Heroes Return

"No matter who you are! This is the world of humans! Human territory, and I will not allow you to do such a thing!" Finally, a hero roared and stood up, leaping up and charging towards the gods in the sky.

Then, in the next second, an old man simply moved his finger, and the hero turned into a skeleton and fell back to the ground.

Seeing this, everyone's eyes once again fell on the silent Galactic Warrior, who was covered in cold sweat.

Finally, they saw the Galactic Warriors kneel down directly before the gods in the sky.

After a moment of silence, everyone knelt down...

Chapter 58

It's unclear when it started, but many powerful beings began to emerge in the world. These beings appeared silently, yet quickly brought about changes to the entire world.

Undoubtedly, these beings with special abilities are completely different from ordinary people, because they possess something that ordinary people simply cannot have: immense power. With this power, they can do whatever they want. Fortunately, however, the lives of ordinary people have not changed much because of the emergence of these beings. After all, although there are more people with special powers, the world has not evolved into a so-called 'truth' where the strong are respected and possess everything, while the weak can only endure all exploitation and oppression.

What makes humans human, and not beasts, is the rationality and moral consciousness that beasts lack—a capacity to suppress desires. Perhaps when dealing with other races different from humans, the strong will still reign supreme. However, among humans themselves, morality should not be abandoned simply because of special power.

Of course, when people possess powers that ordinary people don't have, their inner desires often come to the fore. But thankfully, not everyone is like that.

Thus, a hero was born, and a battle ensued between maintaining reason and upholding morality versus indulging in lust.

Of course, this doesn't have much to do with ordinary people, since their lives haven't changed much. The reason is actually quite simple: the heroes have always been on the winning side, and justice has always been prevailing over evil.

From the moment Zero appeared, the world changed, but the lives of ordinary people remained largely unchanged. Because no matter how chaotic things got outside, a powerful hero would always step forward to protect them! No matter how powerful or evil an individual appeared, a hero would stand in front of all ordinary people and use their heroic power to shatter this force that was affecting their lives.

Perhaps this age of heroes is unfair to the strong, but without a doubt, it is also the age that allows the strong to feel the most pride. Because the glory of becoming a hero, transcending all evil, and saving the innocent is enough to bring a smile to the face of every hero.

Although the establishment of the Hero Association later sparked much controversy, with some arguing that it allowed many unscrupulous individuals to become heroes, the biggest controversy surrounding the association stems from the fact that many superhumans joined not to uphold morality or enforce justice, but simply to find suitable employment, or simply to gain attention, fame, or money. This is because, in the public eye, heroes should be perfect, not driven by self-interest. Those driven by self-interest, even if they become heroes, are merely driven by impure motives.

But even while questioning these heroes, people still rely on them for protection. This is contradictory, yet also interesting, because even those in the Hero Association are willing to believe the same thing.

"A hero is one who never disappoints people!"

But if even heroes give up when faced with a life-threatening situation, what can ordinary people like them do?

Although ordinary people are an indispensable part of human society, most ordinary people are powerless in the face of reality.

Seeing the SS-class hero kneeling before the lofty beings in the sky, the people of Hirocho finally realized one thing: no one could protect them. After all, even the Hero Association's strongest SS-class hero had given up resistance and knelt before the enemy.

Looking at those majestic beings in the sky, living in legends and myths, the people in the square began to kneel down one after another. In just a few minutes, no one was standing in the entire square.

This time, it seems that no one can stand up for them, and all that awaits them is to accept the arrangement of the gods.

Many eyes were focused on the kneeling SS-class hero, the Galactic Warrior, in the square. Many hoped he could use his powerful superpowers to change everything, since most of those gathered in the square were undoubtedly willing to believe in heroes.

Many viewers watching this scene on their computers felt a pang of disappointment. "This time, even the strongest SS-class hero couldn't protect us?"

Such a scene alone has already spread panic around the world through video.

At this moment, the Galactic Warrior was also covered in cold sweat, but even so, he still refused to stand up and fight. After all, a lost reputation could be rebuilt, but if he lost his life, it would be utterly over.

"Very good! Mortals! This is the attitude you should have towards the gods! Bowing and scraping, showing reverence and humility to the beings high above you, this is what you should do." In the vast emptiness, a high and mighty male voice rang out once again.

Upon hearing this voice, everyone lowered their heads even further.

However, at this moment, a figure stood out in the crowd. No one noticed when he appeared in the square, but he was exceptionally conspicuous because he was the only one in the entire square who did not kneel down in front of everyone!

This is a figure completely shrouded in a black robe.

Because everyone was looking down so low, they didn't notice the figure for a moment.

"Mortal! You should not be here!" A majestic voice resounded once more from the sky. Following the voice, boundless majesty pressed down upon the ground, directly upon the person before him, causing his feet to sink into the earth. However, the man in black robes showed no further reaction; he simply walked towards the very front of the plaza, where everyone was paying homage.

Sunlight shone on the black robe, giving it an inexplicable sense of holiness. But the gods in the vast sky knew very well that this was not only not holy, but also extremely dangerous.

