Chapter 289: Since There's No Escape
Nathaniel's voice exploded in the communicator.
Chu Hang's heart sank.
The black hole in World Zero-Seven of the Void stopped.
The Cores of the Dead Universes, compressed into spheres, began to tremble, their surfaces cracking and spewing out antimatter energy.
Chu Hang tried to tear open space to escape, but the golden light was extinguished as soon as it appeared.
The entire space was sealed shut.
The Anti-Monitor's will decreed that anyone trying to escape must die here.
"The evacuation route is sealed!"
Nathaniel's voice trembled.
"Space Law has been rewritten; we can't locate you!"
Superman flew over, his eyes glowing red.
"I'll block the explosion, you break the seal!"
"It's useless."
Chu Hang shook his head.
The strength of this seal was such that even Superman's full-power strike couldn't shake it.
The cores trembled more and more violently; they would explode in less than two minutes.
The communication channel was in chaos.
Tony's armor alarm was piercing, and Wanda's Chaos Magic repelled the explosive energy, nearly tearing apart Strange's defenses.
Thor and Jean were trapped in the center of the Nebula, surrounded by a tide of Shadow Demons, with nowhere to retreat.
Everyone was waiting for Chu Hang's command.
He was silent for a few seconds, looked up at the cores, and a trace of madness flashed in his eyes.
Can't escape?
Then we won't run.
These cores are essentially energy—the Anti-Monitor's fuel.
Energy has always been on his menu.
"Everyone listen up."
His voice reached everyone's ears.
"I'm about to do something crazy. Hold your positions and don't move."
"What?"
Tony was stunned.
"What are you going to do?"
Chu Hang didn't answer.
The Concept of Greed operated at full power.
The entrance to the Inner Universe opened on his chest, transforming into a ten-centimeter-diameter black vortex.
Superman's expression changed drastically.
"Are you insane? That energy is enough to destroy several galaxies! Your body won't handle it!"
"Let's find out."
Chu Hang grinned.
"We're going to die anyway, might as well go crazy."
The vortex expanded, and a golden pillar of light shot into the sky, slamming directly into the nearest core.
The core expanded to its limit, covered in cracks, spewing antimatter energy outward.
Chu Hang didn't dodge; he met it head-on.
The golden pillar of light collided with the antimatterenergy, twisting space.
Superman was blasted away by the Impact, smashing dozens of meteorites.
Chu Hang remained motionless. The Inner Universe's suction power surged, and the energy that should have exploded was forcibly reversed and poured into his chest.
Pain.
antimatter annihilates upon contact with matter.
Chu Hang's body trembled violently, cracks appeared on his skin, and golden blood seeped out, turning into light dust in the void.
"Chu Hang!"
Superman tried to rush over but was blocked by a golden barrier.
"Stay back!"
Chu Hang gritted his teeth.
"This is my fight!"
The Inner Universe was enduring unprecedented pressure.
Sealed within the cores was not just energy, but the pain, fear, and resentment of trillions of lives dying.
Negative emotions corroded his consciousness like poison.
Chu Hang did not retreat.
The Power of the Thirteen Laws was mobilized simultaneously.
The Law of Life soothed the fragments of consciousness, the Law of Death sent them into reincarnation, the Space Law opened up a destination, and the Law of Timeaccelerated the passing of pain.
After the first core was absorbed, the Inner Universeexpanded slightly.
Not enough.
There are four more.
He suddenly looked up, his eyes turning pure gold.
[Concept of Greed: Full Burst]
The vortex on his chest expanded again, transforming into a massive golden net that covered the sky and encompassed all the cores.
"If I'm going to eat, I'll eat them all in one go!"
The golden net contracted, dragging all five cores toward him simultaneously.
The Anti-Monitor's will extended countless black arms from the depths of the black hole to stop him, but Chu Hang mobilized the full power of the Inner Universe, and golden chains wrapped around those arms.
"You come in too!"
Boom—
The five cores, along with fragments of the Anti-Monitor's will, were all swallowed into the Inner Universe.
Chu Hang's body stiffened, golden blood spurted from his seven orifices, and he trembled violently.
The Inner Universe nearly collapsed; stars were extinguished, space was chaotic, and time was disordered.
But he didn't fall.
Gritting his teeth, he used his last ounce of strength to suppress all the energy deep within the Inner Universecore, constructing a massive seal using the Thirteen Laws.
Outside, the explosions at the five nodes ceased abruptly.
Superman stared blankly, unable to speak.
"What happened? The energy reading is zero!"
Tony was shocked.
"The node on our side has disappeared too!"
Thor shouted.
"The energy fluctuations in the Third Chaos Interlayer have subsided!"
Strange felt relief at surviving the ordeal.
Everyone survived.
But Chu Hang's body had reached its limit.
He closed his eyes and fell backward.
Superman rushed over and caught him.
His body was icy cold, the cracks were still spreading, and the golden blood stained Superman's battle suit dark gold.
"Chu Hang! Wake up!"
Superman shook him hard, but there was no response; his breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible.
"Life signs are dropping rapidly!"
Nathaniel was anxious.
"His body can't take it anymore!"
"Damn it!"
Tony cursed.
"We must take him back!"
"The spatial seal hasn't been lifted!"
Strange was desperate.
"The portal won't open!"
Just as everyone despaired, the vortex on Chu Hang's chest lit up again.
It wasn't absorbing; it was releasing.
Golden beams of light shot out from the vortex, aimed at the other four nodes.
In the Border Universe, a golden beam descended from the sky, striking the core that was about to explode.
The energy was drawn away, and the core shrank into a fist-sized, dark golden crystal.
"This is..."
Tony was dumbfounded.
"He's practically dead, and he's still absorbing more energy?"
In the Andromeda No. 9 Perilous Zone, a gigantic Shadow Demon screamed mournfully, its body twisting.
A golden beam pierced through its body, sucking it in along with the Nebula.
Jean felt that the imprisoned Soul fragments were finally freed.
In the Third Chaos Interlayer, space stabilized, and the Chaos energy was drawn away.
Wanda stared blankly, complex emotions flashing in her eyes.
The energy from all nodes converged into Chu Hang's Inner Universe.
A desperate gamble.
Success meant a massive power surge; failure meant Death and annihilation.
Superman felt the energy inside Chu Hang's body expanding wildly.
His body began to glow, growing brighter and brighter, turning into a small Sun that dispelled the surrounding darkness.
"He's breaking through!"
Nathaniel exclaimed.
"From Single Universe level mid-stage to high-stage!"
But the process was perilous.
The cracks on his skin increased, and he was nearly torn to shreds.
Inside the Inner Universe, the Thirteen Laws operated furiously, suppressing and refining the surging energy.
Just then, a cold will descended from beyond the Multiverse, locking onto Chu Hang.
The Anti-Monitor's main body realized the trap had been reversed and was furious.
"the greedy one... how dare you devour my power..."
A gigantic antimatter palm reached out from the void, overshadowing the sky, grabbing directly at Chu Hang.
Wherever it passed, space shattered, and not even light could escape.
Superman tried to block it, but his strength was ridiculously small compared to this palm.
The moment the gigantic palm was about to touch Chu Hang—
Chu Hang opened his eyes.
His eyes were pure gold, and countless stars were born and died in the depths of his pupils.
He raised his right hand and gently pushed forward.
"Scram."
One word, the full might of the Power of the Thirteen Laws and the Concept of Greed.
The golden light turned into a soaring pillar of light, slamming into the gigantic palm.
Boom—
The gigantic palm shattered, scattering into black fragments.
The Anti-Monitor's will roared in fury and was forcibly expelled.
Chu Hang stood up, his cracks healed, and the golden blood flowed back into his body.
His aura fundamentally changed, crossing the threshold from Single Universe level mid-stage to high-stage.
But the cost was the complete collapse of the spatial seal.
The five nodes simultaneously erupted with energy turbulence, sweeping everyone into it.
Chu Hang only had time to place golden shields on everyone before losing consciousness.
The five teams were scattered, randomly teleported to different corners of the Multiverse.
