As the world plunged into chaos, Zhongsu felt a surge of anxiety in his heart.
He knew full well that time was of the essence; he had no leisure to trace the root of this catastrophe.
Right now, he had to act decisively and eradicate the threat before him.
With a fierce glint in his eyes, Zhongsu thought to himself:
"I cannot let them go on any longer!"
He took a deep breath, gathering all his strength.
Suddenly, a dazzling bolt of lightning erupted from his palm, shooting like a wild electric serpent straight toward the Avengers, Jackie Chan, and the others.
The lightning flashed, accompanied by a heart-stopping roar, unleashing devastating destructive power.
"Oh no, get out of the way!"
Jackie shouted at the top of his lungs.
The members of the Avengers also reacted in unison.
"What kind of power is this?"
Tony Stark asked in astonishment.
Zhongsu rejoiced inwardly:
"I've finally successfully unleashed this immense power. I hope it deals them a crippling blow."
"No matter what, we can't be sitting ducks!"
Captain America shouted.
Yet, right at this critical juncture, a piercing noise suddenly shattered the silence, grating irritatingly on the nerves.
"Ya Mo Gui Guai Di Zao Zai, Ya Mo Gui Guai Di Zao Zai..."
"What is this sound...?"
Captain America asked in confusion.
"It's Uncle!"
The Hulk roared.
Zhongsu's heart tightened:
"That old pest is at it again."
Immediately following, a formidable surge of righteous energy manifested, resembling a clash between light and darkness.
"Looks like we're saved!"
Tony Stark said excitedly.
A wave of sorrow surged through Zhongsu as well:
"I must hold on! I cannot let Chi Magic prevail!"
Zhongsu pondered to himself:
"To think this little pair of castanets is actually a sacred relic for countering the Thunder Demon—unbelievable!"
He stared intently at Uncle and Jackie on the ground, the pressure in his heart growing heavier by the second.
"The righteous magic all around is rapidly converging, and this is clearly aimed at me."
Zhongsu knitted his brows tightly.
"I must figure out a countermeasure immediately; I cannot just sit here and wait to die."
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"Uncle's incantation and the castanets in Jackie's hand complement each other so seamlessly—their combined might is not to be underestimated."
Zhongsu's gaze grew even more resolute.
"But I am no pushover either; I will surely break through this defense line."
However, facing the fighter jet attacks that rained down like a tempest, Zhongsu felt a sudden wave of helplessness.
"The power of this Chi Magic is far too overwhelming. How am I supposed to block it?"
A sliver of despair could not help but well up in his heart.
Yet, soon enough, Zhongsu rallied himself.
"No, I refuse to go back!"
Unyielding light flashed in his eyes.
"I will never return to that place again."
At this juncture of life and death, countless thoughts flashed through Zhongsu's mind.
He realized that the world he now inhabited was far more complex than he had initially imagined.
This was not merely the whimsical world of Adventures of Jackie Chan, but a multiverse blending various elements from the comic book universe, brimming with infinite possibilities.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intervention came as no surprise to him,
but for them to deploy such overwhelming force against him—Uncle's handiwork was undoubtedly behind it.
Zhongsu could sense that Uncle's incantation and the sound of Jackie's castanets were weaving together into a formidable Sealing Formation,
with the sole objective of trapping him and sealing him away completely.
Yet, Zhongsu was not an adversary easily subdued.
A flash of ruthless determination crossed his eyes; he knew he had to take action.
His body began to radiate a bizarre energy,
which collided with the surrounding magic and righteous energy, generating a fresh wave of turbulence.
"You want to seal me away? You're still light-years away from pulling that off!"
Zhongsu's voice reverberated through the night sky,
his figure flickering in and out amidst the fighter jets' artillery fire, as though he might dissolve into the void at any moment.
The battle raged on, but Zhongsu was already prepared.
He knew this conflict would be the opening salvo of his reputation and his return.
He would not only break the seal, but also let the world know
that he—Zhongsu—was not so easily defeated.
Zhongsu's gaze was sharp as a blade, his muscles tensed all over as if poised to erupt at any second.
He chanted an ancient incantation in a low, powerful voice that seemed to echo from the distant past.
As the incantation was chanted, a profound dark energy began to gather around his body,
like mist in the night, striving to repel the encroaching light magic from all sides.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s onslaught came like a violent storm, wave after wave, and Zhongsu felt his strength gradually being sapped.
He knew that if he failed to find a breakthrough in time, he would be completely devoured by this righteous power.
Although Zhongsu was originally a traveler traversing time and space,
after being imprisoned in the Netherworld for several millennia, he was hardly any different from ordinary demons.
Both his body and soul had been eroded by the Netherworld,
gradually transforming him into the likeness of those cursed fiends.
His former brilliance and glory had been replaced by darkness and despair, his wisdom and courage submerged by pain and fury.
His existence, once a symbol of goodness, had now become the embodiment of despair.
Zhongsu's eyes were no longer clear, but filled instead with cold indifference and hostility toward this world.
His words were no longer gentle, but dripping with hatred and a craving for vengeance against those who had once betrayed him.
His actions were no longer righteous, but driven by the rules of the Netherworld, turning him cunning and cruel.
Thus, he resolved to make a last stand, gathering all his power in preparation for a final strike.
Zhongsu did not hesitate in the slightest; his body lunged toward Uncle like an arrow loosed from a bow, swift and fierce.
He knew clearly in his heart that everyone else around was merely window dressing; the only genuine threat was Uncle himself.
Zhongsu had eyes only for Uncle.
He knew this was a life-or-death contest; only by subduing Uncle swiftly could he secure his own safety.
His stride was firm and powerful, every step a declaration of his resolve.
Zhongsu's breathing was rapid, yet his gaze remained exceptionally calm.
He knew that any hesitation or wavering could lead to failure.
At this critical juncture, he had to focus all his energy and subdue Uncle with the fastest speed and the most ruthless moves.
"Old man, take this! Heh! Heh! Heh!"
The surrounding crowd began to stir.
They might have sensed the impending conflict, but Zhongsu had no leisure to care about that now.
Zhongsu's entire world revolved solely around Uncle at this moment.
Every movement he made, every breath he drew, was directed toward this single objective.
As long as he could subdue Uncle right now, then no matter how many ordinary mortals followed, it would all be in vain.
Only a single thought occupied Zhongsu's mind:
Fast, accurate, ruthless.
At this moment, his body seemed fused with his will, every single cell striving toward that goal.
This was a battle with no retreat; Zhongsu knew he had to win.
Right at that moment, Jackie noticed Zhongsu's anomaly.
A flicker of alertness crossed his eyes, and he instantly grasped Zhongsu's plan.
Without a moment's hesitation, he surged forward, the castanets in his hands dancing like twin blades, brandished with mounting urgency.
With every swing, they emitted a crisp chime that reverberated through the air, sounding like a tolling alarm bell for Zhongsu's scheme.
Zhongsu felt the threat posed by Jackie and knew his time was running out.
He quickened the chanting of his incantation, and the dark energy formed a protective barrier around him,
struggling to fend off the impending attack.
A flash of resolute determination crossed his eyes; this was a life-or-death struggle, and he had to give it everything he had.
The sound of Jackie's castanets grew increasingly urgent, and his speed accelerated even further.
He knew that only by stopping Zhongsu at this critical moment
could he protect those around him from the ravages of dark magic.
His body carved trailing afterimages through the air, every step brimming with power and resolve.
The duel between the two was about to reach its boiling point.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and everyone held their breath, awaiting the ultimate eruption.