American comics: Praising the sun, starting from Gotham!

Adrian looked up in the direction Bruce indicated.

When he saw the blue planet floating in the void, and the sinful black energy around it that was constantly being decomposed and purified.

He immediately realized just how much work this would entail.

But he is, after all, Adrian.

One of the smartest people.

After a brief moment of shock, his eyes gleamed with excitement at the prospect of facing a new challenge.

"interesting."

"Intergalactic ecological transplantation? And customized environmental modifications? I like this project."

"What about the budget? What about manpower? What are the final delivery standards for the project?"

He immediately got to work, rattling off a series of professional questions.

Bruce winked at Hugh, who was watching with amusement.

Xiu En immediately understood.

He cleared his throat, walked up to Adrian, who looked confident but had no idea what hellish workload he was about to face, and patted him on the shoulder like Bruce had.

"The budget is unlimited. So is manpower!"

Xiu En pointed to the surroundings, to the hundreds of golden construction teams that looked exactly like him, which had materialized out of thin air under the sunlight of the Xi Mu Realm.

"They will all help you!"

Adrian looked at the hundreds of Shuen figures radiating starlight heat, and his lips twitched slightly.

But he maintained his expert composure and nodded: "Very good, hundreds of bosses working for me, a perfect execution team. So, what about the delivery standards?"

"What are the delivery standards?"

Xiu En thought for a moment, and then gave a very simple yet crucial standard.

"Let them all say it's good!"

After he finished speaking, he didn't give Adrian a chance to ask any more questions. He then waved to the few closest clones of Shuen who were playing with popcorn.

"Hey! You guys! Stop fooling around! Take him to the construction site for an inspection!"

The golden clones immediately dropped their popcorn, their faces beaming with bright but insincere smiles, and grabbed Adrian's arms from either side.

"Oh! Mr. Witt, this way please."

"Let us first take you on a tour of the location chosen for Angry Spicy Hot Pot Planet."

"The current planned area is three times the size of Earth. Do you think that's enough?"

Adrian's expression gradually turned incredulous, as if asking, "Huh? Am I all alone?"

He was half-dragged, half-carried by the enthusiastic, golden-clad construction workers into the depths of the void.

Hal stood beside him, watching Adrian's departing figure, just like his own back then.

With a look of deep sympathy, like a brother saying "I understand you," I offered a belated moment of silence for him.

Hey, this has nothing to do with me.

After dismissing the most professional errand boy, Bruce turned to Shum.

"The spectral collection journey is going very smoothly."

"The power you possess now has likely exceeded my expectations."

"Of course."

Xiu En proudly dangled the pure white ring on his finger.

Bruce took out a device that resembled some kind of communicator.

He pressed a button on it, and a holographic image filled with deathly stillness, decay, and absolute nothingness was projected.

"Well then, it's time for you to know the other reason why I sent you to collect the spectrum in the first place."

The holographic image presents an abandoned Earth shrouded in absolute darkness.

On that Earth, a man dressed in a black bodysuit with an inverted triangle white symbol on his chest is bound to a black throne by countless chains made of pure dark energy.

His eyes were closed, and he remained motionless, like a corpse that had lost its soul.

But Xiu En could sense that a concept of death that disgusted him was emanating continuously from the man.

William Hand. Nickname: Black Hand.

Bruce explained.

"A mortal with a special connection to death."

"He is the key to the coming of the darkest night prophesied by the Guardians. He is also the Black Death Emperor's human form and beacon in the material world."

"A friend of mine helped me locate this parallel Earth, which is being corrupted by the power of the Black Lantern. So, I spent some time setting up some things there."

He pointed to the dark chains binding the black hands in the image.

"I've temporarily brought him under control. I've also temporarily prevented the full-blown outbreak of the Darkest Night over there, as a reference for the Darkest Night that hasn't yet erupted in our world."

"However, this is only a temporary measure. As long as he is still alive, the will of the Black Death Emperor will one day break through my blockade."

Bruce turned off the hologram and stared directly at Shuen.

"That's why I need the power of your white light."

"Go to that Earth and purify it."

Xiu En looked at him.

He nodded, just about to agree, when he seemed to remember something, turned around, and grabbed Hal, who was wearing sunglasses and pretending to look at the scenery, but was actually secretly moving towards the portal.

