vncnus Chapter 246 Unexpected, Willing to Take the Bait
Chapter 246 Unexpected, Willing to Take the Bait
Chapter 246 Unexpected, Willing to Take the Bait
Somewhere in the New World, the calm seas stand in stark contrast to the chaos and despair of Egghead Island; the sun shines warmly and the sea breeze is gentle.
The azure sea rippled gently, like a smooth piece of silk.
A small wooden boat drifts on the sea, carried by the current.
At the bow of the boat sat Taigong Wang, holding an ordinary-looking bamboo fishing rod in his hand. The fishing line sank into the sea and remained motionless.
He closed his eyes slightly, as if immersed in his own world, becoming one with the calm sea.
However, if someone could sense the subtle fluctuations in energy, they would discover that, centered on him, an invisible and vast intention was quietly spreading like ripples on water, enveloping an extremely wide area.
Suddenly, his fingers holding the fishing rod twitched almost imperceptibly.
Beneath the surface of the sea, the invisible fishing line seemed to tremble slightly, not because a fish had taken the bait, but because it sensed some kind of disturbance from a distant place.
"Here it comes," he murmured to himself, his voice calm and undisturbed.
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, a figure appeared silently beside the gunwale of the small boat, standing gracefully on the water, untouched by any moisture.
Yang Jian did not open his divine eyes, but he clearly sensed the abnormal fluctuations coming from Egghead Island.
He gazed at Taigong Wang's retreating figure, bowed slightly, and greeted him with utmost respect: "Uncle-Master."
Taigong Wang did not turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the distant horizon, as if the fish that interested him most resided there.
He gently shook the fishing rod in his hand, his tone languid yet containing undeniable insight: "You felt it?"
"Yes." Yang Jian's answer was concise, but his sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a barely perceptible hint of anger flashed across his cold face.
"That power—a chaotic and utterly malevolent force. It contained the madness of barbaric gods, and even more so—the traces of a cold, aloof will forcibly intervening and manipulating. To use such vile methods against the beings of this world—"
His words carried an instinctive aversion to the abuse of power and the defilement of divinity, and a hint of anger at the cold will that treated all living beings as pawns.
Personally, he felt disgusted by this cold, supreme suppression during this period.
As the God of War and the God of Justice in Heaven, he could not tolerate such chaos and injustice.
Taigong Wang smiled slightly, as if he had already seen through his junior apprentice's thoughts.
He said slowly, "This is the method of the King of the World. Using the authority of other gods as a guide and the will of death as a thread, he manipulates puppets and clears away obstacles. It is indeed—quite unique."
His tone was flat, neither praising nor criticizing, but the phrase "King of the World" carried a hint of mockery.
Yang Jian remained silent for a moment, his divine eyes slightly opening and closing, a ray of golden light flashing past.
His gaze seemed to pierce through space, seeing the desperate scene inside the Egghead Island passage, seeing Hercules' resolute determination to withstand the breath attack, and seeing the nauseating lines of power at the core of the lava creation.
He said slowly, "Did my martial uncle summon me for this reason?"
"It's not that I summoned you, but that this situation requires a change in circumstances."
Jiang Ziya finally turned his head slightly, his gaze, deep as the sea, beneath his bamboo hat, falling on Yang Jian.
"That berserker wielding the axe is admirable in spirit, but his attributes clash with the enemy's, and his spiritual foundation is restricted, so I'm afraid he can't hold out for long. The few on the platform are crucial to the future of this world, and we cannot afford to lose them."
He paused, his tone still calm, yet carrying a penetrating insight: "You harbor resentment, feeling that the king's actions are despicable and dishonorable to the name of the gods, is that not it?"
Yang Jian did not deny it, but his aura became increasingly fierce.
Taigong Wang chuckled softly, turned back, and continued looking at his fishing line.
"Go. If you feel injustice, then cut down that filth. Act freely, without too much concern for yourself."
"The water here is already muddy, so it doesn't matter if it gets any muddier. I'll just stay here and fish."
