silent painting.
He raised his head.
As far as his sight reached, there were countless Kangs.
Tens of thousands of them. They stood on floating platforms, perched atop towering spires, and guarded the edges of every Temporal Rift. Their armors varied wildly in style, and their temporal fluctuations differed in strength, yet the gazes they cast were identical—cold, scrutinizing, and tinged with deep-seated fear.
"Welcome to Chronopolis, the greedy one."
A voice echoed from all directions, carrying the tone of a high-and-mighty judgment.
Directly in front of the plaza, atop the highest tower, stood three Kangs with distinct appearances.
The one on the left was dressed in deep blue robes, his forehead inlaid with a brilliant replica of the Time Stone;
The one in the middle was covered in pitch-black Nano Armor Suit, with a dark purple energy core pulsing in his chest;
The one on the right was the youngest, wearing a white suit and deftly spinning a golden coin between his fingers.
"I am the Council's new Chief—Time Lord Kang." The Kang in the deep blue robes spoke, his voice vibrating through the still air. "You murdered the Pharaoh and slaughtered Death. This blood debt must be settled today."
"Settled?"
Chu Hang smiled. He slowly raised his right hand and clenched it in the void toward the frozen world.
Crack—
The time stoppage shattered instantly. It wasn't broken by external force, but rather its very foundation of existence was directly pulled away.
The Solidified Time flow disintegrated into countless fragments of light, like fragile glass, all pouring into his palm.
He opened his hand, and the light fragments were gone.
"You seem to have misunderstood something," Chu Hang's voice was frighteningly calm. "I didn't come here to settle accounts."
He clenched his fist, and an invisible force suddenly erupted.
"I came to hunt."
The moment his words fell, the entire Chronopolistrembled violently.
The "Solidified Time" that constructed the city began to crumble, and countless timelines twisted, snapped, and reformed wildly around him.
Time Lord Kang's expression drastically changed: "Activate the Timeline Eradication Protocol! Eradicate him completely from the causal level!"
Around the high tower, twelve gigantic devices activated simultaneously.
Deep purple light beams shot up into the sky, weaving into a massive net covering the firmament, descending upon Chu Hang. This was not a physical attack, but the ultimate negation of the concept of existence itself.
Once captured, the target's past, present, and future would all be erased simultaneously.
Chu Hang stood still, quietly watching the purple net descend, a hint of mockery playing on his lips.
The moment the massive net touched his body, there was no earth-shattering collision.
It passed directly through Chu Hang's body, as if he were merely a phantom of nothingness.
Time Lord Kang's pupils contracted sharply: "Impossible! That is the ultimate weapon designed against Cosmic Overlord level entities!"
"That is because I have long surpassed that level." Chu Hang's voice sounded right next to his ear, as if whispering, yet the man himself remained standing where he was.
"Cosmic Overlord level is merely learning how to use one's own concept to leverage the rules of the Universe. As for me," Chu Hang raised his hand, and a miniature, brilliant galaxy slowly spun in his palm, with billions of stars being born and dying within its self-contained cycle, "I am the Universe."
"Your weapon attempts to modify the causality of this Multiverse. But my causality exists only within my body. You want to erase my past? Sorry, my history is not governed by your timelines."
He suddenly clenched his five fingers, and the miniature galaxy in his palm exploded with a roar.
That was not a simple energy explosion, but the outward outpouring of the laws of his Inner Universe.
Countless points of light containing independent Space-Time Laws scattered in all directions. Each point of light was like a small black hole, frantically devouring everything around it.
Floating platforms, magnificent high towers, Temporal Rifts... all matter that touched the points of light was instantly twisted, decomposed, and annihilated.
Hundreds of Kangs, along with the Solidified Timelines they stood upon, turned into nothingness.
More Kangs roared and charged forward. Time Freezing Guns, Causality Cutting Blades, Dimensional Collapse Cannons... all sorts of incredible weapons focused their fire.
However, all attacks vanished silently as if sinking into the ocean when they approached within one meter of Chu Hang. His Inner Universe formed an absolute domain, where any external law or energy would be assimilated and dissolved by his own Universe rules.
"Do you have any other tricks?" He licked his lips, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "This isn't satisfying."
The next second, he vanished from where he stood.
This was not teleportation, but the direct eradication of the spatial concept between the starting point and the destination. He appeared in front of a high tower and lightly pressed his palm against its body.
