I, the anti-superman, have hacked into the chat group.

Karl's body instantly arrived at the edge of the universe. At this point, his speed could no longer be described as "fast"; he could reach distances of tens of millions of light-years in an instant.

"Haa!"

Carl actually made contact with the universe itself with his physical body, his hands resting on the universe.

The body shone with a golden glow, perhaps because it had absorbed too much radiation, like a glimmer of light in the darkness.

Chapter 163 The Black Death Emperor

In the silent imaginary space, a miracle is unfolding. An individual being is moving the entire universe. The difference between a mantis trying to stop a chariot, or a mayfly trying to shake a tree, is insufficient to describe the vast difference in their scales, yet it has happened.

Carl is stronger than ever before, but he is also struggling more than ever. His uniform shows the taut, angular muscles that exude power.

A universe—this was definitely the heaviest thing he had ever moved. He could clearly feel that he was using all his strength, and this universe was actually shaken by his own efforts.

The universe is receding, gradually moving away from the tree of imaginary numbers, and it will return to where it belongs.

However, this is all on the premise that everything goes smoothly.

The black light shining on the 'branches' began to focus on Karl; it was the power of the Black Death Emperor, the power of death.

“Black Death Emperor, I have never died, and you have no right to interfere!” Karl declared.

Karl punched the light coming from the side with a backhand punch. His biofield also underwent some kind of evolution, allowing him to come into contact with things that have no material structure, such as the universe, or black light.

The black light that struck Chaokar was dispersed and fell back onto the surface of space like a pool of ink.

Karl continued to push the universe forward, while the Black Death Emperor realized that only by stopping Karl could he keep the universe in its place.

The black light from the surface of the universe and the branches all moved toward this place, and the area that Karl touched had turned completely black, representing deathly stillness. Then, these black rays began to surge with black matter similar to that of the Black Lantern Ring.

These substances make up a body, or a corpse, which is a dried-up dead body.

Aside from the large, unbeating heart exposed on his chest, his body looked no different from any other mummified corpse; his identity could only be determined by his attire.

He had a black lamp mark on his forehead, a chain around his left hand and neck, and his weapon appeared to be a large scythe with a lamp on top.

“The Black Death Emperor,” Karl said.

This is the Black Death Emperor, the source of the Black Lantern, the embodiment of death.

“I will kill everyone, but since you are standing in my way, I have no choice but to kill you first,” the Black Death Emperor said hoarsely through his rotting vocal cords.

Karl temporarily stopped pushing the universe forward and faced his opponent without fear: "If you can do it, then try it. Like I said before, I have never died. Unlike the Superman in your universe, I cannot be easily controlled by you with a ring."

On the darkest night, all three leaders of the Justice League went offline.

Batman had already been out of the picture for some time due to previous events, while Superman and Wonder Woman, having experienced resurrection, were easily controlled by the Black Lantern Ring.

In the world of the dead, the Black Death Emperor's power is almost an absolute rule, and no one can truly resist his control. But in the world of the living, it's a different story. Karl is alive, and the Black Death Emperor can only kill him with true brute force.

Without saying a word, the Black Death Emperor raised his hand and released a black energy.

Karl could have dodged, but instead of avoiding it, he placed his hands in front of him and forcefully took the blow with his body. He wanted to feel how much he was inferior to a true super-universe powerhouse.

It hurt terribly. The uniform on Karl's arm was easily pierced. Only his physical body could barely withstand the attack. It was indeed very painful, but Karl endured it.

His forearm was charred black as if it had been baked by high temperature, and there were some broken skin, but other than that, there were no other injuries. He had caught the Black Death Emperor's attack.

"It's my turn."

Karl instantly rushed in front of the Black Death Emperor and punched him in the face, the immense pressure causing spacetime to tremble.

The Black Death Emperor's heart shattered, and not only that, his entire body was pierced through by Karl's hand.

If Superman used his full strength, most enemies would be punched through with one punch. He usually doesn't do this because he's used to holding back, but Karl has no intention of holding back now, and the Black Death Emperor is not someone he needs to hold back against.

"Haa!"

Karl exerted his power, tearing the Black Death Emperor's body in two.

