Chapter 237 Chapter236-Toying and Turning the Tables
[Shape-shifting (Divine Skill)]: A gift from the deity Alyssum, who governs shadows and the power of slaughter. By employing this skill, one can instantaneously move within the range of their divine perception to a designated target, bypassing any barriers, defenses, or spatial shields in their path. It can be deployed twice, current charge count: two times, cooldown period: 30 minutes.
Just as the serpent found an opening in the sword's defenses, ready to breach, John invoked the Shape-shifting skill.
His movements became swift and nimble, like a dragon soaring through the sky, sometimes dodging Mammon's attacks and sometimes launching powerful counterattacks.
His blade glimmered, and energies rivaling the dark ORDER divine power emanated from it, radiating strength and majesty.
"Another deity's divine power... Just who is this human?"
Mammon, with a gentle flutter of the fleshy wings on his back, stood in the nearby void, eyes flickering with uncertainty.
Having participated in numerous wars among the gods, Mammon was deeply familiar with the deities of the orderly and righteous faction.
With just one glance, he discerned that the skill John had unleashed bore a striking resemblance to Alyssum's, the deity known for stealth and ambush.
"No matter who this human is, capturing him will reveal all... And given my severe injuries, this human can conveniently serve as a source of energy to heal myself," Mammon pondered, gasping for breath.
Hence, his response to John's attacks grew even more ferocious, with darkness surging continuously.
Recognizing that his ranged strikes couldn't pin down John's agile movements, Mammon's extensive combat experience prompted him to decisively opt for close-quarter combat.
After all, the demon race was inherently physically powerful. Even Mammon, whose primary attack method was mental temptation, could surpass many deities in hand-to-hand combat.
Like a specter, he seemed to appear from thin air around John, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks, aiming to find a weak point in John's defense.
Yet, John's reactions were lightning fast, seemingly anticipating every move Mammon made.
Like a master swordsman, he deftly dodged and countered, giving Mammon no quarter.
The pressure on Mammon was mounting.
The injuries inside him worsened, and the ORDER divine power, remnants from other Devils, which had been suppressed, began to wreak havoc within.
His countenance became even more visibly enraged.
Desperately, he released surges of dark energy, trying to regain control of the battlefield.
Still, John's defense remained calm and steady, leaving no openings.
With a hint of a confident smile on his face, he leisurely moved about the heart of the battlefield.
Every swing of his sword was elusive, like the traceless stride of an antelope, yet perfectly positioned to deflect Mammon's every assault.
After yet another fruitless onslaught, Mammon abruptly flew backward, putting distance between himself and John.
He finally realized that this human was toying with him.
If John could defend so flawlessly, it meant he was still holding back, clearly aiming to exhaust all of Mammon's energy and let the internal injuries take their toll.
The fury in Mammon's eyes felt almost tangible as he glared vehemently at John.
This realization brought Mammon profound humiliation.
Now, Mammon truly felt cornered, having expended all his offensive strategies and still unable to penetrate John's defense.
His injuries intensified, and he had to divert a portion of his divine power just to suppress the wounds.
"Why have you stopped? Come on, continue..."
John said with a hint of mysterious amusement playing at the corner of his lips.
Mammon remained silent, the dark ORDER divine power around him noticeably dimmer.
John knew, the time to strike back was imminent.
Taking a deep breath, energy surged throughout John's body, the longsword in his hand gleaming even brighter.
"Unrivaled Strike!" John cried out, his voice seemingly imbued with boundless power.
[Unrivaled Strike (Divine Talent): Through day and night, you honed your martial prowess, and at the pinnacle of your skill, you grasped this lethal strike. Once activated in combat, this blow contains the power of the ORDER of Heaven and Earth, capable of breaking any bondage, and even gods find it hard to resist.]
His sword thrust straight at Mammon, the divine power on the blade converging into a massive ray of sword light, much like a bolt of divine thunder from the heavens, bearing the force to obliterate all in its path.
Mammon felt the oppressive power of the sword light, a flash of fear and resentment evident in his eyes.
He dared not be careless.
Swiftly forming hand signs, the dark energy around him rapidly coalesced into a wall of darkness, hoping to fend off the sword's onslaught.
Yet, the sword light was unstoppable.
All of Mammon's defenses seemed as fragile as paper maché.
