American comics: Praising the sun, starting from Gotham!

[Fool! Get your act together right now!]

This is the afterglow of the sun; though it is blessed by the golden energy of Venus, which can cure diseases and strengthen the body, it is not the true "essence of the sun"! To try to extend the lifespan of mortals with this is nothing short of a fool's dream!

Venus, also known as Taibai, governs destruction, not growth. If you wish to prolong your life, seek the rising true yang! This light merely allows your frail body to linger on, preventing you from coughing to death in the rainy night!

Xiu En's lips twitched.

Okay, no wonder the system just popped up a pause message instead of an increase in lifespan.

Even if you can't directly add a lifespan bar, that doesn't stop it from being really comfortable right now.

[Calm your mind and focus your spirit; feel the essence within your lungs! The metal energy enters your lungs, and your blood vessels are revitalized! The blood of Shao Hao is already stirring; if you don't cough out that turbid air now, when will you?!]

As the last line of text fell, the ancient Chinese interface finally flickered twice and reverted to the modern UI:

[Daily Tip: Utilize environmental advantages, just as you would utilize terrain advantages.]

Xiu En slightly opened his mouth, not coughing violently, but exhaling a breath of white, turbid air that was clearly visible under the beam of light.

This breath seemed to carry away all the pain and embarrassment he had experienced over the past few days.

He raised his head, and his previously somewhat unfocused and tired black eyes now shone frighteningly bright in the golden light.

That was the "decisive killing" passive ability enhanced by the system taking effect. Even though he was a frail young man who had been ill for a long time, he was now exuding a kind of oppressive aura that made people afraid to look directly at him.

"Jostar".

Xiu En's voice wasn't loud, but on this rooftop of ruins where there was no sound except for the rain and panting, it felt like it was striking the heartbeat of everyone.

"Archangel!" The mohawk-haired thug who had been kneeling suddenly looked up, his face covered in tears that had ruined half of his makeup, making him look both comical and terrifying.

"They're blocking the light."

Shuen raised the Glock 19 in his hand.

This pistol, which would be considered nothing more than a toothpick in this city filled with all sorts of powerful, high-tech weapons, was now gilded, like a scepter of judgment.

Even though the gang members at the stairwell were wearing gas masks, the chill that rose from the bottom of their hearts couldn't be hidden.

"Is...is this really a lunatic?" The leader swallowed hard, his vision stinging from the beam of light behind Xiu En, tears streaming down his face.

"But why do I feel like he could evaporate me any second?"

In Gotham, a place perpetually shrouded in rain and rife with crime.

Suddenly seeing a guy who seemed to have fallen from the sky, bathed in his own spotlight, was a visual shock that was devastating to these uncultured thugs.

"Anyone who crosses the boundary."

"They will be purified."

"Retreat...retreat!"

The leader's psychological defenses completely collapsed.

Rather than risk getting that $5,000 bounty, it's better to avoid messing with this monster who seems to have an incredibly powerful background.

After all, in Gotham, you'd rather see a penguin with a machine gun than a man glowing with light carrying a small handgun.

"Run! Run!"

A group of thugs who had been shouting menacingly, "We must kill that sick bastard," suddenly scrambled downstairs, some even throwing away their baseball bats in their haste, fearing the light would chase after them and burn them.

As the last footsteps disappeared around the corner of the stairs, the towering golden light that illuminated almost the entire unfinished building in the west of the city began to flicker.

The beam of light flickered twice and then went out completely.

Xiu En deliberately stopped the light from shining on him.

Everything has returned to that familiar, gloomy Gotham.

Aside from the pile of steamed buns that still emitted a faint warmth, and Joestar, whose eyes, though no longer lit, still shone as brightly as if they could be used as flashlights.

Xiu En put the gun back in his pocket. Although the light was gone, the feeling of health and strength still lingered in his body.

After exhaling that stale breath, he felt he could at least outrun a Gotham police dog.

"Stop talking nonsense."

"Take your steamed buns and water, let's move to another place."

"Where...where are we going? Aren't we supposed to be expanding this temple?"

"God said, a cunning rabbit has three burrows."

Xiu En casually made up a sentence.

"And the real sun can't reach this lousy place."

We've already been exposed. If we don't leave now, it'll be bad if we attract bats or some other vigilantes who enjoy nightlife.

Given Batman's paranoid personality, seeing him constantly pulling out a gun and acting all high and mighty, it would be a relief if he wasn't sent to Arkham.

Shuen walked ahead. Behind him, Joestar carried a large bundle of still-warm steamed buns and bottled water.

As he walked, he nervously looked around, and any slight movement would make him clutch the food in his arms tighter, letting out a low growl like a guard dog protecting its food.

"If you bare your teeth at a stray cat again, you'll eat this whole bag of stuff until you die from overeating."

Xiu En didn't turn his head; his voice, damp with rain, sounded somewhat muffled.

Joestar immediately shut his mouth, straightened his back, and took two quick steps to catch up, but his eyes remained frighteningly wary.

They turned two blocks and crawled under a partially collapsed overpass.

It was dark and damp there, and several children in old jackets were huddled around a blackened oil drum for warmth, the firelight flickering on and off.

Upon hearing footsteps, a boy suddenly stood up.

He had just extended his switchblade halfway when he saw who it was and quickly withdrew it.

Jeremy had been eating Hugh's steamed buns for several days, so they were quite familiar with each other.

"Brother Shuen?" Jerami sniffed his still runny nose, his gaze immediately piercing past Shuen and landing on the pile of white steamed buns in Joestar's arms.

The other children also stood up, like a pack of wolf cubs who had smelled blood, their eyes gleaming with a sinister green light.

Joestar stepped to the side, turning to shield the steamed bun behind his back.

"These are offerings for the adults!"

The children stopped in their tracks, their hands already reaching for their weapons.

Rusty iron sheet.

Stone.

Or that switchblade from earlier.

The air suddenly tensed up.

Xiu En clicked his tongue and reached out to take off his hood.

Even under the dim light of the bridge arch, his still somewhat pale face carried a strange sense of calm, the confidence left over from the "miracle" he had just experienced.

He glanced at Jerami, then at the group of starving children.

"Jostar".

"Give them the things."

"But sir, this..."

"This is a sacred object illuminated by the true sun! How dare these rats from the gutter enjoy it?"

I said, "Give them to them."

Xiu En turned his head, his dark pupils showing no emotion.

Joestar shuddered and glared at Jerami as if he wanted to tear a piece of flesh off the brat.

"You bunch of vermin are lucky to have met a merciful Lord."

He roughly piled the things he was carrying onto the table made from an oil drum. Although his movements were fierce, he was still careful not to let any of the noodles fall to the ground when he put them down.

Jerami didn't care what this freakish mohawk-haired man was babbling about.

The moment the steamed buns landed on the table, he pounced on them, grabbed one, and stuffed it into his mouth. It was less like eating and more like stuffing it into his stomach.

"Ugh... It's so hot."

Jeremy mumbled incoherently, tears welling up in his eyes.

The heat flowed down the esophagus into the stomach, dispelling the damp chill of Gotham.

The other children also rushed forward.