9: Chapter 9 The Power of Absolute Defense and One-Handed Crush Divine Technique
As his divine consciousness withdrew from Guldan's ruined divine domain, Su Chen's consciousness descended into his own divine kingdom the moment it returned.
Beneath his feet was the solid, heavy earth of his divine domain, every particle of dust imbued with his divine radiance.
Above his head was the simulated firmament, dotted with stars—eternal coordinates he had adorned with divine power.
He paid no attention to the Zerg Swarm in his divine kingdom, which was either fervently praying or busily hatching.
Nor did he admire this world, which he had poured countless efforts into and was now thriving.
At this moment, all of Su Chen's attention was immersed in an unprecedented sense of fullness.
It was a transformation originating from the essence of his divine soul.
The Firmness divine portfolio.
This nascent power of rules flowed like surging magma deep within his divine soul, complementing the crimson rule that originally represented [Slaughter].
One commanded destruction, the other commanded eternity.
Favored races are an extension of a deity's power, and a deity is the root and culmination of all their favored race's characteristics.
If the Steel-Fanged Ant's carapace gained the solid structure of earth strata, then Su Chen, as their master, would only have a more thorough and profound grasp of the [Firmness] rule itself.
A strong impulse surged within his divine soul, urging him to verify this new power.
This was not merely curiosity.
It was also an instinct to accurately assess his own strength.
In this perilous World of Gods, any misjudgment of one's own power could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Su Chen's thoughts stirred slightly.
No complex incantations were chanted.
Nor was there a need to mobilize additional divine power stored in the divine kingdom.
Om—
A very faint tremor, not from the air, but directly from the resonance of space itself.
A semi-transparent crystal shield materialized out of thin air on Su Chen's body.
It was not a complete light barrier, but was pieced together from countless perfectly hexagonal crystal plates, forming a flawless honeycomb structure.
Each crystal plate was as thin as a cicada's wing, its edges shimmering with a sharp luster, yet within flowed a heavy, earthy yellow glow.
Light passing through this shield underwent a subtle refraction, giving the space around Su Chen an unreal, distorted feel.
The shield floated silently, with no energy leakage, yet it caused the surrounding laws to congeal, emanating a tranquil aura of eternal, unchanging permanence.
Su Chen lowered his gaze, examining this Absolute Defense woven directly from the [Firmness] rule.
His finger gently touched the crystal surface of the shield.
What his fingertip transmitted back was not the ethereal resistance of an energy shield, but the tangible sensation of touching matter of extreme density.
Cold, hard, imbued with an absolute confidence to crush all things.
"Not enough."
Su Chen's gaze was calm.
Mere sensation could not quantify its limits.
He needed a precise reference.
"Divine Domain Simulator, activate."
His will was the supreme law of the divine kingdom.
The entire divine kingdom's energy was mobilized at this moment.
"Simulate attack."
"Target: Second-Turn Demigod, veteran rank."
"Attack method: Great Fireball Spell."
The command flashed through Su Chen's consciousness.
In an instant, the space a hundred meters in front of him suddenly collapsed inward, air was sucked out, forming a brief vacuum.
Immediately after, an endless stream of fire elements was forcibly extracted, compressed, and condensed from the void!
A giant fireball, over three meters in diameter, formed out of thin air.
It was no longer the orange-red fire mass in the hands of an ordinary mage; its core, due to extreme energy compression, had taken on a dazzling pure white that one dared not look at directly.
Terrifying high temperatures warped the light, blurring the surroundings.
The scorching energy had not even erupted yet, but it had already scorched and vitrified the divine domain ground below.
This was a full-power strike capable of instantly leveling a small mountain peak and severely wounding or even instantly killing an ordinary First-Turn Demigod!
Without the slightest pause.
That pure white fireball, condensed with destructive energy, trailed a long flame tail, tearing through the air, emitting a piercing shriek, and fiercely blasted towards Su Chen!