The Alchemy Law activated.
The entire gigantic tower, constructed from Solidified Timelines, began to be analyzed, stripped, and reconstructed from its most fundamental level. The countless timelines that formed it were purified into the most essential Time Origin, all flooding into Chu Hang's body.
"So that's it." He closed his eyes, feeling the growth of power within him, and displayed a satisfied smile. "You extracted the timelines of countless Universes, solidified them into bricks, and built this prison."
He spread his arms, his voice resounding throughout the crumbling space-time.
"Thank you for preparing such a magnificent feast for me."
The entire Chronopolis was responding to his will.
The ground cracked, buildings collapsed, and countless Solidified Timelines transformed into streams of light, breaking free from the ruins and rushing toward Chu Hanglike rivers flowing into the sea.
"Stop him! Activate the Exterminator Legion!" Time Lord Kang let out a hoarse roar.
The ground suddenly split open, and thousands of Mechanical Kangs, entirely black and gleaming with cold metallic luster, swarmed out from underground.
They were perfect War Machines, the ultimate military force used by the Council of Kangs to conquer and exterminate civilizations.
Chu Hang looked at them, a flicker of excitement in his eyes: "Perfect, time to try out a new toy."
He raised his hand, and complex black runes appeared in his palm—the manifestation of the anti-life equation.
The runes interwoven with the frequency of dominion originating from mother box technology, turning into an invisible ripple that instantly swept across the entire battlefield.
All Mechanical Kangs ceased their movements abruptly. The red light in their eyes flashed violently, their internal logic circuits forcibly rewritten.
Three seconds later, all Exterminators uniformly turned around and aimed their barrels at their former Masters.
"The underlying protocol encrypted by the Law of Time is meaningless." Chu Hang seemed to see through Time Lord Kang's horror. "Your laws are merely complex equations. But the anti-life equation is the ultimate answer that ends all equations."
He lightly made a Snap.
Overwhelming energy beams intertwined into a net of Death, instantly swallowing hundreds of Kangs who hadn't had time to react.
The plaza had completely devolved into a slaughterhouse.
But this was not over yet.
Chu Hang could feel the Phoenix Force within him emitting an excited cry.
"Enough."
With a whisper, golden-red Creation Fire erupted from his body. Driven by the Concept of Greed, this flame gained new properties.
It no longer just burned matter and energy, but began to burn the "concept" itself.
The flames swept across the battlefield, and all Kangs who were touched let out miserable screams. They could distinctly feel the foundation of their existence—that insatiable ambition for Conqueror—being physically extracted and ignited by the flames.
The reason Kang was Kang was precisely because of this desire for conquest that ran through all timelines.
Now, this desire was turning into the most efficient fuel, making the Phoenix Fire burn even more fiercely. Countless golden-red points of light flew out from the bodies of those Kangs, merging into the flames, and finally converging into Chu Hang's body.
The Kangs who lost their ambition for conquest did not die; they collapsed onto the ground, their eyes hollow, like puppets whose Souls had been drained. They were alive, but they were no longer "Kang."
Time Lord Kang finally felt fear originating from the depths of his Soul.
"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"
He turned and ran, rushing toward the teleportation gate deep inside the high tower, alongside the Black-Armored Nano Kang and the Young White-Suited Kang.
However, they crashed headfirst into an invisible wall. Space had been completely sealed off.
Chu Hang strolled through the center of the ruins, his right hand loosely clenched. The dimensions of the entire Chronopolis were under his control.
"I told you," his voice echoed in the consciousness of all surviving Kangs, "This is no longer your territory."
He walked step by step toward the three core members of the Council. With every step, the ruins beneath his feet transformed into pure temporal energy and were absorbed by him.
"This place is my hunting ground."
Time Lord Kang's eyes were bloodshot. He formed a hand seal, and the Time Stone replica on his forehead burst with its final light: "Time Reversal!"
Time across the entire battlefield began to flow backward crazily. Ruins reassembled, dead Kangs revived, and everything regressed to the moment before the battle began.
Chu Hang merely stood still within the torrent of time, like a reef that remains unchanged through the ages.
"It's useless." He raised his hand, and the surging torrent of time automatically split apart in his palm. "My time has long been independent of your river."
