The Illusory Black Hole--2

As he walked, he noticed a liquid slowly flowing beneath his feet, the sticky, viscous sensation filling him with disgust.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, he crouched down, dipped a finger into the liquid, and brought it to his nose to sniff. The result was catastrophic; a pungent, foul stench assaulted his nasal cavity, nearly knocking Goku Black unconscious. He couldn't help but shout, "My god, it stinks! Where on earth is this? Oh, for heaven's sake!"

Complaints aside, the surroundings remained an endless void of darkness, save for a faint, flickering glimmer in the distance that beckoned him forward. He had no choice but to endure the nausea, quickening his pace toward the light, secretly hoping to escape this hellhole soon and uncover the secrets hidden within.

Goku Black's footsteps grew increasingly rapid, that mysterious energy pulling at his mind like an invisible hand. As he drew closer to the ruins, the surrounding atmosphere became more eerie, permeated with an ancient and weathered aura.

Stepping inside the ruins, he saw the ancient characters in the dim light seemingly come to life, flickering with a faint glow as if whispering secrets sealed away by time. The battle scenes on the murals were vivid; every punch thrown and every energy blast unleashed seemed to contain world-shattering power. Goku Black's gaze roamed greedily over these images, his mind constantly fantasizing about the scene where he mastered this power and dominated the universe.

"These powers will soon all belong to me!" Goku Black muttered to himself, his smile growing increasingly twisted. Just as he prepared to reach out and touch a stone wall covered in complex patterns, a sudden gale swept through the ruins, the wind howling as if countless vengeful spirits were wailing. Amidst the wind, a phantom figure slowly emerged, radiating a cold blue light and staring at Goku Black with eyes like torches.

"Outsider, this is not a place you should have come to."

The phantom figure spoke in a low voice that echoed through the ruins, making Goku Black's eardrums ache. Yet, Goku Black did not retreat in the slightest; instead, his eyes burned with the desire for battle.

"Hmph, since I've come, I won't be leaving empty-handed. No matter who you are, don't even think about stopping me from obtaining this power!" A black aura flared around Goku Black, the manifestation of his intertwined rage and greed.

The phantom figure shook its head slightly. "Ignorant fool, this power is not something you can control. To touch it is to invite endless disaster."

Goku Black dismissed the warning with a sneer. With a sudden flash of movement, he transformed into a black blur and charged toward the stone wall. Seeing this, the phantom figure raised a hand, and a beam of blue light shot toward Goku Black like a blade.

Goku Black dodged to the side, easily evading the attack, while simultaneously condensing a sphere of black energy and hurling it fiercely at the phantom.

The moment the energy sphere made contact with the figure, it exploded violently, causing the entire ruin to tremble as debris rained down.

However, when the smoke cleared, the phantom figure remained suspended in the air, completely unscathed, as if the attack had been nothing more than a gentle breeze.

"Overestimating yourself," the figure said coldly. It then rapidly formed hand seals, and the energy within the ruins began to surge wildly. The ancient characters and murals flared with intense light, forming beams of energy that trapped Goku Black within.

Goku Black struggled fiercely, attempting to break through the binding, but his power seemed insignificant against such a formidable restraint. "Damn it, I won't be trapped here!" Goku Black gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

As the energy beams tightened, Goku Black felt as if his body were being torn apart. Yet, the greed and unwillingness in his heart only grew more intense. At this life-or-death moment, he unleashed his full power, his black aura expanding frantically as he engaged in a fierce struggle against the surrounding energy beams.

Goku Black's black aura and the energy beams remained in a stalemate. His body trembled slightly, every muscle taut as if he were about to be crushed by this immense force. Yet, his eyes revealed a near-maniacal persistence—a desperate craving for power.

"I will never lose to this unknown force!" Goku Black roared, his voice echoing through the ruins and shaking down even more rubble.

He focused his mind, attempting to find a flaw in the energy beams. In this split second, he suddenly detected a minute fluctuation between the beams; though it was fleeting, he captured it with keen precision.

Without hesitation, Goku Black gathered all his strength into his right hand, forming a massive black energy sphere. Timing it perfectly, he launched the energy blast directly at the fluctuation.

"Boom!" With a deafening roar, the energy beams cracked under the powerful impact. Goku Black's eyes lit up; he knew this was his only chance.

Ignoring the excruciating pain in his body, he pushed himself to the limit and charged toward the gap. As he neared it, a powerful repulsive force surged forward, attempting to push him back. But Goku Black gritted his teeth and surged forward regardless, his body grazed by the energy beams as he passed through, leaving behind trails of blood.

Finally, Goku Black successfully broke free from the energy beams. He collapsed heavily to the ground, gasping for air, his body covered in wounds from which blood flowed incessantly. He paid them no mind, however, and looked up at the phantom figure, the hatred and greed in his eyes burning brighter than ever.

"Do you think this can stop me?" Goku Black slowly stood up, sneering, "Now, it's my turn to counterattack!"

With that, Goku Black moved his hands rapidly, and the dark energy within him surged out like a raging tide. He gathered this energy together, forming a massive black energy vortex. The vortex emitted a chilling aura, as if it could devour everything in its path.

The phantom figure sensed this powerful threat, its expression turning grave.

It knew that the Goku Black before it was no ordinary foe; if he were to succeed, the consequences would be unimaginable. Thus, the phantom figure held nothing back, its body glowing with intense light as an ancient and mysterious power was slowly released.

"Since you are obsessed with your own destruction, don't blame me for being ruthless," the phantom figure said in a low voice, a hint of helplessness and resolve in its tone.

Goku Black let out a cold snort and, without hesitation, thrust the black energy vortex toward the phantom figure.

The energy vortex, like a roaring beast, charged toward its target with the momentum to destroy everything. The phantom figure reacted quickly, pressing its palms together as a dazzling blue light shot from its hands, colliding with the black energy vortex.

In an instant, the entire ruin was engulfed in intense light, the massive energy impact causing everything around them to begin collapsing.

The ground split into massive fissures, stone pillars toppled, and the ancient characters and murals were reduced to dust under the force of the impact.

Both Goku Black and the phantom figure were blown away by the powerful shockwave.

Goku Black slammed into a stone wall, coughing up a mouthful of blood. His body had reached its limit, but he still refused to give up. He struggled to his feet, looking at the devastated ruins before him, the fire of rage in his heart burning even more fiercely.