NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1059: Mark taking action
Yet Mark stood at the center of it all with a faint smile, utterly unshaken. With a flick of his wrist, his body erupted with infernal energy so dark and suffocating that the four divine manifestations crumbled as though they were made of ash.
The phoenix burst apart in flames that sputtered out in the wind. The azure dragon's roar was cut short as its body shattered into fragments of fading light. The white tiger's claws disintegrated before they could even touch him, leaving nothing but empty echoes. The chains of the black tortoise snapped one by one, collapsing into dust that scattered uselessly across the battlefield.
The overwhelming attacks that could have destroyed kingdoms were shattered as effortlessly as glass beneath Mark's hand. His laughter reverberated across the sacred grounds, mocking and cruel.
While Mark's attention was momentarily diverted, President William quickly moved to Max's side. The tiger-masked man was already there, his aura flaring as he raised layers of protection. Lady Divine summoned her runes again, weaving them around Max in a dome of radiant symbols.
Other leaders gathered as well, forming a protective circle around him, their faces grim and filled with determination. Each of them knew that Max was Mark's target, and if he succeeded in reaching him, the sealed demons beneath the Bright Buddha Palace would be unleashed.
The air grew heavy with tension as every leader present steeled themselves, understanding that the survival of the Middle Domain rested on keeping Max out of Mark's grasp. Though their hearts trembled in fear, the thought of those unkillable demons breaking free filled them with a dread even greater than their fear of Mark.
"You are all truly fools to attack me," Mark said with calm mockery, his eyes fixed on the four leaders of the Four God Nation. His smile was faint yet filled with scorn. "I will admit that you are commendable for reaching the eighth life and death cycle of the Divine Rank. Few in this world ever reach such a height. But that is where your limits lie. Instead of remaining in seclusion like your ancestors, waiting quietly for your lifespan to wither away, you stand before me, confronting certain death with defiance. For that, I am almost honored by your efforts."
His expression darkened slightly as he added, "There was a time when I might have rewarded such determination, but now you are like ants who refuse to bow before their god. And ants that refuse to bow must be crushed."
Mark slowly raised his hand. His fingers poised together as though preparing a judgment. "It irritates me that my power of causality does not affect Divine Rank beings. If it did, I would have reduced the four of you to actual ants, crawling helplessly at my feet. Since that is not possible, I will settle for showing you the futility of your defiance."
Snap.
The sound was sharp, but the power it unleashed was cataclysmic. The heavens trembled as torrents of infernal energy descended like a rain of blazing meteors. Each strike carried the destructive force of annihilation, enough to level mountains and obliterate rivers. The attacks fell upon the four leaders in an overwhelming cascade, the brilliance of their divine manifestations flickering as they struggled to withstand the onslaught.
Aden's phoenix screamed as its wings were torn apart by the falling energy, its blazing form dissipating into sparks that vanished in the void. Alexander's azure dragon writhed as its scales shattered, its massive body collapsing into fragments of light that scattered like dying stars.
Victor Whiteclaw's white tiger was struck in the chest, its mighty roar cut short as its form crumbled into dust before it could land another blow. Damien Xuan's black tortoise shell cracked under the relentless bombardment, splitting apart until the last fragment dissolved into nothingness.
The leaders themselves were thrown across the battlefield like broken dolls. Blood sprayed from their mouths as their bodies crashed into the earth, carving deep craters into the ground. Their robes were tattered, their auras flickering weakly, and their strength was crippled under the sheer weight of the injuries they had sustained.
They lay sprawled, battered and unable to rise, yet still alive.
Mark lowered his hand, his smile calm and almost pleasant. "This is the gap between us," he said softly, his voice carrying across the silent battlefield. "I could have ended your lives, but I did not. That is not mercy, for I hold no compassion for insects. I simply find no joy in killing you yet. You four are still useful in many ways for me. Instead struggle a little longer, so that your despair becomes complete."
It was then that Mark slowly shifted his gaze toward Max. The boy stood at the center of a tight formation, surrounded by President William, the tiger-masked leader, Hermes, and the leaders of the seven other overlord forces.
Their auras burned fiercely, yet their eyes betrayed the weight of despair. Each one gritted their teeth as though forcing themselves to stand tall, even when their instincts screamed at them about the futility of confronting a being like Mark.
"Now!" Lady Divine's voice rang out with sharp authority. At that very moment, the runes she had been weaving finally came together, glowing brilliantly across Max's back. They were not simple inscriptions but a complex tapestry of divine symbols intertwined into a grand formation. With a swift motion, she struck Max lightly between his shoulder blades, releasing the completed power of the formation.
Max's body instantly became weightless as radiant energy enveloped him. His entire form dissolved into a dazzling beam of light that shot toward the heavens like an arrow breaking free from its bowstring. For a brief instant, it seemed as though he would pierce through the sky itself and escape.
But before he could ascend far, his figure slammed into something unseen. A violent ripple spread outward as though the sky itself had been struck. Max's body rebounded violently against an invisible barrier, his beam of light scattering into fractured sparks before he stabilized himself midair. The entire battlefield shook from the collision, but the barrier remained unbroken, shimmering faintly for a moment before returning to invisibility.
"I knew you would try something like this, Isabella." Mark's voice was calm, almost casual, as though he had been waiting for this moment all along. His eyes glimmered with cruel satisfaction as he raised his hand slightly toward the sky. "That is why I locked this part of the space in advance. Nobody can enter from the outside, and nobody can leave from within, unless I give permission. You should have realized that by now."
Lady Divine's face turned ashen, the faint glow of her runes extinguishing against her will. Her hands trembled, and the calm confidence she had displayed only moments before crumbled into visible unease.
Around her, the other leaders stiffened, their expressions growing grim as the weight of despair pressed heavily on their shoulders. They had placed their hopes in her secret preparation, and now they watched it shatter against Mark's control of space itself.
The air grew suffocating in silence. Even the strongest among them felt the cold bite of hopelessness, for they had just witnessed that even their most carefully guarded plans could be rendered useless in the face of Mark's absolute power.