Chapter 178: Just Cold Numbers
Chapter 179: Just Cold Numbers
Yonglan’s voice was drowned out by the storm.
“Peng—”
A crisp sound wave spread through the air, creating visible ripples in space.
The expected violence did not achieve its goal of trampling the Godslayer. Instead, the Fiend, which had been swirling with pale green lightning and sharp winds, stopped its charge.
To be precise, it didn’t stop on its own; it was forced to stop. The Fiend beast’s roar, its surge, and its earth-shattering charge all vanished before a single index finger of the Godslayer.
As if a mute button had been pressed, the world fell silent after the momentary impact.
If one looked closely, it would be apparent that the Desolator and Yonglan’s index fingers were touching a keratinous blade that extended from the Fiend’s body. This blade was pressing lightly against Yonglan’s index finger, holding the entire Fiend beast immobile.
Even inertia was thoroughly insulted. The monstrous creature’s charge was halted the moment it touched that slender, seemingly fragile index finger.
Apart from a dull thud that erupted at the very moment of contact, only the earth being plowed by the beast’s feet continued to make a groaning sound.
The beast’s body continued to twist, but it couldn’t shift the existence before it, as small as dust, by even an inch.
All its efforts were in vain before that index finger, as if the Fiend were the one overestimating itself, trying to stop a chariot with its hand.
“My King… did he block that monster with his finger?”
The expeditionary force from the Mortal World Kingdom in the rear, watching the sudden turn of events, exclaimed in disbelief.
“Yes. It seems so… No, it is so!!”
The Royal Knights were beyond excited. Luqia was the first to cheer, “Long live My King! The Godslayer is invincible in this world!!”
As if she hadn’t been the one kneeling and begging Yonglan to retreat just moments ago.
Jiali frowned and looked at Enesyin, “Is this something that can be done?”
“It’s not over yet,” the Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden said softly. “Knowing Yonglan’s personality, this is far from enough.”
This counter-intuitive, common-sense-defying, and exaggerated act not only greatly boosted the morale of the expeditionary force from the Mortal World Kingdom but also brought a sliver of clarity to the Desolator himself, who was caught in his own madness.
“Impossible!!!”
The Desolator’s terrified roar echoed through the heavens, bombarding Yonglan:
“How can you possibly do this?! How can you block it so nonchalantly?!”
The Desolator could accept Yonglan defeating him, through repeated deaths and resurrections, or by preparing an extremely profound Artifice to block. But not this. Yonglan simply extended a finger, and then the Desolator bowed.
There was no praiseworthy countermeasure, just force against force, pure strength, absolute power, overwhelming power.
“Isn’t this what you wanted? Absolute power, ultimate power, the power that will make you concede.”
Seeing that the Fiend driven by the Desolator was still rampaging, Yonglan casually bent the index finger that was restraining the giant beast and pressed down.
And so, the mountain-like Fiend toppled. The beast’s knees sank into the depression it had created in the earth, and its head bowed to an existence hundreds of times smaller than itself. The violent lightning and hurricane that had been swirling around the Fiend beast’s body now seemed docile, all flowing towards Yonglan and being absorbed by the tide generated by the Path of Ultimate Art.
Indeed, Yonglan felt that the “Ultimate Art” state was like a surging tide, pulling all surrounding energy into this tide. Then it transformed into a giant wave.
After suppressing the Desolator’s Fiend form, Yonglan extended his other hand, bent slightly, and pressed his fingertips into the soil before lifting.
Instead of kicking up dust and sand like an ordinary person, he lifted the Earth itself.
Countless irregular cracks spread across the vast plain behind the Fiend beast the moment Yonglan exerted his strength. Then, heavy rock strata began to crack and heave piece by piece under an unstoppable, terrifying force.
Each section of rock stratum was like a floating island, except that instead of standing firm on the sea, it rose into the boundless plain.
“Rumble—”
“Rumble—”
Continuous, muffled roars transmitted through the earth and air. Compared to this, the noise generated by the Fiend beast’s charge earlier was a joke.
The ground, unable to withstand the force, shattered, and endless flying debris surged upwards like a reverse rainstorm.
Thus, the world turned upside down, and the Desolator’s Fiend form was buried by the rising and falling plain plates. For the Fiend’s power, moving these plates would have been easy.
But by now, the Desolator had neither the strength nor the consciousness to move the continental islands that buried his body. He simply sat there in a daze, watching it all happen, observing Yonglan alter the geography with a mere wave of his hand.
Until the earth-shattering and magnificent spectacle gradually subsided. Amidst the aftershocks, the original plain transformed into a broken hilly terrain. Several large mountain ranges appeared abruptly atop the hills, and the misty, pervasive dust created countless shafts of light.
The Desolator could no longer maintain his Fiend form, and the submerged giant beast finally dissipated.
At the same time, Yonglan hurriedly deactivated the Path of Ultimate Art. The skin beneath his armor was almost entirely cracked; in a few more seconds, he would have exploded and died.
The omnipotent Great Power receded like a tide. Yonglan lowered his eyelids, enduring the terrible discomfort, and walked towards the ruins he had personally created.
“Why… Godslayer…”
The Desolator, lying in the mud and sand, asked Yonglan dazedly as he approached, “You are clearly just a Mortal, why… are you so powerful?”
Yonglan glanced at his stats screen:
[Dominance: 13]
“Just cold numbers.”
Having played Sams for so long, Yonglan had figured out the rules. The game’s leveling system was purely based on faith and righteousness. Unlike his companions who absorbed Spirit Matter, Yonglan’s growth was less about “comprehension” and more about… “awakening” or “recollection.”
Therefore, he had desperately tried to stop it, gambling on a reward. However, Yonglan truly hadn’t expected that there would be a Talent with Authority that brought about such a qualitative change. The Path of Ultimate Art… This damn thing was simply powerful! Vigorous! Overwhelming!
There was nothing fancy about it; it was pure stat-based annihilation. Perhaps stats couldn’t solve everything, but what if… what if his stats were high enough?
There was a cold beauty to this strength.
Obviously, the Desolator did not grasp Yonglan’s humor. Severely injured, he no longer exerted power – or perhaps he had no lingering strength to heal himself.
After a long pause, the Desolator said, “End my life. Use your Soul Extraction technique. Although this body is already defiled and like a candle in the wind, it can at least become your sustenance if you wish to end this chaotic farce.”
Just as the Fiend seemed to be on its last breath, it suddenly looked forward, “Grant me… peace… My King?!”
