Chapter 236 Chapter235-Mammon's True Form, The Battle Begins
Floating in the void before John was a grotesque and terrifying demon – the true form of Mammon.
He stood several tens of meters tall, his body engulfed in swirling, malevolent black mist.
A pair of fleshy wings sprouted from his back, and his form was covered in inky black scales.
Atop his head were a pair of goat horns, and his features were hideously deformed.
Razor-sharp fangs protruded from his cavernous mouth, and his blood-red eyes brimmed with cunning.
It was no wonder John couldn't resist poking fun.
Truly, the epitome of ugliness...
As John chuckled softly, Mammon's figure vanished from its spot, appearing instantly before him.
A look of rage contorted his face, with flames of fury dancing in his eyes.
"Mortal, your mockery has pushed me past my limits. Now, you will pay for your insolence!"
With a ferocious roar, Mammon unleashed a surge of dark ORDER energy.
This energy spread swiftly, enveloping the entire battlefield like a suffocating black fog.
Feeling the shift, John's inner ORDER energy surged, producing a brilliant aura that encased him entirely.
He raised his hand, and a beam of energy shot straight towards Mammon.
There was a look of disdain in Mammon's eyes.
He opened his maw, and a vortex of dark energy gushed out, colliding directly with John's assault.
"Boom!"
A sound, deep and thunderous, reverberated throughout the expanse.
The intertwining formidable forces erupted in a massive explosion.
The resultant shockwave shook the very fabric of the space.
John's eyes narrowed slightly as his energy whirred once more.
In a flash, he turned into a streak of light, swiftly maneuvering around the epicenter of the explosion and lunging towards Mammon again.
Flipping his hand, a luminous longsword appeared, its blade pulsating with immense power.
It was the "Divine Palace" from his equipment inventory.
Against an adversary like Mammon, even if injured, John knew better than to hold back; he had to give it his all.
Thus, without hesitation, he summoned the mightiest weapon at his disposal.
With the Divine Palace raised high, John swung it at Mammon.
The blade sliced through the void, emitting a blinding radiance.
The sword's energy morphed into a colossal dragon, its might awe-inspiring.
With John's overwhelming onslaught, Mammon was forced to dodge.
A hint of mischief flashed in his eyes as Mammon suddenly radiated an even more potent dark ORDER divine power.
Raising both hands, dark energy coalesced into a shadowy orb, stealthily hurtling towards John.
John's gaze turned icy, sidestepping Mammon's dark projectile without a moment's hesitation.
Like a bolt of lightning, he found himself behind Mammon in an instant.
His Divine Palace blade shimmered brilliantly, casting a blinding radiance, as he aimed a slash at Mammon's neck.
Whipping around with even more pronounced rage and slyness in his eyes, Mammon swung his massive hand, concentrating energy, in a desperate attempt to ward off John's powerful strike.
However, the sheer force emanating from the Divine Palace was formidable.
While Mammon managed to parry the blow using his robust dark divine power and formidable physique, he was still sent hurtling hundreds of meters away.
The gap between them widened once more.
"A human? You dare still call yourself a human? I refuse to believe that there exists a human possessing the strength you've displayed!"
With labored breaths, Mammon flapped his meaty wings, roaring furiously.
John, holding the Divine Palace inversely, hovered effortlessly in mid-air, responding with a touch of nonchalance, "You deem yourselves gods, yet have never truly regarded humans. How can you possibly fathom human potential?"
"I am an undeniable member of the human race, and your ever-elusive nemesis."
It appeared as though Mammon felt a deep sense of humiliation, the fury intensifying in his bloodshot eyes.
He raised his hands high, once again forming an even larger Dark Magic Orb.
[Dark Magic Orb (Divine Skill): Crafted by Mammon, one of the 72 devils of the Abyss, by harnessing his full ORDER energy. Imbued with dark divine power, upon release, it can inflict a 100% lethal effect on enemies below level 1000. For those above level 1000, there's still a chance of lethality. Additionally, this skill carries a mental contamination effect, binding its target for two seconds upon impact...]
Witnessing this, a cold smirk found its way onto John's face.
His Eye of Artemis allowed him to discern the attributes of the skill Mammon was about to unleash.
Additionally, the Eye revealed to him the skill's vulnerabilities.
Consequently, John took a deep breath, channeling divine power into his Divine Palace blade, cloaking it in a spectral luminescence.