With a deafening crash, the sword light predictably pierced through Mammon's wall of darkness, sending him hurtling backward.
Splashes of dark divine power scattered in all directions as Mammon let out a painful roar.
Seeing this, John wasted no time, swiftly closing the distance to Mammon, his sword slashing once more towards Mammon's form.
The strike was even sharper this time, the piercing sword aura easily cutting through Mammon's wall of darkness and tearing into his very being.
Mammon's cries of pain and fury echoed throughout the Abyssal Prison.
John's face remained impassive, even managing to speak amid the assault, "I'll give you a chance now," he said coldly.
"Tell me what truly transpired within the Abyss, and I might spare your life."
While desperately fending off each of John's sword strikes, Mammon roared back, "Foolish dreams! An insect dares to pry into the secrets of a deity... You're sealing your own doom!"
John remained unyielding, his attacks growing more relentless and swift.
At last, unable to bear the humiliation of being on the receiving end without retaliating, Mammon bellowed fiercely, his scaly arms crossing over his chest.
Bracing himself against one of John's blows, he leveraged the recoil to fly backward.
Seeing John closely tailing him, ready to close in once more, Mammon frantically channeled his staff, releasing wave after wave of dark ORDER divine power.
This just barely fended off John's onslaught, creating some distance.
Catching a glimpse of the blade's energy from the corner of his eye, a hint of shock passed through Mammon's gaze.
The intense heat emanating from the blade surpassed his expectations.
John's eyes sparkled brilliantly, divine power surging within him.
He chuckled coldly, adjusting his position in mid-air and lunging at Mammon once more.
"Shape-shifting!" John cried out again, his figure vanishing on the spot, turning into a beam of light that circled Mammon. Suddenly, John reappeared behind Mammon, his gleaming sword pointing straight at Mammon's back.
With the force of ten thousand junctures behind it, the blade aimed directly for Mammon's back, its tip infused with scorching divine power, poised to decisively defeat Mammon.
Sensing the impending peril, Mammon roared, hurling himself forward in a desperate attempt to dodge.
Still, John's sword plunged deep, and blood gushed forth.
The spilt divine blood instantly disrupted the various ORDERs in the space, causing the entire alternate dimension to quiver chaotically.
"Impossible! How could you wound me?"
Mammon roared, staring in horror at the wound piercing his body.
John merely smiled faintly, nonchalantly withdrawing his sword, allowing Mammon to be sent flying, quickly widening the gap between them.
As Mammon retreated, blood splattered in his wake, a sight of profound agony.
Landing at a distance, Mammon hastened to summon what remained of his dark ORDER divine power, hoping to mend his grievous injury.
To his dismay, he found that his ORDER divine power couldn't staunch the bleeding, which continued unabated.
John's voice, filled with detachment, drifted over, "Save your strength. My blow carries an ORDER-level bleeding effect."
"Even a deity cannot easily heal such a wound... especially considering your existing injuries. The two compounding each other have robbed you of any ability to self-heal."
"You arrogant whelp! You'll pay for this!" Mammon, a mix of shock and rage, quivered all over. With bloodshot eyes and a hint of madness creeping onto his face, he spat, "This isn't over. You haven't won yet."
Darkness erupted from Mammon once more.
Clearly, John had fully provoked the ire of this malevolent Devil, master of desire and delusion.
With a deafening roar, Mammon abandoned any attempt to contain his internal injuries, rallying all his divine power, an oppressive aura emanating from him.
John's gaze sharpened, sensing the intensified dark divine power emanating from Mammon.
It was clear: Mammon had entered a frenzied state, and John would soon face an even fiercer backlash.
"It seems you still have some strength left. But it's of no avail!"
Even in this moment, John remained unflustered, his demeanor as calm as still water.
A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.
John's attitude further infuriated the raging Devil.
Mammon let out a sky-piercing howl, the wicked dark divine power around him igniting into searing flames that twisted and warped the very space around him.
Mammon's crimson eyes snapped open, fixed intently on John.
"Since you've chosen to provoke me, prepare to meet your end... Even at the cost of grave injuries to myself, I'll ensure you fall here today!"
John, undaunted, lifted his Divine Palace, pointing its blade directly at the distant Mammon. "Then come and try, let's see if your abilities are as formidable as your words suggest!"
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