"No problem! How could we, the Justice League's ace members, be absent from such a great cause as purifying the planet and saving the world!"

Shuen patted Hal's back hard.

"Let's go, Hal! A new round of team building activities is about to begin!"

Hal forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Shuen, brother."

"I might have to ask for leave for this team building trip."

"Huh?"

Xiu En was dissatisfied.

"What could be more important than saving the world?"

"Private matter."

Hal's acting is absolutely Oscar-worthy.

"You also know about the historical issues surrounding Zamalun Star."

"When I go there, Carol will probably still be angry. I have to go and explain things to her properly."

As he spoke, he wore a helpless expression that we all understood.

"I won't be at peace until this is resolved, and I won't be able to use the ring properly."

"So, this great undertaking of purifying the world is now in your hands!"

After he finished speaking, he didn't give Xiu En any time to react. He hurriedly saluted Bruce and then turned into a green light and rushed into the portal opened by Xiu En, one of his clones!

His speed was so fast that it seemed as if hundreds of Colonna were chasing him.

"Tsk."

Xiu En glanced at the fleeing green light and curled his lip.

"A guy who values ​​women more than friends."

"He just needs a little time."

Bruce commented as he looked in the direction Hal had disappeared.

Then he turned back to Shuen.

"Xiu En".

Bruce's voice was deep and sincere.

"I must apologize to you for this."

"Apologize? Apologize for what?"

Xiu En looked completely bewildered.

"It was me who used you."

Bruce chose the most direct and honest approach.

"From the moment you first demonstrated that ability to absorb and transform energy in Gotham, I've been thinking about utilizing that ability of yours."

"Ganther, the guardian who revealed the prophecy to you, actually betrayed the guardian long ago. He has been in contact with me and some friends from other universes. We devised this plan together."

"We sent you to collect the spectrum and merge the white light; this is a scheme we devised to fight against the Black Death Emperor."

"In this gamble, you are our most important asset."

"I offered advice as a friend, leading you down this path fraught with traps. For that, I must apologize."

Shuen looked at Bruce.

He laughed.

"Hahahaha... Bruce, you're overthinking it."

He stepped forward and patted Bruce's strong shoulder forcefully.

"What's this talk of taking advantage of others? You know me, I don't care about these things."

"You just recommended an absolutely amazing, top-tier luxury meal to me!"

Xiu En shook the white ring on his finger, his face once again showing off that look of someone showing off a new toy.

"To be honest, along the way, apart from the Purple Lantern gang's obsessive love-struck minds making me a little nauseous, everything else, whether it was the angry chili pepper or the fearful popping candy, was pretty good! Especially the Indigo Lantern one, although the process was a bit tortuous, the final taste was like mint, very refreshing."

He looked at Bruce with his usual sunny smile.

"No need to apologize. Remember to call me next time something like this happens!"

A flicker of emotion crossed Bruce's face.

At this time.

A murderous aura, filled with a warning, locked onto Bruce!

"Whoosh—!"

Several vines, their surfaces covered in divine runes, burst forth from the shadow beneath Bruce's feet, lunging towards him!

However, Bruce Wayne is Bruce Wayne after all.

He knew his childhood friend's personality well and knew that his apology would definitely be met with attacks from her.

He reacted just 0.01 seconds before those vines appeared!

A ghost, like one dancing in the darkness, takes a step back!

He shifted backward several meters, narrowly avoiding the thorns of the vines!

Ivy's vines missed their target.

But they didn't stop, and launched a second attack!

The vines wrapped around Bruce's shoulders and began to shake him wildly.

Bruce let Ivy shake and attack him, his expression nonchalant. The special vine energy shield he wore was almost ineffective.

"Damn Bruce! I've warned you countless times!"

"No!"

"Use him!"

"Ivy!"

Just as the other vines were about to erupt again, Hugh flashed and stood in front of Bruce.

He reached out and stopped the sunflower, whose flower head was trembling slightly with anger.

"Okay, okay, don't be angry."

Xiu En soothed him gently, in a tone as if coaxing a child.

"Bruce didn't mean that. He was complimenting me!"

The vine stopped in mid-air the moment Xiu En's fingers touched the sunflower.