With a gentle clench, the reversing torrent of time exploded with a roar.
Time Lord Kang violently spat out a mouthful of blood, and the gem replica on his forehead was completely shattered.
Faced with absolute despair, he instead revealed a ferocious determination. He neither fled nor resisted, but fiercely bit his tongue, spraying a mouthful of Vital Blood Essence into the void.
"Council Protocol Seven—Core Member Sacrifice Authority!" he roared wildly. "Using my existence as a beacon, awaken The Remnant! A Kang can be killed, but the Conqueror is eternal!"
His body began to disintegrate, compressing all his timelines, memories, and power into an intensely shining beacon. The beacon shot into the sky, forcibly tearing open Chu Hang's spatial blockade, and vanished deep into the crevices of the Multiverse.
Chu Hang stopped walking, the Phoenix Phantom behind him circling in the air. He watched with interest the spot where Time Lord Kang had turned to ash.
"The Remnant..."
He smiled, his expression full of anticipation.
"Finally, is it time for the main course?"
He turned his head, his gaze falling upon the remaining Black-Armored Nano Kang and Young White-Suited Kang.
The two stood in the ruins, their faces pale, their eyes containing nothing but pure terror.
"Well then, before the dessert arrives," Chu Hang asked with a smile, "do you have any last words?"
Chapter 283: The Final Chip
Above the ruins, Black Armor Kang's nano body began to swell.
Countless cracks split open on the surface of his armor, and a swarm of pitch-black nanobots poured out from the fissures, coalescing into a swirling black mist in the air.
Every nanoparticle shone with a faint purple light—that was the Timeline Energy compressed to its limit.
"You think you've won?"
Black Armor Kang's voice emerged from the cloud of mist.
"I served the Council for decades, devouring seven hundred timelines. This energy is enough to reduce all of spacetime to nothingness!"
The nano cloud began to spread; wherever it passed, Space itself melted.
Chu Hang stood still, watching the black mist surge toward him, his face devoid of expression.
"Decades of accumulation?"
he said.
"That is indeed a decent inheritance."
He raised his right hand, and a golden Alchemy Formationappeared in his palm.
The formation rotated, and Runes constantly reorganized, finally forming a new structure—the core frequency of Mother Box Technology, analyzed by the Alchemy Law.
"Unfortunately, you don't understand one principle."
Chu Hang slightly curled his five fingers, and the formation suddenly magnified, enveloping the entire black mist.
"The essence of technology is the encoding of rules. And I am skilled at rewriting rules."
Golden Runes drilled into the black mist, and new instructions were engraved on the surface of every nanoparticle.
Black Armor Kang's will resisted, but Chu Hang's Alchemy Law acted directly on the concept layer, stripping the control away from him.
Three seconds later, all nanoparticles stopped spreading.
They turned uniformly and surged toward Chu Hang.
Each particle actively decomposed itself, releasing the stored Timeline Energy, which was then absorbed by Chu Hang as nourishment.
Black Armor Kang let out an unwilling roar, his voice growing weaker and weaker.
When the last nanoparticle dissipated, his existence was also erased from this dimension.
Chu Hang closed his eyes, sensing the surging energy within him.
When he opened his eyes, his gaze fell upon the young White Kang on the other side of the ruins.
That silent Kang was playing with a Golden Coin in his hand.
The coin flipped over his fingertips, alternating between heads and tails.
Every flip was accompanied by a Probability Fluctuationinvisible to the naked eye.
"Don't bother."
Chu Hang spoke.
"I can see what you're doing. You're using that coin to deduce all possible time branches and calculate the win rate of every choice."
White Kang's fingers paused, then the coin continued to flip, its speed increasing rapidly.
"How many times have you deduced?"
Chu Hang asked.
"A thousand times? Ten thousand times?"
The coin stopped in mid-air.
White Kang looked up, a wry smile on his face.
"One hundred thirty-seven thousand, four hundred twenty-one times."
His voice was very soft.
"In every single one, I lost."
He let go, and the coin landed, making a crisp sound.
"Heads means Life, tails means Death. But no matter which side it lands on, the result is the same. Because your existence has already surpassed probability itself."
He raised his hands.
"I surrender."
Chu Hang walked over to the coin, bent down, and picked it up.
The Golden Coin lay quietly in his palm, its surface engraved with complex Causality Runes.
