harleyscars Chapter 135 Kneel or Die
Chapter 135 Kneel or Die
The two energies were locked in a stalemate, and eventually the purple light was completely swallowed up by the red light.
It wasn't the kind of slow, gradual pressure; it started from the point of contact. The red light directly dismantled the purple energy structure, peeling it away layer by layer. The energy output by the power gem was no different from paper in front of the red light.
Thanos's fist was pushed back by its own recoil, his arm muscles bulging with veins, and white smoke rising from the joints of the Infinity Gauntlet. The purple light of the Power Stone flickered on the gauntlet; the output had reached its limit, but the opponent hadn't even changed position.
Shendu slowly walked towards Thanos. With each step, the ground beneath his feet began to crack, fissures appearing one after another. Thanos stood frozen, staring at the approaching Shendu.
He wanted to retreat, but his legs had completely gone limp and wouldn't obey him.
"Your body is more honest than you are," the Holy Lord said calmly.
Thanos was enraged and unleashed his left fist once more. This time, the Power Stone changed its attack method, no longer unleashing a concentrated burst of power, but spreading out in a wide area. A purple shockwave swept across, intending to compensate for its lack of penetrating power with its coverage area.
The Holy Lord raised his right hand, his five fingers spread.
Space Stone.
The shockwave disappeared five meters in front of Shendu. The space there was folded up, and the power Thanos unleashed was stuffed into a spatial pocket. The entrance was in front of Shendu, and the exit was two meters directly above the back of Thanos's head.
Thanos's own attack came crashing down from above.
He reacted quickly enough that the Power Gem's protective aura spread out above his head to block the attack, but the impact forced him halfway into the ground, causing radial cracks to appear in the rock beneath his feet, and his knees bent for a moment.
In the blink of an eye, the Holy Lord was already in front of him.
Wanda watched this scene from afar. There was no need for her to participate in the battle, not from the very first punch. Her master didn't even consider Thanos a match; the gap was so large that there was no need to take it seriously.
With the Spear of Eternity in his left hand and his right hand free, Shendu lightly slapped Thanos across the face.
Without using the power of the gems or any magical enhancement, it was just a simple slap on Thanos's left cheek. The sound was crisp and carried far across the quiet surface of Titan.
Thanos's head was knocked to the side at a 45-degree angle.
The scene was somewhat comical: a Titan nearly three meters tall was slapped across the face by a human male less than his chest. It didn't make sense mechanically, but that's exactly what happened. Thanos's left cheek swelled up quickly, leaving a red mark on his purple skin.
Thanos's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and the Power Stone shone brightly as he swung his fist.
Shendu stepped aside, grabbed Thanos's wrist with his right hand and pulled him down, while simultaneously thrusting his left knee up, slamming it into Thanos's abdomen. The Titan's abdominal armor was dented by the impact, and Thanos bent over, spitting out something bloody.
The Holy Lord released his wrist and took a step back.
Thanos braced himself on his knees, catching his breath. The purple light of the Power Stone pulsed wildly across the gauntlet. He tried to straighten up, but the pain in his spine slowed his movements.
"Interesting," the Holy Lord said, but there was no hint of interest in his tone.
Wanda watched her master's back, his straight spine unchanged from the first second until now, and the admiration in her eyes grew stronger.
Thanos rose again and changed his tactics. He no longer relied on brute force; the Power Stone's output was reduced to 30%, and the remaining energy was used to strengthen his body.
Thanos charged forward, his speed significantly increased, and his punches were no longer simple straight punches. He unleashed a combination of left and right punches, taking advantage of his size to create a very tricky attack angle.
This is Thanos's combat experience gained on the battlefield, accumulated over thousands of years of real combat.
Shendu dealt with Thanos's attacks with just one hand, easily deflecting each of his punches.
Thanos's attack was skillfully deflected by Shendu, whose heavy body veered off course, leaving him increasingly vulnerable. After three punches, Shendu found an opening in Thanos's right ribcage and pushed with the heel of his right hand.
The sound of bones breaking was very clear.
Thanos flew more than thirty meters to the side, rolled twice, and fell to the ground. He used the hand with the Infinity Gauntlet to support himself and tried to get up. The purple light of the Power Stone on the gauntlet had begun to flicker.
The Holy Lord stood still and did not chase after him.
He looked down at the base of his right palm, where a bit of Thanos's armor paint had gotten on it. He wiped his hand on his clothes.
Wanda walked over and stood behind and to the side of the Holy Lord.
"Master," Wanda said, "he hasn't knelt yet."
The Holy Lord nodded.
Thanos finally stood up. He had three broken ribs on his right side, and the Power Stone's energy was repairing his injuries, but the repair speed couldn't keep up with the extent of the damage. He was panting heavily, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, the Infinity Gauntlet hanging down on his left side, its purple light growing dimmer.
He stared at the Holy Lord.
"Do you know what your problem is right now?" the Holy Lord asked.
Thanos did not answer.
"You only have one gem," the Holy Lord said calmly. "Even if I gave you all six, the outcome wouldn't change. The difference between us isn't in the stones."
Thanos clenched his fist, the last glimmer of the Power Stone's light seeping through the gauntlet's grooves. He knew what the other man said was true. From the very first punch they exchanged, he understood that the Power Stone's enhancement was utterly useless against this man. He had lost not only his power, but also his confidence.
There's no point in continuing the fight.
Thanos charged at them again.
This time, the Holy Lord was too lazy to use his hands; the Spear of Eternity moved.
The gun barrel swept across, striking Thanos's knee. No matter how reinforced the Titans' physique was, their joints were always their weak points. Thanos's left leg was struck on the side of his knee during the high-speed movement, causing him to lose his balance and fall forward, the momentum carrying his body as he slid across the ground to Shendu's feet.
Thanos, supporting himself with the gauntlet, tried to get up from the ground. The butt of the Spear of Eternity slammed into the middle of his back, slamming him back to the ground. The impact of Thanos's body created a human-shaped crater in the crust of Titan.
Wanda tilted her head. If Thanos hadn't blocked that suppressed timeline of memory, he would have remembered that this position wasn't the first time.
The Holy Lord stopped fighting; this kind of battle was too boring.
A massive army pressed in, orbital bombardment was launched, and even the Titans themselves joined the fray, but the result was no different from stepping on ants, except that the ants were different sizes.
Shendu withdrew the Spear of Eternity. Thanos lay motionless in the crater. The Power Stone went completely dark, and after the purple light on the gauntlet disappeared, his physical condition deteriorated rapidly. His broken ribs had no energy to regenerate, and waves of pain assaulted him.
Shendu crouched down, his face level with Thanos's.
I'm giving you two choices.
Thanos raised his head, his bloodshot eyes now filled with red veins.
Shendu stood up, Spear of Eternity spinning half a circle in his hand, tip pointing downwards, aimed at Thanos's heart. The silver blade reflected the dim light of Titan, less than ten centimeters from Thanos's chest.
"Kneel down, or die."