Superman tightly held the unconscious Chu Hang, the golden shield swaying precariously in the turbulence.
He felt Chu Hang's Life signs were weak, but the Inner Universe was self-repairing.
The devoured energy was being refined bit by bit by the Thirteen Laws, turning into nourishment for his breakthrough.
"Hold on."
Superman whispered.
The turbulence accelerated, flinging them toward an unfamiliar dimension.
Superman only saw a barren star field before losing consciousness.
Tony's armor alarm went crazy, and his shield flickered.
Starlight tightly held Adam; the little boy's body emitted a faint golden light, instinctively resisting the chaos.
"Mama..."
Adam opened his eyes, his voice full of fear.
"Don't be afraid, Mama is here."
Starlight suppressed her dizziness and shielded the child with her body.
The turbulence accelerated, dragging the three of them toward a silent World filled with mechanical wreckage.
Thor and Jean were scattered, each flying in a different direction.
The Phoenix Wings behind Jean fully spread out to stabilize her body, but the turbulence was too strong.
She could only watch Thor be swallowed by a black rift.
"Thor!"
Jean shouted, but only the void answered her.
The Phoenix Force became restless, seemingly sensing something.
Jean closed her eyes, allowing the turbulence to carry her to an unknown shore.
Strange and Wanda were in the worst shape.
The Chaos Magic inside Wanda violently repelled the turbulence, causing her body to twist uncontrollably.
Strange desperately maintained his defenses, but he felt Wanda's consciousness was on the verge of collapse.
"Wanda! Hold steady!"
Wanda didn't respond; there was only chaos in her eyes.
Just as she was about to lose control, a scarlet lighterupted from within her, shaking off the surrounding turbulence.
It was the instinctive protection of Chaos Magic, and also her desire to survive.
The two were enveloped by the light and vanished into the turbulence.
Avengers Base.
Nathaniel stared intently at the five rapidly moving lights on the screen, sweat pouring down his face, his hands frantically moving to try and re-lock the coordinates.
But the Multiverse was too vast, and the turbulence interference was too strong; he could only watch the light points disappear one by one at the edge of the map.
"Damn it..."
Nathaniel gritted his teeth.
"Signal lost."
The people inside the Base exchanged glances; the atmosphere was heavy.
A faint golden light flashed across the screen.
The mark Chu Hang left on everyone, though faint, was still there.
Nathaniel's eyes lit up.
"They're alive! The marks are still there!"
His expression immediately darkened again.
The locations of those marks were scattered across five completely different corners of the Multiverse, tens of thousands of light-years apart, even crossing different dimensional levels.
"To find them all..."
Nathaniel murmured.
"At least three months."
A dark corner of the Multiverse.
The Anti-Monitor's main body opened its eyes.
He felt that although the greedy one had devoured his power, he had also exposed the coordinates of his Inner Universe.
"Very good..."
The voice echoed in the void.
"Did you think devouring my trap would make you stronger? No, you've only planted a ticking time bombinside yourself. The moment you digest that energy is the moment I descend."
He raised his hand, and the locations of the five light points appeared in the void.
"It's better that they scattered. Breaking them one by one will be more interesting."
Chapter 290: The Void Universe
Clark opened his eyes and fell into a state of absolute void.
It wasn't darkness; in darkness, there are still outlines.
This was pure 'nothingness,' a silence where even light had completely died.
He floated, his body heavier than ever, as if every inch of his bones had been filled with lead.
The'S' shield on his chest, the Kryptonian totem that once symbolized hope and strength, was now dim and lusterless, like a dust-covered stone.
His power was draining away irretrievably.
He instinctively looked up, searching for that familiar and warm stellar light.
But as far as his vision could reach, there was only a cosmic graveyard: the shattered cores of giant planets, the violently twisted metal wreckage of starships, and Nebuladust frozen in eternal poses... everything was still, as if time itself was frozen here.
There were no stars. Not a single one.
This realization hit his heart like a cold, massive boulder.
A Kryptonian's power originates from young yellow stars. In this graveyard of stars, his body had become a container that only let energy out without taking any in, decaying further with every passing second.
He thought of the farm in Kansas, where the sunlight was always so warm; he thought of Metropolis, and of Lois... if he were trapped here forever, what would happen to them?
Three meters away, Chu Hang floated quietly.
His eyes were tightly shut, and his body's surface was covered in spiderweb-like golden cracks, looking like a piece of peerless porcelain about to shatter.
Those cracks were slowly healing, only to be pushed open again by an even more powerful internal energy, repeating in a cycle.
Golden blood seeped from the fissures, instantly condensing into fine crystals in the vacuum, shimmering with a tragic beauty.
Clark struggled to fly over, wanting to support him, but as soon as his hand touched him, he was pushed away by a soft yet irresistible energy.
"Chu Hang?" he called out softly. His voice could not travel in the void, echoing only within his own mind.
There was no response.
He focused his mind, using his remaining Super Hearing.
Chu Hang's heartbeat was so faint it was almost undetectable—only three beats per minute—but each pulse was accompanied by a violent energy surge, as if a miniature supernova was exploding inside him.
This guy had swallowed five nodes capable of destroying the Universe, and that world-ending energy was currently rampaging through his body. Any other being would have turned into cosmic dust long ago, yet he was actually trying to digest it.
What a madman.
Clark thought bitterly, but then his expression changed abruptly.
In the distant silence, something moved.
Not just one, but a group.
They had no physical forms, appearing like shadows peeled from darkness itself, gliding silently among the planetary wreckage.
These Void Predators were clearly drawn by the energy fluctuations leaking from Chu Hang's body; like sharks scenting blood, they were converging from all directions.
Clark clenched his fists and resolutely stood in front of Chu Hang.
The solar energy reserves in his body were less than thirty percent and were still draining rapidly.
This godforsaken place was like a greedy energy black hole, heartlessly draining everything from him.
But he did not retreat a single step.
Chu Hang had saved everyone; now, it was his turn to protect him.
The first predator lunged forward, silently opening its maw to reveal sharp teeth made of pure shadow. Red light flashed in Clark's eyes as his scorching Heat Vision, like a sword of divine punishment, precisely sliced it in half.
However, this seemed to have stirred up a hornet's nest. More predators swarmed from all directions, so dense they obscured the already empty field of vision.
He took a deep breath and charged into that wave of desperate shadows.
His fist smashed into a predator's body; there was no tactile sensation of a physical collision, only a hollow sense of energy being annihilated.
The thing let out a silent shriek and dissipated into a wisp of black smoke.
Three pounced from the side, their claws raking across his Kryptonian suit, leaving several glaring white marks.
He sent one flying with a back-elbow, grabbed another's 'neck' with his left hand and twisted it hard, while his Heat Vision pierced the skull of a third.
But there were simply too many of them, an endless supply.
His energy was depleting rapidly; his movements began to slow, and his breathing grew heavy. Every punch and every sweep of Heat Vision brought him one step closer to exhaustion.
A massive predator dived down from above, its gaping maw large enough to swallow an entire heavy truck.
Clark tried to dodge, but his body's reaction was half a beat too slow.
At the very moment those shadow teeth were about to close, a brilliant golden light suddenly erupted from Chu Hang.
The light transformed into countless Runic Chains that shot out like living things, accurately entangling the giant predator.
The chains snapped tight, and the giant beast let out a shrill Soul-shriek as it was forcibly dragged toward Chu Hang.
The moment it touched the cracks on his body, it was completely torn to shreds, turning into the purest dark energy which was greedily sucked in by those golden cracks.
The cracks on Chu Hang's body visibly healed a fraction.
Clark was stunned. This guy could instinctively counter-attack and feed even while unconscious?
More predators were drawn by this even more violent energy eruption and fell into a frenzy.
They no longer attacked Clark, instead viewing Chu Hangas their sole feast, swarming toward him.
Clark gritted his teeth and stood in front once again.
Fists swinging and Heat Vision sweeping, he was like a burning reef, stubbornly resisting the black tide. But his power was draining at an unprecedented rate; his vision began to blur, and his punches became weak and powerless.