"An interesting toy."
He tossed the coin back.
"Keep it. I have no interest in killing someone who surrenders."
White Kang caught the coin: "You won't kill me?"
"Killing you is pointless. You have seen Reality clearly. A Kang who has seen Reality clearly is more valuable than a dead Kang."
Chu Hang turned around, and golden Space Lawcondensed around White Kang into a Transparent Cage.
"But don't try to run either. You must stay here and watch the upcoming battle."
White Kang remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded.
"You want to know what Time Lord Kang summoned, right?"
Chu Hang stopped walking.
"Smart."
"That's no ordinary Kang."
White Kang's voice grew solemn.
"The Council has a Top Secret. We once captured an Alioth—a Void Monster that devours Pruned Timelines."
"And then?"
"We performed a crazy experiment. We forcefully merged a Kang's consciousness into Alioth's main body. That Kang gained the ability to devour timelines, but the cost was his humanity being eroded by the Void, turning him into a pure Will of Destruction."
"We call him The Remnant."
Chu Hang turned around, a trace of excitement flashing in his eyes.
"Sounds powerful."
"Not powerful, but terrifying."
White Kang shook his head.
"The Remnant was sealed in the deepest part of the Multiverse. Time Lord Kang used a Sacrifice to break the seal. Once The Remnant is released, it won't distinguish between friend and foe."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire spacetime began to shake violently.
Above the ruins, a massive fissure tore open the barrier of the Multiverse.
Purple Void Mist poured out of the fissure, devouring even light wherever it passed.
A voice came from the depths of the mist, deep and hollow.
"My... food..."
A massive Shadow appeared in the mist.
A humanoid silhouette, its body composed of countless Twisted Timelines, with the remnants of devoured Universes wrapped around each one.
The Remnant had arrived.
It was a giant hundred meters tall, its entire body woven from countless Twisted Timelines.
It had no facial features, only a massive Vortex that continuously sucked in everything around it.
The ruins began to silently disintegrate, not destroyed, but "forgotten"—existence itself was being erased from Reality.
Chu Hang looked up at the monster, a smile playing on the corner of his mouth.
"Finally, a worthy opponent has arrived."
He took a step forward.
The ruins under his feet instantly stabilized upon contact, and the Void Mist attempting to encroach automatically dissipated when it reached a one-meter radius around him.
The Remnant's Vortex Face turned toward Chu Hang, letting out a roar that shattered dimensions.
"Fresh... timeline... I must... devour..."
Countless timelines shot out from his body, wrapping around Chu Hang like Tentacles.
Chu Hang stood still, allowing the Tentacles to approach.
The moment the first tentacle touched his body—
Phoenix Fire erupted violently.
Golden-red Flames surged out from his body, flowing backward along the Tentacles.
Wherever the flames passed, the Twisted Timelines began to burn, releasing the imprisoned Universe Fragments.
The Remnant let out a painful shriek, frantically retracting its Tentacles.
But it was too late.
The Phoenix Fire followed the Tentacles, drilling into the main body and burning it from the inside.
"How many timelines have you devoured?"
Chu Hang's voice echoed in the flames.
"A thousand? Ten thousand? Or a hundred thousand?"
He raised both hands, and a Miniature Galaxy appeared in each palm.
"Then give it all back to me."
The two galaxies erupted, transforming into two Pillars of Light that shot into the sky, converging in the air to form a massive formation.
The formation covered the entire battlefield, enveloping The Remnant.
This was not an offensive formation; it was a gigantic "Alchemy Furnace."
What Chu Hang intended to do was not kill The Remnant, but completely decompose him and refine all the devoured Timeline Energy.
The Remnant struggled madly, its Void Power erupting fully.
But Chu Hang's Alchemy Law had already permeated every corner of his body, locking down his existence from the concept layer.
"It's useless."
Chu Hang clenched his five fingers, and the formation began to contract.
"Your essence is a fusion of Alioth and Kang. Alioth is the Void, Kang is Order. The two are inherently contradictory, merely forced together."
"What I will do is amplify this contradiction to the extreme."
He flipped his right hand, and black Anti-Life Equation Runes appeared in his palm.
The Runes transformed into Black Light and shot into The Remnant's body.
The Absolute Dominance Characteristic of the anti-life equation began to forcefully strip away the Kang Consciousness within The Remnant.
