Chapter 52: Observe the Hidden Weapons

It was a bizarre sight. Just a moment ago, they were plummeting downwards, but after bursting through the portal, the direction of gravity shifted ninety degrees. Instantly, their descent transformed into a human cannonball arc. Some crashed hard onto the scorching yellow sands, some got caught in the branches of trees bathed in morning light, and others landed atop snow-covered, gleaming mountains.

When they regained their senses, they tried to scramble back, attempting to leap into the portal still hanging midair.

But how could Virtue Mei possibly let them have their way?

Before the four Fallen above could reach him, he moved first—arms and legs together, he dove down at speed.

He landed precisely on the doorframe between the two portals, swiftly spun the portal disc at the door’s edge, and as the Sanskrit inscriptions lit up, the scene opposite the gate changed dramatically.

“Goodbye!” Virtue Mei smiled with glee.

It was clear at a glance that the four on the other side didn’t have Sling Rings. Not every sorcerer took the time to master opening portals without one.

Now, flung to godforsaken places even Virtue Mei didn’t recognize, their return was out of the question for the foreseeable future.

The four remaining Fallen were furious. Had Virtue Mei slaughtered their companions like pigs or dogs with sheer force, they might not have been so enraged. Perhaps then, fear would have been their prevailing emotion.

But now, after striking a Lü Bu pose, Virtue Mei performed a ludicrous act reminiscent of “Red Hare among men, Lü Bu among horses”—a mismatched, cunning display that nearly drove them mad.

“Argh! Damn it!”

“Kill him!”

“For Dormammu!”

Virtue Mei looked at this group of pitiful souls, brainwashed by an evil god to the point they’d forgotten even their own mothers’ names, and felt no fear—if anything, he was slightly amused.

Standing atop the doorframe beside the three portals, Virtue Mei crooked a finger at them—

Come on!

Face me head-on!

This scene happened to be witnessed by Kaecilius, who had just knocked Daniel flying. He roared in anger, “Idiots! Surround him with portals!”

The four suddenly realized. Three among them had Sling Rings; immediately, one took the lower position closest to Mei, while the other three drew circles to activate their portals.

Of course, Virtue Mei would never just wait to be besieged. As the golden portal sparks ignited, his Cloak of Levitation propelled him upward once more.

He caught them completely off guard.

Such was the advantage of shifting rhythm. When they expected a direct confrontation, he played it sly. When they thought he was being cautious, he transformed into a fierce warrior.

This ever-changing style left them utterly at a loss.

The three Fallen had stepped through their portals, preparing for an ambush at the gateway. But who could have foreseen that this shameless fellow would suddenly turn aggressive?

The lone Fallen shouted, “Don’t underestimate me!”

“Sorry!” Virtue Mei thought, I really am underestimating you.

Faced with a barrage of dark arrows shot up from below, Virtue Mei conjured a shield with his left hand to protect his rear. In a moment where others would have been overwhelmed, his mind moved, and the Cloak of Levitation extended a strip of fabric behind him, enacting a cloak-version of Jeet Kune Do, instantly entangling the spear-like magical weapon the lone Fallen brought through.

The Fallen, caught off guard, left himself completely exposed.

Effortlessly, Virtue Mei drove his transparent longsword in his right hand straight into the man’s chest.

But it wasn’t over yet!

Seeing this, two of the Fallen lunged at him with a roar, while the last scrambled to turn the portal disc and release his companions.

Unfortunately for him, Virtue Mei was nothing if not shameless. Anticipating they’d try to open the portals, he’d already set a trigger spell—Shadow Web—on the disc.

Invisible strands of shadow energy formed a web, and the moment it sprang out, the man had no time to react. By the time he realized, he was already ensnared and being dragged rapidly toward the doorframe.

If it was only that, it would merely bind him.

But with a Vatou Demon Sword jammed in the doorframe, the outcome changed. Before leaping up, Virtue Mei had wedged one of the Fallen’s own swords between the door’s edges. As the Shadow Web yanked the man into the frame, the sword pierced his body at precisely that instant.

Not too much, not too little—just a twenty-centimeter length of translucent blade, enough to kill.

In midair, the two remaining Fallen heard their companion’s dying scream and froze. In that brief pause, Virtue Mei descended from above.

Employing ambidextrous combat and the Cloak of Levitation, Virtue Mei was like three fighters striking at once. As he passed by, two corpses tumbled to the ground, leaving only Virtue Mei standing tall, gazing up at Kaecilius at the corridor’s end.

“Kaecilius!” Virtue Mei’s clear shout echoed throughout the New York Sanctum: “I told you—I’ll take on ten at once!”

Ten official Fallen sorcerers—dead or missing. Not a soul left breathing.

Kaecilius was beside himself with rage, paying no mind to the half-crippled Daniel he’d left behind. He leapt down, hands weaving complex signs midair, unleashing a barrage of astonishing spatial magic.

The twisting corridor lights transformed into meteoric flails, swinging wildly at Virtue Mei’s head.

Along the ever-lengthening corridor, every window flung open, releasing a torrent of black crows. These crows were not real—they were shadowy monsters formed from ink.

Almost every ornament morphed into a deadly weapon, stabbing toward Virtue Mei from all directions.

Only now did Virtue Mei realize how deceptive the movie had been. The original never portrayed Kaecilius as such a formidable villain. Having fully given himself to Dormammu, the man seemed supercharged, his dazzling array of attacks overwhelming.

Without the Gandalf template’s neural responses and the Cloak of Levitation shielding him from wave after wave of assault, Virtue Mei would have perished here.

“Hell with this! I’m not playing with you anymore!” After dodging another close call, Virtue Mei made his move. Gripping the Sling Ring tightly in his left hand, he swiftly drew a circle in midair.

The shorter the teleportation distance, the briefer the incantation and the simpler the gesture. Virtue Mei didn’t flee far; he simply transported himself into the treasure hall next to this corridor.

Kaecilius gave chase without pause, drawing his own circle to break through the distorted corridor’s blockade and enter the adjacent room.

The moment he stepped in, he heard, “Watch out for flying objects!”—and saw a massive, golden-glinting jar hurtling straight for his head.

In that instant, Kaecilius was stunned, for he immediately recognized what it was.