Looking at Little Black rapidly flying towards them from afar, the Mist Lord furrowed his brows in confusion.
He turned to Feng Qi, then glanced at Suction Cup, who was still struggling under his arm. His curiosity got the better of him.
"Why not let her go? She's obviously very strong."
Feng Qi was momentarily speechless.
Just then, the narrator's voice chimed in his mind:
[I already told you, Old Mist's memory is just hazy from not fully recovering. That doesn't mean he's stupid. You're asking him to die—do you really think he'd agree? Besides, he still doubts your identity. He's not fully convinced about you yet.]
Hearing the narrator's sarcasm, Feng Qi abandoned the idea of trying to trick Old Mist.
Meanwhile, Little Black was closing in at high speed.
He had no choice left.
Without further hesitation, he loosened his grip on Suction Cup.
Freed from his hold, she hopped onto his shoulder in a few quick bounds. Gazing towards Little Black's direction, she bared her tiny tiger teeth, looking adorably fierce.
Then, she reached out and ruffled Feng Qi's hair.
"(〃'▽'〃) Ah Qi… Suction Cup will fight it. Not afraid!"
As soon as she spoke, she leapt off his shoulder.
Her small figure instantly transformed into a jade-colored streak of light, disappearing from view. The ground kicked up dust as she sprinted forward without hesitation, charging towards Little Black.
Watching her leave, Feng Qi felt a knot in his heart.
Before he could dwell on it, the two figures in his vision collided.
Suction Cup struck first. As her scarlet rune crystal flickered ominously, she suddenly swung her right fist.
As her punch traveled forward, it tore open fine black cracks in space, and the sheer heat radiating from it instantly withered the surrounding plants.
Before the attack even landed, its power was already apparent.
The moment Suction Cup's fist connected with Little Black, the impact site became a vacuum, and the black mist exploded outward, scattering in all directions.
But the punch didn't stop there.
The sheer force of her strike punched straight through Little Black's body, continuing its rampage toward the sky.
Boom!
The low-hanging dark clouds above were pierced through in an instant. The sky tore open, revealing the clear space beyond.
The impact then detonated, scattering the clouds completely, leaving behind a gaping void in the overcast sky.
A powerful shockwave erupted in all directions.
Within a radius of several miles, every plant was flattened by the sudden burst of wind.
Even Feng Qi and the Mist Lord, despite their distance, were forced back several steps.
"...What the hell is she?" The Mist Lord's expression twisted in shock.
Feng Qi glanced at him but remained silent, keeping his gaze locked on Suction Cup, who stood firm with her fist still raised.
This timeline's Suction Cup was significantly stronger than before.
Maybe—
She actually had a chance of defeating Little Black.
Little Black was undoubtedly terrifying, and until now, his full third form had never been revealed.
But whether that meant he was truly invincible was uncertain.
Feng Qi had never been strong enough to push Little Black to his limits.
Maybe this time, Suction Cup could do it.
Maybe she could even force Little Black to reveal his final form.
That would be a crucial piece of intelligence—a deeper understanding of Little Black's true capabilities.
Just then, the Mist Lord suddenly muttered, "It's still alive?"
Feng Qi nodded grimly.
"Yes."
As he spoke, the scattered black mist began to rapidly converge, reforming into a dense sea of darkness, surging toward Suction Cup.
If this had been the previous timeline, Suction Cup would have kept attacking, tirelessly throwing punches—
She would have exhausted herself in a battle of attrition, unable to kill Little Black, and ultimately would have been worn down to her death.
But this time—
Suction Cup had a plan.
She took a deep breath, her small body expanding like an inflating balloon.
In an instant, she had grown round and puffy, floating slightly above the ground, looking both adorable and ridiculous.
Then—
She exhaled.
A hurricane-force gust of wind blasted out from her tiny frame.
The encroaching black mist was instantly blown apart, scattering into several fragmented masses that were hurled far into the distance.
As the wind subsided, Suction Cup panted heavily, tongue lolling out in exhaustion.
After catching her breath, she turned towards Feng Qi with a bright smile.
"(≧≦) Ah Qi!"
But her smile only lasted for a few seconds before vanishing.
She bared her tiny fangs again, looking towards a spot in the distance.
Feng Qi followed her gaze.
The dispersed black mist had reformed once more, gathering into a massive dark sea, surging forward relentlessly.
As it neared Suction Cup, the mist spread outward, forming a massive web of darkness that loomed ominously overhead.
Faced with Little Black's persistent pursuit, Suction Cup planted her feet firmly on the ground.
The earth beneath her trembled.
Nearby stones shattered, breaking down into fine dust under the radiance of her jade-colored energy.
Then—
She threw another punch.
And unleashed an overwhelming force.
For the first time in this battle, Little Black, who had been passively defending, underwent a significant change. The black mist web overhead began to shimmer with eerie symbols.
These symbols bore an uncanny resemblance to the divine runes Feng Qi had seen before in the Psionic Race's records. They constantly shifted, morphing thousands of times per second, never settling into a fixed form.
