Heroes Return

At this moment, Zero and Ivan finally had a chance to sit together. But the next second, Lin Jie struggled to press the energy sword against Ivan's neck. With a struggle between their arms, the energy sword pierced directly into Ivan's neck.

"Hahaha! I can't believe I lost again..." The last laugh came to an abrupt end, and the world finally fell silent.

"I told you, you can't win because you're a criminal." Leaning against the wall, Lin Jie muttered to himself.

Chapter 78

Watching the world crumble, Lin Jie tried to stand up, but after several attempts, his body wouldn't obey him. Helpless, Lin Jie could only give up and quietly watch the space gradually disappear into the distance.

"I thought I'd won again, but it turns out you won this time." Looking at the collapsing space, Lin Jie said helplessly. At this moment, he finally understood why the god had specifically reminded him of the space's duration. It wasn't to remind Lin Jie, but to remind Ivan. This city was also created by the god before his death, giving him and Ivan their final arena.

If that's the case, did an omniscient and omnipotent god know from the beginning that this would be the outcome? If he knew, if God knew that all three of them would die in this space, then why did God still choose to fight? Why did he fight even knowing that he would definitely fall into Lin Jie's hands?

Or was God's purpose to leave him and Evan here forever? Just for the calamity that God said he might bring to humanity in the future?

If that's true, then God is far too terrifying. Both he and Ivan were part of his plan from the very beginning. Perhaps Ivan sensed it? But as long as he can overcome himself, Ivan seems quite willing to be used by God.

Thinking about it this way, perhaps from the very beginning, only I was kept in the dark? This was all just a scheme to take my life. And after my death, the gods would have no more obstacles. The remaining gods could continue fighting against the power of the divine beings, and then create new myths.

Despite all this thought, given his current physical condition, there was no way he could survive in the collapsing space.

Did Ivan anticipate this from the very beginning? Or perhaps he made contingency plans? Unfortunately, Ivan is dead, so even if Lin Jie wanted to ask, he couldn't get the answer.

Only now did Lin Jie understand why Ivan had been smiling until his death. Because this time, he had won. As the weaker being, it seemed Ivan had successfully killed him this time.

"Although I hate to admit it, it seems I'm doomed! I never thought I'd lose to this guy in the end." With a helpless sigh, Lin Jie looked at Ivan beside him: "Alright, I admit it, you're the most troublesome opponent I've ever met. But unfortunately, you won't be able to witness your victory."

After saying this, Lin Jie calmly closed his eyes.

In Lin Jie's ears, the sound of the world collapsing was erupting continuously. The sounds of buildings collapsing were everywhere, and the distant Tainankong had turned into darkness.

Compared to the noise outside, Lin Jie remained calm.

"Perhaps this moment should have come six years ago? After all, the True Martial Hundred Battles is a life-shortening technique. I guess the person who created the True Martial Hundred Battles never expected that I would live for six more years. Oh well, my sister has grown up now, and the biggest crisis on Earth has been resolved. If I am going to bring a crisis to the world, dying here wouldn't be so bad."

Perhaps it was the sense of impending death that made Lin Jie feel unusually clear-headed for a moment. Many things became clear to him at this instant. As the most powerful human in the world, he hadn't experienced such a near-death experience in a long time. When was the last time he was so badly injured?

Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. Anyway, we're going to be finished soon.

"How pathetic you are, Master." Just as Lin Jie was wondering, a melodious voice rang in his ears: "It's been a long time since I've been this pathetic."

"Slaying Immortals? Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to continue protecting the citizens? The gods aren't all dead yet." Lin Jie couldn't help but ask when he saw the beautiful woman in ancient clothes in front of him.

"I came to see you in such a sorry state," Lu Xian said calmly to Lin Jie. "As the strongest sword cultivator, you shouldn't be in such a sorry state."

"I'm truly sorry." Hearing Lu Xian's words, Lin Jie smiled helplessly: "Go back and protect those citizens. The gods may intervene again at any time."

"I cannot comply, my master." Lu Xian's words remained calm. The beautiful girl in ancient costume said nothing, but calmly sat down beside Lin Jie: "You are my master, and the sword will naturally follow its master. I do not care about the lives of others."

