179: Chapter 179 Before the quarterfinals, Shi Potian pulls off a major upset.

Lin Ye had been lying in the medical pod for 3 hours and 17 minutes when the first gasp came from outside the rest area.

It wasn't an ordinary gasp.

It was the sound of 7,000 people inhaling cold air at the same time, the sound of the air being sucked out and instantly refilled—a vacuum rupture.

Su Qingyue stood before the transparent lid of the medical pod.

Her left hand pressed against the lid, her palm against the cold alloy surface that was pulsating at a frequency of 1.7 seconds per beat.

She did not turn her head.

But her voice entered the pod.

"Shi Potian."

"Won."

— — —

In the medical pod, Lin Ye opened his eyes.

His HP: 91.3% → 94.7% (Slowly repairing).

His Divine Power: 31% → 47% (Automatically recovering).

His body was still wrapped in 17 slowly degrading biological bandages—the ones Yun Qianxue had wrapped around him herself before he entered the pod.

But he looked at Su Qingyue's back outside the lid.

Looking at her slightly trembling left hand.

— — —

"Who was the opponent?" he asked.

— — —

Su Qingyue was silent.

3 seconds.

She spoke.

"Holy Demon Race."

"Rank 67."

— — —

Lin Ye's pupils contracted slightly.

A Rank 67 Holy Demon Race.

1 Rank lower than Zachariah.

But Zachariah was a Holy Demon Race prince, Rank 68.

This Rank 67 one was the commander of the Holy Demon Race's Third Battle Group.

[Holy Demon Race · Third Battle Group Commander · Chaos]

[Rank: 67]

[Physique: Abyss Demon Body (Awakening 89%)]

[Combat Power Assessment: 137,000-151,000]

[Battle Record: In the Round of 32, defeated a Rank 64 Dragon Clan warrior in 7.3 seconds]

— — —

Shi Potian.

Rank 63.

Hegemon Body.

Returner from the Ninth Trial of the Ancestor Star.

— — —

Lin Ye didn't speak.

He just looked at the countdown on the lid.

[Remaining repair time: 8 hours 43 minutes]

— — —

4th hour.

The second gasp.

This time, it was a cheer.

Su Qingyue's left hand moved away from the lid.

She turned around.

Looking at Lin Ye.

In those ice-blue eyes, there was light.

"...He won," she said.

"7 seconds."

— — —

[Shi Potian · Round of 16]

[Opponent: Chaos (Holy Demon Race · Rank 67)]

[Time taken: 7 seconds]

[Battle Record: With a Rank 63 Hegemon Body, defeated a Rank 67 Abyss Demon Body head-on]

[Advancement: Quarterfinals]

— — —

Lin Ye looked at that line "7 seconds".

3 seconds.

He closed his eyes.

— — —

5th hour.

Footsteps came from outside the medical pod.

Not one person.

Many people.

Su Qingyue's voice sounded.

"Let him rest."

The footsteps stopped.

But a voice penetrated the lid and entered Lin Ye's ears.

The voice was rough, deep, carrying the heaviness unique to 127 times gravity.

"Boss."

"I won."

— — —

Lin Ye opened his eyes.

He looked outside the lid.

Shi Potian stood there.

His left fist—the one that had withstood three strikes from a Rank 70 Ancestor Phantom without falling in the Ninth Trial of the Ancestor Star, smashed the Mother Empress's head-chest armor in the Mother Empress Hall, and shattered the breastbone of a Rank 67 Holy Demon Race in the previous battle—

was raised to his chest.

On the fist, there were 17 newly added, slowly healing cracks.

That was left behind by the backlash of the Holy Demon Race's Devilish Qi.

But his eyes.

Those eyes were brighter than Lin Ye had ever seen them.

— — —

[Shi Potian · Current Status]

[Rank: 63 → 64 (Level up after battle)]

[Physique: Hegemon Body · Second Stage · Awakening]

[Awakening Effect: All attributes +80%, Hegemon Body skill cooldown -30%, unlock new talent "Hegemon Without Borders · Complete Version"]

[Hegemon Without Borders · Complete Version]

[Type: Ultimate Talent Skill]

[Consumption: 30% Hegemon Blood]

[Duration: 60 seconds]

[Effect: Enter "Hegemon Without Borders" state, all attributes +150%, immune to all control effects, each attack comes with "Hegemon Intent Intimidation" (Target's all attributes -20%, duration 3 seconds)]

[Cooldown: 12 hours]

— — —

Lin Ye looked at that line "All attributes +80%".

