125: Suppress with one punch

As the steps continuously ascended, the number of Yao Beast phantoms increased, and their strength grew stronger!

From the initial tide-like surge of 'Spirit Medium' level, to the later groups of 'Shape Shifting' level working in perfect coordination... when most Prodigies struggled to climb to around five hundred steps, the enemies they faced had already become 'Golden Rule' level Yao Beast phantoms, whose Auras were even more terrifying, each capable of rivaling a Treasure Body Realm Early Stage cultivator!

These 'Golden Rule' level phantoms were not only larger in size and more solidified in energy, but more terrifyingly, they had even begun to possess a hint of rudimentary intelligence! They knew how to encircle! They knew how to ambush! They even knew how to utilize the terrain of the steps to set up simple traps!

"Roar—!!!"

A terrifying roar, filled with endless brutality and destructive Aura, suddenly exploded on the seven hundred and thirty-third step!

A ferocious giant beast, nearly ten zhang long, covered in purple lightning scales, and resembling an ancient Thunder Jiao, was coiled in the center of the steps! Its eyes, as brilliant as purple crystals, were filled with cold, destructive, and insane killing intent!

And in front of it, a purple figure, who was originally so arrogant, was now in an extremely sorry state!

Thunder Roaring Heaven!

His magnificent purple thundercloud battle armor was already tattered, covered in hideous claw marks and scorched burn traces! His originally flamboyant purple short hair looked as if it had been gnawed by a dog, messy and stained with specks of crimson blood!

He panted heavily, and for the first time, a trace of uncontrollable horror appeared in his eyes, which were originally as sharp as lightning!

A 'Earth Spirit' level Yao Beast, comparable to a Dharma Body Realm cultivator!

Moreover, it was one of the rarest and most powerful... lightning-attribute Yao Beast phantoms!

This Thunder Jiao phantom not only perfectly immune to his proud lightning Divine Ability, but its Physical Body was also far stronger than he had imagined! His lightning Fist Intent, capable of splitting mountains and cracking rocks, only left shallow white marks on its body covered with purple scales!

And every casual flick of its tail, every swing of its sharp claws, contained terrifying power capable of completely tearing apart his Dharma Body Realm Middle Stage protective lightning Qi!

If not for the life-saving battle armor he wore, personally forged by his father, the Thunder Emperor, he would probably have already followed in the footsteps of those eliminated, turning into a white light and being teleported out!

"Damn it! Damn it!!!"

Thunder Roaring Heaven's heart was filled with endless grievance and... anger!

He, the Prince of the Thunder Roar Great World! A top Prodigy in the Dharma Body Realm Middle Stage!

How could he... how could he be forced into such a pathetic state by a mere energy phantom?!

This was simply the greatest humiliation of his life!

He suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes instinctively looking towards the higher steps!

He wanted to see how high those stronger Prodigies from higher-level worlds had reached by now!

However, upon seeing it, his entire being was as if struck by a Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, hitting him squarely on the crown of his head! Instantly, he was completely petrified!

He saw a slender figure, one he was all too familiar with, slowly descending, step by step, from the steps above, shrouded in mist, at least above the nine hundredth step... It was Lin Ye!

That 'Lower Realm' trash he regarded as an ant and publicly humiliated!

He... he actually... reached the top?!

And, looking at his calm and relaxed demeanor, even having the leisure to admire the surrounding scenery... This... how could this be possible?!

Thunder Roaring Heaven felt his brain was about to explode!

He couldn't understand!

He couldn't... accept it!

He, the dignified Prince of the Thunder Roar Great World, a top Prodigy in the Dharma Body Realm Middle Stage, was still struggling at over seven hundred steps, being forced into a pathetic state by a 'Earth Spirit' level Yao Beast phantom!

And that trash, whose cultivation was lower than his, whose Aura was weaker than his, and whose background was as lowly as dust, by what right?!

By what right could he be faster than him?! By what right could he so easily... reach the top?!

Cheating!

It must be cheating!

This thought, like rapidly growing weeds, instantly occupied all his mind!

Just then, Lin Ye's figure, as if strolling through a garden, slowly descended past the steps blocked by the Thunder Jiao phantom.

He didn't even spare a glance for Thunder Roaring Heaven, who was still bitterly entangled with the Thunder Jiao phantom, as if the other party was merely a roadside stone, not worth his... slightest attention.

He just walked, still savoring the profound information about this "void origin qi" that the 'Myriad Law Source Exegesis' continuously analyzed in his mind.

"So... this so-called void origin qi is actually one of the most fundamental energy particles that constitute this world..."

"Within it, not only are there fragments of space Law, but also... a hint of extremely faint 'creation' and 'destruction' Dao rhythm..."

"No wonder... these Yao Beast phantoms are so troublesome..."

However, his self-absorbed demeanor, as if no one else was present, fell into the eyes of Thunder Roaring Heaven, who was already consumed by jealousy and shame, becoming the greatest... contempt in the world!

"Little Bastard! Stop right there!!!"

A furious roar, filled with endless brutality and killing intent, suddenly erupted from Thunder Roaring Heaven's mouth!

He actually ignored the Thunder Jiao phantom still eyeing him menacingly, suddenly turned around, his eyes already blood red, and locked onto Lin Ye!

