As she thought about it, Goddess Bast's train of thought began to deviate, similar to how Zane had dealt with Electro before, except now Zane was the one in a weak position.
As Goddess Bast's thoughts began to wander, much like Zane had dealt with Electro before, Zane found himself in a disadvantaged position now.
"Forget it, let's just get this over with and go back to sleep. The real world is so boring," Goddess Bast thought.
With that in mind, Bast directly swung her claws, which were the size of an adult's, towards Zane. At the critical moment, Zane used Blink to teleport behind her, then continued his assault.
Perhaps due to being dormant for a long time, or perhaps because Goddess Bast didn't anticipate Zane's teleportation ability, Zane's attack this time finally hit her solidly.
"Agh..."
With Goddess Bast's cry of pain, Zane's attack was once again interrupted. However, this time, Zane's teleportation to various angles didn't harm her anymore. Obviously, Goddess Bast had now surrounded herself with a shield using her divine power.
"This beast is quite tricky!" Zane exclaimed. However, he only felt the trouble ahead, without any sense of fear. Although this beast seemed formidable, it wasn't overwhelming for Zane, and she would eventually exhaust her strength. With his "Infinite Energy," Zane could outlast her.
Goddess Bast, who was hit by Zane's attack, was no longer as indifferent as before. Enjoying the faith and reverence of the Wakandan people for thousands of years, she tasted pain for the first time and was now thoroughly enraged.
What's the most powerful aspect of a panther? It's speed!
Serious now, Bast suddenly reduced her size to that of a normal panther and, with a cruel smile directed at Zane, disappeared from his sight in an instant.
The next moment, every hair on Zane's body stood on end, and his heart raced as he teleported to another location. Turning back, he saw Goddess Bast slashing through the air where he had just been standing. If it weren't for Zane's instinctive teleportation, he might have been done for by now.
Goddess Bast found herself neither hitting Zane nor discouraged. She disappeared again at an invisible speed and, being in her soul state, made not a single sound as she vanished silently.
Zane tensed all his nerves, vigilantly scanning her surroundings. He could feel Goddess Bast swiftly moving around him, her cold eyes fixed on him, ready to strike with lightning at any hint of vulnerability.
Facing this tense battle, Zane suddenly laughed freely.
The feeling of adrenaline coursing through her veins, dancing on the edge of death, was exhilarating!
No wonder there were so many daredevils around the world indulging in extreme sports!
Zane had never felt so alive!
And Zane's momentary distraction gave Bast an opportunity. She appeared directly to Zane's left, claws aiming for Zane's chest. By the time Zane tried to teleport away, it was almost too late.
Victory or defeat in a battle of experts lies in an instant, and Zane's act of distraction was a clear sign of his inexperience in combat.
So Zane paid the price too. Though he managed to dodge the fatal blow by teleporting to the other side, Bast still struck his left arm, causing him to grunt in pain twice.
Zane glanced at his left arm. While it seemed intact on the surface, he could clearly feel that his left elbow had gone numb. His left hand now felt like a piece of meat attached to his body, present but out of his control.
Thinking back to the excruciating pain he felt when struck, Zane had a guess.
"Soul attack? It's truly dangerous!"
Although injured, Zane's smile seemed even brighter for some reason.
The Black Panther Goddess Bast looked at Zane's smile and suddenly felt a shiver down her spine.
"What a lunatic!"
Then Goddess Bast disappeared again from Zane's sight, and at the same time, Zane teleported to another location.
In the blink of an eye, from the perspective of King T'Chaka and Princess Shuri, the vast palace seemed to be filled with countless Zanes, remnants left in their retinas by his swift teleportation.
And Goddess Bast appeared intermittently, shattering one after another of Zane's remnants.
It was a contest of speed and reflexes, as well as patience and mentality. Any slight relaxation on Zane's part would result in Bast's claws tearing through his chest.
Time passed slowly, and without realizing it, half an hour had gone by. King T'Chaka and Princess Shuri's eyes were tired from watching, yet Zane and Bast still hadn't determined a winner.
Whether it was an illusion of Bast's or not, she felt like Zane's reactions were getting faster, and his teleportation angles were becoming more cunning. She was starting to struggle to keep up with his speed.
Bast's perception was correct; in this intense battle, Zane was gradually getting accustomed to Bast's speed, and being on the brink of death constantly probing had helped him adapt to the rhythm of the fight at a visible speed.
He could even vaguely predict where Bast would appear next, where her attacks would land on his body. Sometimes, when dodging Bast's attacks, he would counterattack with a beam or two.
Zane was rapidly growing in the midst of the battle, sharpening himself more and more with Bast, the perfect whetstone!
Gradually, Goddess Bast grew impatient, halting her movements and looking at Zane suspended in mid-air.
"Human, I admit you're troublesome, but it's time to end this."
With that, Bast abandoned her beastly fighting style, directly tapping into her vast divine power. Although the beastly way of fighting was her most familiar and comfortable, she was no longer patient.
"Anything else, little kitty? I was hoping to play a bit more," Zane teased.
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