Now in Asgard, Hela's strength was rapidly recovering.
Although Luo Bai's punch had inflicted considerable damage, she healed almost instantly.
"I almost forgot about you, Supreme Sorcerer," Hela said as she rose from the ground.
Feigning nonchalance, she dusted herself off and continued, "I thought you were different from other mages, but it turns out you're just better at sneak attacks."
Her eyes suddenly sharpened.
She raised her hands, and two pure black swords materialized in her grasp.
The moment her weapons appeared, Hela lunged at Luo Bai with incredible speed.
But Luo Bai remained calm.
He didn't dodge. Instead, he sighed in mild annoyance and muttered, "Why do all you Asgardians insist on close combat?"
Before Hela's blades could reach him, a glowing portal opened right in front of her.
By now, Luo Bai no longer needed to chant or prepare teleportation spells—he could summon a portal instantly with a mere thought.
Hela was moving too fast to stop.
She dashed straight into the portal and was instantly trapped inside.
Luo Bai had tested this trick before.
It worked perfectly on Loki and Thor—after all, neither of them knew how to counter teleportation magic.
But Hela was different.
The moment she was locked in, she effortlessly tore open a new portal of her own and teleported out.
Reappearing behind Luo Bai, she immediately hurled one of her swords at him.
The blade shot forward at a terrifying speed, slicing through the air with deadly precision—an ordinary sorcerer wouldn't have been able to react in time.
But Luo Bai had already sensed her presence.
And he wasn't the only one.
His Cloak of Levitation noticed as well.
Before Luo Bai could even move, the cloak detached itself from his shoulders and darted toward the incoming sword.
The enchanted fabric coiled around the blade midair, stopping it in its tracks.
Then, in an almost playful manner, the cloak swung the sword around—and hurled it right back at Hela.
Although the attack wasn't enough to threaten her, it certainly caught her attention.
Hela casually caught the sword, but her eyes gleamed with interest.
She lowered her weapon and smirked. "That cloak of yours... I like it. Much better than the pile of scrap metal Odin used to collect."
Luo Bai chuckled. "If you're thinking of taking it, forget it. Not happening."
Hela scoffed. "I don't need your permission. Once I defeat you, I'll claim it as my own."
"Defeat me?" Luo Bai raised an eyebrow. "You're ambitious."
Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he added with a teasing grin, "But I'll give you credit—you're much stronger than your two brothers. Those two couldn't even break out of a teleportation trap."
Hela sneered. "Don't compare those two to me. When I led Asgard in conquering the universe, they didn't even know which end of a sword to hold."
Luo Bai smirked.
Despite Loki not being Odin's biological son, he noticed something amusing—all three of Odin's children shared the same arrogance.
The funniest part? They all looked down on each other.
If Hela ever put aside her hatred and returned to Asgard, it would definitely be a chaotic yet entertaining sight.
Amused by the thought, Luo Bai mused aloud, "If the three of you lived together, it'd be pretty entertaining."
Hela's expression remained cold.
"If they're willing to kneel before me and help conquer the universe, I might spare them," she said. "The same goes for you."
Luo Bai sighed.
He didn't actually want to fight Hela.
Deep down, he hoped to talk her out of this whole 'conquer the universe' idea.
Because Hela's power was tied to Asgard.
As long as Asgard existed, Hela could not be truly killed.
The only way to get rid of her... was to destroy Asgard itself.
And that? Not an option.
So, after a moment of thought, Luo Bai decided to try reasoning with her.
"You're overestimating how easy it is to conquer the universe," he said seriously. "Your father gave up for a reason."
Hela scoffed. "He was a coward. Tell me—who in the entire universe could possibly stop me? Don't tell me you think you can."
Despite her arrogance, Hela had already sensed something unusual about Luo Bai.
Her earlier attacks had been far beyond what any ordinary magician could handle.
And yet... Luo Bai had blocked them effortlessly.
She had to admit—this so-called 'Supreme Sorcerer' was stronger than she had anticipated.
Even so, she wasn't about to back down.
Because Hela knew one thing for sure—
Luo Bai didn't truly want to fight.
He was still holding back, concealing his true strength.
This realization made Hela furious.
Luo Bai's attitude was infuriating—his behavior made it clear that he looked down on her.
It was as if he were some high and mighty god, while she was just a mere mortal.
His composure, his nonchalance, the way he faced her attacks as if they were nothing but a game—it was unbearable.
Because gods cannot be defeated, they dared to act recklessly.
But she was the god here!
She was Hela, the Goddess of Death!
Yet this mortal, this insignificant magician who had merely learned some tricks—
How dare he treat her this way?!
"Foolish human sorcerer, you have no idea how powerful the gods are!" Hela seethed, her eyes burning with rage.
"You will pay the price for your arrogance! My army—rise!"
The next moment, she channeled the full power of Asgard.
As her energy surged, Hela's body disappeared into the shadows.
And when she reappeared—
She was no longer alone.
She sat atop her former mount, the monstrous wolf Fenrir.
Behind her, an army of undead warriors emerged from the darkness—the same warriors who had once followed her in battle, now resurrected at her command.
"I've entertained you long enough," Hela declared coldly.
"Now, I will reclaim everything that was stolen from me! Anyone who dares to stand in my way... will die!"
With a single wave of her hand, her undead army and the massive Fenrir charged toward Luo Bai.
Hela expected to finally see some reaction from him.
Perhaps a flicker of fear.
A tensed stance.
Some sign that he was taking her seriously.
But to her surprise...
Luo Bai remained as calm as ever.
His expression didn't even change.
He simply furrowed his brow slightly—then, without warning, a surge of black energy erupted from his body.
The moment this force spread across Asgard, everything changed.
Before Hela could even comprehend what it was, the energy had already engulfed the battlefield.
The instant the power touched her undead army and Fenrir—
They shattered.
Without a single struggle.
Without resistance.
Like fragile illusions, they dissolved into black smoke and vanished from existence.
Hela herself was overwhelmed by the force. She couldn't fight it.
She felt her body go numb, her strength drain away—and then, before she knew it, she had collapsed to the ground.
The battlefield fell into silence.
Luo Bai stood motionless, his gaze indifferent.
His voice was quiet but carried an undeniable weight.
"Did you really think a few cheap tricks would be enough to conquer the universe?"
Hela didn't respond.
For the first time, she found herself at a loss for words.
Instead, a single thought echoed in her mind—
No… what the hell is this guy? What kind of monster is he?!
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