The moment Suction Cup's jade-colored fist made contact with the mist, something unexpected happened.
The mist did not shatter.
Instead, the two forces canceled each other out, generating a massive energy shockwave that radiated outward.
The impact sent out wave after wave of powerful air pressure, forcing even Feng Qi and the Mist Lord to stagger backward, despite their distance from the battle.
At that moment, the narrator's voice rang in his head:
[When gods fight, the mortals suffer.]
Feng Qi: …
Ignoring the narrator's mockery, he kept his focus locked on the battle.
At the point of impact, jade-colored arcs of energy crackled wildly around Suction Cup's fist, but no matter how much power she exerted, she failed to breach the black mist.
As the energy clash raged on, a murderous glint flashed in Suction Cup's eyes.
"Protect… Ah Qi!"
The moment she spoke, something inside her shifted.
Just like Mu Qing in the past—
She began losing control.
A shadowy, towering figure slowly emerged behind her.
In the blink of an eye, the phantom of a battlefield appeared.
A vision of endless corpses and rivers of blood stretched out before them.
Countless high-level lifeforms lay dead, their bodies stacked into a mountain of corpses that stretched beyond the horizon.
Beyond this mountain of death, a vast sea of blood churned restlessly.
At the very top of the corpse pile sat a lonely figure, staring down upon the desolation it had created.
The cold, detached gaze of the throne's occupant surveyed the world as if admiring a masterpiece.
In the real world—
The scarlet rune crystal embedded in Suction Cup's body burst into radiant brilliance, shining as bright as a celestial star, almost as if competing with the blood moon itself.
The mental shockwave from this vision was enough to crush most minds, yet—
Little Black was completely unaffected.
The black mist continued negating Suction Cup's power, showing no signs of weakening.
Then—
Suction Cup's eyes suddenly snapped open.
Her gaze turned a deep, unnatural crimson, and an insane, bloodthirsty smile spread across her face.
At the same time—
The shadowy figure looming over her did the same.
[RUN!]
The narrator's voice erupted in his mind, loud enough to rattle Feng Qi's soul.
Still entranced by the battle, Feng Qi felt a chill shoot down his spine.
Without hesitation, he turned to the Mist Lord and shouted:
"RUN! NOW!"
Before the words even fully left his mouth, Feng Qi had already started sprinting away at full speed.
However—
He didn't get far.
An invisible force suddenly grabbed hold of his body, dragging him backward.
His movements slowed, as if he were caught in an ocean current pulling him into the abyss.
The pull grew stronger and stronger, and even in his Bone Form, Feng Qi struggled to resist.
"Good brother, SAVE ME!"
As if answering his call, a gray misty arm shot out, wrapped around him, and yanked him into the air.
As he was dragged away, Feng Qi turned his gaze toward the battlefield—
And what he saw shook him to his core.
The shadowy figure looming above Suction Cup had grown even larger, mirroring her movements perfectly.
And just like her—
It was slowly opening its mouth.
Then—
Everything within several kilometers began collapsing inward.
The pull of gravity warped.
Grass, soil, shattered ruins, lingering spiritual energy—everything was being sucked into that mouth.
Even the glow of the blood moon dimmed within the affected space.
Above, the storm clouds churned, forming massive vortexes, which were sucked downward into the figure's gaping maw.
At that moment, Feng Qi had a terrifying realization.
It was as if this monstrous entity was trying to devour the entire world.
The suction force continued to grow, expanding rapidly in all directions.
Even the Mist Lord struggled to maintain his flight, his mist-like body twisting violently in the turbulence, looking moments away from being ripped apart.
Then—
A spatial crack suddenly appeared high above.
From within the rift, the corner of a colossal floating city emerged.
The city—
Was shrouded in storm clouds, partially obscured, yet still immensely oppressive.
At the heart of the floating city stood a golden palace, its architecture radiating an overwhelming, sovereign presence.
Massive golden pillars lined the exterior of the palace, each engraved with fierce mythical beasts, as if they were about to come to life at any moment.
The pressure emitted from this scene alone was suffocating.
Outside the palace—
A silver-white carpet embroidered with golden thread stretched toward the main hall.
On both sides of the entrance, rows of armored figures stood at attention. Their battle armor gleamed under the dim sky, their gazes cold and unyielding as they looked down upon the world below.
Somewhere in the distance, the sound of bells and drums echoed faintly, and the melody of celestial music drifted in the wind, purging the mind of all distractions.
At the highest point of the palace—
A golden figure sat in midair, radiating a divine brilliance that bathed the land below in a holy glow.
The sheer spiritual pressure exuding from this being was so overwhelming that—
Feng Qi nearly found himself kneeling.
It was a power that could crush the soul.
Even though the pressure wasn't directly targeting him, just being near it was enough to make him feel like an insignificant speck of dust before a primordial god.
