Chapter 382: Never
The two Brahma members, with their puppet-like, emotionless faces, looked entirely different from everyone else. One had a reddish face, wearing a red and gold robe inscribed with Vedic scriptures, and held a gilded short sword engraved with flame totems. The other wore dark blue and black pants, was shirtless, with long black hair hanging down to his waist. He had no visible weapons, except for an ancient-looking silver bell on one hand and a silver-white thin snake coiled around the other, a black line running from the snake's head to its tail.
Yang Chen glanced at them with interest and smiled, "If I'm not mistaken, you must be Agni, the fire god, and Varuna, the water god. Nice outfits, but I wonder about your skills."
"In front of Hades, we dare not boast," Agni said expressionlessly. His gilded short sword suddenly ignited with golden flames.
"Wow, so polite, yet you still burst into flames," Yang Chen said playfully.
The fire on Agni's sword illuminated his bronze face, making him look like a god emerging from fire. "Today, we came to Yanxia to learn from Hades. Do not disappoint Agni."
"For me?" Yang Chen glanced at the empty aircraft carrier base, a sudden realization dawning on him. Was the carrier just a ruse?
"We want the Divine Stone!" Varuna said coldly. The silver snake on his hand flicked its blue tongue and leaped into the air. To everyone's astonishment, the snake's tongue was blue!
The silver snake spun rapidly in mid-air, and a cold current began to condense around it. The snake started absorbing the cold air from all directions, expanding from finger-thick to the size of a human leg within moments!
The giant serpent's gaping maw exuded an icy chill, sending out white mist.
Yang Chen looked thoughtful, "So you want that stone too. Is it really that alluring?"
In fact, Yang Chen realized that everything was different from what he initially thought. These Brahma guys blatantly intended to fight him, indicating they were indeed after him and the Divine Stone, showing no hesitation to confront him.
But why use the aircraft carrier as an excuse? Was it merely to lure him here? Or was there another reason?
However, the current situation left Yang Chen no time to think. Agni and Varuna's attacks, like a storm of fire and ice, were already upon him!
Yang Chen quickly assessed his options. He knew that confronting these two head-on would require not only his physical strength but also his wit and strategy. Agni's fiery assault was as relentless as the scorching sun, while Varuna's icy snake threatened to freeze everything in its path.
With a deep breath, Yang Chen channeled his internal energy, ready to meet the dual attacks head-on. His eyes narrowed with determination. "Let's see if you can handle this," he muttered, his body poised for the impending clash.
4o
"Whoosh!"
The gilded short sword, ablaze with intense flames, swung down toward Yang Chen when it was still a few meters away. The blade, like a wave of light, brought with it a scorching heat as it slashed diagonally.
Varuna gently shook the silver bell in his hand, producing a crisp, melodious sound that seemed like a prelude to summoning souls. The enormous icy serpent, responding to the seemingly erratic chimes, leapt from the ground and lashed its tail, covered in countless ice crystals, toward Yang Chen.
As the fiery blade and the serpent's tail closed in on him, Yang Chen did not dodge. He merely took a step forward. His innate true energy circulated, forming a protective field that dispersed the fiery blade and nullified the massive force of the serpent's tail.
Agni and Varuna were not surprised by the ineffectiveness of their attacks, having anticipated this outcome. Agni, exceptionally agile, appeared in front of Yang Chen after swinging two fiery blades. He leapt up, sword raised, and unleashed another blazing strike down at Yang Chen.
Meanwhile, Varuna quickly moved behind Yang Chen, shaking his silver bell more vigorously. The icy serpent began to coil around Yang Chen, attempting to crush his protective field with its immense strength while continuously emitting frigid air.
Yang Chen's protective field, however, was not easily breached. The golden flames from Agni's sword strike were repelled, falling to the ground and producing a hissing sound as the terrifying heat melted the metal into molten iron.
Agni's expression grew more solemn. He knew the high temperature his sword could emit, yet the strange shield around Yang Chen's body left him at a loss.
Seeing that Agni's fiery blade was ineffective, Varuna commanded the icy serpent to bind Yang Chen, using its tremendous power to try to shatter Yang Chen's field while emitting frigid air, dropping the temperature by dozens of degrees. The ground and air around them were filled with ice shards, and the serpent appeared like a crystal snake, shimmering with cold light.
Agni, seeing that Yang Chen's protective field remained intact despite the cold, intensified the flames on his short sword. He leapt into the air and descended, surrounded by a swirling vortex of red flames, merging with the icy currents created by the serpent.