"..." Upon hearing her words, Lin Jie fell silent.

"If you want to live, I will take you away from here; if you want to die, I will stay here with you," Lu Xian said to Lin Jie with a smile. This was the first time Lu Xian had smiled at Lin Jie, and Lin Jie was momentarily surprised.

"Hey, hey, dying with me is no joke." Hearing Lu Xian's words, Lin Jie said helplessly, "I didn't expect that when it comes to the crucial moment, you, who are the most obedient, will be the first to disobey."

Despite Lin Jie's teasing, Lu Xian remained expressionless, simply sitting calmly beside Lin Jie.

"I am, in the end, just a sword." After a few seconds, Lu Xian finally uttered these words.

"..." Hearing her words, Lin Jie said helplessly, "I'm too embarrassed to die like this! And where did you get the idea that I wanted to die? I haven't lived enough yet! I still have my lovely little sisters at home, and I still have so many games to finish. I'm not going to die. I just can't move anymore."

"I understand." Lu Xian said, extending his hand and grasping Lin Jie's hand at the same time: "I'll take you out now."

"Thank you." Grasping Lu Xian's hand, Lin Jie couldn't help but say, "It seems Ivan's first victory has slipped away."

"I am your sword, just use me. No need for further explanation." With these words spoken calmly, Lu Xian immediately took flight. A blood-red sword light pierced the entire world in that instant. A massive rift appeared before Lin Jie and Lu Xian. At this moment, Zero couldn't help but turn back to look at Ivan's corpse once more. The man who died smiling had vanished into the darkness before Zero's eyes.

When the rift ended, Zero reappeared in the ruins of the plaza in N City where the battle had begun. The broadcast cameras continued to stream everything to the world.

"It's Zero! Zero's back! Zero won! We're saved! Zero has saved the world once again!!" The reporters covering the scene almost stood up in excitement. At that moment, everyone in N City rushed towards Zero!

It was almost a miracle. Right before the eyes of the world, Zero once again saved the citizens from the army of the gods! And miraculously, after Zero appeared in N City during this attack, there were no more casualties.

This was a day worthy of being called a miracle, as a legendary being had once again created a new miracle. When the citizens saw the heavily wounded and battered Zero reappear, cheers and astonishment erupted simultaneously. The surrounding city was completely packed with people, and even the police's attempts to maintain order were ineffective. There were simply too many people who had come to witness this creator of miracles firsthand.

However, it's worth noting that everyone consciously stepped back after approaching Zero to a certain distance. Since ambulances couldn't travel that far, a helicopter fully loaded with medical equipment landed at Zero at that moment. It was also at this instant that the sword spirits of the three swords—Zhu Xian, Xian Xian, and Jue Xian—appeared before Lin Jie.

"This is truly a sorry sight." Zhu Xian'er looked at Lin Jie, a subtle change appearing on her usually calm face.

"Now, you can die." Xianxian pointed her sword directly at Lin Jie, but ultimately didn't lower it. Although she said she wanted to kill Lin Jie, upon seeing him, Xianxian had already abandoned her plan to kill him immediately. Because she knew she couldn't kill Lin Jie here.

At this moment, Lu Xian was looking at her with icy eyes. Neither Zhu Xian nor Jue Xian showed any intention of killing Lin Jie. Undoubtedly, in this battle, Lin Jie had gained the recognition and respect of the two swords. Although they would still try to kill Lin Jie when he weakened, as long as his Dao heart remained strong, no matter how weak his body became, they would no longer attempt to kill him.

"Could you please make way? We need to treat Zero! He needs immediate medical attention!" Several people who looked like doctors jumped off the plane and, while gesturing for the crowd to step back, addressed the four beautiful women present.

"..." Upon hearing their words, Lu Xian simply nodded calmly and then made way for the doctors. As for the other three, they also made way for Lu Xian after he stepped aside.

Several doctors and nurses rushed to Zero's side immediately. Almost simultaneously, more staff appeared and set up a makeshift tent. Medical equipment was continuously transported from the plane.

Inside the tent, someone reached out towards Lin Jie's robe in front of the camera. The robe's hood had already covered Lin Jie's face, and before coming out, Lin Jie had torn off a piece of cloth from his cloak to cover his face as well. For a moment, no one could see Ling's true appearance.