A predator's claw finally broke through his defense, raking across his shoulder and tearing through his tough suit, leaving a wound deep enough to see bone.
Blood scattered into the void, quickly condensing into dark red ice crystals.
He staggered back, finally unable to hold on, and collapsed onto one knee in the void.
Looking up, hundreds of predators had already surrounded them.
It's over.
Just as his consciousness was about to sink, the golden light on Chu Hang's body erupted again, more violent and more radiant than any time before.
Countless golden chains were like angry dragons emerging from the sea, precisely entangling every single predator in sight.
As the chains tightened, hundreds of monsters disintegrated simultaneously, turning into a surging torrent of black energy that was entirely poured into Chu Hang's body.
The cracks on his body healed at an incredible speed, the scattered golden blood flowed back into him, and his chaotic aura gradually stabilized.
Clark had just breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression became even worse than before.
An aura millions of times more terrifying than those predators was awakening in the depths of the darkness.
It was a Void Behemoth as large as an asteroid, its body pieced together from countless distorted spatial fragments and broken laws; every breath it took swallowed the surrounding matter and light.
Its six crimson giant eyes pierced through the endless void, locking dead onto Chu Hang, filled with primal and pure Greed.
This, perhaps, was the will of this Dead Universe itself, the gravedigger of this cemetery.
Clark struggled to stand up, his legs shaking uncontrollably.
The solar energy in his body was less than ten percent.
The behemoth opened its mouth; inside was not flesh, but a slowly rotating miniature black hole. With a gravity that swallowed everything, it lunged toward the two of them.
Clark closed his eyes, preparing to burn his last remaining divinity.
At that moment, Chu Hang opened his eyes.
In that instant, the entire space of the Universe trembled.
This was a resonance from the very foundation of the laws.
In the depths of Chu Hang's pupils, it seemed as if countless stars were being born and dying; thirteen types of light, representing different law origins, intertwined into a profound wheel.
He raised his right hand, his movements slow yet carrying an unquestionable majesty, and gave a light push forward.
The Void Behemoth's world-destroying pounce came to a dead stop.
Its massive body froze in mid-air, a trace of something like confusion flashing in its six crimson eyes, which was immediately replaced by endless terror.
In the next second, its body began to disintegrate from the inside, being completely erased from Reality.
The behemoth couldn't even let out a single wail before it turned into an energy torrent larger than all the previous predators combined, swallowed entirely by a newly appeared pitch-black vortex on Chu Hang's chest.
The last few cracks on his body completely healed, his skin regained its luster, and his aura stabilized at a terrifying level that made even Clark feel palpably shaken.
"You're awake." Clark finally relaxed completely, asking tiredly, "Your body..."
"Almost there." Chu Hang interrupted him, his voice sounding somewhat raspy due to the energy reconstruction. "The energy from the five nodes is too vast; I need time to digest it."
He looked around, his brow furrowed.
This silent Universe was lethal to Clark, and the hidden unknown dangers far exceeded imagination.
Worse still, he could feel the swallowed energy resisting within him; those were shards of the Anti-Monitor's will, rampaging wildly within his Inner Universe, trying to pollute his law foundation.
"We need to find a safe place."
He traced a golden trajectory in the void with his right hand; Space Law operated, and a Spatial Rift was slowly torn open.
But this process seemed exceptionally difficult, as if an invisible giant hand were stopping him. Clark noticed that fine beads of cold sweat had seeped from Chu Hang's forehead.
"Your state..."
"I'm fine, get in," Chu Hang urged.
Clark didn't ask more, supporting him as they squeezed into the rift together.
The other end of the rift was an independent Sub-space a hundred meters in diameter, surrounded by a translucent golden barrier constructed from the Law of Space.
As soon as the two entered, the rift behind them closed immediately.
Chu Hang's body went limp, nearly toppling over, but Clark caught him steadily.
"You're hurt worse than I thought."
"It's not an injury," Chu Hang shook his head, sitting cross-legged in the center of the space. "Just a bit of indigestion."
He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his Inner Universe.
Clark saw his body glow again, complex golden runes flowing and shifting beneath his skin.
In his Inner Universe, thirteen types of Law power were operating frantically with unprecedented intensity.
The Law of Space constructed the framework, the Law of Time accelerated digestion, the Law of Life repaired damage, the Law of Death suppressed resistance, the Alchemy Law decomposed and reorganized... everything served to refine that antimatter energy and the Anti-Monitor's will fragments.
But those will fragments were not dead things; they were extensions of the Anti-Monitor's main body consciousness, attempting to usurp control and turn Chu Hang's Inner Universe into a new nest.
Chu Hang could clearly feel that the Law of Space he took pride in was being polluted by a black power, and dark red spots began to appear on the golden Law chains.
He did not resist; instead, he made a crazy decision—to actively guide that destructive power to merge with himself.
It was a gamble.
If successful, he would master the fourteenth Supreme Law—the Law of Destruction;
If he failed, his Inner Universe would collapse, and he would be completely devoured by the Anti-Monitor's will, ceasing to exist.
Time passed minute by minute.
Clark stood guard nearby, vigilantly staring at the darkness outside the barrier. The rate of energy loss here was much slower, but it still existed.
Chu Hang's body began to tremble violently, and golden blood gushed from his seven orifices.
Clark's heart tightened, and he wanted to step forward, but he was blocked by an invisible barrier of force.
"Don't come over," Chu Hang's voice squeezed out through gritted teeth. "This is... the necessary path."
The war inside him had reached a fever pitch. The Anti-Monitor's will fragments launched a final general offensive, turning into a pitch-black torrent that charged straight for his Law core.
Chu Hang mobilized all the power of the "Greed" concept, transforming into a sky-obscuring golden mouth within the Inner Universe, swallowing that torrent of will along with all the antimatter energy in one gulp.
Then, he began to chew.
Each chew felt like his Soul was being sliced into a thousand pieces;
Each swallow was like swallowing a red-hot iron.
But he did not stop. Only by completely digesting it could it truly be turned to his own use.
Finally, amidst endless pain, a qualitative change occurred.
The antimatter energy and will fragments were completely refined, decomposed, and reorganized, turning into a brand-new power flowing within his body.
It was pure, absolute destruction power, an authority capable of erasing all things from the concept layer.
The fourteenth Law—the Law of Destruction, condensed into form.
Chu Hang opened his eyes, and deep within his pupils, a touch of profound dark red had been added.
He slowly stood up, all his injuries fully recovered, his aura more unfathomable than before. Clark noticed that in the palm of his right hand, a slowly rotating dark red rune had appeared.
"What is that?"
"The Mark of Destruction," Chu Hang said softly. "Consider it... a 'gift' left by the Anti-Monitor."
He pulled a fist-sized golden crystal from his robes and handed it to Clark. "An Artificial Miniature Sun, with an energy density a thousand times that of an ordinary star. Absorb it to restore your strength. The road ahead is still very long."
Clark took the crystal and immediately felt the vast energy contained within, enough to light up a galaxy. He didn't stand on ceremony, pressing it directly onto the emblem on his chest.
Golden light erupted with a boom, instantly illuminating the entire Sub-space.
The light exploded at Clark's chest, as if a real Sun had been ignited inside him.
Long-lost power returned like a tide, and every cell in his body cheered and leaped. The Kryptonian's body greedily absorbed this pure energy; his parched muscles filled out again, his bones gave off slight cracking sounds, and his vision became clearer than ever, allowing him to see every tiny crack on a meteorite fragment several kilometers outside the barrier.
Halfway through the energy absorption, Clark suddenly opened his eyes.
"Wait." He pressed the crystal on his chest, his expression solemn. "This thing... is it a part of your Inner Universe?"
"Reconstructed using the stellar energy I devoured," Chu Hang said frankly. "What's wrong?"
"I can feel... it's not just solar energy. There's something else inside, like a... will."
Chu Hang was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Your feeling is correct. When refining those five nodes, I fused a small portion of the purified Anti-Monitor will fragments into this artificial Sun."