The area around Yang Chen became a chaotic mix of fire and ice, with constant clashes and explosions creating turbulent vortices.
Yang Chen smirked, "Interesting, but if you think you can take the Divine Stone, you're too naive."
With that, Yang Chen decided it was time to end this performance. He extended his hand into the chaotic mix of fire and ice, grabbing the wildly thrashing icy serpent by its vital spot.
"Boom!"
With a sudden burst of strength, Yang Chen crushed the serpent's vital point.
With a crisp snap, a sudden surge of Yang Chen's derived true energy pierced through the giant serpent's head! The icy mist gradually dissipated from around Yang Chen, and at the moment the serpent was slain, Varuna coughed up a trickle of blood and staggered back, his face pale as a sheet.
Sensing the worsening situation, Agni quickly flipped away from Yang Chen's position. However, Yang Chen wasn't about to let him escape. In a flash, he appeared above Agni, who barely had time to comprehend the terrifying speed before Yang Chen's foot shattered his head into fragments, exploding like a watermelon in mid-air!
On the high platform, the faces of the Brahma members darkened. They finally realized that dealing with Yang Chen might be beyond their capability. Although Agni and Varuna were only considered mid-tier within Brahma, they were still far superior to ordinary elite international operatives. Yet, in front of Yang Chen, they were utterly defeated.
Meanwhile, Heitian and Yun Miao's battle was reaching a fever pitch. Though Yun Miao had expended a lot of true energy, Heitian still couldn't take her down quickly.
Cai Ning's fight with the Asura woman was dazzling, filled with rapid movements and intricate weapon techniques. Cai Ning's graceful dodging and array of hidden weapons were matched by the Asura woman's swift attacks with her crescent-shaped blade.
The strongest of their group, Jade Master, had already forced Shiva into a steady retreat. Shiva's various dark arts were ineffective against Jade Master's Kunlun talismans, and Jade Master's innate true energy had pierced Shiva's skin, leaving him covered in blood.
Yang Chen felt reassured and glanced at the high platform, smiling. "Great Brahma King, it seems your subordinates aren't very capable."
"Hmph," the Great Brahma King sneered, "Hades, the general of the Yanhuang Iron Brigade is still in my hands. If you force my hand, I'll send him to Nirvana immediately. Moreover, haven't you noticed that the Sandstorm people aren't here?"
Yang Chen's heart skipped a beat. Indeed, he hadn't seen any trace of the Sandstorm operatives, which was perplexing. Even if they were out attacking the scattered members of the Yanhuang Iron Brigade, they should have returned here unless they were all dead, which seemed illogical.
Another oddity was the absence of Grey Robe, who always shadowed Lin Zhiguo. Could it be that the elder, second only to Yun Miao in skill, was also killed by Brahma and Sandstorm?
"If you're wise, hand over the Divine Stone, and we can agree to not hold you accountable for harming Agni and Varuna, and we'll release General Lin. Otherwise, things will turn out far worse than you imagine," the Great Brahma King said with a grim expression.
"Never! The Divine Stone cannot fall into their hands!" Cai Ning, still battling the Asura woman, shouted urgently to Yang Chen upon realizing that Brahma's elaborate plan was aimed at obtaining the Divine Stone.
Yang Chen was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't expected Cai Ning to prioritize the Divine Stone over their captured general. It seemed that in their eyes, even sacrificing their general was preferable to letting the stone fall into enemy hands.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Yang Chen's expression turned cold and resolute. "It seems you've misunderstood something, Great Brahma King. The Divine Stone is not something I can just hand over, nor is it something that can be taken by force."
With these words, Yang Chen's aura intensified, his true energy surging with renewed vigor. He prepared himself for whatever would come next, determined to protect the Divine Stone and confront any threat that dared to challenge him.
Seeing the gazes from Yu Ji and Master Yunmiao, Yang Chen was certain that these people would rather abandon Lin Zhiguo than have Yang Chen hand over the divine stone. Especially Master Yunmiao, whose eyes were already red. Knowing that her husband, Lin Zhiguo, was facing almost certain death this time, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure.
"It seems like the chips in your hand are not enough," Yang Chen sighed inwardly, then said lightly towards the high platform. He began to consider whether he should decisively kill all these people. If he acted quickly enough, he might be able to save Lin Zhiguo, although given the distance and facing these Brahma people, the chance was slim.
Suddenly, the Great Brahma King squinted his eyes. After hearing something from Heitian beside him, he grinned as if he had victory in hand.