This time, the nurse curiously reached out her hand, which was part of the physical examination she was supposed to do. However, the attending physician and a reporter standing nearby simultaneously grabbed the nurse's hand.

“He is too great; we are not qualified to uncover his true nature!” the doctor said to the nurse.

"Yes, although as a journalist, Zero's true identity would definitely be the biggest news, I would prefer to respect Zero's own wishes! We shouldn't violate the privacy of a hero who has just saved the world. I will wait until he is willing to take off his mask."

Hearing the other person's words, the nurse withdrew her hand: "But how should we examine his head?"

"No need for further examination. Just disinfect and suture his wounds. In fact, his wounds are already healing. He'll be fully recovered soon," the doctor said calmly. "Although I might get fired after this, as a loyal fan of Zero, I won't let the authorities get any data about Zero's physical condition."

Chapter 79

When the World Government's gay officials arrived at the makeshift medical tent amidst the ruins, they did not see Zero.

"Where is Zero? Where is he now?" an official asked the doctor beside him in a slightly anxious tone.

Zero. He's gone.

"What did you say?" Upon hearing the doctor's words, the World Government officials almost all wore expressions of surprise. Everyone stared at the doctor in disbelief.

"You actually let Zero go? You should know our orders, shouldn't you? You should know how serious Zero's injuries are, shouldn't you? Why did you let Zero leave under these circumstances?" An official questioned the doctor beside him, his voice slightly angry. It should be noted that almost everyone present had rushed from all over the world in the first instance. After all, this might be the best opportunity to meet Zero. In the past, Zero had never cared about the media or officials. But this time, the severely injured Zero would have to face them. And for the officials of the World Government, it was also necessary for them to speak with Zero.

Especially after Zero accomplished what the whole world considered a feat in that battle. Almost all the officials present were eager to meet Zero and have a good talk with him.

In fact, the fact that the highest-ranking government officials from all over the world could come together is already quite extraordinary.

But now, the sound before them told them that Zero was already gone.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen. Zero just woke up and left on his own. We can't keep him here," a voice said with a hint of helplessness.

"Are you an idiot? Zero should be seriously injured right now, right? How could you let him leave under these circumstances?" an official asked the doctor, his voice slightly angry.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. Do you expect us to point a gun at someone who just saved the world and demand that he stay?" Faced with the high-ranking official's question, Yi Jian couldn't help but speak up again.

Hearing the doctor's answer, no one said anything more. After all, Zero was gone.

“Damn it, I promised my son I’d get him a zero’s autograph!” one of the councilors said regretfully. Hearing this, the other councilors nodded in agreement. A verifiable zero’s autograph could fetch a very high price online. However, there were probably no more than three zero autographs in the world at that time.

(Lin Jie had once signed autographs for two children on a whim.)

Seeing Zero leave, the crowd dispersed. Correspondingly, the World Government's troops also began to leave the area.

Meanwhile, in the other world where Solomon resided, news from the human realm finally reached everyone—demons and gods alike. Almost everyone knew the outcome of Zero's battle against the Legion of Gods on Earth.

In fact, from the moment their formal attire disappeared, everyone knew that Zero was the victor. The Demon Realm, which had been transformed by the gods, began to gradually return to its original state.

"What are you going to do next? Continue fighting?" Looking at the gods before him, Leng Yan's voice rang out immediately: "You should already know that this victory belongs to Zero. You have already lost."

Upon hearing Leng Yan's words, the gods remained silent for a brief moment before addressing Leng Yan and the other heroes of the Hero Association: "We will leave this place and live in another dimension with those gods who are unwilling to participate in this war. Since the gods are dead, our battle has naturally lost its meaning."

As they spoke these words, the portal of light beside the gods vanished once more, and then, right before their eyes, the people began to leave one after another.

"You think you can just leave like this?" Hearing the words of the crowd, Fenrir looked angrily at the gods who were leaving one after another.

“We still have the strength to fight, Fenrir. And even if Zero wins, he must be quite badly injured by now. So I advise you to give up. If you want the war to continue, then try to stop us!” Among the gods, one suddenly turned to Fenrir and said.