"Shatter for me!"
John murmured, unleashing the fully charged Divine Palace with a swift motion forward, sending a colossal surge of sword energy directly at the Dark Magic Orb.
This blade of energy traced a beautiful arc in the sky, with unmatched speed.
The Dark Magic Orb was instantly struck, culminating in a muffled explosion.
The sinister energy within it splattered everywhere before quickly dissipating.
The explosive force sent Mammon reeling backward for several meters, a flicker of astonishment flashing in his eyes.
He hadn't anticipated that John could discern the weak point in his attack and subsequently dismantle the Dark Magic Orb with such formidable strength.
Mammon's gaze grew dark and brooding.
Two successive failed attacks had significantly drained his reservoir of dark divine power.
The dormant wounds within his body stirred again, and the other dormant ORDER energies began to bubble up restlessly.
Rather than pressing his advantage after the attack, John simply held his sword, floating nearby with a gleaming smile, mirthfully gazing at Mammon.
"Don't be too arrogant. We've merely begun, and your strength isn't nearly enough to contend with mine!"
Mammon barked angrily, immediately harnessing his dark ORDER divine power.
Once more, he raised both hands high, and another Dark Magic Orb slowly took shape before him.
John chuckled coldly, wielding his sword once again.
The ethereal glow on the blade of Divine Palace morphed into a wall of radiance, blocking the Dark Magic Orb's onslaught in a split second!
"Boom!"
The two opposing forces clashed, creating a profound impact.
The power of the Dark Magic Orb quickly faded, and John effortlessly parried the blow yet again.
"Not strong enough," John stated coldly, a hint of disdain shining in his eyes.
His voice radiated confidence, as if victory was already within his grasp.
Upon hearing this, a flash of rage appeared in Mammon's eyes.
Abruptly, he lifted his hand, and a dark scepter, shimmering with Flowing Light, materialized in his grip.
"Don't think you're the only one with powerful weapons. You've merely been leveraging your equipment. Once I unleash my true power, how will you counter?"
Mammon uttered with a chilling scoff. Raising his dark scepter, a surge of dark energy emerged, forming a massive Dark Vortex.
[Dark Vortex (Divine Talent): ...]
This Dark Vortex flew towards John with an alarming intensity, clearly another mighty skill.
John's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the thick and malevolent divine power contained within the Dark Vortex.
John knew deep down that Mammon, now at his boiling point, was about to pull out all the stops.
Though Mammon stood as one of the 72 devils of the Abyss, holding a notable rank amongst the gods, he was grievously wounded and couldn't sustain a prolonged battle.
Moreover, the strength John had showcased thus far was undeniably daunting.
If Mammon hoped to best John, he would have to opt for a swift and decisive strike, deploying his full might from the outset.
Only by striking swiftly could one ensure victory.
John grasped this concept, thus he remained unperturbed.
From the onset of the battle, he had maintained a defensive stance.
It wasn't that John couldn't overpower Mammon, but rather, he knew that by dragging the fight out, he could compel Mammon to admit defeat with ease.
After all, John's primary objective was to learn from Mammon about the mysterious events transpiring in the Abyss...
With this in mind, John quickly formulated a counterstrategy.
While swiftly retreating, he swung his sword, the blade's luminance slashing through the air, clashing with the Dark Vortex.
The energy from the sword intermingled with the Dark Vortex's ORDER divine power, resulting in a massive burst of sound.
"Is that all?" John taunted deliberately, his voice dripping with disdain for Mammon.
Sword energy whirled around him, weaving into a shield that protected him from the onslaught of the Dark Vortex.
Unfazed by John's formidable defense, Mammon sneered coldly and darted forward.
"Someone who can only defend passively dares to boast here? I'd like to see just how impenetrable your defenses truly are!"
The dark ORDER divine power coalesced on Mammon's scepter, morphing into a colossal divine power serpent.
"Dark Serpent!"
Mammon bellowed, and the serpent roared through the sky, causing the heavens and earth to darken, as it lunged ferociously at John.
A glint of cold determination flashed in John's eyes, but he chose to remain unyielding in his approach.
His Divine Palace sword danced in the air, parrying the serpent's relentless assaults.
The sword's radiant glow clashed with the serpent's dark divine power, producing deafening clashes.
The fierce contention of these forces caused the entire battlefield to be enveloped in powerful energy fluctuations.
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