The meaning of his words was already clear.
No need to hold back, no need to worry about the manipulators behind the scenes, just go ahead and break the predetermined script of destruction.
Even if the sky falls, his senior uncle will hold it up.
A glint flashed in Yang Jian's eyes, and he said no more.
He bowed slightly to Taigong Wang's retreating figure once more.
"I will obey my master's instructions."
Before he finished speaking, his body shone with golden light, and he instantly transformed into a golden meteor that tore through the sky. With a speed that surpassed the concept of ordinary spatial movement, he sped towards Egghead Island and disappeared into the horizon in an instant.
Taigong Wang looked in the direction he left, and gently lifted the fishing rod in his hand, causing a barely perceptible ripple to appear on the sea surface.
"The fish will always bite."
Northwest of Egghead Island, an abandoned electromagnetic catapult passage.
The air was thick with the scorching smell of sulfur and the acrid odor of molten metal.
Inside the abandoned electromagnetic catapult tunnel, the temperature was astonishingly high, and the surrounding metal walls were bathed in a crimson glow, as if the entire space were inside a volcano about to erupt.
Lava flowed slowly through the cracks in the ground, making a terrifying gurgling sound. Every step required extreme caution to avoid being swallowed by that fiery hell.
"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" Jason roared, his clothes already soaked with sweat and clinging to his skin.
His hands were pressed tightly against the dusty and rusty backup power interface, veins bulging on the back of his hands, as he used all his strength to try to turn this last hope around.
"Did this damn thing rust to death?!"
Behind him, Hercules stood like a silent mountain, blocking the way between the crowd and the terrifying lava creature.
Berserker's massive body was writhing with crimson magic like boiling magma, rivaling the destructive energy emanating from the real lava monster opposite him.
His beast-like, childlike eyes were fixed on his target, and threatening roars poured from the depths of his throat, carrying the purest disgust for that twisted divinity.
Bonnie clung tightly to her father's life support capsule, her face deathly pale, her voice trembling uncontrollably as she watched the approaching lava behemoth.
"Berserker - Little V's Heart."
The lava creation's form was constantly twisting and changing; it had no fixed shape and seemed to be formed from pure anger and a will to destroy.
Its body is made of scorching magma, and a dark red light flickers on its surface, radiating suffocating high temperatures and energy fluctuations.
Its massive maw, formed of lava, slowly opened, its interior a blinding white-hot color. Highly condensed lava breath churned and compressed within, the energy fluctuations it emitted causing the surrounding air to distort.
This attack was enough to instantly vaporize the entire catapult platform, along with everyone on it!
"Jason! Isn't it ready yet?!" Bucky shouted in terror, his body already beginning to involuntarily prepare to tear apart—an instinctive reaction driven by extreme fear.
"That thing's breathing fire! Just like Akainu! We're all going to turn into kebabs!"
Even Leonardo da Vinci, the all-powerful man who always maintained rationality and elegance, had fine beads of sweat on his forehead at this moment.
She rapidly operated the portable terminal on her wrist, attempting to analyze the energy core of the lava creation and find possible weaknesses, but the data that returned was chaotic.
"The energy reaction is still escalating! The structure is extremely unstable, a mixture of multiple unknown laws—conventional methods are probably insufficient—"
"If conventional methods don't work, then use unconventional ones!"
Vegapunk's voice emanated from the massive apple-head structure, carrying a metallic, grating quality.
His massive figure was busy at the control panel, his robotic arm moving so fast it left afterimages, performing the final calibration of the electromagnetic catapult.
"The backup power lines are severely outdated; I need time to redirect the power! Thirty seconds! Give me at least thirty seconds!"
"Thirty seconds?!" Jason almost cried.
"Will that monster give us three seconds?!"
As if in response to his despair, the lava creation completed its energy gathering, and the incandescent light in its giant maw surged to its maximum, about to unleash a destructive breath!
The light was so bright it was blinding, and the aura of death gripped everyone's throats as if it were a tangible presence!
