"Buzz…"
Heaven and earth trembled. The air shuddered violently.
Chen Xiaoming felt his body freeze for an instant, as if some invisible force had bound him in place, causing a momentary delay in his movements.
The next second, a pure golden light descended from the sky, enveloping him entirely. The radiance came from the sun itself—Judgment Light, one of the divine mysteries of the Angel God, imbued with devastating power.
Instantly, an overwhelming heat surged through his entire being. Silver light flickered around his body, resisting the golden radiance's invasion. Yet, despite his efforts, his body was forcibly pressed downward from the sky.
"As expected, divine power has its unique qualities."
Under the searing brilliance, even his movements felt sluggish. It was as if molten lead had been poured into his limbs.
Lifting his gaze, he saw Qian Renxue above him, wielding a hundred-meter-long golden flame sword, poised to strike.
"...Now it's my turn."
With a calm but resolute voice, silver light exploded around Chen Xiaoming. The golden radiance that had been pressing down on him was instantly repelled.
A single flash of silver, and an enigmatic aura manifested behind him. The space trembled slightly, like ripples spreading across the surface of a still lake.
"Boom!"
A spatial rift tore open behind him, revealing an abyssal fissure darker than ink. From within, an ancient and boundless presence radiated outward.
A colossal figure emerged—so vast that it seemed to connect the heavens and the earth, its height immeasurable. The moment it appeared, not only did Qian Renxue feel an instinctive dread, but even countless beings across the continent sensed its presence, as if they were mere ants under the gaze of Heaven's Will.
An eternal and unfathomable aura spread across the world.
Qian Renxue's divine power faltered within her body, suppressed by this unfathomable force. She channeled her divine energy into her eyes and stared at the apparition.
The world twisted. In that brief glimpse, she saw beyond the continent—beyond the endless stars—where a colossal Hollowheart Willow stood, its branches swaying gently, veiled in an ethereal glow.
A single flick of a willow branch unleashed a cascade of silver radiance.
"Bang!"
A muffled explosion echoed.
Qian Renxue's divine vision shattered instantly. A sharp pain seared through her mind, and trails of blood trickled from her eyes.
Just one glance at that ancient existence—one wisp of its distant aura—had wounded her.
Shock and fear filled her heart.
"What… what kind of ancient being is that?"
"Could it be a soul beast? The origin of all soul beasts?"
As panic surged within her, Chen Xiaoming's expression turned pale. His aura weakened slightly, his face darkened with frustration, and his eyes burned with fury.
Summoning the Hollowheart Willow's projection through his bloodline had been meant to teach Qian Renxue a lesson—not just as a person, but as a god.
But the moment the projection emerged, Douluo Continent's laws reacted. The world's will rejected its presence as if it were an invasive foreign entity.
Had it not been for the sheer supremacy of the Hollowheart Willow, Chen Xiaoming would have been immediately suppressed.
"Damn it! Last time was fine—why not this time?"
The world's will sought to protect itself, forcing Chen Xiaoming into a choice:
Either continue summoning the Hollowheart Willow's aura and withstand the full suppression of the Douluo Continent's laws…
Or retract the projection, channeling its power into his Martial Soul for an attack.
There was no time to hesitate.
Under the crushing pressure of the world's will, Chen Xiaoming clenched his teeth.
The enormous apparition behind him gradually faded, its ancient essence pouring into his Martial Soul.
"Fine, Heaven's Will… I'll remember this."
"A little more bloodline refinement, and we'll see who suppresses whom."
With the world's suppression lifted, his silver radiance flared once more. His bloodline surged, awakening his Azurewood Tree Martial Soul.
Above him, the Azurewood Tree radiated boundless silver light. A faintly translucent willow branch, no more than three meters long, appeared behind him, exuding an ancient aura.
Silver light coalesced into the branch, solidifying its form.
Suspended in the air, the Azurewood Tree shimmered, merging seamlessly with the willow projection. The space around it wavered, fluctuating as though struggling to contain its presence.
"Swoosh!"
Suddenly, a single willow branch lashed out, silent and swift, aiming directly at Qian Renxue's golden flame sword.
The hundred-meter-long divine weapon, imbued with True Sunfire, was inherently destructive against wood-based entities. Feeling the impending strike, Qian Renxue channeled her full divine energy into the blade, reinforcing its power.
"Boom!"
The willow branch struck.
For a moment, all its terrifying force was contained within.
Then—upon contact with the golden blade—it erupted.
A surge of silver radiance exploded forth. Spatial ripples tore through the air, and fractures spread across the golden flame sword.
The divine weapon, forged from the sun's purest flames, now bore dark spatial rifts across its surface.
Abyssal void cracks crept along the blade, distorting the very fabric of reality.
In just a few seconds, Qian Renxue's Sun Sword was covered in fractures. Divine energy leaked from the fissures, drawn away into the swirling void.
"Explode!"
Realizing the danger, Qian Renxue's expression twisted in fear. With a desperate motion, she flapped her six golden wings and retreated swiftly.
Extending a single finger, she sent a ball of golden flame into her sword.
The True Sunfire—built up for so long—detonated.
A thousand-meter radius was engulfed in flames.
Chen Xiaoming's form was swallowed by the inferno.
In the sky, the explosion resembled a second sun, its searing brilliance turning the frozen north into a scorching wasteland.
Even the Extreme North City, thousands of miles away, felt the temperature shift. Decades of permafrost melted in an instant.
The sheer heat twisted the space itself. The battlefield was left in ruins—snow had vanished, and the scorched ground glowed red with heat. Deep, bottomless cracks marred the landscape.
"Agh…!"
Qian Renxue, watching intently, suddenly stiffened. Her pupils contracted as she locked onto a single point in the burning inferno.
Within the raging True Sunfire, a figure emerged.
Silver light flickered faintly around him.
Qian Renxue expanded her divine sense, probing the figure—only for her expression to darken further.
Chen Xiaoming was completely unharmed.
Tap.
A soft footstep echoed.
Space trembled slightly.
Chen Xiaoming walked out of the fire, his silver hair flowing, his lips curling into a faint smile.
"Your attacks are too weak."
"They couldn't even scratch me."
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