Chapter 162: The Piecemeal Strategy? No, Calling for Backup!

When the two of them flew up to a certain altitude, Tohru let go of his grip, and the Hulk roared as he began to plummet. Any winged demon that grazed him or touched him on the way down was instantly killed.

Falling halfway, the Hulk clenched his fists tightly to gather momentum, releasing it completely at the very instant before making contact with the ground.

Boom! A visible shockwave rippled outward in all directions from beneath the Hulk's fists, making the entire area tremble as if struck by an earthquake.

However, this domineering earthquake and shockwave, brimming with maximum visual impact, did not actually wipe out many demons.

After all, any demon fragile enough to die from such a method could never have broken through the containment perimeter of the Five Spiritual Gods.

His efforts proving futile only made the Hulk even angrier. Dropping his shoulders, he charged straight into the horde of demons. At a glance, he looked like a green torpedo tearing through the air, skimming the ground as he shot toward the enemy.

Crack... Boom...

The sounds of shattering bones and self-detonation upon death echoed continuously. The horde of demons was directly plowed through and overturned in a massive swathe by the Hulk's charge.

Roar!!!

The Hulk leaped out from among the corpses, wildly venting the fury burning in his heart. The blood of the surrounding demons dyed his skin a crimson red. Bathed in this bloodbath, the Hulk looked less and less human, taking on something of a demonic air instead.

Just as the Hulk was roaring to his heart's content, he suddenly felt himself lift into the air. Looking up, he saw Tohru holding him with a solemn expression on his face.

Before he could figure out what was happening, two sonic booms rang out. Immediately following, two shadows flashed past right beneath him with a whoosh, violently slamming into the ground behind them and creating two massive craters.

Uncle, quick-eyed and nimble-handed, hurried over and shoved the Dog Talisman in his hand straight into the rising smoke and dust.

As the smoke cleared, Li Xiaoyao was kneeling on one half-bent leg, leaning his torso against a broken sword. There was a terrifying bloody hole in his chest, and the energy around the wound was continuously spreading outward.

With the addition of the Dog Talisman, his injuries were only temporarily stabilized.

Lying beside Li Xiaoyao was Zhao Ling'er, who had already passed out. Her body had reverted to its normal form; her true Nuwa manifestation had been utterly shattered in a single wave.

Clack, clack, clack...

Mephisto appeared before their eyes. Several holes pierced through his body by swords still let light pass clean through from front to back.

From the injuries on these individuals, one could easily tell just how fiercely they had fought at the center of the battlefield.

The surrounding barrier flickered a few times after Zhao Ling'er lost consciousness. Lacking any remaining momentum, it was on the verge of vanishing entirely.

"Hear my order! Everyone, prepare for an assault! Primary objective: protect our personnel!"

A roaring voice resounded through the command room.

Mephisto walked toward Li Xiaoyao with a dark and gloomy expression.

Sometimes, the gap between legends is even greater than the gap between ordinary humans and legends.

Mephisto had never imagined that he would be injured this severely by an ordinary legend. Although he had descended via an avatar and was suppressed by the world's consciousness, the gap between him and Li Xiaoyao could not be erased by such limitations alone.

High in the air, the Hulk struggled violently, breaking free from Tohru's restraint, and then roared as he threw a punch straight at Mephisto.

Smack!

Mephisto didn't even deign to look at him properly. A massive whip formed of condensed energy at his side directly lashed the Hulk away, sending him plunging all the way down until he sank deep into the earth.

"Hey, give me the Rat Talisman."

A voice sounded beside Uncle. Uncle spun his head around sharply, only to discover that someone had appeared by his side out of nowhere.

"I only want the Rat Talisman. At a time like this, you won't refuse, will you?" Valon looked at Uncle, the red glow in his eyes reflecting his true identity.

The Demon King was an old hand at taking advantage of a crisis.

Uncle flicked his finger, sending the Rat Talisman flying across. Of course he knew who wanted the Rat Talisman the most, but at this moment, he had no choice but to accept the other party's opportunistic behavior.

Once the Rat Talisman was in his grasp, Valon gripped it tightly in his palm and turned to leave, shadows emerging one after another upon the ground.

"I've only helped you this far. Hold out a bit longer; I have no desire to come into direct conflict with him."

The suddenly appearing Shadowkhan immediately joined the battlefield, though they merely obstructed the ordinary demons and refrained from provoking Mephisto.

Roar! At that moment, the Hulk crawled out from beneath the earth, a massive whip scar still lingering across his green skin.

"Big guy, catch!" Jackie Chan tossed the Ox Talisman over to the Hulk. The bonuses granted by the Ox Talisman were even more effective on units with massive raw strength.

Throughout this entire process, Mephisto made no attempt to stop them. He wanted these fellows to understand what a true disparity in power meant, and what genuine despair was!

Bolstered by the Ox Talisman, the Hulk's strength instantly doubled. The tremendous confidence brought by that power fueled him as he charged in a wild frenzy straight toward Mephisto.

Mephisto extended his right hand and pressed it directly against the Hulk's body, his entire person being pushed backward step by step for dozens of meters, though that was the extent of it.

"Is that it?"

Mephisto exerted force with his right hand, his fingers directly piercing the Hulk's skin and crushing his bones, while his left hand simultaneously threw a fierce punch right into the Hulk's chest.

Splat! Blood spewed from the Hulk's back, and he staggered a couple of times before collapsing directly at Mephisto's feet.

"Protection of Avalon!"

A heroic and spirited voice rang out. Mephisto discovered that the distance between himself, the Hulk, and the others had suddenly been stretched immensely far.

Artoria lifted the Hulk—who had reverted to Bruce—and leaped to Li Xiaoyao's side.

She truly had not expected Mephisto to be capable of beating Li Xiaoyao and the others to such a state. By the time she realized it and set out, it was a bit too late, and she had only managed to arrive just in time.

"Hey, are you alright? Rest for a bit, he won't be able to get in for now!" Artoria supported Li Xiaoyao and asked.

Li Xiaoyao shook his head, and as he opened his mouth, fresh blood spilled out. His injuries were simply too severe; Avalon combined with the Dog Talisman was merely keeping him on the brink of life.

"He has broken the seal... Hell is corrupting this place, you won't be able to hold out..."

Before Li Xiaoyao could finish speaking, the elements within Avalon began to churn in disarray, and a bloody hue started seeping through the barrier.

"Take them and go, I'll cover the rear." Li Xiaoyao continued with utmost calmness.

Sword Immortals did not condense domains, and their primary means of attack were relatively scarce, but since it could become a legendary class, it naturally had its reasons—it was far from just being a cool title.

Today, Li Xiaoyao was going to let Mephisto witness what it meant to have attack power maxed out, with no restrictions on valid targets!

Undertow Throw!

Two axes flew down from the sky. Mephisto took a step back and glanced upward—another ant. These humans were even resorting to the piecemeal reinforcement tactic now; truly amusing.

Clang! Following the axes down was a muscular, bearded warrior with bulging muscles.

Reaching out to catch the returning dual axes, Olaf propped the weapons over his shoulder. "I passed by your blessed paradise not long ago, and the Celestial Emperor asked me to bring you something."

Mid-sentence, Olaf shoved a small box into Li Xiaoyao's hands.

Piecemeal reinforcement tactics? No, whenever we get the chance, we just call for our elders anyway. Besides, the Big Boss, the Celestial Emperor, is notoriously protective of his own.