"Berserker—!" Bonnie screamed in agony.
Hercules responded with a thunderous roar!
He wasn't trying to hide, as that would expose his Master and the target he needed to protect.
He stomped his massive, pillar-like legs deep into the metal floor beneath his feet, causing the hard alloy plate to crack and sink instantly!
He crossed his arms to protect himself, and his blood-red magic power was condensed and compressed at an unprecedented intensity, forming a heavy armor of magic with blood-red patterns in front of him!
The Berserker's class characteristics make him fearless of pain and death, but also lead him to choose the most direct and dangerous way to fight.
Of course, this is also one of the fundamental reasons for his existence as a hero: to physically confront the might of divine creation!
His beastly intuition was frantically warning him that at the core of this thing was a twisted divinity that disgusted him.
It must be destroyed! Protect the Master! Destroy it!
The giant maw of the lava creation was aimed at the catapult platform, at the vulnerable Vegapunk on the platform, and at Jason, who was struggling to calibrate the system.
Hercules was temporarily slowed by the predictive shockwave of the scorching breath, and it looked as the destructive stream of light was about to engulf everything!
A close call!
Time seemed to be stretched and frozen.
The incandescent light within the giant maw of the lava creature had reached its peak, and in the next instant, a destructive breath would pour out like a flood bursting its banks!
Hercules roared with extreme fury, his blood-red magic armor solidifying to the extreme, even creaking under the strain. He prepared to take the blow with his own body, hoping to buy a slim chance of survival for the person behind him!
Jason stared intently at Hercules.
Bucky, however, was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.
Bonnie's sobs were drowned out by the roar of energy.
Da Vinci himself futilely erected a meager magical barrier.
Vegapunk's robotic arm had reached its limit, and the final progress bar on the screen was slowly climbing—
"You wicked creature! How dare you commit such a heinous act!"
A clear and cold shout, like a thunderclap from the heavens, suddenly resounded throughout the entire passage!
A golden streak of light arrived first, striking with perfect accuracy the giant maw where the energy of the lava creation was most concentrated!
It was a three-pointed, double-edged sword, its blade wreathed in a hazy, ethereal light, radiating an awe-inspiring and inviolable divine might!
puff!
The dull thud of a sharp weapon piercing flesh rang out!
The three-pointed double-edged sword did not simply pierce through; the moment the tip of the sword touched the molten breath, the evil-dispelling and demon-suppressing divine power contained within it suddenly erupted, actually shattering the breath that was about to erupt!
The scorching magma, as if restrained by an invisible force, exploded violently within the mouth of the lava creation!
"roar-!!!"
The lava creature let out a roar of pain and rage. Its entire body was violently twisted by the sudden interruption and internal explosion, and it staggered backward, temporarily losing its attack posture.
A golden light swirled and landed in front of the catapult platform, revealing a handsome and valiant general.
He exuded an aura of pure and boundless Eastern immortals that was completely different from all the other heroic spirits present.
It was Yang Jian!
His eyes flashed like lightning as he swept over the disheveled Bucky and his group.
He paused briefly on Hercules, a hint of surprise flashing across his face, before turning his gaze to the still churning lava creature, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Such a vile and wicked entity exists in this world, a mixture of otherworldly divine authority and the will of death; it must be destroyed!"
His appearance surprised everyone.
"Another heroic spirit?! Is this guy—is—is that Yang Jian?!"
Bucky stared in disbelief as Yang Jian forced the Lava Demon God back with a single blow, his mind still reeling.
Jason's eyes widened as well: "This is—it is! What a powerful aura! He seems to rival Hercules!"
He quickly determined that Yang Jian was on their side, at least for the time being.
A glint of wisdom flashed in Leonardo da Vinci's eyes as he spoke in a low voice.
"Eastern-style divine servants—this pure way of wielding divinity and power—seems to be friends rather than enemies."
.
Bonnie, however, didn't care about anything else. Seeing that the crisis had temporarily passed, she immediately ran to Hercules' side and worriedly checked whether he was injured.