With each step the black-robed man took, the ground trembled violently. Many people looked up because of this, but the moment they saw the figure before them, they no longer lowered their heads.

Because it's no longer necessary.

As the man in black reached the front of the group, the Metroid's hovering cameras finally captured his back. The Metroid and the others looked up. At that moment, everyone watching on their monitors erupted in cheers! Many jumped up involuntarily.

Who else could this black-robed figure emerging from the crowd be but Zero?

"Stand up! There's no need for you to kneel before them!" A man's voice rang in everyone's ears at that moment, and at that very moment, everyone watching the scene in the video erupted in cheers once again.

Zero almost never speaks in public, but this time, he spoke to the public for the first time.

"Mortal! Your choice will determine the fate of everyone below." In the sky, an angel's voice rang out, but the next moment, a blood-red sword light pierced through the entire sky, and the angels who had transformed into it faced this blood-red sword light directly.

The lightsaber's energy and magical incantations shone brightly at that moment, but it was still insufficient against the blood-red sword light! With just one strike, a gap appeared in the dense army of angels in the sky, and the angel who had been speaking was now reduced to only a pair of wings.

"The fate of everyone here should not be decided by anyone!" Zero's voice rang out once again.

At the sound, everyone looked up, for the crimson sword light that had pierced the sky earlier had already alarmed everyone. Looking at that familiar figure, just like everyone watching the live stream, the crowd present erupted in excitement.

"Zero! Zero! Zero!!..." "Zero! Zero! Zero..." "Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero..." "Zero..."

Shouts erupted from the crowd, and the previous awkward silence vanished; everyone burst into cheers. The kneeling crowd finally stood up. Loud cheers and shouts filled the air, as if the mere presence of this person ensured everything would be alright!

'A hero! Never disappoints!'

Despite the seemingly hopeless scene, the mere presence of one person made it seem like no one was in despair anymore.

The figure before us, with his back turned, had stood before everyone when the colossal body of the World Serpent descended upon the world; he had stood before the sea race's army when they were poised to engulf it; he had stood before the alien fleet when they invaded; and he had stood before the mysterious army of another world when it descended.

This time, when the army of the gods descended, he still stood before them! Simply because he was Zero, the most powerful human hero!

After this sword strike, the world fell silent. The sword light in the vast sky created a gap in the dense army of angels. Although the gap was quickly filled and their numbers showed no signs of decreasing, the whole world was celebrating at this moment.

Zero used this sword to tell everyone that even the highest gods can still die if they are killed!

"Your decision will kill everyone you protect. You'd better not abandon the mercy of the gods." The majestic voice in the sky spoke once more.

"No one will be killed today, because I have come."

Chapter 59

Listening to Zero's words and seeing this rarely seen figure, people calmed down. This ability to calm the panicked crowd, even to the point of blind trust, was not without reason; it was built upon the global recognition earned after repeatedly saving the world.

In fact, even though Zero disappeared for five years in this new era, no hero has been able to replace his position. Because none of these heroes can do what Zero does—simply by standing there, they can instill a sense of security and hope in everyone. Even the most critical hero evaluator would not have any criticism of Zero's existence.

After all, the world needs someone who can be a beacon of heroism, and Zero is that person.

"Ignorant mortals, since you believe this man brings you hope, then today I will show you. This man is not hope at all." The voices of the gods descended once more from the void. Immediately following, a swarm of spears formed of light pierced down upon the entire city.

At the same time, countless giant swords, hundreds of meters long, rose from the ground and all rushed towards the spears formed of light in front of them.

Explosions filled the sky, as if a fierce interstellar war was raging overhead. However, the endless stream of emerald green swords blocked all the attacks of the spears of light.

"You're heroes too, aren't you?" Zero's voice suddenly rang out from in front of him: "Take everyone and get out of here. I'll handle things here."

“Let’s fight alongside you! We won’t be a burden to you, you don’t need to worry about us.” A hero suddenly spoke up: “To fight alongside Zero is something I’ve always dreamed of.”

"I told you, not a single person will die today!" Zero's slightly cold voice rang out once again. Hearing Zero's words, the others said nothing more, and the remaining heroes began to try their best to evacuate the citizens.

In the sky, the gods seemed to have no intention of attacking the citizens; after all, to them, ants could be crushed at any time.

At least for the gods, destroying Zero in front of all mortals makes more sense! Since mortals have the courage to oppose them because of Zero's existence, let them see the consequences of defying the gods!

With this in mind, all attacks were focused on Lin Jie at that moment, while the Galactic Warriors' broadcast cameras were left unattended. After all, this battle needed to be witnessed by all mortals in the world!

Although the plan was to escape, the entire city was already surrounded by the army of the gods, and with a population of twenty million, it wouldn't be easy for everyone to evacuate. Furthermore, all escape routes were now blocked by the gods' army.

Fortunately, although the city has a huge population, its shelters and underground evacuation points are large enough to accommodate 20 million people. Zero's task now is very simple: to stop the gods' attack before all of N city's population evacuates.

It sounds simple, but for Fei to keep his word and actually do it is not so easy.

