Chen Long, flustered and disoriented, abandoned Bai Qi and sprinted towards the city center.
Seeing Chen Long leave, Bai Qi did not stop him. After Chen Long departed, Bai Qi returned to the Hell Gate and absorbed the black mist spewing forth.
Perhaps due to the extended period of emission, the density of the black mist in the air had significantly decreased compared to before.
Approximately two minutes after Chen Long's departure, the calm Hell Gate finally stirred. A thick, dark green leg emerged, followed by a mountain-sized, green-skinned demon stepping out of the gate.
This demon, as large as a mountain, had its skin covered in unidentifiable rock-like protrusions, and its hair was styled in the traditional Japanese topknot.
This colossal demon was none other than Bogang, the Mountain Demon.
Bai Qi could clearly sense that the moment Bogang emerged from the Hell Gate, the "Black Mist Mother's" power had greatly increased.
"Bogang, give me back my Fiery Qi," Bai Qi demanded without ceremony, reaching out to Bogang, who held the Fiery Qi as collateral.
However, Bogang's response enraged Bai Qi.
"I'm very hungry right now. I'll give you the Fiery Qi after I've eaten my fill."
Did that sound like something a person would say?
Satisfying Bogang's hunger was a seemingly insurmountable task.
It was well known that the more the Mountain Demon ate, the larger its body would grow, and the stronger it would become. Bogang's stomach was a bottomless pit, a demon so voracious it would eventually consume its own territory.
Saying he would return the Fiery Qi after he'd eaten his fill was tantamount to never returning it.
However, Bogang's mind was not particularly sharp. Already not very intelligent, his intellect had further diminished during his time in hell. The only reason he uttered those words was because Bogang was truly famished.
There was nothing else in hell but stone upon stone.
Having grown weary of eating stones day after day, Bogang, upon arriving in the main world, found everything he saw to be incredibly delicious.
Ignoring the fuming Bai Qi, Bogang grabbed the rubble of collapsed buildings and shoveled them into his mouth by the handful, chewing with apparent enjoyment before swallowing.
Bogang was not particularly large when he first stepped out of the Hell Gate, but after his gluttonous feast, his body grew by over six meters in just five minutes.
After devouring the entire shrine, Bogang, as if drawn by some exquisite delicacy, turned his gaze towards the city center.
"Delicious!"
The instant Bogang saw Zero, his eyes sparkled with intense interest.
Such a large piece of meat was highly appealing to Bogang.
Without further ado, Bogang moved his thick, powerful legs and strode towards the city center.
Along the way, Bogang did not forget the appetizers on either side.
Utility poles, streetlights, cars, trees, even rooftops – Bogang spared nothing, eating as he walked, his size continuously increasing.
Meanwhile, Chen Long's appearance successfully halted Zero's advance, pushing Zero back several steps with a single punch.
Zero, lacking any significant intelligence, had only been chasing the helicopter because he was attracted by the small object flying in the sky. Now, having been attacked by Chen Long, the pain caused him to instantly abandon his nearby toy and focus on the small creature that had hurt him.
"Oh no! A demon has appeared!"
On the helicopter, Da-Doo showed no sign of relief at his narrow escape. Scratching his head with both hands, he yelled, looking at another colossal figure approaching them.
"Is this the newly emerged demon?" Black asked, frowning. "Da-Doo, do you know what kind of demon this is?"
"It's Bogang, the Mountain Demon."
Black looked at Bogang, who was walking and eating, finding him to appear rather dim-witted.
"Let's have the Japanese test this guy's mettle."
The Self-Defense Forces, already seething with anger after their earlier setback against Zero, saw another behemoth. Moreover, this one lacked the magnetic field that disrupted their machinery. It was the perfect opportunity for them to shine.
Eight tanks, five fighter jets, and over forty fully armed Self-Defense Force soldiers charged towards the Mountain Demon, Bogang, with an imposing aura. As for the outcome, well, those who know, know.
The Self-Defense Forces were, without a doubt, thoroughly thrashed by Bogang.
Cannonballs and rockets struck Bogang as if they were mere tickles. Tanks that couldn't dodge in time were devoured by Bogang like snacks, each crunching sound proving to be incredibly delicious.
Watching the Self-Defense Forces being toyed with by Bogang from the helicopter, Da-Doo exclaimed, "Alas, only magic can defeat magic! To defeat Bogang, one needs a relic of an immortal deity."
"And what is this relic of an immortal deity?"
"A drum. The immortal deity who subdued Bogang back then sealed him into hell using a drum. To seal him again, we must have the drum."
After hearing Da-Doo's explanation, Black found himself in a predicament.
The city blocks had already been significantly damaged by Zero, and now Bogang had further ravaged them. Where could they find a drum now?
Chen Long also saw the colossal Bogang approaching and the heavily damaged Self-Defense Forces being routed. However, there was nothing he could do. He only had one set of the Shendu armor, and he was already engaged with Zero, making it impossible for him to intercept Bogang's advance.
As Bogang walked, he seemed to stumble over something, losing his balance and crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact, the tremor from his fall akin to a minor earthquake.
"Shendu?"
Bogang had not fallen by himself. It was Bai Qi, who could no longer stand it, who had actively intervened, punching Bogang's leg and sending him crashing to the ground.
"That hurt! Shendu, what are you doing!?"
Bogang's words carried a hint of anger, expressing his displeasure at Shendu for obstructing his meal.
"Enough, Bogang. You will return my Fiery Qi immediately. Otherwise, you won't take another step forward."
Hearing Bai Qi's undisguised threat and sensing the power disparity between them, Bogang finally relented.
"Alright, alright. Just don't disturb my eating."
Saying this, Bogang sat up, reached into his mouth, and after some manipulation, pulled out a small, scarlet dragon.
The entire dragon was composed of Qi, emitting a dazzling red glow and immense heat.
The little dragon was the materialized form of Shendu's Fiery Qi. Upon sensing Shendu's presence, it immediately became agitated, writhing in Bogang's hand.
"Here you go."
Bogang released his grip, and the little dragon instantly broke free, shooting towards Bai Qi at an incredible speed, zipping into Bai Qi's body with a whoosh.
As the Fiery Qi entered him, Bai Qi felt himself becoming more complete, his power significantly boosted.
"Alright, now I'm going to eat."
Having returned the Fiery Qi to Bai Qi, Bogang stood up, swayed his hips, and continued his march towards the city center.
Having retrieved his item, Bai Qi no longer had any reason to stop Bogang and let him go. Bai Qi then infiltrated the Shadow Realm and quickly departed from Japan.
As for the three members of the Black Hand, they had already made their exit with the Pan Ku Treasure Box under the cover of the Black Organization when Bogang appeared and the Hell Gate closed.
Later, after some time, the Black Feather organization would arrange for their safe departure from Japan.