Vegapunk looked at Yang Jian, the data stream on his giant apple head flashing rapidly, as if analyzing something, and finally turned into a gasp of amazement.
"The Navy's trump card—perfect energy control—far surpasses the understanding of existing physical models—"
Yang Jian ignored everyone's reactions, his attention completely focused on the lava creation.
He could sense that although the attack had been interrupted by his strike, the core of the thing was rapidly repairing its damage and becoming even more violent.
"Gentlemen, this is not a place to linger," Yang Jian said without turning his head, his voice cold and clear.
"This thing has been controlled by a higher will, and it will not rest until it is destroyed. I have been entrusted to come and help you all escape, but I cannot stay for long."
As if to confirm his words, the sound of intense artillery fire and the crashing of naval landing craft as they forced their way to the shore came from outside the passage!
The Marine Headquarters' support forces finally broke through the Red-Haired Pirates' interference and began landing on Egghead Island, closing in on it!
Although they do not yet possess the aura of generals, the large number of lieutenant generals, major generals, and pacifist troops still pose a significant threat.
"The electromagnetic catapult still needs final calibration! Thirty seconds!" Vegapunk shouted at the control panel, his hands moving so fast they left afterimages.
"Thirty seconds—that's enough!"
Yang Jian's eyes narrowed, and he brandished his three-pointed double-edged sword, taking the initiative to meet the increasingly violent lava creation.
"Roar!" The lava creature seemed to have identified Yang Jian as a greater threat.
It abandoned its obsession with Hercules, its entire body boiling with lava, transforming into countless scorching tentacles and sharp spikes that blanketed Yang Jian!
Yang Jian moved like lightning, transforming into a golden dragon as he wielded his three-pointed double-edged sword!
His skills were exquisite, combining power and technique. Every strike he made carried a sharp gale that seemed to tear through space, as well as a pure and holy light that could dispel evil spirits!
However, the troublesome thing about lava creations is their near-immortal regeneration ability.
Although Yang Jian held a firm advantage and suppressed him completely, he was unable to eliminate him in a short period of time.
He could sense that the cold will was constantly adjusting the lava creature's attack patterns, learning his fighting style.
"Is this thing evolving?" Yang Jian felt a chill run down his spine.
On the other side, Hercules watched Yang Jian battle fiercely against the lava creatures and let out a deep roar, his fighting spirit soaring.
He instinctively wanted to join the battle, fight alongside this powerful war god, and utterly tear apart the monster he loathed.
"Berserker, wait!" Bonnie quickly grabbed him.
"Almost done! We need to get ready to go!"
Hercules looked down at his Master, then at the fiercely fighting Yang Jian and the ever-approaching naval forces, and finally let out a low growl. He picked up the life support pod again, stood guard at the edge of the catapult platform, and stared with hostile eyes at the shadowy naval soldiers that were beginning to appear at the entrance of the passage.
"Calibration complete! Everyone, hold on!" Vegapunk finally finished the operation.
"Your Excellency! That's enough!" Leonardo da Vinci exclaimed.
Upon hearing this, Yang Jian feinted with his sword, forcing back the lava creation, and instantly retreated, returning to the edge of the catapult platform as if by teleportation.
He glanced at the tense crowd on the platform and nodded slightly to Da Vinci and Vegapunk.
"Well then, farewell. May you all have great success in your military endeavors."
Before he finished speaking, his figure transformed into a golden light and vanished as abruptly as when he arrived, as if he had never existed.
"He... he just left like that?" Bucky hadn't even reacted yet.
"Never mind that! Fire!" Jason roared, already able to hear the sound of laser energy condensing!
Vegapunk slammed the final launch button!
boom!!!
A powerful electromagnetic force instantly acted on the platform, and everyone was pressed down on the platform by a huge force. The scene in front of them blurred instantly and turned into a rapidly receding block of color!
Like stones launched by a catapult, they rushed along the long track at a speed exceeding the speed of sound towards the sea at the end of the passage, a symbol of freedom!