Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 592 - 555 Battle of the Human God and Great Demon 1

Chapter 592: 555 Battle of the Human God and Great Demon 1

Contrary to what the Tai Sui Army guide suspected, Huang Quan likely hasn’t truly mastered the technology to manipulate the Great Demon.

If Huang Quan could achieve such a feat, he could easily coordinate with the Great Demon Xuanwu now to execute more skillful combined attacks. Even if his manipulation skills are still immature and he can only give the Great Demon the most basic instructions, he wouldn’t appear so tied up like he does right now.

He should at most be able to make the Great Demon Xuanwu ignore him.

Even though it’s a difficult situation with one against two, this human god and Great Demon haven’t demonstrated the advantage of numbers greater than the sum. Currently, they’re completely like two "strangers." In fact, even strangers can achieve basic rapport when facing a common enemy, yet the Great Demon Xuanwu entirely lacks that partner awareness.

If it weren’t for this, I’d fear I’d have been defeated in a very short time. Despite this stroke of luck, my current situation is undeniably heading toward a defeat.

Actually, Huang Quan doesn’t need to truly launch a zero-distance attack actively. He just needs to maintain a roving posture around me, which takes a considerable portion of my attention. This makes it very difficult for me to focus solely on avoiding the Great Demon Xuanwu’s attacks. I’m acutely aware that if I truly assume Huang Quan won’t attack, and focus all my attention on the Great Demon Xuanwu, Huang Quan would immediately deliver a head-on blow.

Yet, I can’t turn my back to attack Huang Quan; doing so would allow the Great Demon Xuanwu to seize the chance for a deadly strike from behind.

Attempting to retreat from the battlefield is impossible too. Although I don’t plan on fleeing for now, I’ve briefly considered it. If only the Great Demon Xuanwu were my enemy, I’d have half a chance to achieve retreat with my current mastery of chaotic space-time. But now, with the insidious Huang Quan blocking my way, the success rate of escape is infinitely close to zero.

No advancing, no retreating, and what’s worse, I can clearly see Huang Quan from a distance, gathering a massive amount of mana in his palm while roving around. He’s leisurely preparing his "ultimate move," firmly locking it with a lethal intention onto me.

"The next strike will be your end," Huang Quan said calmly, "You have three seconds left, Zhuang Cheng. If you have any last words, you can start now. If I see Mazao later, I’ll send them for you."

The mental pressure of impending death finally prevents me from verbally counterattacking, forcing me to think with all my might about how to survive such a desperate situation. One idea after another rises in my mind, only to be dismissed by myself.

Ordinary cunning won’t find a breakthrough against Huang Quan, filled with killing intent. He is an experienced Great Impermanence far beyond me—most of my tactics are within his grasp, and whatever strategies I think of, he likely can too. Playing cards rashly will only fall into his scheme; I must use moves beyond his experience.

But even if I can do that, it will merely prolong my life by a few seconds at best. My current situation is just that dire.

Why does Huang Quan want to kill me so eagerly? Amidst the desperation of life or death, my mind suddenly bubbles with such a question.

Since we’re enemies, it’s supposedly logical that he wants to kill me. However, this logic is somewhat flawed at this stage. As the King Zhuanlun of Lushan Great Impermanence, he has now betrayed to the Evangelical Institute; and Ming Zhuo, formerly Huang Quan’s student, also seems to have some potential connection with the Evangelical Institute.

The Lushan Great Impermanence isn’t a complete enemy of the Evangelical Institute; they might become allies. Apart from Fa Zheng, the true Governance Ideology Great Impermanence, anyone can be swayed. Gua Tianshi is one, and I should appear the same in the eyes of the Evangelical Institute.

Although my stance and relationships in Luo Mountain are under the Governance Ideology, a rough investigation would reveal I am not a true Governance Realist. Even if Huang Quan thinks he may not sway me to the Evangelical Institute’s camp, is it not overkill to ask me one formal question?

Reality is, however, he turned me into an enemy without a second thought from the start. When with the Taoyuan Village Master, it could explain he insisted on killing before Shan Liangyi consumed the Vermilion Bird Inheritor, and Huang Quan could only cooperate. But now, devoid of outside intervention, he persists in this indiscriminate attitude to kill, which feels discordant.