But then, another mummified corpse emerged from the surface of the universe. He picked up the scythe that the Black Death Emperor had dropped and became yet another Black Death Emperor.

"You know me and understand what happened in the material universe, so don't you remember that I am death? I am already dead, how can I die again?"

As the Black Death Emperor spoke, he opened his arms wide, leaving himself completely exposed, seemingly indicating that Karl could attack him at will, as it wouldn't affect him in any way.

Indeed, Karl stopped where he was, not in a hurry to give chase.

Once dead, one cannot die again. Even the Black Lantern Corpse cannot be destroyed by ordinary methods, let alone the Black Death Emperor, who is even more so in this respect.

The Black Lantern Corpse can be destroyed by a combination of multiple colored lights, but the Black Death Emperor is not afraid of this. Even if the Seven Lantern Legion launches an attack at the same time, it is just a gentle breeze to him.

To eliminate the Black Death Emperor, White Lantern is indispensable.

“I don’t need to destroy you,” Karl said. “You have now lost your representative in the material world, which means you can’t influence the universe at all. I just need to push the universe away. You can’t cause any trouble here.”

The Black Death Emperor is currently unable to influence the material world; he can only manifest his power on the surface of the universe.

"Do you think you can confidently advance the universe with me here?" the Black Death Emperor mocked.

He admitted that Karl's combat power was now on the same level as his own. After all, he didn't rely on combat power to make a living; he represented death, and sometimes the Black Lantern Corpses he controlled might even surpass him in combat power.

However, it can't be said that Karl is stronger than him. If they really fought, that would be one thing, but if Karl dared to be distracted by pushing the universe, he would definitely be killed by him.

“We can give it a try,” Carl said.

He slammed his shoulder into the universe, causing it to shift slightly. At the same time, the Black Death Emperor's attack came, and Karl quickly jumped away to dodge it.

"I'm not the only one moving the universe; the Tree of Imaginary Numbers is also involved. As long as I'm here to help you, you won't be able to stop the universe from leaving."

The Black Death Emperor's desiccated face remained expressionless, but his tone became somewhat agitated: "What you're doing will only slow down the movement of the universe to a crawl, and it will take at least several months to leave this area!"

“Then I’ll keep you at it,” Karl said.

He crashed into the universe again, completely unaffected by the Black Death Emperor's words. He would deal with the aftermath later; perhaps he would come up with another solution then.

The battle resumed between the two. Karl basically moved around the universe to dodge attacks, since he couldn't kill his opponent anyway. He was able to dodge most of the Black Death Emperor's attacks, and although he got some scratches, they were not serious.

However, at this moment, the Black Death Emperor laughed.

Chapter 164 Death and Turning Point

Instead of continuing his attack, the Black Death Emperor suddenly laughed, leaving everyone puzzled. The situation hadn't changed at all, yet the Black Death Emperor's attitude suggested that he had already won.

"What are you laughing at?" By not attacking Karl, he naturally got some time to rest.

His uniform was somewhat torn, caused by the Black Death Emperor's attacks. Sometimes Karl would be unable to dodge and would get hit, but these were only superficial wounds and would not play any decisive role in the battle.

However, that was when facing ordinary enemies; it wasn't the case for the Black Death Emperor.

"That's enough, you've lost." The Black Death Emperor declared his victory.

He unleashed another black light attack on Karl, who naturally dodged it, but his body suddenly stiffened abnormally at that moment.

In that instant of unexpectedness, Karl was hit by the beam of light and sent flying a great distance.

What happened? Karl was bewildered. The stiffness he experienced back then was definitely not a problem his body should have. For Kryptonians to live on Earth, the prerequisite is that they have sufficient control over their bodies, and they shouldn't make such a basic mistake.

The Black Death Emperor's attack came again. Karl tried to dodge, but the same thing happened again. In a battle of equal strength, any small mistake can be fatal, so Karl was hit again.

After standing up again, he clearly felt that something was wrong with his body. He raised his arm and looked at the wound, where the skin had turned an abnormal, deathly gray.

Under normal circumstances, this would be impossible. Kryptonians' healing abilities can even heal wounds in an instant, but now he has the appearance of death.

