Chapter 125: The Sword of Gryffindor

Loki’s expression darkened; he had not expected Gu Chongyan’s magic to be so troublesome. As the God of Mischief, he rarely engaged in direct confrontation, preferring to use his silver tongue to run his enemies in circles. Opponents like Gu Chongyan, who skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the offensive, were the ones he least enjoyed dealing with.

However, a dislike for head-on combat did not mean he lacked the capability for it. Loki might not be a natural-born god of war like Thor, but the title of the Nine Realms’ foremost sorcerer was not something he had simply stumbled upon.

Watching the black bone chains wind toward him like parasitic worms, a flash of icy blue light ignited in Loki’s eyes. He wielded Gungnir like a staff, and a freezing divine power instantly swept across the Gobi Desert, shrouding several kilometers in greyish-black frost. Hovering in the air like a deity, Loki swung the spear with force. A brilliant, icy blue light erupted from its tip, instantly freezing the eight chains; with a light tap of the spear in the air, he shattered them into fragments.

Gu Chongyan raised an eyebrow. Loki’s magic was truly intriguing. It was neither the black magic of the Darkhold nor the white magic of Kamar-Taj, but an entirely new system of magic fueled by his own divine power. The "Bone-Blade Snare" condensed dark energy, allowing it to reform even after being destroyed. Yet, under Loki’s magic, the shattered chains seemed permanently frozen in that moment, unable to coalesce again.

Surprise aside, Gu Chongyan was not afraid. If Loki could wield Gungnir with perfect mastery, he might have to consider making an exit. But for now, he intended to fully witness just how extraordinary the magic of the Nine Realms’ greatest sorcerer truly was.

Guided by invisible force, Gu Chongyan drifted into the air. The Darkhold flipped rapidly in his hand, radiating a dazzling black light.

"Corrosive Fire!"

Following his incantation, the black flames coalesced into a furious firebird. Like a phoenix fallen from the demon realm, it spread its wings and soared, sweeping forward with rolling flames toward Loki. The burning fire felt no heat; instead, it was as chilling as ice. The corrosive power melted the frozen ground as the black phoenix dived toward Loki.

Loki did not show weakness. With a flick of Gungnir, he channeled his divine power, causing massive chunks of floating ice to hover in mid-air, which were then honed by his magic into countless ice shards. With a wave of his hand, the shards surged toward Gu Chongyan like a crystalline silver dragon.

In an instant, the fire phoenix and ice dragon collided, clashing like two violent behemoths in a fierce and rapid struggle.

Loki snorted, and his figure vanished, reappearing behind Gu Chongyan in the next heartbeat, thrusting Gungnir forward with the intent to impale. Clearly, realizing the potency of Gu Chongyan’s magic, he sought to defeat him through brute force.

Gu Chongyan sneered inwardly. He was no fragile mage from a video game; if it was close-quarters combat they wanted, he was more than ready. The Darkhold flipped behind him, and a powerful magical force took shape in his hand. A pure silver sword, inlaid with a fiery ruby, appeared. With a forceful swing, it exploded like sparks in the night sky, meeting Gungnir head-on.

*Clang!*

With a thunderous crash, Gu Chongyan’s magical blade shattered under the unstoppable force of Gungnir. Yet, before Loki could celebrate, the sword reformed instantly. Gu Chongyan slashed out a dazzling arc of light, piercing through the defense of the spear and striking directly at Loki’s face.

Loki’s expression shifted slightly as he hurriedly redirected his spear to parry. *Crack!* The moment the weapons collided, the sword in Gu Chongyan’s hand shattered again. But just as before, it restored itself in a heartbeat; due to the fragmentation, it bypassed the spear’s defensive range and struck at Loki’s chest from a bizarre angle.

Seeing this, Loki’s face grew darker. Icy blue light flickered in his eyes as his thin lips moved rapidly, chanting an ancient spell. A wave of freezing blue mist spread out, instantly encasing the blade in ice just as it descended.

However, just as Loki assumed the sword was neutralized, Gu Chongyan flicked his wrist, and the frozen blade broke free from the ice. The sword light flickered like a swimming green serpent, dancing with dazzling speed. At such close range, even with Loki’s lightning-fast reflexes, he was caught off guard, a shallow cut opening on his chest armor.

His face sinking, Loki retreated without hesitation, vanishing from sight. It was clear that after several failed attempts, the God of Mischief realized that defeating Gu Chongyan through melee combat was a lost cause.

But Gu Chongyan had no intention of letting him escape. The Darkhold flipped behind him, and a magical pulse radiated outward, causing the cloaked Loki to inadvertently shimmer into view. Before Loki could react, Gu Chongyan charged with his blade.

Sword light rained down, forming an unbreakable screen that bound Loki firmly within. No matter what tricks Loki employed, he could not destroy the seemingly simple sword in Gu Chongyan’s hand.

"What do you think, esteemed God of Mischief? Is my 'Sword of Gryffindor' magic at least worth a look?" Gu Chongyan asked with a playful tone, watching Loki struggle to parry the onslaught.

The Sword of Gryffindor was the most difficult spell Gu Chongyan had ever created, born from absorbing both the white magic of Kamar-Taj and the black magic of the Darkhold. It retained the lethality of black magic while discarding its sinister aspects, blending them with the inherently solid structure of white magic, all grounded in Gu Chongyan’s own magical foundation.

He had created this spell to commemorate Hogwarts, naming it after the Sword of Gryffindor, and it naturally inherited the spirit of Gryffindor. The spell was simple in its essence: indestructible and unstoppable. As long as the wielder possessed the courage to fight, no force could shatter the blade. Of course, there were limits—unless the opponent wielded an Infinity Stone or a power of similar magnitude, even figures like the Ancient One or Odin could not destroy it.

This spell represented the absolute pinnacle of Gu Chongyan’s current magical prowess.