Chapter 42: Heaven and Earth Mysterious Sect! The Root of All Qi!
"Not an electrical appliance?"
Max had read reports about Black Spider before and assumed his suit was electrically powered. But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.
Still, Max had a plan.
He shot out several bolts of electricity, which surged into the surrounding cars. Their headlights flickered to life, engines roared, and the vehicles accelerated toward Ethan Lee.
Among them was a massive truck.
"I'll kill you! Hahaha!" Max sneered.
Just as the truck and cars charged forward, Ethan raised his foot and kicked—sending one car tumbling through the air. Then, with a mere push of his right hand, the massive truck came to a grinding halt. Its wheels spun furiously, spewing white smoke, but the vehicle couldn't move an inch closer to him.
Then, Ethan activated his shockwave ability.
Invisible ripples spread outward, and in an instant, the truck and nearby vehicles disintegrated into fine dust—their structures shaken apart at a molecular level.
Max's smirk vanished. His laughter died abruptly.
For a moment, he hesitated before stubbornly regaining his composure. "It seems you've got some tricks up your sleeve. Then let's see how you handle me personally!"
Electricity crackled as Max reabsorbed his scattered energy, solidifying his form. His abilities weren't limited to ranged attacks—absorbing enough power enhanced his physical strength as well.
Once he had gathered all available current, Max lunged forward.
With a confident smirk, he threw a punch.
He wanted to test the strength of the Black Spider.
Bang!
Ethan casually raised his hand and caught Max's fist with ease. He didn't budge an inch.
"Not bad," Ethan mused. "Feels like a decent massage."
Max gritted his teeth and tried to yank his hand free, but it wouldn't budge.
"Damn it!"
In his momentary frustration, he let his guard down.
Ethan seized the opportunity, channeling a shockwave directly through Max's arm. The vibrations spread through his body, shattering his electrical form into scattered energy.
Panic flickered across Max's face.
The Black Spider's strange ability could actually disrupt his energy body.
That realization barely had time to settle before Ethan delivered another shockwave, causing Max to completely dissipate into nothingness.
Iron Man—who had been calling Jarvis in the background—stood frozen.
"...Did he just win?"
Tony was the only witness; the rest of the crowd had already fled.
This time, there were no foolish onlookers. Only a few distant cameras dared to record from afar—nobody wanted to risk being caught in the Electric Man's deadly range.
Ethan remained motionless, his face unreadable beneath his mask. He stood there, waiting.
And then…
Electric currents crackled once more.
Slowly, strands of energy reassembled, and Max's body reappeared.
"Haha… HAHAHA! Turns out, I'm immortal!" Max laughed maniacally. "Black Spider, you've already used all your tricks! What can you do now?"
With an arrogant grin, he strutted toward Ethan, taunting him.
Ethan merely placed a hand on Max's shoulder.
Another shockwave erupted.
Max disintegrated again.
And yet, he reformed.
Again.
And again.
Each time, Max became more arrogant, engaging Ethan in close combat. He knew he couldn't hurt the Black Spider, but he intended to wear him down.
But as the battle continued, Max noticed something unsettling.
Ethan wasn't panicking at all.
Instead, he was murmuring something under his breath…
It was a language Max didn't recognize.
"The Mysterious Sect of Heaven and Earth, the root of all Qi…"
Ethan's soft voice carried across the battlefield.
"Practice for billions of kalpas to prove my supernatural powers…"
A golden radiance shimmered at Ethan's brow and spread across his entire body. Then, it extended outward—toward Max.
Max barely had time to process what was happening before golden light wrapped around him, completely covering his electric form.
And his energy refused to dissipate.
Panic surged through him. He attempted to dissolve into pure electricity to escape—but he was trapped.
"What the hell is this?!"
His struggles were in vain.
Ethan used the golden light as a conduit, continuously sending shockwaves through Max's body.
Without an external power supply, Max's energy weakened. Each time he tried to reform, his body became more fragile… more transparent…
"So what if you beat me?!" Max howled. "You can't kill me!"
Trapped within the golden light, he shouted desperately, "You can't kill me! Let me go! Otherwise, when I escape, I'll come after you! You might be strong, but I know you have friends and family! You'd better think this through!"
Ethan remained silent for a moment before whispering, "Haven't you wanted to die for a long time?"
Max's breath hitched.
"…What?"
Ethan gazed at him, his voice steady. "How do you think I know that?"
Max hesitated. "You… you saw the news, didn't you? That's why you're saying this now?"
Ethan shook his head slowly. "No, no, no… I didn't watch the news."
He paused, then said softly, "Think back. Who was there when you were saved that day?"
Max's eyes widened in realization.