Chapter 297: 293. Battle of the Con Artists: The Religious War Sparked by Qi Ming

"That jellyfish-like monster… I remember it's…"

After seeing the footage transmitted before Victory Feiyan-1 crashed, Qi Ming immediately recognized it.

It's the cosmic electric jellyfish 【Uniblax】 from Episode 49 of *Ultraman Ace*, titled "The Jellyfish Flying in the Sky."

It originates from the third planet of Aquarius and, in the original series, served as the bodyguard for the Aquarian Ultra-Monster 【Akuaeris】, assisting it in its invasion.

Besides flying, it can only shoot electricity—definitely a C-class threat.

But the Aquarian Ultra-Monster 【Akuaeris】 has some real power; in the original series, it fought Ultraman Ace to a standstill.

In the original, it transformed into a white-robed girl, claimed to be God's messenger, used psychic powers to deceive villagers into worshipping her, attacked the TAC team, and kidnapped Beidou and his two companions.

"Mountain Team, Kishida Team, respond—how's your situation?" Emi asked over the PDI communicator, but received no reply.

Qi Ming: "They've probably been tied up by the villagers."

After Qi Ming explained the situation regarding the Aquarian Ultra-Monster 【Akuaeris】, Emi said: "Why do so many con artists flock to Earth? Do they think humans are that easy to fool?"

Qi Ming glanced at the Hell Gate and the angelic silhouette in the distance: "Emi, in my memory, the greatest hostility from monotheistic religions is reserved for 'heretics.'"

Emi instantly understood Qi Ming's meaning: "You mean…"

Qi Ming smiled: "Let's go. Before the final battle, let's watch some 'con artists fighting over crickets' to relax."

The two boarded Victory Feiyan-1 and headed over, quickly spotting Mountain and Kishida.

Qi Ming: "Are they… about to be sacrificed to heaven?"

Mountain and Kishida were bound to wooden stakes, with a bonfire burning beneath them.

Emi pulled out her camera: "Alright, recording started. Let's hijack KCB's broadcast channel too."

The white-robed girl led the villagers in worship before the idol:

"God, God in the clouds, save these poor souls!"

"Please return the sun to these poor souls!"

Below, the villagers knelt and bowed in unison: "Please, God, return light to us!"

Kishida shouted at the villagers who had just captured them: "Don't listen to her—there's no God in the clouds!"

Mountain yelled too: "How could God destroy our plane? This woman is clearly an alien!"

The white-robed girl snapped: "If the Victory Team members don't repent, the sun will never shine again! These two will be consumed by fire and sent before God!"

Kishida: "Son of a bitch, this thing wants to burn us alive?"

Mountain: "I'd rather die than bow to a wicked alien!"

They believed rescue was imminent—once Qi Ming arrived, this fraud would be finished.

But the villagers, devout and unshaken, continued bowing: "Please, God, return light to us."

The white-robed girl began chanting: "Painful ones, sorrowful ones, pray with devotion~ Painful ones, sorrowful ones, God blesses those who suffer~"

The villagers joined in song and dance: "Repent~ Repent your sins, God forgives you~ One day you'll embrace God's warm arms~"

Meanwhile, the Kilaiede people beneath Tokyo B were passionately reciting "The Crimes of Ultraman," asserting their own legitimacy as the true divine race.

Then they noticed their hijacked KCB broadcast feed had changed—it had been hijacked again by another faction.

Their "Divine Proclamation" was replaced by a white-robed girl on camera claiming to be God's messenger, saying only faithful worship would restore the sun.

The Kilaiede people: "?"

Where the hell did this idiot come from?

We just declared Kilaiede the sole divine race, and now you show up to crash the party?

Heretic!

The heretic must be condemned!

Even if the Hell Gate hasn't opened yet and our full forces haven't arrived, if we can't beat Qi Ming, can't we beat you?

You dare show up now to undercut us? God's messenger, huh? Let's see how much you're really worth!