"It won't harm you," he added, "but it will give it some special properties."
"What properties?"
"Adaptability. Ordinary solar energy only replenishes your energy, but this will self-adjust according to your needs. If you need more strength, it will strengthen your muscle density; if you need more speed, it will optimize your neural reactions. Simply put, it will make you stronger, not just restore you."
Clark was stunned. "And the price?"
"You will have a slight, weak resonance with my Inner Universe." Chu Hang looked directly into his eyes. "It's not control, nor is it surveillance, just a connection. If my Inner Universe collapses, you will suffer a backlash. If you die, I will also sense it."
Clark was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.
"Sounds like some kind of life-and-Death contract."
"Pretty much."
"If you don't want it, I can help you in another way."
Clark shook his head, instead pressing the crystal even tighter.
"No need," he said in a deep voice. "We are already in the same abyss; a contract just makes it all more formal. I trust you."
The golden light erupted again, more violently than before.
Clark's body began to undergo subtle changes; his muscle lines became more fluid and perfect, faint golden patterns flashed briefly under his skin, and the blue in his eyes grew deeper, as if harboring a sea of stars.
The light dissipated, and Clark stood up, clenching his fists, feeling the power galloping and roaring within him.
"It feels... very good," he whispered. "Stronger than in my prime."
"That's good." Chu Hang nodded, but his expression suddenly darkened. "Trouble is coming."
Clark immediately entered a state of alert, his Super Hearing extending to the limit.
He heard it.
In the darkness outside the barrier, countless fine, scalp-numbing friction sounds were converging, like billions of hungry insects gnawing on metal. The sound grew closer and more dense, finally merging into a hum of Death.
Chu Hang raised his hand, and the golden barrier became completely transparent.
Outside the Sub-space, at least a thousand Void Creatures of various forms had already surrounded them.
Some looked like deep-sea spiders magnified billions of times, some like incorporeal wraiths, and some were simply masses of constantly twisting black mist.
But they all had one thing in common—those countless greedy, thirsty eyes were staring fixedly at the two inside the barrier.
"They were attracted by the energy on you," Clark said solemnly.
"It's not just me." Chu Hang shook his head, his gaze looking into the depths of the endless darkness. "This Dead Universe itself is a trap, a slaughterhouse prepared for us. The Anti-Monitor throwing us here was no coincidence."
He looked up, as if he could see the awakening malice belonging to the entire Dead Universe.
"We need to leave here as soon as possible," Chu Hangsaid. "But before that, let's clear out these small fry first."
Clark rolled his shoulders, his eyes flashing with an unprecedented fighting Spirit. "Perfect, let's try out my new power."
Chu Hang glanced at him, a slight curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Then don't hold back."
Before his voice could fade, he waved his hand, and the golden barrier protecting them exploded with a bang, turning into billions of sharp golden fragments like a meteor shower sweeping through the void, shooting toward the surrounding Void Creatures.
Chapter 291: Law of Destruction
Golden fragments shot toward the Void Creatures.
Clark didn't wait and charged straight ahead.
The closest one was a spider-like monster three stories tall, its eight legs covered in black barbs.
He threw a punch, but something felt off—
It wasn't the pure physical Impact from before; something surged from within him, pouring out through his fist.
The spider's carapace didn't shatter; instead, it began to disintegrate at the molecular level, dissipating into black mist.
Clark froze for a second.
Three incorporeal Wraiths lunged from the side.
Red light flashed in his eyes as he fired his Heat Vision, this time carrying a pale golden halo.
As the beam swept across, the three Wraiths were directly erased from Reality.
"It's not just that I've become stronger."
Clark clenched his fist.
"The very essence has changed."
Chu Hang stood his ground, unmoving.
Over a dozen Void Creatures abandoned Clark and lunged toward him instead.
He raised a finger, tracing a dark red trail in the void.
Wherever the trail passed, space simply vanished, leaving behind a pitch-black crack.
The Void Creature at the front crashed into it and began to disintegrate starting from its head—erased at the concept layer.
[Law of Destruction]
Causing the target to go from existence to non-existence.
Chu Hang looked at his right hand.
This Power was more domineering than expected; the slightest carelessness could lead to a backlash.
But now was not the time for hesitation.
He looked up, his gaze piercing through the depths of the void.
A massive will was awakening there—the pseudo-consciousness of this Universe, a watchdog left behind by the Anti-Monitor.
"Since it's a trap, I'll just eat the trap."
The Inner Universe's Devouring mode was fully activated.
Clark charged into the swarm of Void Creatures.
A black mist creature extended countless tentacles to entangle him, but he grabbed the thickest one and yanked it hard.
The moment the tentacle touched his palm, it began to disintegrate; the process spread rapidly, swallowing the entire creature in the blink of an eye.
He could feel that with every Void Creature he killed, the slain energy would feed back into him, forming a cycle.
This was the adaptability Chu Hang had mentioned.
Three spider-like creatures lunged at him simultaneously from different directions.
Clark took a deep breath, his Heat Vision transforming into three energy whips that precisely entangled the three creatures, tightening, disintegrating, and absorbing them.
The Power within him was growing; this was a qualitative leap.
Chu Hang raised his hand and traced a circle a hundred meters in diameter in the void.
The Void Creatures within the ring let out silent screeches as they began to disintegrate from within.
Their very existence was negated.
He opened his eyes and looked further into the distance.
Hundreds of Void Creatures were gathering, and behind them, a massive shadow slowly emerged.
A behemoth the size of an asteroid, its body cobbled together from distorted spatial fragments and broken laws, stared intently at Chu Hang with six crimson giant eyes.
"Just in time."
Chu Hang raised his right hand, and the Destruction Runein his palm erupted with dark red light; his entire right arm was enveloped, transforming into a spear condensed from the pure concept of destruction.
"Cover me!"
Clark didn't waste words and stood in front of him.
His Heat Vision swept out in a fan shape, forcing back all approaching creatures.
The behemoth's six giant eyes fired black beams simultaneously.
Clark instantly appeared in the path of the beams, crossing his arms over his chest as a pale golden energy barrier unfolded, forcibly blocking the attack.
"Hurry!"
He gritted his teeth, his internal energy depleting rapidly.
Chu Hang didn't hesitate and hurled his right hand forward.
The destruction spear turned into a dark red stream of light, tearing through the void.
The behemoth fired even more violent black beams in an attempt to intercept it, but wherever the spear passed, those beams were directly erased.
The spear pierced the behemoth's chest.
There was no explosion, no Impact, only a silence that made the Soul tremble.
Dark red cracks spread from the wound, covering its entire body.
The behemoth let out a silent wail as its body began to disappear.
But just as it was about to dissipate completely—
The entire Dead Universe began to vibrate.
Countless broken planetary remains, twisted spaceship metal, and frozen Nebula dust all began to resonate.
Chu Hang's expression shifted.
The Universe itself was awakening.
The true trump card left here by the Anti-Monitor finally bared its fangs.
"What is this?" Clark flew back to his side.
"The true will of this Universe."
Countless black tentacles extended from all directions, condensed from the pure Concept of Nothingness.
Wherever the tentacles passed, space simply vanished.
Clark's Heat Vision struck the tentacles, and golden cracks appeared on their surface, but they didn't disintegrate; instead, they began to absorb the energy.
"Physical attacks are useless!"
Chu Hang traced several dark red trails in succession, transforming them into blades of destruction that slashed at the tentacles.
The blades sliced through, and the tentacles were severed.
But for every one severed, ten more extended from elsewhere.
"We can't keep wearing ourselves out like this."
He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his Inner Universe.
The Powers of the laws were operating frantically—Space Law, Law of Time, Life, Law of Death, Alchemy Law, Spirit, Reality, Power, Devour, Soul, Darkness, and Law of Destruction.
These laws began to merge, with the Concept of Greed as the core.
Chu Hang opened his eyes, which had turned a pure dark gold.
He raised both hands, and the entrance to his Inner Universe at his chest burst open, turning into a pitch-black vortex ten meters in diameter.