Losing the Kang Consciousness as an anchor, Alioth's Void Origin began to lose control, frantically devouring itself.
The Remnant's body began to disintegrate.
Countless timelines broke free from his body, turning into Brilliant Ribbons of Light in the air.
The devoured Universe Fragments regained freedom, scattering like a Meteor Shower.
Chu Hang spread his arms, and all the energy surged into his body.
His Inner Universe was expanding wildly.
Originally the size of a single Galaxy, it had now expanded to encompass dozens of Galaxies.
When the last wisp of energy was absorbed, The Remnantcompletely vanished.
Only a fist-sized Purple Crystal Core remained, quietly suspended in the air.
That was Alioth's Core Origin, containing pure Void Power.
Chu Hang reached out and grasped the crystal core.
[Void Power successfully copied]
"Void Power..."
he murmured to himself.
"An unexpected gain."
He stored the crystal core within his body and turned to look at White Kang, who was trapped in the Space Cage.
"Finished watching?"
White Kang nodded, his face pale.
"What... exactly are you?"
"Me?"
Chu Hang smiled.
"A greedy Traveler."
He waved his hand, dismissing the cage.
"You are free. Go back and tell the other Kangs that Chronopolis no longer exists. The Council of Kangs should also disband."
White Kang was stunned: "You're letting me go?"
"I said, killing someone who recognizes Reality is pointless. Moreover, I need a Messenger to spread my story."
"Let all Kangs know that the greedy one came here, devoured the Council, and destroyed The Remnant."
"Let them know that the Multiverse is no longer their Playground."
He tore open a Spatial Rift, and Golden Light poured out from the fissure.
"Oh, right."
He looked back at White Kang.
"Keep that coin safe. It might come in handy in the future."
Having said that, he stepped into the rift and vanished into the ruins.
White Kang stood on the ruins of Chronopolis, clutching the Golden Coin, unable to recover his senses for a long time.
He looked up at the Spatial Rift that was slowly closing.
The Golden Light gradually dimmed and finally disappeared into the Void.
"Spread your story..."
White Kang murmured to himself, a wry smile curving his lips.
"You truly are a Lunatic."
He turned and looked around.
The once magnificent Chronopolis was now nothing but Scorched Earth.
The towering spires had collapsed, the floating platforms had crashed, and all the Solidified Timelines had been extracted.
This was no longer the Headquarters of the Council of Kangs, but a Grave.
He looked down at the coin in his hand.
One side was engraved with "Order," and the reverse was engraved with "Chaos."
But now, it didn't matter which side it landed on.
"Perhaps... this is what the Multiverse should look like."
He said softly, putting the coin into his pocket.
Just then, a faint Energy Fluctuation came from deep within the ruins.
White Kang's pupils contracted, and he followed the fluctuation.
Under a pile of rubble, he found a semi-transparent Light Cocoon.
Inside the Light Cocoon lay an unconscious Kang.
That was a wisp of Consciousness Backup separated by Time Lord Kang before his Sacrifice, which had escaped Chu Hang's Cleansing.
White Kang squatted down, looking at the face inside the Light Cocoon.
A young face, with tear stains still visible at the corners of his eyes.
"So you were afraid of death too."
He chuckled softly and reached out to touch the Light Cocoon.
The Light Cocoon shattered, and that wisp of consciousness surged into his body.
Countless Memory Fragments flashed through his mind—Time Lord Kang's life, his ambition, his fear, and his final despair.
White Kang closed his eyes, digesting these memories.
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze had become complicated.
"The Remnant... Void Kang... Alioth..."
he murmured.
"So the Council had so many Secrets."
He stood up and looked towards the depths of the Multiverse.
In that endless darkness, even more Threats lurked.
The Anti-Monitor, Galactus, and even those forgotten Ancient Existences.
"Chu Hang, did you think destroying the Council of Kangswas the end of it?"
White Kang clenched his fist.
"You merely opened Pandora's Box."
He turned around and tore open a Spacetime Rift.
On the other side of the rift was an unfamiliar Universe.
"Since you want me to be the Messenger, I will certainly spread your story well."
He stepped into the rift, his voice echoing in the ruins.
"But at the same time, I will tell everyone—though the greedy one is powerful, he is not Invincible."
"The War of the Multiverse has only just begun."