48: Superstars and Meteorites

After a brief silence, an even more frenzied explosion erupted! The two collided once again like two out-of-control meteors!

"Boom—!!!"

This collision was no longer a crisp sonic boom, but felt like the destruction of two stars! Blackish-purple lightning and pure white light eroded and tore at each other frantically, erupting with a deafening roar loud enough to rupture eardrums! The shockwave expanded spherically, completely blowing away the already wrecked stage to reveal the base of the deep pit below!

As the light dissipated, the two figures staggered apart and landed heavily.

Lu Guangming knelt on one knee, a trail of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. The once brilliant light on his body was now as dim as a candle in the wind. Sharp pain radiated from all over his body, which was covered in red swelling and bruises. Chen Long was in even worse shape; his black Aura was riddled with cracks, and half of his helmet was shattered, revealing his pale yet resolute face. Blood also seeped from his nose and mouth, and his Aura was withered.

Both had reached their absolute limits.

But in Chen Long's eyes, that fire had not gone out; instead, it burned even more fiercely! He suddenly looked up at the sky and let out an unyielding, long howl!

"Argh—!"

The Aura around him, which had already dimmed, surged again like a final burst of life! He stomped hard on the ground, his entire body soaring into the air, leaping into the mid-sky!

As he ascended, the sky above the arena seemed to darken! It wasn't that dark clouds were obscuring the sun, but rather that the sky was being dyed and swallowed by his extremely condensed dark purple Aura! The black Aura across his body completely transformed into a deep, oppressive dark purple. Especially on his arms and legs, the Aura condensed and expanded frantically, as if turning into the limbs of a giant! Countless dark purple lightning serpents danced and hissed wildly around him, making heart-palpitating crackling sounds!

Rumble—!

Dull thunder rolled through the sky, as if it couldn't withstand the condensation of this power. A world-destroying pressure descended. The weaker spectators in the stands instantly rolled their eyes back and fainted. Even the defensive-type Ability Users changed expression one after another, using their abilities to construct defenses against this apocalyptic pressure that felt like Mars colliding with Earth!

"Guangming! I can't control this move!" Chen Long's voice came from high above like a divine proclamation, filled with determination and a trace of undetectable trembling. "Next... you might die!"

"Are you trying to kill me!" For the first time, true panic appeared on Lu Guangming's face. He looked at the figure in the sky that resembled a demon god descending to the world, feeling that terrifying energy capable of destroying everything. "What are you burning for! Ah—! Let's do this!"

There was no retreat, and no escape!

A ruthlessness he had never felt before surged from the depths of Lu Guangming's heart! He stopped thinking and gave up on tricks; all that remained was the most primitive and pure instinct to counterattack!

"POW—ER—!" He roared at the sky, the sound waves temporarily dispersing part of the pressure! With this roar, his originally somewhat thin frame expanded like it was being inflated. Muscles bulged and veins snaked like coiled dragons, instantly transforming him into a muscular giant full of power!

But it wasn't enough!

He roared again, shouting the name of his ability, which was also what his heart desired most at this moment:

"LUMIN—OSITY—!"

Hum—!!!

A pure light, ten million times more dazzling than the midday sun, suddenly erupted from his giant form! The light was like a physical tsunami, soaring into the sky to contend with the dark purple pressing down from above!

Above was a world of darkness, destruction, and the oppression of an apocalyptic Falling Star!

Below was a brilliant, warm ocean of light that seemed ready to purify everything!

Two completely different worlds were formed amidst the desperate roars of the two young men!

"Dean Lin, aren't we going to stop them?" Teacher Mo Chen asked.

"No need. We have over a dozen healing-type Ability Users, and Number 7 is nearby. It'll be fine." Dean Lin leaned back confidently in his seat.

"Their energy levels are comparable to a Single Digit," Instructor Lin couldn't help but feel envious.

"Lu Guangming, do you know why I am better than you?" Chen Long's voice came through the agitation of thunder and light. He didn't wait for an answer, because the answer was within this strike!

"Falling Star—!"

He roared as his legs violently erupted with turbulent dark purple Aura, acting like rocket boosters and bringing shockwaves that filled the sky! As for himself, he clenched those dark purple giant fists that seemed capable of crushing stars, falling like a true celestial meteorite carrying the will and kinetic energy to destroy everything, crashing toward the ocean of light below!

Facing this world-destroying strike, Lu Guangming, who had transformed into a giant of light, let out his final and loudest shout: "SUPER—NOVA—!"

In the audience, Wang Pang watched as Chen Long dived from the upper right and Lu Guangming gathered strength to meet him from the lower left. He instinctively blurted out, "It's over! Since ancient times, the one on the right always loses the beam struggle. The Class Monitor is going to lose!"

In the next moment, Falling Star and Supernova collided!

There was no sound.

Or rather, the sound had exceeded the limit of what human ears could capture.

There was only an extreme white light that swallowed everything, followed by a terrifying energy storm that swept through the entire arena, seemingly capable of shattering even the Soul!

The energy barrier emitted an ear-piercing cracking sound as it reached its limit, with cracks spreading everywhere! The seats in the front row of the audience were instantly vaporized, and the entire venue shook violently, as if a magnitude ten earthquake had occurred!

It was unknown how much time passed before that destructive light and storm finally subsided.

Everyone struggled to look toward the stage—no, there was no stage left.

Only a massive deep pit, looking as if it had been struck by a meteorite, remained in its place, with wisps of blue smoke rising.

At the bottom of the pit, two figures lay quietly, motionless.

Both were heavily injured, their Auras weakened to the extreme.

Chen Long was in a more miserable state. His right arm and right leg were twisted unnaturally, clearly broken. His entire body was charred black, as if he had been scorched by intense flames.

Lu Guangming was equally wretched. His expanded muscles had returned to their original state, his clothes were in tatters, he was covered in wounds, and that dazzling light had completely gone out.

"Guang... ming..." Chen Long gasped weakly, as if he had used up all his strength. His voice was as raspy as a broken bellows. "Do you know... why... I am stronger than you?"

However, after saying this, he actually used his only intact left hand to prop himself up on the charred ground, dragging his broken right arm and leg, and bit by bit, with extreme difficulty, slowly... stood up!

"Because I stood up!"

With one good foot and a mangled leg, he stubbornly supported his body. He swayed, yet he stood in the pit like an unyielding monument!

Lu Guangming forced his eyelids open. Looking at Chen Long, who was more heavily injured than him but had forced himself to stand, his lips moved as he made a faint sound: "Class Monitor... if you couldn't stand up... I would have stood up. Since you've stood up... just let me lie here..."

Chen Long looked at the still-immobile Lu Guangming and shook his head. Though his voice was weak, it carried an unquestionable firmness: "No... you can't stand up. If I don't stand up... you have no reason... to stand up..."

These words were like the final straw.

Lying on the ground, Lu Guangming used his last bit of strength to take a deep look at that stubbornly standing figure. Then, his tightly wound Willpower finally relaxed, and he slowly closed his eyes.

He... fell asleep. Completely exhausted, he fell into a deep coma.

The referee cautiously approached, confirmed Lu Guangming's condition, and then looked at Chen Long, who was standing but clearly at his limit, supported entirely by Willpower. He took a deep breath and shouted with all his might:

"The winner—Chen Long!"

As the voice fell, the entire venue went silent.

Then, an unprecedented cheer erupted, a mix of shock, respect, and madness!