Thinking this, the remaining Kilaiede people merged again into a 【Second-Generation Kilaiede】, heading toward the scene.

On the other side, the white-robed girl ordered the villagers to stay and continue praying while guarding the Victory Team members, then walked alone toward the mountaintop.

She raised her right hand at a 45-degree angle, communicating with 【Uniblax】 in the clouds.

"Such foolish humans—I've already subdued them all."

"They worship us as gods. Earth will soon become our new colony!"

Qi Ming knew this place was about to become a battlefield between gods. He surged forward, leapt up, and slashed through the ropes binding Mountain and Kishida with a palm strike.

"Qi Ming, you're finally here!" Mountain and Kishida were overjoyed. Of course—you can always trust Qi Ming!

When the villagers saw Qi Ming rescue the three men the "God's Messenger" had ordered them to guard, they panicked.

What if God punishes us? We'll suffer too!

"Hey, what are you doing? Trying to escape divine punishment?"

"Quick, tie them back up, or God will be furious!"

"These people have defiled God's will!"

With Qi Ming backing them, Mountain and Kishida straightened their backs.

Kishida: "I don't know what defiling God brings, but defiling Qi Ming? I think they're in deep trouble."

Mountain: "They'll probably be laid up for a month. Should we urge Qi Ming to take it easy? Nah, he won't listen anyway—no point wasting breath."

Emi, holding the camera: "..."

Qi Ming said: "Hey, am I really that violent? We follow procedure—talk first, then physics if words fail."

He walked toward the villagers: "I ask you—why do you believe that woman is God's messenger? Does her ID card say 'God's Messenger'?"

The village leader said: "Because she shoots lasers—ordinary people can't do that. That's a miracle! She must be God's messenger!"

The other villagers nodded eagerly—they'd witnessed the miracle firsthand and were utterly convinced. They thought the Victory Team members were delusional for defying God.

"Ordinary people can't do that, huh…" Qi Ming nodded, walked to a three-meter-tall boulder, and lifted it with one hand.

The villagers stared, dumbfounded.

What's going on? That rock must weigh several tons—and he lifted it with one hand!

"That's something ordinary people can't do either," Qi Ming dropped the boulder onto the ground, shaking the earth.

The village leader was stunned, eyes glazed: "You… you're certainly powerful, but God's messenger is the one who makes light vanish…"

At that moment, the white-robed girl returned, seeing the scene and furious: "What are you doing? Arrest them!"

"Big talk," Qi Ming charged straight at her.

The villagers stood frozen, reverent toward the divine but terrified of Qi Ming's strength—so they trembled helplessly on the sidelines.

"Who are you? How dare you offend God's messenger? Don't you fear divine punishment?!" the white-robed girl shouted, firing a laser at Qi Ming.

"You don't even know who I am, yet you dare invade Earth? Pathetic."

Qi Ming sidestepped the laser, lunged forward, and clamped his right hand like an iron vice around her wrist, twisting hard.

"Crack!"

A sharp snap echoed—her arm twisted into a grotesque angle. Her saintly face contorted: "How dare you!"

"Playing god, huh?" Qi Ming drove a knee straight into her abdomen. She arched backward, flew through the air, and crashed through three pine trees before stopping.

The villagers stared in shock as "God's Messenger" was beaten like a sack of rags—their worldview shattered again.

Gods fighting… will we ordinary people suffer?

"You…" Qi Ming's strength terrified her. She scrambled to her feet and fled desperately toward the mountaintop.

Qi Ming didn't chase. He clapped his hands and turned to the villagers: "Well? If she's God's messenger, then what am I—the one who turned her into a stray dog?"

The villagers trembled: "Then… you're God's younger brother! You're great too!"

Qi Ming: "God's younger brother? Don't mess with me."

Meanwhile, the white-robed girl had just reached the mountaintop when a massive black shadow suddenly descended from the sky.

It was the Second-Generation Kilaiede.

It looked down at her with a chilling tone: "You think you're God's messenger, don't you?"

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(End of Chapter)