Upon hearing his words, Fenrir's face showed an angry expression, but she was stopped by Leng Yan.

"Let them go, Fenrir. The battle is over. Let them go. There's no need to continue fighting. This time, let them go!" Cold Flame, with a serious expression, spoke to everyone present, including Fenrir.

With the departure of the gods, this battle has finally come to an end at this stage.

With the battle over, everything returned to calm once more. As for Lin Jie, he had already rejoined the heroes' ranks. Xiao Meier, who was responsible for understanding the situation, took some opportunity to leave.

"Holy crap, Lin Jie! How did you get beaten up like this? That's terrible!" The bespectacled man looked at the injured Lin Jie with a puzzled expression. "I never thought that Xing Tian could beat you up like this. No wonder he's a legendary god!"

Seeing Lin Jie's injuries, the man with glasses couldn't help but sigh. However, ignoring the man's sigh, all of Lin Jie's acquaintances recognized him and immediately surrounded him.

Tristi and Anya were the first to rush forward. Following them were Xiao Zhan, Thirteen, and others.

"I'm so glad you're alright." Ignoring Anya and Tristi, who had been staring at each other after simultaneously throwing themselves at Lin Jie, and then running off to fight, Xiao Zhan patted Lin Jie on the shoulder: "When I saw your opponent, I thought you were dead for sure. I never expected you to still be alive. You're a truly terrifying monster!"

"A monster? I'm not even close," Lin Jie said helplessly. "Didn't I get beaten up pretty badly?"

"Was it that guy who beat you up like this?" Looking at the injuries on Lin Jie's body, Xiao Zhan couldn't directly say the name "God," so he used a relatively vague term.

"No, I was beaten by Ivan." Hearing the other party's words, Lin Jie said helplessly, "I completely underestimated Ivan. If I hadn't been saved in the end, I might have died at Ivan's hands."

"What did you say?!" Upon hearing his words, almost everyone showed shock, except for the guy with glasses.

"Wait, Lin Jie! Did you encounter Ivan when you were fighting Xing Tian?" The bespectacled man couldn't help but ask upon hearing his words.

However, it was obvious that his question was completely ignored by everyone present.

"What exactly happened?" Xiao Zhan asked with a somewhat serious expression. "So where is Ivan now?"

“Evan? Evan is dead. I watched him being killed by Zero with my own eyes.” Lin Jie said helplessly to Xiao Zhan, “This time, he almost killed me! Without a doubt, Evan is the most troublesome and terrifying person I have ever met. It seems like I was being led by the nose by his schemes from beginning to end.”

Upon hearing the other party's words, Xiao Zhan and the others couldn't help but gasp.

"Amitabha! I never imagined that Benefactor Ivan's obsession was so deep." The incompetent monk from the Bachelor Temple finally couldn't help but speak up. "With Benefactor Ivan's obsession, even standing before the Buddha wouldn't make it disappear. People in this world are really something, can't they just calm down and watch some porn to cool off? Sigh!"

"Master, you're not a monk at all, are you? What's with this 'Buddhist-like' line that you only say when you're about to die?!" Upon hearing this, everyone present couldn't help but say to Master Wuneng.

"Anyway, next up is our victory celebration, right? Don't worry this time, we've already set up the entire company building! I'll cover everything! Let's celebrate to our hearts' content!" Ignoring everyone present, Xiao Zhan grabbed a megaphone and shouted loudly to everyone there. Xiao Zhan's shout immediately drew a chorus of responses.

Of course, some people did not accept the response. Leng Yan, for example, had many clean-up matters to handle. All the ace pilots who survived the battle were permitted to participate in the victory celebration, but the World Government's officers and soldiers had to return first to submit their combat reports and conclude the operation; this celebration would likely only be held within their units afterward.

Even so, the soldiers had no complaints. First, they all carried them, and second, they had an extraordinary award ceremony to participate in, which was an honor for these soldiers!

When everyone was gradually leaving the seventy-two pillars space where Solomon was, Thirteen, who hadn't spoken until now, pulled Lin Jie to a secluded spot not far away.

"Hey! What's with your overly gay attitude?"