"So you've finally found it?" the Black Death Emperor said. "Too late, unfortunately."

An unprecedented black light emanated from the scythe head shaped like a lamp furnace of the Black Death Emperor.

Carl raised his hand to block, and was forced to squat on the ground, feeling his strength draining away.

"The ring is just a medium. Do you really think I don't need the ring when I control the dead?" the Black Death Emperor mocked.

Karl hadn't thought that way. He knew the Lamp Ring was just a tool; the key was the emotional energy within it. As the source of the Black Lamp, the Black Death Emperor could naturally use the power of death to control the dead, but he wasn't a dead person.

At this moment, Karl's expression changed; he realized how the Black Death Emperor had influenced him.

"Everything will die, from the gods to... the cells!"

“You are still alive, and I cannot kill you directly, but your cells… I can sense that your cells are dying. They cannot easily withstand such a powerful force, and the dead cells will obey my commands!”

Humans are organisms composed of cells, but theoretically, each individual cell can be considered an independent life. And as long as it is a life, it can be controlled by the Black Death when it dies, and the cells of Kryptonians are no exception.

These cells are not enough to control Karl's body, but they can interfere with his actions to some extent, making it easier for the Black Death Emperor's attacks to hit.

As time went on, the excessive Kryptonite radiation in Karl's body, along with the attacks from the Black Death Emperor, killed more and more cells, making Karl's movements increasingly difficult, until he could no longer defeat the Black Death Emperor and was completely killed by him, turning into a Black Lantern Corpse.

Carl had already foreseen this outcome; he was now slowly sliding into the abyss and had to find a way out, at least to stop the Black Death Emperor from continuing to attack him.

Karl roared as he withstood the Black Death Emperor's attack, and the golden light on his body became even stronger, temporarily forcing the black light back.

Then Karl swung his fists and slammed them into the beam of light, his bio-field making him smash the energy as if he were hitting a solid pillar.

Karl approached the Black Death Emperor step by step. The immense pressure and the excessive energy within him made his mind and soul highly active, a state commonly known as being "overwhelmed."

He bravely withstood the Black Death Emperor's attacks and reached him, then grabbed the black scythe, exerted all his strength, and snapped it in two.

Then, Karl raised his right fist high, which shone with golden light, indicating that he was gathering strength. This punch fell from above with a force that could be blocked.

The Black Death Emperor made no extra movements; in an instant, it was crushed like a fragile bubble. After shattering the Black Death Emperor's body, the punch did not stop; it landed heavily on the surface of the universe, causing the entire universe to tremble.

However, the black shadow still clung to it, and the Black Death Emperor and his scythe reappeared.

"No, I am already dead, and you will be soon too. Your actions are nothing but a waste of your energy. Soon, I will be able to control every cell in your body, and you will become the best Black Lantern Corpse."

Karl looked at his arm, which had turned gray. After throwing that punch, he gradually calmed down. Yes, the Black Death Emperor was right. Neither of them could defeat the other in a short time, but they could only wear each other down.

Previously, if time had dragged on, the universe would have been destroyed, but now the outcome has changed to the victory of the Black Death Emperor, and he cannot allow this situation to continue.

If all else fails, Karl will have no choice but to flee with the people he knows. The Black Death Emperor will not be able to descend upon the material world again in the short term, and the distance between the two universes has widened considerably, giving him ample time to leave with Bronya and the others.

As for the other Honkai universes that might be attacked by the Black Death Emperor in the future, Karl was unwilling to see such a situation, but he was powerless to do anything about it, so he saved those people.

He was not a truly omnipotent god; when something was clearly beyond his control, Karl would choose to give up.

The Black Death Emperor saw Karl float into the air.

"Are you going to run away? That's certainly a wise move. Go ahead and run, you coward. But one day the shadow of death will catch up with you, and I have endless time to wait."

Karl remained silent in the air. He didn't think giving up was shameful, and that continuing to drag things out would only lead to more serious consequences. The Black Death Emperor's taunts had no effect on him.

If things didn't turn around, he was really prepared to leave, Karl thought, looking at the area he had just attacked.

Black light emanated from the Black Death Emperor's scythe again, and Karl could no longer easily dodge his attacks.