3 seconds.

He spoke.

"Second stage," he said.

"When did it awaken?"

— — —

Shi Potian was silent for a moment.

"...The last punch," he said.

"When I shattered his breastbone."

"I felt something in my body... break."

"Then something new grew out."

— — —

Lin Ye didn't speak.

He just looked at Shi Potian's left fist.

On that fist, the new strength was pulsating at a frequency of 1.7 seconds per beat.

Completely synchronized with his Chaos Devour.

With Su Qingyue's Vast Cold Spiritual Power.

With the sentence "Next time I won't lose" left by the Blood Prince before he disappeared.

— — —

6th hour.

A voice came from outside the medical pod again.

This time, it wasn't a cheer.

It was a "warning".

[System Announcement · Prodigy Arena Quarterfinals Matchup Announced]

[Match 1: Odin (God Race · Rank 67) VS Frost Burial (Kingdom of the Undead · Rank 65)]

[Match 2: Cang Xuan (Dragon Clan Alliance · Rank 64) VS Sword Nameless (Sword Pavilion · Rank 64)]

[Match 3: Xingyue (Garden of Nature · Rank 64) VS Rex (Mechanical Cult · Rank 63)]

[Match 4: Yan Ji (Fire Spirit Race · Rank 63) VS ??? (Bye, Pending)]

[Match 5: Shi Potian (Heavenly Court · Rank 64) VS ??? (Bye, Pending)]

— — —

What does "Bye, Pending" mean?

It means there is still one person who hasn't been decided.

That person is the God Race's hidden trump card.

— — —

7th hour.

That name was announced.

[Quarterfinals · Match 5]

[Red Side: Shi Potian (Heavenly Court · Rank 64)]

[Blue Side: God Race Son of God · Apollo (God Race · Rank 72)]

— — —

The air in the medical pod solidified in that instant.

Rank 72.

God Race Son of God.

Sun God Body · Fully Awakened.

His name was not on the Prodigy list of ten thousand races.

Because he never participated in the qualifiers.

He was the "ultimate weapon" secretly prepared by the God Clan Council for the quarterfinals.

— — —

[God Race Son of God · Apollo]

[Rank: 72]

[Physique: Sun God Body (Fully Awakened + Secondary Awakening)]

[Combat Power Assessment: 187,000-203,000]

[Characteristics:]

[1. Light Element Resistance: +100% (Immune to all Light element damage)]

[2. Damage +100% against Darkness/Abyss/Undead/Blood Race units]

[3. Extra +50% damage against "Hegemon Body" type Physiques (God Race's special suppression of Hegemon Body for ten thousand years)]

[4. Sun Domain: Within a 100-meter radius, all non-God Race units take 3,000 "Purification" damage per second and cannot use any recovery skills]

[5. Son of God Privilege: Can summon one "Sun Chariot" (Rank 70 projection) per match to assist]

— — —

Shi Potian stood outside the medical pod.

He looked at that line "Extra +50% damage against Hegemon Body type Physiques".

3 seconds.

He raised his left fist to his eyes.

On the fist, 7 of the 17 cracks had already healed.

10 remained.

— — —

"Rank 72," he said.

"8 Ranks higher than me."

"Suppresses Hegemon Body."

— — —

Su Qingyue looked at him.

"You can forfeit," she said.

— — —

Shi Potian did not answer.

He just looked at his left fist.

For a long time.

Then he spoke.

"My grandfather," he said.

"Never fought a real fight in his life."

— — —

Su Qingyue did not speak.

— — —

"When I was in the Ninth Trial of the Ancestor Star," Shi Potian continued.

"The Ancestor Phantom asked me, what is in your heart."

"I said, I have a sentence in my heart."

"The words my grandfather didn't finish before he died."

— — —

He paused.

"Now I know."

"That sentence is—"

"'Fight a real fight for me.'"

— — —

He pulled his left fist back to his chest.

Clenched it.

[Hegemon Body · Second Stage · Fully Awakened]

[Current Status: Battle Intent 100%]

— — —

"Rank 72," he said.