Then, the narrator's voice returned, filled with excitement:
[Oh ho! Finally, we've encountered one of the major forces that has survived for 1500 years. If they managed to endure in the brutal era of warring races, their strength must be absolutely terrifying.]
The golden figure hovering above the floating city looked down at the shadow behind Suction Cup, seemingly assessing it.
However—
It made no move to interfere.
As Feng Qi tried to make sense of this sudden intrusion, the narrator's voice spoke again:
[If I had to guess, I'd say this is just some curious bystander attracted by the insane energy waves coming from the fight.]
"Opening a spatial rift just to spectate?"
Feng Qi was stunned by the narrator's analysis.
[What else could it be? Of course, they're here to watch the show while gathering intelligence. And if the opportunity arises, they might even swoop in to reap some benefits.]
Just as Feng Qi was about to respond, the devouring force intensified.
The Mist Lord was visibly struggling to resist.
Even the floating city above was affected, its golden figure flickering as if about to fade away.
"ROAR!"
A monstrous presence erupted as the shadowy figure above Suction Cup slowly lifted its gaze toward the golden figure in the sky.
Their eyes met—
And an unfathomable pressure surged forth, an oppression that transcended mere strength—it was a hierarchical suppression of existence itself.
The golden figure trembled.
Though it was high above, looking down at the shadow, it suddenly felt as if it was the one being looked down upon.
A brief moment of mental disorientation—
And it saw itself buried within the corpse mountain.
Its lifeless body lay among countless other fallen high-level beings, blood flowing down into the endless ocean of death below.
Then, in an instant—
The golden figure suddenly raised its hand, and the floating city began retreating into the spatial rift.
In the blink of an eye—
The rift sealed shut.
The golden light in the sky vanished.
[Damn! Suction Cup's shadowy figure just scared off a major force—just like that? I can't even imagine how absurdly powerful its owner was when they were alive. That must have been a Pillar God-level entity.]
Feng Qi was equally shocked.
He turned his gaze toward the shadow looming over Suction Cup, trying to discern its features.
For a brief moment—
He saw something.
A blurred, yet terrifying figure stood above the void.
Beneath it—
Were countless corpses of high-level beings.
Its deep, unfathomable eyes seemed to pierce through time and space, locking onto his own.
A sharp pain stabbed into his skull—
Feng Qi immediately shut his eyes.
But—
The image had already burned itself into his mind.
Just from one glance, it had been seared into his soul, impossible to erase.
The purple soul markings on his bone frame pulsed, as if trying to ward off some invisible mental corruption.
Once the pain subsided, Feng Qi slowly opened his eyes.
And what he saw left him speechless.
Everything was gone.
The storm clouds in the sky had completely dissipated, and below—
A massive, bottomless crater had replaced what was once the battlefield.
Everything had been devoured.
And Little Black…
Had also vanished.
It had been swallowed whole by Suction Cup's shadowy entity.
The scarlet rune crystal on Suction Cup's body gleamed, its previous cracks fully repaired.
A radiant glow flowed across its surface, as if it was still digesting what it had consumed.
"Little Black… got completely eaten?" Feng Qi blurted out in shock.
[Hmm… not quite. I can still sense a presence inside Suction Cup's body. Something's growing… and it's getting stronger.]
As the narrator finished speaking—
Suction Cup, who was floating in midair, wreathed in jade light, suddenly clutched her stomach in agony.
Then—
She punched herself in the gut.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
With each strike, her expression twisted in pain.
Then—
She suddenly opened her mouth.
Black particles spewed out, swirling together in the air.
Little Black's form slowly reconstituted, reverting to the solid humanoid shape Feng Qi had first seen long ago.
The black mist around its body thickened, churning ominously.
Raising a hand, Little Black casually flicked its fingers.
The black mist surged forward, instantly wrapping around Suction Cup.
Then, with a light tap to her chest—
Suction Cup's body jerked violently.
And she plummeted into the bottomless abyss below.
Feng Qi let out a long sigh.
Even after everything—
Little Black still refused to die.
This battle had proven something crucial.
Suction Cup was far stronger than in any previous future timeline.
But it still wasn't enough.
For the first time, Feng Qi had witnessed another ability from Little Black—something beyond just its immortality.
And that realization—
Filled him with a profound sense of powerlessness.
How strong do I have to become… to stand a chance against Little Black?
It was an unanswerable question.
It felt like—
Like a minimum-wage worker trying to surpass the wealthiest person in the world.
Even if the billionaire stopped accumulating wealth, the gap was still suffocatingly vast.
[If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. We should keep gathering intel on Little Black. Who knows? Maybe, in the future, we'll end up on the same side. Then, I'll control you, you control Little Black, and together, we'll beat the crap out of the big bads when they arrive.]
Feng Qi rolled his eyes at the narrator's usual nonsense.
Just then—
A low, exasperated voice came from beside him:
"Did you seriously want me to fight that thing…?"
"Or do you just have some fundamental misunderstanding of my strength?"