"You! How did you get up there?!" He pointed at Lin Ye's nose, his voice hoarse as he demanded, "Trash like you could never reach the top by your own strength! Speak! What despicable... cheating method did you use?!"

Lin Ye's footsteps finally stopped.

He slowly turned his head, his dark eyes calmly looking at the purple-haired young man, who was acting like a madman, his brows subtly furrowing.

"Cheating?" He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but every word was clear, "This... is it even worth it, for me to cheat?"

These words, like an invisible, loudest slap, fiercely struck Thunder Roaring Heaven's face, which was already distorted by shame and anger!

"Ah ah ah—!!!"

Thunder Roaring Heaven's rationality completely collapsed at this moment!

He felt his lungs were about to burst from anger!

He, the Prince of the Thunder Roar Great World! The future Thunder Emperor!

To be so... despised by an ant from the 'Lower Realm'?!

"I'm going to kill you!!!"

He no longer cared about trial rules or Yao Beast phantoms! His lightning Origin Qi within him was fully unleashed at this moment! A terrifying pressure, far more violent and destructive than before, erupted!

"Thunder God Descends!!!"

He roared, and his tall and muscular body, under everyone's gaze, rapidly expanded against the wind! In an instant, it transformed into a three-zhang tall, ferocious giant, entirely condensed from pure purple lightning!

The giant held a massive war hammer condensed from lightning Law, and its eyes, like purple suns, were filled with endless brutality and... destruction!

This was his true trump card! His strongest form, as the son of the Thunder Emperor!

"Die!!!"

He raised the lightning war hammer in his hand high, and upon the war hammer, terrifying power capable of utterly shattering this world gathered, carrying supreme Divine Might that could destroy heaven and earth, it smashed down directly towards Lin Ye, who had long been completely locked by his Dharma Body Realm Middle Stage Peak Aura!

This strike was unavoidable! There was no retreat!

He wanted to completely crush this ant who dared to challenge his authority, along with his Divine Soul!

However, just as that terrifying war hammer, capable of making heaven and earth change color, was about to fall—

Lin Ye, at the center of the storm, finally showed a hint of... impatience on his always calm face.

His dark eyes calmly looked at the lightning war hammer that was smashing down, as if to completely destroy the entire world.

There was no trace of panic in his eyes, nor any fear.

Only a bottomless... indifference.

"Noisy."

Two calm words, devoid of any emotion, slowly came out of his mouth.

Then, he slowly raised his right hand.

There was no earth-shattering Aura, no world-destroying Divine Might.

He simply, with a plain punch, struck out at the lightning war hammer that was smashing down!

This punch was still so unadorned.

But, it also seemed to contain some kind of... terrifying power capable of subverting all common sense!

In that instant, Thunder Roaring Heaven only felt as if he was no longer facing an ant in the Dharma Body Realm Early Stage!

Instead, he was facing a... supreme Divine Demon that had awakened from the primordial wilderness!

That terrifying Fist Intent, as if to completely suppress heaven and earth, just in the instant of contact, made his proud "Thunder God True Body" emit a creaking lament of unbearable strain!

"No...!!!"

He let out a horrified scream as if he had seen a ghost!

He couldn't understand!

Why... why could the opponent's fist ignore his lightning Law?! And even... subtly restrain it?!

However, he no longer had time to think.

Because, that seemingly ordinary fist had already arrived.

Time seemed to be completely still.

Under Thunder Roaring Heaven's gaze, filled with endless horror and disbelief, that fist, without any fancy moves, solidly imprinted itself on his massive chest, which was condensed from pure lightning!

"Pop."

An extremely subtle sound, like a bubble bursting.

Immediately after—

"Crack... crackle..."

A grating, crisp sound, like shattering glass, frantically spread from the point of contact of the fist!

Dense, spiderweb-like black cracks instantly covered the three-zhang tall, ferocious Thunder God's body!

Finally, with a "bang," it exploded!

Turning into... scattered... purple electric arcs!

Vanishing into thin air!

And Thunder Roaring Heaven's body, which had already returned to its original form, was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string!

While in mid-air, he was already bleeding from all seven orifices, and his eyes, which were originally filled with endless brutality and killing intent, were now only left with endless confusion and... emptiness!

To his dying breath, he couldn't understand!

Why did he lose?!

Why did he lose... so completely?!

"Thud!"

His body, like a meteor, heavily crashed onto the cold steps hundreds of steps below, kicking up a cloud of dust, twitched a few times, and then completely... lost its vitality!

The diamond-shaped token, representing his identity and flashing with purple lightning, slowly emerged from the back of his hand, turning into a stream of light and falling into the hand of the young man who slowly retracted his fist... The entire scene was dead silent!

The Prodigies who were still struggling on the steps were like thousands of statues instantly petrified, each with their mouths agape, eyes vacant, and minds blank.

They just stared blankly at the slender figure who slowly retracted his fist, who seemed to have casually swatted a buzzing fly, his expression calm and unconcerned.

One punch!

Another punch!

That arrogant Prince of Thunder Roar, from a higher world, that top Prodigy whose strength could rank in the top fifty of this trial... was just... instantly killed?!