"Move aside!"
Zhongsu roared at the top of his lungs, his deafening voice echoing across the sky.
At the same time,
"Prepare to meet your end, old man."
Dazzling arcs of lightning burst forth from his palms, brilliant and blinding,
like lightning cutting through the night sky, carrying boundless momentum and destructive force,
and came crashing down toward Uncle with the force of a thunderbolt.
—Wrath of Thunder
His gaze was ice-cold and fierce,
every bolt of lightning brimming with destructive power, as if tearing the very fabric of space apart.
"How is this possible?"
Zhongsu muttered in disbelief, his face a mask of astonishment.
He stared with wide eyes as a profound wave of shock and frustration surged through his heart.
His full-strength attack had been blocked by Uncle with such casual ease, leaving him utterly stunned and disheartened.
"Uncle, your Chi Magic is actually this powerful!"
Zhongsu gritted his teeth and roared in bitter frustration.
His tone betrayed deep resentment and anger,
yet it was laced with awe for Uncle's strength.
Even though his attack had reached a level capable of destroying an entire city,
it failed to shake Uncle in the slightest, not even grazing the hem of his robe.
This made him realize just how vast the gap was between himself and Uncle.
Yet,
what baffled Zhongsu the most was how enigmatic Uncle's defensive measures were.
That power acted like an invisible, indestructible barrier,
absorbing and neutralizing all the lightning without leaving a single trace.
It left Zhongsu filled with doubt.
What kind of power could deflect his attacks with such effortless ease?
Chi Magic indeed; he truly lives up to being the Archmage's apprentice.
"Damn it!"
An angry expression crossed Zhongsu's face as he couldn't help but shout aloud,
"I finally managed to escape from my seal, only to be sealed back away in the Netherworld again?
No, I absolutely refuse to give up so easily!"
A flicker of despair brushed the depths of Zhongsu's heart, but he quickly forced the negative emotion down.
He knew full well that
now was not the time for discouragement; he needed to make a prompt and decisive choice.
"Uncle, I will never let your scheme succeed!"
Zhongsu's gaze grew resolute and bold as he said with firm conviction,
"Even if I cannot defeat you today, I will surely find the right opportunity to shatter this damned seal once more!"
Besides,
Uncle had already begun chanting that terrifying sealing magic,
and the Demon Portal capable of imprisoning him once again was slowly opening.
If he didn't get away from here immediately, he feared he would be mercilessly sealed back into the pitch-black Netherworld!
"Absolutely not!"
A fierce wave of unwillingness welled up inside Zhongsu.
"I will never allow such a tragedy to repeat itself!"
No way!
Having just regained his freedom, how could he tolerate being sealed away again?
That would be the ultimate humiliation!
He certainly had no wish to become the laughingstock of Pong Kong.
He was not about to go back and share a pair of "woes" with Pong Kong.
Filled with anger and resentment, Zhongsu thought to himself:
"I must find a way to escape; I cannot let Uncle defeat me like this!"
He began brainstorming strategies to cope with the situation, a resolute gleam flashing in his eyes.
Better to leave this place while the getting's good.
Zhongsu made up his mind in secret. Knowing he could hesitate no longer, he had to act fast.
With that thought, Zhongsu suddenly pointed behind Jackie Chan and cried out in feigned shock:
"Look! Qin Shi Huang is flying in the sky!"
His voice was packed with urgency and astonishment, as if he had truly witnessed something inconceivable.
Jackie Chan and several others—including members of The Dark Hand, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Avengers—
immediately whipped their heads toward the direction Zhongsu was pointing, while Rassou, Chow, and Finn had already been knocked out cold from the shock.
Confusion and curiosity painted their faces,
but it didn't take long for them to realize it was a trap.
"There's nothing there at all..."
Jackie Chan turned back around, a look of disappointment on his face.
His heart was filled with puzzlement, unable to fathom why Zhongsu would pull such a stunt.
"Zhongsu?"
Shendu turned to look for him, only to find that Zhongsu had vanished, looking completely perplexed.
His mind was filled with incomprehension as to why Zhongsu would run away.
"Damn it!"
Jackie Chan stomped his foot in anger, realizing he had been tricked by Zhongsu.
He turned his head to stare in the direction where Zhongsu had disappeared, secretly swearing to hunt this cunning wretch down.
"Looks like we got played again."
Superman shook his head helplessly and said to Jackie Chan.
"Yeah, but I won't let him get away."
Jackie Chan said through clenched teeth.
"What do we do now, then?"
Captain America asked.
"I suppose we'll have to ask Uncle."
Jackie Chan said calmly.
Knowing that Zhongsu would undoubtedly continue his evil ways, Jackie Chan knew he had to find him and stop him as soon as possible.
At the same time,
he resolved to teach this crafty bastard a lesson so he would know the consequences of deceiving people.
After all,
Jackie Chan had prepared himself for a life-or-death showdown with the Thunder Demon, only for the demon to flee without a fight.
Fled? He actually fled?
Jackie Chan couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
He never would have imagined that a demon could be so utterly cowardly, lacking even the courage to fight.
Even more ridiculously,
the demon had tricked him with a lie like "Qin Shi Huang is flying in the sky,"
and then made his escape—and he, an archaeologist, had actually fallen for it.
He had really believed it!
Far away from the gates of the Netherworld, Zhongsu transformed into a bolt of lightning, speeding off into the distance.
His velocity was extreme, as if trying to leave all his fear and anxiety far behind him.
As he flew, he replayed the events that had just unfolded in his mind,
swelling with a mixture of relief and lingering dread.
Had it not been for his quick wit, he would likely have been sealed back inside the Netherworld by now, reduced to a prisoner of the abyss.
"I escaped. I actually pulled it off."
Zhongsu muttered to himself, the joy in his heart impossible to put into words.
He had never expected to slip through Uncle's grasp.
It was nothing short of a miracle—a miracle that belonged to him alone.
However,
Zhongsu had not forgotten about the other Seven Demons.
He knew they might be facing similar predicaments, or perhaps even tougher ones.
A flicker of sympathy crossed his mind for them, but he understood just as well that only the strong survived.
Running away wasn't difficult; if worst came to worst, taking a hostage would secure a smooth getaway.
Zhongsu knew this all too well,
so he resolved to leave this dangerous place posthaste and find a safe spot to lie low.
He was certain that
given enough time, he would recover his strength and reclaim everything that was rightfully his.