Wanda's face flushed as she glanced at Bella, who wore a smile, without saying a word.
The young girl liked Bi Xiao, but she didn't want this to be public knowledge. Hence, she was quite displeased, giving Dark Phoenix a death stare. However, the angry little witch's stare had no real lethality.
Not only was Dark Phoenix unafraid, she even provocatively stared back.
Dark Phoenix was a violent and desirous personality, but she wasn't lacking in intelligence. On the contrary, she excelled at reading people. Even without telepathy, she could analyze someone through their expressions, eyes, and heart. Wanda was the first person she analyzed.
Although Wanda had an exceptionally high IQ and formidable power, high intelligence didn't necessarily mean emotional maturity. Compared to seasoned veterans, she fell short, especially in matters of the heart, where she was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper.
For someone like Wanda, Dark Phoenix could immediately tell that she was inherently kind and very gentle.
Wanda was decisive and ruthless towards villains and hostile entities, but she often adhered to high moral standards when dealing with innocents. Even with Dark Phoenix, her first instinct wasn't to eliminate her violently, but rather to negotiate.
Though there were other factors at play, Dark Phoenix could see that Wanda was indeed very adorable and sometimes completely harmless.
Thus, she dared to be so audacious, believing that her behavior wouldn't provoke Wanda to the point of turning hostile. Teasing Wanda was quite amusing.
Dark Phoenix was correct. Wanda didn't harbor murderous intent; it wasn't a significant matter, only making her feel a bit embarrassed and annoyed. However, not harboring murderous intent didn't mean she was willing to let Dark Phoenix off easily.
Wanda's hands began to itch as she pondered how to give Dark Phoenix a hard time. At that moment, Bella walked over, taking Wanda's hand, which was about to burst with rage, and whispered softly in her ear.
Her voice was very low, and Bella even cast a magical soundproof barrier to prevent anyone else from hearing.
After all, everyone present was no ordinary person, and even the smallest sound could be detected.
As Thor and others watched with knowing smiles, Wanda's delicate, sweet face turned as red as steam as Bella whispered to her, evidently discussing something that embarrassed Wanda.
This shy expression on Wanda's face greatly displeased Dark Phoenix.
However, she couldn't say anything, having realized that her adversary was likely a terrifyingly formidable person. She might be mad, but she didn't want to die.
So, she decided to wait and see.
As the tension grew, the atmosphere in the Arctic Circle had already reached an oppressive, terrifying level. The destructive forces had utterly devastated the Arctic environment, turning it into scorched earth in an instant.
The blackened land spread, vast swathes of ground melting under an indescribable pressure, turning into either crystalline states or molten lava.
The once vast expanse of white now resembled the mouth of a volcano, a horrifying sight.
But that wasn't the scariest part. The terrifying forces suddenly surged, ravaging the entire planet. The Earth seemed enveloped in a mudflow, constantly compressing. At that moment, everyone, everywhere, froze in place.
Crashes erupted everywhere, airplanes lost control, and it was as if the apocalypse had arrived.
Nick Fury, driving to S.H.I.E.L.D., wasn't spared either. Amid the immense pressure, the roads were littered with accidents, explosions, and screams. He was caught in a multi-car pileup.
Fortunately, as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., his vehicle was custom-built, top-tier in impact resistance and explosion-proof technology, practically a marvel of engineering.
After the crash, he clutched his head in pain, the airbag having deployed from the steering wheel. Yet the massive impact left a wound on his forehead, bleeding.
Amid the explosions and screams outside, Nick Fury immediately realized something was wrong.
He struggled to take out a bleeding stopper spray for his forehead, then grabbed his communicator to contact S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
"Hill...?"
Nick Fury gasped for breath, feeling his blood almost freeze, his heart about to stop, and his breathing irregular.
The communicator opened, and Agent Hill's calm yet strained voice came through, indicating she wasn't in a good state either.
"Sir."
"What happened?"
"Sir, from the footage on site, a group of unknown monsters has appeared. The entire Arctic Circle is scorched, and energy readings have maxed out."
"What about headquarters?"