"Then let's see who eats whom."
[Concept of Greed] erupted with full force.
The vortex generated a terrifying suction; the black tentacles were seized and dragged one by one into the Inner Universe.
Not just the tentacles, but the surrounding Void Creatures, broken remains, distorted space, and even the source Power of this Universe itself began to be devoured.
The will of the Dead Universe resisted frantically; more tentacles extended from the depths, no longer attacking but instead trying to flee.
But the Devouring of the Concept of Greed was indiscriminate; once locked on, there was no escape.
As the laws within Chu Hang's body operated wildly, his Inner Universe began to expand.
Space Law built the framework, Law of Time accelerated digestion, Law of Death suppressed resistance, Alchemy Law decomposed and reorganized, Law of Destructionerased opposition... eventually, the entire source of the Dead Universe was being converted into nourishment for the Phoenix Force at an incredible speed.
Clark could feel that through resonance with Chu Hang's Inner Universe, the energy within his own body was also growing in sync.
The pale golden Power of the laws grew stronger and stronger, beginning to form complex patterns beneath his skin.
"Chu Hang! Your body..."
Chu Hang did not respond.
His body began to glow, becoming brighter and brighter until it finally turned into a dark golden Sun, illuminating the entire Dead Universe.
The Devouring lasted for three hours.
When the last wisp of black tentacle was dragged into the Inner Universe, the light on Chu Hang's body began to recede.
He landed on a golden platform—a temporary foothold he had just created in the void using the Power of his Inner Universe.
Clark flew over to examine him.
There was no change in Chu Hang's appearance, but his aura was completely different.
If he was an unfathomable abyss before, he was now a rotating black hole.
"Are you okay?"
"Better than expected."
"The source of this Dead Universe is more massive than all five nodes combined."
"The quality isn't as high, but it makes up for it in quantity."
He looked up at his surroundings.
The Dead Universe, which had been full of broken remains and distorted space, was now empty.
All matter, energy, and even space itself had been completely devoured.
Only pure nothingness remained.
"This place can no longer be called a Universe; it's more like a hollowed-out shell."
"Then how do we leave?"
"No rush, there's one last thing."
He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his Inner Universe.
The devoured source of the Dead Universe was being refined by the Concept of Greed; most of it was converted into nutrients for the Inner Universe, causing its volume to double.
But a small portion could not be refined—fragments of the Anti-Monitor's will. Each wisp contained terrifying Powerof destruction, struggling frantically within the Inner Universe, attempting to contaminate the foundation of the laws.
Fortunately, Chu Hang had the Phoenix Force; as a Multiverse-level Power, the Phoenix Force could completely obliterate Multiverse-level fragments of will.
Chu Hang guided all of them into the Destruction Rune in his right palm.
The rune rotated, turning into a miniature black hole. With the Phoenix Force Chu Hang injected, it quickly obliterated and devoured all the fragments of will.
A terrifying surge of energy erupted from his body.
Clark was sent flying by the Impact, smashing the golden platform behind him.
He steadied himself and looked at Chu Hang in shock.
The Destruction Rune in Chu Hang's right palm had turned from dark red to pure black, as if it contained a true abyss.
"The Law of Destruction has completely stabilized."
"And there's an unexpected harvest."
He raised his right hand and made a light stroke in the void.
A pitch-black rift appeared out of thin air, and a strange starry sky could be vaguely seen on the other side.
"This is?"
"A passage leading to other Universes."
"While Devouring this Dead Universe, I parsed some Multiverse coordinate information from the Anti-Monitor's fragments of will."
He paused.
"Including the locations where the other teammates were teleported."
Clark's eyes lit up:
"You can find them?"
"I can."
"But not right now."
Chu Hang looked into the depths of the rift.
"The Anti-Monitor's main body is watching this place."
"If I go looking for the others now, I might lead him to them."
"Then what should we do?"
"Stabilize our strength first."
"Having devoured this Dead Universe, my Inner Universehas expanded, but its foundation isn't stable enough yet; I need time to digest it."
"And..."
He looked at Clark.
"The Power within your body also needs time to adapt."
"The resonance between you and my Inner Universe is getting stronger; if it's not controlled, problems might arise."
Clark looked down at his hands.
Pale golden patterns were faintly visible beneath his skin.
"How long will it take?"
"Three days."
"In three days, we'll go find Thor and Jean."
"Their location is the closest, and..."
He paused.
"I sense that things aren't going well for them."
Clark nodded.
Chu Hang raised his hand and traced another rift in the void; the other end was a desolate but stable star field.
"Let's go. We'll find a safe place first to completely digest these Powers."
The two entered the rift, and their figures vanished.
The rift closed, and the Dead Universe fell into complete silence.
***
In some dark corner of the Multiverse, the Anti-Monitoropened his eyes.
He felt it—the greedy one had not only avoided being trapped to Death but had instead devoured his carefully laid trap, his strength surging once again.
"Interesting."
A low voice echoed in the void.
"Do you think that by eating my digestive organ, you can escape from the palm of my hand?"
"No, you've only made yourself more delicious."
He raised his hand, and five points of light appeared in the void.
Two of them were rapidly approaching; those were Chu Hang and Clark.
The other three were scattered in more distant and dangerous dimensional depths.
"Let's see... how far you can go on my chessboard."
He tapped a finger lightly, and the space around one of the points of light began to distort.
That was where Thor and Jean were located.
Chapter 292: Silver Superman
Chu Hang tore open space and brought Clark to a dead galaxy.
Three red dwarfs orbited a white dwarf that was nearly extinguished, and the nearest civilization was tens of thousands of light-years away.
"Right here."
Chu Hang landed on a barren planet covered in craters and raised his hand to set up a golden barrier.
Once the barrier expanded, the time flow rate changed—one second outside was three days inside.
Clark stood nearby, the energy within his body restless.
Since absorbing the Artificial Miniature Sun, he had been in a Strange state—full yet empty, powerful yet fragile.
Energy surged through his veins and roared within his cells, like something was about to break out of its cocoon.
"Steady yourself first."
Chu Hang glanced at him.
"Over the next three days, I will thoroughly refine the origin of the Dead Universe."
"The energy in your body will erupt along with it."
"It will be very painful."
"I can take it."
"It's not a matter of whether you can take it or not."
Chu Hang shook his head.
"Inside that energy are fragments of the Anti-Monitor's will; although I have purified them, the essence remains."
"It will try to rewrite your genes and reshape your form of existence."
"If your will isn't firm enough, you might become someone else."
Clark was silent for a moment.
"Then why did you give it to me?"
"Because this is your only chance to break through."
Chu Hang looked him straight in the eyes.
"The power limit of a Kryptonian is locked by physical rules. No matter how much solar energy you absorb, you are only spinning around the Rule Layer."
"To break through to the concept layer, you must break these shackles."
"The Anti-Monitor's power happens to be able to do just that."
He paused.
"Of course, provided you survive."
Clark took a deep breath and nodded.
Chu Hang sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
His body began to glow as the power of fourteen Laws began to circulate.
The origin of the Dead Universe was refined bit by bit, merging into his Inner Universe.
Space expanded, time accelerated, Life and Deathintertwined, and creation and destruction reached a balance.
Clark also sat down, but he did not close his eyes.
The energy inside him resonated with Chu Hang's rhythm, growing stronger and wilder.
Pale golden patterns appeared beneath his skin—the manifestation of the power of Laws.
His heart beat faster and faster; every beat felt like a star exploding in his chest.
The pain came faster than expected.
Clark began to tremble violently.
The energy was no longer docile; it was like an enraged Beast rampaging through his body.
Every cell was burning, and every nerve was screaming.
His gene chains were forcibly disassembled and reorganized; the pain far exceeded any physical injury.
He gritted his teeth and gripped the ground tightly, his fingertips digging ten deep grooves into the rock.
The Kryptonian genes in his body began to resist.
It was an instinct carved deep in his DNA, a protection mechanism left by tens of thousands of years of evolution.
It refused to change and refused to be eroded by external forces.