"God Race Son of God."

"Suppresses Hegemon Body."

"Perfect."

— — —

He turned around.

Walked toward the No. 1 Arena area.

— — —

7th hour 17 minutes.

Lin Ye sat up from the medical pod.

[Repair Progress: 71% → 100% (4 hours 43 minutes early)]

[Reason: Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body self-healing ability + external Vast Cold Spiritual Power assistance]

— — —

He walked out of the medical pod.

Stood at the entrance of the rest area.

Looking at the direction of the No. 1 Arena area in the distance.

There, 7,000 spectators were already boiling.

There, Shi Potian was walking toward the arena.

There, the God Race Son of God was waiting.

— — —

Su Qingyue walked to his side.

She held his hand.

3 seconds.

Let go.

"Can he win?" she asked.

— — —

Lin Ye did not answer.

He just looked in that direction.

Looking at that back that was still straight under 127 times gravity.

3 seconds.

He spoke.

"Yes," he said.

— — —

[System Prompt: Quarterfinals Match 5 is about to begin]

[Red Side: Shi Potian (Heavenly Court · Rank 64)]

[Blue Side: Apollo (God Race · Rank 72)]

[Arena: No. 1 Arena Area]

[Countdown: 60 seconds]

— — —

Shi Potian stood on the arena.

17 meters opposite him stood the man known as the "God Race Son of God".

[Apollo · God Race Son of God]

[Height: 1.9 meters]

[Appearance: Golden short hair, golden pupils, three pairs of fully unfurled golden wings of light extending from his back]

[Equipment:]

[1. Sun God Armor · Legendary Grade: Defense +15,700, Light element resistance +100%, 50% probability to trigger "Light Backlash" when receiving physical attacks, reflecting 50% damage]

[2. Sun Scepter · Legendary Grade: Spell attack +13,700-15,200, Light element damage +100%, casting speed +50%]

[3. Heart of the Sun (Chest): Automatically restores 10% max HP every 10 seconds, and immune to all curse effects]

[4. Son of God Mark (Forehead): Can summon Sun Chariot, duration 60 seconds, cooldown 24 hours]

— — —

He looked at Shi Potian.

3 seconds.

He smiled.

That smile was very gentle, very elegant, like the sunlight itself.

"Rank 64," he said.

"Hegemon Body."

"Returner from the Ninth Trial of the Ancestor Star."

— — —

Shi Potian did not speak.

— — —

"You know," Apollo continued.

"The God Race and the Hegemon Body are eternal enemies."

"Your ancestor once shattered the projections of three of our Sun Gods with one punch."

"Our ancestors once used Holy Light to purify the Physical Body of seventeen of your Hegemon Body saints."

He paused.

"Today."

"It's my turn."

— — —

Shi Potian looked at him.

3 seconds.

He raised his left fist to his chest.

"Come," he said.

— — —

[Countdown]

[3 seconds]

[2 seconds]

[1 second]

[Start]

— — —

0 seconds.

Apollo's Sun Domain expanded.

Golden light instantly engulfed the entire Prodigy Arena.

[Sun Domain]

[Range: 100-meter radius]

[Effect: Non-God Race units take 3,000 "Purification" damage per second and cannot use any recovery-type skills]

— — —

Shi Potian stood in the center of the golden light.

His skin began to burn within 0.1 seconds.

[Purification Damage: 3,000 points/second]

[HP: 100% → 97% → 94%]

— — —

He did not retreat.

He took a step forward.

— — —

0.3 seconds.

Apollo raised his scepter.

[Sun God Spell · Holy Light Judgment]

[Damage: 17,000 points]

[Cast Time: 0.3 seconds]

— — —

A beam of golden light shot toward Shi Potian.

He did not dodge.

He took it head-on.

[Damage: 17,000 points]

[HP: 94% → 77%]

— — —

0.7 seconds.

He rushed in front of Apollo.

He smashed his left fist toward his chest.

— — —

Apollo's light wings flapped.

He drifted 7 meters backward.

The wind from the punch grazed 0.1 meters in front of his chest.

— — —

1 second.

Apollo's second Holy Light Judgment.

[17,000 points]

[HP: 77% → 60%]

— — —

Shi Potian's footsteps did not stop.