Could it be he simply hasn’t thought that through? Or has he signed some contract with the Taoyuan Village Master, requiring my death?

Why does Huang Quan support the Taoyuan Village Master’s "Paradise" plan anyway?

Numerous thoughts flood my mind like rainwater, while I also contemplate what means to temporarily break the impending deadlock. Though this method will plunge me into a challenging one-in-ten-life scenario, I’m forced to act as a last resort.

Meanwhile, it seems Huang Quan has completed his ultimate move. The Great Demon Xuanwu no longer uses black water cannon for ranged attacks but moves his enormous dragon-like body in an instant, crossing the distance between us with rapid speed as the huge dragon head swiftly bites towards me.

Should this monster bite me directly, my True Spirit would inevitably be torn apart into pieces along with flesh and soul.

Almost simultaneously, compressed to perfection, the yellow-black mana bursts from Huang Quan’s hand, transforming into a colossal serpent head. With jaws wide open, it lunges from another direction towards me.

"——It’s over, Zhuang Cheng."

Huang Quan’s voice resonates directly in my consciousness.

Unlke any previous long-distance attacks, this strike, as Huang Quan’s long-accumulated ace, could critically harm my True Spirit, rendering its lethal effect plausible.

The move is too massive. Although I can use my movement technique to evade, I would certainly be caught by the Great Demon Xuanwu afterward. Conversely, focusing solely on evading the latter’s attack means getting hit by Huang Quan’s ultimate move.

The method I just thought of is my only option.

Just as I was determined to perform the emergency maneuver, at a thrilling moment, I sensed an external force suddenly entering my body.

Instantly, an unprecedented inspiration exploded within me.

Indeed, it wasn’t "power," but rather "inspiration." The situation of being sandwiched by the enemy on two sides became an extremely difficult problem in my eyes. The sudden inspiration was like a solution descending from the heavens, helping me instantly understand how to break through this predicament.

Like miraculously regaining balance when teetering on a tightrope, with unbelievable movement technique, I moved at high speed through the air, smoothly dodging the enormous serpent-jawed yellow-black mana, then twirled at the last moment to narrowly graze past and dodge the Great Demon Xuanwu’s bite.

This wasn’t mere physical movement, but utilized advanced techniques of spatial movement and causal manipulation. Even outside this chaotic space-time in the Post-mortem World, in a normally functioning modern world, it would be impossible to replicate the same level of movement technique with my own power.

I could even sense the surrounding space-time environment accommodating me powerfully, as if a favorable wind suddenly pushed from behind while running, making my body feel extraordinarily light and agile, easily achieving results unattainable in normal conditions.

"When fortune aids, all heavens exert strength..." such a phrase suddenly surfaced in my mind.

"Wha...!?"

Huang Quan’s declaration of victory was relentlessly overturned. Like a mortal general seeing enemy special forces emerge unscathed from a hail of bullets, he uttered a voice questioning reality.

I was probably more shocked than him. Yet simultaneously, I more or less knew the truth behind this change. To prevent my opponent from discovering, I tried to maintain a calm demeanor.

At the same time, a telepathy entered my consciousness, a familiar, young voice sounded in my heart: "Brother Zhuang Cheng... can you hear me?"

"Little Bowl?"

I called in my mind and swiftly sensed around, quickly capturing Little Bowl’s scent faintly.

Not only Little Bowl, I sensed No. 7’s presence too. Like last time when No. 7 wandered near my and the Great Demon Xuanwu’s battlefield, this time she seemed concealed, hovering near the battlefield—bringing Little Bowl along. At this moment, they didn’t exist in normal space-time but weirdly lurked in deep space-time, turning into a form invisible to the naked eye, imperceptible in regular language.

"It’s us, Zhuang Cheng." No. 7’s voice echoed in my heart, "...Sorry, I originally intended to move Little Bowl to safety, but this time I was locked by the Great Demon Xuanwu again, forced to stay within this battlefield’s scope."

"No need to apologize. Thank you for saving Little Bowl."

Then, I turned my words another way, "Little Bowl, was it you who did it just now?"

"Yes, I bestowed blessing power upon Brother Zhuang Cheng, enhancing your adaptation and understanding of the Post-mortem World’s space-time, significantly boosting your efficiency in hitting and evading... I hope I didn’t overstep?" Little Bowl’s voice asked.