But the Anti-Monitor's will fragments were more domineering—they weren't just rewriting genes, but denying the existence of the genes themselves and then redefining them with higher-dimensional structures.
Clark's skin began to crack, and golden blood seeped from the cracks, evaporating into a mist of light in the air.
His eyes turned pure white, with no pupils visible, only a blinding light.
"Hold on."
Chu Hang's voice sounded in his mind.
"Don't resist, guide it."
"Your will must be stronger than your genes. Tell that power that you are the Master."
Clark took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
He no longer suppressed the energy but took the initiative to feel and understand it.
That power was indeed rewriting his existence, but it was not for destruction; it was for sublimation.
The physical limits of the Kryptonian were being broken, and his Life form was leaping to a higher level.
The pain still existed, but he began to be able to bear it.
Time passed minute by minute.
The Law power in Chu Hang's body became more stable, and more than half of the Dead Universe's origin had been refined.
In the Inner Universe, the Law of Destruction and the power of creation reached a delicate balance—on one side, all things returned to nothingness, while on the other, new Life was born from nothingness.
The two forces countered each other, making the Inner Universe's ecology more complete.
Clark's transformation also entered its most critical stage.
His body began to undergo visible changes.
The cracks on his skin healed, leaving behind a faint silver halo.
That was not reflected light, but his bio-force field manifesting spontaneously.
This force field was no longer just physical defense, but had risen to the concept layer—it defined the concept of 'Clark Kent cannot be harmed' itself.
His muscle lines were smoother, yet their density was rising crazily.
Every cell became a miniature energy reactor; no longer dependent on external solar energy, they could independently produce, transform, and even create energy.
Most importantly, the gene chains were completely restructured.
The original Kryptonian genes were kept, but on a deeper level, a brand-new concept was engraved—Transcendence.
This concept allowed him to break the shackles of physical rules. From now on, his power limit would no longer be determined by universal laws, but by his own will.
Clark opened his eyes.
In that instant, all three red dwarfs in the galaxy dimmed simultaneously.
He stood up and shrugged his shoulders, feeling the surging power in his body.
This power was completely different from before; it was no longer just physical strength, but something more fundamental.
He could feel that he could now do many things he wouldn't have dared to dream of before.
For example—
He raised his hand and gently gave a Snap.
A burning red dwarf in the distance was instantly extinguished.
It was not an explosion or a collapse, but a direct change from burning to extinguished, with no transition in between.
Clark was stunned.
He just wanted to see if he could affect the star, and as a result... he just turned it off?
"Don't mess around."
Chu Hang opened his eyes.
"Your current power is still unstable; one mistake could blow up the entire galaxy."
"I... just wanted to try."
"I know."
Chu Hang stood up and patted his shoulder.
"Congratulations, you have officially stepped into the Single Universe level."
"From today on, you are the Silver Superman."
Clark looked down at his body.
A faint silver glow flowed over his skin; it was the manifestation of the bio-force field.
He clenched his fist, feeling the terrifying power contained in his fingertips.
This power could no longer be measured by physical units; it transcended the limits of mass, energy, time, and space, rising to the concept layer.
"I can feel..."
He said softly.
"Between me and your Inner Universe, there is a very Strange connection."
"That is the Binary Resonance."
Chu Hang explained.
"You absorbed the energy of my Inner Universe, forming a unique bond between us."
"If I am injured, you will sense it; if you encounter danger, I will know immediately."
"This connection can span Universes, even dimensions."
He paused.
"Of course, this also means that if my Inner Universecollapses, you will suffer a backlash."
"And vice versa."
Clark nodded and didn't speak.
He understood the significance of this connection—it was not just sharing power, but a bond of Life and Death.
Just then, Chu Hang's expression changed.
He looked up into the depths of the void, a hint of gravity flashing in his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
Clark immediately became alert.
"Something happened to Thor and Jean."
Chu Hang said in a heavy voice.
"The Anti-Monitor has set a trap in the Andromeda No. 9 Perilous Zone, wanting to use Jean's Phoenix Force and Thor's thunder as nutrients to create Dark Phoenix and Fallen Thor."
Clark's expression darkened.
"Let's go."
Chu Hang raised his hand, tearing a massive Spatial Rift in the void.
On the other end of the rift, a Nebula eroded by darkness could vaguely be seen, along with two figures struggling to hold on.
The two stepped into the rift simultaneously, disappearing from the barren galaxy.
---
Andromeda No. 9 Perilous Zone.
This once colorful Nebula was now completely eroded by darkness.
Countless Shadow Demons roamed within it, obscuring all Starlight.
Thor was holding stormbreaker, covered in blood.
His armor was mostly shattered, and there was a deep wound on his left arm reaching the bone. Blood dripped down his arm, condensing into dark red ice crystals in the void.
But unyielding lightning still burned in his eyes, and the thunder coiled around the axe blade was more violent than ever.
Jean Grey floated ten meters behind him, the phoenix wings behind her having mostly dimmed.
Her face was as pale as paper, with fine beads of cold sweat seeping from her forehead.
The Phoenix Force in her body was being eroded by a Strange power, like countless fine needles piercing deep into her Soul, trying to tear her will to pieces.
"Jean, hold on!"
Thor called out as he turned back, simultaneously swinging his axe to strike a bolt of lightning, blasting a dozen lunging Shadow Demons into ashes.
Jean did not respond.
She gritted her teeth, her hands clutching her head tightly, nails sinking into her scalp as blood flowed down her cheeks.
She could feel something taking root and sprouting within her spiritual World; it was a fragment of the Anti-Monitor's will, attempting to transform her into the Dark Phoenix.
"No... I won't..."
She murmured in a low voice.
Thor tried to get close to her, but a black energy wall suddenly rose between the two, isolating him outside.
He let out a roar of rage, raising his battle-axe and hacking down fiercely; thunder crashed against the energy wall, sending countless sparks flying, but the wall remained motionless.
"Damn it!"
Just then, a low chuckle echoed from the depths of the Nebula.
That laughter didn't travel through sound waves, but rather resonated directly within the Soul.
"Struggle all you want, Thor."
The Anti-Monitor's voice rang out.
"Your thunder is strong, but in my domain, you are merely a trapped Beast."
Before the words had even faded, countless black tentacles reached out from the depths of the Nebula, coiling toward Thor.
Wherever the tentacles passed, space collapsed directly, and even the thunder was devoured.
Thor swung his battle-axe, severing one tentacle after another, but there were too many, and they soon overwhelmed him.
Seeing this scene, a flash of determination crossed Jean's eyes.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the erosion within her body, and erupted with her final Phoenix Force.
[Phoenix Force: Nirvana Heaven Incineration]
Golden-red flames soared into the sky, burning all the tentacles to ash and rescuing Thor from his predicament.
But the price was that the defensive lines within her body completely collapsed.
Black patterns spread from the corners of her eyes, covering half of her face.
Her left eye turned pure black, without a pupil, containing only a bottomless void.
The Phoenix Force began to twist, as black shadows mingled within the golden-red flames.
"Jean!"
Thor shouted in horror.
Jean slowly lifted her head and looked at him.
Her right eye was still golden-red, but her left eye had turned completely black.
Two kinds of power were warring frantically within her body, and her consciousness was being torn apart.
"Thor..."
Her voice became hoarse and eerie, sounding as if two people were speaking simultaneously.
"Kill me... while I still have consciousness..."
"No! I won't give up on you!"
He raised stormbreaker, and the six Infinity Stones erupted with blinding light simultaneously.
[stormbreaker: Six Paths Reincarnation Slash]
The powers of six laws—Space, Time, Power, Reality, Soul, and Mind—converged on the axe blade, transforming into a bolt of thunder capable of tearing the Universe apart as it slashed toward the depths of the Nebula.
Wherever the thunder passed, darkness was dispelled, Shadow Demons were evaporated, and even the energy wall set by the Anti-Monitor began to crack.
But it wasn't enough.
The Anti-Monitor's laughter rang out again, tinged with a hint of mockery.
"You think six stones are enough to oppose me?"
"Foolish."