"Not good. All agents are in a dangerous state, unable to move."
In the S.H.I.E.L.D. command center, Agent Hill knelt, glancing back at her collapsed colleagues, their faces flushed, too weak to even type on their keyboards.
It was the same everywhere, she feared.
"Sir, we're powerless," Hill said bitterly.
She fully realized the enemy's overwhelming power, as they had thrown the entire world into chaos just by appearing and increasing their presence in the Arctic Circle. Everyone had lost the ability to act.
How could they fight back?
They had no idea.
It was as if pieces of meat were nailed to a felt board, ready to be butchered at will.
Fury had nothing to say. Trembling, he took out a small pager-like communicator from the 1990s and pressed the distress signal button. This was his ultimate card, his last resort.
Now, at the most critical moment, he could only place his hope in that woman.
In the Arctic Circle, the source of the chaos, panic, and paralysis engulfing the world, enormous figures stood tall in the sky. The sky seemed to turn into mist, and within that mist, these hidden figures appeared intermittently, exuding an extraordinary mystery. Pairs of huge, varied eyes scanned the world greedily.
"Humans, who would have thought we could actually come here? Ahahaha."
"I can't remember how long it's been since I last came to this world. What a beautiful place, but unfortunately, it's about to be destroyed."
"Don't forget our agreement, Mephisto."
"I won't forget, but I won't come to Earth. The rest is up to you. Oh, and don't forget Heaven."
One fiery figure vanished with a flash of red light.
The other colossal figures continued their conversation, focusing on Heaven: "Now Heaven is a step behind us. When they try to descend into this world, their power will be suppressed. This is our best chance."
"Divide up this world. That damned Yahweh surely won't stand by and watch us conquer Earth. A new war is about to break out."
"Yahweh? Hmph, let him try."
These powerful Hell lords had long since convened a roundtable meeting. They were well aware of who opened the gates of Hell. Everything Dormammu did was merely preparing the way for them.
Even if Dormammu defeated the Ancient One, they would still drive him away. How could they easily allow Dormammu to be the one to seize the prize?
Dormammu's plan was simple, believing in his own strength. At his level, every scheme was straightforward and brutal: the big fish eats the little fish. As long as he could descend, all demons and Heaven would become his nourishment.
He planned to delay the Ancient One, have these Hell lords and Bi Xiao fight it out, and then let Kaecilius destroy the barrier of the Sanctum Sanctorum, allowing him to descend.
But he never anticipated that his trusted servant, Kaecilius, would be so easily eliminated by another group.
Dormammu's calculation was wrong, leading everything to an unknown, catastrophic situation.
During his entanglement with the Ancient One, Dormammu realized this. He was furious, extremely furious. He hadn't expected anyone besides the Ancient One and Bi Xiao to be capable of killing Kaecilius. For this, he had granted Kaecilius and his dark sorcerers unlimited access to dark power.
The Dark Sorcerers had even sacrificed themselves to gain a temporary surge in power.
Yet they still failed. Dormammu didn't care about Kaecilius or the so-called Dark Sorcerers. To him, they were merely servants and pawns.
Failing to achieve his goal made Dormammu feel that this group was utterly useless.
In another dimension outside Earth, the Ancient One saw the swirling dark energy and felt Dormammu's rage.
As an old acquaintance, the Ancient One enjoyed seeing Dormammu's impotent fury. With a teasing smile, she said, "Dormammu, it's a pity your plan has already failed."
"Ancient One, you know my existence is eternal. Although I hate failure, it doesn't mean I haven't failed before. Failure only drives me to seek revenge more fiercely."
"And do you think you've already won?"
Dormammu was indeed furious. As the ruler of the Dark Dimension, he had suffered more setbacks on Earth than ever before. He despised this wretched place, but it hadn't changed his mind.
Even though his plan failed this time, it didn't mean the Ancient One had won.
His deep voice echoed through the entire dimension, coldly saying, "I have you delayed here. How will that human boy face those little worms? Tell me, will he give up Earth or be torn apart by that group of worms?"