He continued to pursue.

— — —

1.3 seconds.

The third one.

[17,000 points]

[HP: 60% → 43%]

— — —

1.7 seconds.

The fourth one.

[17,000 points]

[HP: 43% → 26%]

— — —

2 seconds.

Shi Potian rushed in front of Apollo again.

His left fist—this time it struck his left shoulder.

[Damage Dealt: 4,700 points]

[Apollo's HP: 100% → 99.7%]

[Sun Heart · Passive Recovery]

[99.7% → 100% (after 2 seconds)]

— — —

Apollo's light wings flapped again.

He drifted another 7 meters back.

— — —

2.3 seconds.

The fifth Holy Light Judgment.

[17,000 points]

[HP: 26% → 9%]

— — —

Shi Potian stood where he was.

His HP was 9%.

His Hegemon Blood concentration was 47%.

His left fist was still dripping blood.

But he looked at Apollo.

He smiled.

That smile was exactly the same as when he smashed the breastbone of a Rank 67 Holy Demon Race member.

Very heavy.

Very steady.

With a hint of... madness.

"Rank 72," he said.

"Is that all you've got?"

— — —

Apollo's pupils contracted slightly.

— — —

2.7 seconds.

Shi Potian activated [Hegemon Without Frontiers].

[Hegemon Without Frontiers · Complete Version]

[All Attributes +150%]

[Immune to all control effects]

[Attacks carry "Hegemon Intent Intimidation": Target's all attributes -20%]

— — —

Dark golden light flames ignited around his body.

In the Sun Domain, those flames were like a dying ember about to be extinguished.

But it did not go out.

It was burning.

— — —

3 seconds.

He rushed toward Apollo.

His speed was 2.5 times faster than before.

Apollo's pupils contracted violently for the first time.

His light wings flapped frantically.

But it was too late.

— — —

Shi Potian's left fist smashed into the very center of his chest.

[Damage Dealt: 47,000 points]

[Apollo's HP: 100% → 97%]

[Hegemon Intent Intimidation · Effective]

[Apollo's all attributes -20%, lasting 3 seconds]

— — —

3.3 seconds.

The second punch.

[47,000 points]

[97% → 94%]

— — —

3.7 seconds.

The third punch.

[47,000 points]

[94% → 91%]

— — —

4 seconds.

The fourth punch.

[47,000 points]

[91% → 88%]

— — —

Apollo's Sun Heart was recovering frantically.

10% per second.

100% every 10 seconds.

But Shi Potian's punches came every 0.3 seconds.

3 punches per second.

47,000 points per punch.

141,000 damage per second.

Sun Heart's recovery was only 5,000 points per second.

— — —

5 seconds.

Apollo's HP: 88% → 47%.

— — —

5.3 seconds.

He raised his scepter.

[Sun Chariot · Summon]

— — —

A chariot burning with golden flames rushed out from the Void Realm.

[Sun Chariot · Projection]

[Rank: 70]

[HP: 270,000]

[Attack Methods: Charge/Trample/Sun Fire]

— — —

Shi Potian did not look at the chariot.

His fists were still smashing.

The 17th punch.

The 18th punch.

The 19th punch.

— — —

6 seconds.

The chariot crashed into him.

[Charge Damage: 23,000 points]

[Shi Potian HP: 9% → 0%]

[Forced to retain 1 HP]

[Hegemon Body · Undying Heart · Passive Triggered]

[Cooldown: 72 hours]

— — —

He stood where he was.

HP: 1 point.

But his 20th punch still smashed out.

[47,000 points]

[Apollo's HP: 47% → 43%]

— — —

6.3 seconds.

The 21st punch.

[43% → 39%]

— — —

6.7 seconds.

The 22nd punch.

[39% → 35%]

— — —

The chariot charged again.

[23,000 points]

HP: 1 point → 0 points?

No.

[Undying Heart · Second Trigger]

[Forced to retain 1 HP]

[Cooldown: 0 seconds (Undying Heart has no cooldown while in Hegemon Without Frontiers state)]

— — —

7 seconds.

The 23rd punch.

The 24th punch.

The 25th punch.

— — —

7.3 seconds.

Apollo's HP: 35% → 11%.

— — —

His pupils dilated.