Su Chen stood suspended in place, hands clasped behind his back.
His eyes showed not the slightest ripple.
He simply stood there, quietly awaiting the arrival of that destructive storm.
Boom—!!!
A deafening roar exploded above the entire divine kingdom!
The moment the fireball contacted the honeycomb shield, all its accumulated energy was released within one-ten-thousandth of a second!
A small sun rose slowly before Su Chen.
Blinding white light devoured all colors, and violent shockwaves spread wildly in all directions in concentric circles!
Smoke and energy turbulence swept across the heavens and earth, forming a massive, continuously rolling and rising mushroom cloud.
Within the divine kingdom, countless praying Steel-Fanged Ants looked up, their compound eyes reflecting the terrifying, world-ending explosion, yet a divine oracle from their master, calm as an abyss, echoed deep within their souls, preventing any panic.
After a long while.
As the violent energy turbulence gradually subsided and the sky-filling smoke slowly dispersed.
The scene at the core of the explosion reappeared.
Su Chen still maintained his original posture, hands clasped behind his back, suspended in place, not even a corner of his clothes ruffled.
The honeycomb shield on his body remained intact.
The earthy yellow glow flowed quietly within the crystal plates, as if the earth-shattering explosion just now was merely a gentle breeze sweeping across water.
Let alone shattering.
On the perfect structure composed of countless regular hexagons, not even the slightest ripple had appeared!
"This..."
Su Chen raised his hands, his gaze penetrating the crystalline shield to fall upon his palms.
His heart, at this moment, beat violently and uncontrollably.
Thump, thump, like the booming of war drums.
Strong!
Too strong!
This was no longer a simple defense at the physical or energy level.
This was "Firmness" at the rule level!
As long as the attack intensity did not break through the upper limit of rules that the [Firmness] divine portfolio could bear, theoretically, he was unshakeable!
His current realm was clearly only First-Turn Demigod.
Yet, with this shield, in terms of defense alone, he could completely crush those veteran Second-Turn Demigods who had struggled on the divine path for thousands of years!
This was the profound foundation of dual divine portfolios!
[Slaughter] granted him an indestructible spear.
[Firmness] bestowed upon him an unbreakable shield.
Both offense and defense, with no more weaknesses!
The curve of Su Chen's lips expanded uncontrollably, finally forming a confident smile.
His gaze shifted from the shield to the void ahead.
"divine portfolios bring more than just passive defense..."
He slowly extended his right hand, fingers spread, towards the seemingly empty space ahead.
At that instant, a profound perception descended.
In his "vision," the world before him was no longer merely a scene.
He could "see" the flow of air, "touch" the structure of space itself, and "perceive" the state of existence of every speck of dust, every molecule within that area.
The structure of all things, the composition of matter, was no longer a secret to him at this moment.
And the [Firmness] divine portfolio granted him the ability to interfere with this structure.
Su Chen's eyes suddenly sharpened.
He clenched his five fingers fiercely towards that void!
"Shatter!"
A single word, uttered within his divine soul.
Crack! Crack, crack, crack—!
No explosion, no roar.
Only a series of crisp, teeth-grating shattering sounds.
In the space before Su Chen, that previously empty area, countless spiderweb-like black cracks appeared out of thin air!
The air, light, dust, all matter in that area, had their fundamental structures forcibly conceptually pulverized with that single grip!
Air was no longer gas, but became a heap of disconnected, chaotic particles.
Space itself let out a wail of unbearable strain.
"This is... the feeling of controlling power."
Su Chen spread his palm, watching the spatial cracks slowly mend under the divine kingdom's laws, feeling the authority within his divine soul to command the structure of all things, to define "Firmness" and "fragility."
A surge of heroic ambition welled up in his chest.
Deep in his eyes, the flame of ambition burned even more fiercely.
From today onward, in this perilous World of Gods where deities fall like rain.
He, Su Chen, finally possessed the true capital to establish himself and look down upon all heroes!