At this moment, the armies of the gods also began their advance. The heroes here finally obeyed Zero's request and led the citizens toward the emergency escape route, where a supersonic underground rail train capable of transporting large numbers of citizens at a time was running busily.

In the sky, countless explosions continued. Just as the armies of the gods were about to enter the city from different directions, a giant sword blocked their path from four directions.

Immortal Slayer, Immortal Slayer, Immortal Annihilation, Immortal Trapping. Four swords appeared almost simultaneously at four different locations in the city, and endless sword light began to resound across the sky above N City. Above, even the weapons of the gods trembled at this moment; the more divine the weapon, the more intense the struggle.

On the ground, all the humans involuntarily trembled in the same direction, and this trembling was naturally directed towards N City, which was protected in the middle by the four immortal realms!

The soaring sword energy caused even the gods in the sky to show expressions of shock. Endless killing intent permeated the entire world at this moment, and the killing intent was even more intense at the location of the four swords. Even the gods in the sky couldn't help but engage in fierce battle when they saw this apocalyptic scene.

Those were no longer four swords; in the eyes of the gods, the ground was nothing but slaughter itself!

At this moment, Lin Jie opened a uniquely designed array diagram.

"Neither copper nor iron nor steel, it was once hidden beneath Mount Sumeru."

Without reversing Yin and Yang to refine it, how can one lack the tempering of water and fire to hone its sharpness?

Slaying immortals brings profit, killing immortals brings death, and trapping immortals causes red light to rise everywhere.

The immortals' transformations are infinitely wondrous; even the most powerful immortals are stained with blood.

Since the last battle with the Spirit of the End in the Inner World, this Heavenly Dao First Killing Formation, which appeared in the era of the Investiture of the Gods and was used in the war of gods, has once again revealed its terrifying side. However, unlike the Spirit of the End, this time the Immortal Execution Sword is showing its strongest state.

The sheer killing intent emanating from the formation was enough to shock the gods in the sky. All the divine armies halted their advance towards the city. It wasn't that they didn't want to advance, but rather that the city, in their eyes, was filled with terrifying sword energy. Beneath this Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, all the killing energy in the world converged, an almost endless flow of sword energy within the formation. Before such a terrifying killing formation, no matter how many gods were not powerful enough, entering would inevitably result in annihilation and destruction.

Upon witnessing this, the gods immediately understood. Against such a formation, no matter how large their armies were, they would be utterly useless.

"Is this a killing formation from the Immortal Path?" Looking at the scene before him, a majestic voice echoed once more from the sky: "Do you think this can protect everyone?"

As a majestic voice resounded, endless lightning bolts struck down into the formation. Simultaneously, an old man charged in. The world was instantly engulfed by the endless lightning. On the other side, another old man wielding a staff also rushed in.

Immediately afterwards, several gods dressed in different outfits rushed into the formation.

"Hmph!" Lin Jie didn't say much, simply standing there calmly. Endless sword energy began to gather in the sky around Zero. With a casual flick of Zero's wrist, a terrifying sword energy shot towards the old man wielding lightning. But almost simultaneously, this sword was blocked by a barrier of light. A massive cross blocked this terrifying attack. An old man holding a staff appeared, followed by two angels, flying towards Lin Jie.

In the four directions of the sword formation, four people began to fight against the four swords.

A four-headed god reached directly for the Immortal Execution Sword, while another god with five faces, three eyes, and four walls tried to grab the Immortal Slaughter Sword. In the sky, a goddess holding a mirror reflected its image into the Immortal Execution Sword formation below. Within the formation, a beautiful goddess unleashed powerful energy, and a series of massive magic arrays seemed to trap the Immortal Trapping Sword. Simultaneously, on the other side, a gigantic hand suddenly descended from the sky, grabbing directly at the final Immortal Execution Sword.

The city erupted with endless sword light and magical brilliance at this moment. Within the formation, amidst the endless sword light, Lin Jie was facing four troublesome beings.

As Lin Jie's sword energy was blocked, a bolt of lightning powerful enough to pierce the world struck directly towards Zero's chest.

However, this attack, which should have been a sure hit in the eyes of the gods, vanished without a trace in the face of a strange power.

"A futile struggle. We must admit that this formation is extremely powerful and terrifying. If you were facing a single god, you would surely perish. But before you are the combined forces of all the gods! No matter how strong you are, you cannot defeat the combined attack of gods from different systems!"

Within the formation, another young-looking man leaped in. He unleashed creative power directly at Ling. Lin Jie didn't recognize this man, but his clothing suggested a connection to the Maya.

The energy shot towards Lin Jie once more; it was a law powerful enough to obliterate everything in the world. However, when it reached Lin Jie, it lost all its effect.

It was at this moment that the operation of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation began to slow down unconsciously. Undoubtedly, the four gods responsible for the four swords of Immortal Slaughtering had begun to exert their power.

But it was at this moment that all the gods unconsciously looked up at the sky.

High in the sky, they saw something—a transparent object radiating a flowing light. From the heavens, they could clearly see the entirety of this colossal thing. It was a sword, a massive longsword powerful enough to pierce the earth.