The Ancient One was indifferent to Dormammu's words, showing no sign of concern for Bi Xiao.
Instead, she lightly asked, "Do you really think they can kill Bi Xiao?"
"Do you know? From beginning to end, there was only one person I couldn't see through, and that's him. Dormammu, as the Dark Lord, have you ever encountered a genius who left you shocked and incredulous?"
Dormammu was stunned. He hadn't expected such a response from the Ancient One.
Shouldn't she be anxious? Angry? Helpless?
How could it be possible to exhibit such a relaxed state? Moreover, the meaning in Ancient One's words revealed information that Dormammu found unbelievable.
That is, after the last defeat, Bi Xiao seemed to have experienced another significant growth spurt.
And this growth was enough to make Ancient One very confident, to the extent that she believed Bi Xiao could win against multiple Hell lords without harming the Earth.
Otherwise, Ancient One wouldn't be chatting so leisurely with Dormammu.
But how could this be?
Dormammu looked suspiciously at Ancient One, who still appeared relaxed, trying to find any hidden emotions. However, Ancient One was very relaxed, just like having tea with an old friend.
"This is impossible." Dormammu said in disbelief after a moment of silence.
"Then let us wait and see, Dormammu," Ancient One said with a slight smile.
Perhaps because of Ancient One's words, Dormammu did not attack Ancient One but instead turned his gaze toward Earth with Ancient One, wanting to see if what Ancient One said was true, though at the same time hoping it wasn't.
Because it would mean that after finally outlasting Ancient One, a younger and even more monstrous guardian had emerged.
In the direction of Greenland Island in the Arctic Circle, enormous figures surrounded by surging energy, solidifying the air and sowing seeds of fear after the world fell into chaos, which some Hell lords particularly relished.
Fear, like food, like dessert, was delicious to them.
"Then let us proceed according to plan..."
A powerful Hell lord began to speak but was abruptly interrupted. Suddenly, the world plunged into turmoil, and a massive magical formation appeared across the ground of the Arctic Circle in Greenland Island, emitting brilliant golden light.
The Hell lords reacted immediately, but even so, one of them was caught.
A colossal crimson demon with three dragon-like heads was beheaded by a flash of beautiful, dazzling light. The terrible Hell lord howled in disbelief, stunned by the silent, fatal attack.
Moreover, as the three dragon heads were severed, his enormous body began to burn with holy golden flames.
His massive energy seemed like fuel for the golden flames, and in almost an instant, his body was reduced to a skeleton.
Then, with a flash of golden light, he disappeared.
The three demon heads floated in mid-air; the Hell lord was not dead yet. His powerful vitality allowed him to survive even with his torso destroyed, but he was barely alive.
Seeing their comrade attacked, the other Hell lords' first reaction was to unleash their power at the attacker.
Just as they intended to do so, golden ripples spread out like waves, carrying an unstoppable force. Those Hell lords who touched the ripples were instantly struck down like meteorites falling to the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Huge craters formed on the ground, raising dust and lava, burying the Hell lords beneath.
"This is impossible. Who are you? Why is there such a powerful human in the world?"
The decapitated Hell lord growled at the smiling human in front of him.
The small human, clad in silver and blue armor with a blue hood, a lock of black hair peeking out, had special armor pieces on his arms and knees. This nearly perfect-fitting elegant armor made him look like a king.
He held a magnificent and noble longsword with patterns and inscriptions on the blade, glowing with a light.
This sword made the Hell lord feel the threat of death. The moment he saw the sword, he knew it was an artifact-level weapon, extremely rare even among Hell lords in Hell.
Moreover, it had holy attributes, making it extremely lethal to Hell-based beings like the Hell lords.
From a human aesthetic perspective, he was extraordinarily handsome, with a perfect face that would be considered attractive both in the East and the West. His eyes, tinged with gold, looked divine and unfathomable.
Those golden eyes stared at the Hell lord's three dragon heads, revealing a clear message.
Those three dragon heads were perfect materials for him.
This human's appearance brought shock to the world, an unimaginable shock.
~~~
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— Completed (Chapter 277: Finale)