His light wings stopped flapping.

His Sun Heart was still recovering.

5,000 points per second.

But Shi Potian's punches were 141,000 points per second.

— — —

7.7 seconds.

The 29th punch.

The 30th punch.

The 31st punch.

— — —

Apollo's HP: 11% → 0%.

— — —

[Kill · Rank 72 God Race Son of God]

[Time Elapsed: 7.7 seconds]

[Winner: Shi Potian (Heavenly Court · Rank 64)]

[Evaluation: Hegemon Body Awakening Second Stage, defeated Sun God Body head-on]

[Advanced: Top 8]

— — —

Shi Potian stood where he was.

His HP: 1 point.

His Hegemon Blood concentration: 47% → 3%.

His left fist—the one that had smashed 31 punches—now had completely shattered knuckles, white bone fragments piercing through the skin, and blood dripping drop by drop along the gaps between his fingers.

But he stood there.

— — —

Apollo's remains dissipated in front of him.

Only one sentence echoed in the air:

"...Hegemon Body."

"Impossible."

— — —

Shi Potian did not look at the dissipating light particles.

He turned around.

Walked off the Prodigy Arena.

Every step was very slow.

Every step left a 3-centimeter-deep footprint under 127 times gravity.

— — —

He walked to the entrance of the rest area.

Lin Ye was standing there.

— — —

Shi Potian looked at him.

3 seconds.

He raised his left fist—the one with bone fragments piercing the skin, still dripping blood—to his chest.

"Boss," he said.

"8th."

— — —

Lin Ye did not speak.

He just looked at that fist.

3 seconds.

He reached out.

Grasped it.

— — —

[System Prompt: Shi Potian's current status]

[HP: 1% (Critical)]

[Hegemon Blood concentration: 3% (Depleted)]

[Left Fist: Comminuted fracture (Requires 12 hours of medical pod repair)]

[Status: Extremely weak]

— — —

Lin Ye did not look at that line of prompt.

He just held that fist.

For a long time.

Then he let go.

"8th," he said.

"Enough."

— — —

Shi Potian smiled.

That smile was exactly the same as when he smashed the breastbone of a Rank 67 Holy Demon Race member.

Very heavy.

Very steady.

With a hint of... satisfaction.

— — —

He walked toward the medical pod.

Before the pod lid closed, he took one last look outside the rest area.

There, the Top 8 list was scrolling on the holographic screen.

[Top 8 List · Prodigy Arena]

[1. Odin (God Race) —— Rank 67]

[2. Frost Burial (Kingdom of the Undead) —— Rank 65]

[3. Cang Xuan (Dragon Clan Alliance) —— Rank 64]

[4. Sword Nameless (Sword Pavilion) —— Rank 64]

[5. Xingyue (Garden of Nature) —— Rank 64]

[6. Rex (Mechanical Cult) —— Rank 63]

[7. Yanji (Fire Spirit Race) —— Rank 63]

[8. Shi Potian (Heavenly Court) —— Rank 64]

— — —

8th place.

The last place.

But he defeated a Rank 72 God Race Son of God.

— — —

Inside the medical pod, the countdown began to tick.

[12:00:00]

[11:59:59]

— — —

Lin Ye stood at the entrance of the rest area.

He looked at the pod lid that was closing.

3 seconds.

He spoke.

"7.7 seconds," he said.

"Faster than me."

— — —

There was no response from inside the pod.

But Lin Ye knew that Shi Potian heard him.

— — —

He turned around.

Looking toward the direction of the No. 1 Prodigy Arena area.

There, the God Clan Council's observation team was roaring in anger.

There, Apollo's failure had caused the entire God Race to lose face.

There, someone was declaring:

"Hegemon Body heretic."

"Must be purified."

"Next round, let that Shi Potian know what real Divine Punishment is."

— — —

Lin Ye did not speak.

He just pressed his right hand onto the sword hilt.

The refined iron longsword brought back from the Trial Ancient Star had a gray crack in the center of the blade, pulsing at a frequency of 1.7 seconds/time.

In sync with Shi Potian's breathing inside the medical pod.

With Su Qingyue's heartbeat as she stood behind him.

With the next battle coming after the Top 8 match.

Perfectly synchronized.

— — —

[Chapter 179 · End]