From the depths of the Nebula, a giant black palm slowly reached out and, with a gentle squeeze, crushed the thunder Thor had unleashed.
The palm continued forward, fingers spread wide, reaching for Thor and Jean.
Thor gritted his teeth, preparing for a desperate final struggle.
Just then—
A golden Spatial Rift tore open in front of them.
Chu Hang and Clark rushed out at the same time.
Chu Hang raised his hand, and all his law powers erupted instantly, forming a dark-gold barrier that blocked the giant palm.
The palm slammed into the barrier with a deafening boom, making the entire Nebula tremble.
Clark didn't stop, charging directly toward Jean.
His speed was so fast that even light couldn't keep up; he appeared beside Jean in an instant, pressing his hand against her forehead.
Silver light surged from his palm into Jean's spiritual World, colliding head-on with the black eroding power.
"Get out!"
Clark shouted low.
[Silver Age Superman: Conceptual Purification]
The Silver Superman power within him erupted in full force; it was a concept-level power that transcended physical laws.
Before this power, the will fragment left by the Anti-Monitor couldn't resist at all; it was stripped from Jean's Soul bit by bit and eventually wiped out completely.
Jean's left eye returned to golden-red, and the black patterns gradually receded.
She collapsed weakly into Clark's arms, gasping for breath.
"Thank you..."
Clark nodded, handed her over to the arriving Thor, and then turned to look at Chu Hang.
Chu Hang was currently in a stalemate with the Anti-Monitor's palm.
The power contained in that palm was far beyond imagination; every collision caused cracks to appear in his barrier.
But he didn't retreat a single step; instead, a cold smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Anti-Monitor, what kind of skill is hiding in the shadows? If you have the guts, show yourself and fight."
The laughter stopped.
The darkness in the depths of the Nebula began to boil, and an indescribably massive figure slowly emerged.
It wasn't a physical entity, but a phantom pieced together from countless distorted spatial fragments and broken laws.
But even as a phantom, the pressure it emitted caused the entire Nebula to begin disintegrating.
"As you wish."
The Anti-Monitor's voice rang out.
"Since you're so eager to seek Death, I shall fulfill your wish."
Chu Hang didn't respond.
He simply raised his right hand, and the destruction rune on his palm began to rotate, its dark-red glow growing brighter.
Fourteen types of law power circulated wildly within his body—Space, Time, Life, Death, Alchemy, Spirit, Reality, Power, Devouring, Soul, Darkness, Light, Law of Body, and Law of Destruction—every law was resonating, eventually converging beneath the phantom of the Phoenix Force. This Dharma Image, which should only be fully condensed at the Multiverse level, actually showed a trend of gradually turning from illusory to solid at this moment.
This was a terrifying power capable of tearing through the Multiverse.
Clark stood beside him, his silver Biological Force Fieldfully expanded.
He could feel that through Binary Resonance, Chu Hang's power was continuously pouring into his body, while his own power was feeding back into Chu Hang.
A perfect cycle formed between the two, elevating both of their strengths to unprecedented heights.
Thor gripped stormbreaker tightly, and the six Infinity Stones erupted with light once more.
Though Jean was weak, her Phoenix Force was still burning, the golden-red flames condensing into massive wings behind her.
Four people, four powers capable of destroying the Universe, simultaneously locked onto the phantom in the depths of the Nebula.
The Anti-Monitor was silent for a moment, then let out a low chuckle.
"Interesting."
"You think joining forces will allow you to oppose me?"
"Foolish."
"However..."
He paused, and the phantom began to slowly dissipate.
"I've changed my mind."
"Killing you now is too boring. I want to watch you struggle in despair, watch you fall one by one, and finally kneel before me begging for mercy."
The darkness in the depths of the Nebula began to recede, and the countless Shadow Demons disappeared along with it.
The giant palm turned into black mist and merged into the void.
But just before the phantom completely vanished, the Anti-Monitor left one last sentence.
"Chu Hang, you devoured my trap and thought you became stronger?"
"No, you've only made yourself more delicious."
"I will savor you slowly, starting with those you cherish most."
As the voice fell, the Nebula returned to calm.
Chu Hang narrowed his eyes, looking into the depths of the void.
He could feel that the Anti-Monitor hadn't truly left, but was watching them from a deeper dimension.
This war has only just begun.
"We need to find the others as soon as possible."
He turned to look at Thor and Jean.
"The Anti-Monitor's goal isn't just me; he wants to turn everyone into his nourishment."
Thor nodded, helping Jean to her feet.
Jean's face was still pale, but her eyes had regained their clarity.
"What about Wanda and Strange?"
she asked softly.
"They're still in the Third Chaos Interlayer,"
Chu Hang said solemnly.
"The situation there is even worse than here."
Clark glanced at him.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Chu Hang didn't answer immediately.
He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his Inner Universe, sensing the locations of their other teammates in the Multiverse.
Wanda and Strange's Life signals were very weak, but still there.
Tony and Starlight's signals were even more chaotic, seemingly experiencing some kind of space-time distortion.
What concerned him most was that Nathaniel's signal had suddenly vanished.
That youth should clearly have stayed behind at the Avengers Base, so why did he lose contact?
Chu Hang opened his eyes, a trace of solemnity flashing within them.
"The situation is more complicated than I thought."
Chapter 293: The Disappearing Earth
Chu Hang stood amidst the ruins of Andromeda Nine and closed his eyes.
Thor supported Jean while Clark stood nearby; the three of them waited for him to speak.
His consciousness sank into his Inner Universe, where the fourteen Laws transformed into silken threads, extending toward every corner of the Multiverse.
Wanda and Strange's Life signals were very weak, like flickering flames struggling in water.
Tony and Starlight's signals were even more chaotic, trapped in Spacetime Turbulence, their coordinates changing every second.
But what truly unsettled him was another signal—Nathaniel Richards.
That youth was supposed to be guarding the Avengers Base as the timeline anchor for the entire plan.
Chu Hang had stripped the Dimensional Beacon from his wrist, but he had left an Alchemy Law mark so he could locate him at any time.
Now, the mark had vanished.
It wasn't destroyed or shielded; rather, it had been erased from the Multiverse's range of perception along with Nathaniel.
Chu Hang opened his eyes, his expression darkening.
"What's wrong?" Thor asked.
"Nathaniel has lost contact."
Clark frowned. "Wasn't he at the Base? Tony's defense systems are there, along with the Ultron Legion."
"That's exactly why something is wrong."
Chu Hang looked up into the depths of the void, where a distorted ripple was faintly visible.
"The Anti-Monitor said he would start with those I cherish most."
"I thought he would continue to target you all, but he didn't."
He paused.
"He went for the home Base."
Jean's face turned pale. "Earth?"
Chu Hang didn't answer. He raised his right hand and traced a dark gold trajectory in the void.
[Space Law]
[Law of Time]
[Inner Universe Detection]
The three powers operated simultaneously, attempting to lock onto the coordinates of the Main Universe's Earth.
Quickly, he discovered the problem.
The coordinates existed, but the signal feedback was empty.
It was like a person standing before a mirror, but the mirror showed nothing.
"Earth has been stripped from the Reality dimension."
"What does that mean?" Thor gripped his stormbreaker.
"The Anti-Monitor has pulled the entire Planet into a Phase-Shift state."
"It is still in that position, but it no longer belongs to this dimension."
Chu Hang said solemnly, "It's like someone drawing a circle on a piece of paper and then tearing that circle out."
"The circle is still a circle, but it's no longer on the paper."
Clark immediately understood the gravity of the situation. "There are billions of people on it!"
"More than that."
Killing intent flashed in Chu Hang's eyes.
"Nathaniel is a variant of Kang; the essence of a timeline anchor remains within him."
"The Anti-Monitor pulled Earth into a Phase-Shift specifically to use him as a sacrifice to completely sever the Planet's connection to the Reality dimension."
"Once successful, Earth will become a Ghost Node in the Multiverse—existing, but unobservable and untouchable, forever drifting in the interstitial void."
Jean gasped.
