That silver beam of light was so dazzling, so conspicuous, that no creature—be it a common demon, one of the Great City Lords, or even the humans who managed to reach this place—could keep their eyes open. Even Yuan Ci himself instinctively squeezed his shut, acutely aware of how badly his father had suffered from this very move in the past; had his father not possessed superior cultivation and strength, he might have been the one to fail.

While everyone’s eyes were closed, a tremendous boom echoed from the arena floor, sounding like an explosion from a direct impact.

Hearing that sound, Ling felt her heart clench so tightly she dared not open her eyes to see what had happened, seemingly terrified of the potential outcome.

But as the light receded, people slowly opened their eyes, and upon seeing the state of the arena, many gasped sharply.

The platform, once perfectly flat, now bore a massive crater, and the entire structure was laced with cracks. This was Ziyun Luotie, a material that even a Master of the Zhou Level would struggle to shatter; yet now, it appeared as fragile as tofu.

Most critically, where was the human? Standing beside the great pit on the platform was only Jue; there was no other silhouette, absolutely vacant—not even a trace inside the crater. There wasn't even a shred of torn flesh. Had he been atomized by that last strike, leaving nothing behind?

Many people rubbed their eyes, trying to confirm they weren't seeing things, but after a long moment, the scene remained empty. The second figure was nowhere to be found. Had the duel truly ended just like that?

Even those confident in Ye Jingyu, such as Ni Bo, rose to their feet, their faces etched with worry as they stared at the empty platform. Xiao Taotao, a piece of roasted meat still lodged in her mouth, gazed fixedly at the arena, forgetting to chew.

Jue, standing on the stage, however, wore a faint smile. Yes, beneath his unruly hair, a hint of a smile touched his rather world-weary face—not the satisfaction of victory, but the sheer excitement of having found a worthy opponent. Only he knew that his last attack had not wounded Ye Jingyu at all; it hadn't even struck him.

There had once been someone in this world who withstood his Jue Guang Shan (Absolute Light Flash)—the Lord of Destruction. But someone who could completely evade the Jue Guang Shan had never existed before. Yet here was this person, his cultivation clearly so low, yet he had managed to dodge the attack.

How could this not excite him, not bring him joy?

Just then, high above in the sky, a bright pinpoint of light suddenly appeared above Jue's head, descending like a shooting star.

The eyes of everyone present lit up. Was he not dead? Had he truly evaded Jue's Jue Guang Shan?

Indeed, Jue's Jue Guang Shan was an indiscriminate attack, not only covering an enormous area but delivering immense power everywhere it struck. Even with Ye Jingyu's current physique, resisting it entirely was nearly impossible.

More importantly, the speed of the Jue Guang Shan was terrifyingly fast; even a Master of the Yu Level would struggle to evade it completely, as it moved at the speed of light.

But who was Ye Jingyu? The first Golden Core he condensed was the Star Golden Core. Since that moment, he had been engaged in battle with light itself. Over the years, his speed had reached an absolute zenith; as long as he wasn't trapped within someone else's rule-world, his velocity could surpass light speed.

Sensing he could not withstand the Jue Guang Shan, he immediately deployed the Xu Ying Xing Bu (Phantom Star Step). Of course, under the immense power of the attack, no one could recognize the technique. Perhaps Jue might have discerned it, but since they had never met before, how could he know who this was?

With a single step, he covered thousands of feet, appearing high in the sky—it was fortunate the barrier wasn't completely sealed, allowing him to burst into the upper reaches.

He descended now with the accelerating speed of free fall, streaks of light manifesting around his body. From a distance, he looked like a meteor hurtling downwards.

"Receive my strike, Cangsheng Yin!" Ye Jingyu’s voice boomed across the arena. Then, he slowly raised his right hand, fingers spread wide, slamming it down from the heavens with ferocious intent.

The Cangsheng Yin (Seal of All Living Beings) was one of the ultimate skills he had deduced from his understanding of all sentient life—a move he had never utilized before. As he unleashed it, the distant spectators didn't grasp its essence, but Jue, caught within its path, felt as if he were facing not one person, but all the living souls in the world.

What was the collective psychic power of the myriad beings of this world? Jue didn't know, nor could he fathom it. He only sensed that the power contained within that palm strike was terrifyingly absolute, a power that induced despair.

However, he would never despair, for he was Jue. Such an intimidating strike only served to make the blood surge wildly within him.

Without any intention of evasion, he remained standing there and launched his own punch directly at the descending Ye Jingyu—a swift punch, a powerful punch, a killing punch.

Jue! Jue! Jue!

The crowd only witnessed a surge of violent battle intent erupting heavenward, and vaguely, a massive fist shadow seemed to tear through the void, soaring up like a flood dragon.

Ye Jingyu's Cangsheng Yin simultaneously transformed into a colossal hand, slamming down fiercely. Facing such a strike, even a mountain would be pulverized.

Finally, the immense fist shadow and the giant palm collided, erupting in a deafening roar, like thunder mixed with the simultaneous striking of ten thousand drums.

A powerful wave of energy burst forth from the point of collision between the fist and the palm, radiating outward and constantly impacting the boundary set up by the combined efforts of several Great Lords. The sturdy barrier flickered with light, rippling outward like water, seemingly on the verge of shattering at any moment.

Many hearts were suspended in their throats. Facing such a violent impact, they all shared the illusion of being a small skiff in a raging sea, on the verge of being swallowed whole.

Not only that, but at the very nexus where the giant palm and the fist shadow met, faint black fissures began to appear—signs that the very space of the Heavenly Realm was being torn apart. How stable was the current structure of the Heavenly Realm? Even an attack from a Yu Level Master might not manage to rip it open. Yet, here it was being rent asunder? A fresh wave of terror swept through everyone's minds...