Then, unwillingly, it shrank back into the shadows.

Ivy's flowerpot let out a cold snort in Bruce's direction.

It's as if to say, "I'll let you off this time, but next time you won't be so lucky."

Xiu En reached out and rubbed the edge of Ivy's sunflower head with his fingertips.

Ivy's flower head hummed again in Bruce's direction, but in the end, it stretched out a soft leaf and gently patted Xiu En's fingers, thus temporarily putting the matter aside.

"alright."

After calming down his sulking daughter, Xiu En turned to Bruce.

The relaxed, playful expression on his face disappeared, replaced by a seriousness and focus rarely seen on Xiu En's face.

"Speak, boss."

"What exactly is this thing called Black Hand? The Darkest Night? Hmph, it sounds like it's more potent than any dish I've ever had before."

Bruce pulled up an image of the man bound by dark chains.

"He is a tragedy. A poor wretch chosen by the heaviest malice in the universe."

Bruce swiped his finger across the holographic screen, bringing up William Hand's personal profile.

"William Hand, the second son of the Hand Funeral Home family. From a young age, he had an unusual and morbid fascination with death. He enjoyed making taxidermy specimens, liked spending time in the morgue, and even felt more intimate with corpses than with living people."

"This trait caught the eye of Athocitas, who tried to recruit him as a red light, but he failed. Because William's heart was filled with nothingness."

"But it was precisely this emptiness that allowed him to resonate with another, more fundamental force."

Bruce zoomed in and focused on William Hand's face, which seemed to have lost all will to live.

"Death itself. Or rather, the ruler of the darkest night, the Black Death Emperor."

Xiu En leaned closer, curiously examining the man's image.

"So, he's a summoned creature of the big boss?"

Xiu En asked.

"He's more troublesome than a summoned creature."

Bruce shook his head and switched to the holographic image. This time, a black light ring appeared on the screen.

"This is a black light ring. It's unlike any other spectral ring you know; it only selects the dead."

"Any life that has died but still retains a strong emotional connection in its heart may be chosen by the Black Lantern Ring and resurrected."

"The resurrected Black Lantern Corpses retain all their memories and abilities from their previous lives, but their essence has become that of the Black Death Emperor's puppets. Their sole purpose is to return to their closest loved ones and, in the most cruel way, awaken their strongest emotions."

Bruce's eyes have started to resemble Batman's.

"Anger? Fear? Hope? Love? And then they rip their hearts out alive, offering them as food to the Black Death Emperor. Every heart imbued with emotion strengthens the Black Lantern Legion."

"Once the legion's power reaches one hundred percent, the Black Death Emperor will descend in full force."

"It sounds like a disgusting virus."

The sunflower poked half its flower head out, its tone filled with disgust.

"Yes."

Bruce agreed.

"A cosmic plague that feeds on emotions and life."

Xiu En's focus was always different from others.

"So, the person you've tied up in front of me is Patient Zero?"

"That's right."

"The trajectory of this parallel Earth is almost exactly the same as our main universe. Until a month ago."

"Bruce from that Earth died in the Apokolips invasion there."

On the star map, a blue planet shrouded in gray mist was marked.

"The Superman of that universe fell into deep grief after losing his best friend. William took advantage of everyone's carelessness, successfully stole Bruce's body, and used his skull to create the first Central Energy Black Lamp."

"Then, the darkest night broke out on that Earth."

"Countless fallen heroes and criminals transformed into Blacklight Corpses, sweeping across the entire world. The survivors were powerless to resist, and the planet fell in just seven days."

"In the final moments, Constantine of that Earth used his last bit of magic to send a distress signal to all my parallel universe counterparts."

Bruce looked at Shum.

"I responded to him. Then, like I just said, it took me and the others a while to take control of William Hand and seal off the timeline of that planet. But this is only temporary, and the seal is weakening."

"We don't have much time left."

Xiu En listened to everything.

He looked at the Earth on the screen, which was now submerged by an ocean of Blacklight Corpses.

Then he looked at William Hand, who was bound to the throne and seemed to be death itself.

He let out a breath.

In his eyes, white and gold intertwined.

It is the sun, rejecting darkness.

It is life declaring war on death.

"Black Death Emperor? That sounds delicious."