Chapter Ninety: Three Heroes Battle Lü Bu

Under the raging storm, even the everlasting flames of hell were forced to submit. Moreover, Su Yan’s power stemmed from the three devils of earth, water, and wind—the tempest was no ordinary wind or rain.

At the same time, bolts of lightning of varying thickness crashed down relentlessly. Not even the Ghost Rider could ignore such a barrage of lightning. Under the onslaught of electricity, the Ghost Rider released a series of furious howls; his control over the chains naturally weakened, and the twisted space quickly returned to normal.

Seeing this, Gu Zhongyan quickly slipped free from the chains’ blockade. With a swift flick of his wand, spell after spell shot forth.

“Petrify!”

“Binding!”

“Stupefy!”

“Expelliarmus!”

…

Mindful that Johnny Blaze was not an evil man, Gu Zhongyan held back—his attacks were all restrictive spells with little true aggression.

Wind, rain, thunder, and a cascade of spells rained down upon the Ghost Rider, subjecting him to a harsh trial. Yet Gu Zhongyan had underestimated his opponent.

From the film, the Ghost Rider appeared to be Mephisto’s creation—a servant to do his bidding. In reality, his power originated from the Spirit of Vengeance.

In ancient times, a powerful demon from hell, Zarathos, tried to conquer Earth. With the cooperation of humanity and the Spirit of Vengeance, created by God himself, Zarathos was defeated. Though vanquished, the power Zarathos left behind tempted many. In the end, the demon lord Mephisto and the archangel Zadkiel joined forces to seal Zarathos, transforming him into the new Spirit of Vengeance. They agreed to allow him to become the Ghost Rider, bestowing his power upon mortals to siphon Zarathos’ magical essence.

Thus, in the Marvel universe, the Ghost Rider’s potential was immense. He wielded unparalleled skills such as the Penance Stare, and at his peak could even challenge a demon lord like Mephisto.

Now, beset by Gu Zhongyan and Su Yan, the Ghost Rider was driven into a frenzy.

With an enraged roar, searing flames erupted in the empty sockets of his skull. He became a living sun fallen to earth, releasing terrifying heat that shattered the forces swirling around Su Yan.

Deprived of his command over the air, Su Yan plummeted from the sky with a scream.

Gu Zhongyan, seeing this, was about to intervene when the furious Ghost Rider left him no chance.

With a sharp whistle, the infernal motorcycle beneath the Ghost Rider roared like an enraged bull, scorching the ground as it charged at Gu Zhongyan.

At the same time, the chain lashed out, slamming into the earth.

Crack! Crack! Crack! The chain, extending without end, tore through the solid ground like a raging vein, unleashing jets of magma from below.

Columns of fire howled skyward, casting red light across the heavens. Thick smoke billowed, and the oppressive heat warped both space and light.

A tide of fire and molten rock swept toward Gu Zhongyan, the searing flames carrying the Ghost Rider’s fury and enveloping him completely.

Faced with this onslaught, Gu Zhongyan clenched his jaw and unleashed the most powerful spell he could muster.

He swung his wand, pouring all his magical energy into the incantation.

“Ice Crystal Freeze!”

With a clear chime, a crystalline shard of ice blossomed at the tip of his wand.

In a heartbeat, the spinning crystal shattered into thousands of fragments, scattering wide.

As the shards dispersed, they rapidly expanded into a polar blizzard, sweeping outward from Gu Zhongyan as its heart.

Howling winds and swirling snow filled the air, a white curtain cascading down like countless dancing spirits, hurling themselves against the infernal magma.

This was a powerful spell Gu Zhongyan had created while exploring the Arctic glaciers, inspired by the landscape and weather of the polar regions.

With enough magic, it could freeze a small city into a glacier.

Ice and fire clashed, erupting into billowing clouds of steam—cold against heat, red against white, two forces refusing to yield.

Gu Zhongyan’s arm trembled as his magic poured forth, sustaining the spell against the hellfire and nearly exhausting his strength. He had no energy to spare, and could only watch as Su Yan fell from the sky.

Panic seized him. Though he knew Su Yan was no ordinary child, and a fall from such a height might not be fatal, he was still just a child. How could he stand by and do nothing?

Though he had not yet regained his full magical strength, after three lifetimes there was still some hidden power left.

Glancing at the trembling dragonbone wand in his hand, resolve flashed in his eyes and he prepared to act.

Suddenly, a piercing whinny rang out.

From the sky, a streak of black-and-red flame flashed by—a skeletal cowboy wreathed in fire, riding a skeletal nightmare steed, leaped up and caught Su Yan safely, setting him gently on the ground.

Looking at the stunned Su Yan, the hollow sockets of the skeletal cowboy flickered with a gentle light. He patted the boy’s shoulder and spoke:

“Children should be playing at home. Leave the fighting to the grown-ups. Leave the rest to me.”

With that, he squeezed the nightmare’s flanks, seized the lasso hanging from the saddle, and charged at the Ghost Rider.

“Rookie, that’s not how you use a lasso.”

The skeletal cowboy urged his steed forward with a long cry, swirling the golden lasso—wreathed in hellfire—through the air in a graceful arc, binding the Ghost Rider’s right hand, the one holding the chain.

The nightmare performed a nimble maneuver, suddenly reversing direction. Drawing on its speed, the cowboy swung the Ghost Rider into the air.

Bang, bang, bang!

Three shots rang out. The cowboy fired three dazzling skull-shaped bullets, each striking the Ghost Rider’s skull with a sharp clang.

Though the bullets failed to shatter his skull or inflict serious harm, their force left the Ghost Rider’s head spinning, halting his attacks.

Seeing this, Gu Zhongyan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Without hesitation, he raised his wand and shouted:

“Water Dragon Roar!”

At once, the magical elements in the air converged on the wand’s tip. A torrent surged forth, forming a massive water dragon eight or nine meters long, jaws agape as it lunged at the Ghost Rider.

Meanwhile, Su Yan’s pounding heart began to calm, his fear giving way to the fearless courage of youth.

“Aha!”

He shouted, and torrents of wind and water swirled together, forming a half-meter-wide vortex sphere which he hurled at the Ghost Rider.

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