Thor's hand gripped his stormbreaker so hard it trembled—not with fear, but with rage.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Chu Hang took a deep breath and clenched his right fist.
A Spatial Rift tore open before the four of them.
On the other side was not the familiar blue Planet, but a grayish-white void.
The outline of Earth was faintly visible, like a faded photograph with all color drained away, leaving only a blurred silhouette.
Chu Hang stepped in first, followed closely by Clark, with Thor supporting Jean as they entered last.
The moment they landed, everyone felt something was wrong.
Gravity existed, but it was weak, like stepping on cotton.
Air was present too, but breathing it into their lungs felt like nothing, as if they were merely going through the motions of breathing.
Clark activated his super vision to scan the surroundings, and his pupils contracted.
"Chu Hang, you need to see this."
He pointed into the distance.
Where Manhattan, New York should have been, there was now only a distorted grayish-white shadow.
The outlines of skyscrapers remained, but all detail had vanished, like a pencil drawing that had been rubbed over with an eraser.
Shadowy figures moved on the streets, but they had no features and no clothes; they were just blobs of blurred humanoid light and shadow, mechanically repeating certain actions.
One shadow went through the motions of driving, but there was no steering wheel in its hands and no car beneath it.
Another shadow acted as if it were making a phone call, holding nothing in its hand.
They were trapped in the Phase-Shift, reduced to walking-dead-like afterimages.
Jean covered her mouth, her eyes reddening.
Thor gritted his teeth, lightning dancing in his eyes.
Chu Hang's face was grim.
He raised his hand, and fourteen Laws erupted simultaneously as he attempted to forcibly tear through this phase barrier.
As soon as he touched the grayish-white void, he was blasted back several steps by a repulsive force.
"As expected, it's not that simple."
Chu Hang shook his hand; several small cracks appeared on his palm, and golden blood seeped out.
Clark stepped forward and pressed his hand against the grayish-white barrier.
The power of Silver Superman surged, attempting to use the purification power of the concept layer to dispel the void.
The barrier didn't budge; instead, it began to spread toward his arm, trying to drag him into the Phase-Shift as well.
Chu Hang pulled him away. "Don't touch it!"
"This isn't a simple spatial barrier; it's the interface between existence and non-existence."
"Your purification power is useless against it because it is the conceptual manifestation of 'nothingness' itself."
Clark looked at the grayish-white patterns spreading on his arm, took a deep breath, and erupted with his Silver Superman power, barely managing to dispel them.
A boom echoed from the distance.
The four of them turned their heads simultaneously.
From the direction of the Avengers Base, a pillar of black light shot into the sky, piercing the grayish-white heavens.
Around the pillar of light, dozens of distorted figures slowly emerged.
Those figures wore familiar uniforms—Iron Man's armor, Captain America's uniform, Black Widow's bodysuit, Hawkeye's bow and arrows—but every detail was distorted. Their colors had turned to a mix of gray and black, and they had no facial features, only hollow darkness.
Chu Hang's voice was low. "Void Avengers."
"Puppets created by the Anti-Monitor using the remnant Souls of heroes from erased timelines."
Thor raised his stormbreaker. "Then we shall shatter them."
"Wait."
Chu Hang stopped him, his eyes fixed on the Void Avengers.
"They aren't the targets; they're just bait."
Just as he finished speaking, the black light pillar contracted, transforming into a pitch-black vortex ten meters in diameter.
At the center of the vortex, a youth's figure was suspended in mid-air, his limbs pierced by black chains. Blood dripped down the chains, vanishing into grayish-white smoke before it could touch the ground.
Nathaniel Richards.
His face was deathly pale, his eyes were tightly shut, and his chest rose and fell weakly.
In the very center of his forehead, a golden coin was embedded, emitting an eerie halo.
"That is..." Jean gasped.
"The Karma Coin."
"A contingency left behind by Kang in White."
Chu Hang's voice was cold.
He still remembered how, in the ruins of Chronopolis, Kang in White had chosen to admit defeat after calculating all possible timeline branches 137,421 times.
But that Kang was by no means someone who would truly submit.
It seemed now that the coin was a hidden mine planted by Kang in White.
Clark activated his super vision, trying to see the essence of the coin. As soon as he focused, a sharp pain shot through his eyes, and golden blood seeped from the corners.
He quickly looked away. "That thing doesn't belong to this dimension."
"It's a Causality Weapon."
Chu Hang said solemnly, "Kang in White left it inside Nathaniel, waiting for the right moment."
"The Anti-Monitor activated it after discovering it, using it as the core to maintain the Phase-Shift."
"As long as that coin remains, Earth will be permanently trapped in the interstitial void."
"Then take it out!" Thor snarled.
"It's not that simple."
Chu Hang raised his right hand, and the rune of destruction in his palm began to rotate.
"The coin has already bonded with Nathaniel's existence. Forcibly stripping it away would cause his history to be erased—not just his future self, but even the traces of his past existence would vanish."
Jean's face turned white. "Then what do we do?"
Chu Hang didn't answer and took a step forward.
The Void Avengers moved.
The figure wearing the distorted steel armor raised its hand, and a grayish-black beam shot from its palm repulsor, heading straight for Chu Hang's face.
Chu Hang didn't even blink, casually waving his right hand.
[Law of Destruction]
The beam was erased three meters before it could touch his body, leaving no trace that it had ever existed.
The figure holding the shield charged from the side with startling speed.
Clark was faster.
Silver Superman turned into a silver streak of light, appearing before the Void Captain America and throwing a punch.
The fist struck the shield with a deafening boom.
The Void Captain America and his shield were sent flying hundreds of meters, plowing a deep trench into the ground, but he quickly stood back up, the cracks on his body healing at a visible rate.
Thor let out a low roar and swung his stormbreaker, all six Infinity Stones erupting at once.
A pillar of lightning descended from the heavens, enveloping three Void Avengers.
The lightning struck violently, tearing those distorted figures into fragments.
But after the fragments hit the ground, they quickly coalesced again, turning into even more Void Avengers.
"They can't be killed!" Thor gritted his teeth.
Chu Hang took a deep breath and raised both hands.
The power of the Laws surged within him—Space, Time, Life, Death, Alchemy, Spirit, Reality, Power, Devour, Soul, Darkness, Light, Constitution, and Destruction—each one resonating, converging into a dark gold torrent.
The entrance to his Inner Universe opened at his chest, and the Phoenix Force surged from its depths, golden-red flames wrapping around his entire body.
Chu Hang spoke in a low voice that echoed throughout the entire phase space.
"Greed Definition."
"This space does not belong to the void."
The dark gold Law Power surged out like a tide, covering a hundred-mile radius.
All the grayish-white void began to vibrate violently, like a water surface being forcibly injected with pigment.
Color began to return.
The sky turned from grayish-white to blue, the ground changed from blurred outlines to clarity, and those figures repeating mechanical actions began to have features, clothes, and expressions.
The entire Planet was being forcibly dragged back into the Reality dimension.
The Anti-Monitor's will sensed this, and a roar erupted from the black vortex.
Hundreds of black tentacles reached out from the depths of the vortex, each one containing enough power to tear the Universe apart, sweeping toward Chu Hang like an overwhelming tide.
Clark stood before him, his Silver Superman Bio-field fully expanding into a silver barrier.
The tentacles slammed into the barrier, the sounds of explosions merging into one.
Clark gritted his teeth, his feet plowing two deep trenches into the ground, but the barrier did not break.
Thor roared, and his stormbreaker flew from his hand, transforming into a lightning dragon that severed all the tentacles that had broken through the barrier.
Jean barely managed to stand, the Phoenix Force burning once more as golden-red flames transformed into blades, assisting Thor in clearing the tentacles.
Chu Hang did not lose focus; his consciousness was completely immersed in the Greed Definition.
This wasn't simple spatial manipulation; it was redefining Reality at the conceptual level—telling the Multiverse that from this day forward, this space no longer belonged to the void, but to his Inner Universe.
The grayish-white was receding rapidly, and the outline of Earth grew clearer and clearer.